The Cardiff suburbs are under attack and the only person that is safe from freak weather and murderous attacks is a little girl with no friends who talks to herself in the nearby forest. When the Torchwood team are called into investigate the mysterious death of a convicted child molester, Captain Jack Harkness recognises the cause of death and it brings back nightmarish memories that have haunted him ever since.

The fifth episode is a Captain Jack-centric one that reveals more about his history and past loves. Here we discover that he has been on Earth many times throughout time and really does like the military.

Drawn to war, Captain Jack’s past is one filled with many memories both good and bad but his connection to Estelle Cole was very different. This episode allows John Barrowman to explore the more emotional side of Captain Jack, as he shows fear for the first time and is forced into making a command decision that will distance him from the rest of his team.

This episode is a little more Doctor Who in its approach. It doesn’t really push the darker side of the show and could have easily been an episode involving Rose Tyler and the Doctor.

This shouldn’t distract from what is a decent show that plays on ‘Fairy’ folklore and ties the story into a very famous picture that made those small people at the end of the garden so famous.

‘Small Worlds’ might be one of those episodes that you will quickly forget when you look back over the season but it is still worth watching. This is because of the insight into the history of Captain Jack Harkness and the continued development of his relationship with Gwen. The visual effects are not bad either.

The fight against evil continues…

Jamie Kelwick