Countrycide

"You are the harvest."

Writer: Chris Chibnall

Format: TV

Broadcast: 19 November 2006

Series: Torchwood 1.06

Featuring: Captain Jack, Gwen, Tosh, Owen, Ianto

Synopsis

Upon entering an apparently deserted village in the Brecon Beacons, the Torchwood team is separated. Finding his people are the prey in a savage game of cat and mouse, Jack faces a family of ruthless hunters far more skilled in surviving outside the confines of the city than he is...

Verdict

Countrycide was an excellent episode to continue the first series of Torchwood! Gemma and I watched this one with dinner and it's fair to say that might not have been the best of decisions. This is an incredibly gruesome story and I like the realism of the revelation that the Torchwood team are actually dealing with human cannibals, rather than the alien creatures they expected to be behind the mysterious disappearances in the Brecon Beacons. It was a little strange seeing that location as we actually drove through it yesterday so things looked a little familiar. That pre-credits scene is excellent in establishing what is going to happen in the episode and the thought of being stranded on the Beacons at night with flat tyres and no phone signal with someone clearly hunting you is scary. The atmosphere for this episode was outstanding and I loved the unique feel this one had with it being entirely on location. Torchwood setting up camp was a lot of fun and it's great to see Ianto being integrated back into the team now following on from Cyberwoman. It was a lot of fun as well for Gwen to ask everyone when their last snog was and the range of answers provided very different emotions. It was a little sad that Tosh hadn't snogged anyone since a drunken one with Owen at Christmas, whilst Ianto was still longing after Lisa. Owen's answer of Gwen was delightful and the look on Gwen's face when she realises the answer before he speaks is magnificent. The SUV being taken was a good moment and I liked how the Torchwood team were stripped of all their resources. That didn't help them though when it came to getting sight of a number of corpses stripped of their flesh. It was a pretty graphic episode and seeing Gwen's reaction of vomiting was more than warranted. I liked the pace of this one and the steady way in which other characters were introduced. Gwen being shot was such a sudden moment and I liked how it was left to Owen to help heal her. Ianto and Tosh made for a great pairing as well and them being tied up and on the verge of being skinned was a frightening prospect. Despite all of the aliens and everything they see come through the Rift, the fact the culprits here were humans made it all the more horrifying. I think that's great. Evan was an excellent head of the cannibal household and his answer to Gwen when she demanded to talk to him to understand was chilling. It made him happy. I liked the dialogue and sometimes the lack of it was excellent with the shadowy movements. The police officer actually turning out to be Evan's nephew is a little predictable, as is Helen's turn on Tosh and Ianto, but the trio make for one hell of a family! The epic way in which they are dealt with in quick style by Jack and the directing for that sequence was really good. It was unique which meant it had an impact on my viewing experience and I really enjoyed it. It was a brilliant Captain Jack moment! The talking point at the end of the episode with Gwen consoling in Owen with more than just words was a moment I forgot happened, and it's fair to say it sparked a fun reaction for Gemma as she hasn't been overly impressed with Gwen's relationships and sexual actions thus far! Overall, a fantastic episode.

Rating: 9/10