Story: Torchwoood: Countrycide
Written By: Chris Chibnall
Length: 50 Minutes
Year: 2006
"Countrycide" feels like a sort of cheap slasher flick, only the victems don't get hacked to bits and we are supposed to actually feel for them because we've been watching them for weeks...except we don't because their characters are still unclear.
Ok, the good of this episode comes from its style and tone, which is dark, disturbing, and creepy, all in a good way. Add on to that that Torchwood for once feel like an actual team, even Ianto, who is rather useful for once.
The bad is Owen and Gwen...starting up a relationship. I really hate Gwen in these first two seasons, she wavers from episode to episode from being total skank to the sweet "heart of the team." She ranges from competent Police officer to naive airhead. And unlike all the other characters (who are also completely inconsistent in terms of character traits) Gwen is the only one portrayed by a sub-par actress. Owen is a douche, but the actor is pretty good. Jack never knows what he wants to be as a leader, but John Barrowman is likable. Tosh and Ianto both seem useless 85% of the time, but the actors behind them make you like the character 80-90% of the time...but Eve Myles isn't the best actress, and the writing is all over the place in this season that she is certainly not helped by that.
Gwen does things like ask everyone who they last kissed...and then gets immediately annoyed when Owen tells the group he last kissed her. What? She could have easily shot a villain and Owen could have held the other villain at bay...but instead she just gives up. What?
The end is ridiculous with Jack storming in to save the day.
I would say this episode is dark and adult, something that couldn't have been done in Doctor Who, but I would say that like the rest of this season, it is still pretty damned flawed. Though not as bad as others, and myself after the first time I watched it, make it out to be.
NEXT TIME: Mary
Written By: Chris Chibnall
Length: 50 Minutes
Year: 2006
"Countrycide" feels like a sort of cheap slasher flick, only the victems don't get hacked to bits and we are supposed to actually feel for them because we've been watching them for weeks...except we don't because their characters are still unclear.
The bad is Owen and Gwen...starting up a relationship. I really hate Gwen in these first two seasons, she wavers from episode to episode from being total skank to the sweet "heart of the team." She ranges from competent Police officer to naive airhead. And unlike all the other characters (who are also completely inconsistent in terms of character traits) Gwen is the only one portrayed by a sub-par actress. Owen is a douche, but the actor is pretty good. Jack never knows what he wants to be as a leader, but John Barrowman is likable. Tosh and Ianto both seem useless 85% of the time, but the actors behind them make you like the character 80-90% of the time...but Eve Myles isn't the best actress, and the writing is all over the place in this season that she is certainly not helped by that.
Gwen does things like ask everyone who they last kissed...and then gets immediately annoyed when Owen tells the group he last kissed her. What? She could have easily shot a villain and Owen could have held the other villain at bay...but instead she just gives up. What?
The end is ridiculous with Jack storming in to save the day.
I would say this episode is dark and adult, something that couldn't have been done in Doctor Who, but I would say that like the rest of this season, it is still pretty damned flawed. Though not as bad as others, and myself after the first time I watched it, make it out to be.
NEXT TIME: Mary
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