Combat
by Noel Clarke
Jack looses weevils, Owen gets depressed
Synopsis
Owen is depressed. He’s in a deep, dark, depression. He drinks, he fights, he pisses on his friends (metaphorically.) (Come to think of it, the “metaphorically†was meant for the word “pisses†but could equally have applied to the word “friendsâ€.)
Meanwhile, Jack has discovered that someone is “kidnapping†weevils, right out from under Torchwood’s nose.
Gwen has a fight with Rhys, then a fight with Owen, so she’s depressed, too. She tells Rhys about her affair, then gives him the amnesia drug.
Owen goes undercover and discovers a Fight Club where socially dissatisfied morons have cage-fights with weevils. Being in that right state of mind, Owen becomes one of the morons and goes into the cage with the Weevil.
He nearly gets eaten, Jack saves the Day. “Story†over.
Analysis
I had high hopes for this episode. After week-after-week of talky, only vaguely Torchwood related stories, the previews for this episode looked like this might be the turning point story where things finally begin to pick up the pace.
One could be forgiven, having seen the previews, to think that Torchwood might be coming up against some opposition, perhaps even someone who actually knows what the weevils are (as Torchwood has already admitted that they do not.)
Instead we just get a bunch of dumb wanks in a fight club.
It’s a completely senseless implementation of all the cool violence and melodrama “teased†at in the preview. Oh wait! Could this be an oh-so-subtle “message†from the writers? Violence and fighting are senseless! I have seen the light; another mind “enlightened†by television!
The story did resolve at least one point about the weevils that has been bothering me (apart from their obvious absence): Why are they wearing overalls? It would now seem that it’s just possible that weevils are “infected†people, as Owen seems to have picked up the “bug†by the end of the episode.
As predicted, Gwen is falling apart, so much so that has to spill her guts to Rhys to ask for his forgiveness. Then, of course, she has to make him forget. She doesn’t get the forgiveness she seeks and resorts to pizza. I predict she’ll be 20 stone by the end of the series.
Capt. Jack Mystery Puzzle Piece of the Week: I’ll be darned if I saw one.
Next Week Capt. Jack goes back to WWII and meets himself. Toshiko goes along, I’m sure an ethnically-Japanese woman will be popular in WWII London… or will it be Cardiff?