Torchwood: Meat

I don't watch much TV these days, so there are very few shows which I get to despair of more than Torchwood, but one of them would have to be ITV's Primeval. I've only seen one episode and rather a lot of bits, but without exception, I've found it all to be rather dreadful.

Anyway, this episode of Torchwood was blatantly a Primeval story. And yet, this was really good.

There are really two stories going on in this one. The first is the absolutely massive monster being held in a warehouse, as criminals hack it to pieces, still living, to sell off its meat for profit. I don't know why CGI in the UK is so much weaker than in the States, but what really made me feel sorry for the creature were the sounds it made. Those moaning screams really communicated far more than words ever could have. The hollow 'victory' at the end was miserable, and believable.

The second storyline, also developed very well, is Rhys finally finding-out who Gwen works for. The anger, both justified and misplaced, that grows from their refusal to be honest with each other results in a lot well-played yelling and swearing, which I thought was qualified in this instance.

Rhys has no idea just how badly Gwen treats him, and if you've been following the series (which I'm not sure this writer has) then this episode displays his victimisation very well. By the end of the episode he's even taken a bullet for his beloved, completely unaware that she's still flirting with her boss, and that his surgeon has been sleeping with her. Strangely, both the surgeon and Gwen seem unaware of this too. Well then, my memory of those episodes last season must be wrong.

It's a strong episode all-round, but when a long-coming argument like that finally erupts, it really can't happen with so little reference to the episodes that have built up to it. As well as Gwen's affair, (Countrycide) Rhys has had his house broken into because of Torchwood, (Small Worlds) has previously been drugged and mindwiped by his fiancee, (Combat) and in his last appearance actually broke out from a cell there and got murdered! (End Of Days)

Okay, so that last one had time changed so that it hadn't in the end happened, but the lack of reference to Gwen and Rhys' ongoing relationship developments in the series was mistaken, I think. Rhys' perception of the last year of his life has just changed radically – we really need to see that change.

Overall I'm pleasantly surprised though – four episodes into the season and I'm actually quite enjoying Torchwood.