Ianto and Owen investigate a mysterious signal in the countryside…

From the way that the episode is brought up regularly when people are discussing the less well-received instalments of Torchwood, it would seem that Countrycide is not high on a lot of people’s favourites from the first series. And yet one very good thing has come from it – in part it was the inspiration for this script from Gareth David-Lloyd, who takes the least countrified member of the original team, namely Burn Gorman’s Owen, and sticks him in the middle of God’s Own Country alongside a Ianto desperate to prove (perhaps to himself more than anyone else) that he deserves his place as part of the team.

One of the real strengths of these standalone Torchwood tales has been their variety – in many ways this is one of the most down to Earth stories we’ve had in the series, certainly in terms of the interaction the team have with members of the public. There’s plenty of humour amid the drama, but the otherworldly element is catered for well, with an interesting dilemma posed for the two Torchwood members in the closing stages.

Verdict: A well-written, acted and directed trip away from the Hub. 9/10

Paul Simpson