Countrycide (TV story): Difference between revisions

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{{Template:Infobox Torchwood|
{{title dab away}}
story name = Countrycide |
{{real world}}
image = [[Image:Countrycide.jpg|300px]] |
{{ImageLinkTV}}
series= [[Torchwood]] - [[List of Torchwood television stories|TV Stories]] |
{{Infobox Story SMW
series number=[[Series 1 (Torchwood)|Series 1]]|
|image                = Countrycide main.jpg
number= 6 |
|series                = ''[[Torchwood (TV series)|Torchwood]]''
enemy=  Brynblaidd villagers<br>[[Ewan Sherman]]<br>[[Helen Sherman]]<br>[[Huw]] |
|season number        = Series 1 (Torchwood)
setting=|
|series episode number = 6
writer= [[Chris Chibnall]] |
|scripturl      = https://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/documents/torchwood-1-episode-6-countrycide-pink-revisions-05092006.pdf
director = [[Andy Goddard]] |
|main character        = [[Jack Harkness|Jack]], [[Gwen Cooper|Gwen]], [[Owen Harper|Owen]], [[Toshiko Sato|Tosh]], [[Ianto Jones|Ianto]]
producer = [[Richard Stokes]] |
|featuring            =
broadcast date= [[19th November]] [[2006]] |
|enemy                = [[Evan Sherman]]
previous story = [[Small Worlds]] |
|setting              = [[Brecon Beacons]], [[2000s]]{{note|Episodes 1-10 of the [[Series 1 (Torchwood)|first series]] of ''[[Torchwood (series)|Torchwood]]'' are set anywhere from [[2006]]-[[2009]] as a result of [[Aliens of London dating controversy|conflicting evidence]] shown in the episodes {{cs|Ghost Machine (TV story)}}, {{cs|Greeks Bearing Gifts (TV story)}}, {{cs|Random Shoes (TV story)}}, {{cs|To the Last Man (TV story)}}, {{cs|Reset (TV story)}}, {{cs|Adrift (TV story)}}, {{cs|Fragments (TV story)}}, {{cs|Exit Wounds (TV story)}}, and {{cs|The New World (TV story)}}. As episode 10, {{cs|Out of Time (TV story)}}, is set at the end of [[December]], this means that episodes 11-13 are almost certainly set the year after episodes 1-10.}}
next story = [[Greeks Bearing Gifts]] }}
|writer               = Chris Chibnall
|director             = [[Andy Goddard]]
|producer             = [[Richard Stokes]]
|network              = BBC Three
|broadcast date       = 19 November 2006
|prev                  = Small Worlds (TV story)
|next                  = Greeks Bearing Gifts (TV story)
|clip                  = The harvest - Torchwood - BBC
|clip2                = Under Attack In the Pub Countrycide Torchwood
|clip3                = "Because It Made Me Happy" Countrycide Torchwood
|format                = 1x47-minute episode
}}
'''''Countrycide''''' was the sixth episode in the [[Series 1 (Torchwood)|first series]] of ''[[Torchwood (TV series)|Torchwood]]''. It was written by [[Chris Chibnall]] and directed by [[Andy Goddard]]. It continued to push the boundaries of an after-watershed timeslot and contained strong graphic elements beyond the family-friendly archetypes of ''[[Doctor Who]]''.


In terms of the ongoing ''Torchwood'' narrative, it was important for advancing Gwen's burgeoning sexual fling with Owen, which evolved into a stint of cheating on her lover [[Rhys Williams]]. Of perhaps more long-lasting impact was the fact that it gave a clear indication of Tosh's attraction to Owen, and his diffidence towards her — a theme that would pick up steam in the latter half of [[series 2 (Torchwood)|series 2]] and form the emotional basis of their story arc.


==Synopsis==
== Synopsis ==
Concerned that the [[Cardiff Rift|space-time rift]] is spreading, [[Torchwood 3|Torchwood]] investigate a series of gruesome deaths in the [[Brecon Beacons]] village of [[Brynblaidd]]. What sort of creature could cause such shocking injuries? Stranded without communications or equipment and isolated from one another, the team confront a terrifying enemy.
Concerned that the [[Cardiff Space-Time Rift|space-time rift]] is spreading, [[Torchwood Three|Torchwood]] investigates a series of gruesome deaths located in a small [[Brynblaidd|village]] in the [[Brecon Beacons]]. What sort of creature could cause such shocking injuries? Stranded without communications or equipment and isolated from one another, the team confronts a terrifying enemy.


==Plot==
== Plot ==
It’s late at night on the Brecon Beacons and a solitary car makes its way across the empty road. The driver, a young woman named Ellie, is travelling alone. She takes a call on her mobile phone and tells her friend that she should be with them in about half an hour - then suddenly the signal is lost. She brings the car to a halt as her headlights pick out something in the road ahead. It looks like a body, apparently belonging to someone involved in an accident, but there’s no sign of anyone else on the road or the surrounding moor. Cautiously she arms herself with a baseball bat and approaches the body, unaware that a figure has emerged from the darkness near her car. She prods the body with her bat and discovers it’s a fake, deliberately set up to look like a real person. Realising she’s been lured into a trap, she rushes back to her car, only to discover someone has let the tyres down. She gets inside and tries to drive off, but the keys have been stolen too. She locks the doors and tries to make a call on her phone, but there’s still no signal. She suddenly hears a noise on the roof and the mysterious figure then uses the keys to open the door and leaps inside the car with her. They struggle and she screams in terror…
[[Ellie Johnson|A woman]] is on the [[mobile phone|phone]] with her dad when she loses signal. She stops her [[car]] when she sees something resembling a body laid out on the road. Taking with her a [[baseball bat]], she ventured outside to see if he's okay. As she nears the corpse, she realises it's actually a [[football]] in a hoodie. She sees a flash out of the corner of her eye, and runs back to her car. Her car's not starting, her car keys are gone, and her mobile's not working. Someone from the outside unlocks the doors, and begins to pull her out of the vehicle. She screams out of sheer terror.


Early in the morning, the Torchwood group drive along the same road through the Brecon Beacons. Owen is complaining about how much he hates the countryside, describing it as dirty and unhygienic. He even complains that the grass smells. Later, they stop at a roadside burger stall and while Ianto goes to buy some food, the others gather around a map while Jack explains why he’s brought them here. In the last five months there have been 17 disappearances which the police have been unable to solve. The last known whereabouts of each person was within a 20-mile radius of their current location. No bodies were ever found and there’s no pattern to the victims - they’re from different races and different age and sex groups. It’s as if they just disappeared off the radar, and the activity is increasing all the time. Gwen wonders whether the rift spreads out this far, but Jack says they don’t know enough about it to be certain. Owen is sceptical about alien involvement and suspects it’s more likely to be some weird suicide cult. Ianto hands round the burgers, but Toshiko turns down the offer as a friend of hers once caught hepatitis from one of these places. Jack decides to start with the most recent victim, Ellie Johnson, who disappeared in the middle of making a telephone call not far away.  
The [[Torchwood Three|Torchwood]] team responds to reports of 17 other people missing in the same 20-mile radius in the [[Brecon Beacons]], using the last mobile phone signal from the last disappearance as their starting point.
[[File:CampsiteCountrycide.jpg|thumb|left|Torchwood's campsite]]
After stopping at a rural [[hamburger]] stand, to which Tosh denies a burger, due to fears of hepatitis, they begin to [[Camping|set up camp]]. During friendly chatter, [[Owen Harper|Owen]] reveals that his last [[kiss]] was with [[Gwen Cooper|Gwen]], prompting the others to get more details. Owen and Gwen quickly go off to get [[Wood|firewood]], Gwen scolding Owen for revealing the kiss, when they suddenly see two hooded figures through the [[tree]]s. They try to chase them, but instead find a rotting corpse, almost stripped to the bone. As the team investigates it to determine the cause of death, they hear [[Torchwood SUV|their SUV]] start and drive off without the team. [[Ianto Jones|Ianto]] tracks the vehicle to a nearby [[Brynblaidd|village]]; [[Jack Harkness|Jack]] believes that the corpse was a lure to make them come to the village, and warns the team to be alert as they split up to investigate.


The group stop at a quiet spot some way off the road, not far from the mountains and some forest plantations, and they start to set up camp. Owen continues to complain about sleeping in a tent and he wonders why they can’t just go to a hotel. Jack points out that with people going missing, he doesn’t really want to spend the night in a hotel run by strangers. It‘s also a good opportunity to celebrate one of human kind‘s unique qualities as no other race in the Universe goes camping. Owen struggles to put up his tent and Tosh cracks a joke about him needing help getting it up, but when he responds that if he did he wouldn’t ask her, she is visibly upset. The group is unaware that they’re being watched by someone or something in the rocks, and particular attention is being paid to their vehicle.  
Jack, Gwen and Owen search the [[pub]] and nearby homes, only to find two further corpses, both similar to the one in the woods. Other than that, the homes are deserted, save for one young man named [[Kieran (Countrycide)|Kieran]] who accidentally shoots and wounds Gwen with a [[Firearm|shotgun]], believing "they" had come back for him.


Sometime later and Owen is still struggling to put up his tent. Gwen decides to have a bit of fun and asks each of the group to name the last person they snogged. She starts the game herself by naming Rhys, (which comes as no surprise to Owen), but when Tosh names Owen, both he and Gwen are momentarily stunned. He denies snogging her, but she reminds him of 3.00am on Christmas Eve in front of the Millennium Centre while they were waiting for a taxi. Owen enjoys pointing out that this means she hasn’t had a snog since Christmas and even that was with the benefit of mistletoe. It’s Owen’s turn and Gwen realises with horror that he’s going to name her! When he does, she can see straight away that Tosh is hurt by the revelation. She explains that it was complicated and refuses to answer any of Tosh’s probing questions. It’s Jack’s turn but he wants to know whether they’re allowed to include non-human lifeforms. As the others laugh, Ianto takes his turn and he names Lisa. The mood of the group immediately takes a downturn and everyone looks uncomfortable. Gwen is particularly embarrassed for having raised the subject, especially when Ianto accuses her of forgetting so soon. There’s an awkward silence and when Owen suggests they collect some firewood, Gwen quickly agrees to accompany him.  
Jack tries to calm Kieran down, but the man insists the only way to protect themselves is to barricade themselves in a building. Jack orders his group to the pub to create a defensive position while Owen tends to Gwen's wound. They learn from Kieran more about the victims, still unsure if they are dealing with [[alien]]s from the [[Cardiff Rift|Rift]]. Suddenly, though, as they discuss possibilities, the lights go out and movement comes from both outside the pub and from within the pub's [[cellar]]. The diversion prevents them from keeping Kieran from being dragged away, and Gwen and Owen try to follow against Jack's orders. Jack stays behind to interrogate [[Martin (Countrycide)|Martin]], the man he shot from the cellars. Gwen and Owen come across a [[policeman]] named [[Huw (Countrycide)|Huw]], who says that he is there for the town meeting that night. The man directs the two towards one of the lit buildings in the village.


Gwen and Owen enter the nearby forest and she’s angry with him for mentioning their kiss in front of the others, but he points out that she’s been avoiding him ever since. He deduces that her sex life isn’t up to much and she angrily turns on him, especially when he makes disparaging remarks about Rhys. As they both take turns pushing each other up against a tree, the sexual chemistry between them becomes intense and this scares Gwen. As they’re about to kiss, Gwen notices a figure in the distance, watching them through the trees. They both draw their guns and split up, covering as much ground as they can. They search the wood, but there’s no sign of the figure - but then Gwen spots what appears to be a body on the ground, covered by a sheet. They cautiously approach and Owen uses a branch to remove the sheet. Underneath is a dead body, completely skinned of all flesh and with the organs removed.  
Meanwhile, [[Toshiko Sato|Toshiko]] and Ianto attempt to find the SUV, but are both quickly captured. They awake in a cellar full of old clothes, [[shoe]]s and a refrigerator full of human body parts; Toshiko realises they are to be food for their captors. The cellar door opens, and a scared woman named [[Helen Sherman|Helen]] enters the room holding a shotgun to the two, learns from them of the other Torchwood members, and then tells them that she cannot help them; she has been asked to collect the two for the "Harvest" which happens every ten years. They are taken into a kitchen filled with rotting body parts and corpses. Toshiko quickly realises that Helen is acting, and that she and others are [[Brynblaidd cannibal|cannibals]]. Her husband [[Evan Sherman|Evan]] begins to handcuff them to be prepared for butchering. Ianto headbutts Evan, allowing Toshiko to escape, pursued by Evan. Evan catches up to Toshiko and starts strangling her, but before he can choke her to death, Owen and Gwen, along with Huw, show up to stop him. Evan looks unconcerned as Huw reveals himself to be Evan's nephew, and the two lead the three Torchwood members back to the village at gunpoint, where all the villagers are waiting.
[[File:Cause it made me happy.jpg|thumb|"'Cause it made me happy."]]
Just before Ianto is cut open and [[blood|bled]], Jack, having learned of the villager's intent from Martin, bursts through the building on a [[tractor]], and disables the assembled villagers. They spare Evan's life to try to learn the truth: that every ten years, the village target travellers passing through the area, and butcher them. When Gwen demands to know why, Evan simply whispers to her, "'Cause it made me happy." which Gwen finds to be highly disturbing. The surviving villagers are taken into custody by the police.


Ianto uses police tape to cordon off the area while the others gather round Owen who examines the body in more detail. His inspection proves straight away that this isn’t Ellie Johnson. It’s the body of a man, aged in his late 40s or early 50s, and he obviously wasn’t killed where they found him as there’s no blood or signs of a struggle. Gwen wonders why the killer would bring the body to the middle of the woods but not bury him, and the others theorise that he may have been disturbed by their arrival or perhaps he left it there as a warning, to mark out their territory. From the condition of the body, it’s impossible to say how he died and Tosh suggests it might be the Weevils, but Jack disagrees as they don’t leave their victims in this condition. Suddenly they hear the sound of their vehicle starting and they race off towards the camp…
After returning to [[Cardiff]], Gwen looks outside the windows of Owen's [[flat]] and thinks about how she cannot share any of her Torchwood experiences with anyone, including her boyfriend [[Rhys Williams|Rhys]]. Owen then appears behind her, and reassures Gwen that she can talk to him. They kiss, and begin a long-lasting [[sex]]ual relationship.


They arrive just in time to see the vehicle driving round the campsite and smashing up the tents, before disappearing into the distance. They start to collect together anything that’s not too damaged while Owen apologises for messing up the basic security protocols by leaving the keys in the car. Jack realises the body was left in the forest as a decoy to lure them away, which means someone has been watching them ever since they arrived. Ianto still has the tracking device and tells them the vehicle is currently 3.4 miles away in a westerly direction - but to everyone’s surprise he reveals that it’s been stationary for the last four minutes. Gwen checks the map and discovers there’s a small village in that area and apart from that there’s nothing for 30 miles. Although it has all the hallmarks of a trap, they agree to walk to the village.
== Cast ==
* [[Jack Harkness|Captain Jack Harkness]] - [[John Barrowman]]
* [[Gwen Cooper]] - [[Eve Myles]]
* [[Owen Harper]] - [[Burn Gorman]]
* [[Toshiko Sato]] - [[Naoko Mori]]
* [[Ianto Jones]] - [[Gareth David-Lloyd]]
* [[Rhys Williams]] - [[Kai Owen]]
* [[Evan Sherman]] - [[Owen Teale]]
* [[Helen Sherman]] - [[Maxine Evans]]
* [[Kieran (Countrycide)|Kieran]] - [[Callum Gallaghan]]
* [[Huw (Countrycide)|Huw]] - [[Rhys Op Trefor]]
* [[Ellie Johnson|Ellie]] - [[Emily Bowker]]
* [[Martin (Countrycide)|Martin]] - [[Robert Barton]]


The five of them cross the desolate landscape and eventually arrive on the outskirts of the village, which is actually nothing more than a collection of buildings in the middle of nowhere. The tracker shows that the vehicle hasn’t moved for an hour now so they decide to move in for a closer look around. The buildings appear to be abandoned, but there’s a pub in the centre with an ancient tractor parked outside. There’s no sign of life anywhere in the village, so Jack sends Ianto and Tosh to track down the vehicle while he, Owen and Gwen explore the pub.
== Crew ==
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Inside, the pub is completely empty, but everything still works and there’s money in the till. With their guns at the ready, they spread out through the rest of the building. The upstairs kitchen area is dirty and untidy, yet the lights have been left on as if it was recently occupied. Gwen is sickened to discover another dead body, horribly mutilated but still fresh and with most of the flesh still attached. Jack and Owen hear her retching and rush to see what the problem is. As they stare at the body in shock, there’s a noise from outside so Jack collects Gwen and they rush off to investigate.  
== Worldbuilding ==
=== Species ===
* [[Weevil]]s don't strip their victims down to a [[carcass]].
* Jack says [[human]]s are the only [[species]] in the [[universe]] to go [[camping]].


They race outside with guns drawn, but there’s no sign of anyone so Jack suggests they try one of the other houses. At a count of three, they burst through the door, but again there’s no indication of anyone else in the area. But as Gwen moves through the rooms, she steps in a fresh pool of blood and discovers another body in a similar condition to the one in the pub. She’s convinced that whatever did this can’t be human and she suddenly realises she’s out of her depth and she should be at home with Rhys having her dinner. She wonders whether Jack ever gets scared, but he tells her she needs to stay focused.  
=== Food and beverages ===
* Toshiko declines a [[hamburger]], citing concerns about [[hepatitis]].


Meanwhile, Ianto and Tosh are following the signal from the tracker and have arrived at a small cluster of buildings some distance from the main village. They approach the buildings, unaware that they’re being watched from somewhere close by. The front door of the nearest house is locked and as they look for another way in, they both hear a strange animal cry nearby. They separate and each move round the building warily - and Tosh nearly shoots Ianto when he appears again at the other side. Ianto detects the signal coming from about half a mile further up the hill and suggests they carry on…only to discover that Tosh has disappeared! He calls out to her, but there’s no reply. The only place she can be is inside one of the buildings, so he starts to move back round the front when a figure suddenly darts past him. He tries to retrace his steps, but then another figure appears behind him and knocks him to the ground…
=== Popular culture ===
* ''[[The Texas Chainsaw Massacre]]'' is mentioned.
* The song "[[Monster (song)|Monster]]" by [[the Automatic]] can be heard playing on [[Ellie Johnson|Ellie]]'s [[car]] [[radio]].


Jack and Gwen emerge from the house in the village and try another door. It’s locked too, so Gwen breaks the chain and opens the door - and is suddenly shot! She collapses to the ground in agony, clutching her side. Jack bursts into the house and confronts a frightened young man holding a shotgun. For a moment there’s a stand off with the two men facing each other with their guns drawn, until the young man drops his weapon and explains that he thought it was “them” who’d come back for him. Jack returns to Gwen just as Owen arrives and they pick her up and carry her back inside the house. As the young man follows them, still apologising and clearly in shock, they lay Gwen on the kitchen table and Owen examines her injuries. There’s a lot of blood and her side is riddled with shot pellet wounds. There are small bullets lodged near the surface, so Owen gives her an injection and then starts to remove them one by one. Gwen grabs him in pain, and then slowly her grip starts to become more tender.  
== Story notes ==
* The episode was repeated on [[BBC Two]], three days later at 9:00pm on Wednesday [[22 November (releases)|22 November]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]].
* This episode is the first episode of Torchwood to be rated 18 by the {{w|Irish Film Classification Office}}, the other being ''[[Random Shoes (TV story)|Random Shoes]]''.
* The town in which the story is set, [[Brynblaidd]], is not actually named in the narrative. However, it was named in the BBC's original description of the episode, and therefore has appeared in virtually all subsequent TV listings, worldwide.
* This episode featured the premiere of "Captain Jack's Theme", which plays during the moment he ploughs a tractor into the barn where his teammates are held captive and starts shooting at the cannibals. An extra in the Series 2 disc set shows [[Murray Gold]] found his inspiration to compose the theme out of this scene by bashing out notes on his piano keyboard to the tune of, "here he comes in a ruddy-great tractor". The onomatopoetic structure of Captain Jack's theme made it a popular hit among the musical scores in the first two ''Torchwood'' series.
** Additionally, a musical track appropriated titled "Tractor Attack" debuts in the ''[[Series 3 (Torchwood)|Children of Earth]]'' series, with parts of Captain Jack's Theme mixed into the musical score. The titles refers back to the tractor scene and Foster's inspiration.
* This episode contains no obvious CGI elements, though there was at least one shot where the production team needed to black out the Cardiff cityscape in the background.
* This is the first episode in which no scenes are set in the [[Torchwood Hub]]. This would not happen again until ''[[Children of Earth: Day Two (TV story)|Children of Earth: Day Two]]'', the episode after the Hub's destruction.
* The cast named this as their favorite episode because they're "sick people" in the words of [[Eve Myles]] and the gruesome, horror film like content appealed to them.
* Ianto's head wound was not make-up, but the result of [[Gareth David-Lloyd]] cracking his head open when the whole cast got very drunk the night before filming. In fact, the make-up artist tried and failed to cover up the cut, so they ended up just showing him get hit in the head instead.


Jack wonders what’s taking Ianto and Tosh so long, but Owen thinks they should give them more time in case the vehicle was locked up. The young man, Kieran, suggests they’re probably dead like everyone else. Jack demands to know what’s going on and Kieran tells them their enemy is not human. He’s only visiting the area and is expected home by the weekend. The only thing they can do is barricade the door, but Jack proposes they move to the pub instead. They argue about going to collect the other two, but Jack thinks they should find out what they’re up against first. He offers to help Gwen, but Owen prefers to take care of her himself.
=== Ratings ===
* 1.22 million viewers<ref>[https://www.barb.co.uk/viewing-data/weekly-top-10/ BARB Ratings - October, 2006]</ref>


Tosh wakes up on the floor of a dark, dirty room. Ianto is already awake and is holding a metal hook for protection. He tells her their guns have been taken and he thinks they’re deep underground. He wonders what their chances of being rescued are, but Tosh assures him there’s never been a cell she hasn’t been able to get out of. Ianto recognises in her face the look that the rest of the group share when things start to get out of control. He thinks they enjoy the danger too much and he wonders how long they can carry on like that without going mad or getting killed. She argues that it’s worth the risk to protect people, but he wants to know who protects them? Neither of them got a good look at who attacked them, but Tosh has been looking around and has found some pools of blood. Nearby is a solitary shoe, but when they shine their torches around the rest of the room they discover dozens more, obviously taken from previous victims. They also discover a fridge - and when she opens the door the sight inside terrifies Tosh. She tries to stop Ianto from looking, but he insists…and finds lots of body parts and chunks of flesh, some wrapped in plastic bags to keep it fresh. Tosh realises the victims are being eaten - and they too are being kept prisoner as a future food supply…
=== Filming locations ===
* [[South Wales Caving Club]]


Back in the pub, night has fallen and the group has barricaded the doors and windows. Owen wonders what will happen if Tosh and Ianto return, but Jack insists they can look after themselves. Kieran must be their first priority as their enemy has already tried to take him once and they’re not likely to give up that easily. Gwen is writing a list of what they know on the blackboard and asks if they know of any species that strips bodies for flesh and organs. Jack doesn’t answer, but he’s convinced that there have been at least 17 victims already, so it’s obvious they’re not facing casual killers. Owen theorises that the rift is spreading and dumping aliens and psychos further afield. Gwen sees the silhouette of a figure walking past the window, then they hear a noise. They’re not sure whether they’re facing one person or several, but as they plan their next move, the lights in the pub go out and they’re left in darkness. As someone tries to get through the front door, Kieran starts to panic and Gwen has to calm him down. The noise outside stops…but then they notice that the handle of the door to the cellar is starting to move. Jack realises they didn’t check that part of the house and there’s someone down there. Jack tries to stop whoever’s on the other side of the door from breaking in, but then the barricade around the front door starts to collapse, so Jack opens the cellar door and fires off several shots into the darkness. They hear the sound of a body falling to the ground, but then they come under attack themselves from whatever is outside the pub. A series of shots ring out and everyone ducks for cover as glasses and bottles are smashed all around them. Kieran is physically dragged out of the building, but Jack stops the others from rescuing him as it’s pitch black outside and they’ll only get themselves killed too. Gwen insists that Jack investigate the cellar while she and Owen try to get Kieran back.  
=== Broadcasts ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Date
!Time
!Channel
!class="unsortable"|Notes
|-
|[[Sunday]] [[19 November (releases)|19 November]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
|22:00
|[[BBC Three]]
|First broadcast.
|-
|[[Wednesday]] [[22 November (releases)|22 November]] [[2006 (releases)|2006]]
|21:00
|[[BBC Two England]]
|
|-
|[[Monday]] [[12 February (releases)|12 February]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]]
|01:55
|[[BBC Three]]
|
|-
|[[Friday]] [[19 October (releases)|19 October]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]]
|21:00
|[[BBC Three]]
|
|-
|[[Saturday]] [[20 October (releases)|20 October]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]]
|02:40
|[[BBC Three]]
|
|-
|[[Thursday]] [[27 May (releases)|27 May]] [[2010 (releases)|2010]]
|23:00
|[[BBC HD]]
|
|}


Tosh works out that the cellar door is locked with three steel bolts. It’s also reinforced so there’s no chance of them finding any weak spots. Nevertheless, Ianto tries to kick the door open - and suddenly they hear the sound of the bolts being drawn back. A shotgun appears in the doorway and Ianto grabs it, giving Tosh a chance to overpower the new arrival. However, it’s a middle-aged woman who assures them she’s not come to hurt them. She says she’s a nurse and offers to check them for injuries, but they’re not prepared to let her come any closer. She asks if anyone knows that they’re here or whether they got a chance to call for help and Tosh tells her there are three more of them in the village. The woman says she can’t help them and adds that she’s been sent to collect them. She breaks down in tears and tells them no one’s safe in the village and every ten years there’s a harvest and some of the villagers are taken! Ianto tries to get the gun off her, but she’s too quick. She points it at them and tells them they both have to go with her.  
=== Production errors ===
{{Torchwood discontinuity}}
* When [[Ellie Johnson]] is attacked, the tyres on her car are punctured, but at the end of the scene the tyres are perfectly normal.


Jack descends into the cellar looking for the person he shot, but there seems to be no one there. He looks around and finds lots of jars containing human organs and a blood splattered shotgun on the floor. He hears breathing and discovers a man cowering on the floor, begging for his help. He’s suffering from gunshot wounds, so Jack tries to administer first aid by tying a tourniquet around his leg. He demands answers from the man, who initially responds by asking him to get help, but then bizarrely starts to laugh. Jack tells the man he once had a reputation as a torture expert and he knows how to apply the tiniest pressure to a wound in order to cause maximum pain. The man pleads with him to stop and promises to talk…
== Continuity ==
* Owen mentions his last kiss was with Gwen. Ianto also mentions his last kiss was with [[Lisa Hallett]] as displayed in [[TV]]: {{cs|Cyberwoman (TV story)}}.
* Tosh says there isn't a prison cell she can't break out of. She was previously locked in a [[UNIT]] cell, and only got out when Jack recruited her as later seen in [[TV]]: {{cs|Fragments (TV story)}}.


Owen helps the injured Gwen across the moor and down to the nearby road. Just then, a police car draws up and they tell the young officer that they’re Special Ops from Torchwood - which he thinks sounds like the name of a band. Before he can ask any further questions, Gwen spots a light in the wood not far away and the police officer tells them its coming from a nearby house that functions as the village hall. There’s an official meeting tonight, which is why he was in the area. Gwen and Owen race off towards the building, with the police officer close behind.
== Home video releases ==
[[File:TWS1Part2.jpg|thumb|Series one, part two DVD cover]]


Ianto and Tosh are forced at gunpoint to move ahead of the woman. Tosh tries to convince her that they can help her, but she orders them into a house. They’re instantly hit by a terrible stench and behind a torn polythene sheet they see human bodies strung up inside plastic bags, and various organs spread out across a table at the back of the room. Tosh demands the nurse tell them what kind of creatures they’re dealing with - but then a man appears behind them. The nurse starts to laugh and it becomes clear that these two are the enemies they’ve been looking for… The man, Evan, and his wife Helen, kiss, and Ianto uses the distraction to attack them, but the man is too strong and he knocks Ianto to the ground while the woman covers Tosh with the shotgun. Ianto is handcuffed and Helen tells her husband there are three more of them outside. As Tosh is tied up, the woman says she thinks they’re the best they’ve ever had. Evan then goes to the back of the room and drags out their other prisoner - Kieran. The young man promises not to tell anyone what‘s going on, but they ignore him. Tosh asks who the young man is, but Evan says he’s just meat. Ianto warns Tosh to get ready to run as Evan goes into the next room to pick up a baseball bat. Tosh asks him if they’re planning to hang them up on meat hooks, but Evan says meat has to be tenderised first. Ianto waits until Evan approaches him, then he headbutts the man, giving Tosh the opportunity to escape. Unfortunately Ianto is grabbed straight away by Evan and Helen and is knocked to the ground. Evan then picks up a sword and races out after Tosh. The helpless Ianto is then clubbed into unconsciousness by a furious Helen.  
=== DVD releases ===
* This episode was first released on DVD, with three other episodes entitled ''Torchwood: Series 1, part 2'' on [[26 February (releases)|26 February]] [[2007 (releases)|2007]].
* It was later released in ''Torchwood: The Complete First Series'' on [[19 November (releases)|19 November]] 2007.
* It was also released in the Series 1-4 boxset (Region 2 release: 14 November 2011.)


Evan chases Tosh through the moonlit forest and they engage in a cat-and-mouse chase in which he tries to taunt her into breaking cover while she hides in the undergrowth. Eventually she tries to make a run for it, but he catches her. She knees him in the groin and makes another attempt escape and then the hunt begins again… He laughs maniacally as Tosh slips and falls to the ground. Evan has decided there’s no more time to play games and he starts to strangle her. Suddenly a gun appears at the side of his head - it’s Owen ordering him to leave the woman alone. Beside him is Gwen and the young police officer. Evan refuses to let go, so Owen kicks him to the ground. Tosh is in shock, but manages to tell her friends that Evan has murdered all the villagers and cannibalised their bodies. Gwen orders the police officer to arrest the killer…but he doesn’t move. Evan address the officer as Huw and he reveals that he’s Evan’s nephew! He whips out his gun and points it straight at Owen, but then Gwen points her gun at the officer and there’s a stand-off. Evan orders Huw to “shoot the bastard” and Owen and Gwen have no choice but to surrender.  
=== Blu-ray releases ===
* Released in the US with the rest of Series 1 as a Complete First Season set on 16 September 2008.


Owen, Gwen and Tosh are violently pushed into the room where Ianto and Kieran are being kept prisoner. The room is now full of other villagers who have joined Helen at the dining table. It’s now clear that the entire village is involved and Evan announces that this is their harvest. They’re dragged round to the back area where Ianto is lying unconscious and Evan forces him to wake up. He picks up a meat cleaver and tells the others it’s time to bleed their friend as this helps to make the meat taste better. Helen notices the room is starting to vibrate and when they hear a noise outside, the villagers line up against the door with their weapons drawn. Suddenly the entire wall caves in as the tractor smashes through the door! The villagers duck for cover but before they can react, Jack leaps out and systematically disarms each of the men by shooting their legs. Helen grabs a nearby shotgun and Jack kills her instantly. The injured police officer tries to pick up his discarded gun, so Jack shoots him again in the hand. He grabs Evan from the floor and is about to shoot him in the head when Gwen pleads with him to let her question him.  
* It was released in the Series 1-3 Blu-ray boxset on 26 October 2009 in the UK. The US release was on 19 July 2011.
* It was also released in the Series 1-4 Blu-ray boxset. (Region 2 release: [[14 November (releases)|14 November]] [[2011 (releases)|2011]])


Gwen has found the whole situation too much to deal with. She doesn’t understand how these people can do what they’ve done, so she needs to find some answers. Tosh argues that the villagers are injured and need to go to the hospital, but Gwen asks Owen to control their bleeding and then call the police. Gwen just wants one hour with Evan to find out what she needs to know. Jack agrees, but the interview does not go well. Evan confirms that the whole village was involved and that it was a tradition for them that once every decade they would target people travelling through the area who were most likely to disappear - and then butcher them. Gwen wants to know why they did it, and what kind of people could wake up in the morning and decide this is what they wanted to do…? She’s seen things most people wouldn’t believe, but this is the only thing she can’t understand. Eventually he agrees to whisper something in her ear…but all he will say is that he did it because it made him happy. Gwen is sickened beyond belief.  
== External links ==
{{dwrefguide|torchwood_06.htm|Countrycide}}
* {{briefhistory|torchwood/2006f.html|Countrycide}}
* {{locguide|countrycide|Countrycide}}
* {{whoniverse|tw1_06|Countrycide}}


Outside the village, the police and the paramedics are making arrangements for the villagers to be treated and then placed under arrest. Gwen prepares to leave, still in pain from her injuries and still in shock from her experiences. Back in Cardiff, she tries to get her life back to normal. She spends a quiet evening at home with Rhys watching the television, but she’s already started to realise that things can never be the same again… She had a good job before this. She thought in a year or two, perhaps she could try for a baby. She knew Rhys would be a good dad and she could try for Desk Sergeant. Things were all slotting into place - and then she met Torchwood. The way she sees the world has changed and she doesn’t feel she can share her feelings with anyone. The only solace she can find now is in the arms of Owen, and the two of them end up sleeping together.
== Footnotes ==
=== Notes ===
{{notelist}}
=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}


{{TWTV}}
{{TitleSort}}
[[fr:Countrycide]]
[[he:כפר (סיפור טלוויזיה)]]
[[ru:Бойня в деревне]]


==Cast==
[[Category:Torchwood television stories]]
*Captain [[Jack Harkness]] - [[John Barrowman]]  
[[Category:2006 television stories]]
*[[Gwen Cooper]] - [[Eve Myles]]
[[Category:Series 1 (Torchwood) stories]]
*[[Owen Harper]] - [[Burn Gorman]]
*[[Toshiko Sato]] - [[Naoko Mori]]
*[[Ianto Jones]] - [[Gareth David-Lloyd]]
*[[Evan Sherman]] - [[Owen Teale]]
*[[Helen Sherman]] - [[Maxine Evans]]
*[[Kieran]] - [[Callum Gallaghan]]
*[[Huw]] - [[Rhys Op Trefor]]
*[[Ellie Johnson]] - [[Emily Bowker]]
*[[Martin (Countrycide)|Martin]] - [[Robert Barton]]
 
==Crew==
*Writer - [[Chris Chibnall]]
*Director - [[Andy Goddard]]
*1st Assistant Director - Jon Williams
*2nd Assistant Director - James DeHavilland
*3rd Assistant Director - Rhian Salisbury
*Executive Producers - [[Russell T Davies]] and [[Julie Gardner]]
*Producer - [[Richard Stokes]]
*Co-Producer - [[Chris Chibnall]]
 
==References==
*The events and experiences of this lead Gwen to [[sex|sleep]] with Owen.
 
==Story Notes==
*This episode contains no CGI elements or aliens.
*This is the first non-science fictional/supernatural storyline taking place within the televised Doctor Who universe since ''[[Black Orchid (TV story)|Black Orchid]]'', a [[Fifth Doctor]] adventure broadcast in [[1982]]. However, considering that even the historical episodes of ''Doctor Who'' at the very least featured the TARDIS, then if one discounts the presence of Jack Harkness as a fantasy element, then ''Countrycide'' becomes the first ''Doctor Who'' franchise episode to contain no SF/fantasy at all.
 
===Ratings===
*BBC3 - 1.2 million viewers
*BBC2 - 2.3 million viewers
 
===Myths===
''to be added''
 
===Filming Locations===
''to be added''
 
===Discontinuity, Plot Holes, Errors===
*When [[Elolie Johnstone]] is attacked her tyres on her car are punctured but at the end of the scene the tires are perfectly normal.
*Toshiko says she's never met a cell she couldn't break out of - this doesn't appear to be the case in [[Fragments]]. ''It is possible that, as this is series one and Fragments was in series two, the writer of the episode did not yet know of this fact. The cast themselves knew nothing about the characters' pasts until they received the script for Fragments.''
 
==Continuity==
''to be added''
 
==DVD Releases==
''to be added''
 
==See also==
''to be added''
 
==External Links==
*{{dwrefguide|torchwood_06.htm|Countrycide}}
*{{briefhistory|torchwood/2006f.html|Countrycide}}
*{{locguide|countrycide|Countrycide}}
 
{{Torchwood series 1}}
 
{{TV stub}}
[[Category:Torchwood episodes]]
[[Category:Stories set in Wales]]
[[Category:Stories set in Wales]]
[[Category:Stories set in 2007]]
[[Category:Stories set in the 2000s]]
[[Category:2006 television stories]]

Latest revision as of 18:57, 3 November 2024

RealWorld.png

Countrycide was the sixth episode in the first series of Torchwood. It was written by Chris Chibnall and directed by Andy Goddard. It continued to push the boundaries of an after-watershed timeslot and contained strong graphic elements beyond the family-friendly archetypes of Doctor Who.

In terms of the ongoing Torchwood narrative, it was important for advancing Gwen's burgeoning sexual fling with Owen, which evolved into a stint of cheating on her lover Rhys Williams. Of perhaps more long-lasting impact was the fact that it gave a clear indication of Tosh's attraction to Owen, and his diffidence towards her — a theme that would pick up steam in the latter half of series 2 and form the emotional basis of their story arc.

Synopsis[[edit] | [edit source]]

Concerned that the space-time rift is spreading, Torchwood investigates a series of gruesome deaths located in a small village in the Brecon Beacons. What sort of creature could cause such shocking injuries? Stranded without communications or equipment and isolated from one another, the team confronts a terrifying enemy.

Plot[[edit] | [edit source]]

A woman is on the phone with her dad when she loses signal. She stops her car when she sees something resembling a body laid out on the road. Taking with her a baseball bat, she ventured outside to see if he's okay. As she nears the corpse, she realises it's actually a football in a hoodie. She sees a flash out of the corner of her eye, and runs back to her car. Her car's not starting, her car keys are gone, and her mobile's not working. Someone from the outside unlocks the doors, and begins to pull her out of the vehicle. She screams out of sheer terror.

The Torchwood team responds to reports of 17 other people missing in the same 20-mile radius in the Brecon Beacons, using the last mobile phone signal from the last disappearance as their starting point.

Torchwood's campsite

After stopping at a rural hamburger stand, to which Tosh denies a burger, due to fears of hepatitis, they begin to set up camp. During friendly chatter, Owen reveals that his last kiss was with Gwen, prompting the others to get more details. Owen and Gwen quickly go off to get firewood, Gwen scolding Owen for revealing the kiss, when they suddenly see two hooded figures through the trees. They try to chase them, but instead find a rotting corpse, almost stripped to the bone. As the team investigates it to determine the cause of death, they hear their SUV start and drive off without the team. Ianto tracks the vehicle to a nearby village; Jack believes that the corpse was a lure to make them come to the village, and warns the team to be alert as they split up to investigate.

Jack, Gwen and Owen search the pub and nearby homes, only to find two further corpses, both similar to the one in the woods. Other than that, the homes are deserted, save for one young man named Kieran who accidentally shoots and wounds Gwen with a shotgun, believing "they" had come back for him.

Jack tries to calm Kieran down, but the man insists the only way to protect themselves is to barricade themselves in a building. Jack orders his group to the pub to create a defensive position while Owen tends to Gwen's wound. They learn from Kieran more about the victims, still unsure if they are dealing with aliens from the Rift. Suddenly, though, as they discuss possibilities, the lights go out and movement comes from both outside the pub and from within the pub's cellar. The diversion prevents them from keeping Kieran from being dragged away, and Gwen and Owen try to follow against Jack's orders. Jack stays behind to interrogate Martin, the man he shot from the cellars. Gwen and Owen come across a policeman named Huw, who says that he is there for the town meeting that night. The man directs the two towards one of the lit buildings in the village.

Meanwhile, Toshiko and Ianto attempt to find the SUV, but are both quickly captured. They awake in a cellar full of old clothes, shoes and a refrigerator full of human body parts; Toshiko realises they are to be food for their captors. The cellar door opens, and a scared woman named Helen enters the room holding a shotgun to the two, learns from them of the other Torchwood members, and then tells them that she cannot help them; she has been asked to collect the two for the "Harvest" which happens every ten years. They are taken into a kitchen filled with rotting body parts and corpses. Toshiko quickly realises that Helen is acting, and that she and others are cannibals. Her husband Evan begins to handcuff them to be prepared for butchering. Ianto headbutts Evan, allowing Toshiko to escape, pursued by Evan. Evan catches up to Toshiko and starts strangling her, but before he can choke her to death, Owen and Gwen, along with Huw, show up to stop him. Evan looks unconcerned as Huw reveals himself to be Evan's nephew, and the two lead the three Torchwood members back to the village at gunpoint, where all the villagers are waiting.

"'Cause it made me happy."

Just before Ianto is cut open and bled, Jack, having learned of the villager's intent from Martin, bursts through the building on a tractor, and disables the assembled villagers. They spare Evan's life to try to learn the truth: that every ten years, the village target travellers passing through the area, and butcher them. When Gwen demands to know why, Evan simply whispers to her, "'Cause it made me happy." which Gwen finds to be highly disturbing. The surviving villagers are taken into custody by the police.

After returning to Cardiff, Gwen looks outside the windows of Owen's flat and thinks about how she cannot share any of her Torchwood experiences with anyone, including her boyfriend Rhys. Owen then appears behind her, and reassures Gwen that she can talk to him. They kiss, and begin a long-lasting sexual relationship.

Cast[[edit] | [edit source]]

Crew[[edit] | [edit source]]

General production staff

Script department

Camera and lighting department

Art department

Costume department

Make-up and prosthetics

Movement

Casting

General post-production staff

Special and visual effects

Sound



Not every person who worked on this adventure was credited. The absence of a credit for a position doesn't necessarily mean the job wasn't required. The information above is based solely on observations of the actual end credits of the episodes as broadcast, and does not relay information from IMDB or other sources.


Worldbuilding[[edit] | [edit source]]

Species[[edit] | [edit source]]

Food and beverages[[edit] | [edit source]]

Popular culture[[edit] | [edit source]]

Story notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • The episode was repeated on BBC Two, three days later at 9:00pm on Wednesday 22 November 2006.
  • This episode is the first episode of Torchwood to be rated 18 by the Irish Film Classification Office, the other being Random Shoes.
  • The town in which the story is set, Brynblaidd, is not actually named in the narrative. However, it was named in the BBC's original description of the episode, and therefore has appeared in virtually all subsequent TV listings, worldwide.
  • This episode featured the premiere of "Captain Jack's Theme", which plays during the moment he ploughs a tractor into the barn where his teammates are held captive and starts shooting at the cannibals. An extra in the Series 2 disc set shows Murray Gold found his inspiration to compose the theme out of this scene by bashing out notes on his piano keyboard to the tune of, "here he comes in a ruddy-great tractor". The onomatopoetic structure of Captain Jack's theme made it a popular hit among the musical scores in the first two Torchwood series.
    • Additionally, a musical track appropriated titled "Tractor Attack" debuts in the Children of Earth series, with parts of Captain Jack's Theme mixed into the musical score. The titles refers back to the tractor scene and Foster's inspiration.
  • This episode contains no obvious CGI elements, though there was at least one shot where the production team needed to black out the Cardiff cityscape in the background.
  • This is the first episode in which no scenes are set in the Torchwood Hub. This would not happen again until Children of Earth: Day Two, the episode after the Hub's destruction.
  • The cast named this as their favorite episode because they're "sick people" in the words of Eve Myles and the gruesome, horror film like content appealed to them.
  • Ianto's head wound was not make-up, but the result of Gareth David-Lloyd cracking his head open when the whole cast got very drunk the night before filming. In fact, the make-up artist tried and failed to cover up the cut, so they ended up just showing him get hit in the head instead.

Ratings[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • 1.22 million viewers[1]

Filming locations[[edit] | [edit source]]

Broadcasts[[edit] | [edit source]]

Date Time Channel Notes
Sunday 19 November 2006 22:00 BBC Three First broadcast.
Wednesday 22 November 2006 21:00 BBC Two England
Monday 12 February 2007 01:55 BBC Three
Friday 19 October 2007 21:00 BBC Three
Saturday 20 October 2007 02:40 BBC Three
Thursday 27 May 2010 23:00 BBC HD

Production errors[[edit] | [edit source]]

If you'd like to talk about narrative problems with this story — like plot holes and things that seem to contradict other stories — please go to this episode's discontinuity discussion.
  • When Ellie Johnson is attacked, the tyres on her car are punctured, but at the end of the scene the tyres are perfectly normal.

Continuity[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Owen mentions his last kiss was with Gwen. Ianto also mentions his last kiss was with Lisa Hallett as displayed in TV: Cyberwoman [+]Loading...["Cyberwoman (TV story)"].
  • Tosh says there isn't a prison cell she can't break out of. She was previously locked in a UNIT cell, and only got out when Jack recruited her as later seen in TV: Fragments [+]Loading...["Fragments (TV story)"].

Home video releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

Series one, part two DVD cover

DVD releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • This episode was first released on DVD, with three other episodes entitled Torchwood: Series 1, part 2 on 26 February 2007.
  • It was later released in Torchwood: The Complete First Series on 19 November 2007.
  • It was also released in the Series 1-4 boxset (Region 2 release: 14 November 2011.)

Blu-ray releases[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Released in the US with the rest of Series 1 as a Complete First Season set on 16 September 2008.
  • It was released in the Series 1-3 Blu-ray boxset on 26 October 2009 in the UK. The US release was on 19 July 2011.
  • It was also released in the Series 1-4 Blu-ray boxset. (Region 2 release: 14 November 2011)

External links[[edit] | [edit source]]

Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]

Notes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ Episodes 1-10 of the first series of Torchwood are set anywhere from 2006-2009 as a result of conflicting evidence shown in the episodes Ghost Machine [+]Loading...["Ghost Machine (TV story)"], Greeks Bearing Gifts [+]Loading...["Greeks Bearing Gifts (TV story)"], Random Shoes [+]Loading...["Random Shoes (TV story)"], To the Last Man [+]Loading...["To the Last Man (TV story)"], Reset [+]Loading...["Reset (TV story)"], Adrift [+]Loading...["Adrift (TV story)"], Fragments [+]Loading...["Fragments (TV story)"], Exit Wounds [+]Loading...["Exit Wounds (TV story)"], and The New World [+]Loading...["The New World (TV story)"]. As episode 10, Out of Time [+]Loading...["Out of Time (TV story)"], is set at the end of December, this means that episodes 11-13 are almost certainly set the year after episodes 1-10.

Citations[[edit] | [edit source]]

  1. ↑ BARB Ratings - October, 2006
v • e
Torchwood television stories
Series 1
Series 2
Series 3
Children of Earth: Day One • Day Two • Day Three • Day Four • Day Five
Series 4
Stories listed here are only those that have been officially licensed by the BBC.
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