WRITER: Noel Clarke DIRECTOR: Andy Goddard
CAST: John Barrowman (Capt Jack Harkness), Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), Naoka Mori (Toshiko Sato), Burn Gorman (Owen Harper), Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones), Kai Owen (Rhys Williams), Alex Hassell (Mark Lynch), Paul Kasey (Weevil), Alexandra Dunn (Barmaid), Matthew Raymond (Boyfriend) & David Gyasi (Hospital Patient)
Weevil aliens are being abducted by humans, so Owen goes undercover to infiltrate a bizarre subculture...Writer Noel Clarke, better known as annoying Doctor Who companion Mickey Smith, is the man responsible for this latest Torchwood adventure. Clarke's writing debut shows promise and is notable for providing perhaps the show's first truly adult episode, but it's also guilty of heavy-handed moments and stark plagiarism...
The premise of a Cardiff subculture kidnapping violent aliens spat out of the space-time Rift and then using them for blood sport is a juicy one. The fact Clarke's episode also involves a more interesting investigation from Owen (Burn Gorman) is also a pleasing bonus, as I was getting fed up databases and CCTV. The fact the omnipresent Weevil is finally given something to do, beyond glare at people from inside a prison cell, is also a belated relief. Facially, the Weevil creature is a strong and sinister design, ignoring the dodgy boiler suits they all seem to wear!
In terms of storyline, there can be no denying Combat is heavily indebted to David Fincher's Fight Club, or perhaps more accurately Chuck Palahniuk's original novel. Palahniuk's tale of pre-millennial male angst, finding an outlet through mano et mano fist fights, is this episode's clear inspiration. Clarke's tale may be more mano et alien, but the similarities are clear and very distracting once they're revealed.
Still, as with most Torchwood episodes, the set-up is effective and Clarke manages to imbue his episode with a potent malice that makes Combat a genuine adults-only affair. However, once the Fight Club pretension is made clear, it all becomes very silly and culminates in a weak "cage match" with Owen.
Burn Gorman has never made a believable physician (or sex icon, while we're at it) but he's a relaxed and personable presence on screen. The rest of the cast don't really make much impact here, but guest star Alex Hassell as Mark Lynch (the Tyler Durden of the piece) is an enjoyable addition that brings a spark to his scenes. In fact, a moment where Mark uses a defenceless Weevil as a punch-bag in front of the horrified Owen is unnerving and shoots some vinegar into Torchwood's veins.
Overall, it's a shame Fight Club casts such a large shadow over proceedings. Clarke is guilty of remodelling that film into a Torchwood script and it never quite works, but it does provide a few exciting glimpses into the kind of grisly, black hearted storytelling Torchwood promised us eleven weeks ago. I hope Clarke can create a more original storyline with the same sort of intensity next year, if indeed he gets the chance to.
