More than any other "Torchwood" episode, "Combat" demonstrates the series intention to be versatile. Along with "Countrycide", it's the least science-fiction orientated episode made to date, really striving to be some gritty, US boxing drama. Consider trying to explain to someone that the Doctor episode "The Horns of Nimon" is the sister-show to "Torchwood" after watching "Combat", and you see how far the envelope has been pushed. The only sci-fi trace in "Combat" are the Weevils, and they could easily be substituted for members of some unfortunate rival gang. Actually, while I'm here, who dresses the Weevils? And how do they get their clothes? It's a puzzler.

Anyway, "Combat" isn't unenjoyable fare, and mines "Torchwood'"'s initial aim to ask deeper moral questions, and delve more into the underbelly of human life, than "Doctor Who" is able to. All the stuff with Owen setting up his fake identity is fun, including the scene where he secretly attaches a device to Mark's laptop and downloads to entire contents of his hard drive to Torchwood HQ - although his fake identity takes some suspension of disbelief. When did he make the promotional film where he dresses up as a jellied eel salesmen? One imagines the "Torchwood" team having great fun filming such items on weekends off, just in case Owen ever needs to pretend to sell jellied eels for a living. Top performer here is Alex Hassell as Mark, who turns in a spellbinding, captivating characterisation. However, when the episode has finished one wonders just what the wittering about "something coming in the darkness" was all about, the dialogue crossing over from realistic to pretentious on occasion. Was it a reference to the series finale or its continual preoccupation with the nature of death? In which case, how did he know?

Aside from the chase to find out who's kidnapping the Weevils, this is (just like "Countrycide") all about human nature. Why do people do what they do? Just as "Countrycide" questioned (without ever answering) the morality of habitual murderers and cannibals, this episode touches on extreme sports, asking why anyone would want to hurt themselves in the name of competition. Mark suggests escapism is the reason; thrusting oneself quite literally in the jaws of the lion for nothing more than the high of the danger or, in Owen's case, the elimination of all other worries. "For seconds in that cage, I was totally at peace".

It's not a great episode, although it's flawlessly executed for what it is. It's still basically "Torchwood" pretending to be "Fight Club", and some used to being lost in the harmless escapism of "Doctor Who" or even the more fantastical episodes of "Torchwood" simply won't want an episode which is actually about pure, sadistic violence. The sequence where Mark hits the chained-up Weevil for the hell of it is particularly disturbing, if only because it forces the viewer to choose between basic compassion and whether they actually care about the poor brute.

As with a lot of the show, "Combat" was an entertaining experiment, and rewards viewers with an open mind.

John Barrowman Sit-On-My-Face-O-Meter:

Plenty of hunky John this week to keep the Weevil in you roaring.

Torchwood Tally:

An interesting episode, but to one you'd fight to see again.