TW #11 : Combat

Owen: I didn't want saving.

Jack: You want us to apologize?

Owen: For a few seconds in that cage, I felt totally at peace...And the you blunder in. Do you always know best, Jack? Is that what you believe?

Episode 11:    Combat.
Companions:   Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper, Toshiko Sato, Owen Harper and Ianto Jones.
Air Date:         24th December 2006.

Savage aliens are being kidnapped from the streets of Cardiff, and Torchwood want to know why. Owen is sent undercover to find out who's behind it and soon befriends the charismatic Mark Lynch. Beneath the veneer of city life, Owen discovers a shocking subculture: can he avoid being sucked in?

In Combat, the team investigate the kidnapping of Weevils from the steeds of Cardiff. Owen finds that there is a "fight club" of sorts where men risk their live to enter a cage with one of the savage creatures for as long as possible. It is a cliched idea that these men don't see life as worth living if there is no danger to keep them on their toes. After the loss of his love in the prior episode Owen finds himself drawn to the danger in order to feel alive.

On one hand the episode seems like a nice idea but it has been done so many times that it feels like flogging a dead horse. It also feels out of character for Owen. He is a negative individual and has serious issues but fighting Weevils seems wrong for him. Maybe it is just my perception but it means that I don't much enjoy this story. What would have made the story better is if it came with some back story for the weevils but again we are left with them as a simple plot device.