Torchwood Episode 4x05 Review

Episode Title: The Categories of Life
Overall Season Rating: A-
Episode Rating: A

Firstly, I want to apologize for there being no review last week. I got pretty busy and actually wasn't able to watch the episode until tonight. This will only be a review of the most recent episode, but I loved Escape to L.A. This show is getting more and more disturbing. Episode 4x05 was no different, and went even more so in that direction. We learn the true lengths to which the governments of the world, and PhiCorp are willing to go. In all honesty there were parts of this episode that were had to watch. I think the most disturbing part is that, while horrible, I can understand why they do what they do. I don't know how I feel about that.

There also is a serious shock value to this episode. Years of watching television have made me think certain events just won't happen. Torchwood is one of the few shows where things like that DO happen. There is nothing most TV viewers like more than to be surprised and Torchwood is giving us that on a weekly basis. This week, more than ever since the beginning the season. Read on for the episode recap

The episode starts out with Juarez in Washington DC. She finds out that all the medical panels are over, and final decisions have all been made. People are being put into 3 categories called The Categories of Life. Juarez is understandably worried since anytime you start categorizing people in this manner very very bad things will follow. Meanwhile, Gwen has flown back to the UK to be with her family, and rescue her dad from the Overflow Camps. He's being held at the Cowbridge Camp, and after a futile attempt to cut through all the red tape she decides to break in. That's our Gwen!

During this, Jack, Esther, and Rex are still in the US, and they are planning to infiltrate the San Pedro Camp. Rex has a great line about Jack. "He calls himself Captain Jack, but I'm not buying it". He tags him back though, so it's all good. We learn that the Categories of life are; 1)No brain function, should be dead. 2)Everyone Else 3)People who are fine, and healthy. Because of this, the governments of the world now have the power to decide who is alive and who is dead. Jack correctly points out that no one should have that power. They also discover that there is a building missing in the camps. Turns out it's called The Module, and is being hidden from view.

The plan is for Rex to be admitted, and infiltrate the module, while Esther and Juarez inspect the rest of the camp. While putting Rex into the ambulance, Jack says "I love him, my crazy old boyfriend." Rex is not to pleased, but I was laughing my ass off. Esther also remarks that Jack is his own group, "Category Jack". Nice touch. At the camp, Rex is placed in Category 2 but this is quickly changed with the help of Esther and Juarez. Juarez meets a man who I'm going to call Mr. Slimy. This is because I don't remember his name, and also because he's very slimy,

Over in the UK, Gwen and her husband get into their camp by posing as doctors.  She finds her dad, but before they can take him away he collapses from another heart attack. The officials at the camp take him to The Module since he's now considered a Category 1, even though he still has brain function. Meanwhile, Rex wakes up in The Module and begins looking around. He sees that people are just left there like corpses, and that it's very cold. He suspects it might be a refrigeration unit. This was where it really started getting disturbing. I had no idea it was going the direction that it was, but when you see those people in The Module you know it will not end well. I also really love that later the camps are described as Concentration Camps, because that's exactly what they are. These are places for people to go and wither away so no one sees them, or is reminded of the horrors going on now due to the Miracle.

On her inspection tour, Juarez finds all kinds of things that disturb her. She sees people just laying around with out any care at all. They are the people without any insurance, and they just have to "wait". She finds one person there who is a category 1, but they are conscious. Mr. Slimy keeps making excuses and hitting on her. Then she finds a room with old disgusting linen, and tells his that he'll be brought up on charges and sent to jail. In response he SHOOTS her. I was pretty shocked at this scene. I thought he'd wound her, but she'd get out of it. NOPE, he and his lacky dump her body in The Module. He tells him "there is no more murder". This guy is nuts, and I to suspect the army dude will say something, or do something. He was not comfortable with this at all.

Meanwhile, Oswald has been preparing for a speech at a Miracle Day Rally. Jilly keeps telling him that what ever he says, he has to include the word "revelation". Jack, who was left out of the mission, comes to find Oswald and after playing hide and seek for a little while he tell him that he shouldn't be helping PhiCorp. He says that if he helps him, then Jack will help him die when the time comes. He hands him a speech that details everything Jack has learned, and really would hurt PhiCorp. However, Oswald doesn't give Jack's speech. He talks about The Great Leap Forward, when humans moved beyond simple animals, and this is yet another great leap forward. He tells the cheering crowd that they are the first angels on Earth. He has certainly won over a large group of people now. He's becoming very dangerous.

The episode ends on another shocking note as we learn that the Modules are just giant ovens. Juarez is trapped inside, and the fires are growing. Rex is trying to save her, but cannot. He starts taping the fires so he can expose the camps for what they really are. At the same moment, Gwen learns the same information and realizes that is where her father is being sent. These truly are death camps.

So yeah, the shocking truth was very disturbing to me. I'm also very interested to keep learning more about PhiCorp. As I said last time, I really hope they are more than just a super powerful pharmaceutical company. This episode and the one before it certainly added to that speculation that the real villain is much larger, and more mysterious.