S02E07: 'Dead Man Walking'

Bringing Owen back to 'life' is a real dramatic risk that threatens to undermine any future twists, but the dark prevalence of Death helps to create a wonderful and absorbing character study.

Burn Gorman's supreme value to Torchwood is highlighted, for his performance of a broken man bereft of life's simple pleasures is astounding. He can convey elements of fragility, humanity, narcissism and emotional cruelty with ease, culminating in the ambiguous and absorbing Owen Harper.

The scene in the nightclub is both funny and poignant, with a self-destructive young man unable to meet the sexual needs of the opposite sex through the lack of blood flowing through his veins. The disorientation is also heightened through the expressionistic camerawork. Similarly, the humiliation over his bodily functions in the cell with Jack is very well acted and scripted.

The darker tone, packed full of pure horror elements, is very well executed. Scenes of stalking Weevils send shivers up the spine, Death itself is well visualised while still retaining a sense of mystery, and as for the glove - what a wonderful homage to John Carpenter's magnificent The Thing.

The cleverly structured narrative also whips up plenty of suspense, for there's a huge sense of the unexpected lingering throughout. The shock revelations that Owen might be a 'Weevil King' and Martha might be in need of botox (or the Face of Boe-tox) are examples of such clever twists.

Overall, a great episode full of thrills and witty writing that is underpinned by a sublime, multi-layered performance from Burn Gorman.