People have been disappearing without a trace in rural Wales, and the Torchwood team becomes worried that the Rift has widened, spreading alien activity across the countryside. Investigating, they find a village seemingly deserted -- leaving behind only bodies, stripped of their flesh. But are the murderers really extraterrestrial in origin, or is this a peculiarly human form of horror?

The third of Torchwood head writer Chris Chibnall's four scripts for the season, Countrycide was directed by Andy Goddard. Goddard's other credits included episodes of Stacey Stone, Twisted Tales and Hex; he directed Countrycide alongside Combat. The story was largely designed to further the relationship between Gwen and Owen, which Chibnall had introduced in Cyberwoman. Some debate arose during post-production over the climactic scene of Jack shooting the villagers. Goddard filmed Jack as being very emotional, while executive producers Russell T Davies and Julie Gardner had anticipated a more grimly silent version of the scene. A compromise was eventually reached by editing much of the sequence in slow-motion.

• Forthcoming.