Ep 5. The Categories of Life

Torchwood season 4 episode 5, "The Categories of Life," explores what happens to society when the government creates categories of individuals based on the value of their lives. In the previous episode, we saw the government distributing millions of "miracle" drugs to the public in hopes of preventing death. In this episode, we see the aftermath of that decision and how it's affecting society.

It's almost immediately clear that not all lives are considered equal and those categorized in the lowest tier are sent to designated overflow camps, which are essentially concentration camps. Jack and his team are tasked with infiltrating one of these camps and discovering what's happening inside. Along the way, we see how society has become completely dependent on the drug and how it's normalized the idea of categorizing human worth.

As Jack and Gwen work their way through the camp, they soon realize that while some inhabitants may appear fine on the outside, the drug is actually causing irreversible damage to their bodies. Meanwhile, Esther and Rex work to uncover the secret behind the categories and the true motives of the government agency in charge.

"The Categories of Life" is a tense and emotional episode that delves into complex themes of ethics, government control, and what it means to be human. The plot moves at a fast pace and introduces some new characters that add depth to the story. All in all, it's a strong installment in the Torchwood series that will leave viewers thinking long after the credits roll.