Torchwood: Countrycide (yeah, spoilers)

[Broomstick]

1) Are Europeans - especially police officers - really sooooo reluctant to use firearms as Gwen Cooper? She acts like the gun is going to bite her, and worse yet, she seems unable to bring herself to shoot someone who EATS PEOPLE and is intent on butchering her - is there a clearer instance of self-defense? I understand that in the UK street cops don't routinely carry guns but special ops certainly do when there is a need, and Gwen is now "special ops", right?

No. Brits != Europeans. Infact the brits are the least european of the lot that I can think of, other european countries are much more similar. Britain is the outsider of the club.

OK..... Are the BRITISH so reluctant to use firearms, etc., etc....?

[His Divine Shadow]

Well from what I gathered of Britain, I don't think its too far from the truth.

[NecronLord]

Again, no. We're not. Gwen is just a moron, and the producers have little conception of what actually being 'adult' means. They're writing her as fourteen, regardless of her actual age and profession.

[His Divine Shadow]

Fourteen in all other aspects of her charcter yes, but I don't see her handling and view of firearms to be out of line with what to expect from your average cop on the beat in britain.

[NecronLord]

She's still behaving like she's fourteen. Just because they do not carry guns and generally aren't trained in firearms usage doesn't mean they're going to remain that way for long once they're transferred into ultra-secret super-organisations dedicated to fighting actual aliens. What's more, they're not necesserily so stupid as to carry one and not be prepared to use it.