Torchwood

[lonelybrit]

Hmm, I enjoyed it. It could have been a lot better, but I'd still give it a solid three out of five.

Er, first off. Bugger. That kind of scuppered any chance of Jack/Ianto, didn't it? *sigh*

Plotwise it was alright. Nice idea of being trapped in with a Cyberwoman and knowing that one way or the other she has to be executed.

Otherwise this was clearly meant to be the ep wherein we get to know Ianto and finally see just what these hidden depths were all about. On the whole I'm fine with him, liked the touch that even on a camping holiday he ticked off his girlfriend for not descaling the kettle. *pets him*.

But, dear god, I think he spent the entire 50 minutes in tears. Sniffle, apology, wail, sniffle, apology, etc etc. I'm used to my men being stoic a la Wesley or Giles. However, I cut Ianto some slack because a) he is not English, and b) because hopefully this incident will have chilled him a little (again, thinking of Wes' development in AtS) and that the writers will by the end of the series unveil a more contained, dry-eyed Ianto. *pets him*

I also wasn't entirely sold on him being utterly smitten with Lisa. The actor did a decent job in selling Ianto as besotted, but when the two were together the chemistry was just zilch. Which kind of removed the heart for the whole ep. Also it was slightly odd having all these emotions come out of nowhere, possibly it would have been more convincing if we'd had a few odd moments in previous eps of something unsaid.

Now Jack and Ianto on the other hand *happy angsty sigh*

I have to admit, I'd unintentionally been spoiled with regards to who Cyberlady was, so I'd braced myself for some histronics. What took me pleasantly by surprise, though, was the downright bitterness and hostility of Ianto towards Jack and Torchwood. The illusion of a Jeevesian loyalty to the team was well and truly smashed. Hopefully the writers will have fun rebuilding Ianto, rather like Joss had fun rebuilding Wesley. Handled well, Ianto has a lot of ruthless, angsty potential. He's stuck around for now, but this is the second Torchwood team to let him down. Part of me hopes we'll get some intentions of vengeance, but the realist in me thinks that he'll stay, eventually, loyal.

That said, I did like how despite the fact that Ianto seemed so contemptious of Jack, they actually had not a small amount in common. Ianto once working for Torchwood 1, meeting and loving Lisa, getting destroyed by the Cybermen. And then, according to the BBC Torchwood site, along with being distraught and frantic to help her, also being angry, betrayed, at the people who were supposed to care instead just vanishing and leaving him alone. Nothing like abandonment issues to cement a relationship *nods*

Oh, and that 'kiss of life' while utterly inefficient (aren't you meant to also hold the nose?) was a definite high point. Yes I am shallow. Maybe, just maybe, we'll get something a little less terminal by the end of the series... *crosses fingers and toes*

And poor Toshiko. I do hope she gets something to do soon. I did giggle when she happily bounced up to them, announcing they could re-enter soon, and Ianto promptly legged it with all the others caning it after him.

Owen/Gwen? I do like Owen, actually, he's fun and engaging. The kiss was entertaining, but I didn't like it because I would rather like Gwen to just stay loyal, for one ep, to her long-suffering boyfriend. He be a sweetheart.

In conclusion. The ship of happy, fluffy, Wodehousian Jack/Ianto? Well and truly sunk. However, for the more ambiguous, angsty, drawn-to-you-though-I-still-loathe-you kind of fling; oh yes. Happily complicated starts here :)

Comments

[ok2nv-theoracle.livejournal.com]

Wordy McWord to all of that. Especially the part about poor Tosh. *LOL* That little observation sent me into a giggle fit. ;Þ

Is that John and Alexis in your icon? Did they do a show, together?

[lonelybrit]

Is that John and Alexis in your icon? Did they do a show, together?

asd;flkj

Oh oh oh but yes they were :) They were in the Chichester production of the play Rope. General plot that two young bright sparks (Barrowman and Denisof) kill off a third young pal and then bundle him into a chest. Their jaded older tutor (Athony Stewert Head) and other folks then turn up for a dinner party, and it's all about whether the folks will realise they're dining with a corpse literally at their feet.

The main point being, that the first shot of this production was curtains lifting on a dim, softly lit scene of all three young men wrapped around each other, draped over the chest. And yes, they were all three in the nude. One of the reviews also mentioned something about homoerotic tensions.

You have no idea how much I squee-ed when I realised just who Captain Jack was =)

[ok2nv-theoracle.livejournal.com]

My future husband, that's who! ;Þ

*imagines a Barrowman/Denisoff manwich*

[gwendolynflight.livejournal.com]

i thought jack was transferring some of his tardis-ness through the kiss. and that ianto was dead. ... huh ... well, maybe in a fic ...

[lonelybrit]

The general view seems to now be that Ianto wasn't dead, just very unconcious, and Jack kissed him to add a bit of Tardis-y energy to speed up the recovery process. The general view is that also Jack probably slipped him the tongue at the same time because, hey, he's Jack ;)

[gwendolynflight.livejournal.com]

that sounds reasonable. and jack-ish. ^_^

[shapinglight]

Oh, and that 'kiss of life' while utterly inefficient (aren't you meant to also hold the nose?) was a definite high point. Yes I am shallow. Maybe, just maybe, we'll get something a little less terminal by the end of the series... *crosses fingers and toes*

Oh, so that was what that was supposed to be? I wondered. I thought it was just Russell T throwing a bone to the part of his audience who are hoping for an actual gay relationship in the show.

Sorry to sound so cynical. I enjoyed this episode more than the others anyway.

[lonelybrit]

Hehe, yeah, I think it was meant to be equivalent to a slap around the face, except with Tardis energy and a bit of tongue and maybe a slight grope. This is after all Jack :)

Heh, my brother came down at the end and asked how the ep was. 'It says something when the highlight has the monster-of-the-week being defeated by the team setting their pterodactyl on it.'

[nevoreiel.livejournal.com]

I'm part of those that loved it despite its flaws and cheesiness and verabundance of tears. Was so cued up for the episode that it could've been the worst thing ever and I'd have still loved it to a certain degree. Ianto also needed to fall apart eventually, so the agonizing sobbing and tears and melodrama didn't bother me too much. He's been stoic all this time, let him have his breakdown.

Oh, and that 'kiss of life' while utterly inefficient (aren't you meant to also hold the nose?) was a definite high point.

Didn't look like CPR to me, there was tongue action! I was waiting for the glowy effect, but that never came either. Fishy. I like it! Had to watch it twice since my dad had sneakily lurked in the doorway while my sister and I had our noses pressed against the computer screen, giggling.

And it's possibly very wrong of me, but this new Jack/Ianto dynamic is even better than the polite 'yes, sir' one. So much potential!

[lonelybrit]

Ianto also needed to fall apart eventually, so the agonizing sobbing and tears and melodrama didn't bother me too much. He's been stoic all this time, let him have his breakdown.

Yeah, poor chap. I suppose he has been holding it in and being stoic and working again for the company that, according to the site anyway, he actually loses no love for, for months, then when the breakdown finally came it was never going to be pretty.

Hehe, and oh yes! Whilst the Jeevsian vibe would have been fun, on second thought, oh there is so much potential and delicious twistedness that could go with the new Jack/Ianto ship! =)