Random squeeage.
Kay, firstly, John Barrowman is now in a "Civil Partnership" with his partner in England. I spose that's as close to married as they can get over there, and that's awesome for him.
Secondly, he's reading at least two of the Torchwood books for the audiobooks... I feel a buying spree coming on when they come out...
Thirdly, I received my first Torchwood book in the mail today and I'm already halfway through. THESE DAMN BOOKS ARE TOO SHORT! Although, the Torchwood ones (assuming they're all the same size), are larger than the Doctor Who books, but still a quick read. Or I'm just too damn fast a reader. One or the other, but I blame the books.
The one I got is Border Princes, which so far has been muchly a retread of Episode Twelve. Seriously. Okay, let's see if this sounds familiar:
Owen and Ianto fighting over powerful alien tech stuff in the Hub - Owen wants to use it, Ianto thinks it's a bloody bad idea, it comes down to physical force, and despite the fact that Ianto incapacitates Owen, the damage has already been done.
Abandoned building with a time slip. Jack and Tosh wander in and get stuck in another time, although physically the same place. Gwen goes to the same spot, but remains in her time period, and is confused as to how the SUV can be there, and there is evidence Jack and Tosh have been there, but they are not visible.
The phrase "The End of the World" mean anything to you?
Yeah, see, it's pretty much Ep 12 with a dash of 13. There is, however, this mysteriously extra character, "James", who is I guess a part of the team... I have no idea if he was in another of the books, or if we're SUPPOSED to be confused about his appearance in this one or WHAT, but I'm thinking he dies by the end... I kinda flipped ahead cause I was confused. I don't particularly care for him. He's also having a relationship (sexual) with Gwen, which kind fucks up the canon of her with Owen. I'm not sure when exactly this is supposed to be set, but presumably pre-"Captain Jack Harkness", cause you know, the whole dynamic of everyone changes, AND that one pretty much runs right into "The End of the World", so there's not a lot of wiggle room for contiunity inserts... My GUESS would be somewhere between eps 8 and 11. I could be wrong.
I kind of expected it to be, I dunno, more 'hardcore' than it is. I'm relieved its NOT. Honestly, the Doctor Who books are way grimmer and more disturbing than the series usually gets - I guess they figure they don't have to be 'family friendly'. So I figured Torchwood would be similar - but it's about on par with the grimness and disturbingness of the series itself. So far, anyway.
Jack is, however, written far too British. They're given to that in the series as well - and it's become a bit of his character to me, that he's pretty much American (as near as one can TELL, anyway, given we don't know that much about him, still), but he's got a few British expressions/turns of phrase/etc from hanging round the area so much. However, I kind of imagine that the edges of it get worn off in performance, once JB gets ahold of it, seeing as he would actually have a better sense of what sounds right and what doesn't. Although I expect, having lived in England so long, having spent the first years of his life in Scotland, that he, as well as Jack, has picked up some non-Americanisms. Heck, *I* have, and I live over HERE. Fact remains, however, that Jack is written too British, it reads wrong to me in spots, even for Jack. Owen's pretty spot on, though. Tosh is swearing too much, Gwen is using too many colloquialisms (if that makes sense), James is annoyingly poorly done and unknown (it's a bit like a Mary Sue, in a way), and Ianto is annoyingly ABSENT and when he's THERE, his dialog is patchy, but I suppose that's to be expected - this was probably written before the series was well established, and lord knows the scripts wouldn't give you much to go on for poor Ianto.
However, for all its flaws, I'm still riveted. *Sigh* Sad, sad fanboy. Sad.
I called the airline last night, and what with the vouchers, I have a round trip flight to Gallifrey for 46 dollars. No, seriously. This couldn't rock any more. I still have to send them the vouchers, which I will do after photocopying them for proof (I just have a bad feeling. Call it suspicious nature.). Plus, I have to get my hands on my mate's copy. Still. Forty six bucks. Damn. Also, neither flight is insanely early in the morning. Woohoo! Who's staying up till three on Sunday night at the con?! ME!
Now. Captain Jack costume. Braces/suspenders, pants, boots - should be easy. Shirt, just need to find out what that style's called. Jacket - bloody difficult. Expensive, no doubt, and I still don't even know what it's called. "Military greatcoat" is as close as I am at the moment.
... I just dismissed my mate from instant messenger so he could use his computer to show a guest an episode of Torchwood. I did it because it was more important for someone new to see the show than for me to talk to my mate. I am... say it with me: a sad, sad fanboy. (Don't worry. He's going to come back online later and then we'll chat.)
Kay... I think I'm going to scour teh intarwebs for bits of costume for Jack.