Torchwood 202: Owen and Ianto, Day in the Death

[antelope_writes]

This is the second of a series of metas where I analyze character interaction in TW scenes by body language.  Part 1 is here.  If you missed the three-part discussion of common body language elements in Torchwood, start here.

MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR DAY IN THE DEATH, DEAD MAN WALKING, MEAT, ADAM, AND FRAGMENTS BEHIND THE CUT.  Also contains occasional

Comments

[antelope_writes]

The point about Harry Potter and Ianto was that most ensemble stories have a supporting character whose job is to introduce finer detail about the main characters. The main characters are too entangled the bulk of the story itself to be able to provide that nuance on their own. Ianto (and to a much lesser extent Toshiko and Rhys) plays that role in Torchwood. The Gardiners (Elisabeth Bennett's aunt and uncle) play that role in Pride and Prejudice, introducing her to the "other side" of Mr. Darcy. It exists in opera as well...Marzelline, who is romantically attracted to Leonore (dressed as Fidelio), is used to show how well "Fidelio" has pulled off a disguise, as well as flesh out Leonore's unflinching loyalty. I used the HP metaphor as that came from an actual conversation, not because I think HP is a sterling example of the breed. Fun? Absolutely. Best written books ever? Nah.

One of the hallmarks of that kind of character is that they have to be somehow clearly distinct from the main characters but still very close to the main characters...in Pride and Prejudice, for example, the Gardiners were not present in Meryton/Netherfield, but they are both kin to Elisabeth and familiar with the Darcys. Ianto is part of Torchwood, but he's still just general support, not a specialist.