Comments | clarrisani: Analysing Torchwood

clarrisani

Analysing Torchwood - Part Four

Dec 22, 2008 19:33

Okay, let's continue on with the analysis. It's been a while, but here's Part Four. There were a few scenes surprised me when i analysed them. For those who don't remember I'm looking at Gwen, Jack, Ianto and Rhys, and their relationships...

Analysing Torchwood Part Four
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Comments 8

lefaym December 22 2008, 11:03:55 UTC

Great job. :)

I have to admit, that much as I don't ship Jack/Gwen, that firing range scene is incredibly hot.

Aside from the firing range scene, however, I wonder if much of this episode might have worked better later in the season, particularly in terms of Gwen seeing her history with Rhys-- that might have worked quite well in terms of her reconnecting with Rhys and deciding to end the affair with Owen, and it might have made her actions with the retcon in Combat slightly more understandable.

clarrisani December 22 2008, 11:14:33 UTC

I think the scene with the flashbacks would have worked better in that sense, yes, but I have a feeling they intended this to be a "loss of innocence" episode. But you're right - it would have made the retconing Rhys more understandable.

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clarrisani December 28 2008, 07:26:08 UTC

Yeap, you're right. I looked it up and it was about Bernie. I've never watching it with subtitles, but I switched them on and sure enough I got it wrong.

Now, I'm a Gwen/Jack shipper (although I am mainly a Jack/Ianto shipper), and the more I analyse the series the less Gwen/Jack I am seeing. There was some chemistry between Jack and Gwen in this scene, but as pointed out the more I watched it the more I realised just what Jack's motivations in the scene were. And Jack/Ianto and Gwen/Rhys do work better.

slns7552 December 23 2008, 03:39:01 UTC

To be honest I never found the shooting range scene hot at all. I just watched it wishing Gwen would stop acting like a love sick teenager as I felt Jack would have behaved that way to anyone he was teaching. I didn't see Jack acting any different with her than with anyone else he flirted with in Series 1.

clarrisani December 28 2008, 07:27:27 UTC

It was a very odd way for Jack to teach Gwen how to shoot, and but I wouldn't call Gwen a "love sick teenager". I think she might have been giving a healthy dose of 51st Century pheromones, methinks, but isn't as good at resisting them as other people *cough*Ianto*cough*.

fide_et_spe December 23 2008, 19:09:03 UTC

Gosh you must have watched in such detail. Interesting. I remember thinking, and again on later viewings that the point with the firing range is Jack demonstrating power. It's what he is about. To be honest it is very dodgy. To manhandle someone like that. It is exactly the type of thing that a bullying captain in the armed forces may have done in the days they could have gotten away with it. I think that they get away with it for that reason, you can imagine it's almost an initiation for a new team member. Let's face it, Jack would never survive in a proper organisation, he would be done for bullying and harrassment, crossing professional/personal boundaries, etc.

The other key point, as you mention, is the father/daughter dynamic. Jack takes a paternal role with them, less so with Ianto, but very much so with the others.

By the way, I think the Sploe joke may have been made up for TW, I have never heard it elsewhere, although I admit to never asking my friends in Cardiff. It is always pronounced with the hard T.

clarrisani December 28 2008, 07:31:53 UTC

Jack demonstrating power in the firing range scene? That's a way of viewing it that I hadn't considered. I can see it now that you've pointed out. And you're right - Jack wouldn't survive if he were working for somewhere like U.N.I.T. After all, Ianto telling Jack "careful, that's harassment, Sir", isn't that far from the truth.

Jack is indeed the father to the team, particularly to Owen who does respond more as a son/child than the others do. And Jack doesn't treat Ianto like that, as you pointed out.

Regarding Sploe/Splott - really? I thought it was something from the area they worked into Torchwood. That's an interesting piece of trivia.

fide_et_spe December 28 2008, 08:47:41 UTC

Well my theory is that Jack's linear time, especially in the forces, have given him some values and behaviours that are like an unreconstructed Victorian man. He is a fascinating mix in that way. He is very ruthless and feels he owns his team in an old fashioned patriachal/paternalistic way. Thus he doesn't hesitate to grope if it proves ownership/power. Most of his flirting has always been for a purpose. Ianto is probably the only character that he has flirted with for no other agenda. Rose he thought was from the time agency and he wanted to con her, from then on there has always been something to gain, even just getting someone on side, which is why he only bothered with Sarah Jane in the DW4 finale, he didn't even bother to flirt with anyone else ( ... )