i am spartacus
I am alive. Maybe.
The reason I haven't posted in a while is because I've been writing/saving up this massive review post of the last two episodes of Torchwood S2, 'Fragments' and 'Exit Wounds'. I think I've finally got all my thoughts down. It's... about as coherent and cohesive as I can possibly make it. Please god, let me sound at least a little intelligent.
Fragments
Ok, first of all, before anything else. I am IN LOVE with the score in this episode. Generally the music written for Torchwood kicks ass (except for 'From Out of the Rain', which totally sounded like Phantom of the Opera. I am not kidding.), but there's something particularly cool about the music in 'Fragments'. I want a soundtrack, and I want it now. Call it the 'Fragments Suite'. Anyway. We had to wait two seasons before they released a soundtrack for Doctor Who - it's been two seasons of Torchwood. Give me mah score, already.
Moving on to the actual show and not music... I wish I had more to say about Toshiko and Owen's flashbacks. Especially after 'Exit Wounds'... maybe I did three weeks ago when I saw 'Fragments' for the first time. I mean, I'm rewatching it now, and I've got nothing. Other than OMGPOORTOSH&OWENSNUGGLESTODEATH. Tosh's life has just sucked, hasn't it? Doomed relationships (Mary - an alien, Tommy - a frozen solider from 1914, Adam - who, for all intents and purposes, raped her, and Owen - dead. Ish. And an ass.) Mother taken hostage. And then imprisoned by UNIT without any sort of rights or due process. Seriously? If I'd been Tosh, I would've just called in quits back when I was in the UNIT prison. Which, btw, was so V For Vendetta it wasn't even funny. I know in Torchwood Declassified they said Guantanamo Bay', but my mind works in movies, not real life politics. Heh. But seriously. I was waiting for someone to come in and shave off Tosh's hair. Where's her cleansing rain, fuckers? .. Sorry. V For Vendetta is an amazing movie. If you haven't seen it, well, I should disown you, but go buy it right now. There are few things cooler than watching Parliament BLOW UP to the 1812 Overture. Destruction and classic music. Fucking awesome. Anyway. I digress.
... Ok, so maybe I did have something to say about Tosh's backstory. Owen's just made me sad. :( How uncool is that? There was an alien on her brain. I don't think it gives Owen an excuse to be an asshole, but it certainly explains a lot. Not an excuse, but an explanation. I can live with that. But apparently he can't. OH I am awful, haha. And god, how heartbreaking is it when Katie says, "I can't remember your name." I don't even like Owen and I wibbled at that.
You know, I really love how, more than just show how they all joined Torchwood, these flashbacks really explain the teams' relationships with Jack. (Hang on about my thoughts on Ianto - that's a whole 'nother long story.) Like, Jack was the one who saved Tosh. He saw what a damn genius she is... Which is pretty much exactly what he said to her in 'Adam'. Ahh, sweet validation! I remember the fandom being all "Jack's acting like he's God or something" with the table scene in 'Adam' and I was like "........... No?" I so don't understand the fandom sometimes, haha. Anyway, moving on. Owen.. Owen needed a purpose, a reason to go on (shit, that sounds like Ianto too, LOL). Jack reminded him why he wanted to become a doctor - saving lives. And that's, in a sense, what Jack was doing and it just.. the whole Jack is like a mentor to Owen TOTALLY makes sense now. Cause it really never did before, and Owen's little breakdown after Jack forgave him in 'End of Days' has a little more impact for me now.
I'm not sure if I should save Jack's or Ianto's flashbacks for last. I guess Ianto's, because I have so much flail over that, but I do Jack's too.... Anyway. Jack's backstory. Made perfect sense and at the same time made NONE. How many times has Jack lived through the 20th century? Cause, ok. First time (that we know of) that he was in the 20th century was when he met The Doctor and Rose in 1941, right after he took the name of Captain Jack Harkness. He wasn't there for very long before he left with them. Then he landed back in the late 1800's and lived through that hundred years waiting for the Doctor and supposedly working for Torchwood. So then when was he ACTUALLY in the military? When was he with Estelle? There's a timeline I'm missing, here. Unless he was doing both (working for Torchwood and being in the military, I mean). Is that possible?
But, excusing the stuff that doesn't make sense, let me flail. Victorian Torchwood Lesbians? AWESOME. I want to be a Victorian Torchwood Lesbian. "Why aren't you dead yet?" Made of win. Also, pretty much everything Jack said. "Torsos of steel, shilling a feel. Any takers?" "When I said 'get a room', I meant somewhere with linen." "This planet is about a century away from official first contact with aliens. You're upsetting the schedule." (Said so not like an American, btw, which really made me giggle.)
But. The biggest flail for me about Jack's flashbacks? HE KNEW. Oh, my god, he fucking knew. Ok, I know that Jack knew he'd most likely find the Doctor again in the 21st century, and he was a little off and got stuck in the 20th century. So, yes, I knew he knew he'd have to wait. But with the Creepy Girl's tarot reading.. she was a bit more specific, wasn't she? Jack knew it'd be sometime in the 21st century. A century is a damn long time. Creepy Girl specifically said a century from then. So he knew, approximately, sometime in the first 10 or so years of the 21st century. Basically... when he was with the team he has now (Gwen, Ianto, Toshiko, Owen) he'd leave them the second the Doctor turned up. He knew it'd be this team. I can't tell you how much that changes things for me. Maybe no one else cares. I can't even really explain it myself why it matters so much to me. It just.. I guess, to me, it makes sense why he didn't exactly let himself get close to Ianto. Because he knew he was eventually going to swan off. And it was only during that year (that never was) that he realized how much he needs his team (and specifically Ianto :x). I'm sure I'm making no sense. It was just a thing, when Creepy Girl said what she did, I paused the episode and yelled, "OMG HE KNEW." Sigh. I'm crazy, I know.
Also, the sequence of Jack's Torchwood files being updated over the years? I geeked over that so hard. That was brilliant, and I kiss the director. Or whoever was responsible for the way it looked combined with the music - "Jack's Theme" (as I've dubbed it. From the same piece of music as the whole "Fragments Suite", but it's a different part used just for Jack). That was such a damn cool sequence.
... Digress for a moment. Everyone got a sequence except Ianto. :( Jack had the updating of his personnel files, Tosh had her in the prison, and Owen had him outside the OR. There's not one for Ianto, though. Frowny.
Ok. Ianto's flashbacks. I've gone back and forth on how I feel about this that I'm not even sure what I think anymore.
Before the episode aired, I'd heard spoilers/rumours about Ianto's flashbacks. That he stalks Jack and "attempts to seduce woo him with coffee and various other attributes". So, I was expecting a really dark, manipulative Ianto. And that's.. not at all what I saw. I saw a desperate, bordering on scared Ianto. And, mind you, desperate for a job, not desperate to get into Jack's pants. Yeah, he did his research on Jack. Hell, he worked at Torchwood One, he'd probably already heard all the stories about Jack. Leader of the rogue branch in Cardiff. Incredibly handsome and will fuck anything with a pulse ("or not! Pulse optional!" Sorry. Eddie joke. Moving on). I feel like.. the idea that, if need be, he could use sex was always there in the back of his mind. Hence the flirting and incredibly tight jeans first meeting. But I don't think he ever really thought he'd need to - that his experience with Torchwood One would be enough - again, hence the displaying knowledge of what a Weevil was on first meeting. He's cool and confident and that exudes a bit of sex and Ianto's hoping that's a nice pretty package. However, the second Jack says "No," that all immediately falls to the wayside, and you can literally hear the desperation in Ianto's voice. "What? NONONO YOU HAVE TO HIRE ME." It's actually quite adorable how fast he goes from "Heeey, Weevil. Coffee?" to "asfjk waitnononoplzomg *whine*" I want to pinch him, hehe.
I'm still trying to figure out the suit. I dunno if he'd just been trying different clothing styles or.. Ok, there was a fic where he was wearing the suit because earlier in the day he'd been to a funeral, I think for Torchwood One employees? Maybe it was a fake funeral for Lisa? I don't remember which, but the idea got in my head, and it's an interesting one. I dunno. It is eye candy though, so I'm not going to complain.
The thing that I absolutely love about the "catching Myfanwy" scene, is that they are so having fun. I mean, Ianto's showing off (more attempts to make Jack see he's valuable), first in even knowing about Myfanwy (pets her pretty beak), and then knowing how to catch her - the chocolate and the "Well Torchwood One would've had a pterodactyl net." When that doesn't work he goes back to being slightly desperate (although a bit more reigned in now).
"So you'll let the pterodactyl in but not me?"
"I need a guard dog."
"I can be that. Like a receptionist. Building maintenance. Food and drink. Dry cleaning! That coat of yours must take a battering. Like a butler! I could be a butler."
"We don't need a butler."
"Scuse me - dried egg on your collar."
"It was a busy week."
My brain goes a little dead after Jack's sedated Myfanwy and we get the Ianto-breaking-Jack's-fall-and-then-rolling-around bit, but I'll try to give my take on that that's not "fhsdjkfhsdjkfh." Like I said before, I do think that sex was always in the back of Ianto's mind, but that he thought it'd never come to that. I also don't think he thought he'd be genuinely attracted to Jack. So, I think it's a combination of realizing just how attracted to Jack he is, and that he's now on the border of using sex and oh god he absolutely could NOT cheat on Lisa that makes him freak a little and get up. He's actually scared of what just happened and almost happened, that I think he doesn't even want the job anymore, he'll try and find another way to save Lisa. Cause you see that before Jack even says a word, Ianto's all KINDS of torn up inside. And then Jack says "Hai hokay, you can come work for me now" and the guilt is just all over his face. Guilt for nearly cheating on Lisa, guilt for knowing that that's what made Jack finally give (because, at this point, he genuinely likes Jack - Jack's not just a means to an end - and he basically just used Jack to get into Torchwood Three). And then Jack compliments him on the suit, and Ianto CRUMBLES.
Gareth David-Lloyd, plz accept an award for that performance, because that was PERFECT. Ahem.
As I was saying. I read a take on that bit that I also quite like. She said the reason why she thought Ianto completely loses it is because his betrayal to Lisa isn't the almost-having-sex-with-Jack. It's the fact that he just had fun with Jack. For once, he wasn't miserable, he wasn't thinking of her at all. And if he can do that, if he can move on with his life without her, that makes his desperate crusade to save her - meaningless. So then it becomes that he doesn't just want to save her because he loves her, but now he absolutely needs to save her to prove himself wrong. To prove that this whole thing had a point. Maybe even to justify what he just did to Jack. I think, either way, it works. I just cannot find a more perfect moment than Ianto walking away from Jack and more and more completely breaking down. It's just.. fhdsk. I could not be more proud of Gareth for that.
Now. On the flipside of Ianto's flashbacks. Jack. His motivation here is really interesting to pick apart. I know there was a lot of, "Um, why didn't Jack question Ianto's desperateness to get back into Torchwood? Why wasn't he at all suspicious?" I'm not saying Jack knew about Lisa. Fuck no, had no clue. But he definitely had an ulterior motive. I can't just let myself believe that Jack was that naive.
So here's my take. If Jack really wanted Ianto gone, he could've just said, "Look. There's another Torchwood branch in Glasgow. Whackadoodle of a leader, but hey, we can't all be dashing. Go there and leavemealone." I mean, that should've worked, shouldn't it? As far as Jack knew, Ianto just needed to be working for Torchwood, to give him a purpose or outlet or something. Doesn't matter where. Jack just wanted nothing to do with him because he stood for Torchwood One, and T1 hated his Doctor :( It's funny, Jack can be real loyal sometimes, haha. But! Jack wanted Ianto. Kinda badly. Sex is a powerful persuasion.
So my theory is that he was.. basically playing hard to get. Hee. Like I said, it's obvious that he wanted Ianto from the second he laid eyes on him. But Jack is a crazy person sometimes, and I can totally see him wanting to see just how badly Ianto wanted in - how far he could push him. And he pushed him far enough to use Myfanwy. That's some sexy desperation, man.
Oh. And a quick note about the non-flashbacks in 'Fragments', how awesome was it that Ianto's the one who reminded Gwen that Owen's fragile? He's done that before. In 'From Out of the Rain', Ianto asks if the girl has any ID on her, and Gwen stutters for a second and then says, "I'll check." Ok, Gwen used to be a COP. Isn't that the first thing she should've thought of? Man, without Ianto Torchwood would fall to pieces. He's the logical one, no one else can keep their heads on straight.
Alright. Moving swiftly onto 'Exit Wounds'. Since this still has yet to air in the US, I'll be kind and put a big:
SPOILERS FOR 'EXIT WOUNDS'
DO NOT SCROLL PAST IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN
Exit Wounds
Now then. Oh, god, what to talk about first? There's just so much to discuss.
Alright, I'll start off with Gray. I, apparently unlike the rest of the fandom, do not hate Gray. I mean, I hate him in the terms that he's a baddie and psychotic, LOL. But I don't think he sucked as a character, I don't think he was lame (though, if Gray was the "theme" of S2, that IS lame), I don't think the actor sucked and actually was pleasantly happy with the fact that, to me, he was a dead ringer for Hayden Christensen. Word up Anakin Skywalker. Word up more inside jokes.
I'll say this now. The only "baddie" in the history of Torchwood that I truly hate with a passion - is Adam. I don't hate Bilis Manger, I just think he's a bit weird and creepy. I don't hate Cap John - actually, I fucking LOVE Cap John. I don't hate Gray because I find him incredibly interesting. I don't hate any of the aliens because you can't really judge them. It's quite rare that I ever hate baddies. Example, there's only two characters in Harry Potter that I truly truly hate, and it's not Draco Malfoy (because, again, LOVE HIM), and it's not even Voldemort, who's supposed to be the ultimate baddie. No, I hated Peter Pettigrew and Delores Umbridge. Everyone else is either annoying or creepy. Not loathsome. Back to Torchwood - Adam? Is loathsome. I cannot forgive him for what he did to Toshiko and Ianto. Rape is absolutely unforgivable, and in a way, he raped them both - both physically and mentally. So! Adam? Worlds of Do Not Want. Gray - not so bad. Psychotic? Certainly. Interesting? Absolutely.
Yes. So. Gray. I probably should've seen his psychotic-ness coming. I mean, we had no idea what his life was like after he was taken. I should've guessed that he wouldn't turn out so well. Instead I was thinking about how Jack would obviously do anything to save him and what are they gonna do with Gray after that, will he join the team? Can't send him home.... Those kind of thoughts. Mind so not on the 'Might have to kill him for self preservation' haha.
27 AD. There's worlds of stuff to pick apart there, mostly in Gray's little speech. First of all, we learn that, even if nothing had happened that day, if Jack had been able to protect him and he was never taken and tortured/turned psycho, he still would've hated Jack. Not to the point of blowing up Cardiff and wanting to bury Jack alive, but hated him nonetheless. Because, aaah, he calls Jack the "favourite son". God, if I know sibling rivalry, and I do, it is some strong stuff. When my baby sister was born, I kinda hated her (we're ok now. 18 years of living together - Jack & Gray never got that chance). She took my mommy away from me (I was 4, kids, leavemealone) because she was the baby and got all the attention. Clearly here, it's reversed. Gray's the youngest, but Jack was probably the Golden Child (of course). First born, first son (bet you anything society, even in the 51st century, still places importance on that), incredibly good looking, incredibly good at everything.. yeah. I can see Gray with Worlds of Hate, haha. I bet, even if Gray hadn't been taken that day, he'd find a way to blame their dad's death on Jack. Just because.
Secondly. Gray's speech? Felt a bit poetic, or at least a part of it. Crazy and psychotic, sure. But it was so awesomely worded:
"This is Cardiff, 27 AD. The city will be built here over the next 2000 years. Your grave will be the city's foundations. Your blessing of life becomes a curse. Each time you revive with a throat full of earth, each time it chokes you afresh and you thrash on the edge of death, you think of me."
Who uses words like "afresh"? Hahaha. And you know what it reminded me of? When we first met Jack, in "The Empty Child" on Doctor Who.
"It's 1941. The height of the London Blitz. The height of the German bombing campaign. But something else has fallen on London, a fully-equipped Chula warship. The last one in existence, armed to the teeth. And I know where it is. Because I parked it. If the Agency can name the right price, I can get it for you. But in two hours, a German bomb is going to fall on it and destroy it forever. That's your deadline. That's the deal. Now, shall we discuss payment?"
I know he was attempting to con Rose at the time, but it all just sounds so... I dunno. It sounds... it sounds like a writer, haha. So obviously Jack & Gray are brothers because they both speak in prose, LOL.
Anyway. I've lost myself on a tangent. Where was I? 'Exit Wounds'. Ok. Captain John was all kinds of awesome. Even if it turned out he wasn't innocent in the matter, and that he really was the one behind blowing up Cardiff and kidnapping Jack, he still would've been awesome. He just is, in general, and awesome character. Also with the "should've realized" though - in 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang', everything he did was self motivated. He wanted the diamond. He wanted Jack. Everything in 'Exist Wounds'? Doesn't make much sense. Why would he care about blowing up Cardiff? If he wanted Jack's attention, he could've done it a much different way. No need to blow up the damn city, no need even to try and kill the team. Yeah, he did do that in KKBB, but not really. He just wanted them distracted and out of the way so he could talk to Jack. He didn't even try and hurt Ianto, btw. Poisoned Gwen, shot Owen, smacked Tosh (right?) and........... hit on Ianto, LOL. John ain't that dumb.
I completely understand John's exasperation with Jack when they get to 27 AD, and he's all "Do you REALLY think I'd do all that if I had a choice? Thought you knew me better than that. *pout*" Also, I love the bit of exchange when Jack's all "WHOA YOU IS A BOMB." "Yeah. Your brother is CRAZY PANTS, Jack. Btw, turn around." "Oh I am not falling for that." "No, srsly." Jack & John, ftw.
Jack being buried alive for nearly 2,000 years and not being batshit crazy. I am of the belief, as are quite a few people I've come across, that for the majority of that time Jack was probably unconscious. After the first few times of suffocating, choking, dying and reviving, his body probably wouldn't be able to take it much more. He's usually a little weak as it is whenever he comes back to life - can you imagine if it happened in rapid succession like that? He just wouldn't be able to come fully back after a while. So, I mean, he should definitely have some mental scars from that, maybe a newly developed sense of claustrophobia, but not as batshit crazy as one would believe he should be. Not to mention that after Torchwood dug him up, they froze him for 100 years. He finally got some rest - 100 years worth of rest. That's got to have done some good for him. So, maybe some claustrophobia. Maybe an aversion to the smell of dirt and grass (like Owen! LOL). But not like, rocking-back-and-forth-lost-in-his-own-head-mumbling-and-screaming-let's-take-him-to-Flat-Holm Crazy.
Jack/Ianto-ness. I do not see where people DON'T see how much of it was there. Yes, I'll be honest, a lot of it came from Ianto. With the demanding John put Jack on the com. (Seriously, John teasing Ianto was ADORABLE. I love John/Ianto. I think it's because James & Gareth are so close. The chemistry between the characters wins so hard core. Also, I believe that was the first time John called Ianto "Eye Candy" in front of Jack. Wonder bout the probably lovely ideas floating through that head, haha) Also, with the immediately and without question moving to kill John with only Gwen to stop him, and then not exactly caring and threatening to kill him anyway. Very. Slowly. (dfhsjk) "I thought we'd lost you" Wibble. Yeah, all that was Ianto. Ok. But, when Jack opens all the cells after chloroforming his own brother, note the difference between his hug with Gwen & with Ianto. Gwen throws herself at Jack. Wraps her arms around his neck and he holds her because his just been buried/frozen for 2,000 years, is he really going to turn down human contact? LOL. With Ianto, though, he tugs Ianto to him. And Ianto just sort of crumbles and clings because "I thought we'd lost you" and the fear of what John had told them possibly being true. And then the three remaining members of Torchwood (because upstairs, Owen & Tosh are DYING) stare at John. Heh.
I'm not really going to discussion Toshiko & Owen's deaths, because I already gave my initial reaction to that, and I don't really want to open the floodgates again. I still find myself tearing up at certain fics. Sigh.
Moving along though. I also absolutely do not get when anyone says they felt a lack of emotion from Ianto, in the aftermath of Owen & Tosh's deaths. First of all, Ianto cries at the drop of a hat. Plunk, sob. I pat Gareth on the head for that, haha. Secondly, yes, he was definitely a lot more reigned in than Jack & Gwen. Gwen is always a blubbering mess, and Jack had just been through so much that on top of being betrayed by his brother, buried alive for nearly 2,000 years, having to chloroform/freeze (the equivalent of lock up) his own brother for everyone's safety... then two of his team his damn team dies, one of them dying in his arms. Jack had every damn right to lose it for once. Ianto had to be the strong one here. He had to be the stable one, letting Jack & Gwen cry and being someone they could lean on.
That absolutely does not mean he wasn't grieving himself. I read somewhere that "Ianto didn't even cry". And I'm baffled. I was like "Did... you miss the last few minutes of the episode?" I dunno about anyone else, but I consider red rimmed shiny tear filled eyes crying. He wasn't out and out bawling like we've seen him in the past, but that's because that's what Jack & Gwen were doing, and the three of them being a mess wasn't going to help anyone. But he was most certainly crying when he was updating Owen & Tosh's personnel files to put in their dates of death and logging them off the system, and even moreso watching Tosh's video. You could tell that while he was trying (and sort of failing) to put up a strong front, inside he was a damn mess. Sigh. People, LOL.
And I just have to comment, the last shot of the episode (not the shot of Cardiff the morning after, the shot before that) of Jack holding onto Gwen & Ianto? Just.. All kinds of perfect and yet sobbing on my end. I think I mentioned before how much I adore that shot. What it stands for on so many levels. It's the three remaining members of Torchwood, it's Jack and his favourites, it's Saddest Threesome Ever.... It reminds me a bit of this scene from Grey's Anatomy. I believe it's the episode "As We Know It" (Part 2 of "It's The End of the World") - and plz, Grey fans, correct me if I'm wrong - where, after the bomb explodes, Christina and Izzy help Meredith clean up in the shower? Which was a contrast to somebody's (George's?) dream in the first part, where the 3 of them are in the shower and it's all OO GIRL!THREESOME SEXY. But this, the real part of them taking care of Meredith after the bomb - was so much more sad but satisfying. That's what this reminded me of. It's Jack clinging to Gwen & Ianto and while he could probably think of much sexier situations for them to be in - this just standing and grieving? So much more real and satisfying. UHN I loved it. Favourite damn shot of the entire season.
And I realize that while this entry is over 4,500 words, it doesn't look very long on your flists cause it's all under cut tags, haha. I assure you this is a massive, cathartic entry for me.