Mini Rant
Sorry, had to get this out of my system...
So, more and more now is it being confirmed that there will be a season four of Torchwood. And what is the general consensus on this in the fandom?
"Eh, well, good for anyone who's excited, but the show is as dead for me as Ianto, and I just don't care." I kid you not, that basically sums up 95% of the reactions I've seen to this. Parts of that are taken word for word from what people have said.
First off, I'm not going to say that elements of COE didn't bother me. Looking back on it, yeah, the writing isn't the BEST its ever been. And yes, I was utterly distraught at the fact that Ianto was killed off, and that Jack had to kill his nephew. Of course I was- those were sad moments! They were written to BE sad!
Does that mean I won't give season four a chance? Not at all.
The thing is, all of the fan reaction to COE showed how hugely successful RTD was in his efforts with this show. Whether or not you agree with his tactics/attitude towards the fans/writing style/whatever, if he hadn't done a good job with the show and with these characters and bringing this world to life, no one would have blinked twice when Ianto died. Instead of being a big, heart wrenching moment that devastated literally hundreds of fans, it would have been a "Oh, that's sad," moment paramount to realizing that hmm, a blowfish just had its brains shot out.
So if RTD could create a cast of characters multiple times (if you count DW as well, which I do) that we as fans could fall in love with, why does everyone doubt that he can't do it again?
One of the other common complaints I've seen is that now it's going to be "the Gwen show". Um, sorry, what secret series outline have you stolen that the rest of the world doesn't know about?
The fact is, no one can say where RTD is planning to take this show. Prior to COE, no one knew where it would go then, either, but people still had faith. Where did all that faith go? Why is everyone so ready now to attack him for what is, in my opinion, a strong move forward?
Yes, I was sad that Ianto died. I was also sad that Owen and Tosh died. And that Rose was abandoned on a parallel world (twice). And that Donna had her memory wiped. And that Astrid couldn't be saved. And that Nine regenerated into Ten. And that the Master refused to regenerate out of spite for Ten.
But I still watch Doctor Who. I plan to watch Waters of Mars with relish when it finally premieres in the US. And then I'll tune into End of Time, knowing that Ten is going to regenerate into Eleven. I'm fully aware that I'm going to sob. But I'll still watch, because it's not only about the characters.
It's about the path that they take, and the journey along the way.
So I'll still watch Doctor Who, even when my Doctor is gone. And in the same way, I'll still watch Torchwood, even though Ianto and Tosh and Owen are gone. Because for me, it's about the story, not just the characters. Will it be sad, the first time I see the show and I don't see the familiar faces I became attached to? Yeah, but that's life.
And for me, that's really the point. Torchwood was so devastating because it was realistic. While I may not always agree with him, I agree with RTD choice to kill Ianto, as terrible as it was, because if they had all made it to the end of the show, it wouldn't have felt as real. There are going to be costs in a show like this, and as horrific as that thought it, I also believe that it was the right choice for him to make. And I also agree that bringing him back to life, in any way, would be to cheapen his death and make it lose all meaning. Is it a fun thought? Of course, and I am eager to hear creative theories on how it could be done plausibly. Heck, I make my own, and I have my own favorite theory that I decided on for how it could happen. But it won't, and it shouldn't.
For me, that would be the point when I stopped watching. Sorry, been there, done that with Owen, not going back.
I'm going to stop there, because I've said what I need to. But the point of it, in the end, is that this ISN'T the end. Clearly- there's an entire series planned after this. I'll be there in front of my TV whenever it finally airs in the US, no matter what. Because in the end, I know that I'll enjoy the ride, even if it's with a whole new cast of characters. At the heart, it will still be Torchwood.
EDITED TO ADD: I got away from my computer for all of 10 minutes before I decided I needed to come back and add that this isn't trying to attack anyone who has decided they don't want to watch the show. I realized it might come across that way, but that's not the intention. The intention was simply to state my P.O.V. on the fact that a large majority of fans seem to be abandoning a show they cared for a great deal simply because one character died in the course of what was honestly a devastating mini series. I'm sure there are many other people with many other reasons for deciding not to watch the show any longer, and I fully respect that. I do respect the decisions of the people leaving as a result of Ianto's death as well, even if I can't quite agree. I'm not going to tell anyone they're wrong for making that choice, because it IS a fictional world in the end, and it doesn't really matter. So, no hard feelings!
So, more and more now is it being confirmed that there will be a season four of Torchwood. And what is the general consensus on this in the fandom?
"Eh, well, good for anyone who's excited, but the show is as dead for me as Ianto, and I just don't care." I kid you not, that basically sums up 95% of the reactions I've seen to this. Parts of that are taken word for word from what people have said.
First off, I'm not going to say that elements of COE didn't bother me. Looking back on it, yeah, the writing isn't the BEST its ever been. And yes, I was utterly distraught at the fact that Ianto was killed off, and that Jack had to kill his nephew. Of course I was- those were sad moments! They were written to BE sad!
Does that mean I won't give season four a chance? Not at all.
The thing is, all of the fan reaction to COE showed how hugely successful RTD was in his efforts with this show. Whether or not you agree with his tactics/attitude towards the fans/writing style/whatever, if he hadn't done a good job with the show and with these characters and bringing this world to life, no one would have blinked twice when Ianto died. Instead of being a big, heart wrenching moment that devastated literally hundreds of fans, it would have been a "Oh, that's sad," moment paramount to realizing that hmm, a blowfish just had its brains shot out.
So if RTD could create a cast of characters multiple times (if you count DW as well, which I do) that we as fans could fall in love with, why does everyone doubt that he can't do it again?
One of the other common complaints I've seen is that now it's going to be "the Gwen show". Um, sorry, what secret series outline have you stolen that the rest of the world doesn't know about?
The fact is, no one can say where RTD is planning to take this show. Prior to COE, no one knew where it would go then, either, but people still had faith. Where did all that faith go? Why is everyone so ready now to attack him for what is, in my opinion, a strong move forward?
Yes, I was sad that Ianto died. I was also sad that Owen and Tosh died. And that Rose was abandoned on a parallel world (twice). And that Donna had her memory wiped. And that Astrid couldn't be saved. And that Nine regenerated into Ten. And that the Master refused to regenerate out of spite for Ten.
But I still watch Doctor Who. I plan to watch Waters of Mars with relish when it finally premieres in the US. And then I'll tune into End of Time, knowing that Ten is going to regenerate into Eleven. I'm fully aware that I'm going to sob. But I'll still watch, because it's not only about the characters.
It's about the path that they take, and the journey along the way.
So I'll still watch Doctor Who, even when my Doctor is gone. And in the same way, I'll still watch Torchwood, even though Ianto and Tosh and Owen are gone. Because for me, it's about the story, not just the characters. Will it be sad, the first time I see the show and I don't see the familiar faces I became attached to? Yeah, but that's life.
And for me, that's really the point. Torchwood was so devastating because it was realistic. While I may not always agree with him, I agree with RTD choice to kill Ianto, as terrible as it was, because if they had all made it to the end of the show, it wouldn't have felt as real. There are going to be costs in a show like this, and as horrific as that thought it, I also believe that it was the right choice for him to make. And I also agree that bringing him back to life, in any way, would be to cheapen his death and make it lose all meaning. Is it a fun thought? Of course, and I am eager to hear creative theories on how it could be done plausibly. Heck, I make my own, and I have my own favorite theory that I decided on for how it could happen. But it won't, and it shouldn't.
For me, that would be the point when I stopped watching. Sorry, been there, done that with Owen, not going back.
I'm going to stop there, because I've said what I need to. But the point of it, in the end, is that this ISN'T the end. Clearly- there's an entire series planned after this. I'll be there in front of my TV whenever it finally airs in the US, no matter what. Because in the end, I know that I'll enjoy the ride, even if it's with a whole new cast of characters. At the heart, it will still be Torchwood.
EDITED TO ADD: I got away from my computer for all of 10 minutes before I decided I needed to come back and add that this isn't trying to attack anyone who has decided they don't want to watch the show. I realized it might come across that way, but that's not the intention. The intention was simply to state my P.O.V. on the fact that a large majority of fans seem to be abandoning a show they cared for a great deal simply because one character died in the course of what was honestly a devastating mini series. I'm sure there are many other people with many other reasons for deciding not to watch the show any longer, and I fully respect that. I do respect the decisions of the people leaving as a result of Ianto's death as well, even if I can't quite agree. I'm not going to tell anyone they're wrong for making that choice, because it IS a fictional world in the end, and it doesn't really matter. So, no hard feelings!