thoughts on "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" (Torchwood 2x01)
Um, this is not a post that will be full of squee.
I did really like one thing, and that was seeing the team work together properly. But other than that, there wasn't a thing in the epiode that didn't bug me.
I hated Captain Spike. My worst fears about James Marsters being on the show were realized--he's playing exactly the same character he played on Buffy, right down to the craptastically fake accent. DO NOT WANT. Why was he not blown up? (I'd also like to know why nobody followed Ianto's suggestion of cutting the motherfucker's hand off.) And I am not pleased that he's going to be returning. Not only do I hate the character, but there's nothing interesting about his relationship to Jack. It's just warmed-over Master/Doctor, only with all the real emotional substance taken out.
I also hated hated hated the Jack/Gwen shippiness. Seriously, we're supposed to believe that the thought of GWEN was what got Jack through the year of torture and made him decide to return to Torchwood? Yes, let's totally fucking ignore the fact that Jack was/is in love with the Doctor. Let's also ignore the fact that Jack was sexually involved with Ianto and never made a move on Gwen despite many opportunities. And then let's compound the problem by having Jack ask Ianto out on a date five seconds after holding hands with Darling Gwennie, a development which leads to one of two conclusions: (a) Jack is an irredeemable asshole, or (b) RTD is so in love with Jack/Gwen that he doesn't see this wildly contradictory behavior as a problem. Just like he apparently doesn't realize that virtually no one likes the pairing and that there's a hell of a lot more fan interest in Jack/Ianto. (Of course, from what little I know about RTD, I guess it's possible that he might decide to show the fans who's boss by pushing a romance that most fans hate.)
Right now I'm trying really hard not to hate Gwen. But if she's going to keep being written as the Best Girl in the Universe, so perfect that Jack will give up everything just to return home to her, then I think I'm going to lose the struggle.
I was really enthusiastic last season about (most of) the queer content in Torchwood. But what I'm starting to see is a pattern where Jack's relationships with men are written as either impossible (the Doctor, real!Jack) or as just sex rather than real love (Ianto, Captain Fucktard). Meanwhile, his relationships with women (Estelle, Gwen) involve soul-deep, enduring love. The fact that RTD is gay does not make this pattern any less homophobic.
Fuck. FUCK. I loved Torchwood last season. I don't want to hate it.
*****
I did really like one thing, and that was seeing the team work together properly. But other than that, there wasn't a thing in the epiode that didn't bug me.
I hated Captain Spike. My worst fears about James Marsters being on the show were realized--he's playing exactly the same character he played on Buffy, right down to the craptastically fake accent. DO NOT WANT. Why was he not blown up? (I'd also like to know why nobody followed Ianto's suggestion of cutting the motherfucker's hand off.) And I am not pleased that he's going to be returning. Not only do I hate the character, but there's nothing interesting about his relationship to Jack. It's just warmed-over Master/Doctor, only with all the real emotional substance taken out.
I also hated hated hated the Jack/Gwen shippiness. Seriously, we're supposed to believe that the thought of GWEN was what got Jack through the year of torture and made him decide to return to Torchwood? Yes, let's totally fucking ignore the fact that Jack was/is in love with the Doctor. Let's also ignore the fact that Jack was sexually involved with Ianto and never made a move on Gwen despite many opportunities. And then let's compound the problem by having Jack ask Ianto out on a date five seconds after holding hands with Darling Gwennie, a development which leads to one of two conclusions: (a) Jack is an irredeemable asshole, or (b) RTD is so in love with Jack/Gwen that he doesn't see this wildly contradictory behavior as a problem. Just like he apparently doesn't realize that virtually no one likes the pairing and that there's a hell of a lot more fan interest in Jack/Ianto. (Of course, from what little I know about RTD, I guess it's possible that he might decide to show the fans who's boss by pushing a romance that most fans hate.)
Right now I'm trying really hard not to hate Gwen. But if she's going to keep being written as the Best Girl in the Universe, so perfect that Jack will give up everything just to return home to her, then I think I'm going to lose the struggle.
I was really enthusiastic last season about (most of) the queer content in Torchwood. But what I'm starting to see is a pattern where Jack's relationships with men are written as either impossible (the Doctor, real!Jack) or as just sex rather than real love (Ianto, Captain Fucktard). Meanwhile, his relationships with women (Estelle, Gwen) involve soul-deep, enduring love. The fact that RTD is gay does not make this pattern any less homophobic.
Fuck. FUCK. I loved Torchwood last season. I don't want to hate it.
*****