My self control, let me show you it.
I just stopped watching Torchwood 2.3, "To the Last Man," at minute 33 so I can shower, dress, and get to work.
I deserve a goddamn medal.
Early verdict? Oh, Tosh. Oh, Owen. Oh, Ianto..
I love my gay sci-fi show.
ETA: I made it through the shower and the dressing in time to finish watching the episode before I left the house. Whoo-hoo!
Let me preface this by saying that I don't really care about Tosh. I could take her or leave her. She's just kinda "there." I feel no pressure to like her just because she's Asian, I didn't care for the alien pendant episode, etc. She started growing on me towards the end of the season, but she still isn't a favorite.
Having said that, I loved her in this episode and feel like she finally lived up to the awesome that the rest of fandom seems to think she is. Through Tommy, we got a clear picture of Tosh's control issues and her fear of really *living* and taking chances. It was beautiful and poignant and I Got It. Naoko was great at playing all those layers, and I especially loved the paralleling of the Owen/Diane situation with Tosh/Tommy. I'm really digging this older, wiser, weary Owen and I'd love to see how he got to this place. Was it spurred on by Jack's forgiveness in "End of Days" or something else that happened while Jack was gone?
There's definitely a lot of emotionalism in these first couple of episodes and it's connected to everybody BUT Gwen, which I find interesting from an arc standpoint. Jack ostensibly brought her in because she's more human and connected to the outside world than the rest of them, but over the course of last season, the opposite became true. Gwen "drank the Kool-Aid," becoming more mercenary, torpedoing her normal life, etc. I thought it was really interesting in "KKBB" and "Sleeper" that Jack had to nudge her about her engagement (which she was terribly blase about) and also remind her to go home. We haven't even SEEN Gwen at home in these first three episodes, have we? Just Rhys calling her from the apartment and wondering where she is. Whereas this week, it began with Tosh's home, her morning ritual, etc.
It's very telling and a fascinating arc choice.
Okay, now that I'm done being analytical and deep...Jack and Ianto!!!! That kiss was even better in context than in the preview clip. You can totally tell that the crew didn't yell "Cut." Aside from the mind-numbing hotness of Ianto leaning down and kissing Jack so fiercely, it does track back to the Torchwood team's emotional connections to one another. Ianto is afraid -- and legitimately so -- that Jack is going to leave again. When you've seen the entire universe, why would you want to stay in boring, old Cardiff? So when Jack tells him that he's found people to love on Earth that make it worth staying for... that's as good as an "I love you." It's an assurance that Jack has found a home...and yet also vague enough to keep from heralding them an OTP. It's "Let's live for this, for right now," echoing the message of Tosh and Tommy.
Oh, Torchwood, when did you get so smart?
I deserve a goddamn medal.
Early verdict? Oh, Tosh. Oh, Owen. Oh, Ianto..
I love my gay sci-fi show.
ETA: I made it through the shower and the dressing in time to finish watching the episode before I left the house. Whoo-hoo!
Let me preface this by saying that I don't really care about Tosh. I could take her or leave her. She's just kinda "there." I feel no pressure to like her just because she's Asian, I didn't care for the alien pendant episode, etc. She started growing on me towards the end of the season, but she still isn't a favorite.
Having said that, I loved her in this episode and feel like she finally lived up to the awesome that the rest of fandom seems to think she is. Through Tommy, we got a clear picture of Tosh's control issues and her fear of really *living* and taking chances. It was beautiful and poignant and I Got It. Naoko was great at playing all those layers, and I especially loved the paralleling of the Owen/Diane situation with Tosh/Tommy. I'm really digging this older, wiser, weary Owen and I'd love to see how he got to this place. Was it spurred on by Jack's forgiveness in "End of Days" or something else that happened while Jack was gone?
There's definitely a lot of emotionalism in these first couple of episodes and it's connected to everybody BUT Gwen, which I find interesting from an arc standpoint. Jack ostensibly brought her in because she's more human and connected to the outside world than the rest of them, but over the course of last season, the opposite became true. Gwen "drank the Kool-Aid," becoming more mercenary, torpedoing her normal life, etc. I thought it was really interesting in "KKBB" and "Sleeper" that Jack had to nudge her about her engagement (which she was terribly blase about) and also remind her to go home. We haven't even SEEN Gwen at home in these first three episodes, have we? Just Rhys calling her from the apartment and wondering where she is. Whereas this week, it began with Tosh's home, her morning ritual, etc.
It's very telling and a fascinating arc choice.
Okay, now that I'm done being analytical and deep...Jack and Ianto!!!! That kiss was even better in context than in the preview clip. You can totally tell that the crew didn't yell "Cut." Aside from the mind-numbing hotness of Ianto leaning down and kissing Jack so fiercely, it does track back to the Torchwood team's emotional connections to one another. Ianto is afraid -- and legitimately so -- that Jack is going to leave again. When you've seen the entire universe, why would you want to stay in boring, old Cardiff? So when Jack tells him that he's found people to love on Earth that make it worth staying for... that's as good as an "I love you." It's an assurance that Jack has found a home...and yet also vague enough to keep from heralding them an OTP. It's "Let's live for this, for right now," echoing the message of Tosh and Tommy.
Oh, Torchwood, when did you get so smart?