Various TV thoughts on an empty stomach.
I watched VH1 Classic, drank my coffee and un-typed what was probably my umpteenth Noah and Luke rant. I actually had one that I spewed forth and then friends-locked because I know I'm a minority opinion in this giant crusade for Teh Ghey to eat Oakdale.
It actually cycles back to my old assertion that slash is not a political platform. Liking hot gay boys doesn't make you an activist. They're apples and oranges...albeit in the same fruit basket. (Fruit! Hee!)
I'm far more disturbed by GH's recent slew of violence (okay, when has it ever NOT been violent in the last decade?) than I am by gay boys not kissing. I mean, a 12 year old boy accidentally shoots his father's girlfriend and then gets shot in the head himself?! ACK. Jesus, GH.
So, I heard there was some Battlestar on last night? Maybe it's because I've only caught a fraction (Frak-tion! Hee!) of it since season two, but, um...Ifellasleepwatchingit. I'm sorry, but I found the premiere kinda slow and dull after the first 10 minutes or so.
Torchwood 2.13, however, is a different story. For a while, I was fine. I mean, I saw vague references to people crying while they watched it and I was like, "Hunh, I wonder what that's about? Don't see it so far." And then WHAM! Sobbing, sniveling, wreck. I haven't cried watching TV in QUITE a while, People. Oh my GOD.
Torchwood is not a subtle show. Despite touches here and there that are sly references and callbacks to the prior season and to Who, it's a very overt melodrama. And nowhere was that more obvious than in this season finale.
The conflict of Gray vs. Jack was just a lame trope, a manufactured conflict we've seen a billion times, to mask the fact that what we were really seeing was a change for the team, an end to Owen and Tosh's arc. I don't think anyone really gave a rat's ass about Jack's brother, did they? His relationship with John was certainly more compelling, especially in the context of this episode. But no, what this really boiled down to was a deliberate tie in to the title: "Exit Wounds." Two core characters left and it HURT LIKE A BITCH.
Honest to God, I thought it was going to be Rhys. At a point when it's all going to shit and he told Gwen he'd see her when all of this is over, I thought, "That's it, he's going to die." While I was relieved to be wrong, I was absolutely devastated by who didn't make it and even a little bitter.
You see, my cluing in to the awesomeness of Tosh didn't come with the rest of fandom's. I could give or take Tosh on a weekly basis. She was a nonentity to me and I wasn't going to root for her just because she's Asian. But somewhere in the middle of the current season, I started realizing that I *did* like her, that she *was* needed, and that her story is so perfectly one of a life half-lived. Which is why what happened to her in "Exit Wounds" was *so* tragic, and why her last message to the gang made me cry all over again.
What made me cry the first time? It was Burn Gorman that broke me. That instant, where Owen realizes he's going to die in that chamber and he starts *shouting*? I lost it. Between his grief and dying!Tosh's torture at hearing it, I was a mess. I kept hoping that somehow someone would save them, that they wouldn't be having this terrible, terrible, sad conversation that was essentially their last. Especially since, okay, non-subtle trope again...WHAT THE FUCK WAS JACK DOING THAT WHOLE TIME? I mean, was he just wandering emotastically through the Hub rather than, oh, checking on his team? Couldn't he have sped it up a little? I kind of hate that "Boo-hoo, I chloroformed my brotherthatnobodycares about!" took precedence over IMMINENT NUCLEAR MELTDOWN.
Ahem. Sorry. I was actually making rational points somewhere in there, wasn't I?
Tosh and Owen's last scene really was absolutely beautiful. The dialogue was perfect, both actors were *amazing*, and I LOVED that they, in that last moment, finally gave a shout-out to the "space pig" and "Dr. Toshiko Sato." It was a perfect laugh amidst the tears.
And now to explain my bitterness... while I had NO problem with Gwen in this episode and absolutely agree with Andy and Rhys that she's strong and badass, and I adore Ianto, I couldn't help but be rankled that the two people that live are Jack's romantic options. Way to be anvilicious. Support Staff at TW is replaceable, but God forbid Jack lose a hole to stick it in. We can throw Capt. John onto that list, too, actually. I hate that the two characters who had the most compelling arc, who grew the most, are the ones that died and the Everybody Loves Jack crew is the one that stayed.
I'm sure as I get more distance from this episode, that sense will fade. My er, wounds are too fresh.
I can't help but wonder what this means for next season. Who are they bringing in? Will Barrowman really drop to recurring? The only way I could deal is if they brought Martha back as a permanent cast member...and perhaps Andy could join the team as well.
Gah.
I may have more thoughts later, but that's all she wrote for now.
Now I have to make lunch and shower.
It actually cycles back to my old assertion that slash is not a political platform. Liking hot gay boys doesn't make you an activist. They're apples and oranges...albeit in the same fruit basket. (Fruit! Hee!)
I'm far more disturbed by GH's recent slew of violence (okay, when has it ever NOT been violent in the last decade?) than I am by gay boys not kissing. I mean, a 12 year old boy accidentally shoots his father's girlfriend and then gets shot in the head himself?! ACK. Jesus, GH.
So, I heard there was some Battlestar on last night? Maybe it's because I've only caught a fraction (Frak-tion! Hee!) of it since season two, but, um...Ifellasleepwatchingit. I'm sorry, but I found the premiere kinda slow and dull after the first 10 minutes or so.
Torchwood 2.13, however, is a different story. For a while, I was fine. I mean, I saw vague references to people crying while they watched it and I was like, "Hunh, I wonder what that's about? Don't see it so far." And then WHAM! Sobbing, sniveling, wreck. I haven't cried watching TV in QUITE a while, People. Oh my GOD.
Torchwood is not a subtle show. Despite touches here and there that are sly references and callbacks to the prior season and to Who, it's a very overt melodrama. And nowhere was that more obvious than in this season finale.
The conflict of Gray vs. Jack was just a lame trope, a manufactured conflict we've seen a billion times, to mask the fact that what we were really seeing was a change for the team, an end to Owen and Tosh's arc. I don't think anyone really gave a rat's ass about Jack's brother, did they? His relationship with John was certainly more compelling, especially in the context of this episode. But no, what this really boiled down to was a deliberate tie in to the title: "Exit Wounds." Two core characters left and it HURT LIKE A BITCH.
Honest to God, I thought it was going to be Rhys. At a point when it's all going to shit and he told Gwen he'd see her when all of this is over, I thought, "That's it, he's going to die." While I was relieved to be wrong, I was absolutely devastated by who didn't make it and even a little bitter.
You see, my cluing in to the awesomeness of Tosh didn't come with the rest of fandom's. I could give or take Tosh on a weekly basis. She was a nonentity to me and I wasn't going to root for her just because she's Asian. But somewhere in the middle of the current season, I started realizing that I *did* like her, that she *was* needed, and that her story is so perfectly one of a life half-lived. Which is why what happened to her in "Exit Wounds" was *so* tragic, and why her last message to the gang made me cry all over again.
What made me cry the first time? It was Burn Gorman that broke me. That instant, where Owen realizes he's going to die in that chamber and he starts *shouting*? I lost it. Between his grief and dying!Tosh's torture at hearing it, I was a mess. I kept hoping that somehow someone would save them, that they wouldn't be having this terrible, terrible, sad conversation that was essentially their last. Especially since, okay, non-subtle trope again...WHAT THE FUCK WAS JACK DOING THAT WHOLE TIME? I mean, was he just wandering emotastically through the Hub rather than, oh, checking on his team? Couldn't he have sped it up a little? I kind of hate that "Boo-hoo, I chloroformed my brotherthatnobodycares about!" took precedence over IMMINENT NUCLEAR MELTDOWN.
Ahem. Sorry. I was actually making rational points somewhere in there, wasn't I?
Tosh and Owen's last scene really was absolutely beautiful. The dialogue was perfect, both actors were *amazing*, and I LOVED that they, in that last moment, finally gave a shout-out to the "space pig" and "Dr. Toshiko Sato." It was a perfect laugh amidst the tears.
And now to explain my bitterness... while I had NO problem with Gwen in this episode and absolutely agree with Andy and Rhys that she's strong and badass, and I adore Ianto, I couldn't help but be rankled that the two people that live are Jack's romantic options. Way to be anvilicious. Support Staff at TW is replaceable, but God forbid Jack lose a hole to stick it in. We can throw Capt. John onto that list, too, actually. I hate that the two characters who had the most compelling arc, who grew the most, are the ones that died and the Everybody Loves Jack crew is the one that stayed.
I'm sure as I get more distance from this episode, that sense will fade. My er, wounds are too fresh.
I can't help but wonder what this means for next season. Who are they bringing in? Will Barrowman really drop to recurring? The only way I could deal is if they brought Martha back as a permanent cast member...and perhaps Andy could join the team as well.
Gah.
I may have more thoughts later, but that's all she wrote for now.
Now I have to make lunch and shower.