Torchwood Pairings and RTD's Plans
It's the feeling in some quarters that the death of Ianto in Torchwood: Children of Earth has left the field open to the Jack/Gwen pairing. I'll tell you why I am not convinced about that.
In the end of CoE Jack quite explicitly turns down Gwen's plea that he remain with her on earth. In fact, when he leaves he makes it clear that he has no plans to come back. This is hardly a good omen for future Jack/Gwen.
More importantly, we have to consider what RTD's agenda was all along. When Torchwood first began, RTD gave the impression that it was all about this alien-catching organisation and its mysterious leader, with Gwen acting as the means through which the audience would learn about it. The feeling was that Jack was the main character, the star of the show, therefore many viewers followed obsessively any signs that he cared romantically about Gwen or other characters in Torchwood (in terms of screentime however, Gwen got more than anyone else, so this should have tipped us off).
This year, after CoE aired, viewers got new information that RTD had initially planned a different show called 'Excalibur' which would focus on the lead female character. He had not been able to sell this script, so he reworked it into Torchwood, incorporating the well-known character Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and creating a Torchwood Cardiff out of nowhere (note that there is no mention of a Cardiff branch of Torchwood in the series with the 9th Doctor).
Assuming this news about Excalibur is true, it leads me to my hypothesis about what might happen next, if RTD continues to write for Torchwood.
The main reason for the clash between Jack/Gwen fans and Jack/Ianto fans is that Jack is viewed as a prize, a worthy lover, a great catch by most viewers. Therefore many Gwen fans want Jack for her, and many Ianto fans want Jack for him. It is doubtful though, that RTD similarly sees Jack as a prize. RTD has killed Ianto off, but I do not think it necessarily follows that he wants to definitely pair Jack with Gwen. The clue is in the title of the show he originally planned -- Excalibur.
That is the name of the sword of King Arthur. The set-up that RTD is angling to create is the triangle between Arthur, Guinevere and Launcelot.
Think about it -- Guinevere (Gwen) has an adoring husband Arthur (Rhys), whom she is fond of. But she also yearns for her swain Launcelot (Jack). Launcelot (Jack) reciprocates the feeling, but in the tradition of courtly love it cannot really be consummated by the parties involved. He puts her on a pedestal and worships her, but their love can't be expressed with anything more than longing looks. Launcelot (Jack) has other romantic entanglements, such as Elaine the Fair Maid of Astolat (Ianto) whom he can't really love however, because his heart is with Guinevere (Gwen).
In this triangle RTD quite firmly intends to place Gwen centre-stage. If he is allowed to go on with the show as he pleases, it will be all about Queen Gwen and the men who dance attendance on her, with a bit of sci-fi stuff thrown in now and then. In RTD's book Gwen is the prize, therefore he doesn't really care if there is a Jack/Gwen pairing, because he doesn't really care about the character of Jack.
Oh, and forget about Agent Johnson or Lois Habiba getting any meaningful roles in such a show, because they will only serve as ladies-in-waiting to Queen Gwen.
Aside: Remember that scene in KKBB where Captain John Hart is eager to know the team's name, and hopes that it will be 'Excalibur'? That was RTD being 'clever', I suppose.
In the end of CoE Jack quite explicitly turns down Gwen's plea that he remain with her on earth. In fact, when he leaves he makes it clear that he has no plans to come back. This is hardly a good omen for future Jack/Gwen.
More importantly, we have to consider what RTD's agenda was all along. When Torchwood first began, RTD gave the impression that it was all about this alien-catching organisation and its mysterious leader, with Gwen acting as the means through which the audience would learn about it. The feeling was that Jack was the main character, the star of the show, therefore many viewers followed obsessively any signs that he cared romantically about Gwen or other characters in Torchwood (in terms of screentime however, Gwen got more than anyone else, so this should have tipped us off).
This year, after CoE aired, viewers got new information that RTD had initially planned a different show called 'Excalibur' which would focus on the lead female character. He had not been able to sell this script, so he reworked it into Torchwood, incorporating the well-known character Captain Jack Harkness from Doctor Who and creating a Torchwood Cardiff out of nowhere (note that there is no mention of a Cardiff branch of Torchwood in the series with the 9th Doctor).
Assuming this news about Excalibur is true, it leads me to my hypothesis about what might happen next, if RTD continues to write for Torchwood.
The main reason for the clash between Jack/Gwen fans and Jack/Ianto fans is that Jack is viewed as a prize, a worthy lover, a great catch by most viewers. Therefore many Gwen fans want Jack for her, and many Ianto fans want Jack for him. It is doubtful though, that RTD similarly sees Jack as a prize. RTD has killed Ianto off, but I do not think it necessarily follows that he wants to definitely pair Jack with Gwen. The clue is in the title of the show he originally planned -- Excalibur.
That is the name of the sword of King Arthur. The set-up that RTD is angling to create is the triangle between Arthur, Guinevere and Launcelot.
Think about it -- Guinevere (Gwen) has an adoring husband Arthur (Rhys), whom she is fond of. But she also yearns for her swain Launcelot (Jack). Launcelot (Jack) reciprocates the feeling, but in the tradition of courtly love it cannot really be consummated by the parties involved. He puts her on a pedestal and worships her, but their love can't be expressed with anything more than longing looks. Launcelot (Jack) has other romantic entanglements, such as Elaine the Fair Maid of Astolat (Ianto) whom he can't really love however, because his heart is with Guinevere (Gwen).
In this triangle RTD quite firmly intends to place Gwen centre-stage. If he is allowed to go on with the show as he pleases, it will be all about Queen Gwen and the men who dance attendance on her, with a bit of sci-fi stuff thrown in now and then. In RTD's book Gwen is the prize, therefore he doesn't really care if there is a Jack/Gwen pairing, because he doesn't really care about the character of Jack.
Oh, and forget about Agent Johnson or Lois Habiba getting any meaningful roles in such a show, because they will only serve as ladies-in-waiting to Queen Gwen.
Aside: Remember that scene in KKBB where Captain John Hart is eager to know the team's name, and hopes that it will be 'Excalibur'? That was RTD being 'clever', I suppose.