From the drabble list

[tanarian]

Last night's episode was just the thing to inspire me for this fic. You wanted angst; you've got angst!

Title: The Nothing I've Become
Characters: Jack (mention of Gwen and Ianto).
Rating: Open
Spoilers: Strong for The Stolen EarthWarnings: Character death. And angst. I did mention angst, did I

Comments

The Nothing I've Become

[mickeyk]

Jack always seems to have a lobotomy whenever the Doctor is around.

Interesting. I always think Jack gains back a few brain cells, whenever he's around the Doctor, understands the tech stuff better than he does on TW, but does lose any backbone he has. So I wouldn't say a lobotomy, per se but that his hero worship/love for the Doctor overwhelms him and he's immediately back to 'Follow The Leader' (the Doctor) mode and takes orders from him and tends not to act independently from him if they're in scenes together, but does act if they aren't. And reading the comments for this story, yeah, I think it's that RTD can't stand to have a male companion eclipse the Doctor on any level. Hasn't he said in interviews, DWC episodes, that all female companions (or was it all companions?) fall a little in love with the Doctor. So, can't have Jack able to compete with him on any level.

I also think that Jack was firmly convinced that Ianto and Gwen would be safe in the Hub (interesting that while you thought Ianto was doomed, I thought that Martha would teleport in, swoop them out of danger and then we wouldn't get much of Ianto and Gwen until near the end of the episode... well, I was wrong about Martha but right about them being saved fast and not shown much). He didn't hear that Daleks were on the way, and he does tend to be oblivious at times in TW that I thought (and was sad that it was) it was in character that he thought everything would be okay when it wouldn't be.

Watching "End of Days"/"Utopia", "The Stolen Earth", it makes me wonder if Jack has a split personality or something psychological going on, he clearly (to me, anyway) changes between DW and TW mode and not just the flirting (or lack thereof). Watch him with Gwen in the office scene near the end, then watch the scene with the sudden wind (and where the hell is that coming from?!? They're underground and DW made it plain the TARDIS never showed up inside the Hub!) ruffling Jack's hair and when he hears the groan of the engines and he smiles... he's a totally different (and lighter) Jack from the previous 12 episodes and almost 50 minutes.

"The Stolen Earth", you can see it when Harriet Jones gives him the metaphorical kick up the backside and when he's had contact with the Doctor, his mood is immediately changed and he has hope and faith. So, no, I don't blame Jack for taking off and thinking his team would survive and be fine and not realize a Dalek is on the way. Wish he had found another Dalek gun or two (you'd think they'd have more) but then RTD wouldn't have had the cliffhangers he wanted, Sarah Jane and Daleks, TW team and a Dalek, and Jack shooting and destroying a Dalek... and the Doctor looking like he's about to regenerate.

Very well written story though, and yeah, I do think that this is very close to what RTD would do, with Twelve and Jack. I don't think Ten's even really shown Jack any affection. There was the hug in "Utopia", but also being cold and stand offish about Jack, no weeping and wailing about Jack's painful deaths and coming back to life (but oh boy was there ever lots of it over the Master!) and an offhand invite to travel with him. There was a general 'You're brilliant' for Rose, Jack and Donna but Ten's never kissed Jack at all and Ten's even kissed Mickey once. Damn. Poor Jack.

Re: Gwen being bulletproof, you know, I'd've had a lot more respect for the TW PTB (producers etc.) if Gwen had been killed off. They keep saying how TW employees die young, no one is safe etc. and they keep raving about Gwen. I actually would have been shocked (and happy but never mind that) if Gwen had died instead of Tosh, it would have been completely unexpected to me. Oh well, I'll just have to keep on hoping that Eve Myles will get an offer she can't refuse, go talk to RTD about leaving and he lets her and Gwen is written out somehow.