well, you know the way i left was not the way i planned
I just finished "Captain Jack Harkness" and "End of Days." Boy, do I need to flail.
First up, "Captain Jack Harkness."
Wacky time traveling hijinks! Making out with your namesake! Creepy old man! I heart this episode a lot. Reasons include but are not limited to:
- the whole Owen vs Ianto drama in the Hub. Owen wants to try and bring back Jack and Tosh, but even more than that, he wants Diane back; Ianto's got every reason to want the lost Torchies back--to especially want Jack back--but refuses to open the rift all the same. He fucking shoots Owen, for fuck's sake. That whole plotline was really compelling to me and I'm too flaily now to really get into the gory details. But yes, there is much manfight love.
- the real Captain Harkness. Good lord, that man was handsome. Also, he struck me as such a genuinely good person; I had no problem bawling when he and Torch!Jack danced. Or when they kissed. Or when Torch!Jack left. Let's just say I cried a lot.
- the music playing during the slow-dance at the end. Not "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square," but the instrumental part--definitely did not help with me being already a ball of wibbling tears. It was beautiful and the expressions on real!Jack's face the whole time...oh my heart.
That's a coherent as it gets, people. And it's only going to get worse with "End of Days."
- Opening glee: I love the fact that Owen called the doctor at the hospital "House."
- The Torchies all rebelling against Jack. Given that I'd spoilered the crap out of myself for this episode, I wasn't sure if it would feel convincing to me, and damn if I wasn't surprised. I could absolutely believe that they'd all hit their tipping point and decided to hell with the orders. I also totally bought bitter!Jack, and Owen busting a cap in him (as they say). And the "sick of people doubting me" line? Ooooh, chills.
- All of this brings me to the one thing I don't get: GOD DAMN GWEN. Now, before I really get into this, let me just say: I've started to like Gwen. I am no longer filled with the baby-shaking hatred of CAPSLOCK RAGE that I had in the beginning. I like her when she's just plain Gwen, however, not when they are beating us upside the head with the GWEN IS SPESHUL stick. I would break that fucking stick over my knee, if I could.
Anyway. Gwen. I was totally with her in this episode, up until Jack died. And then the Speshulness started to leak through. The whole damn team knows that Jack can survive weird shit. They saw him get up five minutes after taking a bullet through the head and two to the chest. They work with the motherfucking Risen Mitten and the Life Knife and Suzie and all that, so why for the love of all the puppies and kittens and tentacle porn, WHY does only Gwen seem convinced that he will come back??!! She says that he "told [her] he can't die." I point again to the whole team seeing him get back up after Owen blew his brains out. Why is SHE the only one who is willing to sit with him? For fuck's sake, even if he doesn't think he's coming back, you'd think Ianto would want some time with the dearly departed, given that they've been not-so-subtly pointing out his relationship with Jack in the later half of the season. (See also: Owen's crack about Ianto's "sad wet dreams" in "Captain Jack Harkness.")
But no. It's just Gwen. Just Gwen who kisses him good-bye/hello/why the fuck does SHE have the kiss of life now.
The reunion scenes with each team member? I totally bought. Those got me back on the wagon. Tosh's glomphug of joy, Ianto's 'are you real?' hand out that became a hug that became a snog, and Owen's total sobbing breakdown. I bought it all. Except that Gwen bit.
In conclusion: I love this show bunches. I can even love Gwen Cooper, when the writers aren't getting into the bad crack. Just say 'no' to crack, Torch!writers. Just say 'no.'
Also, was totally bitten in the ass by a plot bunny today. "Five Ways Ianto Jones Does Not Die." Keep your eyes peeled, kids; I've already got one way written.
To wrap things up: music!
Dar Williams - If I Wrote You : This cropped up in whitetext in the latest Mary Anne-Kit thread; it's also what I titled the entry in her memories. I think it suits them. (we drew our arms around the bastard sons/we never would drink to the chosen ones/well you know the way I left was not the way I planned/but I thought the world needed love and a steady hand/so I'm steady now)
Dar Williams - In Love But Not At Peace : Spotted the lyrics to this in (what else?) whitetext in a Simon-Kaylee thread recently and decided to hunt it down. I wasn't disappointed. (and the moon hangs above like a Valium pill/and I say I'll be fine, but I don't think that I will/but today I got work, and I like it that way/it's a case of a still life gone cinema verite)
Time for me to get back to my IR reading. When I'm not F5ing this post to see y'all's comments, that is.
First up, "Captain Jack Harkness."
Wacky time traveling hijinks! Making out with your namesake! Creepy old man! I heart this episode a lot. Reasons include but are not limited to:
- the whole Owen vs Ianto drama in the Hub. Owen wants to try and bring back Jack and Tosh, but even more than that, he wants Diane back; Ianto's got every reason to want the lost Torchies back--to especially want Jack back--but refuses to open the rift all the same. He fucking shoots Owen, for fuck's sake. That whole plotline was really compelling to me and I'm too flaily now to really get into the gory details. But yes, there is much manfight love.
- the real Captain Harkness. Good lord, that man was handsome. Also, he struck me as such a genuinely good person; I had no problem bawling when he and Torch!Jack danced. Or when they kissed. Or when Torch!Jack left. Let's just say I cried a lot.
- the music playing during the slow-dance at the end. Not "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square," but the instrumental part--definitely did not help with me being already a ball of wibbling tears. It was beautiful and the expressions on real!Jack's face the whole time...oh my heart.
That's a coherent as it gets, people. And it's only going to get worse with "End of Days."
- Opening glee: I love the fact that Owen called the doctor at the hospital "House."
- The Torchies all rebelling against Jack. Given that I'd spoilered the crap out of myself for this episode, I wasn't sure if it would feel convincing to me, and damn if I wasn't surprised. I could absolutely believe that they'd all hit their tipping point and decided to hell with the orders. I also totally bought bitter!Jack, and Owen busting a cap in him (as they say). And the "sick of people doubting me" line? Ooooh, chills.
- All of this brings me to the one thing I don't get: GOD DAMN GWEN. Now, before I really get into this, let me just say: I've started to like Gwen. I am no longer filled with the baby-shaking hatred of CAPSLOCK RAGE that I had in the beginning. I like her when she's just plain Gwen, however, not when they are beating us upside the head with the GWEN IS SPESHUL stick. I would break that fucking stick over my knee, if I could.
Anyway. Gwen. I was totally with her in this episode, up until Jack died. And then the Speshulness started to leak through. The whole damn team knows that Jack can survive weird shit. They saw him get up five minutes after taking a bullet through the head and two to the chest. They work with the motherfucking Risen Mitten and the Life Knife and Suzie and all that, so why for the love of all the puppies and kittens and tentacle porn, WHY does only Gwen seem convinced that he will come back??!! She says that he "told [her] he can't die." I point again to the whole team seeing him get back up after Owen blew his brains out. Why is SHE the only one who is willing to sit with him? For fuck's sake, even if he doesn't think he's coming back, you'd think Ianto would want some time with the dearly departed, given that they've been not-so-subtly pointing out his relationship with Jack in the later half of the season. (See also: Owen's crack about Ianto's "sad wet dreams" in "Captain Jack Harkness.")
But no. It's just Gwen. Just Gwen who kisses him good-bye/hello/why the fuck does SHE have the kiss of life now.
The reunion scenes with each team member? I totally bought. Those got me back on the wagon. Tosh's glomphug of joy, Ianto's 'are you real?' hand out that became a hug that became a snog, and Owen's total sobbing breakdown. I bought it all. Except that Gwen bit.
In conclusion: I love this show bunches. I can even love Gwen Cooper, when the writers aren't getting into the bad crack. Just say 'no' to crack, Torch!writers. Just say 'no.'
Also, was totally bitten in the ass by a plot bunny today. "Five Ways Ianto Jones Does Not Die." Keep your eyes peeled, kids; I've already got one way written.
To wrap things up: music!
Dar Williams - If I Wrote You : This cropped up in whitetext in the latest Mary Anne-Kit thread; it's also what I titled the entry in her memories. I think it suits them. (we drew our arms around the bastard sons/we never would drink to the chosen ones/well you know the way I left was not the way I planned/but I thought the world needed love and a steady hand/so I'm steady now)
Dar Williams - In Love But Not At Peace : Spotted the lyrics to this in (what else?) whitetext in a Simon-Kaylee thread recently and decided to hunt it down. I wasn't disappointed. (and the moon hangs above like a Valium pill/and I say I'll be fine, but I don't think that I will/but today I got work, and I like it that way/it's a case of a still life gone cinema verite)
Time for me to get back to my IR reading. When I'm not F5ing this post to see y'all's comments, that is.