HOW - considering that he INVENTED IT - can RTD NOT UNDERSTAND how Jack's immortality works???
He probably could come up with a theory, but I think it was a deliberate choice that neither Jack nor the audience know what the Blessing is and what exactly happens to Jack, or why.
I always thought Jack's immortality was essentially a metaphor for the mystery of existence, and the ending of MD reminded me of green-maia's post about how the universe was bigger than the Doctor in RTD's DW, and the discussion that ensued... Jack told Oswald Danes that he regretted he'd never see the future Jack knew, because then he'd realise how small he'd made his life. Oswald Danes and the families wanted control over life and death, although for different reasons, while Jack in the end submits - to the Blessing, to death, to the inexplicable and mysterious.
He probably could come up with a theory, but I think it was a deliberate choice that neither Jack nor the audience know what the Blessing is and what exactly happens to Jack, or why. These things happen when you're on a Hellmouth... Yeah. It just annoys me incredibly much. And I think it's lazy. (Sorry. It made me grumpy.)
Oswald Danes and the families wanted control over life and death, although for different reasons, while Jack in the end submits - to the Blessing, to death, to the inexplicable and mysterious. Yes, Promethia also pointed this out above (and how this applies to the current season of DW, although it also fits with the Doctor sacrificing himself to the crack in S5) - I appreciate that, I really do, and Gwen shooting Jack was just lovely. Mostly the stupidity of the plotting got to me:
I always thought Jack's immortality was essentially a metaphor for the mystery of existence I can understand that, but if you change the way something works in the middle of the story it really undermines everything. I mean - just look
( ... )
Sorry, it just occurred to me that you were probably talking about Rex, and in that case I completely agree. I have no idea what RTD was thinking there, and I really wish he hadn't done it. I love Jack's arc in MD, but that was indeed a WTF mmoment.
There was so much crack that the ass-crack of the world choked on it.
The good things about MD:
Every scene with Gwen. I love her so much more than I did in earlier seasons. Most Badass Women (TM) in fiction can be unrelatable because their badassery comes from chosen-ness or solemn duty or super-powers. Gwen's badassery comes from exasperation with the status quo and hard-earned experience.
All the Welsh actors. All the scenes in Wales. I did wonder where all the Weevils went.
Anwen and the sheer GLEE on her face when Mummy and Daddy pulled out the heavy artillery.
The bad things:
It was "Plot? What plot?" with barely any porn. How does that happen?
The face-palm moments:
Every single time John Barrowman tries to Emote and looks like he has menstrual cramps.
Also every time JB picked the least appropriate inflections for his line delivery.
There was so much crack that the ass-crack of the world choked on it. Word.
The good things about MD: Agree v. much on all of these - esp. Gwen.
It was "Plot? What plot?" with barely any porn. How does that happen? I don't know. :( (Well TW was never brilliant with plot, but this was ten endless hours... I think, actually, that it was the anti-CoE. CoE was so taut and sharp and just dragged you along, heart in mouth. This killed all my excitement.)
Still love the man. Still giggle at him. Oh I ADORE him. AA Gill had a lovely review (*cough*) where he remarked that he couldn't for the life of him work out how JB had ended up in Serious Sci-Fi, and figured that JB didn't really either, coming across as constantly, pathetically, grateful to have escaped a lifetime in musical theater... ;)
he couldn't for the life of him work out how JB had ended up in Serious Sci-Fi, and figured that JB didn't really either, coming across as constantly, pathetically, grateful to have escaped a lifetime in musical theater.
I can totally buy that, except part of me is CONVINCED that Barrowman was incarnated for the sole purpose of portraying Captain Jack Harkness. To attribute it to some kind of chance is brain breaking.
(Someone in a different post wondered if time-line-wise this was the same summer Amy and Rory spent in Leadworth waiting to the Doctor to find baby Melody... It would be a rather lovely explanation for why they're still travelling with him. Back home they were shoving people into ovens... *rocks back and forth* The crack ate it, the crack ate it, the crack ate it...)
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Does that mean that Rex is JarJar Binks? Because I'd be on board with that.
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He probably could come up with a theory, but I think it was a deliberate choice that neither Jack nor the audience know what the Blessing is and what exactly happens to Jack, or why.
I always thought Jack's immortality was essentially a metaphor for the mystery of existence, and the ending of MD reminded me of green-maia's post about how the universe was bigger than the Doctor in RTD's DW, and the discussion that ensued... Jack told Oswald Danes that he regretted he'd never see the future Jack knew, because then he'd realise how small he'd made his life. Oswald Danes and the families wanted control over life and death, although for different reasons, while Jack in the end submits - to the Blessing, to death, to the inexplicable and mysterious.
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These things happen when you're on a Hellmouth... Yeah. It just annoys me incredibly much. And I think it's lazy. (Sorry. It made me grumpy.)
Oswald Danes and the families wanted control over life and death, although for different reasons, while Jack in the end submits - to the Blessing, to death, to the inexplicable and mysterious.
Yes, Promethia also pointed this out above (and how this applies to the current season of DW, although it also fits with the Doctor sacrificing himself to the crack in S5) - I appreciate that, I really do, and Gwen shooting Jack was just lovely. Mostly the stupidity of the plotting got to me:
I always thought Jack's immortality was essentially a metaphor for the mystery of existence
I can understand that, but if you change the way something works in the middle of the story it really undermines everything. I mean - just look ( ... )
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The good things about MD:
Every scene with Gwen. I love her so much more than I did in earlier seasons. Most Badass Women (TM) in fiction can be unrelatable because their badassery comes from chosen-ness or solemn duty or super-powers. Gwen's badassery comes from exasperation with the status quo and hard-earned experience.
All the Welsh actors. All the scenes in Wales. I did wonder where all the Weevils went.
Anwen and the sheer GLEE on her face when Mummy and Daddy pulled out the heavy artillery.
The bad things:
It was "Plot? What plot?" with barely any porn. How does that happen?
The face-palm moments:
Every single time John Barrowman tries to Emote and looks like he has menstrual cramps.
Also every time JB picked the least appropriate inflections for his line delivery.
Still love the man. Still giggle at him.
Reply
Word.
The good things about MD:
Agree v. much on all of these - esp. Gwen.
It was "Plot? What plot?" with barely any porn. How does that happen?
I don't know. :( (Well TW was never brilliant with plot, but this was ten endless hours... I think, actually, that it was the anti-CoE. CoE was so taut and sharp and just dragged you along, heart in mouth. This killed all my excitement.)
Still love the man. Still giggle at him.
Oh I ADORE him. AA Gill had a lovely review (*cough*) where he remarked that he couldn't for the life of him work out how JB had ended up in Serious Sci-Fi, and figured that JB didn't really either, coming across as constantly, pathetically, grateful to have escaped a lifetime in musical theater... ;)
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I can totally buy that, except part of me is CONVINCED that Barrowman was incarnated for the sole purpose of portraying Captain Jack Harkness. To attribute it to some kind of chance is brain breaking.
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ETA: OK, not completely inoffensive - there's some good, some bad.
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(Someone in a different post wondered if time-line-wise this was the same summer Amy and Rory spent in Leadworth waiting to the Doctor to find baby Melody... It would be a rather lovely explanation for why they're still travelling with him. Back home they were shoving people into ovens... *rocks back and forth* The crack ate it, the crack ate it, the crack ate it...)
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Wot?? Heavy-handed WWII parallels again?
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