I agree with you entirely on Ianto being my least favorite character. I also wanted to like him because he was Jack's love interest and he was a "cute office boy", but I just couldn't get into the character. I barely noticed him in series one at all, truth be told. While his lack of characterization, or perhaps open characterization, was the reason why some liked him the most, it made it difficult for me to grasp anything to like at all. And I'll be the first to admit that him becoming the fandom favorite turned me off even more.
You hit on another point about the Jack/Ianto relationship as well, which I additionally had a hard time with in understanding why the fandom liked it so much. I didn't even catch that there was anything going on with Jack until the kiss in End of Days, which was therefore a bit of a shock. Unfortunately he just wasn't the equal that I would've wanted for Jack. I've gained a little more appreciation for it since outside of the fandom, but it never ended up being what I hoped it might become anyway.
I also wanted to like him because he was Jack's love interest and he was a "cute office boy"He had so much potential! But I kept changing my mind about what his role was. Was he a cunning grifter, playing Jack the way Jack used to play other people? Was he Alfred to Jack's Batman? Was he Jack submissive, adoring companion, or was he his own man, answering to no one? Even at his death, I wasn't sure who or what the real Ianto was, or how much he actually loved Jack. And that isn't a character; that's a chameleon
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I think that is why some people liked Ianto - he was a mystery, a chameleon - but there wasn't enough there for me to like. Even their on-screen relationship held that same quality. While I don't mind playing in the sandbox, I like having some parameters that everyone can at least see, if not agree on. It really is too bad. I'd had such hope for their relationship.
I think that is why some people liked Ianto - he was a mystery, a chameleon -
I don't think they generally thought that consciously. I think many fans were able to find in Ianto what they wanted to find in Ianto, because what they saw on screen was open to so many interpretations; so the relationship fit many tastes, often conflicting tastes. I heard many fans say they thought other fans misinterpreted the character - but as far as I could see, just about any interpretation fits what we got on screen, because it was so inchoate. And the interpretation that doesn't fit at all, to my eyes, is deep romantic love - because it didn't show up onscreen, especially in the scenes where they were alone together and still, a good part of the time, treated each other the way one would treat any co-worker.
While I don't mind playing in the sandbox, I like having some parameters that everyone can at least see, if not agree on.I want characters to be well-defined and vivid. Characters who are templates can't be three-dimensional; I find them
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Ianto is an excellent choice: all things considered, his character was that of the shadow of a black cat at night.
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So glad you do. I've been missing it.
his character was that of the shadow of a black cat at night.
Good description!
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You hit on another point about the Jack/Ianto relationship as well, which I additionally had a hard time with in understanding why the fandom liked it so much. I didn't even catch that there was anything going on with Jack until the kiss in End of Days, which was therefore a bit of a shock. Unfortunately he just wasn't the equal that I would've wanted for Jack. I've gained a little more appreciation for it since outside of the fandom, but it never ended up being what I hoped it might become anyway.
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I don't think they generally thought that consciously. I think many fans were able to find in Ianto what they wanted to find in Ianto, because what they saw on screen was open to so many interpretations; so the relationship fit many tastes, often conflicting tastes. I heard many fans say they thought other fans misinterpreted the character - but as far as I could see, just about any interpretation fits what we got on screen, because it was so inchoate. And the interpretation that doesn't fit at all, to my eyes, is deep romantic love - because it didn't show up onscreen, especially in the scenes where they were alone together and still, a good part of the time, treated each other the way one would treat any co-worker.
While I don't mind playing in the sandbox, I like having some parameters that everyone can at least see, if not agree on.I want characters to be well-defined and vivid. Characters who are templates can't be three-dimensional; I find them ( ... )
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