Meta: Jack as a Fandom Identification Figure in Children of Earth: Day Five

[lefaym]

Comments

[jo02]

I agree with pretty much everything you've said.
(Note that I haven't gone grocery shopping like I was supposed to an hour ago. But I can't leave the computer yet because I haven't got the strength yet to do this on my own)
I think the one good thing Russell did this season was to redeem Gwen's character back to the point where she was awesome and one that we all could now identify with (and through).
For me though, I came to identify the show so much through Ianto - not Jack and Ianto - that I don't know yet what I will be able to do. I'm not going to rush it, just take it one day at a time, probably doing a lot of chatting with my friends first because they - unlike the show I love - haven't hurt me the way it has done.

[lefaym]

*hugs*

[fmanalyst]

I've decided to wait until BBC America gets it to watch the final ep. I read the reaction posts so I know generally what happens. I do feel that I need that time to process and be ready to actually watch it.

[lefaym]

I think it is easier to process when you've seen the episodes. Not much easier, mind, but... *sigh*

[fmanalyst]

I did see part of Day 4. I haven't seen Day 5 at all.

[51stcenturyfox]

Stephen provides adequate tragedy for Jack's storyline, while, if they wanted to give us an extra punch, they could have had Ianto so horrified by Jack's actions that he felt that he couldn't be with him anymore. That would have been deliciously painful -- so horrible to see our favourite ship split up, but opening up so much potential for growth in Ianto's character.

I had a similar thought... Stephen's loss was enough. And I LIKED that Jack left. But Ianto's death was unnecessary here.

I would have liked to see him and Gwen, and maybe others working to rebuild Torchwood until Jack comes back, because he will.

[lefaym]

Yeah... that still would have been devestating. But it would have been manageable devestating.

[jvowles]

But to be fair...we've seen that already. And Gwen has other priorities, for now.

[51stcenturyfox]

True.

As a child of a stay-at-home dad, though...I'm confident that being a parent won't totally stop Gwen. Priorities, but she has a great partner in Rhys.

She's pretty tenacious!

[smirnoffmule]

I too was very pleased with Jack's reaction; especially after the initial spoilers made it sound like he barely cared. He fucking cared. He was shattered. He gave up. He sent Gwen away. He prized saving Ianto's loved ones over his own. I think he did that Stephen thing in the end because he was broken; he'd already gone as far as he could go. I also think if he'd had to turn around and face Ianto after, he couldn't/wouldn't have done it.

I am happy, but to me it does feel like the utter end, and I suspect it was possibly written to be; I can't see how you could realisticlly move into an S4 now. I will reserve judgement if it happens, but actually... right now, I'm spent (canon-wise, I mean. Fandom-wise I'm buzzy and inspired).

I know my reaction is kind of contrary to a lot of people's, so I do want to emphasize I have been howling my eyes out all day but OH GOD they did do good.

[lefaym]

Yeah, good... but I'd have preferred enjoyable.

[smirnoffmule]

::Hugs::

[lefaym]

*hugs*

[andreth47]

This is a wonderful post, and I've marked it to come back to and think about some more when I'm not, you know, shattered. Because I am. Jack has always been the character with whom I identify, and I broke right along with him tonight.

My Jack. My beautiful Jack.

[lefaym]

I know... I feel broken too.

There needs to be some happy to balance things out, and he has nothing.

[ashavah]

I broke with him too. He's the character who makes Torchwood for me. I couldn't stand to see him having to go through that.