Given what RTD did to Jack - and us - with CoE, I really was worried for a while there, despite my conviction about the saleability of Jack as a character. I'll happily handwave anything to have him back to normal, as he is now. Still sad about Esther, but that's the way it goes :(
Jack has in the past done things that would kill him - like shoot himself or jump off roofs - but that was always knowing he'd come back. The first time he went to his death knowingly, it was still the Daleks who killed him. It was a suicide mission, but it wasn't actual suicide. I do believe because of his whole "clinging to life" speech that he'd prefer not having to do it himself - I'm sure he would have if Gwen hadn't offered, though
( ... )
I'm sure Jack would have too - he was pretty determined. But it was another nice bonding moment between him and Gwen, showing how well they know each other, good and bad. Reminded me a bit of the car scenes in ep. 7.
As for Jack and Rex, I'm sure there are plenty of ways to handwave it. Yes, it made sense that reversing the 'miracle' would turn Jack immortal again; I just wasn't completely sure that it would work if he was already dead by the time the miracle reversed. Glad it did, though!
And, yes, in the Whoniverse Jack's a Fact that should never be capable of being reversed - but in that case, he should never have been capable of becoming mortal anyway, so I had to ignore that aspect of his nature for the duration of MD *g*
Y'know - I was actually never convinced he WAS mortal during Miracle Day. Everyone seemed to assume that, and he definitely didn't heal as quickly as normally, but look at what he DID surive - that gun shot wound should have killed him, and the amount of blood Esther sapped out of him over the course of a mere two months should have killed him, too, even without considering that she started after he'd already lost a lot of blood. He may have been just as immortal as the rest of us, and Team TW just failed to realize it.
The way I took it, it wasn't the blood itself that made Rex immortal - it was the force/entity/whatever the Blessing is.
Like the Wicked Witch (with a capital B) pointed out, it's a matter of polarity. Basically, they were both linked via the blood transference at each pole when the Blessing gave Jack back his immortality and Rex got taken along for the ride.
I really like the possibilities there. I started out not liking Rex, but he really grew on me and I like the dynamic between him and Jack.
I was very impressed with the way Oswald got to have his quasi-heroic moment, yet was still shown to ultimately be a monster whose death was long overdue. A lesser show would've tried to redeem him which would've just cheapened the whole thing.
Really loved this episode - though, I'm sad about Esther and determined to live in denial - at least until the next series. Speaking of which, they'd better not leave us hanging for 2 years again!
I think Rex's situation could be handwaved in a number of ways, but I do wonder whether it's really permanent. Time will tell, I suppose, always assuming they give us another series!
I agree about Oswald: despite the fears of some people before MD began, there was no attempt to rehabilitate Oswald. He was shown as a multifaceted character, certainly, and with a high degree of intelligence - but ultimately as someone who is and remains a criminal, and very likely someone with a psychiatric condition that predisposes him to obtain pleasure from the crime he committed. I just finished watching episode 2 again and it's very clear, listening to some of Oswald's dialogue, that he's being portrayed as someone who is highly intelligent but mentally unbalanced.
Yeah, I'm wondering about the longevity of it myself - as much as I'd like Jack to not be alone, I just don't think he could get that lucky.
I'm very glad they didn't turn Oswald 1-D. I do hope Bill gets some kind of recognition for this work.
I think she is too. :( But, I've managed to do denial with Tosh and other characters I've liked, so I'm perfectly content in my own headspace to say they faked the funeral to protect her from the families while she recovers - it's paper thin, but it works for non-canon compliant plotbunnies. *g*
Also, if it's really transferable by means of a full-body blood transfusion, what are the consequences of that?
The implication in Gwen's dialogue at Esther's funeral right before Rex is shot is that it wasn't the blood that made Rex immortal - it was the Blessing. Gwen says something like "Why did the Blessing let Esther die? It could have saved just one more life - just one. It had all that power. It could have saved just one life!"
30 seconds later, Rex is shot and revives a la Jack. So it seems that this was the final gift of the Blessing - saving one last life, just like Gwen wondered.
The thing is that Gwen doesn't know any more than Jack does, or we did - so there'll be endless speculation on this, I imagine. Certainly, I didn't expect Rex to become another amazing revivifying man, and it'll be interesting to see how this is handled assuming there is to be more Torchwood. This series certainly left things much more open, from that perspective, than CoE did.
Often I find it easier to suspend disbelief on the completely handwavey science explanations like MD (or timey-wimey wibbley wobbley) than on the sort of explanations that make some effort at science but get things woefully wrong. Pouring mortal blood into the hole from both ends is basically a magic explanation for fixing the Miracle, and I can deal with fantasy much better than the sort of science fiction that seems to get all its science from a newspaper article the writer semi-remembers from ten years ago. As you mention, it helps when the character-driven aspect of the plot is well done enough to distract.
I had imagined that Rex would end up dead, but not Esther.Exactly. I spent most of this series thinking Rex was the character most likely to die. I wasn't making any assumptions about Esther, but I was sad to see her go. Rex's apparent immortality startled and irritated me. While I tolerated Rex considerably better in the last few episodes than the early part of the series, I'm still not fond of him. This development
( ... )
Comments 12
And I was so pleased Jack is immortal again. And I agree about the character backgrounds, and balance for Gwen.
Rex is weird! I think I just have to handwave the sci-fi of the blood and Blessing, but hey.
I'm so happy you want more, too. *sits by you*
Reply
Hope there will be more, indeed!
Reply
Reply
As for Jack and Rex, I'm sure there are plenty of ways to handwave it. Yes, it made sense that reversing the 'miracle' would turn Jack immortal again; I just wasn't completely sure that it would work if he was already dead by the time the miracle reversed. Glad it did, though!
And, yes, in the Whoniverse Jack's a Fact that should never be capable of being reversed - but in that case, he should never have been capable of becoming mortal anyway, so I had to ignore that aspect of his nature for the duration of MD *g*
Reply
Reply
Like the Wicked Witch (with a capital B) pointed out, it's a matter of polarity. Basically, they were both linked via the blood transference at each pole when the Blessing gave Jack back his immortality and Rex got taken along for the ride.
I really like the possibilities there. I started out not liking Rex, but he really grew on me and I like the dynamic between him and Jack.
I was very impressed with the way Oswald got to have his quasi-heroic moment, yet was still shown to ultimately be a monster whose death was long overdue. A lesser show would've tried to redeem him which would've just cheapened the whole thing.
Really loved this episode - though, I'm sad about Esther and determined to live in denial - at least until the next series. Speaking of which, they'd better not leave us hanging for 2 years again!
Reply
I agree about Oswald: despite the fears of some people before MD began, there was no attempt to rehabilitate Oswald. He was shown as a multifaceted character, certainly, and with a high degree of intelligence - but ultimately as someone who is and remains a criminal, and very likely someone with a psychiatric condition that predisposes him to obtain pleasure from the crime he committed. I just finished watching episode 2 again and it's very clear, listening to some of Oswald's dialogue, that he's being portrayed as someone who is highly intelligent but mentally unbalanced.
Sadly, I think Esther is really gone :(
Reply
I'm very glad they didn't turn Oswald 1-D. I do hope Bill gets some kind of recognition for this work.
I think she is too. :( But, I've managed to do denial with Tosh and other characters I've liked, so I'm perfectly content in my own headspace to say they faked the funeral to protect her from the families while she recovers - it's paper thin, but it works for non-canon compliant plotbunnies. *g*
Reply
The implication in Gwen's dialogue at Esther's funeral right before Rex is shot is that it wasn't the blood that made Rex immortal - it was the Blessing. Gwen says something like "Why did the Blessing let Esther die? It could have saved just one more life - just one. It had all that power. It could have saved just one life!"
30 seconds later, Rex is shot and revives a la Jack. So it seems that this was the final gift of the Blessing - saving one last life, just like Gwen wondered.
Reply
Reply
I had imagined that Rex would end up dead, but not Esther.Exactly. I spent most of this series thinking Rex was the character most likely to die. I wasn't making any assumptions about Esther, but I was sad to see her go. Rex's apparent immortality startled and irritated me. While I tolerated Rex considerably better in the last few episodes than the early part of the series, I'm still not fond of him. This development ( ... )
Reply
Leave a comment