On Torchwood
Jan. 14th, 2007 08:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amanuensis1So I have finished watching all of Torchwood, yay! Means I can start reading all of your posts on the show without worrying about spoilers and can summarize my own thoughts.
Torchwood is a fun show that can't be taken too seriously; if you're picking apart the why of Torchwood's--the organization's--importance and its relevance to the cases it encounters, you're not gonna have a good time with it. This is not to excuse pacing, character development, or any elements of storytelling or filming that can go wrong and invite criticism. Criticise away if that's what's bugging you.
What makes me particularly forgiving of this show, of course, is its portrayal of a bisexually-normative universe, which is something I have a particular kink for and haven't seen done in a filmed medium. (Listen to me, using words like "medium." 'S a show!) Usually I gotta look to fic to find that one. I have nothing profound to say about it because that alone is profound to me. While people only superficially familiar with the show might think it's a function of being Jack Harkness-centric, that's hardly all of it. We have Owen going off for a male/male/female threesome from the first episode; in the next, Gwen's distress over making out with an alien-possessed woman has nothing to do with the gender of the individual. While I do think the show is more sexually oriented than your average family show, what with a few naked bums and a couple of on-screen orgasms, I don't imagine those created nearly as much buzz as the homosexual kisses that peppered this thing. And it's like the arguments about fic ratings--is a kiss G-rated? Is a kiss between two men higher-rated? If episode two's sex-hungry alien and the recurrence of naked bums were only cheeky (sorry) nods for humor's sake--which I think they are--then the actual sexual content of the show is quite tame. Even Owen and Diane's love scene doesn't cross any lines that LOST didn't either. (Unless we saw boobs. Did we see boobs? I don't remember.)
As far as the science fiction of it goes, I keep comparing it--more favorably--to Stargate: Atlantis, which has a couple of fun characters but whose plots feel ten years old, never going beyond storylines that have nice easy resolution by the end of the episode without any deaths. It's no Battlestar Galactica, in terms of being quality SF, and neither is Torchwood. Yet Torchwood's stories feel more like its direct predecessor's, Doctor Who, where characters (not just red shirts) do die and whose writers aren't afraid to spice up a well-used premise with irreverant humor. (That is, in fact, their "thing.") I don't think Torchwood has hit its stride yet--too many episodes that end with Jack or someone else posing angrily (but looking awkward) behind an embarassingly teensy gun, and a little feeling of emptiness as soon as you realize that the climax is not going to get bigger than this. But most episodes really got to me all the same.
I'll start with Episode 4, because that's where I started getting past the "OMG lookit the slash!" of the show and paying better attention to the plots.
Episode 4, Cyberwoman--what I really loved was the show's decision to make Ianto more than just Tea Guy, and Ianto's unswerving dedication to Lisa even when she's tearing off heads and everyone else is aiming guns at the murdering bitch. Because that is true, motherf***ers. No matter how many zombie movies you have seen, sure as shit, friends and neighbors, you WILL be the one approaching your best friend with open arms--as she shambles you-ward, chewing on the arm she's pulled from the last corpse, moaning, "Brainnnsss..."--saying, "Cindy! Don't you know me, Cindy, it's me! I know you're still in there!", as twenty other people yell what was supposed to be YOUR line, "She's not Cindy anymore! Shoot her, SHOOT her, goddammit!" 'S a given.
Episode 5, Small Worlds--Was it supposed to be profound that Jack would give up a child to protect the greater good? It didn't strike me that way; it felt obvious, necessary. And that's kinda neat, that it put me into that headspace where it seemed an easy decision, set me up to think that by the construction of the episode. Of course, I'm part of that group who would fill out that Volunteer For Chosen One form if it were available, probably like most of us here, so.
Episode 6, Countrycide--Okay, so, it's easy to catch that the grisliest episode of the season is also the one where There Are No Aliens And Man Is The Most Terrifying Threat Of All, thankyouyes. But it's still creepy as heck.
Episode 7, Greeks Bearing Gifts-- I had problems with the construction of this episode. Toshiko's so bipolar about the pendant and about Mary; good bad good bad good bad good bad--it was exhausting. By the time Mary asks to be taken to Torchwood I couldn't imagine Toshiko could even remember the damn address of the place. It's kind of hard to explain--it reminds me of one of the annoyances I had with the film Van Helsing, where they kept having to go back to the village between every damn scene, as opposed to moving on to their next destination (and bit of action) from the last place of action. On the other hand it was delightful to see a well-done example of Why You Don't Really Want To Know What People Think Of You, with all its pettiness.
Episode 8, They Keep Killing Susie-- Let me say that I dig Indira Varma, and in fact had IMDB'd her before I'd even finished watching the first episode to make sure she was a series regular--which IMDB said that she was, apparently in on the "let's not spoil everyone" joke by listing fake episode names, darn them! I think that this episode is the cleverest in terms of plot and plot twists; when they realize that everything fits together as a complex sleeper program of Suzie's, I actually had an audible, "OOOH!" Lots of applause for this one (even if it does end, again, in angry poses and teensy guns).
Episode 9, Random Shoes--Apparently I am the only one who really loved the Love and Monsters episode of Doctor Who season two; I list it among my favorites of that season. This similarly-themed episode doesn't work as well for me, though. I got hung up on figuring out what was the significance of the protagonist's dad and younger brother, which left me a bit "bzuh?" when that didn't really pan out to anything. And I still have no idea why he took photos of his friends' shoes; if you want to explain that to me, do. Nevertheless I liked the structure and wish those elements hadn't hung me up. (And I ate two eggs, ham, and chips for dinner three nights running after seeing it. I get fixed on cravings like that.)
Episode 10, Out of Time-- This one really took my breath away, because the idea's been done so much and yet I've never cared so deeply about the characters in the situation. Superficially it seems like a simple distribution of fates--one copes well, one fails to cope to the point of suicide, and one tries to go back. And yet. And yet Emma knowing she has to set out on her own and not be baby-sitted. And yet Jack able to sit with John until he dies because his immortality protects him. And yet Owen beginning his declaration of love to Diane not even knowing it's love, with the words, "I think I'm gonna have to stop doing this..." Wow. Just, wow.
Episode 12, End of Days--Structurally, the concept that everyone is being goaded into opening the Rift in order to release something great and terrible is sound. It's another of those episodes where the execution suffered because we have, what, four minutes of airtime left and suddenly there's a big Satan Godzilla lumbering about. I love how it was defeated; I'm not so satisfied with Rhys getting to live (though I can kind of no-prize it into thinking that it was one of Bilis's direct manipulations, so it gets reverted--I dunno, I admit I'm grasping), but it's one of those I find myself liking because it holds together as a narrative. (Sort of like the way I'm kind of okay with Attack of the Clones, story-wise, of all the Star Wars prequels.)
I skipped 11, Captain Jack Harkness, because that's just me squeeing over the kiss. Nuthin' clever from me there, just me going, "OMG tongue!"
Briefly, on the characters: I like Gwen; I particularly like the actress playing Gwen. The scene of her torn between eating her pizza or bawling her eyes out should get an award. I love Jack even if I don't quite buy him; then again, he is supposed to be the empty one, the one whose thoughts can't be read, who can't be tempted into the ultimate violation of duty because there's nothing he wants enough to make him shirk it. Ianto, such love for his development. Toshiko, I like her and want to see more done with her that does not require her to walk around with eyes wide all episode; one should not be able to view the top one-eighth of someone's iris all the time, thankyouverymuch. Owen is a well-developed solid character but I keep getting hung up on how facially unattractive he is; he's not even jolie laide, he's just...laide. Yes, I am that superficial.
I'm very happy there will be a second season. Mind, I would be, just for the bi-normativity.
Torchwood is a fun show that can't be taken too seriously; if you're picking apart the why of Torchwood's--the organization's--importance and its relevance to the cases it encounters, you're not gonna have a good time with it. This is not to excuse pacing, character development, or any elements of storytelling or filming that can go wrong and invite criticism. Criticise away if that's what's bugging you.
What makes me particularly forgiving of this show, of course, is its portrayal of a bisexually-normative universe, which is something I have a particular kink for and haven't seen done in a filmed medium. (Listen to me, using words like "medium." 'S a show!) Usually I gotta look to fic to find that one. I have nothing profound to say about it because that alone is profound to me. While people only superficially familiar with the show might think it's a function of being Jack Harkness-centric, that's hardly all of it. We have Owen going off for a male/male/female threesome from the first episode; in the next, Gwen's distress over making out with an alien-possessed woman has nothing to do with the gender of the individual. While I do think the show is more sexually oriented than your average family show, what with a few naked bums and a couple of on-screen orgasms, I don't imagine those created nearly as much buzz as the homosexual kisses that peppered this thing. And it's like the arguments about fic ratings--is a kiss G-rated? Is a kiss between two men higher-rated? If episode two's sex-hungry alien and the recurrence of naked bums were only cheeky (sorry) nods for humor's sake--which I think they are--then the actual sexual content of the show is quite tame. Even Owen and Diane's love scene doesn't cross any lines that LOST didn't either. (Unless we saw boobs. Did we see boobs? I don't remember.)
As far as the science fiction of it goes, I keep comparing it--more favorably--to Stargate: Atlantis, which has a couple of fun characters but whose plots feel ten years old, never going beyond storylines that have nice easy resolution by the end of the episode without any deaths. It's no Battlestar Galactica, in terms of being quality SF, and neither is Torchwood. Yet Torchwood's stories feel more like its direct predecessor's, Doctor Who, where characters (not just red shirts) do die and whose writers aren't afraid to spice up a well-used premise with irreverant humor. (That is, in fact, their "thing.") I don't think Torchwood has hit its stride yet--too many episodes that end with Jack or someone else posing angrily (but looking awkward) behind an embarassingly teensy gun, and a little feeling of emptiness as soon as you realize that the climax is not going to get bigger than this. But most episodes really got to me all the same.
I'll start with Episode 4, because that's where I started getting past the "OMG lookit the slash!" of the show and paying better attention to the plots.
Episode 4, Cyberwoman--what I really loved was the show's decision to make Ianto more than just Tea Guy, and Ianto's unswerving dedication to Lisa even when she's tearing off heads and everyone else is aiming guns at the murdering bitch. Because that is true, motherf***ers. No matter how many zombie movies you have seen, sure as shit, friends and neighbors, you WILL be the one approaching your best friend with open arms--as she shambles you-ward, chewing on the arm she's pulled from the last corpse, moaning, "Brainnnsss..."--saying, "Cindy! Don't you know me, Cindy, it's me! I know you're still in there!", as twenty other people yell what was supposed to be YOUR line, "She's not Cindy anymore! Shoot her, SHOOT her, goddammit!" 'S a given.
Episode 5, Small Worlds--Was it supposed to be profound that Jack would give up a child to protect the greater good? It didn't strike me that way; it felt obvious, necessary. And that's kinda neat, that it put me into that headspace where it seemed an easy decision, set me up to think that by the construction of the episode. Of course, I'm part of that group who would fill out that Volunteer For Chosen One form if it were available, probably like most of us here, so.
Episode 6, Countrycide--Okay, so, it's easy to catch that the grisliest episode of the season is also the one where There Are No Aliens And Man Is The Most Terrifying Threat Of All, thankyouyes. But it's still creepy as heck.
Episode 7, Greeks Bearing Gifts-- I had problems with the construction of this episode. Toshiko's so bipolar about the pendant and about Mary; good bad good bad good bad good bad--it was exhausting. By the time Mary asks to be taken to Torchwood I couldn't imagine Toshiko could even remember the damn address of the place. It's kind of hard to explain--it reminds me of one of the annoyances I had with the film Van Helsing, where they kept having to go back to the village between every damn scene, as opposed to moving on to their next destination (and bit of action) from the last place of action. On the other hand it was delightful to see a well-done example of Why You Don't Really Want To Know What People Think Of You, with all its pettiness.
Episode 8, They Keep Killing Susie-- Let me say that I dig Indira Varma, and in fact had IMDB'd her before I'd even finished watching the first episode to make sure she was a series regular--which IMDB said that she was, apparently in on the "let's not spoil everyone" joke by listing fake episode names, darn them! I think that this episode is the cleverest in terms of plot and plot twists; when they realize that everything fits together as a complex sleeper program of Suzie's, I actually had an audible, "OOOH!" Lots of applause for this one (even if it does end, again, in angry poses and teensy guns).
Episode 9, Random Shoes--Apparently I am the only one who really loved the Love and Monsters episode of Doctor Who season two; I list it among my favorites of that season. This similarly-themed episode doesn't work as well for me, though. I got hung up on figuring out what was the significance of the protagonist's dad and younger brother, which left me a bit "bzuh?" when that didn't really pan out to anything. And I still have no idea why he took photos of his friends' shoes; if you want to explain that to me, do. Nevertheless I liked the structure and wish those elements hadn't hung me up. (And I ate two eggs, ham, and chips for dinner three nights running after seeing it. I get fixed on cravings like that.)
Episode 10, Out of Time-- This one really took my breath away, because the idea's been done so much and yet I've never cared so deeply about the characters in the situation. Superficially it seems like a simple distribution of fates--one copes well, one fails to cope to the point of suicide, and one tries to go back. And yet. And yet Emma knowing she has to set out on her own and not be baby-sitted. And yet Jack able to sit with John until he dies because his immortality protects him. And yet Owen beginning his declaration of love to Diane not even knowing it's love, with the words, "I think I'm gonna have to stop doing this..." Wow. Just, wow.
Episode 12, End of Days--Structurally, the concept that everyone is being goaded into opening the Rift in order to release something great and terrible is sound. It's another of those episodes where the execution suffered because we have, what, four minutes of airtime left and suddenly there's a big Satan Godzilla lumbering about. I love how it was defeated; I'm not so satisfied with Rhys getting to live (though I can kind of no-prize it into thinking that it was one of Bilis's direct manipulations, so it gets reverted--I dunno, I admit I'm grasping), but it's one of those I find myself liking because it holds together as a narrative. (Sort of like the way I'm kind of okay with Attack of the Clones, story-wise, of all the Star Wars prequels.)
I skipped 11, Captain Jack Harkness, because that's just me squeeing over the kiss. Nuthin' clever from me there, just me going, "OMG tongue!"
Briefly, on the characters: I like Gwen; I particularly like the actress playing Gwen. The scene of her torn between eating her pizza or bawling her eyes out should get an award. I love Jack even if I don't quite buy him; then again, he is supposed to be the empty one, the one whose thoughts can't be read, who can't be tempted into the ultimate violation of duty because there's nothing he wants enough to make him shirk it. Ianto, such love for his development. Toshiko, I like her and want to see more done with her that does not require her to walk around with eyes wide all episode; one should not be able to view the top one-eighth of someone's iris all the time, thankyouverymuch. Owen is a well-developed solid character but I keep getting hung up on how facially unattractive he is; he's not even jolie laide, he's just...laide. Yes, I am that superficial.
I'm very happy there will be a second season. Mind, I would be, just for the bi-normativity.
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:15 am (UTC)"Snug as a hobbit, pretty as a choirboy, immortal as carbon dioxide, wooden as a horse..."
Date: 2007-01-15 04:00 am (UTC)Re: "Snug as a hobbit, pretty as a choirboy, immortal as carbon dioxide, wooden as a horse..."
Date: 2007-01-15 04:25 pm (UTC)*giggles like crazy*
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:20 am (UTC)*hands you an icon*
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:45 am (UTC)I dunno! I find Jack superficially fun, myself. Such eye candy. I think you'll have to give an episode a try and see!
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:42 am (UTC)That pretty much sums up what I say when I tell someone to watch it. I actually started (and finished) watching it over my Christmas break from school, and it's absolutely perfect for that time of year. In that there's nothing particularily "thinkie" (yes, I know that's not a real word) about any of the episodes, and I can just enjoy it.
I skipped 11, Captain Jack Harkness, because that's just me squeeing over the kiss. Nuthin' clever from me there, just me going, "OMG tongue!"
LoL, though I was kinda wondering why...um in the 1940's they weren't like, beaten up or anything though, I like to pretend that the bright light from the Rift opening blinded everyone in the room from seeing it.
I'm hoping next season has a bit more to it, bit even still, it is a fun show.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:56 am (UTC)I didn't mass blank it. :P
But yeah. I suppose that works, especially when you consider that no one believes in aliens on the show, despite the Spaceship that crashed into Big Ben, and teh Spacecraft over London in Dr Who.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 03:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 03:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-19 09:36 pm (UTC)A friend has a theory that the other Captain Jack was shot down by his squad for being queer.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-23 08:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 02:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 03:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 04:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 04:05 am (UTC)My guess was he was trying to call 999 (Brit equivalent of 911) and didn't know he was in camera mode. There were 3 pix, right?
Your numbers are off - #10 was "Combat", aka "Weevil Fight Club".
I miss the way Jack was so competent in DW - first thing we see him do is scan for advanced tech to find what Rose is looking for, something the Doctor had scoffed at as a waste of time. Now - well, he's from the future, got advanced info, and is stumbling around as much as anyone else. There's no cohesion, no story arcs, and that wouldn't be too bad except they aim so high and miss so badly. They want to be more than a fun show, want to be taken seriously, and it's not working.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 03:45 pm (UTC)That's the first theory about that I've heard about the cell phone pictures! I'm still not sure.
And I'm willing to see if Torchwood becomes the kind of show that deserves to be taken seriously--as you say, right now it's not worthy of it.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 04:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 06:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 03:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 05:23 am (UTC)Yes, I know! The only thing I can even think of at the moment that comes close is Y Tu Mama Tambien, where the culture is obviously heteronormative but the underlying assumption is that people aren't. But yes, it's almost surprising how very refreshing and unusual that perspective is.
And can I say how thrilled I am that another of HP fandom's hottest writers is coming over to the Dark Side of Torchwood? Soon, soon there will be a volume and quality of fic worthy of Captain Jack . . .
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 03:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 06:15 am (UTC)OMG yes! that they never seemed to assume anyone was totally straight thrilled me to bits! the world would be so much better if it were like torchwood in that way!
i agree on almost all of your points, but i think it's unfortunate you didn't quite latch onto tosh in 'greeks bearing gifts'...that episode had me positively bawling for her! alas, it probably has something to do with the fact that i identify with her more than any of the others
i can't get into the ianto!love, but yeah, something about owen's face is quite off-putting...reminds me of willem dafoe too much
now i feel like re-watching the series again!
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 04:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 06:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 04:21 pm (UTC)HELL YES. :D
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 11:48 pm (UTC)AGREED
What's really hilarious is one night watching "Everything changes" and the next night watching the Dr Who episode "The Doctor Dances" when...Algie says "Mummy?" to Jack. I nearly spewed my tea all over the monitor.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 03:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 05:03 pm (UTC)Basically, the sheer amount of pimping and squee from the RP I'm only marginally still in (Tabula Rasa) has so much OOC gay sex and a lot of new Torchwood people that I'm simply turned off by it. Overexposure turns me off big time and I don't like the hard sell. Too bad, because I've been a Dr. Who fan for years and was amused by Harkness' presence on the show. (Even if the new Who just isn't the same. More money, more sex, same feel. Seems like sort of a waste of money to me.)
So I've had the massive turn-off of a bunch of fangirls squeeing and pushing, which pretty much makes me never want to see the show in my life. Don't know if I will ever see it but it does seem amusing. I'd rather see good television than okay but amusing, but there is so little good out there.
Still, I do like to see equal opportunity (if not TR's massive quantities of OOC gay sex to the point of anything else being unimportant in-game) out there. American television isn't ready for it yet but at least people can see it and it's getting more available. That it's scifi might make people roll their eyes because of course it can't be good if it's scifi or fantasy. That's not REAL drama. (Sigh.)
Anyway, rambling. Basically, am at least marginally intrigued now despite the huge pimps, so thank you for that.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 05:21 pm (UTC)And it does my heart good every time an entertainment magazine or columnist lists Battlestar Galactica among the ten best dramas on television. ^_^
no subject
Date: 2007-01-15 10:34 pm (UTC)And I get that about Owen too. I really like him because of his twattiness but everynow and then - particually in his love scenes with Diane, it must be said - I got distracted onto "My God, you look like a chimpanzee." I'm all for ugly actors, it makes for realism! It's just that occasionally, you notice and think "Ewww." Luckily, Ianto is damn pretty, thus making up for it. I demand more screen time for Ianto! He's so fucked up, it's awesome!
Still don't like the show. Do however, like the fanfic for the show. And the music videos. And the fact that all the best moments are on YouTube ...
And hurrah for bi-normativity! :D
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 01:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 04:19 pm (UTC)W....why? Why? WHY?!
Ahem, anyway, yes. Ianto! Yay for Ianto!
no subject
Date: 2007-01-16 07:41 pm (UTC)That said, I've not seen 10-12, so I can't comment on the end. WTB download/torrent of it!
no subject
Date: 2007-01-18 08:20 pm (UTC)