Torchwood

[themis1]

I feel I should say something about Torchwood, but I'll do it under a cut since US readers probably won't have seen it yet.
Actually we quite liked the first three days. Phoebesmum commented that you didn't often see a gay couple in a 'normal' drama - specific gay dramas, yes, but not in a general mainstream programme. Gwen's rescue attempt was typically ditzy, that woman is *so* annoying! Then came episode 4, and the entire thing unravelled. We *liked* Ianto, and we liked the relationship between him and Captain Jack. I personally think killing Ianto was the most idiotic thing RTD has done, not counting the derivative, manipulative plot. It's getting great critical praise - but I have a suspicion that's from people who don't understand that the political drama, the (utterly terrifying!) let's give them the ASBO kids moment, are what Science Fition has ALWAYS done. Are these the people who never watch SF, the ones who thought the Battlestar Galactica reimaging was brilliant 'because it wasn't just spaceships'? Also, people who never heard of Utilitarianism. As for the final scene - it was Tennant and Piper on the beach all over again, and yet again RTD demonstrating that for a gay man, he prefers hetrosexual relationships. I'm beginning to think a good shrink wouldn't go amiss ...

Comments

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

Come to think of it, wasn't RTD the writer of Bob and Rose, the series we watched (well, I did, I can't remember if you did) where a gay man falls in love with a straight woman and, well, turns straight? The gay man in question was Alan Davies, so not much loss to the community, but you do wonder what message he's trying to send!

[smallship1.livejournal.com]

Conflicted. He's just very very conflicted.

And not as good a writer as he likes to think he is, or as he could be if he made the effort more consistently.

That's what I think anyway.

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

There is much better drama than this on TV. Much, much better....

I understand that James Moran is VERY UPSET by the flak he is getting from Jack/Ianto shippers. Well, doh.

[themis1.livejournal.com]

I really would not have objected had Ianto's death been intelligent or necessary, but it was neither - Jack knew he had a weak hand going in, and should have insisted Ianto didn't go with him. Having got them both in the s**t, he then pointlessly fired at the box, instead of, for example, going in through the airlock and killing the alien head on - he would die too, but then he's Captain Jack and that's what he does (without any apparent mental hangups, but there you go). It was just bad writing, and the last episode was even worse. And I suspect like a lot of fans my main irritation is that it COULD have been really, really good - had it had anyone but RTD at the helm. Sigh.

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Moran has claimed that the decision to kill Ianto was his.

I would have much preferred that they had killed Gwen.