Torchwood Red Skies
Feb. 24th, 2024 06:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethAnother audio I had never heard before. Another by Joseph Lidster.
It's a bit weird because early on Jack says he's finally in hell
only the audio I heard a few days ago, by the same author, very much sent Jack to hell, so, figure Jack applied some retcon to that whole situation, which, you know, fair.
But then later he says he's seen hell so many times, so also possible he's just Like That about it.
Jack tries to get away from it all by going to a planet surrounded by red lightning that no one can get near
and then finds there's a lot of very familiar stuff on that planet just waiting for him.
He gets dragged through his own memories, trying to make him feel guilty, so its the only time I've heard mention of Steven since that happened. Lots of other guilt highlights, House of the Dead very much mentioned alongside Thames House, and ever so many more. Details filled in about the team that died at New Year, and some about seeing Alice's mother died in hospital. Lots of things, all designed to make him feel terrible.
But Jack gets stubborn instead, refuses to feel guilty. Says he's been forgiven, by Gwen, by the people of Earth, by the Doctor, by himself.
... pretty sure he didnt say by Alice.
And like, if that was all he said about it, that's not going to endear him to anyone.
But it was more about him rediscovering the good bits. What Torchwood should be, has been. That his team died for something they believed in, trying to do what's right and make the world a better place. And someone he meets on this isolated world reminds him of that, choosing to work with Jack to make things better.
Also Jack keeps being very flirty and sounding very vain, describing himself just in terms of his looks and that, and then he tells the local guy that's because it's who he wants to be, in a life filled with joy. He's not being shallow, he's trying to live better.
There's a bit in the middle where the story almost lost me because Jack arrives on an alien planet, flirts, gets a lot of frown attitude, and then discovers the local religion is anti sex outside of reproduction and so anti gay there isnt a word for it. And I was like, yeah alright, that's an alien problem is it, :eyeroll: . But that turned out to be the point. Good old Britain had exported the attitude, when a Torchwood agent got blown up in a spaceship and set himself up as god.
So the key point of the story was when a gay man raised to believe he was Wrong went and met god, and god was a mad man who begged him for forgiveness. And forgiveness was what let 'god' let go and die, leaving his people free.
So then all that guilt and forgiveness bit got a very specific spin.
There's more than one suicidal madman in this story who cannot deal with change. Hurting a lot of other people to impose their view. Playing god.
And Jack understands that, but he wont fall to it. Jack knows what he's done, but he's not going to let it stop him, he's going to keep going with trying to make the world a better place. Meeting someone new reminded him of the best in people, and it all ends with a kiss.
Which is all nice and hopeful again.
I might listen to this one again. ETA: I did listen it again, sped up, to pull auotes before posting this public, but there were so many quotes I guess I'll have to recommend you listen for yourself if you want all the Jack moments. /ETA.
My one :( was I couldnt get used to the reader. He did several voices and I didnt get used to any of them. I'd have rather read it on paper, but I dont think it is on paper to read.
*checks internet* Nope, audio exclusive.
Also I saw a review that was all 'why does Jack tell this new guy his life story'?
Well it said it in the story, Jack was trying to be more like Gwen, because he thinks Gwen is best.
I'll grant that it does seem to be the only story where Jack tries being open, but, he's landed on a planet that literally thinks they're alone in the universe and their town government religion god is literal everything. It is going to take a Lot to get through that kind of thinking. So he gives them what he's got, his life, most of it unimaginable on that world. That makes sense, and, there's a whole confession and forgiveness thing going on through the story. Jack trying to reach out by actually talking about everyone he's lost seems like a good idea, it just ends up being a one off.
After a second listen it bugs me a lot that the mad old man in the story gets treated with a good being killed. Like there's no way to reach out to him too? For Jack it's in character, giving what he often wants, but it's a Problem. It's a cathartic sort of ending if 'god' says sorry and dies but it's a better stronger ending if 'god' starts learning from the rest of them.
I think this was a good story but I'd rather see it written than hear it, at least with this reader.
I didnt get the hang of the voices first time through and I dont see the logic in the accents second time.
Still, lots of Jack character stuff, canon moments revisited, insight into his emotions and why he is like that.
It's a bit weird because early on Jack says he's finally in hell
only the audio I heard a few days ago, by the same author, very much sent Jack to hell, so, figure Jack applied some retcon to that whole situation, which, you know, fair.
But then later he says he's seen hell so many times, so also possible he's just Like That about it.
Jack tries to get away from it all by going to a planet surrounded by red lightning that no one can get near
and then finds there's a lot of very familiar stuff on that planet just waiting for him.
He gets dragged through his own memories, trying to make him feel guilty, so its the only time I've heard mention of Steven since that happened. Lots of other guilt highlights, House of the Dead very much mentioned alongside Thames House, and ever so many more. Details filled in about the team that died at New Year, and some about seeing Alice's mother died in hospital. Lots of things, all designed to make him feel terrible.
But Jack gets stubborn instead, refuses to feel guilty. Says he's been forgiven, by Gwen, by the people of Earth, by the Doctor, by himself.
... pretty sure he didnt say by Alice.
And like, if that was all he said about it, that's not going to endear him to anyone.
But it was more about him rediscovering the good bits. What Torchwood should be, has been. That his team died for something they believed in, trying to do what's right and make the world a better place. And someone he meets on this isolated world reminds him of that, choosing to work with Jack to make things better.
Also Jack keeps being very flirty and sounding very vain, describing himself just in terms of his looks and that, and then he tells the local guy that's because it's who he wants to be, in a life filled with joy. He's not being shallow, he's trying to live better.
There's a bit in the middle where the story almost lost me because Jack arrives on an alien planet, flirts, gets a lot of frown attitude, and then discovers the local religion is anti sex outside of reproduction and so anti gay there isnt a word for it. And I was like, yeah alright, that's an alien problem is it, :eyeroll: . But that turned out to be the point. Good old Britain had exported the attitude, when a Torchwood agent got blown up in a spaceship and set himself up as god.
So the key point of the story was when a gay man raised to believe he was Wrong went and met god, and god was a mad man who begged him for forgiveness. And forgiveness was what let 'god' let go and die, leaving his people free.
So then all that guilt and forgiveness bit got a very specific spin.
There's more than one suicidal madman in this story who cannot deal with change. Hurting a lot of other people to impose their view. Playing god.
And Jack understands that, but he wont fall to it. Jack knows what he's done, but he's not going to let it stop him, he's going to keep going with trying to make the world a better place. Meeting someone new reminded him of the best in people, and it all ends with a kiss.
Which is all nice and hopeful again.
I might listen to this one again. ETA: I did listen it again, sped up, to pull auotes before posting this public, but there were so many quotes I guess I'll have to recommend you listen for yourself if you want all the Jack moments. /ETA.
My one :( was I couldnt get used to the reader. He did several voices and I didnt get used to any of them. I'd have rather read it on paper, but I dont think it is on paper to read.
*checks internet* Nope, audio exclusive.
Also I saw a review that was all 'why does Jack tell this new guy his life story'?
Well it said it in the story, Jack was trying to be more like Gwen, because he thinks Gwen is best.
I'll grant that it does seem to be the only story where Jack tries being open, but, he's landed on a planet that literally thinks they're alone in the universe and their town government religion god is literal everything. It is going to take a Lot to get through that kind of thinking. So he gives them what he's got, his life, most of it unimaginable on that world. That makes sense, and, there's a whole confession and forgiveness thing going on through the story. Jack trying to reach out by actually talking about everyone he's lost seems like a good idea, it just ends up being a one off.
After a second listen it bugs me a lot that the mad old man in the story gets treated with a good being killed. Like there's no way to reach out to him too? For Jack it's in character, giving what he often wants, but it's a Problem. It's a cathartic sort of ending if 'god' says sorry and dies but it's a better stronger ending if 'god' starts learning from the rest of them.
I think this was a good story but I'd rather see it written than hear it, at least with this reader.
I didnt get the hang of the voices first time through and I dont see the logic in the accents second time.
Still, lots of Jack character stuff, canon moments revisited, insight into his emotions and why he is like that.