Torchwood 1-10 Out Of Time
Dec. 17th, 2006 10:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethAttempting coherence...
Parts of that I was bored with. Other parts make me hopping mad.
But the bits of character stuff going on around the edges? Those I liked.
There's the Jack stuff. Which, right back to the stuff that makes me mad. But we know he has issues. So I can see his logic being wonky. But that thing where the guy was saying he'd kill himself as soon as he stopped looking? SO NOT SURPRISING. SO GET A PSHRINK IN TO HELP!
Fuck's sake, you think this is unique?
The guy lost his whole family. Bereavement counselling would help.
Trying to take his name away did not. Though, interesting that it didn't occur to Jack it was important - Jack attitude to names more flexible?
I did love he was the one to connect with the guy. And he told him so much! So many bits of truth that he hasn't told *anyone* else here. Born in the future, lived in the past, died and there was only darkness. The man got the whole story.
And only the writers knew he wouldn't live to tell, so somehow Jack connected more with this out of time guy than he has with anyone local.
But once again, we loop back to the annoying. I can see Jack has Issues, I can see he's been trying to deal alone, I *love* that speech about it being bearable because it has to be. At one point I discovered I believed in reincarnation, blood and bone belief, no leaving the wheel. So it has to be bearable, because it is the only game in town.
Now? I think people change so much reincarnation isn't exactly a meaningful continuity of self, so we only get one life each. Same belief, different spin. Still the only game.
If nothing we do matters, all that matters is what we do, here, now. Because the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing of all.
Sometimes I think they've watched Highlander and Angel and learned *all* the wrong things.
And then I wonder how they could miss the good stuff.
... Also, I was wondering how old Ianto's car is that the exhaust is deadly. I thought catalytic converters fixed that? /random
It is so annoying though, because they managed to make it so totally sweet that he's sitting there holding the man's hand. But it *isn't* because the thing to do is phone the fucking ambulance and get him some HELP.
What is it with television and avoiding psychiatric solutions? Always they're the horror story, never showing up as the solution.
The only thing I'm left thinking of is Ianto's online counselling transcript on the torchwood.org.uk site. He went to get help, but he had to phrase it so all the important bits were still inside being sharp poison, so it didn't help a hell of a lot.
But it could, if there was a pshrink with clearance.
Is clearance what got in the way this week? Were the options closed off by secrecy? Because that would be fucked up to the nth degree.
Okay, other characters.
Owen.
I still think he's a twat, fuckwit, bastard, all those words.
So, this week he falls in love?
And it scares him.
... You know when he told her she scared him?
You know how that phrase could apply to more than one episode?
... Owen/Suzie in love just got more support in the weirdest way ...
So he's all romantic this time. But that bit he was saying about taking advantage... Er, actually, I was wondering where Owen was and who had mindswapped with him, because I thought he was just that cheap. But then there is the thing where he did take her back to his place, so *saying* he wouldn't take advantage but then taking advantage is more like it.
Is annoying he got the pretty dress and dance under the moonlight bit. Because that was cool.
Gwen is an idiot, but seems to have noticed it.
I loved Rhys wandering around naked. I loved him getting annoyed she lies to him
I kind of loved the look on her face trying to have The Talk about sex with the newbie.
And looking a tad bit doubtful about Rhys being the best.
I'm going to hate it when they break up.
... is it looking like a when? I think so.
Toshiko was barely in this. Data girl a couple of times. Mostly elsewhere.
I'm hoping this means Tosh has much to do in the near future. Seems to make sense, with the spoiler I know.
Ianto also not so much used here. Hoping to see more of him.
I loved it when he was showing them around the shop. I did not love the cheap culture shock stuff, in fact I found it deeply boring and predictable, but I loved Ianto's part in it. Bananas more interesting. And was he adding up their shopping in his head? I realise I'm easily impressed but, well, I can't do that, so.
He was just kind of... Ianto. You know?
Guest characters all being sent into their next lives by the end was everso convenient. In 2/3 cases creepy, but convenient.
The youngest one had the best plan. What she always wanted to do, only more so.
The others... flying into the rift? Nobody that did that *ever* came out anywhere they found later, according to torchwood.org.uk. In fact by that it is possible these three time slipped are the first to make it through. Which would be interesting.
But what is she looking for? Freedom? To do what?
Throw one life away looking for another?
And then of course the thing that pissed me off enough to rant.
Throw a life away because he's already done that? Done get a job, family, children.
Well he wasn't that old. Earlier in the episode the guy who was 48 when he died was 'young'. Jack said he was young. He wasn't old enough it wasn't possible.
And how many people do have to start over, all the bloody time?
I've done the mature student thing for 4+ years now - I can tell you, *many*. Life just isn't a straight line. You don't 'do that' and get over that. You do loop the loops and all sorts.
His reaction is plausible, even predictable, but it is SO FUCKING STUPID. So you get him therapy, get help, get... I don't know, get to show him the shiny, though that would be therapy job and not some responsiblity lands on any one particular.
That part interesting. Jack reckoning they're responsible for the three. Gwen too. Slightly different spins on why. Gwen seeing them vulnerable. Sees herself as some kind of experienced guide type person. Because been there done that.
Jack? All that - but means he's seeing himself.
Jack sitting in the car with the guy at the end. He *can't* die. So it has to be bearable.
Conclusion: Jack is just as suicidal as the other guy, the stupid bastard.
Some days I hate writers. Don't even go there. Seriously. Living forever always breaks out the survivor guilt, and fuck it. Try using Amanda for a model instead of MacLeod. She's a better match for Jack anyway.
Conclusion: Most of the ep well put together. Lots of character stuff shown. Plausible reactions and a plot without horrible leaps. Nice use of genre stuff.
And yet. I think I might hate this second only to Greeks Bearing Gifts.
... maybe a large gap, more sick than rage, but still. Hate that ending.
Parts of that I was bored with. Other parts make me hopping mad.
But the bits of character stuff going on around the edges? Those I liked.
There's the Jack stuff. Which, right back to the stuff that makes me mad. But we know he has issues. So I can see his logic being wonky. But that thing where the guy was saying he'd kill himself as soon as he stopped looking? SO NOT SURPRISING. SO GET A PSHRINK IN TO HELP!
Fuck's sake, you think this is unique?
The guy lost his whole family. Bereavement counselling would help.
Trying to take his name away did not. Though, interesting that it didn't occur to Jack it was important - Jack attitude to names more flexible?
I did love he was the one to connect with the guy. And he told him so much! So many bits of truth that he hasn't told *anyone* else here. Born in the future, lived in the past, died and there was only darkness. The man got the whole story.
And only the writers knew he wouldn't live to tell, so somehow Jack connected more with this out of time guy than he has with anyone local.
But once again, we loop back to the annoying. I can see Jack has Issues, I can see he's been trying to deal alone, I *love* that speech about it being bearable because it has to be. At one point I discovered I believed in reincarnation, blood and bone belief, no leaving the wheel. So it has to be bearable, because it is the only game in town.
Now? I think people change so much reincarnation isn't exactly a meaningful continuity of self, so we only get one life each. Same belief, different spin. Still the only game.
If nothing we do matters, all that matters is what we do, here, now. Because the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing of all.
Sometimes I think they've watched Highlander and Angel and learned *all* the wrong things.
And then I wonder how they could miss the good stuff.
... Also, I was wondering how old Ianto's car is that the exhaust is deadly. I thought catalytic converters fixed that? /random
It is so annoying though, because they managed to make it so totally sweet that he's sitting there holding the man's hand. But it *isn't* because the thing to do is phone the fucking ambulance and get him some HELP.
What is it with television and avoiding psychiatric solutions? Always they're the horror story, never showing up as the solution.
The only thing I'm left thinking of is Ianto's online counselling transcript on the torchwood.org.uk site. He went to get help, but he had to phrase it so all the important bits were still inside being sharp poison, so it didn't help a hell of a lot.
But it could, if there was a pshrink with clearance.
Is clearance what got in the way this week? Were the options closed off by secrecy? Because that would be fucked up to the nth degree.
Okay, other characters.
Owen.
I still think he's a twat, fuckwit, bastard, all those words.
So, this week he falls in love?
And it scares him.
... You know when he told her she scared him?
You know how that phrase could apply to more than one episode?
... Owen/Suzie in love just got more support in the weirdest way ...
So he's all romantic this time. But that bit he was saying about taking advantage... Er, actually, I was wondering where Owen was and who had mindswapped with him, because I thought he was just that cheap. But then there is the thing where he did take her back to his place, so *saying* he wouldn't take advantage but then taking advantage is more like it.
Is annoying he got the pretty dress and dance under the moonlight bit. Because that was cool.
Gwen is an idiot, but seems to have noticed it.
I loved Rhys wandering around naked. I loved him getting annoyed she lies to him
I kind of loved the look on her face trying to have The Talk about sex with the newbie.
And looking a tad bit doubtful about Rhys being the best.
I'm going to hate it when they break up.
... is it looking like a when? I think so.
Toshiko was barely in this. Data girl a couple of times. Mostly elsewhere.
I'm hoping this means Tosh has much to do in the near future. Seems to make sense, with the spoiler I know.
Ianto also not so much used here. Hoping to see more of him.
I loved it when he was showing them around the shop. I did not love the cheap culture shock stuff, in fact I found it deeply boring and predictable, but I loved Ianto's part in it. Bananas more interesting. And was he adding up their shopping in his head? I realise I'm easily impressed but, well, I can't do that, so.
He was just kind of... Ianto. You know?
Guest characters all being sent into their next lives by the end was everso convenient. In 2/3 cases creepy, but convenient.
The youngest one had the best plan. What she always wanted to do, only more so.
The others... flying into the rift? Nobody that did that *ever* came out anywhere they found later, according to torchwood.org.uk. In fact by that it is possible these three time slipped are the first to make it through. Which would be interesting.
But what is she looking for? Freedom? To do what?
Throw one life away looking for another?
And then of course the thing that pissed me off enough to rant.
Throw a life away because he's already done that? Done get a job, family, children.
Well he wasn't that old. Earlier in the episode the guy who was 48 when he died was 'young'. Jack said he was young. He wasn't old enough it wasn't possible.
And how many people do have to start over, all the bloody time?
I've done the mature student thing for 4+ years now - I can tell you, *many*. Life just isn't a straight line. You don't 'do that' and get over that. You do loop the loops and all sorts.
His reaction is plausible, even predictable, but it is SO FUCKING STUPID. So you get him therapy, get help, get... I don't know, get to show him the shiny, though that would be therapy job and not some responsiblity lands on any one particular.
That part interesting. Jack reckoning they're responsible for the three. Gwen too. Slightly different spins on why. Gwen seeing them vulnerable. Sees herself as some kind of experienced guide type person. Because been there done that.
Jack? All that - but means he's seeing himself.
Jack sitting in the car with the guy at the end. He *can't* die. So it has to be bearable.
Conclusion: Jack is just as suicidal as the other guy, the stupid bastard.
Some days I hate writers. Don't even go there. Seriously. Living forever always breaks out the survivor guilt, and fuck it. Try using Amanda for a model instead of MacLeod. She's a better match for Jack anyway.
Conclusion: Most of the ep well put together. Lots of character stuff shown. Plausible reactions and a plot without horrible leaps. Nice use of genre stuff.
And yet. I think I might hate this second only to Greeks Bearing Gifts.
... maybe a large gap, more sick than rage, but still. Hate that ending.
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no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 05:46 am (UTC)Sometimes I think they've watched Highlander and Angel and learned *all* the wrong things.
And then I wonder how they could miss the good stuff.
I do agree with you here, although I liked the episode and it worked for me. It drives me up the f-ing wall that immortality is seen as a blight and not a gift in this 'verse which is why I'm working on two wip's at the mo... It's the only solution. Really.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 08:16 am (UTC)I was just... hoping for different. Better.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 06:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 08:15 am (UTC)So John is a refugee from a place that no longer exists, and he lost everyone he ever cared about. Not unique. People survive it.
Certainly plausible reactions from both Js, just *very stupid*. Not going to change my mind on that one. Life is better.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 08:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 08:30 am (UTC)I therefore blame and get annoyed at the writers.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-18 08:33 am (UTC)