(no subject)

[beccaelizabeth]

There was a thought I was having about Torchwood 1-04 (again)
some people were saying that, based on this evidence, Ianto is a really bad liar
because he looks nervous and when he says an excuse it isn't exactly smooth and it all seems to mostly work because the others aren't paying attention
and... okay, I can see that
but what I got from the episode is that we were in Ianto's point of view
of course we could see he was nervous, and lying, and all that
we were in his head

I guess it depends on what conventions you assume are being played within

Comments

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree with you about viewpoint. It can be difficult to convey viewpoint in a TV show - "Lost" does it rather well sometimes. So "Everything Goes" and "Random Shoes" (for example) were fairly tightly in Gwen's viewpoint, "Cyberwoman" in Ianto's, "Ghost Machine" was largely Owen (with a bit of Gwen), "Greeks Bearing Gifts" was Tosh's viewpoint... while "Captain Jack Harkness" and "End of Days" were, mostly, Jack's point of view at last.

So yes, I agree with you. The viewpoint character's emotions are always enhanced or given extra focus.

[beccaelizabeth]

I thought Random Shoes was Eugene pov mostly. On account of only he can see him, so if we see him we are him.

... which in my head is logic ...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, you're right, most of "Random Shoes" is Eugene's point of view and he narrates. But the parts of the show that are not from his point of view are from Gwen's point of view, especially later on in the episode.

[damalan.livejournal.com]

Rewatching it I think both Gwen and Jack spot that something isn't quite right in the way that Ianto speaks, and give him a slight look. But as neither can imagine that Ianto is up to anything they let it go. I agree that the longish pause here is probably meant to be from Ianto's point of view - anyone who's ever lied to others knows that being put on the spot feels like an eternity...

To me, it's quite important that Ianto might get caught out but doesn't. That then ties in to his remark to Jack that "when did you last ask me anything about my life?" If anyone had really got to know Ianto they might have spotted something was wrong sooner; because they don't things begin to spiral out of control.

[beccaelizabeth]

*nods*
*nods*