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beccaelizabethBeen reading that 'Studying Plays' some more. Have vague hopes of finishing it before next semester starts, which is only possible if I don't count today on account of it not having class in it.
Had a bit about character lairs - areas of the set that are associated with only one character, where that character goes but nobody else is allowed. In that sense, Jack and Ianto both have lairs within Torchwood, and both of them are sort of two or even three stage. There's the outer lair, which is formally theirs but has people passing through, meeting there, or coming in to see them. Jack's office, Ianto's tourist information place. Then there's the area that is theirs, their work space, where other people go but it's significant and feels vaguely against the rules. Ianto's desk, Jack's desk. Everyone ducks behind Ianto's desk to hit the in button; only John goes along to Ianto's computer area, to nick his keys. Ianto uses Jack's desk and his computer in 1-01. A bit like the way both Jack and Ianto use the secure storage safe, that feels less like an intrusion and more likely a permitted overlap, sign of sort of work based intimacy. But when Owen goes through Jack's desk, that's definitely more into Jack's space than is polite. And then there's the areas that only Jack or Ianto go, in fact areas the camera doesn't quite go - Ianto's area behind the bead curtain, which we only see the door of, obscured; Jack's sleeping area, which we look down into but don't share.
In some ways of course the two lairs are exact opposites - Ianto is the public face, frequently called out of his lair by circumstance, no particular protection, right on the outside of Torchwood security and logically the first to face any problems. Jack is at the very heart of the Hub, such a central presence his place is the focus. He's underground, way deep, hidden. Instead of a bead curtain he has a hatch. Could shut the world out, or be shut in. In the midst of all that security, should feel safe. Instead we only see the place in a crisis, see it locked down as a way to trap the good guys inside with the bad things. And then the only time we see Jack in his lair he's having nightmares, and the things in the nightmare are able to leave him presents without security even noticing them. Not safe, not secure, just a down deep place with only one way out.
The other three share the main Hub, wander around each other's desks all the time, even have other people use their work stations. Owen is specifically associated with the autopsy area, but the others gather to watch him there, and even use the place for dead dude inspection, so it isn't Owen's lair per se.
They haven't got a round table. They've got weird triangle points on the end of their room, like they meet in a sword blade, right above their armoury. But these rooms in turn are in a cave, a big dark space with water in it - and a big red dragon. It's painted on the wall, though you only see it in the one scene in 1-07 that I can remember. If these guys are the knights they're already in the dragon's lair. Big red underground dragon with water around it in a place where the earth shakes and splits and makes their works tumble down.
Interesting sort of place they've got there.
When fanfic casually puts Ianto&Jack into Ianto's or Jack's lair, they're turning private into shared. Instead of lonely nightmare hole in the ground Jack's lair turns into... okay, I actually have to type "happy sex hole" here, which probably doesn't belong in serious meta. I should really think my sentences through a few more words in advance.
But this way is funny.
almost completely seperately
Intertextuality
I was thinking about 1-02 in Torchwood and Angel, and how they've got the sex monster thing going on both places. Angel was about trying to reach out to someone and destroying them in the process, yesno? Empty connection and the hunger it leaves. Torchwood? Kind of starts there and says, okay, having realised that, who do you do?
Tosh reckons she knows. (And actually, Tosh being the one to figure it? Probably the most characterisation she gets all year. Then connect that with the tear your heart out girlfriend... Is a theme.)
Torchwood's answer is angry ex-sex, destroy the ones that left you hungry in the first place.
Aggressive, yet symmetrical.
... and creepy, yes, no doubt.
Jack's back catalogue is specifically mentioned in this ep.
So the question is, what does Jack want to do to the ex who dumped him?
"I wish you were dead. Call me."
By the end of 1-13 Ianto is left pretty much like Jack was, with a TARDIS noise and not a word of goodbye.
Ianto is also the guy who was yelling angry words about watching Jack die.
(which happened, but didn't happen - if he'd had to stand and watch Abaddon do his thing then his words would be bitter prophecy. That didn't happen, quite precisely did not, since Jack had to let go of who he'd been leaning on up to then to avoid it.)
I keep circling back to how there's room to make Ianto/Jack mirror Jack/Doctor, because now they're both having that exact same punch/kiss reaction next time they see them.
I was wondering if anyone did a detailed compare/contrast on the episodes everyone was complaining was exactly like X. Because sometimes that means they're having a discuss with X.
... come to think, I'm wondering if *I* did a compare/contrast already... tags could be useful...
the more I meta though the more I wander around the whole building and every episode.
The Hub is an interesting place. 1-04 gives us a sense of claustrophobia, them running around a small space trapped in it. But 1-13 tells us the place is bloody huge, nine levels *plus* whatever Ianto opened up special. Bigsmall. Or Smallbig.
(There's an obvious xover comparison there. Sort of.)
Had a bit about character lairs - areas of the set that are associated with only one character, where that character goes but nobody else is allowed. In that sense, Jack and Ianto both have lairs within Torchwood, and both of them are sort of two or even three stage. There's the outer lair, which is formally theirs but has people passing through, meeting there, or coming in to see them. Jack's office, Ianto's tourist information place. Then there's the area that is theirs, their work space, where other people go but it's significant and feels vaguely against the rules. Ianto's desk, Jack's desk. Everyone ducks behind Ianto's desk to hit the in button; only John goes along to Ianto's computer area, to nick his keys. Ianto uses Jack's desk and his computer in 1-01. A bit like the way both Jack and Ianto use the secure storage safe, that feels less like an intrusion and more likely a permitted overlap, sign of sort of work based intimacy. But when Owen goes through Jack's desk, that's definitely more into Jack's space than is polite. And then there's the areas that only Jack or Ianto go, in fact areas the camera doesn't quite go - Ianto's area behind the bead curtain, which we only see the door of, obscured; Jack's sleeping area, which we look down into but don't share.
In some ways of course the two lairs are exact opposites - Ianto is the public face, frequently called out of his lair by circumstance, no particular protection, right on the outside of Torchwood security and logically the first to face any problems. Jack is at the very heart of the Hub, such a central presence his place is the focus. He's underground, way deep, hidden. Instead of a bead curtain he has a hatch. Could shut the world out, or be shut in. In the midst of all that security, should feel safe. Instead we only see the place in a crisis, see it locked down as a way to trap the good guys inside with the bad things. And then the only time we see Jack in his lair he's having nightmares, and the things in the nightmare are able to leave him presents without security even noticing them. Not safe, not secure, just a down deep place with only one way out.
The other three share the main Hub, wander around each other's desks all the time, even have other people use their work stations. Owen is specifically associated with the autopsy area, but the others gather to watch him there, and even use the place for dead dude inspection, so it isn't Owen's lair per se.
They haven't got a round table. They've got weird triangle points on the end of their room, like they meet in a sword blade, right above their armoury. But these rooms in turn are in a cave, a big dark space with water in it - and a big red dragon. It's painted on the wall, though you only see it in the one scene in 1-07 that I can remember. If these guys are the knights they're already in the dragon's lair. Big red underground dragon with water around it in a place where the earth shakes and splits and makes their works tumble down.
Interesting sort of place they've got there.
When fanfic casually puts Ianto&Jack into Ianto's or Jack's lair, they're turning private into shared. Instead of lonely nightmare hole in the ground Jack's lair turns into... okay, I actually have to type "happy sex hole" here, which probably doesn't belong in serious meta. I should really think my sentences through a few more words in advance.
But this way is funny.
almost completely seperately
Intertextuality
I was thinking about 1-02 in Torchwood and Angel, and how they've got the sex monster thing going on both places. Angel was about trying to reach out to someone and destroying them in the process, yesno? Empty connection and the hunger it leaves. Torchwood? Kind of starts there and says, okay, having realised that, who do you do?
Tosh reckons she knows. (And actually, Tosh being the one to figure it? Probably the most characterisation she gets all year. Then connect that with the tear your heart out girlfriend... Is a theme.)
Torchwood's answer is angry ex-sex, destroy the ones that left you hungry in the first place.
Aggressive, yet symmetrical.
... and creepy, yes, no doubt.
Jack's back catalogue is specifically mentioned in this ep.
So the question is, what does Jack want to do to the ex who dumped him?
"I wish you were dead. Call me."
By the end of 1-13 Ianto is left pretty much like Jack was, with a TARDIS noise and not a word of goodbye.
Ianto is also the guy who was yelling angry words about watching Jack die.
(which happened, but didn't happen - if he'd had to stand and watch Abaddon do his thing then his words would be bitter prophecy. That didn't happen, quite precisely did not, since Jack had to let go of who he'd been leaning on up to then to avoid it.)
I keep circling back to how there's room to make Ianto/Jack mirror Jack/Doctor, because now they're both having that exact same punch/kiss reaction next time they see them.
I was wondering if anyone did a detailed compare/contrast on the episodes everyone was complaining was exactly like X. Because sometimes that means they're having a discuss with X.
... come to think, I'm wondering if *I* did a compare/contrast already... tags could be useful...
the more I meta though the more I wander around the whole building and every episode.
The Hub is an interesting place. 1-04 gives us a sense of claustrophobia, them running around a small space trapped in it. But 1-13 tells us the place is bloody huge, nine levels *plus* whatever Ianto opened up special. Bigsmall. Or Smallbig.
(There's an obvious xover comparison there. Sort of.)
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Date: 2007-02-19 05:06 pm (UTC)Your meta makes my day ^_^
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Date: 2007-02-20 09:56 am (UTC)