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Right, having rewatched TW S02E04...
I don't know if it's because it's that time of the month and today's been hell, but I found the ep a little bleh, overall, although...
Likes:
Rhys
Heh, this is so very amusing to see Rhys. It's fun watching him gawking as he sees the TW, completely gopsmacked that Gwen's part of that. And having him sing along in the beginning of the scene, just cracked me up -- he's a goofball, but I like him. Oh, and his little conversation with Jack. "I wish you were uglier... you're not gay by any chance?"
Gwen
I can buy her worry about Rhys being part of it, although I wish she'd trust him more. She claims, when Jack asks, that of course Rhys isn't in on it, but she's not terribly convincing. I'm not sure I like her all that much in this one, though I'm PMT'ing at the moment, so that might explain it as well LOL -- but her reluctance to retcon Rhys, even though it might be better for him, AND it's SOP.
Poor Rhys. Watching Gwen walk arm in arm with a tall, dark and handsome man *laughs* -- it's especially funny when the viewer knows what they're talking about and can I just say? Jack's more like the DW version now than in S1. I nearly snorted coffee when the "Did you ever eat alien meat?" conversation came up, and Jack's answer to Gwen's "What was it like?" came tongue in cheek "He seemed to like it..."
Go Jack! Heh, I've got a juvenile sense of humour, did I forget to say that?
Tosh
Isn't all that much on this episode, but she's unfortunately gone back to her 'pining for Owen' personality. I miss competent kick-arse Tosh who did what she had to do last time.
Owen
He's still a good doctor, he is good at what he does, and whomever had the idea to team him up with Ianto? Brilliant. You know, they might end up killing each other, or maybe not. It suits Owen that he's grown up a bit since the previous series. And his choice in the end, to kill the creature? It WAS a mercy killing and although I know he didn't make that choice light, it was the only way.
Ianto
They're trying too hard on some of the lines for him, but overall, I still adore him. And... um... *coughs* *points further down in the text*
Jack
Like I mentioned earlier, this Jack reminds me a lot more of the one we knew back in DW. His comment on homoeroticism to Rhys, his flirting with Rhys' secretary. It's purely Jack.
I've seen mention of ppl considering Jack's reaction to the poor beast as OTT. Yes and... oddly no. I think he's getting to the point where they Doctor is. He loves and will protect mankind, but seeing what we're capable of doing to things we don't understand...? It saddens him and I can't help but wonder if he ever thinks what might happen if someone figured out he can't die and decided to test various theories on him. I for one can buy it, but then again, I'm good at suspending my disbelief and I like my Jack occasionally OTT, it's part of the character's makeup.
There were plenty of good lines. Just Rhys saying that their 'office' is bigger than his cracked me up. You have to love rhys for getting right in Jack's face and you have to adore Jack for diffusing it with 'This is quite homoerotic' which endangered my laptop again as coffee went flying. Also, at Rhys' accusations of Jack being full of himself and Ianto agreeing when Jack asks him? Heh.
The scene between the team and Jack in his office. Where they're talking about having someone and the look that is exchanged between Jack and Ianto... They're not being terribly subtle, are they? LOL
Oh... and the final scenes? Ianto.
Kicking arse? Being the competent field agent? I think I might be in love... or possibly lust LOL -- when he's pissed, he's pissed LOL -- and although it might've seemed adorable to some -- though I can't think of anyone who would perceive him like that at that point. He's fiercely protective of his team, his family and I think, if push came to shove, he'd kill for them.
Dislikes
It was a bit bleh, storywise, but I think that might, again, just be the mood I'm in. It wasn't high speed hilarity like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, or extremely character focused, like To the Last Man
It does rub me the wrong way, the way that they're trying to create friction betwen Jack and Gwen. I don't go for it, but there is one way it can be saved, if I'm right about this. I keep feeling as if there's something Jack knows that we don't, as if he knows something about Gwen's future, something about Rhys' as well. It would explain why he was adamant from their first meeting that she should keep her outside life alive, not let TW suck that out of her. Jack wanted her to stay with Rhys, to not give up no matter what. It's almost as if he knows where she had to go, where she had to be in time. And I can't help worrying that he might have to sacrifice her or Rhys at some point in the future, for the greater good. I can see the story go in any direction, so I'll keep an eye otu -- I don't want to dislike Gwen because she's messing with my favorite pairing, but I hope I'm right about this, or they're being really heavyhanded on the Jack/Gwen 'relationship' and I can't believe that, not when they can portray Jack/Ianto so naturally. Well, dysfunctionally natural XD
You think it's so cold out there. Yeah, Gwen, that's why he's sticking closer to home and can you blame him? I mean, if she doesn't know about him and Ianto, okay, but if she does? That wasn't just a hurtful thing to throw in Jack's face, because Ianto's standing behind him and ... I get why she says it, but I'm not sure I consider it fair play.
I'm sure, btw, this side of Ianto must turn Jack on something fiercely *eg*
And with this, I'll leave you to contemplate on your own and I shall go off to bed, hopefully allowing me to sleep and actually act civilized tomorrow -- I can't wait for the PMT to go away *winces*
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Yes! This is one of the things I am really enjoying about season two so far. The I-miss-you-Doctor man angst emo thing from season one wears on after a while, and that's not the impression of Jack I got from his original appearance in Who anyway.
I think he's getting to the point where they Doctor is.
Again, yes! This is why I let them get away with that terrible, terrible line. I thought the exact same thing when he said it and I half expected him to throw in an "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." at the end there.
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If Gwen was the every girl who introduced us to the team last series, then Rhys is the everyman who re-connects us to team!torchwood when he's given an outsider's glimpse, taken on a magical mystery tour of the hub and the strange twilight world team!torchwood live in. Yes, I did love the moment when he descends into the hub, staring in wonderment at the cavernous space, complete with pterodactyl *g* The whole episode might have been penned for that moment.
And as for Owen:
But it's Owen/Burn Gorman who managed to do that with his understated sorrow, in the moment when he has no choice but to put the creature out of it's misery, in the moment after when he reaches out to touch the being, so that it isn't alone in it's final moments of life. Owen was wonderful in this episode. Wonderful.
(yes, my reviews to tend towards loooong - hence the self-quoting)
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I did like his reaction, but something seemed off in the timing to me. Gwen comes home and Rhys is bitching about seeing her at the accident site and with Jack... he's not at all impressed with the space whale?
When Gwen's talking about catching aliens, he doesn't connect that with the space whale? That seemed rather odd to me. I sort of wished he'd put two and two together before Gwen spilled the truth. Shouldn't he already have a general idea that such things exist, even if he doesn't know about Gwen's involvement, what with aliens attacking London and such. I really enjoyed seeing Rhys being so thrilled knowing the truth at the end though.
Jack's more like the DW version now than in S1.
Jack's definitely got his mojo back. He not quite up to his DW version, but I think that may be because he's aware acting as he normally would might cause problems in our backwards little world. Plus he's not showing off for the Doctor now. *g*
"Hi! Captain Jack Harkness."
"Stop it!"
Hee!
I do think the Doctor has heavily influenced Jack's current way of thinking, not to mention the whole "being unable to die" thing allowing him to see a century or so worth of some of the worst things humans can think of to do to each other on top of what he's seen in his past in the future (which sounds ever so confusing).
Isn't all that much on this episode, but she's unfortunately gone back to her 'pining for Owen' personality. I miss competent kick-arse Tosh who did what she had to do last time.
What the hell happened to Tosh? I mean, I know Owen has improved this season, but why is Tosh so determined to pine for him? Maybe she sees Gwen has Rhys and Jack has Ianto, so she and Owen are the only ones who don't have someone, and as they said, only someone who knows about Torchwood can really understand.
And his choice in the end, to kill the creature? It WAS a mercy killing and although I know he didn't make that choice light, it was the only way.
Not just a mercy killing, but the only way to save his team, given the situation. The other doctor-type said if the creature woke up and broke free, the sedation wouldn't be enough. His team was essentially at risk of being killed by a wild animal, and he had to put it down.
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The scene between the team and Jack in his office. Where they're talking about having someone and the look that is exchanged between Jack and Ianto... They're not being terribly subtle, are they? LOL
Subtle is not in their vocabulary, is it? But I am starting to wonder if the rest of the team knows or not. After last season's finale, I assumed they knew they were shagging, and then there was the line about Jack's manners in bed last week. Yet some scenes are played as if they don't know. If they don't, they really are the worst investigators ever. *g*
Kicking arse? Being the competent field agent? I think I might be in love... or possibly lust LOL
That was kind hot, wasn't it? I like that Ianto's still got the "tea boy" persona, doing all the office stuff with a bit of primness, but is learning how to be a field agent and kicking ass while doing it. Not to mention the snarky sense of humor. It's been overdone a couple of times, but in general I like it.
I also get the impression Ianto's very intelligent, but in a more general sense than the rest. Jack has his knowledge of aliens and such, Tosh her tech, Owen's a doctor, while Ianto seems to have quite a lot of general knowledge about all of it. What can I say? I have a weakness for smart guys. If they put glasses on Ianto, I'd probably start swooning. ;)
It would explain why he was adamant from their first meeting that she should keep her outside life alive, not let TW suck that out of her. Jack wanted her to stay with Rhys, to not give up no matter what.
I've always felt that was because he'd seen what Torchwood could do to people, and hoped that keeping her life on the outside might prevent it. Might also help her keep her "outside" perspective which Jack referenced in this episode when he was talking to Rhys.
I don't want to dislike Gwen because she's messing with my favorite pairing, but I hope I'm right about this, or they're being really heavyhanded on the Jack/Gwen 'relationship' and I can't believe that, not when they can portray Jack/Ianto so naturally.
Have you been reading the "Captain's Blog" on the BBC America site? It's like a mission report on each episode, written by Jack. The one for KKBB made me feel a lot better about the Jack/Gwen stuff. It basically implied that Jack's worried about losing Gwen in the team sense if she has to continue keeping secrets from Rhys. He really feels they need her outside perspective not warped by years of working at Torchwood.
I had the same overall "meh" reaction to the plot, but there were some good bits in it. I think the first three just set the bar really high and this one comes down to average. Not bad, just not as good.
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I'd be in a puddle on the floor XD -- I hope they never do that -- I'd spend every scene with Ianto going 'guh' completely missing what's going on LOL
I agree, yes, and I tend to swing by the captain's blog on the BBCA every once in a while. And exactly! The first three eps were great, so of course it would have to go down hill at some point! Though speaking of previews... is it Wednesday yet? Dammit LOL
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I noticed the little look between Jack and Ianto, and the agreement that Jack is full of himself. I don't know what Jack expected asking Ianto LOL and the 'homo erotic' comment. Oh RTD knows us so well!
And kick ass Ianto at the end, lovin' it, and Jack not wanting to shoot in case he hit Ianto and not the bad guy. Didn't have that problem with the blowfish, did he? *g*
I was a little disappointed overall, but only because of the subject matter. I know it's not a happy happy joy joy kind of show, but I'd like to not be in tears every other ep thank you. That's two in a row now, can we have some implied sex to make up for it please? kthanx.
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I don't know about sex to make up for it, but if I'm right about the preview for Wednesday it'll be a hard one on Ianto, though from what I've heard, Jack will be the one getting him through it *crosses fingers*