Review: Torchwood S2 09 Something Borrowed

[crabby_lioness]

Now that was a Proper Superhero Wedding. How come Torchwood feels so much more like a well-done superhero comic book than Heroes?

(Probably because Torchwood doesn't take itself too seriously and keeps the angst to a manageable level.)

Bride in Peril - check.  Major Bad Guys Crash the Wedding - check.  Good Guys Counter-Crash the Wedding - check.

Comments

[uncledark]

How come Torchwood feels so much more like a well-done superhero comic book than Heroes?

'Cause Tim Kring (creator/producer of Heroes) doesn't like comics. In an interview once, he said that he just doesn't get them, and was never interested in them until he saw how much money was made by well the mainstream recieved the X-Men movie.

Torchwood, on the other hand, is obviously produced by big ol' geeks. Or at least by folks who understand them.

[crabby_lioness]

That explains a lot. I'm reminded of Scott McCloud's talk about polishing the shine on the apple while not providing it any structure on the inside.

Jack Harkness is named after Marvel's biggest witch. These folks aren't afraid to where their fanboy badges on their sleeves, and it shows in the love they bring their work.

[love_jackianto]

Crabby Lioness

[crabby_lioness]

It's not "most people", it's a shrill minority. And I completely agree with you about the staging.

[love_jackianto]

'It's not 'most people', it's a shrill minority.' That's good to know, I thought maybe I was watching the wrong show.

'And I completely agree with you about the staging.' I did learn form the best :D

[crabby_lioness]

Aw, shucks. :)

[tencrush]

Coming soon: Part 2 - Torchwood as a Dysfunctional Stepfamily: Jack and Ianto's Relationship Through S2 09

I look forward to reading it, your stuff usually gives me plenty to think about and I'm a bit lost on the Jack/Ianto thing lately. I think it's taken a weird direction into gratuitous kink and jokiness in the past few episodes that I'm having trouble understanding the point and significance of. But then I've kind of just disliked the past few episodes, generally, so maybe that's all it is.

[crabby_lioness]

Does anyone talk seriously about their current sex life in public? Aside from stand-up commedians? If you flat out asked me about my current sex life in a public place, I'd give you a "jokey" reply as well. If I bothered to answer you at all. Jack and Ianto's replies to the sorts of questions they've received over the past two episodes seem quite normal to me.

[tencrush]

Ah, yeah, but Gwen didn't ask Jack about his sex life when he willingly volunteered that he'd be "doing Ianto", nor did Martha, I would assume, particularly ask Jack "So... who are you fucking?" when Jack volunteered, again, that he'd like Ianto to dress up for him. Which one would assume is pretty much what happened

[crabby_lioness]

It's quite clear from what we've seen so far in S2 that Jack allows Ianto to steer their relationship. It's also clear they have private discussions we're not privy to. I think it's safe to say that if Ianto had found Jack's remark to Martha that uncomfortable he would have told Jack to guard his tongue more carefully, and Jack would have done it.

I think that was Ianto's official "coming out", but I honestly doubt if anyone in the Team was in the dark about it.

As for privacy, it was just Gwen, and Gwen is "family". It's not like he said it to the whole wedding reception while toasting the bride.

[katiebugs18]

Jack coming home after the wedding to look at the picture of his wedding was such a wonderful add on at the end because for the most part, his behavior towards Gwen and her wedding was absolutely fine. But there were moments when his behavior seemed...uneven. Compare his behavior after Ryhs saves Gwen and Jack "sweeps her up" where he's playful and relieved and touchy feely but not really romantically so, compare that to his dance with Gwen where it clearly borders on the romantic. That moment seemed very uneven to me but put in context with the final scene with the picture of his wedding makes complete sense: he's not feeling romantic towards Gwen per say, it's more that he's remembering his wedding and what weddings mean and specifically what his wedding meant to him. He's remembering his feelings and what he tried to have probably knowing at the time that he couldn't have it

[crabby_lioness]

Jack has 160 years with of baggage in his head, and he's only now starting to work through it.

[phylogenetics]

Your comments are probably one of the most well thought out ones I've read so far for this episode. The overlying theme of clingy!Jack is continued here as he relucantly deals with letting Gwen have a life outside of Torchwood.

I don't think Jack is jealous of Rhys for having Gwen. I think Jack is jealous of Gwen for having Rhys and the "normal" life he represents, a life that immortality denied Jack long before he joined Torchwood. This is corroborated at the end of the episode, when he comes home to gaze pensively at a century-old picture of his own wedding.It baffles me that so many people seem to discount this last scene, which you have pointed out puts the entire previous dancing scene between Jack/Gwen into a different perspective. I see much of fandom crying about the Jack/Gwen dance saying that the entire thing shows Jack pining and his disregard for Ianto, whereas I believe that Jack was lost in memories of his own wedding as he danced with Gwen. And yes, that means he was not focused on Ianto when the two were dancing

[crabby_lioness]

I think Jack and Gwen have reached the point where they enjoy being romantic in a platonic way.

[jessemouradian]

How long does it take or how many people have to do it before you realize you can. Or at least that you should try.