2x13: The Finale
SPOILERS for Torchwood 2x13: Exit Wounds
Okay. Holy fuck. I'm still crying.
To start off with, Captain John Hart.
Yes, he's a bastard, and yes, his morals are... questionable. He's manipulative. He's Jack if Jack had never met the Doctor. But I also think that, in the scene where he told Jack he loved him and then tied him up, John was actually being honest. Or at least, John thought he was being honest; love may not be, to him, the same as it is to Jack or to us in the 21st-century, but he does believe he loves Jack.
Jack mentioned that the reason the Time Agency partnered him and John was because Jack was the only one who could control him. He didn't say how, but maybe it was because John had some genuine feelings for Jack. Or developed them. Or Jack was just really good at threats; who knows? But even in KKBB, John wanted things to go back to the way they were before. Maybe he was lying, but I don't think so. I think he was warping things slightly, but underneath it, he does genuinely care for Jack. In his own way, at least.
Which brings us to "Exit Wounds" John. When John first told Jack he loved him in this episode, Jack got this interesting expression on his face. A cross between omg he loves me!!! and he's a lying git and I shouldn't trust him and oh, fuck, what now?. On the rooftop, when John asks Jack to hold him (a trick to get him through the rift), Jack actually sort of lets John cling to him. Particularly interesting, since I would've thought his first instinct would be to shove him away despite the shock of Cardiff exploding.
Then they end up back in time. Jack punches John, but still seems vaguely willing to listen to John. Grey shoves Jack into the grave and tells John to fill it. John refuses. This could be read two ways--either John honestly doesn't want to do it, or he's trying to gain Jack's trust for his own purposes. Jack gives John a nod anyway. John looks at him like, "are you serious?" and Jack nods again. Before filling the hole, John tosses his ring in--a way for him to find Jack again.
Grey frees John, and while John could've gone anywhere, he chooses to return to Cardiff, right after he'd left. At first, I thought that this was a trap that John and Grey had set up, but apparently not. Apparently, John was there to find Jack. Aww. Through the rest of it, Jack seems wary of John, but willing to accept his help. It's really kind of adorable. Even at the end, right before John leaves, the two seem more at ease than they've ever been. Jack is still on his guard, but after all this tragedy, it feels like he's accepting what little comfort there is in having John next to him, and maybe Jack has forgotten that he's supposed to hate John.
As for the rest of the episode:
- HOIX. SPACE PIG. LOVELOVELOVE. <333333
- This episode actually made me LIKE Gwen. I loved how she took charge, especially while fighting to stay in control of herself.
- RHYS. I absolutely adored Rhys's role in this, especially how he acted in the police station, like "I know what's going on, ha! XD" because even though Cardiff's getting blown up and there are Weevils killing people, he seems thrilled to be in the know rather than a confused bystander. And, really, wouldn't we all prefer to be in that position?
- Captain John Hart. Is made of win. I want him to show up again sometime, just because he's so much fun.
- Grey. Poor kid. I felt so bad for him.
- Jack. Like he needs another reason for his life to be shit? Ah, well. I wanted to hug him. And that scene after he frees Gwen and Ianto and John was pretty brilliant--Gwen goes to hug him on one side, and Ianto goes to bury himself in Jack's other side, and Jack holds them both and it's adorable because it shows that Jack can care about both of them.
- Tosh. *sobs* Her farewell video, for some bizarre reason I can't figure out, reminded me of Lt. Yar's in ST:TNG. I kept expecting Tosh to say that Jack was like a father to her. The whole thing made me cry harder.
- Owen. King of the Weevils, ha. The scene in the radiation room thing was brilliant. Mostly because it was how I would react--walking around and throwing things and ranting. And then how Owen said that, really, it was okay. And that he regretted never taking Tosh on a date. And then... they both... *sobs*
- Ianto. He didn't have a very big role, and he wasn't in there much, but he broke me. How he was closing everything down at the end, with barely any emotion, trying not to break down...
Now, how interesting is it that Tosh and Owen were the ones to die? Tosh, who never really got a chance to have a life outside work, and Owen, who tried not to have feelings but ended up with them anyway. They should have been together, or at least should have tried to. They should have gone on that date. But they never got the chance...
And then the ones who survive. Jack, who always does and has to deal with it. Ianto, who seems like he's THIS CLOSE to self-destructing, but needs Jack just as much as Jack needs him. Gwen, the carer and the one who brought Torchwood back to Earth. The ones Jack lost: The girl he saved, and the man he saw as a son.
The family is split.
I'm going to go cry again.
TOMORROW: Doctor Who 4x01, which I watch UNSPOILED.
Okay. Holy fuck. I'm still crying.
To start off with, Captain John Hart.
Yes, he's a bastard, and yes, his morals are... questionable. He's manipulative. He's Jack if Jack had never met the Doctor. But I also think that, in the scene where he told Jack he loved him and then tied him up, John was actually being honest. Or at least, John thought he was being honest; love may not be, to him, the same as it is to Jack or to us in the 21st-century, but he does believe he loves Jack.
Jack mentioned that the reason the Time Agency partnered him and John was because Jack was the only one who could control him. He didn't say how, but maybe it was because John had some genuine feelings for Jack. Or developed them. Or Jack was just really good at threats; who knows? But even in KKBB, John wanted things to go back to the way they were before. Maybe he was lying, but I don't think so. I think he was warping things slightly, but underneath it, he does genuinely care for Jack. In his own way, at least.
Which brings us to "Exit Wounds" John. When John first told Jack he loved him in this episode, Jack got this interesting expression on his face. A cross between omg he loves me!!! and he's a lying git and I shouldn't trust him and oh, fuck, what now?. On the rooftop, when John asks Jack to hold him (a trick to get him through the rift), Jack actually sort of lets John cling to him. Particularly interesting, since I would've thought his first instinct would be to shove him away despite the shock of Cardiff exploding.
Then they end up back in time. Jack punches John, but still seems vaguely willing to listen to John. Grey shoves Jack into the grave and tells John to fill it. John refuses. This could be read two ways--either John honestly doesn't want to do it, or he's trying to gain Jack's trust for his own purposes. Jack gives John a nod anyway. John looks at him like, "are you serious?" and Jack nods again. Before filling the hole, John tosses his ring in--a way for him to find Jack again.
Grey frees John, and while John could've gone anywhere, he chooses to return to Cardiff, right after he'd left. At first, I thought that this was a trap that John and Grey had set up, but apparently not. Apparently, John was there to find Jack. Aww. Through the rest of it, Jack seems wary of John, but willing to accept his help. It's really kind of adorable. Even at the end, right before John leaves, the two seem more at ease than they've ever been. Jack is still on his guard, but after all this tragedy, it feels like he's accepting what little comfort there is in having John next to him, and maybe Jack has forgotten that he's supposed to hate John.
As for the rest of the episode:
- HOIX. SPACE PIG. LOVELOVELOVE. <333333
- This episode actually made me LIKE Gwen. I loved how she took charge, especially while fighting to stay in control of herself.
- RHYS. I absolutely adored Rhys's role in this, especially how he acted in the police station, like "I know what's going on, ha! XD" because even though Cardiff's getting blown up and there are Weevils killing people, he seems thrilled to be in the know rather than a confused bystander. And, really, wouldn't we all prefer to be in that position?
- Captain John Hart. Is made of win. I want him to show up again sometime, just because he's so much fun.
- Grey. Poor kid. I felt so bad for him.
- Jack. Like he needs another reason for his life to be shit? Ah, well. I wanted to hug him. And that scene after he frees Gwen and Ianto and John was pretty brilliant--Gwen goes to hug him on one side, and Ianto goes to bury himself in Jack's other side, and Jack holds them both and it's adorable because it shows that Jack can care about both of them.
- Tosh. *sobs* Her farewell video, for some bizarre reason I can't figure out, reminded me of Lt. Yar's in ST:TNG. I kept expecting Tosh to say that Jack was like a father to her. The whole thing made me cry harder.
- Owen. King of the Weevils, ha. The scene in the radiation room thing was brilliant. Mostly because it was how I would react--walking around and throwing things and ranting. And then how Owen said that, really, it was okay. And that he regretted never taking Tosh on a date. And then... they both... *sobs*
- Ianto. He didn't have a very big role, and he wasn't in there much, but he broke me. How he was closing everything down at the end, with barely any emotion, trying not to break down...
Now, how interesting is it that Tosh and Owen were the ones to die? Tosh, who never really got a chance to have a life outside work, and Owen, who tried not to have feelings but ended up with them anyway. They should have been together, or at least should have tried to. They should have gone on that date. But they never got the chance...
And then the ones who survive. Jack, who always does and has to deal with it. Ianto, who seems like he's THIS CLOSE to self-destructing, but needs Jack just as much as Jack needs him. Gwen, the carer and the one who brought Torchwood back to Earth. The ones Jack lost: The girl he saved, and the man he saw as a son.
The family is split.
I'm going to go cry again.
TOMORROW: Doctor Who 4x01, which I watch UNSPOILED.