This story was a five-part political thriller miniseries. It wasn't about Torchwood at all, really. (And I think it was a great political thriller miniseries, apart from the final message I talked about above, but uh-- did Torchwood have to be there for it? Did it have to play out with these characters?) The message overpowered the characters, the show, the story.
Actually, you are right. It's like the whole thing could've been done without aliens and Torchwood at all-and it probably would've made just about as much sense. I'm also disappointed that, despite all the promise in season two, there was barely any Jack/Ianto to speak of.
Yeah, don't get me started on the marketing of this season as the season of gay love affairs on mainstream screens. Their relationship progression was incremental, and apart from the one, desperate, you're-about-to-die kiss in Day One and Jack kissing Ianto's corpse-- what did we get? A few moments of intimacy in Day Four that were calculated to make Ianto's death hurt more. A declaration of love followed by death, in an oh-so-surprising twist for a queer on tv. I'll be angry about that particular trope being trotted out for a long time.
It actually says a lot to me that everyone is having the same reaction for once. All the people I think are smart and reasonable, even though normally everyone sees different things, but we all have exactly the same feelings now. And my eyes hurt.
Are we? Hah. RTD brings us together yet again. (I haven't been reading reactions, just a bit too all over the place right now. Will be resuming normal service tomorrow, probably.)
Kel, I think there's going to be. I think that may have been the aim after all. To wipe the slate clean, to do a reboot without having to say you're rebooting. This is a clever, horrible way to do it-- kill off the characters, destroy what the show means from within. He's ensured that even if Torchwood were to come back for season 4, it could not in any way be the same show as S1. And I think that may have been the plan.
You just neatly encapsulated all my own frustration and anger over Days 1-3 vs. Days 4 and 5. What happened to entertainment being, I don't know, entertaining? Couldn't there have been SOME other rational way of saving the children and the population of Earth? I just keep saying this again and again, but this is not my Torchwood.
It's not Torchwood, no. It's a brave and confrontational political thriller. But even then it's too bleak, too null.
At least if we saw everyday heroism, the people of the Earth refusing to give up their kids, the governments making some attempt to fight before folding, appeasing, there would be some hope for humanity. But we just didn't really see that. Yes, individuals stood up (and then failed) but they were marked as exceptional. This is a terrible vision of humanity.
It really is. OK, I get that people had to face the reality of the dilemma, but I found it hard to believe that not one person in that meeting room would stand up and say, no, this is unacceptable. Especially since no one seemed to notice that the 456's threat of killing the entire population of Earth if we didn't comply (which I could be misremembering, I haven't the energy or will to go back and watch again) is pretty hollow since if they kill us all, they lose ALL their drugs forever. Is this series really saying that humanity as a whole is just cowardly and will knuckle under in a moment, given any bullying threat?
Yep. And for seasoned politicians, none of them pointed out the other obvious thing: we give them 10% now, then uh, what's stopping them from coming back again later, whenever they feel like it? Nobody mentioned appeasement or protection rackets!
I think it's saying: our poltiicians will knuckle under. All they care about is politics. And we're too stupid and powerless and apathetic to do anything about it.
Our show has cover stories involving jellied eels and mindreading pendants and EPIC MANPAIN. It's dark, but it's not a hopeless world-- Suzie thinks it is and kills herself after saying that much, and the ENTIRE REST OF THE SHOW is kind of pinned on proving her wrong. On pointing out that the wonder, however occasional, can make up for all the 'shit that falls through the rift'.
I don't know if you should watch it. I guess. Days 1-3 are lovely, I really do think so, and have some great moments. And all of the days are good writing, good television. Just not the television show that we all invested so much in and loved, it thoroughly breaks its generic contract with us. The last two episodes hurt, but I think I'm processing now. Ugh. I don't know. If you do watch it, watch with someone who is a fellow fan, I think? That will make it better.
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Or if there would be, he wasn't going to be involved with it, so why did he fuckin' care?
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Gah.
Have a massive fandom solidarity hug.
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i hope like fuck there isn't anything after this - no series, no books, no radio dramas, nothing
it's fucking over
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i don't have an angry icon
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At least if we saw everyday heroism, the people of the Earth refusing to give up their kids, the governments making some attempt to fight before folding, appeasing, there would be some hope for humanity. But we just didn't really see that. Yes, individuals stood up (and then failed) but they were marked as exceptional. This is a terrible vision of humanity.
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I think it's saying: our poltiicians will knuckle under. All they care about is politics. And we're too stupid and powerless and apathetic to do anything about it.
Right.
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(The comment has been removed)
Our show has cover stories involving jellied eels and mindreading pendants and EPIC MANPAIN. It's dark, but it's not a hopeless world-- Suzie thinks it is and kills herself after saying that much, and the ENTIRE REST OF THE SHOW is kind of pinned on proving her wrong. On pointing out that the wonder, however occasional, can make up for all the 'shit that falls through the rift'.
I don't know if you should watch it. I guess. Days 1-3 are lovely, I really do think so, and have some great moments. And all of the days are good writing, good television. Just not the television show that we all invested so much in and loved, it thoroughly breaks its generic contract with us. The last two episodes hurt, but I think I'm processing now. Ugh. I don't know. If you do watch it, watch with someone who is a fellow fan, I think? That will make it better.
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