COE and team competence. Oh really?...

[rabecka]

So... many, many others have written brilliant post mortems, and now that I've seen all 5 episodes, I'm not going to compete. However, I have a somewhat different complaint, that I hope others might find interesting.

Essentially, it aggravates me that the team had to be pretty incompetent for COE to play out like it did. There were just so many

Comments

[piepeloe]

I know, I've noticed a lot of these myself as well, and a couple of others. I know TW often has plotholes and most other shows probably do too, but I usually don't notice them. I don't know if it's because this time they were more obvious or if this time I just really didn't like the outcome. I admire CoE for the emotional impact, the visual style, the acting,...those things were all a lot better this time around than previous series of TW so I could understand why I didn't notice the plotholes while I was watching, but I've never noticed this many inconsistencies even when watching an episode for a second time or when thinking about it later on.

It's too bad really especially since they must have known there would be a huge reaction from the fans. If the story had been airtight, people would obviously still be upset but it would have been a more fitting end to the TW we all knew.

[aeshna_uk]

Dramatic license. ;) If everything had to be accurate and make sense on TV then there wouldn't be any of those 5 million forensic policing shows around! It's more about the emotional flow of the drama keeping the viewers engaged.

I actually really liked the "where do we meet" conversation between Gwen and Ianto specifically because they don't give a named place - they have every reason to think their conversation is being listened to, so they have to be obscure and not just give the game away to the assassins.

You know that I have a much happier view of Jack's time with TW than most. ;) And while I agree that he should have oodles of cash squirrelled away, getting at it in those circumstances might be tricky.

Can't invoke Sarah-Jane. Last thing you want is the kiddies trying to tune in! Ditto the Doctor. ;) Mind you, what would the Doctor have actually done? Stood there and yelled at the 456 a bit, no doubt, and we've seen how were that approach worked out

[motschekiebchen]

Hm, about Tosh not noticing I have to disagree. I agrre with you that she is not infallible but I'm pretty sure after Suzies computer manipulation in "They keep killing Suzie" I'm pretty sure Jack would have insisted on her checking out the whole system for any more traps.

Other's incompetence are no excuse

[hohaiyee]

Torchwood is not CSI or 24 or the Star War Episodes...different standards apply, overlapping but different fan groups.

Tosh was so brilliant she fixed the plans for the sonic screwdriver as she built it even though she has never encountered it before. If the people who outsmarted her was competent, yeah, I'll give, Doctor Who could probably outsmart her, but she was outsmarted by idiots who decided that bombing Torchwood and giving into aliens demands from Day One makes sense.

Deus Angst MachinaI was disturbed during the children's snatching scene, but through most of the series, I was too distracted by the idiocy to be emotionally involved. During Ianto's screendeath, I was washing dishes. I'll be more affected if his death was remotely plausible. Yes, Ianto could have died dozens of times, the hellbitch who poured cement to contain Jack (couldn't she have shot the man first?) could have shot Ianto during recon or whatever. Getting killed after getting into the building just so he can be killed? Deus Ex Machina

[rabecka]

Don't disagree with you on poetic license, and obviously many of these things were done for laughs or drama. It was just the shear number of them that got to me. Individual episodes have hit me the same way, but you know, single episode

[welshactorlover]

Totally agree with No. 16. Jack was all bluster - just what did he hope to achieve by threatening the 456? And when they called his bluff he was totally powerless. It was all just a plot device to kill Ianto.

Re No. 17, I think it was all about showing Ianto's blind faith in Jack's ability to save the day, when actually Jack was useless and Ianto's faith just got him killed.

[arkadelos]

After reading all the spoilers, I realized that RTD has alienated both the heterosexuals and the homosexuals. I think that is the first time a series has ever alienated both. Where are they going to get their fanbase now?

[rose_cat]

Asexuals? *ducks*

[selenityshiroi]

Nope...asexual here, and I'm pissed at him. I keep debating with myself as to whether I'm going to buy CoE on DVD/Blu Ray. But with every interview RTD gives where he belittles the fandom, I'm more sure that my answer is No.

[arkadelos]

The only thing I can say is about Sarah Jane. It would not have worked out to bring her onto TW because her series is a children's show. It would have been very inappropriate for all the audiences and the themes of each series.

As for everything else... yeah, it absolutely sucked. I read all the Brit spoilers, and that convinced me not to watch it.

[rabecka]

I never expected either Sarah Jane or the Doctor to show up. I was mainly annoyed at the assumption that because the hub was destroyed, Jack was completely cut off. Just trying to point out that, over the years, he should have made plenty of contacts that could help. SJ was just one we knew about.

[satanassa]

You get a standing ovation from me for pointing out all these things! Another thing that bothered me right from the start was the word 'children'. What do the 456 mean when they say children? Kids of at least school age? Are infants included? Teens up to 16? Up to 18?
Also, 44 years ago the aliens were satisfied with 12 children to supply all their drug habits. Now why do they need millions all of a sudden? Since the politicians were shown to be so cold-blooded, couldn't they have bargained with the aliens that they would give them X number of children every year, X being a number small enough not to be detected by the public.
But, I am just a silly fangirl after all! Who am I to question the great writing skills of His Highness Russell T Davies.