Doctor Who Poster

[fairyd123]

You know you're reaching tragic fan girl status when you buy the Rado Times purely because you want the token for the ginormous Jack/Ten/Martha poster that they're giving away!

And whilst it was lovely to see a two page interview with John Barrowman in the mag his answer to one of the questions did inspire slightly psychotic tendencies in me:

Q - Who will Jack miss the most from the Torchwood team?
A - If you're talking personal, Gwen because he can talk to her.He's the only one she talks to and they have a relationship that he has with none of the others.

Aaaargh! And the guy your character is actually sleeping with? What is he chopped liver?

I get that it's a Radio Times interview about Doctor Who and an interview appearing in an issue that they want lots of mums to buy because of the poster offer so Barrowman has to be very sweet and vanilla and so discussions of Jack/Ianto aren't really on the menu. But I am beginning to get a tiny bit worried that the production team are simply going to ignore all the Jack/Ianto moments in the last episode and call it "character development."

I have to say apart from better writing in general the one thing that I am praying that they change in Torchwood series two is this "Gwen is Jack's only friend in the whole wide world" bullshit. Now that his entire team knows he's immortal and as Jack will hopefully be a tad chirpier once he gets back from his travels with the Doctor I really want to see him interacting and building relationships with his entire team - not just Gwen.

I do feel that Eve Myles is a fantastic actress and I don't think I would have disliked her character quite as much as I did if they hadn't kept forcing Gwen into the horribly contrived role of Jack's confidante. It never really made logical sense that Jack was willing to spill his guts to her. Yes, she knew he was immortal and yes I guess Gwen was an outlet for Jack but their friendship just never felt real to me. Gwen always came across as far too self-centered for me to believe that she really cared about Jack and even Gwen keeping watch over Jack's body felt like it was more about her, about Gwen being the only one who cared enough to do it whilst poor Ianto's heart was breaking in quieter and less showy ways, than it ever was about Jack. It didn't help that Barrowman and Myles (although they both seem to be very close and adorably cute together in real life) really don't have much on-screen chemistry. Unlike John and Naoko whose scenes together in Captain Jack Harkness felt wonderfully natural and un-forced. Hell I'd be happier with Owen being Jack's confidante than Gwen!

The Radio Times also says in its spoiler free review that Utopia is "surprisingly clunky" and seems to have only been crafted for its climax. Oh well! I guess I'll just be happy with Barrowman and Tennant being on screen together!

Comments

[avon-09.livejournal.com]

I'd like to give you a long detailed response to this post but as I agree with everything you've said, all I can is YES.

[fairyd123.livejournal.com]

Whenever you see John and Eve on the dvd extras they are funny and giggly and cute and Eve comes across as very charming. But that Kitten cuteness just doesn't translate to the screen and what clearly is a very lovely natural friendship in reality just comes across as a contrivance within the context of the show. So why keep ramming it down our throats that they're bestest friends for life? The fact that Barrowman himself is saying it does worry me slightly - they left the Jack/Ianto relationship so vague (and it was hopelessly muddled anyway) that I fear they'll just wipe the slate clean and get them both new love interests in the new series. Which would be tiresome but hey we'd always have fanfic!

[avon-09.livejournal.com]

Perhaps he trying not to alienate sections of the audience?

[ffarff.livejournal.com]

hello,
i completely agree. i didn't feel that Gwen and Jack has much chemistry.
i suppose, as you said, it is the heterosexual love interest with complications - always a favourite with the housewives and teenage girls [actually thats wrong teenage girls love a whole lot of gaysex.]
which is why Ianto is suggested and nothing much more.
im hoping that they give the Ianto/Jck thing a little bit more a push but not make it obvious or it wouldn't be that interesting. flirt flirt flirt in series 2.

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

Jack's line in Captain Jack Harkness - "There's no-one" - really made me wonder about his relationship with Ianto. Is Ianto in lerv but it's not reciprocated? Are they just f*** buddies? Or is it just that Jack's PA provides a comprehensive service? >:-)

[coffeegirl18.livejournal.com]

I think that line was more meant to be an 'eeeep I may never make it out of here alive with this scary Bilis guy after us'. So Jack tries to make the most of it and goes after the guy who's identity he eventually steals. Keep in mind that Jack is a very in the moment kind of guy. I also kind of see him and Ianto in a rather open relationship rather than a mutually exclusive one, well at least for now anyway.