Days of Being LJ

Then there were 3...

I’ve actually written a lot on torchwood over the years from analysis pieces, fandom wanks to short sharp OMG moments. But lately I haven’t had the necessary urge to wax lyrical about John Barrowman’s innate lack of fashion sense however I’ve been trying to formulate a reaction piece on “Children of Earth” for ages. For a TV show which I’ve followed since its inception (not just from its infancy, a clear distinction I make) my feelings towards Torchwood are obviously clouded by the Meta of being a fan.

COE has the peculiar function of being “event television” according to the BBC. Whether it was to cut costs or to explore new ground in TV formats, the decision to make season 3 of TW into a 5 nighter mini-series was odd considering the excess of success it found on BBC3 and then BBC2 in its first 2 seasons. But then the BBC has always done things its way and not all of its programming decisions could be defined and explained in a logical fashion.

So the first hurdle of approaching TW as a 5 part mini series is the acceptance of its format. How would I fit it into my schedule? How do I cope with only having one of my favourite shows for 1 week rather than 13 weeks? And furthermore how do I connect with other fans in the short 24 hour period between the episodes considering the time difference between the UK and Australia? That’s nearly not enough time to create icons, fan wank or love poetry dedicated to Ianto. Oh the woes of being a fan.

The Drama

Rounding up the sacrificial lambs

There’s no question that COE was a top rate drama. The script was brilliant; the dialogue cut deep, the actions deeper but most noteworthy were the themes which where unabashedly covered without fear. Murder-suicide in a family, children as sacrificial lambs (always a crowd pleaser) and the machinations of a self-preserving government being just a few which struck a chord with viewers. It’s not that science fiction doesn’t deal with such themes normally but it’s the reality of which COE dealt with them was the most interesting and harrowing.

Capaldi as Frobisher

Of course much kudos has to go to director Euros Lynn and in particular Peter Capaldi, for his characterisation of John Frobisher, in bringing the pathos of the situation to the viewer. Most importantly I think it’s right to recognise the gall of the BBC producers to green light such storylines and have trust in the cast and crew to give justice to the script and to also accept the harsh editorial decisions made by Russell T Davies (RTD) and  writer James Moran. Because I gather under certain more commercial broadcasters COE may have ended up a wishy washy and predictable affair rather than a drama with some serious bite and issues to contemplate.

Sure there are clunky areas like in any show and parts which work better than others. COE is not perfect and has many flaws but overall from the perspective of good drama it’s excellent even though at times hard to watch because it deals simply with the reality of how dark and depraved humanity can be and when it comes down to the hard decisions we are overwhelmed by the animal instinct for self-preservation.

The Characters

Janto, not made to last

Obviously the most contentious decision made in COE was the killing off of Ianto. Sci fi has had a history of killing off popular and enamoured characters and I guess that’s why fanfic was invented. However generally character deaths are kept for those on the periphery or those with cult following but which don’t factor in a high percentage of participation in the show. Most networks, producers, broadcasters and commissioners would generally agree on not killing a popular character for fear of driving away a considerable share of the audience. Which is I guess another ball busting decision by the BBC to give RTD the freedom to kill off a character which for fandom at least become a much favoured and important part of the show.

But if one looks at RTD’s past history he is not one to adhere to the formula of commercial TV. He is mostly true to his stories and character arcs. When he deems something has come to a natural end he will end it. I gather than RTD does not prolong characters or storylines beyond what he deems to be the natural end. Obviously not everyone agrees, sure as a fan I thought Ianto and Jack could have possibly more ground to cover but this is a reflection on my interests as a fan of the individual characters. Although what RTD deems to be a natural end might not be the correct decision in certain situations, god knows the Daleks and Cybermen have come to their natural ends many times in Who.

Other then the senseless and brutal murder of Ianto (queue the tears of millions of fangirls) the other great decision of great debate was the characterisation of Captain Jack. I for one am a bit perplexed why TPTB have continually made Jack the harbinger of death, gloom and destruction as well as putting him at the centre and making him personally responsible for all of the shite that happens.

lamb numero uno

So this is a guy that loses his brother to aliens as a kid, and then gets imprisoned by the same brother underground for 2000 years as an act of retribution, watches all his closest mates and partners die because of his decisions and then has to sacrifice his own grandson so the children of earth could be saved. But when does absolution factor in for him? How much pain can Jack go through until he finally gets cut some slack and has some happiness in life?

When we first meet Jack, he’s this happy go lucky guy. Sure there’s pain, anger and confusion just below the surface but he was this bright star for those around him. In season 9 of Who, he brought out much of the joy in both Rose and the Doctor. And I wish for some of that spark to come back. Frankly I’m a bit tired of emo Jack. He deserves to be happier and this doesn’t mean total annihilation of angst or conflict but it means that we can perhaps explore the missing 2 years referenced in Who rather than build more “Jack the Mass Murderer” storylines.

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Of course COE is not devoid of the slightly juvenile humour TW has been known for, nor the awkwardness of its relationships either. However if this personifies event TV then I’d like to see more event TV thanks. And due to the overwhelming success of COE (won it’s timeslot, most viewed program in the UK after soaps like Corrie/Eastenders) this format and TW is possibly here to stay.

P.S It also looks AWESOME in HD (in particular Barrowman’s butt)

LJK television analysis, discussion, john barrowman, opinion, russell t davies, torchwood, tv