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Sorry about the disappearing act, folks. I've been obscenely sick of late (am now on some sort of yummy inhaled steroid and some multi-symptom OTC crap in addition to the usual), trying not to fall over, etc.
As part of my medical treatment, I watched all of S2 yesterday.
It's interesting, the contrast between watching S2 mostly weekly versus watching it in big chunks. Where I think there were moments that felt a little jarring or uneven in the weekly viewing, S2 felt a lot more "whole" when taken as such. I can say finally that I agree with the cast/crew assessment that S2 feels more complete and improves on S1. (Not that I don't love S1 with a fiery passion. I do.)
I'll admit I came into "Exit Wounds" spoiled and was really concerned about how it was going to play out. Upon finally viewing it, though, I'm having trouble finding fault in the overall piece. Yeah, I can be nitpicky about some of the details, and I know a lot of people didn't like the actor playing Jack's brother, but it completed S2 very well.
That's not to say it wasn't hard to watch. We've watched them fill in a lot of blanks with Tosh, watched Owen start to really heal (and then get fucked over yet again), and saw them finally start to connect just in time for both of them to...well, lose. It's tragic. It's terrible. I must be a Time Lord because I had my heart ripped out twice.
And yet, I can't help but think any other ending would be cheap. Possibly even a giant bag of wank. As terrible and painful as it was to watch, these were two characters who died selflessly as heroes. They fought to the end, saved lives upon lives, and it was glorious. Just really brilliant. As someone who's not nearly done writing S2 fic -- hell, I haven't really started in earnest, what with the AU crap I've been playing with, and the way I sort of need to see the whole series before I'm ready to dive in hard -- I feel a real responsibility now to do these two justice while I have them.
And yeah, I might've had a drink for each of them last night. My own little TorchWake. I'm going to miss them.
As for the living, I have to say I'm damn proud of Ianto. He's come a long way from that broken, terrified lad we met in S1. Yeah, he's still winning at the Mostly Likely To Cry at The Drop of a Hat sweepstakes, but that okay. Ianto's quite good at sneaking up on us and being that human angle Gwen was always advertised as being, while also showing us what it is to really be Torchwood. I'm always going to want to see more of him, and not just in a hothouse sort of way.
Gwen, I'm pleased to say, finally came into her own last night. We've been working up to this all season, I think. Hello? Potential? Yes. Let's have a meeting. It was pretty damn awesome seeing her take control of Cardiff's finest, seeing her interact with Rhys, etc. I guess I could say I'm proud of her, too. In a fandom that largely loathes her, that's maybe not a popular sentiment, but oh well. That's a topic for another time.
And, of course, Jack. Oh Jack. Seriously. Jack. This is where I get a little incoherent because there's so little to say about how perfectly Jack our boy is in this one. I actually find him a little terrifying now. What sort of person can be buried alive, dying over and over again for nearly 2000 years, and come out of it like Jack Harkness does? How alien does that make him? How human?
(Also, how the hell does his clothing survive?! He's wearing all wool, leather, and cotton. Unexpected not-naked Jack. Disappointment!)
But yes. Roll on S3. Please. As Ianto says on the end-of-missions website, "We're going to need you now more than ever."
As part of my medical treatment, I watched all of S2 yesterday.
It's interesting, the contrast between watching S2 mostly weekly versus watching it in big chunks. Where I think there were moments that felt a little jarring or uneven in the weekly viewing, S2 felt a lot more "whole" when taken as such. I can say finally that I agree with the cast/crew assessment that S2 feels more complete and improves on S1. (Not that I don't love S1 with a fiery passion. I do.)
I'll admit I came into "Exit Wounds" spoiled and was really concerned about how it was going to play out. Upon finally viewing it, though, I'm having trouble finding fault in the overall piece. Yeah, I can be nitpicky about some of the details, and I know a lot of people didn't like the actor playing Jack's brother, but it completed S2 very well.
That's not to say it wasn't hard to watch. We've watched them fill in a lot of blanks with Tosh, watched Owen start to really heal (and then get fucked over yet again), and saw them finally start to connect just in time for both of them to...well, lose. It's tragic. It's terrible. I must be a Time Lord because I had my heart ripped out twice.
And yet, I can't help but think any other ending would be cheap. Possibly even a giant bag of wank. As terrible and painful as it was to watch, these were two characters who died selflessly as heroes. They fought to the end, saved lives upon lives, and it was glorious. Just really brilliant. As someone who's not nearly done writing S2 fic -- hell, I haven't really started in earnest, what with the AU crap I've been playing with, and the way I sort of need to see the whole series before I'm ready to dive in hard -- I feel a real responsibility now to do these two justice while I have them.
And yeah, I might've had a drink for each of them last night. My own little TorchWake. I'm going to miss them.
As for the living, I have to say I'm damn proud of Ianto. He's come a long way from that broken, terrified lad we met in S1. Yeah, he's still winning at the Mostly Likely To Cry at The Drop of a Hat sweepstakes, but that okay. Ianto's quite good at sneaking up on us and being that human angle Gwen was always advertised as being, while also showing us what it is to really be Torchwood. I'm always going to want to see more of him, and not just in a hothouse sort of way.
Gwen, I'm pleased to say, finally came into her own last night. We've been working up to this all season, I think. Hello? Potential? Yes. Let's have a meeting. It was pretty damn awesome seeing her take control of Cardiff's finest, seeing her interact with Rhys, etc. I guess I could say I'm proud of her, too. In a fandom that largely loathes her, that's maybe not a popular sentiment, but oh well. That's a topic for another time.
And, of course, Jack. Oh Jack. Seriously. Jack. This is where I get a little incoherent because there's so little to say about how perfectly Jack our boy is in this one. I actually find him a little terrifying now. What sort of person can be buried alive, dying over and over again for nearly 2000 years, and come out of it like Jack Harkness does? How alien does that make him? How human?
(Also, how the hell does his clothing survive?! He's wearing all wool, leather, and cotton. Unexpected not-naked Jack. Disappointment!)
But yes. Roll on S3. Please. As Ianto says on the end-of-missions website, "We're going to need you now more than ever."
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