Torchwood 2x05: "Adam"
Feb. 14th, 2008 09:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jadesfireI barely know where to start with this, since I loved so much of the episode. In an attempt to get myself to calm down, I've started with the few things that bugged me about it – mostly plot holes, nothing major – before getting to the 101 things I loved. I think I'm going to need a whole other post for my response to Jack, but I'm going to need more time for that, so I've pretty much left him out here.
I did watch 'Reset' as well, but that post is going to have to wait until I've written the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
torchwood_meta one, and stopped bouncing off the walls with excitement.
So, to start with the problems:
- The gaping plot hole that was the conclusion. Things like what's Rhys going to say to Gwen when she gets home? And they're seriously going to just let this go? Not try to find out who Adam was? Maybe they will, but have no success. Who knows? I just would have liked to see more of that on the screen.
- Note to Jack: Do not reconstruct unknown alien artefacts under uncontrolled conditions. While I loved the effect of that part, I have to admit I was yelling at him not to reconstruct the box. *sigh* You'd think he'd know better by now.
- Note to the director: Please keep JB's acting under control. He sometimes pushes just a little bit too hard in the emotional exposition scenes, and he's not great at monologues. I thought the last scene with his father, when he says that 'this isn't what happens' was great, but just standing still, emoting into the distance, he falls back on his theatre roots, which comes across as too big for the small screen.
- The last Tosh/Owen scene. I found that just a little bit over done, as though CT really wanted to make the point that "things are as they were". It's not that I disagree with the decision, but I felt it was just a little bit too much.
- Jack letting Adam back into his mind at the end. While it led to my favourite part of the whole episode, I was still yelling "You Muppet!" at the screen.
Nope, it's no good. I still don't know where to start. I think more than anything, I loved the tone of this episode. Catherine Tregana is probably the best character drama writer on the Torchwood team, and she created a complete story just out of the characters – who they are and how they relate to each other was everything in this, proving that the best science fiction is character driven.
The Plot, such as it was, was wonderfully simple: what happens to the Torchwood team when you mess with their memories of who they are? All the drama came out of the characters, and if it hadn't been for Ianto's diary, it would have taken much longer for them to figure everything out. But I loved the way that things snowballed once Ianto found out, and Jack's complete trust in the other man that forced him into action.
Ianto is definitely growing on me. Snarky, capable, and still just a little bit shy, his scene with Adam played out really well, and I loved the mixed scared/scary performance in front of the lie detector. And doesn’t he know better than to keep a diary? I can see it as the kind of thing he would do, and the scene with Jack at the end was just priceless. I think we have another 'line that spawned a thousand fics' and the tape measure is about to become as ubiquitous as the stopwatch, but I can live with that, just for the look on Ianto's face.
Gwen was great – this is the kind of performance that Eve Myles hits every single time. Lost and frightened, but strong and determined as well. Her falling back in love with Rhys was so well handled, and the bedtime scene was such a lovely mix of awkward and tender, and a perfect echo/contrast to the one at the beginning. Her smile when she said 'it was nice, though' made me just melt.
I can't just pass by without saying something about the 'Not like I love you' line, which actually, I really liked. Gwen's happy memories, her defining moments, are all with Rhys. Yes, she loves Jack, but it is different to the way she loves Rhys, and I thought Jack's response was pitch perfect. Tender and acknowledging it, but not doing more than that. Plus, I love the idea that both Jack/Gwen and Jack/Ianto is canon, because it works with the way that I think of Jack.
Last season, I never would have thought that my 'most want to hug' character would be Owen, but he's by far and away my favourite in S2. This is the man who was lurking under the surface in S1, swamped by bitterness that made me really dislike him. Now, with the heat of his anger gone without losing the brittle edge that makes him Owen, I just adore him. It helps that Burn Gorman pretty much acts everyone else off the screen. His preppy!Owen was pitch perfect, and his scene with Tosh in the briefing room was wonderfully difficult to watch, as was his later apology. When Adam says 'he's happier like this', I had such a mixture of 'no he's not!' and 'yes he is', but came down on the side of 'no'. I like Owen more confident and snarky, but he was also completely convincing as sweet and shy. The performance absolutely made this episode for me.
The revelations about his past, about his childhood, go so far to explaining Owen, as well as the end of S1 and his relationship with Jack. I think I want to write more about this, once I get my head around the words.
And Tosh? Well, I loved sexy!Tosh, and thought it was great to see her come out of her shell and be confident and happy. I was all but crying for her at the end, with all that she was going to lose. Strong suits her, and it was a shock to go back to the 'real' Tosh, who I suddenly wanted to shout at to be braver. Naoko Mori and Burn Gorman gave the performances of the episode, and they seem to bounce off each other incredibly well. I can't think of much else to say, other than 'more of this Tosh, please!'
As a baddie, I really liked Adam. I thought the actor playing him did a fantastic job, just the right side of creepy, and suitably earnest when his (Adam's) role called for it. He had great chemistry with Tosh, and his scenes with Jack just sparkled, especially at the end. As much as it was easy to hate him for what he'd done, I had a smidge of sympathy for him, just trying to survive, the only way he can. A well written and superbly performed part.
So, what about Jack? I have far too much to say, so will restrain myself to a few bullet points for now:
- He is the team's rock, and they are his family. It's pretty much that simple. For me, the most striking showing of this wasn't the conference room scene, it was when he first pulls the gun on Adam. He says that he looked that pictures and felt nothing for him, no pride, no warmth. So that's what he feels when he looks at his team.
- He showed both his ruthlessness and his compassion, locking Adam up to starve, then giving him one last chance. He's also selfish, taking that risk in order to have his memory unburied. There are mountains of character depth there that I'm going to have to scale another time.
- He loves Gwen and he loves Ianto. The two are not mutually exclusive.
- I lovedlovedloved that in all the 'childhood' scenes, no-one said his name. This makes me happy, because I want much of Jack's past to remain a mystery. I love that every time we find something out, it creates a dozen more questions. What we saw explains a lot about Jack's character, without really telling us anything fundamental about his early life. Excellent.
I have to stop there before I get carried away. I also have to try and formulate this fortorchwood_meta, which I think is going to require more coffee.
What I do know is that I nearly died of squee last night (my other half's hand may never be the same again after I kept grabbing it and bouncing), and that it's lasted right through to this morning. Torchwood's all grown up, and turning into the show we all said it could be. Hoorah!
I did watch 'Reset' as well, but that post is going to have to wait until I've written the
torchwood_meta one, and stopped bouncing off the walls with excitement.So, to start with the problems:
- The gaping plot hole that was the conclusion. Things like what's Rhys going to say to Gwen when she gets home? And they're seriously going to just let this go? Not try to find out who Adam was? Maybe they will, but have no success. Who knows? I just would have liked to see more of that on the screen.
- Note to Jack: Do not reconstruct unknown alien artefacts under uncontrolled conditions. While I loved the effect of that part, I have to admit I was yelling at him not to reconstruct the box. *sigh* You'd think he'd know better by now.
- Note to the director: Please keep JB's acting under control. He sometimes pushes just a little bit too hard in the emotional exposition scenes, and he's not great at monologues. I thought the last scene with his father, when he says that 'this isn't what happens' was great, but just standing still, emoting into the distance, he falls back on his theatre roots, which comes across as too big for the small screen.
- The last Tosh/Owen scene. I found that just a little bit over done, as though CT really wanted to make the point that "things are as they were". It's not that I disagree with the decision, but I felt it was just a little bit too much.
- Jack letting Adam back into his mind at the end. While it led to my favourite part of the whole episode, I was still yelling "You Muppet!" at the screen.
Nope, it's no good. I still don't know where to start. I think more than anything, I loved the tone of this episode. Catherine Tregana is probably the best character drama writer on the Torchwood team, and she created a complete story just out of the characters – who they are and how they relate to each other was everything in this, proving that the best science fiction is character driven.
The Plot, such as it was, was wonderfully simple: what happens to the Torchwood team when you mess with their memories of who they are? All the drama came out of the characters, and if it hadn't been for Ianto's diary, it would have taken much longer for them to figure everything out. But I loved the way that things snowballed once Ianto found out, and Jack's complete trust in the other man that forced him into action.
Ianto is definitely growing on me. Snarky, capable, and still just a little bit shy, his scene with Adam played out really well, and I loved the mixed scared/scary performance in front of the lie detector. And doesn’t he know better than to keep a diary? I can see it as the kind of thing he would do, and the scene with Jack at the end was just priceless. I think we have another 'line that spawned a thousand fics' and the tape measure is about to become as ubiquitous as the stopwatch, but I can live with that, just for the look on Ianto's face.
Gwen was great – this is the kind of performance that Eve Myles hits every single time. Lost and frightened, but strong and determined as well. Her falling back in love with Rhys was so well handled, and the bedtime scene was such a lovely mix of awkward and tender, and a perfect echo/contrast to the one at the beginning. Her smile when she said 'it was nice, though' made me just melt.
I can't just pass by without saying something about the 'Not like I love you' line, which actually, I really liked. Gwen's happy memories, her defining moments, are all with Rhys. Yes, she loves Jack, but it is different to the way she loves Rhys, and I thought Jack's response was pitch perfect. Tender and acknowledging it, but not doing more than that. Plus, I love the idea that both Jack/Gwen and Jack/Ianto is canon, because it works with the way that I think of Jack.
Last season, I never would have thought that my 'most want to hug' character would be Owen, but he's by far and away my favourite in S2. This is the man who was lurking under the surface in S1, swamped by bitterness that made me really dislike him. Now, with the heat of his anger gone without losing the brittle edge that makes him Owen, I just adore him. It helps that Burn Gorman pretty much acts everyone else off the screen. His preppy!Owen was pitch perfect, and his scene with Tosh in the briefing room was wonderfully difficult to watch, as was his later apology. When Adam says 'he's happier like this', I had such a mixture of 'no he's not!' and 'yes he is', but came down on the side of 'no'. I like Owen more confident and snarky, but he was also completely convincing as sweet and shy. The performance absolutely made this episode for me.
The revelations about his past, about his childhood, go so far to explaining Owen, as well as the end of S1 and his relationship with Jack. I think I want to write more about this, once I get my head around the words.
And Tosh? Well, I loved sexy!Tosh, and thought it was great to see her come out of her shell and be confident and happy. I was all but crying for her at the end, with all that she was going to lose. Strong suits her, and it was a shock to go back to the 'real' Tosh, who I suddenly wanted to shout at to be braver. Naoko Mori and Burn Gorman gave the performances of the episode, and they seem to bounce off each other incredibly well. I can't think of much else to say, other than 'more of this Tosh, please!'
As a baddie, I really liked Adam. I thought the actor playing him did a fantastic job, just the right side of creepy, and suitably earnest when his (Adam's) role called for it. He had great chemistry with Tosh, and his scenes with Jack just sparkled, especially at the end. As much as it was easy to hate him for what he'd done, I had a smidge of sympathy for him, just trying to survive, the only way he can. A well written and superbly performed part.
So, what about Jack? I have far too much to say, so will restrain myself to a few bullet points for now:
- He is the team's rock, and they are his family. It's pretty much that simple. For me, the most striking showing of this wasn't the conference room scene, it was when he first pulls the gun on Adam. He says that he looked that pictures and felt nothing for him, no pride, no warmth. So that's what he feels when he looks at his team.
- He showed both his ruthlessness and his compassion, locking Adam up to starve, then giving him one last chance. He's also selfish, taking that risk in order to have his memory unburied. There are mountains of character depth there that I'm going to have to scale another time.
- He loves Gwen and he loves Ianto. The two are not mutually exclusive.
- I lovedlovedloved that in all the 'childhood' scenes, no-one said his name. This makes me happy, because I want much of Jack's past to remain a mystery. I love that every time we find something out, it creates a dozen more questions. What we saw explains a lot about Jack's character, without really telling us anything fundamental about his early life. Excellent.
I have to stop there before I get carried away. I also have to try and formulate this for
torchwood_meta, which I think is going to require more coffee. What I do know is that I nearly died of squee last night (my other half's hand may never be the same again after I kept grabbing it and bouncing), and that it's lasted right through to this morning. Torchwood's all grown up, and turning into the show we all said it could be. Hoorah!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 10:54 am (UTC)You know, tomorrow is that thing in Borders. Do you have any thoughts about going? I am quite willing to come and calm,as I am back at work, but I should warn you that I have a hacking cough and by tomorrow am likely to be giving my best Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer impersonation. You may not want to be seen with me in public.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 10:55 am (UTC)I've decided not to, since I can't take the humiliation, and I also have no money to buy the book.
Hope you feel better soon!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 11:35 am (UTC)If you like, we could always meet for a coffee after work one day, without stars and hopefully without germs.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 10:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 11:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 12:42 pm (UTC)He loves Gwen and he loves Ianto. The two are not mutually exclusive. *grabs you and hugs you tight* THANK YOU. Everywhere I look, people are trying to rationalise this and say there is no Jack/Gwen, there's only Jack/Ianto, and it makes me want to beat people with a big stick because HOW CAN THEY NOT SEE IT???? Jack is capable of loving more than one person at once, for different reasons, and in different ways, but the basic thing is he LOVES THEM BOTH. And if I see one more post about how it's not romantic love with Gwen, I may be forced to kill the person and mount their head somewhere as an example to others.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:01 pm (UTC)It was fine for him to love both the Doctor and Rose romantically, so why not Gwen and Ianto? Or is that there's no threesome potential? It just bugs me, because Jack's so much bigger than that.
Happy to help ;) *is squished*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:15 pm (UTC)None of that's got a damn thing to do with it the reality of the situation which just is that Jack loves them both, Gwen loves them both, and Ianto-poo's doing just fine thanks.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:19 pm (UTC)I haven't said this before, because I worry about getting flamed, but I wonder...I wonder if there would be so much fuss about this if one of the relationships wasn't same sex. If it was Jack and two women, would there be so much fuss? Possibly, but I can't help but think much of the denial is because it's Jack/Ianto not Jack/Isabel. Whether because it's a novelty to see a gay relationship handled so matter-of-fact-ly, or because fangirls get over-excited by these things, I just wonder... Fangirls like their slash, and don't like things getting in the way of it. If Jack/Gwen isn't romantic, then there isn't an issue.
I'm not sure that came out right, but I think that's what I mean. I may have you have 'you and your quaint little categories' engraved on a stick to beat people with...
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:23 pm (UTC)On the other, and much bigger, hand - DUDE, JACK IS NOT FUCKING GAY. LET HIM HAVE HIS SEXUALITY. And the fangirl/slash stuff is definitely part of it. A big part of it. It kind of bugs me, because honestly. I suck at het (though I want to be better) but. It's not exclusive and. There's a whole world of rant in there, somewhere.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:32 pm (UTC)I get that it's exciting, I really do. I just wish it didn't lead to so much character bashing and brain-twisting to get the canon to mean what you want it to mean. Canon's been pretty clear on Jack/Gwen (if my husband can spot it, anyone can spot it, quote: "That bit [the 'up against the warehouse' scene in 'Meat'] looked like it was going to fade into Swedish porn") and fine if you don't like that, but it's no good getting miffed with Gwen. Get miffed with the writers, sure. But it's not her fault! *sigh*
Okay, that comment ended in a different place than I was expecting, but never mind... My fingers are twitching to write fic on this...I just need to find somewhere to start. *searches for brain*
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:35 pm (UTC)I do think there's a point where people not seeing things that seem clear to me may be honestly just not seeing it (I still dont' see Doctor/Rose romance in canon, though I know it's apparently there, it's not conveyed in a way that rings 'romance' bells for me.) but taking it out on Gwen? Not okay. Taking it out on Eve? Even less okay, and makes me wonder about that confusion issue even more, and makes me growly.
And YAY fic.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:43 pm (UTC)I'm not sure what I'd do with the fic...but just something about it not being a limited issue for Jack. Mind you, it's so going to be called 'Out of the Box' ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:45 pm (UTC)*cackles* Perfect. Title.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 07:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 08:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 09:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 07:45 pm (UTC)..What? Uh, I'm sorry, but, whut? In my brain "foreigners' stereotypes of attractive female Swedes" = 'Swedish volleyball team', which totally does not work in that context... O_o;;; Weeell, I guess it sort of could work, but it would be extremely cracktastic.
Would you please enlighten me?
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 07:50 pm (UTC)There's a stereotype (and since I've never visited I don't know) that there are more freely available porn channels in Scandanavia in general, so I think Swedish was chosen for that reason. Er, no offence intended...
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 08:09 pm (UTC)No offense taken! It just amused me and piqued my interest :-D
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:50 pm (UTC)Jack can love them both and need them both without loving the both in the exact same way and it's equally a disservice to the character to think otherwise.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 02:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 07:11 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 07:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 07:29 pm (UTC)I'd spent five minutes waving my hands and deleting what I'd typed trying to put that into words. Most helpful, thanks :)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 07:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:36 pm (UTC)I thought the script was great. I loved the Gwen/Rhys scene, and thought that although the retcon scene could have tripped over the line, they held it back (although the music was driving me insane - I'm watching with subtitles next time...). What didn't you like about the writing? There were a couple of clunky lines, but nothing that really stood out for me.
I found Adam suitably creepy, precisely because I didn't feel he was a through and through villain. He's feeding, trying to survive, making it more complicated than just messing with them for the fun of it. If he'd been played as less 'normal', I don't think I would have liked him half as much.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 01:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-14 10:51 pm (UTC)I'm also thinking Tosh's cleavage should win an award. It was certainly very...noticeable throughout!
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-15 10:20 am (UTC)"And the nominees for best cleavage are..."
So much fun :)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-15 03:18 am (UTC)Also - thank you for giving kudos to Burn Gorman/Owen, I spent a lot of series 1 wanting to slap him, but he is my favourite now too, with Jack of course.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-02-15 10:23 am (UTC)Burn Gorman's by far and away the best actor in the cast. I wanted to like Owen in S1 - I could see the good guy lurking under the surface, but like you, wanted to give him a good clip round the earhole. Now? I adore him - proving you can do snark without being nasty. Hoorah! Plus he makes the world's most adorable geek :)