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Entry tags:
Meme, Reaction, Life
1. The Garden of Eden - Ernest Hemingway
2. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
3. A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess
4. The Namesake - Jhumpa Lahiri
This may have stemmed from watching Miracle Day at 4am, but I have decided that Torchwood is a metaphor for its own fandom. Let me attempt a vague explanation with which you will probably not agree. There ARE some spoilers, but really, the first episode isn't that spoilery to begin with. Read at your own risk.
So basically you have Torchwood: The Original. By which I mean Jack, Gwen, Rhys, and Andy (and also Gwen's parents, the inclusion of whom made me so happy, as they used the same actors as in Something Borrowed. It's a little thing, but it reassured me to no end). They are wary, weary, heartbroken, and downtrodden. It was a very post-COE world, and it broke my heart (count the 456 mentions!). And yet, when they see each other, there is such a comfort, such joy. Even Rhys's and Andy's mutual snipings seemed subdued and affectionate. It even felt less like Rhys hated Jack, but rather that he hated what he represented (death, destruction, etc.) for his wife, his family. And you know what? It summed up exactly how I felt. I am wary, too, and still a bit crushed after all of the loss, but seeing them on screen together made my heart do little flips.
This is where fandom, old school fandom, is right now. We're torn.
But enter the new fandom. The equally-wary, but for different reasons. The people blinking rapidly and repeating, "What the FUCK is Torchwood and why is it in Wales!?" Wales even gets compared to Jersey (I would SO watch The Welsh Shore). These people are vastly confused and sort of...hijack Torchwood: The Original (Cast Recording). Meanwhile, Torchwood: The Original (Motion Picture Soundtrack) is a bit ticked off. Okay, no, they're wicked pissed.
I think what best summed it up for me was when Jack was explaining his unhealing wounds to Gwen, and Rex overhears. Basically, Rex is all, "Wait, why is this important?" and Jack says, quite peeved, "It doesn't concern you." And that's just it. I wanted to jump and point at the screen, but as I had already woken my family up at 4am shouting things like, "RHYS!" and "ANDY!" I figured I'd best keep still.
Look, this isn't Seasons 1 or 2. It is darker, smoother, and of a grander scale. But it isn't COE, either. Yes, we're dropped in the midst of the action, but it moves at a fairly comfortable pace. I wasn't confused or second-guessing the motivations of the characters at all. Granted, this is only the first episode, but I have to say...I liked it. It felt like coming home (admittedly to a dysfunctional family that I will probably want to escape again in the near future).
For those worried about the new cast, I will say this: I was, too. Seriously. But Bill Pullman was eerie and yet comfortable as Oswald (also, Parents: Don't name your kids things like that. It does NOT bode well) and Rex? Rex reminds me a bit of Owen. And Esther reminds me of Tosh. And I already ship them SO HARD.
Will you like this show? Maybe, maybe not. Everyone's tastes are different. Mine, so far, align well with what I've seen. Am I still mourning Ianto? Ha. Ianto!? I'm still mourning SUZIE (which I swear has nothing to do with my Serious Crush on Indira Varma. No, really, not at all), and it only gets worse from there. That said, this doesn't gloss over their deaths. More than what COE showed, there is tribute here. Homage, if you will, that was not paid in COE, that was hushed up as though the previous characters and events never existed. (Disclaimer: There were a lot of parts of COE that I truly enjoyed. I like dark. This may influence your opinion of my opinion).
And yes. I'm probably going to rewatch it again, sometime this weekend.
To paraphrase Evan the Cannibal, "I watched because it made me happy." But remember this, friends: Watch or don't, I still love you and hope you'll stick around. :)
In other news, I am Officially on Vacation. The week will be spent at my former coworker's home, while SHE is on vacation in Nantucket. Basically, I am getting paid to lounge in a nice, quiet house with BBCA and pets. And also, radio plays, if I'm lucky. I'm also heading up to Boston on Tuesday to see A Perfect Circle. I CANNOT wait.
Of note, this is the first time in almost 2 years that I've turned off my work email on my Blackberry. I already feel shaky.
Now, I just need to pack, and get my most recent dramaturgical packet out (Richard III, why must you be so complicated?!), and then attempt something like relaxation. Because, as I mentioned...VACATION.
Also, there is a thunderstorm right now. I should probably go play in it.
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and thanks for this. I am of the firm opinion I can have my cake and eat it: I can love Jack/Ianto, like Gwen, mourn Ianto and still look forward to MD - life goes on and it sounds as if that has been captured
now, is it Thursday yet? (
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And yes, exactly. I do like, so far, how they did this. Life has progressed, moved forward, as it does...but the actors did a decent job of portraying the pain (and the happy moments) they would be feeling.
Let me know what you think when you see it!
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I'm not a person who usually writes reviews / reactions - so I'm still in two minds about doing that... that said, plotbunnies are already brewing from what I've heard :D