My $.02 on the Torchwood News

[neadods]

sjarl marker #2



To keep this from being entirely content free, and because everyone's posting their $.02 about Torchwood being picked up: (WARNING: I'm not squeeing)

Starz can afford it, at least. It shouldn't look or be cheap. And it sounds like John Barrowman and Eve Myles will get some free trips out of filming.

However, it's being run by the exact same team and RTD has already said that the first episode is "shocking and touching," for which I read "bloodsoaked and emotionally manipulative." As I still have not forgiven them for the end of COE, I intend to neither be shocked, touched, nor watching. Maybe if they get through without killing off 60% of the cast and torturing children to death onscreen, I'll catch up after.

Comments

[mtgat]

Pretty much yep. Except I won't be catching up regardless.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I took this out of the main post because it's so bitchy, but I still think it - even when Shakespeare was mowing down kids like so much grass, he *didn't kill them onstage.* There are some things that civilized societies Just. Don't. Do. for entertainment.

[mtgat]

Agreed. Eleven Spoilers: In "Amy's Choice," even if it hadn't been obvious that fake Leadworth was fake, the second they vaporized the sprogs, it was clinched that this couldn't possibly be real. The Moff brings little kids back from the dead. Rusty sends them there for fun and profit. :P

[neadods.livejournal.com]

the second they vaporized the sprogs, it was clinched that this couldn't possibly be real.

Yeah, I thought that too. There's a lot I'm surprised I don't like about the Moffat era, but underaged snuff onscreen for LoLz is never going to be one of them.

Have I ever subjected you to the cozy/hardboiled analogy? It comes from the mystery genre, but it works so very nicely when held up to world views in general.

[mtgat]

I don't know that you have. Share?

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

Sounds like 24-lite with aliens and nudity. I bet money on at least one and possibly more of the new cast being American (actually American, I mean, not just Yank-accented like Jack).

[neadods.livejournal.com]

*facepalm* I hadn't even thought about 24. I'm sure they're going to ramp the violence up that much.

It's a pretty safe bet on the American. I'd even be willing to bet that all of the new ones will be American.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

"*facepalm* I hadn't even thought about 24. I'm sure they're going to ramp the violence up that much."

That formula worked for...how long was 24 on the air, nearly a decade? So there you go.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

What I remember most about 24 is the Pentagon brass asking them to dial it down several notches and being told "no." Apparently we as a culture don't even want a little bread with our circuses anymore.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

Clearly the Pentagon brass were evil liberals in league with Al-Qaeda, but then didn't we all already know that.

[stoplookingup.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad to be rid of Rusty et al in DW, it would be madness to go there again, especially after that horror show that was the end of CoE.. But I suspect I won't be able to resist, just out of curiosity. (I just checked, and apparently I do get Starz.)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I don't - I turned off premium cable ages ago - but if the curiosity gets to me, there's always *cough* a way *cough*.

But I agree about the horror show that was the end of CoE, and I'm not in a forgiving mood. Davies and Moran put themselves on my shitlist with that, and the subsequent "if you don't appreciate my genius, you're defective" defenses pretty much put them in slots 1 and 2.

Knowing fandom, just about anything I'd need to know about the show I'll learn by osmosis anyway.

[un-sedentary.livejournal.com]

I still have not watched the end of CoE, mostly because it disturbed me greatly to read that Jack was forced to sacrifice his grandson in front of his pleading daughter. I thought it was going way too far with the ~"dark" theme.

Also, I think they took the "anyone can die" thing too far. I wasn't hugely attached to Ianto, or Tosh, or Owen, but to kill all three of them is too much. It makes it look gratuitous. And I think RTD wants to be Joss Whedon when he grows up. Except Joss could afford to kill off characters, because he had a lot more than 5 main characters (let's say 7, including Andy and Rhys - still not enough). I think RTD forgot about that part. -_-

I thought it was funny that JB posted on Twitter earlier, "I hope all of you will come on this exciting journey with Captain Jack and the Team." WHAT TEAM. 3/4 of your team is dead and the one who lived has a baby. How exactly is that going to work.

I'm happy for him and Eve and understand why they're excited... I just don't think there's any way that it can be really Torchwood, with the Hub destroyed and so few characters returning.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

He was only "forced" because he wasn't thinking ahead in the first place - and this from someone who had dealt with the enemy before - and because RTD confuses a death toll with drama. It went too far with the dark theme when 60% of the cast was killed off.

I just don't think there's any way that it can be really Torchwood, with the Hub destroyed and so few characters returning.

Yes, isn't it convenient that the Rift - the main issue for the first two seasons - isn't at all a complication anymore?

I expect Torchwood to continue what I consider the worst of RTD's writing in Twood and Who - pronouncements of great drama that are handwaved seconds later and angst laid on with a trowel. He's very much a hardboiled writer (see upthread).

[stlscape.livejournal.com]

I thought it was funny that JB posted on Twitter earlier, "I hope all of you will come on this exciting journey with Captain Jack and the Team." WHAT TEAM. 3/4 of your team is dead and the one who lived has a baby. How exactly is that going to work.

I'm happy for him and Eve and understand why they're excited... I just don't think there's any way that it can be really Torchwood, with the Hub destroyed and so few characters returning.

No kidding - your team of self plus one isn't much of a team. I've got my doubts as to how much Eve will have to do in the new show, as well. She's just not what American audiences expect of their leads (in looks and accents). I'm expecting Jack will be relegated to the background this time (since TW was supposed to be the Gwen show and not the CJH show.)

Good for John & Eve and continued employment, but I won't be watching. Gwen was my least favourite character by a long shot, and I don't want to see a "rest of the world" *cough* aka US *cough* version of Gwenwood.

ETA: and I'm definitely wary of watching anything RTD is involved in.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I've got my doubts as to how much Eve will have to do in the new show, as well.

She's apparently listed as a series regular in Variety, so that means she'll be in most of the episodes. I don't have issues with her - but I've got *plenty* of issues with RTD's idea of drama.

[stlscape.livejournal.com]

Good for Eve, then, and ITA re RTD and "drahma".

ETA: I just watched a BBC interview with RTD and noticed he kept looking down and to his left. Interesting. In body language "talk", this indicates that the person is lying to whoever he's speaking to. No. I'm not surprised.

[bewarethespork.livejournal.com]

This, basically. I don't even know if I'll bother catching up, though. CoE was such a flaming pile of crap that I'm really not sure I want to go near the show again. (That said, I forgave my show for the Year of Specials, so...)

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I forgave the year of angstful specials because I knew the show was going to change. Apparently this is going to be a continuation of the worst of Torchwood and not at all the show I originally signed up to watch three seasons earlier.

[bewarethespork.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I sat through The Year of Specials because I knew we'd be getting Mofftiem at the end of it, but...well, Rusty's already killed off all my favourite Torchwood characters. (I mean, I like Gwen and Jack, but not the way RTD treats them, and my favourites were Tosh, Owen and Ianto, so...) I'm sure this'll just be non-stop angst and a whole lot of ~*darker and edgier*~ crap. I'll probably read spoilers online, but I don't think I'll bother to watch it.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Ianto was my favorite. I liked Jack a lot, but am furious with him being all "pity meeeee" at the end of CoE, and I never liked Torchwood Jack the way I liked Who Jack anyway.

Like you, I'll read spoilers online.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

I'm not squeeing either - it'll probably end up being some horrible bastardised, Americanised (in the worst way) show instead of being its previously weird and quirky British self. They went out on high ratings at the end of S3, it's been a year since that, they should let it die.

I will, however, watch at least the first one out of sheer morbid curiosity.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Americanised (in the worst way)

Quite likely. Especially as they have to re-establish the series for a new audience in a new market. And we have such a track record of hosing quirky British shows...

However, I will say that in destroying the Hub and ignoring the Rift, RTD already dismantled the basic premise.

[persiflage-1.livejournal.com]

Quite likely. Especially as they have to re-establish the series for a new audience in a new market. And we have such a track record of hosing quirky British shows...

Yeah, I heard what happened to Ashes to Ashes...

However, I will say that in destroying the Hub and ignoring the Rift, RTD already dismantled the basic premise.

Oh yes...

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I'm completely WHAT WERE YOU SMOKING? over our Life on Mars. The German version dune_drd mentioned sounds a lot more viable.