I remember reading on TWoP the speculation that RTD had rewritten "They Keep Killing Suzie" (although it's credited to two other people) and the awkwardness of the other glove/Jack and Ianto and the stopwatch certainly reminds me of the awkwardness of Jack saying bye/FoB b.s.
What an interesting point. Certainly in that (and in other episodes) one gets the impression that the story was rewritten awkwardly in progress, or not quite ready for production when aired. There are several levels of editing and polish needed for the just the minimum of character consistency and 'making sense', and those levels just isn't there. A lot to ask of a TV show? Not at all. It's what makes all the necessary difference in quality.
I, personally, tuned in for The Captain Jack Harkness spin-off, not "The Gwen Bloody Cooper and Owen Fucking Harper Show, featuring Captain Jack Harkness Show".
You, me, and all the other fans. The people who didn't want to see Captain Jack just didn't watch it at all. Who tuned in to see Owen or Gwen? No one I know. Now, I think they became interesting characters in their own right, and by the end of "End of Days" I cared about them. But that's not the point: the series is and should be about Jack. They are fine as secondary characters. But they are secondary, and putting them in a primary role just makes for an inferior show.
he was so into the story of The Master that the other characters didn't matter.
Yep. Not even the Doctor.
So true. We hardly saw David Tennant. Guess he needed some free time.
Another thing that bugged me was how the Master has been willing to do anything to stay alive... so where was the attempt to take over Jack's immortal body? So, so, so, so, so many missed opportunities!
The story we saw felt like a tangent. "The year that never was": I'd rather have seen "a few days that were".
I was afraid you wouldn't like further hijacking of the thread.
It isn't hijacking, it's growth.
I bet that's because RTD is in charge.
But why should that be? He was in charge with Nine, too, and I adored Nine. I must admit that when there were rumours a few months ago (after "The Last of the Time Lords") that RTD was leaving Doctor Who, my reaction was, "Oh, good." And what a difference from my attitude after my first delirious discovery of the show, where I felt as if he'd made it all happen. So what changed? He lost interest? He lost his sense of heroism or optimism? His priorities changed? I can't figure it.
That's another bitter disappointment, I wanted the Doctor to get more compassion (or at least reawaken his compassion) when he dealt with Jack.
Re: reply part 2
Date: 2007-10-21 06:51 pm (UTC)What an interesting point. Certainly in that (and in other episodes) one gets the impression that the story was rewritten awkwardly in progress, or not quite ready for production when aired. There are several levels of editing and polish needed for the just the minimum of character consistency and 'making sense', and those levels just isn't there. A lot to ask of a TV show? Not at all. It's what makes all the necessary difference in quality.
I, personally, tuned in for The Captain Jack Harkness spin-off, not "The Gwen Bloody Cooper and Owen Fucking Harper Show, featuring Captain Jack Harkness Show".
You, me, and all the other fans. The people who didn't want to see Captain Jack just didn't watch it at all. Who tuned in to see Owen or Gwen? No one I know. Now, I think they became interesting characters in their own right, and by the end of "End of Days" I cared about them. But that's not the point: the series is and should be about Jack. They are fine as secondary characters. But they are secondary, and putting them in a primary role just makes for an inferior show.
he was so into the story of The Master that the other characters didn't matter.
Yep. Not even the Doctor.
So true. We hardly saw David Tennant. Guess he needed some free time.
Another thing that bugged me was how the Master has been willing to do anything to stay alive... so where was the attempt to take over Jack's immortal body? So, so, so, so, so many missed opportunities!
The story we saw felt like a tangent. "The year that never was": I'd rather have seen "a few days that were".
I was afraid you wouldn't like further hijacking of the thread.
It isn't hijacking, it's growth.
I bet that's because RTD is in charge.
But why should that be? He was in charge with Nine, too, and I adored Nine. I must admit that when there were rumours a few months ago (after "The Last of the Time Lords") that RTD was leaving Doctor Who, my reaction was, "Oh, good." And what a difference from my attitude after my first delirious discovery of the show, where I felt as if he'd made it all happen. So what changed? He lost interest? He lost his sense of heroism or optimism? His priorities changed? I can't figure it.
That's another bitter disappointment, I wanted the Doctor to get more compassion (or at least reawaken his compassion) when he dealt with Jack.
Yes. That's what should have happened.
Poor Harriet Jones
I concur.