Torchwood: To The Last Man...

[fajrdrako]

Well... I'm sure everyone who has seen it can guess which part of this episode I liked best. Reactions, reflections and some happy squeeing:

1. Okay, cutting to the chase, I loved the Jack/Ianto kiss. That is what I've been wanting since "They Keep Killing Suzie". Or maybe since the "sexual harrassment" line. Perfect. Okay, the scene could have gone on longer. But I was happy with it. And Jack and Ianto were happy with each other.... Happy, happy smile. They kissed so nicely, and I loved the way they were touching each other.
   
   Not only were they snogging, they were talking. And being affectionate. And showing... that they like each other; the whole conversation added up to Jack saying how glad he is to know and love Ianto.



2. Owen was so snarkless I wasn't sure it was him. He was nice to Toshiko - and protective of her. Is this Owen, or a skrull impostor? He sounded most like himself when he said, "I didn't think you had some weird fetish for defrosted me."



3. I thought that in Doctor Who, the episodes written by Helen Raynor in series 3 were the worst of the year. She did a much better job here - good characterization and a nice atmosphere, though not as witty or snappy at any point as "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang" and not as thoughfully introspective as "Sleeper". The plot was very predictable: was there a moment of surprise in the whole episode? I don't think so. But... I'll forgive a lot for that kiss.



4. I like Ianto's teapot. Or... Torchwood's teapot. White. A nice shape. Perhaps Toshiko picked it out, she has a nice eye for shapes - you can tell from her home.



5. I really got a kick out of seeing the things on Jack's desk. Like the embryonic TARDIS, still there. And seeing the Time Agent wristband still on Jack's wrist.



6. I didn't understand the title. Could someone tell me why it's called "To The Last Man">



7. Loved the 1918 scenes and the high-tech Torchwood stuff. And seeing the people working for Torchwood at that time. They had cryogenics in 1918? Woo, that's some fancy Rift-flotsam! Or did Jack build it all for them? Seems unlikely that he was at Torchwood then, but...? The box that would only open at the right time was an interesting thing, too.



8. The relationship between Tommy and Tosh was delightful. Is Toshiko supposed to be the same age as Naoko Mori - 32? I liked the way she felt so conscious of her 'older woman' status with regard to Tommy, while he didn't care. I as glad he got sex with her before he went back to die. And I think Jack approved of that... I couldn't help thinking of his advice to Captain Jack Harkness to "lose yourself in your woman because it might be your last chance".
   
   This being said, I thought Tommy had a very ordinary personality. Almost dull. No reason he should be extraordinary - but I felt his loneliness and Tosh's compassion rather than any sense of real love or passion between them. Though Tommy's story was very sad, I didn't feel a sense of connection to him.



9. The fact that he was killed by a firing squad - seemed particulary sad. I loved it that Tosh didn't tell him about that.



10. It was fun to see Tosh having fun, and nice to know that despite misgivings about the world that she has voiced in the past, she still has her sense of optimism.



11. The scenes where they were wandering around the hospital looking for ghosts were delightfully spooky. Especially Gwen's scenes.



12. When Tommy asked Tosh if she had a boyfriend, I really, really wanted her to say, "No, but I had a girlfriend for a while last year. It didn't work out."



13. I liked Ianto's line "Nothing changes," as a contrast to Jack's "Everything changes." I love the show's perspective of historical time projected both into the future and into the past.



14. When Jack said to Ianto, "Would you miss me?", was he just fishing? Or was it that he wanted to get Ianto talking about their relationship? He surely knows how Ianto feels about him. But maybe Ianto has been shy about talking about it lately, given his awkwardness in "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang". Are we to assume they've already had their date? Or many dates? I find it difficult to guess the passage of time in this show. How long was Jack gone? How long has he been back? No clue.



15. In the continued absence of any evidence either way (as far as I can see), I conclude that the other members of the Torchwood team still don't know about the relationship between Jack and Ianto.



16. I like Tosh's place. Very neat, yes. Very Japanese looking, but vaguely British too. She wasn't wearing that gorgeous dressing gown she had in "Greeks Bearing Gifts".



17. Was it just me, or was Jack looking particularly good in this episode?



18. There seem to be a lot of objects in the Hub that look more like art than technology. And there is some very interesting lighting.

Comments

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

Owen was so snarkless I wasn't sure it was him. He was nice to Toshiko - and protective of her.

I can't remember which episode it was, but there was a commentary with Burn where he said something along the lines that he thought Owen liked Tosh and that they were friends. There are some canon indications of that - they go out for a drink together in Ghost Machine, there's the photo of them in Greeks Bearing Gifts that Tosh has and the card she kept which suggests that they were close enough prior to S1 for him to know her birthday and actually make an effort about it. But of course the focus during the series was on Owen and Gwen interacting and on him spiralling down into a bad place so they never really showed anything else - or possibly they became more distant because of those things - and I think that is a shame because it would have given more continuity with where Owen is now. Oh, just thought of another thing - Tosh knows Owen and Diane had an affair and that he's upset when Diane leaves, but Gwen has no idea - an indication Owen mentioned it to her, or just that she knows him better than Gwen? /rambling.

I think also that the situation reminds Owen of Diane and that's why he's so low key snarkwise. /rambling (for real now)

I like Ianto's teapot.

I failed to notice the teapot, but Tosh's place was fantastic. Perhaps she got rid of those dressing gowns after Mary?

I thought Tommy had a very ordinary personality. Almost dull.

Hmm, I can see what you mean. But I did really like how he called Tosh a daft lass and called her on Torchwood being the only thing in her life. Showed he was paying attention to her.

I thought the whole firing squad issue was very interesting. I was surprised Jack told her about it to begin with, but then I realised that he had to - she would have found out easily enough afterwards and it would have been a betrayal not to give her that knowledge. I think it also showed his trust in her to do the right thing and see the big picture - and I'm not sure he would have had the same trust in some of the rest of the team to take Tommy home with them and bring him back in the morning, knowing that they were sending him back to die. Interesting similarities between Jack in CJH and Tosh here really.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You know, I really think I like the friendship between Owen and Tosh. It's the thought of a romance between them that I don't like. If I try not to anticipate it, becuase it hasn't even happened yet - I should be fine, unless and until it does.

And so far, they've set up things I thought I wouldn't like, like the Gwen/Owen affair, and I ended up liking it very much indeed. I should have a little faith.

I like the idea that Owen is compassionate enough to see the parallel with his relationship with Diane.

I was surprised Jack told her about it to begin with, but then I realised that he had to - she would have found out easily enough afterwards and it would have been a betrayal not to give her that knowledge.

He felt she needed to know the whole picture and had the maturity to deal with it. Which she did.

Yes, I also like the similarity with Captain Jack Harkness. Sometimes something feels like a choice and it really isn't a choice at all.