Everything Changes (Torchwood 1.1)

[unfeathered]

This wasn't as bad as I remembered. When I first saw it, I was disappointed because I was expecting – I don't know what I was expecting but it was something more like Doctor Who, not what is basically a variation on the various police/detective serials. I thought it was going to be different.


But this time, knowing what to expect, I enjoyed it a whole lot more. I didn't even find Gwen annoying (yet) even though the entire episode is seen through her eyes. That was quite well done, actually. It made the team nice and mysterious, as well as introducing them, and I liked the way their names were reinforced by having Gwen typing about them while showing each of them playing with their alien toys.

What intrigued me most was how incredibly different Jack was from the Jack we saw in Doctor Who season 1. I watched the two shows in order like this deliberately to get the effect, to go straight from young, cocky, human Jack to much older, in charge of Torchwood Three Jack, but I still wasn't prepared for how different he was. (How different from the Jack we see in Doctor Who season 3, too, because I've seen that a lot more recently too – but we'll worry about that at the end of the season!)

The problem is, I can't quite put my finger on what that huge difference is. What I actually wrote down in my notes was: great hair; very hands on (which I know isn't new! *g*); still got the smile; looks young and vulnerable; gentle; confidence. Perhaps it's the confidence. Before, he had cockiness, now he has confidence. Then there's the air of mystery – for Gwen because of the Captain Jack Harkness having gone missing in 1941, and for us because we're all How the hell did he get there and what's he been doing? It might also be that in Torchwood, he's in charge. However good a leader he may or may not be, he's certainly a very cool one. I have to say, I fell in love all over again.

Other things I noted down:

Contraceptives in the rain? Wtf was that all about?

"What did you see?" "Nothing. There's nothing." Jack's face. Aww.

Did the glove stop the rain? That was confusing.

Awww – Rhys. :-) And Gwen is already lying to him.

Clever the way Gwen being knocked on the head not only got her into the hospital to find the Weevil, but also reinforced the idea that she could be seeing things – not that they played on that as much as they could have done.

Going to the pizza place and asking about CJH was a bit of a long-shot, wasn't it???

"I'm getting tired of following you." "No you're not. And you never will." There's that confidence! *g*

Love Gwen asking why people don't fall down the lift when the paving stone's down at the bottom. I want to know the answer to that one too!

The moment in the bar when Jack asks, "How's your drink?" and they both just look at each other. That was very hot.

Susie apologising for not knifing Gwen and having to search for her gun in her bag. Very funny.

Jack's face when Susie shoots herself. God, the guy hurts for everyone, doesn't he?

I am looking forward to the next episode. Much more than I thought I would be.

7/10

Comments

[chatona.livejournal.com]

I didn't realise that Gwen had been lying to Rhys this early on already before I rewatched this episode to write up the recap, either. It's quite interesting.

.. Gwen already annoys me in this episode, though. But I'm good at ignoring that as long as there's no one around I can complain to.

Interesting thought about cockiness and confidence. I think I need to ponder upon the difference between Jack in DW1 and TW1 a bit more. There's one aspect I didn't include in my recap. Hm. *sits down to ponder*

[unfeathered]

I'm trying very, very hard to keep an open mind about the characters, because I would like to like them. :-)

I thought of some more words for Jack overnight. The outward gentleness is tempered by a feeling of hardness on the inside. And he's a lot more patient - which he would be, after all those years, but it's a huge contrast to DW S1 Jack.

Will go and read your review when I get a chance. I'm currently trying to edit Master Plan Chapter 7 and it's doing my head in, it's so long. :-(

[chatona.livejournal.com]

I tried to be objective about Gwen while recapping the episode and I think I did a pretty good job of it, too, found some strong points and all, but it doesn't make me like her.

Yeah, that sounds about right. The patience is definitely a big change. And I think another difference is the responsibility. We got to know him as a conman, now he's working to protect the earth.

No hurry, my review's not going anywhere *grins* Master Plan Chapter 7 sounds very good if you ask me :D

[unfeathered]

Oh yes, responsibility too. Definitely.

Master Plan Chapter 7 sounds very good if you ask me :D

Just hope you're still saying that when you've read it. I feel like I've lost my ability to evaluate my own work (I'm feeling very insecure today) and I have no idea if it's any good or not. It's just so damn long!

[chatona.livejournal.com]

Well, long is not a statement about the quality of the fic and I do have faith in your ability to write well, so don't worry :D

[unfeathered]

Thank you - you're very sweet!

I just meant, because it's so long it's really hard to evaluate the structure and pacing and whether it works etc.

I'm also nervous (for the first time since I posted my first fic) because I've had a lot of people waiting for this for a long time, and I don't want to disappoint!

Sorry. As I said, I'm having a bit of a bad day, confidence-wise.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

I do understand why you'd be nervous. I really do. I mean, look at me, I'm nervous every damn time before I post fic (especially in a new fandom), so it's perfectly understandable. It's really not something you have to apologise for!

[unfeathered]

I know - practically everyone else gets all nervous at this point! It's just that I don't normally. But I'm actually understanding what people say when they go on about hating their story and never wanting to see it again. It's so tempting to just post the damn thing, just to get rid of it. I'm having to work hard to actually work on it, because I do want it to be the best it can possibly be.

[chatona.livejournal.com]

That's quite noble and awfully nice, really. I think it's lovely that you do that and thank you for going through all this work. I'm sure everyone, including me, will appreciate it ♥

Almost finished with recapping Torchwood 1.02 *bounces* And I 'only' have 3,000 words written about it so far :D

[unfeathered]

*g* Oh, I don't think there's anything noble about it (though it's incredibly sweet of you to say there is)! It's more that I'm a perfectionist and nothing is ever finished until it's as good as it can be. I want to be able to read it after it's posted and not have more than the odd word or two that I want to change.

And yeah. I'm sure it will be worth it. I'm just... there was all that stuff about Lessons Learned not turning out to be quite what I expected it to be, and then I re-read Drowning Sorrows (2 Men in a Pub) again the other day too and wasn't as impressed with it as I had been when I posted it, and I'm starting to doubt my own abilities.

There's also some stuff been going on that's knocked my confidence as a mum too, which is most definitely not helping.

*Takes deep breath* I'll be OK in a day or two, I'm sure. :-)

3,000 words? I'm not the only one who writes really long meta, then!

[chatona.livejournal.com]

Oh, well. Perfectionism does have its good sides, too, I guess? :D

I guess the downside is, though, that perfectionists do tend to become their own worst critics and then it comes to the anxiety and that just, that's sad. 'cause your writing is really, really good and you don't have a reason to doubt your abilities. And I just wnat to mention again that I loved Drowning Sorrows *bounces*

... Want to talk about the mum-stuff?

Done now. 3,367 words for a 47 minutes episode. Tomorrow, I'll put in the screencaps and post the damn thing. I definitely write too much. And no, it seems like you're not the only one. Though my random recap rambles aren't really meta. Just... a recap with random comments and meta-tendencies or something like that *grins*

[unfeathered]

Thank you thank you thank you. You're doing a wonderful job of restoring my confidence! I'm very lucky to have such good friends. :-)

And thank you everso much for offering to talk about mum-stuff but I have talked to Andy about it and I think I've had enough of it for one day, iykwim.

I look fowrard to reading, once I've watched that ep!

[chatona.livejournal.com]

Shush! :D All I said was true. Glad to help restore your confidence, though *bounces*

I do know what you mean and I guess Andy is a better choice of person to speak to about those things, anyway :D

I have to post it first, anyway :D Didn't get around to that yesterday, was too tired *nods* But now I'm more or less awake, so off to post I go *bounces*