Torchwood: Children of Earth, Day 4

[rm]

Ianto Jones was a brave little toaster.

*sniff*

But seriously guys, that was exquisite. EXQUISITE. And I have to say sorry in advance, because my ability to post both cogently and non-personally about this is pretty much nil.

Eventually, this was going to have to happen. We all knew that and most of us hoped it wouldn't happen until a theoretical season 4. But knowing it would have to happen, I always had certain criteria for it in my head: I wanted it to be a moment, I wanted it to echo the themes of the show and I wanted it to be true to the characters. I wanted it to be a fine thing and very, very mono no aware ("the beauty of sadness"),

It delivered on all of those things in spades, and I am so so so glad. Ianto Jones was never going to have a long life, but I wanted him to have a complete one. I feel like he went out knowing he was loved (regardless of Jack's inability to say it, which annoyed me for a second, and then I was like WHATEVER) and trusting those around him even if he had never quite learned to trust himself. If I had had to kill him in that format at that point in the story, this was exactly what I would have done as a writer.

And as someone who did 200,000 words leading up to a Ianto death? Man, I almost broke in half when Jack said "don't go." Two lousy words, but to hear it outloud was pretty crazy.

Anyway, let's talk about something other than the death scene for a moment, because it was all great: the 1965 stuff ("we need someone who doesn't care"); Jack blurting about his family (all the Jack/Ianto relationship development in this was just made of love for me and felt very true and like a full life); Lois standing up; the long epic montage of trapped dying people to music (something I'm sort of a sucker for -- I know the bleakness of the show is getting to people on top of Ianto's death, but it's actually the anchor that's allowing me to cope right now); the discussion of children as units, and again, finally, the use of silence.

Look, on a personal note, I just gotta say, it's (as I suspected) a billion times worse when the love interest of the character you identify with bites it than when the character you identify with bites it. The Snape thing was nothing compared to the fetal in a ball on my bed crying after this. Jesus. And you can laugh at me all you want, but if my partner, who is not a Torchwood fan, is chill with that, y'all need to just be nice about it, okay?

So hey, some other things:

- wiggle room -- I don't think Ianto is going to be brought back to life in Day 5 (it's a possible for a possible S4, I'd argue), but I also don't think he's going to be buried. There are still avenues to go with writing him post this event -- many, and that's great; I am still totally engaged in this fandom.

- We still don't really know what the 456 want with these kids. What if these are the same horrible creatures that destroyed Boeshane Penninsula, just 3,000 years earlier? How great an idea is that?

- Keeping this secret was clearly a really big pain in the ass and probably emotionally hard on the people who had to contractually keep this a secret. I don't have the time or energy to write a big angry post about this, but laying into James Moran about it (which has happened today) is uncool; so's laying into GDL (which I haven't seen yet, but suspect I will) and so's laying into Barrowman (of which I've seen scads). These people didn't say us fans would love the show to jerk us around and be cruel, they said it beccause the show is exquisite and romantic and happens to include this awful death which works for some people into Jack/Ianto and feels like a betrayal to others. Be angry, be a critic, but please don't ascribe nefarious motives to folks that Make Nice Stuff. I find it kinda heartbreaking (and my heart is already broken enough right now, thanks), and I bet they don't enjoy it much either.

- Euros Lyn is the most amazing director ever. How the hell is he getting these performances out of people? I can't mention my respect for him enough here.

Anyway, it was lovely, guys. And now I want to tell you a story:

When the sixth Hary Potter book (which contains a particularly crazy Snape cliffhanger situation) came out, I was just starting rehearsals of a play with a girl who I'd been in a show with several years before when book 4 had come out. We hadn't kept in touch particularly, but we had talked about Snape constantly back during that earlier show. On the first day of rehearsal, which was a day or two after the book 6 release, she buzzed to get into our space and I went to fetch her. when I opened the door, before she even said hello to me, she grabbed me and hugged me and asked "are you okay?"

I didn't need her to do that, but I will never forget it, because it's one of the kindest things anyone has ever done in reponse to the way I live with the power of story.

So just, you know, be nice to each other today, okay?

P.S., I'm sort of toying with, when I go to get some much needed touch-up work done on one of my old tattoos, getting a new one, that just says "be grand" in script. We'll see.

Comments

[justinej.livejournal.com]

That was a wonderful post. Thank you.

I feel bereaved this morning. I watched the death scene twice and felt terror both times. The episode was probably the best yet, brilliantly done, but I simply didn't want that particular outcome, I really didn't expect it (avoided all spoilers like the plague) and really don't like it.

Tonight will tell me whether I stick with TW for another series or not. I may just stay stuck in the past!! I don't watch these things to be devastated over and over and over. I need some happy! And lets face it, Ianto was good at making us smile. He was by far and away my most favourite character in series 2. Not sure I can do this without him yet....

Shouting at the writers is unacceptable. James is a lovely man. Pointless and sad.

[elainasaunt.livejournal.com]

This post. This post is what, finally, made the tears well up in my eyes. Over in this little corner of the TW fandom (as opposed to, say, most of the 1,100-PLUS REACTION COMMENTS OF DOOM on torch_wood) are awesome people who don't just squee and flail (although, full disclosure, I did a lot of that myself last night) but are thoughtful and reasonable and brilliant, and use this FICTIONAL FFS universe as a launchpad for discussion and storytelling that enriches us all.

I had this thought a little while ago: in S1 and S2, being in the TW fandom was like watching a promising child grow up. You cherish it, and you indulge in fantasies about how it might fulfil its enormous potential. You have ideas on what it should do with its life, but when (in S3) it comes to maturity and blossoms in ways you would not have chosen for it, you don't abandon it. You celebrate its individuality and brilliance. (So, OK, you still secretly hope it will come to its senses and marry a doctor someday, but hey...)

[elainasaunt.livejournal.com]

Addenda to the above:

This is not to say that there aren't some awesome people, too, involved in the Reaction Comments of Doom.

discussion and storytelling that enriches us all

Plus, mustn't forget, loads of lolicious crack!

[elainasaunt.livejournal.com]

Speaking of which, I hope this won't seem inappropriate here, but I found this really very sweet.

[bare-bear.livejournal.com]

when (in S3) it comes to maturity and blossoms in ways you would not have chosen for it, you don't abandon it. You celebrate its individuality and brilliance. (So, OK, you still secretly hope it will come to its senses and marry a doctor someday, but hey...)

YES THIS! I wish people would think beyond the freak out, although I'm sure a lot of them will once they calm down. :) Love the 'marry a doctor someday' line. :D

[elainasaunt.livejournal.com]

*grins* Of course, that's actually code for me secretly hoping RTD will resurrect Ianto in S4. I really do love that character. This is my Cardiff dragon icon in his honour.

[coffee-kris.livejournal.com]

Rach, I see a lot of the beauty and the rightness of this - the personal sacrifice that Jack and Ianto made that those assholes who gave up the "units" weren't willing to do, the fact that Ianto was so important to Jack and that Ianto called him on hiding behind him being all "surface" and that he told Jack everything, the newness of the couple thing - which I personally thought was more about how close they had recently gotten than Ianto's unease at being part of a couple (hello, Lisa was his soulmate, he knows how to be in a couple) or being part of a gay couple, and just the way he comforted Jack when he died and wanted to share those experiences with him. It was all good.

And perhaps in the late of day, when I'm not so strung out and disgusted and furious and hurt and betrayed, I will be able to get more distance and appreciate the arc of this story and why RTD felt Ianto had to die. But right now, I'm just glad that I'm far, far away from RTD. Because I am so hurt and angry and broken that I really just want to do anything that might make him feel some small part of my pain.

And the worst part is that I really think he did this to hurt his fans. Because I've seen way too many interviews where he basically says "fuck the fans! I write the show. They can watch or not but I'm not here to make them happy." Well, Mr. RTD and the BBC, I'm not going to be spending any more of my money on your products. No more books (own them all) no more DVDs (why would I want to own that horrible, horrible death where Jack couldn't even say he loved Ianto), no more CDs, no more mags, no cons, no watching the BBC America version. I'm done. Because I think you betrayed us - there were 15 different ways you could have given us the climax of that story, including Jack sacrificing something else that he holds dear, just like you seem to manage to do for Gwen and Rhys. And the fact that you take delight in making me feel this bad doesn't make you a good writer. It makes you a bad bad producer who doesnt give a shit about me, your viewer, your consumer, and for that, you have lost me.

Sorry, that was quite a rant. And I do see the points you make RM, I'm just emotionally incapable of processing or appreciating them right now. But thanks for giving me this forum to rant and rave. :-)

[adjovi.livejournal.com]

And the worst part is that I really think he did this to hurt his fans.

yup. i feel exactly the same way. that he doesn't give a flying fig about the fans--actually takes delight in upsetting us in this way.

[coffee-kris.livejournal.com]

What is making me even more furious is this quote from an interview with RTD in April:(thanks to tencrush):

"You’ve got to be merciless. People will say ‘You love your characters’. But nobody loves their characters that much. If you really write, and you love them, you are the God of them and you can kill them with the click of a finger. It’s joyous to do so."

It's the idea that making people hurt is joyous that makes me dislike him. And distrust him. Why would I ever want to watch his characters again? So he can merciless? That's not the kind of entertainment I signed up for.

[phaetonschariot.livejournal.com]

I feel like he went out knowing he was loved (regardless of Jack's inability to say it, which annoyed me for a second, and then I was like WHATEVER)

I'm avoiding jackxianto so bad because of this. Yesterday there was a lot of wangst because Jack said "I suppose" that didn't even occur to me when I was watching - I felt that his smile as he said it said more than the words. And in this scene in day four, I felt that it was more important to Ianto to hear that he would be remembered. He did know Jack loved him. But he wanted to know that in the long run, he would still mean something long after he was gone. He wanted it to be a real, long-lasting love, not a passionate fling, because that's who Ianto is, that's how he loves, it's why they can have a domestic and then go off to Thames House and work together in complete unison because they "know" that any problems, they'll sort out later, that they're solid.

The whole episode was amazing. "The childr-- the units", Gwen's reaction to the people with guns coming in, Lois, oh Lois. She never asked for this, but she was just brilliant. It's almost braver than Ianto and Gwen, because she could have walked away, and if she'd done it early, she never would have known all those awful things.

And JB did subtle face acting!

[jenny-b79.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes! I read somewhere that Jack's face was "carefully blank" throughout the conversation in Day 3 - I didn't think that at all - I thought there were loads of intimate little smiles and eye contact - thought it was lovely.

[phaetonschariot.livejournal.com]

Carefully blank? lol ARE THESE PEOPLE WATCHING THE SAME SHOW? His smile when he said "I suppose" was the one thing that really stuck with me from that scene. haha. :P

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

Thank you for saying all this. I thought it was lovely. Absolutely lovely. Wouldn't have changed a thing. I'm almost hoping they don't go ahead with S4 because I really don't think they can actually top this. It was the final phonecall to his sister that really slayed me - all these I love yous and I love thems tumbling out. He was such a scrapper, and he died scrapping.

I checked James Moran's twitter this AM and his messages there were really upsetting. People care about this so much because this creative team made that character so real for us, and I think they deserve a fucking standing ovation.

We still don't really know what the 456 want with these kids. What if these are the same horrible creatures that destroyed Boeshane Penninsula, just 3,000 years earlier? How great an idea is that?

Only the best idea ever.

[tommx.livejournal.com]

What broke my heart, apart from Ianto finally saying "I love you to Jack" was his last thought being a desire not to be forgotten by Jack, not even in a thousand years.

[adjovi.livejournal.com]

I feel like he went out knowing he was loved (regardless of Jack's inability to say it, which annoyed me for a second, and then I was like WHATEVER)

aack...i couldn't get past this. beautiful episode roundup, as always, and i agree--attacking the writer who didn't write the episode doesn't do anyone any good, but man. can't help but feeling cheated and betrayed. death was poignant and moving and all of that, but i can't help but think i'll most likely be peacing out after the finale.

[rm.livejournal.com]

It's been pointed out that his "Don't" was an implication of either "I don't deserve this" or "save your strength to tell me something I don't know"

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

My brain is still plugging away on this whole thing. I think I've committed to a no-meta policy until I've seen Day Five.

But fuck. Just...fuck.

[rm.livejournal.com]

But you're still with us either on or off canon right?

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

I think that a lot of the Bad Crazy comes from people not wanting to comes to grips with the fact of human mortality.
This is why I so love both The Doctor and Jack as characters. They're swimming in human mortality, can't avoid it, no way to ever get away from it.
If I were to live for a thousand years, I really would not want to know about it before hand. At my age, thinking that others will not proceed me into death is infinitely comforting, and I would not want to be deprived of this solace.
The Doctor has no choice,Jack has no choice, yet still they find reasons to continue to care.I can't put it any better than that.
thank you for accompanying me on this fictional journey. It means a lot.

[kirby-crow.livejournal.com]

I have the ep of it. I know what happens. But I can't watch it. I can't I can't. This is the girl who freaked in a public theater when one of her characters was shot in the "Serenity" film. Can't! *hides eyes and sits in corner*

[rm.livejournal.com]

It's really all you could wish for out of all of this, but yeah -- I -- it was bad. And I wouldn't let my gf hold me and had to go take a walk.

[chasethesun.livejournal.com]

Hi, I'm kind of a lurker in this fandom but this has brought me out of the shadows. I'm so glad you're going to keep writing, because as much as this hurts (and it hurts to the nth degree which is weird because I knew it was coming) the part that I can't handle in all of this is the idea that all the great writers in this fandom will just stop.
For me (though I'm not a writer) the best response is to keep writing, because Ianto will never really die if there are still fans around who love him enough to write all the things he'll never get to say.

That out of the way, the death scene itself was beautiful. No one can tell me that Jack doesn't love Ianto given the way he reacted. Have we ever seen him that devastated? He might not have said 'I love you' but I put that down to the fact that he hated himself so much in that moment that he simply couldn't. He felt responsible and in a way, he was. The way he came back to life with a quiet breath rather than the usual gasp killed me completely. He just looked so empty.

The James Moran thing annoys me completely. Here's this guy who's kind enough to chat to fans and he's being hammered for something that had nothing to do with him. Why should he have to answer for what RTD/other writers have written?
I sent him an email to point out that it is a minority of people who are finding it easier to cope with being angry than being sad. I get why people are angry but it's not right that it's being directed at James.

Lastly, Gareth David-Lloyd breaks my heart and the thought of him no longer being in Torchwood is a bit too much to cope with at the minute. Like I said, I knew it was coming (been spoilered for months) but I think it says a lot about Gareth as an actor that the reaction has been this intense. It actually hurt and I don't get that attached to fictional characters, ever. A lot of people genuinely can't conceive of a Torchwood without him in it and that's down to his talent and the grace and emotion he injected into a character that would have been a bit part player in any other show.

Sorry to go on but it helps to talk:)

[madambackslash.livejournal.com]

While I understand a lot of the anger at Jack not being able to say "the ell word" to Ianto, I think a lot of those angry people have missed a very big thing about Jack: Love is not something he says. It's something he _does_. He's fucking _made_ of it, and he shows it 500 times a day.

I could give you as list of ways Jack showed Ianto he loved him, but I don't think there's a lot of point. (I've also had five hours' sleep because I couldn't go to bed for two hours after seeing this.)

What got to me about Ianto's death was that through the radio plays and the first four episodes of CoE, we were just starting to see what Ianto could be. He... such a fucking cliche, but he had so much _potential_. He was already something pretty damn spectacular, IMO, but he could have become magnificent. We were allowed a glimpse of that, and then it was snatched away.

But you know what? That happens every day. Every. Fucking. Day. Somewhere on Earth, someone dies without having become what they could have -- should have -- been. It's part of the whole human condition.

And if you're going to have someone die like this, best it were done well. And it was. So very well. And really, that's the best tribute I could ask for.

(Oh, and as for the fandom? I ain't goin' nowhere.)

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yes to all of this. I maintain Ianto knew Jack loved him, and that what people are saying is Ianto not knowing is Ianto being sick of Jack's shit and also insecure with himself and wondering why Jack would...

[eac.livejournal.com]

And you can laugh at me all you want, but if my partner, who is not a Torchwood fan, is chill with that, y'all need to just be nice about it, okay?

Just to say, a few days late, that I, for one, am not laughing at you.

(I'll be seeing Day 5 tonight. The end of Day 4 led to me having 10 minutes of terrible sobbing in bed. And I'm not half so invested in these characters as you are.)