I can't really think of any other show I've watched that has ever gone that far with anything. Can you? No, I can't, and that was one of the reasons I found it intense and amazing--it went against all my expectations and it's so rare that TV does this. I found it really brave, but I see that it also plays as shocking and at a certain point can be overload for people. It wasn't for me... I don't know what that says about me?! Maybe it's because I read a lot of very full-on books and watch a lot of movies that are far braver than TV. TV often feels so tame to me, and I liked them throwing everything to the wind for once.
well, I had an extremely emotional reaction to Ianto dying at first...but then when everything else happened, that stopped. I just felt indifferent/bored and there was a lot of eye rolling going on HA! That's amazing. I had the exact opposite reaction. Ianto's death was the one really flat moment in the last two eps. I actually LOL'd aloud during it (thanks to Barrowman's acting) and I couldn't wait for it to be over. SO ridiculously over the top! To me it felt like the one moment of the sort of indulgence I'm used to from Torchwood and Russell in the whole show--and it nearly threw me out. I think it was the support cast--Frobisher, Lois, etc--that drew me back in.
I think they did fit more with the tone of the show, which I think needs to be remembered I do think the tone of the show changed in CoE. I feel like CoE is a standalone piece that can be enjoyed as scifi, regardless of whether you've previously seen the series or not. Personally I found the (admittedly very dark) tone appealing, but I agree that it did not match what came before and I hear you on it not being a gradual or subtle shift into the new area--they just went full on for it.
I think I wanted Ianto's death to have more "meaning" than it really did. I think that's natural. Ianto was a very likeable character. He was my favourite too, though that's not saying much as I never liked the series. I think the main thing I personally wanted from his ending was a bit more about the kids--I liked the poignancy of Jack saving Ianto's niece and nephew but not his own grandson, for instance. I could have done with a whole lot less woobie!Jack too. ;)
will hurt the future of the show greatly Well to be honest I thought the show was over, and thought it was a fab way to go out with a bang. I think if it continues (and I gather it is continuing?!) that will seriously weaken the impact of CoE--which could be a good thing for you!
It makes me feel better about COE as a whole to know that someone really did appreciate it for what it was. I was in raptures--it's one of the best bits of television I've seen all year. Which probably makes me a very sick puppy! ;) One of the things I liked is that things never really seem to be at stake in the Who verse. So I liked seeing that same universe suffer some really fucked up shit for once. I think a lot of it was the surprise factor--I never expected this show to go that far. And that same surprise/shock that delighted me turned you (and the majority of fans I know) off it. So I know I'm in the minority and I'm surprised myself at the novelty of Russell creating something that played perfectly to my taste!
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-07-27 10:09 pm (UTC)No, I can't, and that was one of the reasons I found it intense and amazing--it went against all my expectations and it's so rare that TV does this. I found it really brave, but I see that it also plays as shocking and at a certain point can be overload for people. It wasn't for me... I don't know what that says about me?! Maybe it's because I read a lot of very full-on books and watch a lot of movies that are far braver than TV. TV often feels so tame to me, and I liked them throwing everything to the wind for once.
well, I had an extremely emotional reaction to Ianto dying at first...but then when everything else happened, that stopped. I just felt indifferent/bored and there was a lot of eye rolling going on
HA! That's amazing. I had the exact opposite reaction. Ianto's death was the one really flat moment in the last two eps. I actually LOL'd aloud during it (thanks to Barrowman's acting) and I couldn't wait for it to be over. SO ridiculously over the top! To me it felt like the one moment of the sort of indulgence I'm used to from Torchwood and Russell in the whole show--and it nearly threw me out. I think it was the support cast--Frobisher, Lois, etc--that drew me back in.
I think they did fit more with the tone of the show, which I think needs to be remembered
I do think the tone of the show changed in CoE. I feel like CoE is a standalone piece that can be enjoyed as scifi, regardless of whether you've previously seen the series or not. Personally I found the (admittedly very dark) tone appealing, but I agree that it did not match what came before and I hear you on it not being a gradual or subtle shift into the new area--they just went full on for it.
I think I wanted Ianto's death to have more "meaning" than it really did.
I think that's natural. Ianto was a very likeable character. He was my favourite too, though that's not saying much as I never liked the series. I think the main thing I personally wanted from his ending was a bit more about the kids--I liked the poignancy of Jack saving Ianto's niece and nephew but not his own grandson, for instance. I could have done with a whole lot less woobie!Jack too. ;)
will hurt the future of the show greatly
Well to be honest I thought the show was over, and thought it was a fab way to go out with a bang. I think if it continues (and I gather it is continuing?!) that will seriously weaken the impact of CoE--which could be a good thing for you!
It makes me feel better about COE as a whole to know that someone really did appreciate it for what it was.
I was in raptures--it's one of the best bits of television I've seen all year. Which probably makes me a very sick puppy! ;) One of the things I liked is that things never really seem to be at stake in the Who verse. So I liked seeing that same universe suffer some really fucked up shit for once. I think a lot of it was the surprise factor--I never expected this show to go that far. And that same surprise/shock that delighted me turned you (and the majority of fans I know) off it. So I know I'm in the minority and I'm surprised myself at the novelty of Russell creating something that played perfectly to my taste!