Kind of...

[bop_radar]

... loving Russell. Does this mean 'Go and watch Supernatural!' is now an insult?! :D :D :D I could say it with such a lovely sneer. Really! ;)

I also rather like this quote (re. claiming Ianto's death was anti-gay): 'It's rather like children picking up nursery blocks and waving them in the air but having no idea what it entails.'

Ah yes. How often I have felt that way in fandom.

I do like it when show creators stick to their guns and tell a good story despite a screaming fanbase calling for their blood. That said, there is danger in arrogantly assuming your fanbase is always wrong. Russell's an interesting study to me now, since he has at times been everything I hate in a creator (self-indulgent, letting his own issues leak through into the show), and at other times (i.e. Children of Earth) has been so hard-core true to the story he's telling and the characters he writes. Let's hope the arrogance displayed in that article continues to be used for the Power of Good! ;)

Comments

[beck-liz.livejournal.com]

I liked previous series of Torchwood much more than you, but even I have to admit that it was a terrible show and half the reason I was still watching is that I'm a major Captain Jack Harkness fan. I found Series 3 to be incredibly well-done and I enjoyed it thoroughly. To be honest, I totally saw seeds of this series in the previous two series. Among other things, there's always been darkness in the show, and it's been made clear from day 1 that Torchwood personnel die young.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Interesting! I suddenly found Jack compelling in S3, after seeing him fizzle into self-indulgence and one-dimensionality in seasons 1-2 of Torchwood. I had thought he had potential when he was introduced on Who even though he was never a character I was naturally drawn to. I thought S3 was brilliant! The plotting was so well done, everything built together so perfectly.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I think this is what the show has been trying to be since the beginning (and "Everything Changes" was really effective and good), but Chris Chibnall just wasn't quite good enough to make it happen, so it often came off as cheesy instead (like "Cyberwoman").

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

I feel like Children of Earth totally validated Torchwood's existence. And this is from an outright Torchwood hater! That was some seriously good television, and if it took two mediocre seasons to get to it, than so be it, it was worth the wait!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I've enjoyed TW, but mostly for the great acting of a few (Gwen, Tosh, Owen) and the chemistry of the actors. The plots have been... mostly bad (with a few standouts quality ones, more so in the second season). The continuity in S1 was horrible (and Ianto was a total blank slate -- honestly, the J/I shippers should be glad that the relationship finally got emotional depth, because it didn't really have that in S2, either).

S3 was like they took all the things that worked and ramped them up to eleven, fixed the things that didn't work, and made it to all into a genuinely fantastic show. I wouldn't trade what RTD did on DW for anything, because I've loved all of that, but... wow, part of me wishes that he'd paid TW more attention if this is what he could make it.

[bop-radar.livejournal.com]

Hee, it does seem like when he gives something his full attention it becomes awesome. I was very impressed with the tightness of the plotting and writing in CoE, something which is missing from so many shows. Mostly I've appreciated what RTD with DW, though I don't like the woobie-fication and deification of the Doctor. But he does seem to be someone with flashes of brilliance.