Torchwood Series 2 and Children of Earth spoilers ahead!With the Shabbat over and the younger kids in bed, Kevin and I took over the couch, hunting for Easter eggs on (fluff) Friends, and watching Torchwood Children of Earth again with some of the older children. Yes, this is the series of Torchwood that features full frontal nudity of a male character, and also proves that someone doesn't need a six pack and perfect muscle definition to be hot. Yes, talking about Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman from this post). And yes, I watch this show with my older kids.
Torchwood, if possible, is more of my favourite than Dr Who has been recently. I still haven't gotten over the shock of the 11th Doctor.
Watching Day Four again, I keep wondering why the death of a character I knew was going to die makes me sad again and again and again. In Series 2 I was choked up by the deaths of Tosh and Owen. An hour ago, when Ianto and Jack speak about how Jack will see Ianto grow old and die I teared up over the thought of how that will never happen. It reminded me of the first time I saw that episode, and how I was hoping that Jack will get to grow old with him. Being a firm believer of Jack being the Face of Boe theory that was reasonable to start with.
Ianto was not one of my favourite characters when the show started out, and he was still my fourth favourite when Children of Earth rolled around, and then only 4 of the original regulars survived... Heck, I think I even liked his loud brother-in-law (who can be seen in bed naked from behind as well, but much less pleasing than Captain Jack, but who has one of the greatest lines of the show). But his death was something I hated. And not only because of the pain for Jack. By Day Five I was hating Jack just a little bit anyway. Even if I knew he had no other choice... I was hating him for saving the world. I could go on how much I love this show and the thing I love most about it are the things that are only possible because it is not an American show. And I'm not even talking about a nekkid Jack. The tragedy of a no-win situation for the individual when faced with a global choice, the triumph of humanity being an awful sacrifice of Biblical proportions for one individual are among these. It's something that makes me think again and again.
Yeah, it's science fiction. Yeah, Doctor Who is about hope, as dark as the Tenth Doctor's period ended up being, it's about hope. Torchwood, on the other hand... Yes, we can have hope. But we do have to make sacrifices. And we have to experience loss.
Snuggled up on the couch with the man I love, petting, feeding and gifting cute virtual pets, munching on leftover french fries, life is perfect. Unlike in the south, there are no rockets. No sirens and alarms. Just a fictional character I don't even like all that much, is going to die. And it makes me sad. It makes me sad because off all the loss I've experience in my life. It makes me sad, because it lets me feel human. And I'm kind of looking forward to that moment, because it allows me a few seconds to get teary eyed over people I loved and miss, and I can blame it on a TV show.
I don't expect this will make sense to anyone.
