There was so much to love here. Amazing acting, especially by Burn Gorman (of course), character development, Jack/Owen interaction (YUMYUM), some lovely special effects, (as opposed to last week's rubbish) and just a sense that this is what an adult, quality science fiction program can be.
There was more Ianto/Owen stuff for those who like that sort of thing (grabs
kohlrimmedeye for a twirl), but I found their major scene painful to watch because Burn's acting was pitch-perfect and held nothing back in letting us see the truth of relationship. ginger_rude (I think it was her) is so right-on that one subtext of Jack/Ianto/Owen is the good son/bad son dynamic.STFU IANTO!!! You never thought there was a competition? That’s why you were so damn eager to pop off with your “Jack needs me” whining in EOD? And make up your mind sweetheart, either you’re “dabbling” or you're all moody and per usual WHINEY to make sure we know it’s not just that.
The look on Burn’s face in that scene made me absolutely BLEED!!!! DIE, IANTO DIE. Only not, because I don’t want Jack mourning you.
karaokegal analyzes subtext in the most Jack/Owen positive manner possible. IF Owen has to assume Ianto’s hot beverage responsibility, he also inherits a spot fulfilling Ianto’s other apparent function, (Memo to GDL, now that John seems to be laying off the scones, you might want to take the same advice. Looking a pit puffy around the jawline there, while you could use Burn’s cheekbones to cut glass. He really does have that ugly/beautiful Willen Dafoe thing going on.)
Minimal Gwen presence makes me think that Eve was shooting an episode that will be more Gwen-intensive, the same way, she’s practically MIA in CJH because Eve was working on Random Shoes at the same time.
The opening reminded me of the beginning of “Doomsday.” (My name is Rose Tyler and this is the story of how I died.) Not the same writer, (RTD did Doomsday) but I can’t imagine it’s a total accident.
Great set up with Owen/Roof-chick. Many, many, many wonderful lines. Wonderful Jack/Owen interaction, my favorite being the comparison that “You get to live forever and I get to die forever.” *shivers*
Owen/Martha-Whoooo-hoooo. Great relationship, mutual respect, banter, chemistry, but also the underlying competition. I KNOW they needed to give Tosh/Owen closure and Freema is only temporary, but there was/is so much potential here.
LOTS of religious references. “Like Jesus-only without the beard.” Owen is now a saviour (JUST LIKE JACK!!!) Jack said he’d save Owen in Adam and now Owen is going to save Roof-chick.
Jack/Gwen-Jack knows about Banana Boat? They must be spending a lot of time together talking, huh? Just chatting all the time.
Owen really does have a nice apartment. Falls into my fanon that he’s got some of his own money. I did think the “throwing away stuff” montage went on way to long, as did a few others, felt like padding. As though they didn’t actually had enough story to fill in the time and refused to give me Jack/Owen hate!sex just to be spiteful. OK, he can’t have sex…I’m sure they could think of something. This is Jack we're talking about.
The Tosh/Owen at the apartment scene was a little confusing at first because it sort of implied that they’d developed the kind of relationship where she came over on a regular basis to blah-blah about work, which I didn’t think was the case, but when he really got in her face, it was painful, in a good way, and at least it got the issues on the table.
Burn and Naoko were stellar and Naoko was allowed to look beautiful again. I guess that was the signal that she was going to get something out of it emotionally, instead of being relegated to frump status. I’m also happy that the plot structure didn’t end with the reconciliation. Whatever they’ve got doesn’t go completely schmoopy, solving all the problems with hand-holding. Owen still needs to go out and save Roof-chick.
But my favorite line. “I’m wrong!” Gee, who else do we know who’s “wrong?” Hmmmmmm. (Pointed out to me by
michellem68 that Jack told him, he was wrong, which I think I missed the first time. EVEN BETTER. Jack is the Doctor and Owen is Jack. OMG!)“Guy in tight jeans runs into the water, I’m taking pictures.”
Yes, Jack, I’ll just bet you are. Will you please, please, please grab him already and TELL him how much you’ve been wanting him while you’ve been screwing Mr. Whiney-butt all these months. Please?
One point of confusion---Does Cardiff Bay have a great big ferris wheel next to it? It looked like the London Eye, but I knew it couldn’t be. (Americanus Ignoramus, sorry.)
Did I miss the part where we went from Owen being relieved of duty to being sent on the mission into the house? Where, you might notice he was very JACK-LIKE!!! The whole electrocution thing? Kind of like walking into a room full of Stet Radiation, no?
Yes, Owen, you are “too cool for school.”
I liked a lot of the stuff with the old guy.
“Who am I going to tell, the angel Gabriel?” “You’re still holding my hand.”
So this week’s, hitting on the head with a sledge hammer theme is a mixture of “Is that all there is?” and “The hope is with the aliens.”
Meanwhile, Burn takes over John’s job of making an absolutely impossible line work beautifully.
“It sang to me.”
Awwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!
Once again, no subversion fic, and hopefully no interviews (STFU GDL!) that make me get out of bed to write eeeeevil drabbles to counter-act them.