castalia: (DW - Donna Stolen Earth by nishime)
[personal profile] castalia
Okay, saying I hate it all is pretty much understood now. While there was some hugely entertaining, high quality television there, like always Rusty disappoints in the end and leaves me feeling crap instead of elated.

I would have liked Gwen's little video speech at the beginning a bit better if it wasn't a total rehash of Rose's "this is the story of how I died" rubbish. Rusty, stop it with the same old tricks.

I really, really loved Ianto's sister. I wish we could've kept that whole family for another season.

The scenes of the governmental figures calmly organizing how to select children, blackmail the soldiers into doing the dirty work, etc, is really the most chilling aspect of the story arc IMO. It's simple yet we can all imagine our world leaders doing this.

I liked the UNIT guy, who finally asked what needed to be asked. So children are like little drug factories...okay. I guess just synthesizing some of those "chemicals" would just be out of the question, eh? What a huge letdown that was. Plotholes out the ass, that's Rusty.

It was kinda OTT evil for the PM to suddenly tell Frobisher he had to not only use his own kids to further the fake inoculation story, but to give them away to aliens as well. That's just fricking cold.

Loved hearing Andy speak a bit of Welsh, even if it was just a brief welcome home.

At first I was rolling my eyes a bit at Spears' little speech about Frobisher, but then when he took the gun out of the box I got chills. The whole thing made me finally tear up and was just a powerful scene because it was so believable and heart wrenching. God. I expected him to play a larger role in the conclusion, so it came as more of a shock.

I had a feeling when Johnson the Secret Agent saw the footage she'd switch sides and start helping Torchwood. Have to admit, it's nice having so many female characters.

Loved the estate lads taking on the soldiers, though I was really afraid for Ianto's BIL and PC Andy. I kept thinking at least it's not a US show, where those soldiers would be carrying assault rifles. But seriously, the government is stupid to think they could manage all this without anyone knowing. Not in the age of cell phone cameras, viral videos, and YouTube.

The higher production values were good until the shot of all the kids standing in one large group. The duplication software was showing, badly.

I also liked that Bridget Spears rebelled against the PM as well. Though I would have liked the other councilwoman taking over much better had she not been the one to say "let's get rid of all the poor kids".

Lord, and now Jack has sold his soul again. His own grandson. God, watching that was harsh. I'm surprised they went that far with a kid, with the blood and everything.

The ending was just lame for me. Okay, I can buy that this would be the last straw for Jack. After losing pretty much his entire team plus killing his own grandson, staying would be too painful. Gwen would be a reminder, putting together a new team would be something he wouldn't feel he deserved. So, what, he's just going to randomly cruise the universe until he becomes the wise old Face of Boe?

That was possibly the most depressing thing I've ever seen on television. I don't feel all wowed by it. I don't feel like I've watched something amazing. I feel like that was five hours of extreme emotional manipulation and a cheap attempt to be dark and edgy and modern and shit. Well, yay. If edgy means having your heroes be so incredibly incompetent that they get each other killed and almost take the world with them, then to fix it they sacrifice innocents instead of themselves...then no. I don't want edgy.

I'm glad Gwen and Rhys survived, but everything else, just, no. I'm done. Donna, Ianto, Tosh...I've learned my lesson, Rusty. Not watching any more of your damn shows.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 12:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] silver-stargate.livejournal.com
I've been watching it all week with my Dad and tonight after the final episode he had one question and it was 'Why?' and I had to explain to him that the sad bit of all of it was RTD does not give a shit about the viewers, he just wants all the other writers to tell him how clever and brave he is to write off one of the most popular characters and how wonderfully he manipulated the audience and twisted it so they didn't know what would happen next. I think he's forgotten that television is meant to be a form of entertainment, and I was not entertained tonight. All over the place this week I've seen quotes saying if viewing figures were good this week there would be a fourth season but whats the fucking point?

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 12:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
I can't imagine how they could do another show at this point. Gwen will have a kid, Jack is gone, no one else is left. Your explanation says it all.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 12:50 am (UTC)
deborak: (slytherin_hate)
From: [personal profile] deborak
So . . . am I reading this correctly that both Jack and Ianto are off the show? Is Torchwood over or is it continuing with a new team? (Not a Jack or Ianto fan, so this isn't a dealbreaker for me.)

I haven't watched any of CoE. Figured I'd just dvr it when it airs on BBCA so that I can fast forward through the bulk of it. Mainly only tuning in for Rhys as he's the only character with a shred of moral decency. ;-)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 12:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
Yeah, I don't see how they could go on at this point. Everyone is dead except Jack and Gwen, Gwen is pregnant, Jack is gone now, and the Hub is destroyed.

Rhys is my favorite, too, so I'm thrilled he survived. That's all I'm thrilled about, though.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 01:08 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] windrose.livejournal.com
At first I was rolling my eyes a bit at Spears' little speech about Frobisher, but then when he took the gun out of the box I got chills. The whole thing made me finally tear up and was just a powerful scene because it was so believable and heart wrenching. God. I expected him to play a larger role in the conclusion, so it came as more of a shock.

I called that one as soon as he made the special request to Spears. But even knowing what was coming didn't make that sequence any less harrowing to watch. And it was harrowing, even moreso than watching Jack sacrifice his own grandson. Which, again, I figured would happen in some way, seeing how it was that karmic retribution for past sins bullshit RTD loves so much, as if real life were ever that neatly balanced.

No, this was grim and emotionally manipulative and, ultimately, completely hollow. RTD and Joss Whedon clearly had the same writing teacher as kids because they love repeating the same themes, where everything ends in tears and the so-called hero winds up tarnished, broken and alone. And as of tonight, I'm through.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 01:44 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
Yes, what you said. I'm tired of the lone, suffering hero and his angst. The whole was like RTD stomping on the sand castle, destroying his toys before abandoning them because if he's not going to use them, no one else is.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 01:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] windrose.livejournal.com
That was my other thought, that he was deliberately breaking things so that no one else could come in and play in the sandbox after.

Asshole.

ETA: I ranted about the whole lone suffering hero thing in my own journal. He uses it so often it's damn near become parody.
Edited Date: 2009-07-11 01:50 am (UTC)

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 04:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cesario.livejournal.com
I forgot the soldiers wouldn't be carrying rifles. I kept wondering WHY they weren't shooting at people.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 04:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
I'm kind of surprised they didn't go there. Didn't UNIT have guns before?

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 05:38 am (UTC)
ext_8850: (zelenka four)
From: [identity profile] gritkitty.livejournal.com
That was possibly the most depressing thing I've ever seen on television.


Yup. The part after Jack and Ianto face the box? From there to the end? It's all dead to me. Dead dead dead.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 04:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
Same here. This was worse than Farscape, Life on Mars, even Blake's Seven. I was going to get the huge HD files and then I thought screw it, I'm never going to watch this again.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 07:23 am (UTC)
ext_7845: (qi - not amused)
From: [identity profile] yunitsa.livejournal.com
If edgy means having your heroes be so incredibly incompetent that they get each other killed and almost take the world with them, then to fix it they sacrifice innocents instead of themselves...then no. I don't want edgy.

Yes, absolutely. And breaking all the toys is just right - ironic for an episode full of people sacrificing their own children for reasons I didn't agree with.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 04:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
*nod* I'm sure RTD and everyone involved think it's just brilliant. And I won't deny it got reactions out of people, just not the ones I think they want.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 04:31 pm (UTC)
ext_7845: (darcy hat)
From: [identity profile] yunitsa.livejournal.com
Oh, I imagine they'll take the reactions as further proof of how radical and subversive they're being. RTD doesn't strike me as having a lot of respect for fans.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-07-11 04:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] castalianspring.livejournal.com
He doesn't, not at all. He called dissenting Who fans...what was it...oh, ming mongs. Which evidently is slang for really stupid people. Gotta love that.

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