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Torchwood meta: The Lost Files. (All three radio plays, but mostly The House of the Dead.)
Before we start - icon is in honour of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sam_storyteller’s Trying to Communicate, because alien LOLcats stand for everything that was right and good about old!Torchwood, and because I has an Ianto and I loves him very much. ♥ (If you, for any reason, dislike my teaboy, just move right past. There’s probably not much for you here.)
Disclaimer: I have nothing against Miracle Day, and find it perfectly nice viewing. But the old show is what had my heart, and that's what I'm focussing on here.
The Devil and Miss Carew and Submission
So, the first two plays. Because there’s actually thematic stuff in there, despite the daftness of the plots. (Oh show, how can it be that I love your stupidity?)
Jack
First of all, when it comes to Jack then there’s a LOT of fatalism. This exchange in particular made me sit up and pay attention:
If I had better time, I’d go and get caps of all the different creatures/people who see Jack as they die. There’s all the aliens (and ‘Bad Humans’), and Tosh and Suzie and Alex (the former leader of Torchwood), and Ianto... But also, of course, Steven...
Oh Jack. You know who you are.
It all reminds me of a brilliant fic from S1, Absolution. The most important line:
He’s not sure what he’d like more, the chance to keep his anger or the chance to be forgiven himself.
By now? Forgiveness. Peace. Oblivion.
Ianto
But the overall theme of the two first plays was death. Not actual death (although there was plenty of that), but rather how you meet it - what makes for a good or a bad death. Let me do some lists:
1. No one wants to die alone.
- Rhys’ uncle died alone, and the alien, spitefully, used this as part of its blackmail.
- Miss Carew on the other hand had Gwen there with her. (If she deserved it is another matter.)
- The alien stuck at the bottom of the sea was terrified of loneliness.
2. Do not sell out others so that you can live.
- Rhys’ uncle refused to make a deal. He died, but he died honourably.
- Miss Carew made a deal ‘with the devil’ for personal gain and because of that nearly destroyed the modern world.
- The alien, fearful of its own life, left its mate behind, and had to live with that shame forever more.
Now this is all very relevant in regards to our Ianto:
1. He didn’t die alone (indeed he died in the arms of the man he loved).
2. He died because he refused to back down from his principles. (As a matter of fact he was the driving force behind the whole showdown with the 456, but I’ll get to that further down.)
So, if looked at in the light of ‘Here are some radio plays with Ianto in them’, and disregarding the ways in which they tie into Miracle Day [death is a natural part of life and so on, it’s all very obvious, so I won’t even bother], then I thought their significance is pretty obvious when applied to Ianto:
Yes he died, but as deaths go, it was pretty good. Which brings us to the last play:
House of the Dead
Before we start, a quick note:
I’m still of the opinion that this play was a minor miracle, and after two years it gave me closure. Like I said elsewhere in a comment about Ianto:
He saved the world. He changed the world. He was loved.
That’s all I ever wanted. (Well the ‘changing the world’ was an extra bonus, which I am ridiculously grateful for.) But still... obviously it wasn’t all that much to ask for, since I got exactly what I wanted! ;)
I don’t care if people think it’s fanservice. The whole damn show used to be fanservice - during S1 -2 it was a purely character-driven. The fact that they changed the format to idea-driven is something else. These radio plays were pure classic Torchwood (daft plot written around the characters and OTT everything included), and I loved them very much indeed.
But onto the play itself. The title alone is enough to clue anyone into what’s instore: ‘House of the Dead’ is not exactly subtle (♥).
Anyway, I went and transcribed pretty much the whole of the last ten minutes (and a few other snippets), and will just go through them, commenting on them all in order - it seemed the easiest way. If I tried to do it all by theme or something I’d just get all lost.
Oh this. Because Ianto has of course already betrayed Jack - it was the very first thing he did, out of love for Lisa. And now he’ll betray Jack again - out of love for Jack. Lying through his teeth, just as he did before. Good Lord I love liars. And then this:
*flails*
Because the thing is, that right from the start Ianto as a betrayer was a mirror - betrayal was his game, just as it was once Jack’s (he conned the con man). Plus Jack merrily lies through his teeth about anything and everything, his past especially. So despite - or rather because of - all the lies, equality lies at the heart of the relationship.
Compare and contrast with Jack and Gwen, where he was always the one in control of the situation. Not in control of his feelings, but Jack always had the power. And (because of that?) he wanted to protect her. He even says so in the first episode of Miracle Day, and I wanted to bang my head against the wall: 'Jack - I love to you pieces, but NO! You do not need to protect her!' Because - as Gwen is quick to point out - the main things she needs protecting from is him.
Now for a long time I’ve thought that Gwen is like Rose if she made Amy’s choices. These two scenes in particular echo each other perfectly - so much so that when I first saw ‘Amy’s Choice’ I had a distinct feeling of deja vu:
End of Days TW. 1.13:
GWEN: You bring him back.
JACK: No.
(Jack walks away from her.)
GWEN: The resurrection gauntlet ...
IANTO: Was destroyed.
GWEN: Something else.
JACK: I said no.
GWEN: No, there's something wrong with time, so we, we can go back to the moment, to the very moment ...
JACK: Gwen ...
GWEN: There's something you can do, otherwise WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT OF YOU?!
Amy’s Choice DW 5.7:
AMY: Save him. You save everyone. You always do. It's what you do.
DOCTOR: Not always. I'm sorry.
AMY: Then what is the point of you?
But where Gwen struggles on alone, having an unfortunate affair in order to cope to with the demands of Torchwood, and Jack proving nothing more than distant advice, Eleven is able to immediately pinpoint the origin of Amy’s issues, and sets about fixing them, insisting that they bring Rory with them - a state of affairs Gwen doesn’t achieve until ‘Meat’, and then only by forcing the issue almost to breaking point.
Jack wants her, I think, but he also keeps her at a distance, and (much like the Doctor) treats her as a child - and Gwen (like Amy) needs an equal.
Which brings me back to Ianto. Ianto lied his way into Torchwood (and possibly into Jack’s bed too), and this immediately put them on a much more equal footing. Look at Flatholm f.ex. - it’s unclear when Ianto was told, but it was obviously not something Jack felt he ‘had’ to keep from Ianto. Indeed Ianto was the one who helped Gwen discover the truth, understanding far better than Jack that trust, honestly and equality are hugely important. Anyway, I’ll get back to Ianto & Jack & trust.
Oh the sudden breathless hope in those few words. *heartbreaks*
‘She recreated you’. Oh oh oh, my beautiful Doctor Who parallels...
Pretty much the first thing I did after I finished listening was run off and upload this icon:
These are of course the Doctor’s words in The Pandorica Opens. He expands on them a bit in The Big Bang:
DOCTOR: Memories are more powerful than you think, and Amy Pond is not an ordinary girl. Grew up with a time crack in her wall. The universe pouring through her dreams every night. The Nestenes took a memory print of her and got more than they bargained for. Like you. Not just your face, but your heart and your soul.
Ianto and Rory. Brought back from the dead through the power of love and memories and hand-wave-y explanations. I. Love. It. To. Pieces.
OK, this? This (and what follows) is the best tearing down of man!pain that I’ve ever come across. Because it’s on a Watsonian level, with the object that’s being angsted over refusing to play its part.
By the way, I am totally taking this as confirmation that Ianto is the love of Jack’s life. Just sayin’. (By which I mean: Don’t try to argue. Hardcore ‘shipper here.)
It’s brutal. Brutal, but necessary . And I love it. Ianto has always been the most wonderful mixture of liar and truthteller. He was the one to call Jack a monster [in Cyberwoman], the one to ask Jack if he’d ever loved someone... And the one who ended up being his greatest defender, and the one whose question’s Jack would answer - because he asked them so infrequently, but when he did, he’d earned the right to an answer. (Jack is pretty much a non-Newtonian fluid - impenetrable if you use blunt force, but much more open if you just wait for him...) Going back to my point, however, then this needed to be said. Self-pity, and the wallowing therein, is a dangerous, dangerous thing (just see the Tenth Doctor), and a lot of Jack’s matter-of-fact-ness when talking to Gwen at the very end of CoE might have come from this moment. Lesson the first: Don’t make excuses.
I am selfishly very pleased with how this echoes a particular snippet of my own fic [set during S2 of TW]. A snippet which necessitated dipping into Jack’s POV very briefly - slightly breaking the flow of the narrative - but I really wanted to use it:
I knew that soon enough he’d wake up alone, and to have that very point emphasised here just pleased me immensely.
And it was at this point that I nearly fell of my chair in delight. Oh the parallels! *flails*
I don’t know if I can put into words how much I love this. Jack, saying his goodbye to Gwen, [quite understandably] wore an impenetrable mask. Seeing what lay behind it - the naked, literally suicidal, despair - the way he is the tiniest fraction away from just losing it completely... It gives a dark glimpse into the six months he tried, and failed, to come to terms with what he’d done. No wonder he runs away to the stars.
Anyway, we see that it’s at this point that Ianto becomes pro-active, rather than re-active. And I think it’s important here that Ianto doesn’t remember the circumstances that surrounded his death. Doesn’t know the stakes. Can’t begin to guess at the reasons behind Jack’s death wish. If he’d known what Jack did? (If Jack had told the truth...) He might have gone along with the double suicide I think. But as it stands, he focusses on saving Jack.
The surprised squeak in his voice rather makes me laugh - it’s amazing. And the sheer shock it conveys is incredible.
One, I like Ianto’s world weariness here. He’s deceiving Jack, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not speaking the truth. I love it when people lie with the truth...
Two, I might need an icon that says ‘My fandom has magic pebbles!’
Because it’s awesome.
And this. Oh this. Jack’s genuine shock, his incredulity... How did they get JB to do that? Because it is so revealing, beautifully showcasing the way Jack looks to Ianto to guide him. This was of course one of the features of CoE, where most of Jack’s actions [after they discovered the truth and Jack revealed his part in what happened in 1965] were driven by Ianto. It was very clear that the only action Ianto would accept was an attempt to fix it, to this time do the right thing. Stand up for what’s right. So they faced down the 456... and paid the price. Of course ghost!Ianto doesn’t remember this, but he’s still the same man. Still holds the same principles. And so if he says that it’s OK to walk away? Then it’s OK. Jack can let go, can step away from being the hero.
Also see Adam, for proof of Jack’s belief in Ianto’s basic decency:
JACK: Best lie detector on the planet. If something's untrue, the light turns red. Go.
IANTO: My… hands on her throat. And it felt so good. Squeezing the life out of her. It reads as truth.
JACK: I don't believe it. OK, tell me about the second girl.
IANTO: She tried to get away... but I was too quick. Pleading... And I... I didn't care. Something in me wants to kill.
JACK: No. This is not you. (Turns machine off.) Something's changed you. You're not a murderer. (Hand to Ianto’s shoulder as he walks past.) I'm certain of it.
Ianto is the boy who loved monsters. Cyberwoman!Lisa. Jack. Because Jack knows he is a monster. And he also knows that Ianto isn’t.
There’s also another side to this (and thanks tosolitary_summer for pointing it out) - Ianto believes in Torchwood, something Jack never really did. Oh he worked for them, and tried his best to make a difference with the tools at his disposal, but his jadedness and bitterness were always in evidence. But Ianto...
Ianto: “Coming her gave me meaning again. You.”
Ianto didn’t just believe in Torchwood, he believed in Jack. And that is an incredibly powerful thing.
Now Gwen... Well Gwen is different. Jack was the person who plucked her from her ordinary life. She became to believe in the cause, but for Gwen there was always a conflict between her normal life and Torchwood, and if forced to choose she'd choose normal life.
Ianto however chose Torchwood and Jack, and he accepted the darkness that came with that. That’s why he died (and Gwen lived), and that is why Jack will walk out on his mission for his sake (and wouldn’t for Gwen, if she’d been there). Because Ianto is his.
Is this a ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ reference, or am I overanalysing? Either way, it made me smile.
Oh god. Betrayal. And the bravery to pull it off. I just... *hands*
And this is where the writers were very clever in that they make Ianto the Big Damn Hero, saving the world all on his own, and at the same time say: ‘He’s dead, OK? And he’s staying dead!’
Just let me take a moment to savour the fact that Ianto takes Jack’s place - the mirroring is complete. See River’s sacrifice for another example. Plus, of course, it makes Ianto’s [second] death his own choice. He could have run, but he didn’t.
Also I feel obliged to point out how Ianto’s action mirrors another one of my favourite fictional characters: Spike. Not only do they save the world more-or-less single-handedly, they change the world. Spike closes the Sunnydale hellmouth. Ianto seals the Cardiff rift. Those are pretty damn awesome accomplishments!
Others have remarked upon how this mirrors the Doctor/Rose scene on Bad Wolf Bay - except here it’s reversed. Ianto doesn’t demand proof of Jack’s love, indeed he states that it goes without saying. It’s Jack who insists on ‘making it official’.
Goodbye Ianto. You saved the world. You changed the world. And you were loved. (I couldn’t ask for more.)
So... Thank you for three wonderful years. They were daft and stupid and silly and much too OTT angsty for their own good. And they hurt me more than any other story ever has. But I wouldn’t swap for anything.
~♥~
So, where do we go from here? Oh, anywhere we want. Ianto, killed by the 456’s virus, was pretty much impossible to resurrect. I’ve read a fic or two where he’s saved/resurrected/something happened and he didn’t really die (and I had a bunny of my own, even), but they never really rang true. Partly because the show went out of its way to confirm that he was dead, and partly because of the timeline and Jack’s six months on Earth and so on. But a resurrected/recreated-by-ancient-evil-real!boy-ghost-Ianto, who sacrifices himself by blowing up the rift and possibly gets stuck in the space between dimensions? Dude, the fic writes itself. No really, it does. It took me about... oh 30 seconds to think of a plausible scenario? It’s a LOVELY bunny btw, and I’ve stuck it in a hutch and am regularly checking on it, so it’ll be ready when I find the time to pay proper attention to things like plot. *pets it* Heck, it’s even quite plausible to argue that Ianto is now immortal - gotta love those ancient evils with unlimited powers... I mean, isn’t that what Torchwood is - or rather was - all about? To be a fanfic writers dream!
sam_storyteller’s Trying to Communicate, because alien LOLcats stand for everything that was right and good about old!Torchwood, and because I has an Ianto and I loves him very much. ♥ (If you, for any reason, dislike my teaboy, just move right past. There’s probably not much for you here.)Disclaimer: I have nothing against Miracle Day, and find it perfectly nice viewing. But the old show is what had my heart, and that's what I'm focussing on here.
So, the first two plays. Because there’s actually thematic stuff in there, despite the daftness of the plots. (Oh show, how can it be that I love your stupidity?)
Jack
First of all, when it comes to Jack then there’s a LOT of fatalism. This exchange in particular made me sit up and pay attention:
Dying Alien: “You and I, we’re the last of our kind, Jack. Who is going to forgive us for what we’ve done?”
Jack: “Maybe we never get forgiven. And we have to spend all these long years getting used to that fact. ‘Cause I realised a long time ago, that’s the price of immortality - no final act, no redemption, no absolution. You are the lucky one - you get to die!”
Alien: “Is he waiting for me, Captain? Is there a life waiting for me, beyond? Please - tell me he’s waiting.”
Jack: “Would it help if I said yes?”
Alien: “Oh yes. I would help, so very much!”
Jack: “Then I’m sorry. Because I can tell you what’s waiting for you - nothing!”
Alien: “Who are you?”
Jack: “I am the face you see when you die.”
If I had better time, I’d go and get caps of all the different creatures/people who see Jack as they die. There’s all the aliens (and ‘Bad Humans’), and Tosh and Suzie and Alex (the former leader of Torchwood), and Ianto... But also, of course, Steven...
Oh Jack. You know who you are.
It all reminds me of a brilliant fic from S1, Absolution. The most important line:
He’s not sure what he’d like more, the chance to keep his anger or the chance to be forgiven himself.
By now? Forgiveness. Peace. Oblivion.
Ianto
But the overall theme of the two first plays was death. Not actual death (although there was plenty of that), but rather how you meet it - what makes for a good or a bad death. Let me do some lists:
1. No one wants to die alone.
- Rhys’ uncle died alone, and the alien, spitefully, used this as part of its blackmail.
- Miss Carew on the other hand had Gwen there with her. (If she deserved it is another matter.)
- The alien stuck at the bottom of the sea was terrified of loneliness.
2. Do not sell out others so that you can live.
- Rhys’ uncle refused to make a deal. He died, but he died honourably.
- Miss Carew made a deal ‘with the devil’ for personal gain and because of that nearly destroyed the modern world.
- The alien, fearful of its own life, left its mate behind, and had to live with that shame forever more.
Now this is all very relevant in regards to our Ianto:
1. He didn’t die alone (indeed he died in the arms of the man he loved).
2. He died because he refused to back down from his principles. (As a matter of fact he was the driving force behind the whole showdown with the 456, but I’ll get to that further down.)
So, if looked at in the light of ‘Here are some radio plays with Ianto in them’, and disregarding the ways in which they tie into Miracle Day [death is a natural part of life and so on, it’s all very obvious, so I won’t even bother], then I thought their significance is pretty obvious when applied to Ianto:
Yes he died, but as deaths go, it was pretty good. Which brings us to the last play:
Before we start, a quick note:
I’m still of the opinion that this play was a minor miracle, and after two years it gave me closure. Like I said elsewhere in a comment about Ianto:
He saved the world. He changed the world. He was loved.
That’s all I ever wanted. (Well the ‘changing the world’ was an extra bonus, which I am ridiculously grateful for.) But still... obviously it wasn’t all that much to ask for, since I got exactly what I wanted! ;)
I don’t care if people think it’s fanservice. The whole damn show used to be fanservice - during S1 -2 it was a purely character-driven. The fact that they changed the format to idea-driven is something else. These radio plays were pure classic Torchwood (daft plot written around the characters and OTT everything included), and I loved them very much indeed.
But onto the play itself. The title alone is enough to clue anyone into what’s instore: ‘House of the Dead’ is not exactly subtle (♥).
Anyway, I went and transcribed pretty much the whole of the last ten minutes (and a few other snippets), and will just go through them, commenting on them all in order - it seemed the easiest way. If I tried to do it all by theme or something I’d just get all lost.
Ianto's father: “I’ll tell you a little secret Ianto - we’re more alike than you think. We’ll both betray the ones we love.”
Oh this. Because Ianto has of course already betrayed Jack - it was the very first thing he did, out of love for Lisa. And now he’ll betray Jack again - out of love for Jack. Lying through his teeth, just as he did before. Good Lord I love liars. And then this:
Jack: “I’ve always trusted you.”
*flails*
Because the thing is, that right from the start Ianto as a betrayer was a mirror - betrayal was his game, just as it was once Jack’s (he conned the con man). Plus Jack merrily lies through his teeth about anything and everything, his past especially. So despite - or rather because of - all the lies, equality lies at the heart of the relationship.
Compare and contrast with Jack and Gwen, where he was always the one in control of the situation. Not in control of his feelings, but Jack always had the power. And (because of that?) he wanted to protect her. He even says so in the first episode of Miracle Day, and I wanted to bang my head against the wall: 'Jack - I love to you pieces, but NO! You do not need to protect her!' Because - as Gwen is quick to point out - the main things she needs protecting from is him.
Now for a long time I’ve thought that Gwen is like Rose if she made Amy’s choices. These two scenes in particular echo each other perfectly - so much so that when I first saw ‘Amy’s Choice’ I had a distinct feeling of deja vu:
End of Days TW. 1.13:
GWEN: You bring him back.
JACK: No.
(Jack walks away from her.)
GWEN: The resurrection gauntlet ...
IANTO: Was destroyed.
GWEN: Something else.
JACK: I said no.
GWEN: No, there's something wrong with time, so we, we can go back to the moment, to the very moment ...
JACK: Gwen ...
GWEN: There's something you can do, otherwise WHAT'S THE FUCKING POINT OF YOU?!
Amy’s Choice DW 5.7:
AMY: Save him. You save everyone. You always do. It's what you do.
DOCTOR: Not always. I'm sorry.
AMY: Then what is the point of you?
But where Gwen struggles on alone, having an unfortunate affair in order to cope to with the demands of Torchwood, and Jack proving nothing more than distant advice, Eleven is able to immediately pinpoint the origin of Amy’s issues, and sets about fixing them, insisting that they bring Rory with them - a state of affairs Gwen doesn’t achieve until ‘Meat’, and then only by forcing the issue almost to breaking point.
Jack wants her, I think, but he also keeps her at a distance, and (much like the Doctor) treats her as a child - and Gwen (like Amy) needs an equal.
Which brings me back to Ianto. Ianto lied his way into Torchwood (and possibly into Jack’s bed too), and this immediately put them on a much more equal footing. Look at Flatholm f.ex. - it’s unclear when Ianto was told, but it was obviously not something Jack felt he ‘had’ to keep from Ianto. Indeed Ianto was the one who helped Gwen discover the truth, understanding far better than Jack that trust, honestly and equality are hugely important. Anyway, I’ll get back to Ianto & Jack & trust.
Jack: “The moment she reaches this world, I’m going to detonate the energy stored in that package - it’ll wipe out Siriath and seal the rift forever! And these stones will rise and sing.”
Ianto: “Seal the rift...”
Jack: “Its time has come.”
Ianto’s father: “What if I told you that you could take Ianto and leave?”
[...]
Jack: “Turn around and walk out of here?”
Oh the sudden breathless hope in those few words. *heartbreaks*
Ianto: “Jack - who’s dead? Who does he mean?”
[...]
Jack: “You don’t understand, I thought it would just look like you...”
Ianto [horrified and dismayed]: “It!”
Jack: “...I could have coped with that. I didn’t dream it would actually *be* you! Siriath used my grief and she reached into time - she recreated you, Ianto, and I- I can’t bear to look at you.”
‘She recreated you’. Oh oh oh, my beautiful Doctor Who parallels...
Pretty much the first thing I did after I finished listening was run off and upload this icon:
These are of course the Doctor’s words in The Pandorica Opens. He expands on them a bit in The Big Bang:
DOCTOR: Memories are more powerful than you think, and Amy Pond is not an ordinary girl. Grew up with a time crack in her wall. The universe pouring through her dreams every night. The Nestenes took a memory print of her and got more than they bargained for. Like you. Not just your face, but your heart and your soul.
Ianto and Rory. Brought back from the dead through the power of love and memories and hand-wave-y explanations. I. Love. It. To. Pieces.
Ianto: ”You can’t- Jack!”
Jack: “I’m sorry Ianto, I’m sorry...”
Ianto: “Don’t... Touch me! Don’t”
Jack: “OK.”
[...]
Ianto: “You couldn’t leave me rest in peace. You’ve done this to me! Dragged me back, just to say goodbye. This isn’t about closing the rift, destroying that creature, or even your bloody stones. [tearfully] It’s not even about me! This - [voice lowers, angrily] this - is all about you, Jack!”
OK, this? This (and what follows) is the best tearing down of man!pain that I’ve ever come across. Because it’s on a Watsonian level, with the object that’s being angsted over refusing to play its part.
Jack: “Ianto - this isn’t how I planned it.”
Ianto: “What were you hoping for? That I’d say a few nice words? That I’d be grateful?”
Jack: “I just wanted to see you one more time! That’s all. It’s why I came here.”
Ianto [cuttingly]: “Well that’s lovely.”
Jack: “Ianto - all the people I’ve lost. Don’t you understand? The only one I wanted to see was you!”
By the way, I am totally taking this as confirmation that Ianto is the love of Jack’s life. Just sayin’. (By which I mean: Don’t try to argue. Hardcore ‘shipper here.)
Ianto [almost spitefully]: “Thanks. At least you didn’t forget me.”
Jack: “How could I? I may be immortal, but I don’t forget! I lose everyone, but I don’t forget any of you! I work so hard to remember.”
Ianto: “You make it sound like charity work.”
Jack: “Don’t say that! Never say that!”
Ianto: “Jack? I didn’t think the last thing I’d ever say to you would be this: Just go away. Please. This is horrible!”
It’s brutal. Brutal, but necessary . And I love it. Ianto has always been the most wonderful mixture of liar and truthteller. He was the one to call Jack a monster [in Cyberwoman], the one to ask Jack if he’d ever loved someone... And the one who ended up being his greatest defender, and the one whose question’s Jack would answer - because he asked them so infrequently, but when he did, he’d earned the right to an answer. (Jack is pretty much a non-Newtonian fluid - impenetrable if you use blunt force, but much more open if you just wait for him...) Going back to my point, however, then this needed to be said. Self-pity, and the wallowing therein, is a dangerous, dangerous thing (just see the Tenth Doctor), and a lot of Jack’s matter-of-fact-ness when talking to Gwen at the very end of CoE might have come from this moment. Lesson the first: Don’t make excuses.
“I had to see you again. You have no idea what it felt like coming back to life and knowing that the world was empty! Because you’d gone! No matter how many times I die, I always wake up alone!”
I am selfishly very pleased with how this echoes a particular snippet of my own fic [set during S2 of TW]. A snippet which necessitated dipping into Jack’s POV very briefly - slightly breaking the flow of the narrative - but I really wanted to use it:
When the world came rushing back (why did it have to hurt so much?) Jack felt strong young arms holding him, and grasped onto them gratefully. He could do this forever, as long as he had arms to come back to...
I knew that soon enough he’d wake up alone, and to have that very point emphasised here just pleased me immensely.
Ianto: ”I didn’t ask to come back.”
Jack: “Neither did I!
And it was at this point that I nearly fell of my chair in delight. Oh the parallels! *flails*
Jack: [laughs wobbly] “You and me, Ianto Jones, together again at the end. How it should be. In a few seconds Siriath will rise. I’ll trigger this device, destroying her and sealing the rift forever!”
Ianto: “You’re not planning on coming back, are you?”
[Jack laughs - it’s almost a giggle. Really quite unhinged]
Jack: “No. Gonna be a pretty big bang.”
Ianto: “You can’t die!”
Jack: “Next best thing. Eternal oblivion! Lost in the space between worlds, forever! Come on! It’s quite a way to go. [laughs - although it’s more of a hysterical breath] I think I’ve lived long enough. I’ve seen you once more. What else is there?”
I don’t know if I can put into words how much I love this. Jack, saying his goodbye to Gwen, [quite understandably] wore an impenetrable mask. Seeing what lay behind it - the naked, literally suicidal, despair - the way he is the tiniest fraction away from just losing it completely... It gives a dark glimpse into the six months he tried, and failed, to come to terms with what he’d done. No wonder he runs away to the stars.
Anyway, we see that it’s at this point that Ianto becomes pro-active, rather than re-active. And I think it’s important here that Ianto doesn’t remember the circumstances that surrounded his death. Doesn’t know the stakes. Can’t begin to guess at the reasons behind Jack’s death wish. If he’d known what Jack did? (If Jack had told the truth...) He might have gone along with the double suicide I think. But as it stands, he focusses on saving Jack.
Ianto: “Well... We could just go.”
Jack: “What?”
The surprised squeak in his voice rather makes me laugh - it’s amazing. And the sheer shock it conveys is incredible.
Ianto: “Dad said we could both leave together!”
[another unhinged laugh]
Jack: “Never. You’re kidding, right?... You mean leave here?”
Ianto: “Why not try it? The rift- ancient evil- magic pebbles- just for once, let someone else deal with it!”
One, I like Ianto’s world weariness here. He’s deceiving Jack, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not speaking the truth. I love it when people lie with the truth...
Two, I might need an icon that says ‘My fandom has magic pebbles!’
Because it’s awesome.
Jack: “Can we do that?”
And this. Oh this. Jack’s genuine shock, his incredulity... How did they get JB to do that? Because it is so revealing, beautifully showcasing the way Jack looks to Ianto to guide him. This was of course one of the features of CoE, where most of Jack’s actions [after they discovered the truth and Jack revealed his part in what happened in 1965] were driven by Ianto. It was very clear that the only action Ianto would accept was an attempt to fix it, to this time do the right thing. Stand up for what’s right. So they faced down the 456... and paid the price. Of course ghost!Ianto doesn’t remember this, but he’s still the same man. Still holds the same principles. And so if he says that it’s OK to walk away? Then it’s OK. Jack can let go, can step away from being the hero.
Also see Adam, for proof of Jack’s belief in Ianto’s basic decency:
JACK: Best lie detector on the planet. If something's untrue, the light turns red. Go.
IANTO: My… hands on her throat. And it felt so good. Squeezing the life out of her. It reads as truth.
JACK: I don't believe it. OK, tell me about the second girl.
IANTO: She tried to get away... but I was too quick. Pleading... And I... I didn't care. Something in me wants to kill.
JACK: No. This is not you. (Turns machine off.) Something's changed you. You're not a murderer. (Hand to Ianto’s shoulder as he walks past.) I'm certain of it.
Ianto is the boy who loved monsters. Cyberwoman!Lisa. Jack. Because Jack knows he is a monster. And he also knows that Ianto isn’t.
There’s also another side to this (and thanks to
solitary_summer for pointing it out) - Ianto believes in Torchwood, something Jack never really did. Oh he worked for them, and tried his best to make a difference with the tools at his disposal, but his jadedness and bitterness were always in evidence. But Ianto...Ianto: “Coming her gave me meaning again. You.”
Ianto didn’t just believe in Torchwood, he believed in Jack. And that is an incredibly powerful thing.
Now Gwen... Well Gwen is different. Jack was the person who plucked her from her ordinary life. She became to believe in the cause, but for Gwen there was always a conflict between her normal life and Torchwood, and if forced to choose she'd choose normal life.
Ianto however chose Torchwood and Jack, and he accepted the darkness that came with that. That’s why he died (and Gwen lived), and that is why Jack will walk out on his mission for his sake (and wouldn’t for Gwen, if she’d been there). Because Ianto is his.
Ianto: “I’m real, aren’t I?”
Jack: “Wuh... It’ll never work! We cross that door we’ll be back in the real world! What if you vanish? What’ll happen?”
Ianto: “That’s no reason for not trying! Seems a shame you know. To get me back, only to lose me again. Touch careless.”
Is this a ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ reference, or am I overanalysing? Either way, it made me smile.
Jack: “True. Siriath. The last remnant of a dead universe. Ah she’s not so special! But there’s only one Ianto Jones!”
Ianto: ”And there’s only ever been one Captain Jack Harkness.”
Jack: “Heh. Huh. Ah screw it! Worth a try. Let’s leave the device here for Siriath. We better go now.”
Ianto: “Cross that doorway and there’s no coming back.”
Jack: “Why would I want to? I’ve got you back, Ianto. Come on, lets do this Ianto. Let’s do this. Be brave.”
Ianto: “Always.”
Oh god. Betrayal. And the bravery to pull it off. I just... *hands*
Jack: “Welcome back to the land of the living Ianto Jones. Has it worked? Are you real again? Ianto? Ianto?”
Ianto: “I’m not coming.”
Jack: ”Ianto no, come on! There’s still time!”
Ianto: “No Jack, you know I can’t. My place is here. In the House of the Dead. With your device. Saving the world!”
And this is where the writers were very clever in that they make Ianto the Big Damn Hero, saving the world all on his own, and at the same time say: ‘He’s dead, OK? And he’s staying dead!’
Jack: “Don’t do this!”
Ianto: “Sorry Jack, someone’s got to destroy the rift! Quite a way to go!”
Jack: “No! Not like this! Don’t leave me like this!”
Just let me take a moment to savour the fact that Ianto takes Jack’s place - the mirroring is complete. See River’s sacrifice for another example. Plus, of course, it makes Ianto’s [second] death his own choice. He could have run, but he didn’t.
Also I feel obliged to point out how Ianto’s action mirrors another one of my favourite fictional characters: Spike. Not only do they save the world more-or-less single-handedly, they change the world. Spike closes the Sunnydale hellmouth. Ianto seals the Cardiff rift. Those are pretty damn awesome accomplishments!
Ianto: "Gotta go!”
Jack: “Ianto, no!... I never said it properly before-”
Ianto: “Doesn’t need saying.”
Others have remarked upon how this mirrors the Doctor/Rose scene on Bad Wolf Bay - except here it’s reversed. Ianto doesn’t demand proof of Jack’s love, indeed he states that it goes without saying. It’s Jack who insists on ‘making it official’.
Jack: “Yes it does! Ianto Jones - I love you.”
Ianto: “And I love you too, Jack. [...] Right then, best get a move on. ... Goodbye Jack!”
[...]
Jack: “Goodbye Ianto.”
Goodbye Ianto. You saved the world. You changed the world. And you were loved. (I couldn’t ask for more.)
So... Thank you for three wonderful years. They were daft and stupid and silly and much too OTT angsty for their own good. And they hurt me more than any other story ever has. But I wouldn’t swap for anything.
So, where do we go from here? Oh, anywhere we want. Ianto, killed by the 456’s virus, was pretty much impossible to resurrect. I’ve read a fic or two where he’s saved/resurrected/something happened and he didn’t really die (and I had a bunny of my own, even), but they never really rang true. Partly because the show went out of its way to confirm that he was dead, and partly because of the timeline and Jack’s six months on Earth and so on. But a resurrected/recreated-by-ancient-evil-real!boy-ghost-Ianto, who sacrifices himself by blowing up the rift and possibly gets stuck in the space between dimensions? Dude, the fic writes itself. No really, it does. It took me about... oh 30 seconds to think of a plausible scenario? It’s a LOVELY bunny btw, and I’ve stuck it in a hutch and am regularly checking on it, so it’ll be ready when I find the time to pay proper attention to things like plot. *pets it* Heck, it’s even quite plausible to argue that Ianto is now immortal - gotta love those ancient evils with unlimited powers... I mean, isn’t that what Torchwood is - or rather was - all about? To be a fanfic writers dream!
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alien LOLcats stand for everything that was right and good about old!Torchwood
Aye, truest true!
But still... obviously it wasn’t all that much to ask for, since I got exactly what I wanted! ;)
*snerk*
So, it's late and I'm pretty tired. For the moment please imagine that I've drawn some thoughtful Doctor Who parallels for all of the following, since that seems to be where my head is:
Because the thing is, that right from the start Ianto as a betrayer was a mirror - betrayal was his game, just as it was once Jack’s (he conned the con man) . . . So despite - or rather because of - all the lies, equality lies at the heart of the relationship.
Ianto and Rory. Brought back from the dead through the power of love and memories and hand-wave-y explanations. I. Love. It. To. Pieces.
“Next best thing. Eternal oblivion! Lost in the space between worlds, forever! Come on! It’s quite a way to go.
And this. Oh this. Jack’s genuine shock, his incredulity... How did they get JB to do that? Because it is so revealing, beautifully showcasing the way Jack looks to Ianto to guide him.
Now Gwen... Well Gwen is different. Jack was the person who plucked her from her ordinary life. She became to believe in the cause, but for Gwen there was always a conflict between her normal life and Torchwood, and if forced to choose she'd choose normal life.
See what I mean? Yes, I though you would *nods* I'll be back tomorrow if they still make sense after I've gotten some sleep.
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Aw, thank you! <3 It wouldn't let me be...
Aye, truest true!
Try to put an alien LOLcat into Miracle Day. I don't think it can be done!
See what I mean? Yes, I though you would *nods*
Of course I do! :) (If I didn't have approx. 5 million icons already, I'd totally get one of River and Ianto with 'Truthtelling liars' on it...)
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I never bought into the jack never told Ianto he loved him debate because in my eyes he did. Jack said it first with the words "I take it all back but not him" Captain Jack Harkness who would lay down the life of one to save the world was prepared to say stuff the world to save Ianto. Same as in the play The House of the Dead the line "the only one I wanted to see was you " means so much more to me than the I love you line. I see the "don't" line that Jack gives to Ianto after his "I love you" as meaning "don't say it Ianto because I know that you love me but I also know for you to verbalise it means you are saying goodbye " Both so closed in their emotions and so very alike which is why the relationship worked so well.
I tried watching MD but I am afraid I didn't get past the first episode. It, for me, is missing something. I don't mean Ianto either. It seems to be missing it's depth. For all the quirkiness that Torchwood was it always had more of a meaning if you choose to look. I'm afraid I cannot find that depth anymore. But you are right the play has left it very open for Ianto to be bought back I could think of at least 5 different senarios.
Sorry I kind of wrote an essay. Oops........
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I agree with your analogy of the play. Ianto was my character and, even though I was in tears ( once again) I found the radio play gave me more of a closure than the 5th episode of COE ever did.
I think the main issue here is story-driven vs. character-driven. Ianto's character, in CoE, was subservient to the story (as was everything else), hence the way there was very little focus on how his death affected Jack. Well it was implied that by losing Ianto he had basically lost his last proper connection to humanity, hence him going through with what he did on Day 5, but it was never addressed indepth, the way it would have been in earlier seasons.
I don't believe he would ever tell anyone else how he felt about Ianto. Jack for all his bravado and talk is a very closed character when it comes to feelings and so is Ianto
*nods a lot* Which is why they understood each other so well.
I never bought into the jack never told Ianto he loved him debate because in my eyes he did.
Oh absolutely! (I have a tendency to fall for hugely dysfunctional couples who are unable to communicate their true feelings, and am finely tuned to catch subtext because of this.) S1... well, Jack is still very damaged, but by KKBB and "I came back for you" things are not exactly subtle. (And then he tries to cover it up and... oh. *draws hearts*) I'm still chuffed to bits that we DID get a proper, mutual, 'I love you' though. Because I love it when characters can own their feelings. (And also it's good for shutting other people up! *g*)
I tried watching MD but I am afraid I didn't get past the first episode. It, for me, is missing something. I don't mean Ianto either. It seems to be missing it's depth.
Oh I know what you mean. (Wrote about it here.) It's like... some shiny new show where Jack and Gwen are guest starring. But it's not my show, and emotionally I'm not there at all. I'm watching though, partly because I'm a completist, and partly because I'm just curious. I think I might like it, and it's entertaining, but... *shrugs* The radio plays gave me closure, so now MD is just a curiosity, if that makes sense?
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Also I really like the way you've interrogated the dialogue in HoTD. Again I hadn't thought of parallels with River. I guess it makes sense, the writers inhabit the same world, and these similarities are bound to happen.
It feels like you found real closure from this play. I think I did as well, in a way, I was very moved by it. I've found MD has made me go a bit backwards again, not that I like it especially, it's not my sort of show at all. but I see you've done a meta about that as well, so I may just go and check it out.
Anyhow I feel very grateful for HoTD, even if it was fan service, it was a gift.
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Thank you, and welcome. :)
I really didn't think of the parallels with Dr Who, and Rory and Ianto.
I see parallels pretty much everywhere. Makes watching stuff a bit complicated though...
Also I really like the way you've interrogated the dialogue in HoTD.
Sometimes that's the only way to really get under the surface. I did the same with the final scene of CoE.
Again I hadn't thought of parallels with River. I guess it makes sense, the writers inhabit the same world, and these similarities are bound to happen.
*nods* Although it's taken me a while to appreciate all the ways in which Ianto and River mirror each other (also River keeps developing!). That said, I have a tendency to fall for the same type of 'ship, so I was actively looking for parallels.
It feels like you found real closure from this play. I think I did as well, in a way, I was very moved by it.
I really, really did. It was like a miracle. Seriously, CoE made me unable to really look at the show at all, it was that painful. (Not that I'm out for RTD's blood - it's his show, he's entitled to do what he wants with it.) But this play just laid it all to rest and I've been able to go back and dig up all my old favourite vids and icons and wallpapers and not have my heart break when I look at them. ♥
I've found MD has made me go a bit backwards again, not that I like it especially, it's not my sort of show at all. but I see you've done a meta about that as well, so I may just go and check it out.
If you follow the Torchwood tag, you see all my thoughts, such as they are. No actual *meta*, it's more that I've tried to work out why it's not working for me.
Anyhow I feel very grateful for HoTD, even if it was fan service, it was a gift.
Indeed. And - like I say elsewhere - the fact that everything's laid to rest means that I'm not begrudging MD anything. I wish it all the best, and hope people like it. It's just not my show anymore.
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Not to mention I have some thoughts about what might happen, including maybe an Ianto moment, and I want to know if I'm right.
I really thought when I listened to HoTD that it would have the effect it's had for you, and make it all much easier, but it hasn't really. I'm still incredibly pleased about it though. As soon as Amazon release it I'm going to leave it a good review, I think it deserves it!
I agree with your point about RTD can do what he likes with his show. Equally we didn't have to like what he did! You know I've always thought that it would have all worked much better if they'd handled the way they interacted with fans both before and after with more sensitivity and an assumption that we are in fact at least a little bit intelligent. I would have seen the whole thing so differently if it had been the end, the final series, where it's all over etc. Then, fine if he needed to use it for Hollywood or whatever, do a US version, like so many other shows have done. Both those things would have been accepted, even if not liked. Having said all that, without the outcry and the big fan campaign, I genuinely don't think HoTD would have existed, or the other plays, or the audiobooks this year. I think it was the best we could have hoped for, and I'm very pleased they did it!
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Well this is why I'm so aloof. It's not my show. Not even really in the same ballpark. It's a bit like re-branding? As in, keeping the name but completely changing the product. And I can't begrudge a cabbage for not being a chocolate bar. Cabbages are probably a lot healthier. I just... don't eat them often.
I really thought when I listened to HoTD that it would have the effect it's had for you, and make it all much easier, but it hasn't really. I'm still incredibly pleased about it though. As soon as Amazon release it I'm going to leave it a good review, I think it deserves it!
Oooh I hadn't thought of Amazon. Good idea, yes.
I agree with your point about RTD can do what he likes with his show. Equally we didn't have to like what he did!
LOL. Absolutely.
You know I've always thought that it would have all worked much better if they'd handled the way they interacted with fans both before and after with more sensitivity and an assumption that we are in fact at least a little bit intelligent.
Yeah, that whole 'Oh there'll be lots of Jack/Ianto in CoE!' was... uh... misguided to say the least. And then the backclash from fans was so vicious that it's obvious why RTD and co retreated and distanced themselves. Meh.
Having said all that, without the outcry and the big fan campaign, I genuinely don't think HoTD would have existed, or the other plays, or the audiobooks this year. I think it was the best we could have hoped for, and I'm very pleased they did it!
It feels a bit like that episode of the Simpsons where Bart saves Mr Burn's life and gets nothing in return until they get really bitchy? (Ane when Marge tries to extract some kind of morality from the situation, Bart says: 'There is no moral! It's just a bunch of stuff that happened!' Gotta love it.) Although I like the radio plays better than a giant head. :)