Which kind of Gwen we like to dislike?

[weis07.livejournal.com]

Dear friends, our not so beloved Gwen Cooper is a complex character and fanfiction authors explore different sides of her personality. There are many types of fics, bashing and not, that provoke different reaction to Gwen. Just out of curiosity – which Gwen do you like to dislike the most?

- Cheating Gwen
- Greedy Gwen, who has her perfect life, boyfriend/husband (and after CoE - settled life and baby) but still wants more, wants something that doesn’t belong to her
- People-oriented Gwen, who can talk to anybody, make people spill their problems and trust her instantly
- The heart and soul of Torchwood Gwen - Jack’ confidant, Ianto’ best friend, Tosh’ close friend and fashion adviser, Owen’ psychological support
- Skillful/efficient Gwen, who can learn and do anything in no time despite never doing it before (being profiler, detective, medic, tech spec, field agent, manager, team leader, second-in-command etc.)
- Humane Gwen, who likes to remind her team mates that they are cold and alone but she can save them, can remind them what it means to be human because she is not like them, she has life outside of Torchwood
- Morally superior / condescending Gwen, who is always right and tries to make others to see things her way
- Oblivious Gwen, who doesn’t see something real when it looks right at her
- Evil mastermind Gwen, who deliberately does something harmful to Torchwood or to one of her co-workers (though I’m not sure that such fics exist)
- Using Torchwood recourses for personal use Gwen (but with the best of intentions, of course!)
- Meany Gwen, who hurts somebody just for her selfish reasons
- Stubborn Gwen, who doesn’t listen to those who know better and as a result somebody gets hurt
- Openly pining after Jack Gwen (and often making trouble for Jack and Ianto relationship)
- Self-important Gwen, (not necessary morally supreme) who likes to be heard and be the focus of attention (even in the end of the world situation)
- Jack’ soul mate Gwen, who makes him human again, heals his wounds, improves Torchwood simply by being there etc.
- Useless Gwen, who tries to command others
- Single-handedly saving the world and defending humanity Gwen
- Disregarding her co-workers, their humanity, experience and personal significance Gwen
- Annoying Gwen, who is just always there, asking stupid questions, stating obvious and making a nuisance of herself

I understand that usually these sides of Gwen’ personality combine. Bashing of which do you prefer to see and what kind of bashing?

Comments

[irishjantogirl.livejournal.com]

Well truth be told, all of those aspects of Gwen can really annoy me. In my work on ff.net (whitecrossgirl) if I need a villian or just someone to poke a stick at, I use her. I don't tend to go overboard, I just point out her more annoying qualities and expand on them.

[weis07.livejournal.com]

I think it makes sense - using character that's already there, just accentuate certain traits.

[jsks.livejournal.com]

you are whitecross girl, i have read a lot of your stuff and really enjoy it. never commented because i don't have account there.

[irishjantogirl.livejournal.com]

thanks for letting me know :)

[mscatmoon.livejournal.com]

They all work, but: Jack’ soul mate Gwen, who makes him human again, heals his wounds, improves Torchwood simply by being there etc is the worst because it's so totally, obviously untrue, yet people (the people in charge who actually *write* the show and work on it no less!) are so totally deluded and clueless as to actually believe that's what they were writing and producing. Because there was nothing in the series that showed that, or proved Gwen deserved any of that. Much the contrary. And the rest of us sane people are going, WTF??!

[weis07.livejournal.com]

You know, their constant persistence (to this moment) that Gwen IS "the heart and soul of TW" baffles me the most. This is the farthest of what I can call Gwen as she is on-screen, but they still call her that, even making it part of her official character description.
So yes, perfect WTF moment.

[wanda1969.livejournal.com]

Totally agree! Funnily enough one of the recent ff Gwack stories had a synopsis which went a little like this, if I rmember correctly (I'm paraphrasing): "I was sick of always doing things for other people, never having time for myself... now, I, Gwen Cooper, was finally going to do something for myself..." I was flabbergasted! I'd never really considered her to be anywhere near so selfless, in any way, shape or form!!

[joygoddess.livejournal.com]

Where can I vote for all of the above???

[weis07.livejournal.com]

Erm... next time I'll try to make it as a poll)))

[wanda1969.livejournal.com]

My 'favourite' Gwen, the one I love to hate, is Oblivious!Useless!Gwen!
Although, I'd definitely vote for all of the above.
I particularly dislike her when she's portrayed WELL (mostly) as in CoE. I would have liked her to some extent in that, if she hadn't been so balatantly out of character considering the 1st 2 series. Proof to me that those who liked CoE were new to the show!

[weis07.livejournal.com]

I can relate to this because I don't like something useless but praised either.

[wanda1969.livejournal.com]

CoE was so annoying (for a lot of reasons!!)- I just couldn't believe that she'd suddenly become Competent!Caring!Gwen! It seemed just like the slate was wiped irritatingly clean! And then, of course, Ianto died... and that slate was wiped a little more, and I feared for the future...
I'm still worrying about Rhys in MW- he's obviously doomed, in order to leave it all open for Jack's (and Gwen's) unstated love....

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

All of them, with particular emphasis on the "Jack's soulmate" version. That's the most ridiculous one, as Gwen obviously doesn't even have a soul - just a twisted psyche that drives her to destroy everyone's happiness... including that of her own family and husband.

[charie-caphine.livejournal.com]

The heart and soul of Torchwood Gwen - Jack’ confidant, Ianto’ best friend, <...>

This one's such a particular turn-off: when she and Ianto are presented, in fanon, as best pals. It goes utterly and very uncomfortably against my interpretation of their canon relationship.

Said relationship, I see this way: Ianto resented Gwen, for all her faults you've so thoroughly counted here, from the outset, but, first, he didn't want to draw attention to himself by being confrontational while hiding Lisa, and, second, he's just generally good at maintaining professionalism. He never changed his opinion of Gwen, not for the better, in any case, but continues treating her with polite amiability for the sake of the team.

As for Gwen, I see her taking a dislike for Ianto due to the combined factors of his quirky, reserved nature and his being a recipient of Jack's particular attention, - this dislike only growing with time and developments, - but she would act demonstratively nice to him so she could admire her own maturity in suppressing unpleasant emotions. She later grows used to Ianto and to thinking he's not a threat for her own bond with Jack, so she warms up to him and, taking his civility for genuine respect, starts counting him a friend - as in, a person to look down at with fond condescension.

Pt2 coming up tomorrow. =) Maybe. It's a bit of an issue to me, someone writing Gwen and Ianto as best mates, thus the venting.

[weis07.livejournal.com]

The way you described Gwen and Ianto reaction to each other seems very plausible. I can't accept Gwen as someone selfless, genuinely helping others either because nothing in canon justifies such position. But being condescending and thinking that she is better than them - easily.

[charie-caphine.livejournal.com]

The sort of Gwen-bashing I enjoy best is the well-written texts with a perfectly in-character Gwen, not exaggerated or vilified but right as she is in the show, except with the others reacting appropriately: where her screw-ups aren't waved off, her insults aren't dismissed, her cluelessness isn't tolerated, and her dangerous or tactless naivete doesn't go unchecked.

Makes me wonder if she doesn't routinely retcon her colleagues, since no one ever remembers her mistakes beyond the given episode, if not even the given scene.

So, that's: her being called on cheating, obliviousness, self-importance, uselessness, and hypocrisy; the dismantling of her (or the creators') lofty and ludicrous beliefs about 'heart and soul', wondrous people and action skills, and special status overall. And, possibly, making some sense of that thing between her and Jack which I just tend to call 'The Weirdness' in my head and move on, since I still haven't been able to find another explanation for it but 'bad writing'.

The qualities that repel me so much I wouldn't even want to see them bashed, just so I wouldn't have to witness them any more than what's unavoidable in the show, are: unwarranted but self-assured moral superiority, entitled condescension, and bull-headed stubbornness. These I find some of the most repulsive traits in people in general, not just Gwen, and would rather not come across them at all. Unfortunately, they rather lie at the core of Gwen's character...

[weis07.livejournal.com]

It's incredible, that person in which we have to seriously try see something good is praised beyond belief, while others - who actually do the right thing (or try to) - are kind of forgotten, isn't it?

I enjoy fics where canonical Gwen has to answer for her mistakes and condescending manner too. This kind of fanfiction is important because it gives us closure without outlining "the punishment". The later each of us can think of by themselves, but canonical situations are more universal, they should be dealt with first. And I adore authors who can re-write them creatively but not too harsh.

[pomkeygeekange.livejournal.com]

All of the above tbh.

I think the thing that anoys me about her the most is a) she never really had to face any of the consequences of her actions and b) She lived when the more experianced torchwood staff died which seems completly unrealistic to me and c) she gets to keep rhys when other fellers would have walked out a long time before.