Not all fanboys like Gwen: A true Story

[dvcorvis.livejournal.com]

Meet Dan the Wallmart guy in Tucson who unsolicited told me he stoped watching Torchwood when they made the show about Gwen

Yep Unsolicited, while I was buying a new camera and a memory card that could record a panel at Comic Con ...Dan asks me Oh which panel?  ...I said Miracle Day...he says why is that so familar?  I said Torchwood?  He then said Oh yeah I stopped watching that when they made the show all about Gwen..(he adds)...I swear every time I see her I just want to reach through the TV and strangle her. (I then ask) So you are not watching Miracle Day?  ...he says nope...I say: So you dont know that Gwen is immortal now and Jack is mortal?  he said You're kidding me? Isn't Jack is supposed to be the Face of Boe...I say I dont know where they are going with that he still could be, I guess? I mean The Face of Boe did eventually die...(he agrees and says) Yeah but a long time off ...He then asks...Hey are you watching the 6th season of doctor who?  I say, Oh yeah the last one was brilliant, the two parter...and where is Amy's baby...I mean we know who she is (he interups and said) I called that one I told my girl friend she was River.  Yeah River/Pond  ..he then says I cant wait until Lets Kill Hitler anything with a title like that sounds like it has to be great

So there you have a revelation!!!  A straight guy with a girlfriend who likes Doctor Who who liked Torchwood...but doesn't like Gwen

Comments

[jsks.livejournal.com]

from the looks the ratings he isn't the only one not impressed by the awesomesaintgwen.

[littleatem.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I also had a similar experience. I work at a grocery store as a cashier. A man (and his wife) came through my line with a Doctor Who shirt. He and I had a nice conversation about Doctor Who and I told him how sad I was with the way Torchwood was turning out. He agreed and said Torchwood was cursed as soon as RTD started killing off the other main characters he also said that he didn't know how the show was still running smoothly without Ianto, Tosh or Owen (I told him it really wasn't).

[charie-caphine.livejournal.com]

Hearing about the 'general public' expressing such opinions is kind of sad - because despite all this, despite RTD's 'best efforts', the show's still running, yeah? Enough people, even those totally disillusioned, are still watching because they are just that compulsive about completing their shows, and Jack's/JB's not inconsiderable fanbase is on board for as long as he's involved, so it won't sink regardless of content and quality.

As for Dan and the others with similar opinions - well, that would be truly scary if Gwen's unholy powers of attraction extended beyond the screen, wouldn't it? A la 'The Idiot's Lantern'.

A thought: maybe that's what RTD had against Ianto, and part of the reason Ianto was so popular among fans - he was the only recurring character not enamoured with Gwen.

[littleatem.livejournal.com]

He was the only one. Not only to resist Gappy, but to also make others NOT fall under her hypnotic powers. Yes, Ianto is just that good.

[jsks.livejournal.com]

the power of ianto compels you

[dvcorvis.livejournal.com]

>>>and Jack's/JB's not inconsiderable fanbase is on board for as long as he's involved, so it won't sink regardless of content and quality.

Well Dan was obviously a 'Jack Harkness fan' and turned away because what was once Jack's show is no longer and worse it was now the show of character in Dan's mind that he hated worse

I was just amazed Dan existed and was expressing my opinion (Although I put Jack behind Tosh & Ianto)...If one dares to listen to either RTD or the most vocal of fanboy's you think Gwen was so damn sexy and the walking epitome of Sarah Connor that we should be so humble simply for having Gwen on our screens

[charie-caphine.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm definitely getting a Sarah Connor vibe from Gwen's portrayal in MD. And I happen to have liked Sarah Connor, but the current Gwen is, at best, just a rather unsubtle imitation.

From an incompetent naive clutz in s1&2 to a ninja-wannabe in CoE & MD, with no transition - that's quite an about-turn, and only the 'charming and caring' personality remains true to form.

[dr-doomsduck.livejournal.com]

That's rich, a sarah connor vibe!!! Everything Sarah did she did to keep her son safe. Gwen would happily and thoughtlessy drag her daughter into the most dangerous of situations, just cause. Besides I don't think Gwen could handle it if Anwen turned out to be the saviour of mankind instead of her, the envy would turn her against her own kid.

Again, I still don't think Gwen is very charming, nor is she very caring. All I see is an adrenaline-junkie with a severe tunnelvision and racist/homophobic tendencies.

[charie-caphine.livejournal.com]

Hey, not disagreeing in the slightest! =)

(Well, okay, only in the slightest: I don't see rasist/homophobic tendencies in her, but there're plenty more defects to 'make up for that'.)

It's pretty obvious where the aforementioned vibe come from: a mum with a giant weaponry stockpile, and a sort of kick-ass attitude, and all action soundtrack. As in, that's what RTD was probably going for?.. Like, isn't that amazing and admirable, and nevermind what you'll find if you look a bit deeper into her history and personality.

Haha, you're so right about Gwen not liking it much, to put it mildly, if Anwen grew up to be a superhero, or something like that. But then, Gwen'd hog all the credit for herself anyway, whatever the scenario.

[dr-doomsduck.livejournal.com]

The racist thing came from CoE episode 1 when Rhys was looking for a house and talking her on the phone about one of the rooms becoming a nursery when she answers and I quote "We can adopt a philipino and get him to clean the chimney."

The homophobic thing came from CoE episode 3 where she was just sitting there smiling at Clem while he was calling Ianto, her so called friend, a queer twice while he was clearly bothered by it.

Like, isn't that amazing and admirable, and nevermind what you'll find if you look a bit deeper into her history and personality.

It's funny how all of RTD's things might seem kick-ass on the surface, but are just strange perversions of things that have already been done.

[charie-caphine.livejournal.com]

I know where the racist accusation comes from, but I don't agree. It's just a dumb joke. C'mon, 'everyone's a little bit racist'? People make stupid derogatory jokes sometimes - not necessarily bad people.

As for the CoE e3 scene you mention (and I don't really remember that well), that sounds to me like typical Gwen all over - thoroughly oblivious to other people's feelings - but not at all specifically homophobic. The entire script for CoE, though, that's another discussion.

It's funny how all of RTD's things might seem kick-ass on the surface, but are just strange perversions of things that have already been done.

Isn't it just.
And things that have already been done by him.

And how quite a lot of people seem to not see beyond the surface, or see something - I don't know, deep and honest? - in bombastic self-indulgence. [/bitter much =)]

[satanassa.livejournal.com]

Yeah, people make stupid derogatory jokes sometimes, that is forgiveable. What is not forgiveable is RTD's decision to air such completely unnecessary jokes by his favourite character, the one who's supposed to be all compassionate and caring and stuff. That's what makes her look even worse. Same for when she does not stand up for her team-mate in the face of gay-mocking talk.

[dvcorvis.livejournal.com]

and the actress Em, doesnt look the part as aomeone who could weld weapons and knew how they worked unlike Linda Hamilton(sp?) It has been a while since I scene T2...but what I recall of it LH was lean and firm and worked out and trained for the role. Her arms because she could were bare and were muscled and she looked bad ass and sexy. I have not scene MD (and wont) but EM it is clear she did not work out and every promo picture of her her arms are covered. And when she holds a 45lb bazooca she eventhough it is a prop she should act like it weighs 45lbs

[beccadg.livejournal.com]

Well Dan was obviously a 'Jack Harkness fan' and turned away because what was once Jack's show is no longer and worse it was now the show of character in Dan's mind that he hated worse...

Setting aside my feelings about CoE in general, and Ianto's death specifically, I am a Jack Harkness/John Barrowman fan who doesn't want to watch Jack/JB be marginalized in what I thought was his show.

[jsks.livejournal.com]

there are not that many jb fans to turn the tide on ratings going down the drain

[beccadg.livejournal.com]

Not to mention that there are JB fans that don't want to turn the tide. I've seen JB say that his Torchwood contract doesn't allow him to work on other drama while he's under it. If I hadn't already wanted MD to tank...

[kamiandcat.livejournal.com]

@becca I know at least 4 people who have tickets for his concert and/or panto and will fly to England only to watch him, but who also boycott Miracle Day. To be fair all of them are Gareth/Ianto/classic Torchwood fans, too, but I think it says a lot that they're willing to spend so much money to see him live but won't even go as far as DL MD "for free" only for the JB bits. I also think, apart from the usual suspects, the almost creepy JB fangirls on different forums and boards who have basically no idea about the plot (I'll never forget how one of them wanted to tell me that Jack only stands around on high buildings because he was buried for 2000 years), most JB fans have followed Torchwood from the beginning and if you look beyond the "omg nekid ar$e" thing, you will noticed that they have been and are still destroying Jack's character piece by piece.

[beccadg.livejournal.com]

...Jack's/JB's not inconsiderable fanbase is on board for as long as he's involved...

Er, some may be but not all. I didn't feel like the Jack in CoE was the one I fell in love with, and while "The House of the Dead" has made me feel better about that, I can't imagine the Jack in MD being the Jack I love either. I'm not on board.

[charie-caphine.livejournal.com]

Bah, nobody in CoE was the same character we've come to know in s1&2, not Jack, not Gwen, and not Ianto. Well, maybe Rhys, but - one out of four?..

I'm a Jack fan and will watch anything with him, were it awful or awesome. Have to watch first to form an opinion, right? Even if I might need to selectively forget it later. =)

(CoE for me was so unpalatable a script in every way that I basically scratched it off my idea of canon altogether.)

[beccadg.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe Rhys, but - one out of four?

One out of five, PC Andy also featured in CoE, and was stupid and insensitive in ways that seemed wrong for him. Rhys not only was the only one that might have been in character, he was the only one who seem to retain any brains. x_x

I'm a Jack fan and will watch anything with him, were it awful or awesome.

I am a Jack fan, but I won't watch/read anything with him regardless of quality anymore. I suffered through CoE. That was enough. Now when it comes to books/comics I look for reviews first. With MD I've been following it's development from the beginning. Nothing about it makes me want to watch.

Have to watch first to form an opinion, right?

Nope. There's been lots of promotion for the show. There's a cast list and a plot summary. I don't need to watch the show to see what the production values are like, or what the quality of the ideas in it are. I'm not watching Miracle Day.

Even if I might need to selectively forget it later. =)

I'm still working on forgetting CoE.

CoE for me was so unpalatable a script in every way that I basically scratched it off my idea of canon altogether.

As far as I'm concerned there have been three series of Torchwood, and the first one had two seasons. The three separate series are Torchwood: The Original Series, Torchwood: Children of Earth, and Torchwood: Miracle Day. The only one that was any good was the Original Series.

[charie-caphine.livejournal.com]

Makes one wonder how did Rhys escape the character-mauling fate. They've still got a chance to twist him, of course.

Oh, alright then, correction: an obsessed Jack fan here, then. =) Would have been watching MD if just for the eye candy, but there's also tracking the official line regarding Jack's story, and - I guess in case of MD I'm still holding onto some optimism until conclusively proven wrong.

It's hard to judge MD's plot so far: nothing much has happened yet, at all. Besides, it's just too different to 'classic Torchwood' for me to get too anxious about it. And thankfully, the show doesn't seem to take itself too seriously, for now, either; so I'm just enjoying the majorly ridiculous but rather fun ride.

Far as I'm concerned, there's classic Torchwood, then semi-canonical radioplays, then MD. And on MD, the jury is out at least until it's done.

[kamiandcat.livejournal.com]

Believe me you're far from the "obsessed" kind of JB fans. :) Still I think to count on the JB fans to bring in viewers is probably another mistake TPTB made. The early Capt.Jack (the DW one) IS John Barrowman as far as I can tell. Loud, flirty, hyperactive. I guess it would be easy even for people who are not really into Sci-Fi and know John from other projects to love "old" Jack. But emo!Gwen-side-kick!gay-comic-relieve!part-time-shagging Jack is a totally different topic.

[bk_forever]

I'm another JB fan who won't watch MD. I love Jack and JB, but I really don't want to see the character destroyed any further.

In seasons 1 & 2 (and Doctor Who) Jack was a great character, but from the beginning of CoE he was reduced to a caricature. Now in MD, practically everything that made Jack who he was has been stripped away and he's playing sidekick to Gwen in between meaningless shags? No thank you! That's not the Captain Jack I loved!

[charie-caphine.livejournal.com]

I love Jack and JB, but I really don't want to see the character destroyed any further.

Yes, but the need to monitor it! Like watching a trainwreck. Well, if worst comes to worst.

Yeah... Maybe you're right, and this isn't Jack either, same as like in CoE. But JB's still very pretty, so... =( Trapped.

=)

[bk_forever]

I have no TV anyway - I gave it to my mum. =D

[wanda1969.livejournal.com]

After watching the first episode of MD (yep, I want to see it so i can insult it with authority) Mr wanda1969 said that it was total and utter sh*te, and he didn't want to watch any more. He also pointed out that this coming Thursday he would be either poking sticks in his eyes or cutting his toenails instead.
He's never liked Gwen, however, during series 1 & 2 he enjoyed insulting her immensely... in fact, it improved his enjoyment of the show vastly as he laughed at her incompetence and slutty ways!
After I said I would never let Mr w read any of my stuff, I relented because he was ill and bored. He read Rebecca, and was pleased (if not overjoyed) to find out that Gwen was Mrs Danvers and met a suitably grisly end.

[wanda1969.livejournal.com]

PS. On another note Mr wanda1969 is losing patience with Doctor Who. He loved the way the latest series started and then was INFURIATED at the way that the BBC stopped the series HALF WAY through!! Cue a lot of "What the f***"s in our household, and a warning that if the BBC carry on doing things like this he'll stop watching full stop.
Mr w also thinks that the BBC will be a pile of idiots if they don't use the character of Canton Delaware in this and other series of DW. Further evidence that straight guys don't have anything against gay characters...

[jsks.livejournal.com]

mr wanda rocks!

[littleatem.livejournal.com]

way to go mr wanda!

[dvcorvis.livejournal.com]

it does a heart good to know there are even more guys who haven't fallen for the superawesomesavioroftheworldgwennerator

[iamme-ur2.livejournal.com]

I liked series 1 and 2 of DW. I can count on 2 hands (and have a few fingers left over) how many episodes of series 3 and 4 that I actually liked so if I hadn't gotten the DVDs for cheap I wouldn't have bought them. RTD's DW got too weird for me. He spent far too much time focusing on the companions (Though I LOVED Donna, sniff) and not enough time on The Doctor. There were also way too many (imho) "end of the world" catastrophes. So I forced myself through the specials (liking 2 of them) then I literally cheered when The Moff took over. I love what he's done. Sure, AMy tends to take up a lot of time and the whole Matt Smith DW centers on her a lot but it isn't as forced. Why couldn't The Moff take over TW too???

[sarahjane6.livejournal.com]

See people do have good sense. Go normal people \0/...I mean go and don't watch Torchwood, go do something, anything else, save yourselves while you can.