Jeis

[msjaybee.livejournal.com]

http://sciencefiction.com/2012/03/29/torchwood-a-chance-for-fans-to-speak-out-about-a-possible-return/

When sciencefiction.com gave fans a chance to speak out about Torchwood, many fans did.  I think that Jeis' comments will be of particular interest to AGA.

'I totally agree that if someone wants to return Torchwood to the screen the best course
for this is to get its uniqueness back – meaning, its roots and very special
combination of things. Location in Cardiff, team of interesting personalities, team
dynamics, very special leader, and underneath it all – right motivation of what
is right and wrong, true humanity that classic Torchwood team and its leader
were expressing through their actions, and not dubious “heartiness” of one particular individual whose
actions were fare from right.

I’d say that in MD Torchwood creators took the very worst from the initial idea and
added to it factors that didn’t benefit Torchwood at all, in the meantime successfully
destroying each and every trait that could save the sense of Torchwood – Jack’
character and his role in the general course of things, for example. I remember
that I was thinking while watching MD – “HOW is it possible to take the worst
and twist it into this totally illogical, stupid and ill thought-out thing?!
How Torchwood turned into this?”

It’s clear that even now there is someone who tries to convince those who are still interested in Torchwood that Gwen Cooper
is the core of Torchwood, that she is hero, that her actions, her opinion and
history matter. But no matter how often they say that black is white, it won’t
become so. No matter how hard they try to make heroine out of Gwen, all her
previous history contradicts it. More so – there is much more interesting and
strong storylines, characters and possibilities, aside from Gwen, that could
work for Torchwood idea. Take Gwen from (classical) Torchwood – and nothing will change. It can function without her quite succesfully. We know that Torchwood has history, we know that there is possible wonderful team dynamics,
we know that Torchwood attracts interesting individuals, we know that it saves
lives and solves incredible problems – it existed and can exist without Gwen
Cooper. Captain Jack Harkness, on the other hand, is a huge part of Torchwood
history. Take Jack out of Torchwood and everything changes, we don’t know
whether or not it remains the same without Jack, we don’t know would it be the
same Torchwood if Jack wasn’t there. Take Tosh and Owen and Ianto from
Torchwood, and it’ll loose some of its unique “flavor”. Funny thing is that the
minimal loss would be if we remove Gwen. She is not strong enough to hold
interest if there is no one to arrange things around her so that she can pose
dramatically and act heroically doing little of useful.

So, I have to agree that the best way to bring Torchwood back is to “reboot” everything,
bring back Captain Jack Harkness, the team, underground base in Cardiff,
Myfanwy, aliens, and writers that can actually work with all ideas that already
exist there. For once creators should really listen to what their audience
thinks.'

Comments

[burningtorch.livejournal.com]

I doff my cap to thee, Jeis, Sir, the voice of reason (hence the Dr. Ciaran O'Keeffe icon! :-D )

[scorpiodragon.livejournal.com]

THIS. I want to snuggle this comment and have its babies. I've always felt that if Gwen were developed better as a character she'd be more insteresting. Everyone has a history, a back story that stands up to the complexity that is the Torchwood mythos and Gwen just doesn't. If they reboot everything and decided to keep Gwen I would say flesh out her character more, make her interesting.

[jennelldhalrbj.livejournal.com]

Whereas fleshing out Gwen's character sounds on paper like a good idea, I am somewhat doubtful about Eve's ability to actually act well enough to do this.

I admit I have never seen her in anything but Torchwood but other folk I know have and told me they were not very impressed with her.

Eve might, for all I know, be a fantastic person and really lovely in real life but her acting, at least in Torchwood, sucked.

Gwens suckish acting

[twndwrawesome.livejournal.com]

I total agree with you she can't change her character ianto developed his character into one of the best on torchwood tosh got a lot more interesting and Owen you started actually seeing him not his defence jack still mysterious but has still changed gwen she's just stayed the same she didn't developed as time progressed where the others proved they acting can develop she did not so I think she can only act very basic personally I have nothing against eve but I think she isn't a very good after and they should have got a better actress