I'm a bad fan

[kaitelynn.livejournal.com]

So I was at the Philadelphia Comic con today and they had a Torchwood Q&A that was just with Kai since GDL canceled because of his wife's pregnancy(does happy dance about that)...but *hangs head in shame* I was a bad Torchwood fan and didn't go.  Chose to go to the Stan Lee Q&A instead.  I wanted to do the Torchwood thing, I did, but I had a feeling that with it only being Kai, it would really be only about MIracle Whip and Gwen considering his character and I just couldn't sit through that for an hour.  I really couldn't.  My anti-gwen feelings just could  not deal with that type of threat without some seriously good drugs *BG*  But I did at least meet Kai when he was signing autographs(even if I did have to pay for it) because I wanted to show him some kind of love.

kaite *wondering if I need to stand in the corner as punishment*

Comments

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

Hey, I went to that panel! It sounds like your guilt is punishment enough, no corner necessary!

I live in Philly and was really, really looking forward to seeing both GDL and Kai at this con. I'll admit I was crushed when I found out an hour before I headed downtown that GDL wasn't coming. Yes, I'm aware that probably makes me the most selfish person on the planet.

Anyway I was a bit wary about going to TW panel after GDL cancelled for a slightly different reason than you--I was afraid there would be more questions about GDL than for Kai. (I've been to other cons where the fans have been more interested in the actors that aren't there than the ones that are and it is AWKWARD to say the least!) Happily, these fears proved groundless, and the TW fans did us proud. :)

Kai was gregarious, charming and funny, and had control of the room from the minute he walked in. And while there were references to MD and Gwen, the questions asked and the stories he told covered all seasons of TW (including a possible Rhys/Jack dalliance and extensive discussion of Kai's beer preferences) and were very enjoyable. If you get a chance to see it on YouTube, I'd recommend it. (I didn't tape it but I'm sure someone did.)

I'm planning to put an account of it and the photos I took in my journal when things settle down later this week if you're interested.

I'm glad you got to meet him. He said he was really grateful to the fans for all their support and I'm sure he appreciated the love. :)

[dylantoms.livejournal.com]

Did he mention Gareth at all?

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

Just once, in response to a question. Kai said he and the rest of the cast had been stunned to find out during initial cast read-through of C.O.E. that Gareth's character would be killed. He said he understood why they did it--for the drama--and that it was very effective. But he added he misses working with Gareth and having him around, and that he understood the fans' pain and that they want the character back, too.

[dylantoms.livejournal.com]

Thanks for that :)

It just strikes me as odd that as Gareth was supposed to be there that he didn't refer to that - even to wish him and Gemma well. It's not as if it was a big secret or anything.
I follow Kai on Twitter too - and again no mention - no 'going to miss Gareth this weekend' or similar.
Was not expecting gushing, but at least a 'best wishes' kind of thing...

[kaitelynn.livejournal.com]

Obviously I don't about the panel(hence the post *BG*) but I do know that when he was signing autographs on Friday, there was a sign saying they were accepting donations, if anyone had any, for Gareth and Gemma's baby.

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

It WAS a bit odd. Especially because I'm sure there were people at the panel who didn't know that GDL cancelled. As of Friday evening, at least, there was no announcement the con's website or their Facebook page about it. I only found out because I was trying to buy a photo op with the two of them at the last minute online and the option was gone!

And the moderator who opened the panel didn't say anything either. Just introduced Kai and off they went. I'm with you, they should have said SOMETHING. They could have made it really positive, get a round of applause going for Gemma and Gareth, or something. It's not like he cancelled because he was arrested or something you might not want to mention.

[kaitelynn.livejournal.com]

I saw the announcement on the con site on Thurs night. It hadn't been there the night before. I just kept checking because I knew Gemma's due date was around the same time as the con so I had a feeling there was gonna be a good chance GDL would end up not coming(damn that feeling)

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

Wow, I guess I missed that announcement--it sure wasn't easy to find. Even after I knew that he had cancelled and went back looking for it! They should put a big red tab on the home page for "cancellations" or something. I know that's probably not great for business, but it'll keep people who already paid from getting (even more) pissed off.

BTW my partner had the same feeling Thursday night! It made sense, given that the baby was due in May and there had been no birth announcement yet, but I didn't want to hear it. :-p

[kamiandcat.livejournal.com]

i agree, they could have made a bigger announcement. Put it on Twitter or something. But then it's a big multi fandom convention and they're probably busy as hell. I have a friend who has been working at conventions for ages now and it's always a bit of a mess because there are always a few divas among the actors who have special wishes, make appointments when they are booked to be on stage, fly in a day too late or leave to early. It's probably easier to organize a stable full of chicken.

The moderator could have mentioned something, though. And, sorry but, Kai could have said something.

[kaitelynn.livejournal.com]

Well that's good to hear.

I did go to James Marsters panel yesterday(it was only him since Juliet Landau canceled) and I have to say he was a blast. The first thing out of his mouth was telling the audience to try and embarass him and the first question asked was when was the last time he had a threesome(it was 2004). Of course someone asked who was the better kisser, JB or Sarah Michelle Geller. The answer was John, but he went on to say that was because he trusted John, while Michelle tended to bust chops. He also told a story of when he was filming the kiss, fight scene in KKBB. He said his fiancee was there and directed the scecne and that they ended up doing somehting like five or six scenes instead of the original two they planned on. That the regular director was right next to her laughing and telling her to keep going. He said that, to this day, she stills talks about it and saying that it was one of the hottest things she had ever seen.

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

That sounds awesome! That KKBB story is amazing. I have no trouble believing that was, indeed, one of the hottest things she'd ever witnessed. :D

[blucougar.livejournal.com]

James has had a few stories to tell about that scene in KKBB. At Supernova in Melbourne, back in 2009, he told a story about how he was injured while filming that scene, but he kept it to himself. According to James, John noticed something was wrong and called his own personal doctor in on the quiet to get James sorted out. James said he really respected John after that, because John went to great efforts to ensure he (James) wasn't embarrassed, or that his professional integrity wasn't harmed at all.

[kaitelynn.livejournal.com]

he mentioned that was one of the reasons that he trusted John so much.

[jo02]

I think I would have had the same apprehensions - no corner for you.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

On the contrary, IMO you've just proved yourself a true, honest, devoted Torchwood-fan. In my not so humble opinion, Torchwood ends before Tosh gets killed off needlessly - all that came afterwards is something entirely different.

[tlen2.livejournal.com]

I didn't by the TW audios he read, the pre COE ones because I couldn't stand him. I've nothing against Kai as a person. I'm pretty sure he is a lovely one. And I wouldn't have anything against Rhys per se if he wouldn't be Gwens boyfriend/husband. But he was supposed to die and got rescued because Holy Gwen couldn't be bothered with a personal loss while it was completely okay to make anyone else suffer. And that's why I can't stand the character and I can't stand the person behind it.

[kamiandcat.livejournal.com]

Kai was nice and pretty much "neutral" at FedCon this year (compared to the Gwack show the people on the "Greatest show in the Galaxy" had to suffer through a week before). But I get where you're coming from tlen2, for me it was also one of the few times a year when I can meet up with a bunch of good friends I made through SIJ, for Kai alone I probably wouldn't have been there. Rhys is a lovely chap, if he would FINALLY ditch that harpy of a wife he has, but in the panels Gwen will be (was) a topic again and again, just a Miracle Crap (only that I had the feeling there weren't many MD fans around).

[dylantoms.livejournal.com]

I like Kai - he comes across as a nice guy and a good laugh. There have been one or two things recently that have creeped me out a bit

Firstly at TGSITG he snogs JB completely out of the blue and then boasts about it on Twitter.
I was really looking forward to see the team together that weekend [via my laptop!] But there was none of the team banter I'd hoped for, nothing AT ALL between JB and GDL [almost as if they were kept apart] and it was all about the MD lovies. I couldn't even watch any coverage of the Sunday panel after seeing a few pics.
Just what I had dreaded and why I decided not to go.

That kiss - WTF?
And now here it is reported that Kai is talking about a "....a possible Rhys/Jack dalliance...." ?? Why?
Of all the possible TW pairings there might be a Jack/Rhys one is the LEAST possible of all.

So what is his [Kai's] motive? What's it all about?
Is he trying to cash in on all the attention that JB and Gareth get?
The thing is that for those two is that it so effortless either in role or in public - they just work well together - they have a chemistry.
But Kai? It just seems forced, false and yes, a bit creepy...

Anyone else notice this, or is it just me?

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

The "possible Rhys/Jack dalliance" (my phrasing, not his) was a joke Kai made in response to a fan's question about who he'd like to see Rhys with, in the context of a whole panel whose tone was rather raunchy and silly. I don't think he IN ANY WAY thinks that's a possibility for the show, nor did I mean to imply that it was.

In fact, I got the impression that he picked that pairing BECAUSE it was so implausible. He added that he personally would be up for it, but he didn't think that Rhys wouldn't like it much. But I think even that was a joke.

I don't know anything about the other events you mentioned, but at this panel he came off as a guy who doesn't take himself too seriously and will say anything to make people laugh--and that's what he did. In the context of what you mentioned, it does sound creepy, but that wasn't the vibe I got at the panel at all. Entertaining, yes. Creepy, not at all.

[dylantoms.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much for this and taking the trouble to expand on what happened.

I've only seen recordings on internet of Kai with Gareth and I think they are fab together - very funny, play off each other, raunchy as hell and make a great double act.

It was the coincidence of reading this after what happened at TGSITG... I don't know,, seems like he's only 'friends' with GDL when no one else 'better' is around and was not going to take any attention away from himself when Gareth didn't show.
From the bits I did see of TGSITG it was all about JB and considering the impact that GDL brought to TW and was a lot about what made it stand out and be the success it was [hence one of the reasons for the fail that was MD] he was incredibly sidelined and overlooked.

Sometimes people [JB] can be so stupid...

Blimey this sounds incredible childish as I'm writing it! Spend far too much time thinking about this and need a bit more to do over this long [and a bit damp] Jubilee Weekend!!
#puppysitting

[kamiandcat.livejournal.com]

I think Kai is in a tricky situation in the and.Miracle Day tanked and he knows it, but if he wants to keep his chances of ever working on a Torchwood production again, even if it is just ready audio books, he needs to up up a brave face.

RTD is that kind of boss who is bitter and probably demands 100% loyalty or you're fired. And it would be far too easy to write Rhys, a minor character with no real connection plot wise except for being Gwen's husband, out.

I think he does okay. He didn't win me over like Gareth did two years ago, but I guess after TgsitG it could have been much worse.

[kamiandcat.livejournal.com]

BTW everyone, won't make a new post for it, but Gareth and Gemma had a little girl on June 4th called Lily Christina.