Why?

[amythest-n-ice.livejournal.com]

jo19844 asked a question over on torch_wood : 

Basically... i ahve the same question on the go over at OG, but i thought i would throw it out to all you guys on here too...

Oh God i know i'm going to regret this lol but...

Why is Gwen so unpopular?

Personally, i dont like her. I know there are some who do and sme who dont, there are people who love her, and people who hate her and then theres those who dont really care either way. I was just wondering what reasons people give for not liking her because i thought it would be interesting to see if everyones reasons are more or less the same.

what wuld gwen have to do to win fans over in S2 and where did it all go so horribly wrong.

Did people like her at first but find her grating on a second viewing?

Do you think fandom has changed peoples perception (cos face it fandom sometimes does more harm than good when perceptions are concerned.)

This isnt a bash thread, it's a debate, so i dont want to incite bashing- especially of the actress. i love eve myles.

(and yes, i know i have been known to bash gwen from time to time, but this s a genuine question.)

I thought I would post the question and my answer to it here, in case there is anything else anyone would like to add. If you haven't already posted a reply on her comm, please do so. http://community.livejournal.com/torch_wood/1856564.html?view=18139700#t18139700


I disliked her from the off, she came over as a touch supercilious, and she lied to Rhys from the start, saying she was going to work when she was really heading off to hang around looking for TW.

Small worlds really killed any hope of my liking the character thought, she was so smug, dismissive, and ignorant about the 'fairies', and yet when it came to it, and they trashed her house, she got all shrill and demanded to know what Jack was going to do about it, because SHE didn't feel safe anymore.

She doesn't have any give in her, she comes into an organization that has been around longer than she has been alive, and tries to make them change their way of working to suit her ideals, whether it is viable or not.

'Shit, slavering monster about to eat tourists, shoot it'

'oooh, don't do that Jack, there may be a reason it's trying to eat tourists, we should talk to it, empathise'

When she really has all the empathy of a rock, she wants to be the center of attention all the time.

To make her more likable in series two, they would have to make her stop making cow eyes at anything male.
She would have to learn to be happy with what she has, instead of wanting more, if she wants Rhys, give him the respect he deserves, if she wants Owen, do the honorable thing and leave Rhys for him, if she wants neither she should leave them both (She may not have Jack, he deserves better than her)
She would have to be willing to listen, instead of having everyone listen to her.
She would have to be willing to admit that she was not the center of the universe, and therefore did not know everything about the universe.
She would have to learn that sometimes, Jack keeps secrets not so that she can ferret them out, but to protect himself and those around him.
She would have to learn to bend, as not everything in this world can survive if it is too rigid.

Comments

[love-jackianto.livejournal.com]

I was really indifferent to Gwen at the beginning but then she started to get on my nerves for many of the reasons stated above. I too dislike Gwen because she seems to want to be the center of attention all the time.I also hated the way she treated Rhys, not only that she cheated on him with Owen but after she finally told him the truth she rectoned him just so she would not have to pay any consciences.

[haces222.livejournal.com]

I've already posted my reasons behind my dislike of her but I'd love to repeat some of them. For me she always seemed to want to be the centre of attention for instance her question in Countycide 'Who was your last snog' she already knew that none of the others were in steady relationships but this was just one more way of saying I've got something that none of you have got, In Small Worlds she ignored Jack's pain of losing Estelle by continuing to want to know things that were frankly none of her business. She almost regarded Jack as her personal property which unfortunatly he didn't discourage. Her treatment of Ryhs was deplorable to the max and her use of recton was cowardly and similar to what Susie had done with Max. And speaking of Susie she was Jack's second in command and weapons expert while Gwen is neither in fact to me she is just an idulgance by Jack as she brings nothing to the team as a whole not even the human characteristic which is what he hired her for in the first place.