The way I see it, Firefly only got one season. Torchwood's had three. It's been a blast. If this is the end, then I can say I enjoyed it hugely. If there's a fourth season, I will tune in. Because the people behind this show have been wonderful. It's sad to think of our Torchwood going forever (even a fourth season would mean a different show really) but fuck me if that wasn't some of the finest drama the UK ever kicked out.
But I maintain my stance that the alien is just too snotty. Surely extra-terrestrial life would be more chilling if it wasn't made from guacamole. But hey, my stuff.
At least Ianto got a beautiful send off. He was never a blip in time. And GDL had a wonderful scene to play. That poor boy must be so relieved to finally be able to talk about it now. All of them really.
As for hatred directed at our writers, they are all story-tellers. Please don't hate them for engaging your hearts. However. I fully appreciate the anger from devoted fans at the distinct change in style/genre and that we were arguably mislead by the promotional material.
So what happened? Was it purely a ratings fest? Was it emotional exploitation?
Torchwood derived from a Sci Fi show, and while the writers conveniently refused to pigeon hole the show's genre, it is inescapably Sci Fi as we know it. Because of the aliens. Gwen said herself, 'science fiction super-base'.
But then they insisted that Torchwood is in the real world and terrible things could happen, as they did to Owen and Tosh, though not before 2 seasons of whacky anything-can-happen including Owen getting to 'die forever', characters coming out of film, space whales, gas sex aliens, time travel, and blow fish driving sports cars. There was humour. There were hints of Buffy. There were slithers of Star Trek. There were ripples of Doctor Who and shadows of The X Files. I would say Spooks but Spooks didn't drive around in a giant flashy A-Team mobile with bright yellow writing saying 'SPIES', and that was part of Torchwood's charm. And then there were conventions for fans and action figures. Science Fiction much.
But not in season three. That was not the Torchwood we fell in love with. Children of Earth became Spooks meets The West Wing with an Alien and a sure path to prozac.
Whilst I think that it was excellent drama and deserves every award going in every category, and while I'll continue to support the writers and the actors, I cannot get over the fact that Torchwood seemed to switch genre for its third season. I'm all for the post-modern approach of taking elements from many genres, but The West Wing didn't have sci fi conventions or action figures. Why? Because it was 'real'. I mean, it was total glossy fiction, but it was a political drama. And at times, very depressing. The West Wing, while I know many of us have appreciated it, was not for the Sci Fi fan.
Why? I had the same discussion in my 'Psychoanalysis and The Moving Image' class with my professor at university several years ago, when I was studying film in London.
Escapism.
Here's what I think/feel. I read a comment from a woman on James Moran's blog this morning saying she could accept the death of Ianto because it was 'real'. I for one have lived and loved and lost enough to know what 'real' feels like. It's brutal. And I'm living in luxury compared to most of the world. An indian friend of mine said that Slumdog Millionnaire wasn't popular in India because the Indian people don't want to be reminded of the world they live in. They prefer Bollywood musicals. And I am of the opinion, having been in love with Harry Potter, Buffy, Star Trek and Doctor Who that I also want that escapism. I don't live in slums, but I haven't lived in paradise, and what Sci Fi shows have taught us over the years is to conceive of and strive for a better world. Who the Hell wants 'real'?
I'm not suggesting we all watch Baywatch, either.
A great deal of the world is genuinely in Hell already. CoE was right about many things (distressing as it was to hear). A child dies every 3 seconds. We do nothing. Look at the Niger Delta. Look at Iran. Horror and injustice are everywhere. CoE ended with members of the government doing the brave thing which I thought was uplifting. But that was ANOTHER show. It shouldn't have been Torchwood. Torchwood was fun.
We have half the world (or more) living in horror and the other half watching it for entertainment. Yes it was thought provoking and I can't fault that. I do what I can in real life, I really do. But as a Sci Fi fan, I don't want to be devastated so casually. And I don't want to see terrible things happen to characters I love. You want to destroy people and things? Blow up Eastenders and Walford. They're all miserable cowards anyway. But don't touch our heroes.
If or rather when a fourth series comes about, of course I'll watch it because the curiosity will be too much. It won't be Torchwood as we've known it. But it should be John Barrowman. However, if it continues in a torturous, suffering vain, I won't stay with it, because I can't watch. I don't read or watch horror. I had to give up on Spooks. Even The West Wing began to sting too much after the fourth season.
It's not that I want to ignore the terrible aspects of the world we live in and bury my head in the sand - quite the opposite. I need to be strong and couragious and have hope in my heart - to survive. I'm all to aware that there is senseless death every moment. But ultimately I can't watch human suffering. On Star Trek or Buffy we have metaphorical scenarios which present an opportunity to engage emotionally - the feelings are real but the situation is separate from you, like a fairy tale. You're safe. But that doesn't seem to be Torchwood's mission statement.
The recent season finales of Doctor Who and Torchwood have been 'let's torture the leading man as much as possible'. I'm looking forward to Stephen 'everybody lives' Moffat! If this makes me a lightweight, I fully embrace it.
I was thinking about Buffy and how season 5 ended, yet they came back. But there was a whole gang AND a location. We have no hub, no Cardiff, no SUV, no Ianto and can we ever expect any humour again? Why would anyone want to watch our beloved Jack suffer so much?
Maybe this is an interesting lesson in audience expectations. Two seasons of quirky fantasy/Sci Fi fun and then they go 'real' on us. I was looking at the promotional material too. It doesn't exactly smack of realist drama, does it? Those pictures are as cheesy and stylised as they can get (with glorified guns thrown in which is interesting for a show born out of Doctor Who) And all the Jack and Ianto pics... it does feel like a tease. To get ratings?
I'm disappointed and I feel quite bereft - not just for Ianto but for everything this show was and/or could have been. Yes it was excellent, excellent drama taking huge risks and examining humanity at its darkest.
But it's as if J K Rowling took Harry, Hermione and Ron, flew them to Ghana where Ron and Hermione were killed, before bombing Hogwarts and wiping out the Wizard race and Harry has to sacrifice Ginny to make Voldemort leave to save the muggles. In book 6. And then announcing that she's going to wait to see how the book sells before writing book 7.
I hope Comic Con will be warm and receptive and not Comic Confrontation. Without the comic. I maintain I do not advocate abuse or unkindess to anyone in the creative team. I have seen drafted complaint letters floating around which are fairly eloquent, but still quite childish in their approach. If you want to say you're disappointed, say it, but don't stamp your feet. Be eloquent, intelligent and as unemotional as you can be. That will be more effective. Try to specify the reasons you feel let down, but if it's because Ianto died they may consider that as a triumph because it provoked an emotional reaction from you, so be as 'professional' in your approach as you can.
Perhaps RTD is such a genius that there is in fact a simple remedy and season four can be everything we wanted, and we just can't envisage it through our teary eyes. Unlikely I know. But hey. I have to be hopeful. I am a Sci Fi fan. I run on hope. Not horror. I just hope it doesn't mean I'll no longer be able to enjoy a show I really, really loved.
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