Yep, I agree that those first forty minutes or so were pretty good. There was action, humor and less of the politics, it felt more like the old Torchwood. Up until Esther's death, I'd have pegged it as the best episode of the season and on par with some of the episodes from the first two seasons, definitely CoE.
Then, they killed Esther which really pissed me off for a couple of reasons.
1. It basically confirmed the spoiler that Rex was going to get to be immortal and while I loved the POTENTIAL of Rex before the series in theory, what actually happened was that Rex pissed me off most of the time. Now if they do it like Owen and we get some rhyme and reason to it, maybe I'll change my mind but I don't know because apparently, the scene with his dad was supposed to explain everything?
However, that made it seem like he became an asshole as he made sure at all costs to not be like his dad and not have anything to do with his ghetto upbringing.
It's not really the same as having your fiance ripped away from you by aliens so you don't want to love or become close with anyone ever again...
Also, it takes away from Jack being special on a permanent basis...
2. Esther was nice and the audience liked her...so she HAD to die? Because what other point was there to her death? Unless...
3. Esther was the eyes for the new audience. She fulfilled Gwen's role in season one. I know, I know we can't have two Gwens so I guess she was seen as superfluous BUT it also means that Esther represents the audience ESPECIALLY when most of the audience would relate to her mad GoogleFu and shyness and family issues. So, by killing her off, it's kind of like he's killing the genre part of the audience, those that he feels upsets him the most. It felt like a giant FU for all the Ianto stuff...
Oh...
4. It was also Esther's death combined with my still unresolved anger and sadness at the deaths of Owen, Tosh, Ianto and Steven...
However, if I'm to be honest, shows can have death and still be good, like MI5/Spooks. I know I'm taking a chance with characters and the fact that Esther alone gets an onscreen funeral was sweet so the episode could have been redeemed right there if it hadn't been for the twist with Rex...
Of course, if there's some big payoff with that twist in a future series, then I will change my judgement on it...I'm not holding my breath though...
Yeah, it sucks that Esther died. My reaction was that I wished she could have been the one who became immortal instead of Rex. (It doesn't hurt that ever since I saw her and Jack tucked away in their cozy Scottish hideaway, I sort of started to ship them....)
Yeah, Esther definitely was this season's Gwen. I don't think they should have considered her superfluous because Gwen has changed and grown a lot since Season 1.
IDK, it's weird, all the best new characters were killed off -- Vera, Esther. Shapiro -- I would have liked to see him in some kind of recurring role if the show is to continue.
I didn't read spoilers, so I had no idea that Rex was going to become immortal so that moment totally surprised me and I enjoyed it for that simple element of surprise. I LOVED the looks on Jack's and Gwen's faces. LOLOL. I need an icon of that so bad.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2011-09-13 05:40 pm (UTC)Yep, I agree that those first forty minutes or so were pretty good. There was action, humor and less of the politics, it felt more like the old Torchwood. Up until Esther's death, I'd have pegged it as the best episode of the season and on par with some of the episodes from the first two seasons, definitely CoE.
Then, they killed Esther which really pissed me off for a couple of reasons.
1. It basically confirmed the spoiler that Rex was going to get to be immortal and while I loved the POTENTIAL of Rex before the series in theory, what actually happened was that Rex pissed me off most of the time. Now if they do it like Owen and we get some rhyme and reason to it, maybe I'll change my mind but I don't know because apparently, the scene with his dad was supposed to explain everything?
However, that made it seem like he became an asshole as he made sure at all costs to not be like his dad and not have anything to do with his ghetto upbringing.
It's not really the same as having your fiance ripped away from you by aliens so you don't want to love or become close with anyone ever again...
Also, it takes away from Jack being special on a permanent basis...
2. Esther was nice and the audience liked her...so she HAD to die? Because what other point was there to her death? Unless...
3. Esther was the eyes for the new audience. She fulfilled Gwen's role in season one. I know, I know we can't have two Gwens so I guess she was seen as superfluous BUT it also means that Esther represents the audience ESPECIALLY when most of the audience would relate to her mad GoogleFu and shyness and family issues. So, by killing her off, it's kind of like he's killing the genre part of the audience, those that he feels upsets him the most. It felt like a giant FU for all the Ianto stuff...
Oh...
4. It was also Esther's death combined with my still unresolved anger and sadness at the deaths of Owen, Tosh, Ianto and Steven...
However, if I'm to be honest, shows can have death and still be good, like MI5/Spooks. I know I'm taking a chance with characters and the fact that Esther alone gets an onscreen funeral was sweet so the episode could have been redeemed right there if it hadn't been for the twist with Rex...
Of course, if there's some big payoff with that twist in a future series, then I will change my judgement on it...I'm not holding my breath though...
no subject
Date: 2011-09-14 03:20 am (UTC)Yeah, Esther definitely was this season's Gwen. I don't think they should have considered her superfluous because Gwen has changed and grown a lot since Season 1.
IDK, it's weird, all the best new characters were killed off -- Vera, Esther. Shapiro -- I would have liked to see him in some kind of recurring role if the show is to continue.
I didn't read spoilers, so I had no idea that Rex was going to become immortal so that moment totally surprised me and I enjoyed it for that simple element of surprise. I LOVED the looks on Jack's and Gwen's faces. LOLOL. I need an icon of that so bad.
no subject
Date: 2011-09-16 04:53 pm (UTC)