What should you do when all your favorite characters die?

[ericadawn16]

This summer I was faced with a crisis. This summer should be known as the Debacle of Death!

Between May 1st through July 31, not one, not two but a total of NINE of my favorites characters died from impalement, drowning, spells, a knife and one awful snake from my fandoms of Spider-man, Lost, Pirates and Harry Potter. By the time I finished Harry Potter, I swore I’d never love again.

However, the Fandom Gods had other plans for me. I fell hard for the title character of a show I’d watched casually for over a year: Dr. Who.

It happened so gradually that I didn’t notice what had gone from a show that I could miss if my schedule didn’t work out or I forgot to a show that I now watch every single time that it’s on, both on SciFi and BBC America. I also love Torchwood which is the spin-off.

Now what makes Dr. Who and Captain Jack Harkness, star of Torchwood, so different from my previous favorite characters?

THEY CAN’T DIE!!!

Ever…

(Cackles manically.)

That’s my new plan; I should only fall in love with immortal characters who will never let me down.



Aren't they cute?

Comments

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Do we know for sure that Jack's human?

I thought according to Wesley's accurate definition, you must die in order to live so would Shanshu still apply or the Creepy First Slayer "Death is your gift"?

What's TW?

[gwynevere1.livejournal.com]

Do we know for sure that Jack's human?
Now that you mention it, I don't think we do. At least, a 51st Century human might not be quite the same as a 21st Century one.

I thought according to Wesley's accurate definition, you must die in order to live so would Shanshu still apply or the Creepy First Slayer "Death is your gift"?
I was being snarky. I just meant the chance to become a "normal" human again, with a normal lifespan.

TW = Torchwood

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Yeah, because the Doctor looks human and isn't. The freaks declared that they'd found a human on their scopes but that have easily just been the one guy and/or Martha.

And what is a Time Agent anyway? What is their purpose? Were they formed after the Doctor...(don't wanna say it, don't wanna say it)...died? Are they supposed to fix everything that the Doctor didn't get around to or were they for the benefit of a certain galaxy or coalition of planets?

[gwynevere1.livejournal.com]

And what is a Time Agent anyway? What is their purpose? Were they formed after the Doctor...(don't wanna say it, don't wanna say it)...died? Are they supposed to fix everything that the Doctor didn't get around to or were they for the benefit of a certain galaxy or coalition of planets?
It's never really been explained. Actually, a lot of canon on DW is hand-wave-y. I think the gist is that they hunted down people who illegally used time travel. My favorite fanwank is that they are what Torchwood eventually became.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Hehe, so he started off in this agency and ended up heading it in the past which ensured that he could sign up for it in the future when he was younger. I like it.

I watched Greeks Bearing Gifts yesterday and Jack was being all telepathic and I was like, Oh. It was another notch for the Jack really is Boe side.

I don't know. I'm sort of beginning to like it, that he has this whole arc where he goes from Con Man to Hero and it only takes 5 billion years. ;)

Actually, they stress in interviews that he went from Con Man to Hero in that first season, but he retained a lot of his questionable properties, like suggesting they just snap the Master's neck. "Now that sounds like Torchwood."

[gwynevere1.livejournal.com]

Don't look at me! I *agreed* with Jack's suggestion of snapping the Master's neck, if the Doctor weren't being so emo about his phone sex buddy. Actually, the Doctor being so pissy about Torchwood was another strike in the "not-liking-Ten" column for me.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Well, he was the only other Time Lord in the universe. I can't blame him for wanting to save the Master in the hopes that he'd be good so he wouldn't be alone. Afterwards, he did ask Jack to join him since Jack's the only other being that won't age and die within a human lifespan. Even though I felt bad for the Doctor, I was happy that they turned him down.

I'm opposed to the Death Penalty.

I think the Doctor has a right to be pissy about Torchwood. Torchwood was founded by Queen Victoria pretty much to guard against the Doctor.
Supposedly, The Doctor's name was written into the Torchwood Foundation's charter as an enemy of the Crown which I'm inclined to believe since she banished him and Rose from England.

According to Ianto, "It survived and flourished down the decades, becoming stronger and, some say, more arrogant. " This is still the mindset of people as evidenced by "They keep killing Suzie" and the Doctor probably would have heard that. The Doctor doesn't tend to believe authority figures over the man on the street, I've noticed.

There was Torchwood's involvement in the destroying of the Sycorax on Christmas after he had left them go. The Doctor himself and his TARDIS were both taken by Torchwood. I doubt captivity makes the heart grow fonder. It was Torchwood's act of exploring the breach and exploiting it for England's gain that enabled the Cybermen and Daleks to invade. We already know how much the Doctor hates that from Jack's mistake with the Nanogens.

Most importantly, what he would consider Torchwood's mistake ulimately cost him Rose.

The Doctor would assume it was business as usual with crazy people working for Torchwood because of Donna.

So, Jack admitting that he was working with them, actually leading them, would probably be a bit of betrayal. However, I think the Doctor's attitude could change since it was Torchwood knowledge that helped in those episodes with the Master, including making up the gun, plus, Martha is now working with them occasionally and Jack did stress how he was trying to change things.

Hehe, he'd definitely change his mind about Torchwood if he knew Rose was working for the parallel one!

[gwynevere1.livejournal.com]

I'm opposed to the Death Penalty.
I'd see it more as defense of others/self-defense than the death penalty. The death penalty would be after a crime occurs, and there is no longer an immediate threat. With the Master, the danger was ongoing, and the Doctor was risking many lives.

Hehe, he'd definitely change his mind about Torchwood if he knew Rose was working for the parallel one!
He does know that. Rose told him at Bad Wolf Bay. Although, if there's no Doctor in that universe, I don't know how a Torchwood exists!

Personally, I'm waiting for Torchwood to turn out to be a "trap within a trap," like the original Torchwood House in "Tooth and Claw": something that, theoretically, hurts the Doctor but is, ultimately, there to help him.

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

He does know that. Rose told him at Bad Wolf Bay. Although, if there's no Doctor in that universe, I don't know how a Torchwood exists!

Hmm, is the Doctor somehow in all universes although there's only one of him? How does that work because he's a bit like a fact, isn't he?

[gwynevere1.livejournal.com]

IIRC, in TAoS or RotC, he tells Rose that there are no Time Lords in that dimension. Although, I'm honestly not sure, because I've only seen those episodes one (I didn't like them!).

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I'm rewatching them as they're shown on BBC America but I think I may rewatch the whole series again...maybe even track down as many of the old ones as I can find online, too.

However, I'm watching Torchwood...as always...and it struck me how it's a bit like the last season of Angel except a whole series. Jack takes over this shady, highly powerful, highly influential establishment...like Wolfram & Hart complete with alternate dimensions...and tries to turn it for the good.

I think that's what you were trying to show me before by mentioning Shanshu, but I didn't get it then.

[gwynevere1.livejournal.com]

He also shares Angel's trait of standing on top of tall buildings to brood while wearing a big, billowing coat!

[ericadawn16.livejournal.com]

Yes! You're right, I sometimes pay close attention just to make sure he doesn't forget it somewhere and it just pops up later although I wondered what he did with it when he met the Fairies for the first time because he didn't have it then. The coat's awesome. All male characters must have the perfect coat!
But Jack gets to kiss Spike and I don't recall that Angel ever did, hehe. I think I used Buffy or Angel references like 3 or 4 times when Artic asked which season to buy and she hasn't even seen B or A!

The first time I saw an ad for the second episode of Torchwood, I was like, "Malicious sexual entity? Didn't Angel already do this in its first season?" It just seemed so obvious that I had hoped they'd go for something different, but I suppose, like Angel, they had to prove that it was edgier and more adult than the parent show.

I can't wait to see James especially when he says his character is nastier than Spike!