So, this blog seems to be descending into a bunch of posts about my fangirl TV obsessions. I can’t help it! Its what’s on my mind at the moment. Well, not really. What really is on my mind at the moment stresses me out too much so I replace it with the storylines of geeky TV shows and feel better. Who needs therapy? 🙂
Anyway, on to the real reason for this post: Captain Jack Harkness. Oh, Jack, you’re awesome … but you’re confusing the fuck out of me! As everyone knows, I am fairly late to the whole Dr Who phenomenon. I only recently finished watching the first season of New Who. One of the *best* parts of that season was Captain Jack Harkness. He was fucking fabulous! An omnisexual, campy flirt from the 51st Century … you can’t get much better than Captain Jack! He cracked on to anything that spoke and was even known to occasionally pull a gun from his ass (like, literally). His chemistry with Rose and The Dr was nearly perfect. I was in fangirl heaven. So, it was a logical step for me to rush out and rent the first season of Torchwood to get my Captain Jack fix.
But I’m about half way through season 1 now and Torchwood’s Captain Jack is different. Character development is good like that, though. I’m kind of glad they developed his character a bit, gave him more depth … it would have been sort of pathetic if they hadn’t. And I can totally dig the angsty Jack, too. I mean, getting killed, resurrected and now not being able to die can do some funky shit to a man’s head.
All this is cool with me. However, what’s not cool with me and what’s confusing the SHITE out of me is the inconsistencies in character. For example, how the hell did Captain Jack get from where we left him a gazillion years in the future to being the head of Torchwood in Cardiff in the 21st century. The Doctor, Rose, and the TARDIS pissed off without him … where did he get another time machine? Then there’s the problem that “Small Worlds” (episode 5, season 1 of Torchwood) created: the timeline. So Captain Jack was in the US military in 1909? He had a girlfriend during WW2? Whoa, wait a minute … We met Captain Jack during The Blitz in London when he was a time travelling con man only there to make a buck (and sleeping with a human man at the time, I might add). He was identified then as being from the 51st century. Now we are meant to believe that he was hanging around the early 20th century and had a passionate love affair with a woman during WW2 (sort of clashing with the happily swinging omnisexual flirt we first met). Wut? Some explanations, please!
And then there’s the playing down of the omnisexual thing. Sure, he snogged Ianto. Big whoop. He hasn’t been cracking onto or even seen to be checking out nearly enough men (let alone anything else other than human female) to fit into his character. Yes, I know, angsty Jack. But even angsty Jack has urges (as evidenced by his otherwise flirtatious attitude toward Gwen) and, if he’s doing that, then a real omnisexual would share the love so to speak. The playing down of the sexuality seems to be another case of the creative team associated with Dr Who & the like totally failing to make a fantastic, open premise live up to what it really *could* be.
So, yeah, thus far, I have to say I’m a little grumpy with the inconsitencies. It doesn’t mean I don’t still love Jack. It would take a lot to make me dislike Captain Jack entirely. However, I am sincerely hoping things improve a bit as the series goes on or I will be sorely disappointed by the ruining of a truely awesome character.
Okay, short answer: the reason Jack is in 21st Century Cardiff (and for the references to earlier in the century) is explained in Who episodes you haven’t seen yet. They’re good ones, worth waiting for.
Long answer: because Who is about time travel (time isn’t a straight line, it’s “a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey….stuff”) you can’t compare it directly with Torchwood (in which time is linear, more or less). The “now” of Torchwood doesn’t exist in Who, or if it does it only exists relative to when the Doctor is actually in it.
You’re right about Captain Jack’s character inconsistencies though. It’s funny that he was more flirtatious in what is ostensibly the kids show of the two, rather than the other way around. I hadn’t thought about that before.
Did you know John Barroman is on Twitter?
Ok, that’s as clear as mud. Sigh. Damn confusing Who-isms. BTW, that wibbly wobbly line was uttered by Tennant’s Dr was it not? It sounds like something he’d deliver perfectly at any rate. 🙂 Which reminds me … I really need to get cracking on getting the rest of Season 2 (and 3, etc) of Dr Who. I want to see this famous Tennant dude in all his glory!
Barrowman’s on Twitter?! Squee! *runs off to follow him*
Keep watching. It’ll make sense.
And his sexuality is less overt (in the beginning at least) and flirty, but definitely there.
Keep watching!
Don’t worry, I will definitely keep watching! The Welsh accents alone are enough to keep me watching. 🙂
[…] asks what the fuck is up with Captain Jack Harkness?: Captain Jack Harkness. Oh, Jack, you’re awesome … but you’re confusing the fuck out of me! As […]
You need to do another post now that you’ve caught the Torchwood bug bad. 😛
I probably do. However, my Torchwood viewing is on hold until I can get caught up with Who for when they converge. So, yeah, give me a little time. 🙂
I have to re-watch Dr. Who. I think I like the “flirty” Cap’t Jack better there, too. But when you first meet someone, you may only see that part of them, so it makes sense to me. (Plus, once he’s spent 2,000 years buried alive under Cardiff…it’s gotta change a person.)
2000 years buried under Cardiff? Eh? I thought the back story was that he jumped himself back to the early 1900’s and bided his time till he could find the Doctor again? Does something more come to light in Season 3? I’m only at the last few eps of Season 2 now (this post was written halfway through Season 1).
Yeah, that too.
…You’ll see!
I just did. Fucking hell, that was a Seaquest style season finale! Blow up the fucking ship, why don’t ya? Fucking TOSH? They give her the shit end of the stick for two seasons and then kill her? Russel T Davies is an asshole!