Here’s the thing: I love Dr Who, I really do … But it’s kind of like the healthy meal before the Torchwood dessert. Yeah, I said it … so there, Whovians! I know it’s corny, inconsistent, full of silly flashy lights (what is with their computer equipment and the flashy car?), and the premise and storylines are often stupid and/or just plain ridiculous (not that Dr Who does any better in that regard). Some of the characters shit me to tears. Owen is a tool andΒ I’d like to see the writers quit giving Tosh the bum end of the stick. But that is not what this post is about. It’s about Jack. Because, really, isn’t it always about Jack?
Captain Jack is *the* reason I keep watching. It’s simple: Captain Jack is MADE OF (immortal) AWESOME! There is just something about that character that is brilliant. From the cheeky grin to the awesome coat to the flirtatiousness to the wanky little shoulder wiggle he does when he’s trying to be forceful. He’s essentially immortal*, over 150 years old and is still irresistable.Β He does things to members of his team that you would think would make them hate him forever. Yet, not only do they seem to forgive him, sometimes they even shag him! John Barrowman as Captain Jack has the kind of charisma that jumps out of the screen, grabs onto you and doesn’t let go (kind of like an alien face sucker of charisma). He is a kind over the top musical theater style actor. Normally that style of acting in TV or movies shits me to tears, to be perfectly honest. But not this time. I don’t know why. Even the wanky shoulder wiggle is fantastic.
The character of Captain Jack is supposed to be attractive and irresistible. Looks wise, he’s not the type I generally swoon over. He’s a little more gay Ken doll than my taste tends toward. When he first came on the scene in Season 1 of Dr Who I was like “That’s the Captain Jack everyone keeps talking about? The guy who always gets laid? He’s so not hot!” But then I kept watching and, you know that charisma that jumps out of the screen that I mentioned before? It got me, it got me big time and it isn’t showing any signs of letting me go. Now, a season and a half into Torchwood, I can honestly say that I’d have a hard time resisting Captain Jack Harkness if he put the moves on me. The weird thing about that is that I still don’t find his looks appealing in that way. I find it hard to find a still picture of John Barrowman that I like … but when he’s in the part, in motion, he’s simply awesome and I can’t get enough.
I’ll leave you with a video of what has to be one of the best on-screen kisses I have ever seen in my life. Nevermind that in the 1940’s, when this was supposed to have happened, both of them likely would have had the living shit beaten out of them before they even had a chance to get to the kiss (ah, the dark ages) and just enjoy the sheer fabulousness of the moment. This scene made me yell at the screen (“Snog him! SNOG HIM!”) like I haven’t done in ages … and then it made me literally squee with glee (haha, rhymes are cool) when it finally happened. I give you Torchwood’s finest moment, Captain Jack and Captain Jack dancing and kissing:
*Β I’d like to say that I’m eternally grateful that my Whovian friends never let slip the little tidbit about The Face of Boe. Many of the big moments have been slightly spoiled for me because I’m so late to both these shows but that one wasn’t and it was truly fantastic. π
Oh, SO many fanfics write off that Boe bit as a total Doctor-tweaking joke on Jack’s part…
And yes, the Captain, and that kiss, are made of win.
But you’re still on crack for liking Torchwood more. Or maybe it’s just my preferences: I’d snog Jack, but I’d move in with the Doctor. π
Well, the fanfics are wrong. Jack is totally The Face of Boe. It has a certain symmetry that appeals to me. It works. It’s true.
As for moving in … I dunno. If we’re talking tenth Dr, totally; maybe nine or Baker (can’t remember his number) too. But Jack … Jack’s fun and I’d totally do more than snog him. π
Captain Jack **drool**
I have seen both Torchwood and Dr Who, I just don’t seem to have majorly gotten into either, but I have always thought Jack has that charisma, that presence about him, that if I met him in real life, I would want to do very bad things to him! π
I agree that that kiss was one of the winniest TV moments ever (despite the overlookable incongruencies you mention). I actually had tears in my eyes for that one. I love Jack, think he’s great, and sincerely hope he gets to be on the new series/season with BBC/Fox. But quit knocking Owen!
If Jack is a Krispy Kreme donut, Owen’s the show’s salted chocolate truffle. Definitely not for everyone, but a rare treat. Yes, that’s right, despite his strangely enormous mouth and his drinking and his sluttiness and his unbelievability as a physician….okay, I’m not even convincing myself here.
Nevertheless, I still think he’s way more attractive. Though certainly not in a moving-in-together way. More in a barhopping-through-Cardiff-party-weekend sort of way.
…in fact, to steal your phrase, I daresay I’d characterize Capt. Jack as the healthy meal before the Owen!
Noooo! Owen is such a tosser … and I could never figure out what made him so attractive that he’d keep getting laid. Sorry, if I’m going to lust after an asshole, I need *some* (believable) redeeming qualities to make me think he’s not *really* an asshole and Owen hasn’t proven that.
And what do you mean you hope Jack gets to be on the new season? Is a fourth season up in the air? I would have thought they had it in the bag! *Crosses fingers* The Torchwood fun can’t end so soon!
1. New Season – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
a. Ssn 2 becomes painful, ssn 3 even more so. The only thing I’ll tell you further is that Jack is alive at the end of it all.
b. Supposedly, there is a deal in the works for a 4th ssn with BBC and… (gasp, ew) Fox. In the US. So, potentially, ugh. An merican Torchwood. I bet they’ll replace Gwen with someone with no teeth gap, dammit, and make the whole thing all chase-y and explode-y.
c. You’d know all this if you also subscribed to the Twitter feed of the Torchwood Forum (snag it from my followees list). Or frequented the TW Forum itself, as I unfortunately have been known to do. – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
2. Owen – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
a. La la la la la la! I can’t hear you!
b. Beetles fancy other beetles, as they say. Or, there’s no accounting for taste. I can’t really defend it, but there it is.
c. What can I say? I’ve always fancied pale, wiry, dark-haired, smartass (even sarcastic) boys with pretty eyes and British accents. (–In fact, that sounds like my husband, although he’s about 20 zillion times more wholesome than Owen.)
d. It’s all for the best anyway, since then we won’t fight over Jack when we are magically whisked into the TW universe. Which is clearly imminent.
The funny thing is that I don’t necessarily like Who or Torchwood despite the corniness, unbelievable plot lines and ridiculous gadgets. I like them *because* of those things. It’s so good to just sit back and think “yeah, this is a little silly, but I *like* a little silliness with my time travel/aliens”.
And I’m with DrLiz on Owen. I’m not sure what it says about my psyche that I tend to like the sarcastic arseholes.
Oh, I hear you on the corniness, etc. It’s just that I never let myself do that until a few years ago when a friend got me hooked on cheeseball paranormal romance novels. I still have that voice in my head that tells me that I’m not supposed to like this uber corny silliness.
And I’m normally with you on the sarcastic arseholes. I mean, I can’t really talk when I have a thing for Clay, the alpha male asshole in the Women of the Otherworld series of books (read them… they’re total brain candy fun!). BUT Owen is the exception for me. He is a true tosser. Even the backstory they gave him that was supposed to endear him to us didn’t work for me … and I normally eat that stuff up (*cough* Clay *cough*). Maybe it’s his large mouth, maybe it’s just that he’s a tool. Who knows? I never liked Owen and never will. And what the fuck was Gwen thinking when she shagged him? Ick.
[…] I should do a follow up now that I’m caught up on Torchwood. I had likened Torchwood to the dessert after the healthy meal of Dr Who. It was fun, slashy and silly. Captain Jack Harkness really is one […]