However, because this is a same-sex relationship, people got extremely sensitive about it, not enough on screen time, not enough clarity, etc.
This is very true. It is a sensitive (and to many fans, at least online, a personal) topic. Unfortunately it is still incredibly new for a same-sex relationship to feature heavily in a 'mainstream' drama. Therefore, I don't think you can blame fans for expecting a little less ambiguity from a show that touts itself as progressive.
The thing is, like you said, Jack and Ianto are both ambiguous characters, all those secrets and unknowns which are still waiting to be shed light on, won't it be even weirder if we get to see a lot of their private moments without knowing their past?
Well, perhaps, but I don't think that's a good reason to continue refusing to give them a) private moments or b) a past. I definitely see what you're saying, but I can't help but think that's evidence of two problems rather than an explanation.
And if we have to pick one couple only, from writing/artistic prospect, who should we choose? Janto? Really?
Well, why not? Jack's the male lead, isn't he? The star? From a writing/artistic standpoint, I would think that showing that couple he's a part of would make narrative sense. And furthermore, Jack and Ianto are both main characters and both team members.
Don't get me wrong. I don't (as much as it pains me to say this) think it should be all Janto, all the time. Not in the least. I just don't quite understand why Gwen/Rhys is intrinsically more well-suited to screentime.
The story of Gwen/Rhys is, largely, the story of what Torchwood does to a relationship. You also get this in Ianto/Lisa, Owen/Diane, Tosh/Tommy, and of course Owen/Tosh; in fact, it's something of a consistent subplot. But Jack/Ianto, a relationship born of Torchwood and therefore infinitely more complicated and twisted, is undefined. Maybe it's because it's complicated (or maybe because it appears very healthy and that's no fun), I don't know.
As I said, I was generally happy with the way series two dealt with Jack/Ianto (and Gwen/Rhys, and even Jack/Gwen, gasp!). I'm just not sure that series three can carry on with the same patterns without it getting very problematic.
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Date: 2008-07-18 02:43 pm (UTC)This is very true. It is a sensitive (and to many fans, at least online, a personal) topic. Unfortunately it is still incredibly new for a same-sex relationship to feature heavily in a 'mainstream' drama. Therefore, I don't think you can blame fans for expecting a little less ambiguity from a show that touts itself as progressive.
The thing is, like you said, Jack and Ianto are both ambiguous characters, all those secrets and unknowns which are still waiting to be shed light on, won't it be even weirder if we get to see a lot of their private moments without knowing their past?
Well, perhaps, but I don't think that's a good reason to continue refusing to give them a) private moments or b) a past. I definitely see what you're saying, but I can't help but think that's evidence of two problems rather than an explanation.
And if we have to pick one couple only, from writing/artistic prospect, who should we choose? Janto? Really?
Well, why not? Jack's the male lead, isn't he? The star? From a writing/artistic standpoint, I would think that showing that couple he's a part of would make narrative sense. And furthermore, Jack and Ianto are both main characters and both team members.
Don't get me wrong. I don't (as much as it pains me to say this) think it should be all Janto, all the time. Not in the least. I just don't quite understand why Gwen/Rhys is intrinsically more well-suited to screentime.
The story of Gwen/Rhys is, largely, the story of what Torchwood does to a relationship. You also get this in Ianto/Lisa, Owen/Diane, Tosh/Tommy, and of course Owen/Tosh; in fact, it's something of a consistent subplot. But Jack/Ianto, a relationship born of Torchwood and therefore infinitely more complicated and twisted, is undefined. Maybe it's because it's complicated (or maybe because it appears very healthy and that's no fun), I don't know.
As I said, I was generally happy with the way series two dealt with Jack/Ianto (and Gwen/Rhys, and even Jack/Gwen, gasp!). I'm just not sure that series three can carry on with the same patterns without it getting very problematic.