Torchwood - Fragments, thoughts about THAT scene

[tencrush]

kateorman had a really out-there theory that there were erections involved in this encounter. (No! Surely not! I JEST, KATE.)



The theory suprised me because it hadn't yet occurred to me that there might be people out there who thought there were NO erections involved in this encounter. Though it does seem the jury's still out on who was most excitable, Jack or Ianto.

But yeah, my theory is that there was MUTUAL trouser stirring going on here. And it's what's finally punched Ianto in the face as to what he's willing to do and what that ACTUALLY means. In theory, with the jeans and the cruising and all the rest of it, sex has always been a part of the plan, but here's where it hits him what he might actually have to do. And, to really bring on the tears: THAT HE MIGHT ACTUALLY ENJOY IT. How much of a betrayal is that?

I think there's a whole other level to this scene which isn't even really about sex at all, and it's about enjoyment and fun. I don't know if you've noticed, but Ianto's having fun with Jack, catching Myfanwy, it's all adrenaline and running around and laughing, and this is a guy who, one would assume, has a cybergirlfriend IN HIS SHED as we speak. One that he's been looking after and is obviously desperate to fix since Canary Wharf happened, and since Canary Wharf happened, I can't imagine this guy's been having much fun. At all. You see, I think it's not just the fact that there's attraction and arousal going on that worries Ianto, it's the fact that he is actually having fun. His whole objective is to save Lisa, the girl he can't live without, and in saving her, or keeping her safe in any case, he may well end up proving that he CAN live without her. Which defeats the object of the exercise. Not only, I think, do his tears signify his own disgust at the levels to which he'll stoop and the fact that he might even enjoy stooping to them, but also every single one of his doubts and fears about whether saving her was actually the right thing to do. Did he do it for her or did he do it for himself? Should he have just let her go? I think this moment of doubt and tears also shows us the point at which saving Lisa to Ianto, who presumably has since Canary Wharf, been running on adrenaline and single bloody-mindedness, starts to become less of a love thing, and more of an obsession. He HAS TO save her now, in order to prove to himself that he did the right thing saving her in the first place and that he's doing the right thing in stooping to the levels he'll stoop to to save her now. He's effectively trapped himself.


That's my take, anyway. Well, part of it. I've had trouble talking about this episode because GDL really, really blew me away with this one, more or less leaving me dribbling on the sofa for a few days. He conveys SO MUCH IN SO LITTLE TIME, again, as always. Awe-inspiring. I think I could discuss this one for MONTHS.

Comments

[off_coloratura]

Long enough to get Lisa firmly ensconced in a Cyber-life-support system without anyone knowing.

[rowanswhimsy.livejournal.com]

I've no idea how long that would take. I'm still wondering how he kept Lisa alive between Canary Wharf and TW3. Suzie, Owen, Tosh, and Jack would all have been at TW3 while this was going on but given that it was 21 months when Ianto started seducing Jack with his prowess (on every level) then Ianto may only have been at TW for a couple of months or less than a probationery period...then the events of CW hit. So Jack may have had it in his mind to start him out as Ianto had suggested but after a trial period, move him along into another capacity.

I wonder if S3 will bring an addition to TW3 to handle the routine admin stuff and take it off of Ianto.

[sue-matra.livejournal.com]

Could happen.

[rowanswhimsy.livejournal.com]

Of the many things that Fragments makes me crave, one is more scenes where Jack and Ianto are out capturing things and executing cunning plans. They have great buddy chemistry.

This is in addition to their great sexual chemistry, their great romantic chemistry, etc.

More Jack/Ianto eps! Perhaps Gwen can give up a few of her eps.

[off_coloratura]

I'd like to think Jack intended to include Ianto more as he proved his trustworthiness, but it was only four episodes in that his betrayal became obvious, and yet the extra things he does for the team apart from coffee/cleanup/maintenance seems to continue unimpeded after that (he goes on the field mission and tracks the SUV in Countrycide, etc.)

I'd really, really love to know more about the relationship between Jack and Ianto between "Fragments" and "Cyberwoman" and how it developed afterward, but I suspect the show will only ever drop more hints and glimpses, if that.

[rowanswhimsy.livejournal.com]

Oh, so would I but I agree with you -- we'll likely never get it. Why don't the writers realize that we're desperately interested in The Ianto Show? :-)