Maybe what Jack needs is the unconditional forgiveness that he gets from Ianto. After Lisa, after leaving him with no word, after having to do things that even the rest of the team take a long time to trust him with. Ianto trusts him, and forgives him his mistakes pretty consistently. Granted, Jack seems to do the same for Ianto, as well. Jack seems to forgive easily, for just about anything, without reservation. But how often does he get the same in return? As a specific contrast, Gwen seems to jump to blaming im numerous times, and then while she eventually lets it go (usually after having been proven incontrovertably WRONG), she seems to have a hard time forgiving him for disappointing her.
On top of that, Ianto seems to be something of a stable base of quiet support. He's always there, at Jack's back, supporting his decisions. Especially in S2. Along with being someone Jack opens up to more than he even does with Gwen. Gwen got to know his secrets through circumstances beyond Jack's control, and that continued through most of the 1st series. Probably because she's the only one he had to talk to about those things. at the time. She doesn't seem to be the one who gets that anymore. Ianto is the one he's more open with, now. Ianto also doesn't seem to feel the need to push Jack into being a better person. He behaves more like he already knows that Jack is a good person, and Jack rises to those expectations much more than he does to being chided into it.
Now contrast that with the Doctor, who usually expects the worst from Jack, and doesn't really acknowledge how very much he's changed for the better, no matter how desperately Jack might want him to.
So, I think there's plenty of indication that Jack needs Ianto for more than just a bit of kinky stress-relief.
I like to think that, despite what was originally implied, and even Jack's own intentions in hiring her, Gwen isn't HIS conscience. She's the conscience of Torchwood as a whole. It's really Ianto who serves as Jack's personal reminder not to let go of his own humanity.
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Date: 2008-04-07 06:35 am (UTC)As a specific contrast, Gwen seems to jump to blaming im numerous times, and then while she eventually lets it go (usually after having been proven incontrovertably WRONG), she seems to have a hard time forgiving him for disappointing her.
On top of that, Ianto seems to be something of a stable base of quiet support. He's always there, at Jack's back, supporting his decisions. Especially in S2. Along with being someone Jack opens up to more than he even does with Gwen.
Gwen got to know his secrets through circumstances beyond Jack's control, and that continued through most of the 1st series. Probably because she's the only one he had to talk to about those things. at the time. She doesn't seem to be the one who gets that anymore.
Ianto is the one he's more open with, now. Ianto also doesn't seem to feel the need to push Jack into being a better person. He behaves more like he already knows that Jack is a good person, and Jack rises to those expectations much more than he does to being chided into it.
Now contrast that with the Doctor, who usually expects the worst from Jack, and doesn't really acknowledge how very much he's changed for the better, no matter how desperately Jack might want him to.
So, I think there's plenty of indication that Jack needs Ianto for more than just a bit of kinky stress-relief.
I like to think that, despite what was originally implied, and even Jack's own intentions in hiring her, Gwen isn't HIS conscience. She's the conscience of Torchwood as a whole. It's really Ianto who serves as Jack's personal reminder not to let go of his own humanity.