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fangrrl_squees) wrote2006-10-26 09:28 am
fangrrl_squees) wrote2006-10-26 09:28 am
On The Psyche of One Captain Harkness...
Thank god for fans far more observant than I.
There were several moments in Everything Changes where Jack's behavior rang false - to me, at least - most notably when he was talking to Gwen in the bar and explaining that he'd just whacked her up with an amnesiac and would soon forget everything she'd learned about Torchwood, concluding with something along the lines of "Including me, which will be a terrible shame.".
The line was delivered so strangely that it brought me up short. The timing seemed off, Jack's expression was insincere, and his tone of voice... it just didn't gibe with his body-language. At first, I thought it was a combination of Jack being his usual aint-I-fab? self, John Barrowman having an off take and the editor using what s/he had on hand to make the best of it. A convergence of non-ideal circumstances resulting in a moment that disturbed the pace of the scene. A case of Oh well, not every scene can be perfect.
Then, lo and behold, someone far more perceptive than I described it as Jack uses narcissism to help drive Gwen away. The light-bulb goes on, and I start thinking. It all started with wondering if perhaps Jack's a lousy liar - hard to believe, given his con-man past, but it's also clear that he took a shine to Gwen right away, so maybe the idea of Gwen forgetting about him really does upset him. I'm enough of a gooey sentimentalist to find this rather endearing.
Gooey sentiment aside, I agree with the idea that Jack was, indeed, putting on airs to drive Gwen away. It's easy to forget that Jack must have a certain skill at manipulating people. He was - and in some ways, still is - a con-man. A con man is willing and able to say whatever has to be said for his personal gain, and he's believed when he says it. If seeming a bit repellent is going to help keep Gwen away from Torchwood, then so be it. I strongly believe that Jack's life to date was largely fueled by keeping out of emotional entanglements, by saying whatever needs to be said at a given moment and looking out for Number One at all times. Silly fangrrl had lost sight of all that. Oops.
Given all that, and the fact that Jack lives down a hole under the Hub (it's shown in the Declassified for Day One) and, well, I'm starting to perceive Jack as one emotionally distant fella. and I feel a little sorry for him, which I didn't expect. I tune in wanting my slightly-campy hawtness and, dammit, I start getting all sympathetic to the character and stuff. Fortunately, I dig that, too.
Mindless shagging is, of course, the best way to avoid emotional intimacy, that's a given. For all his talk of "being a citizen", Jack's physically cut himself off from the 21st century world - if the living-down-a-hole thing isn't enough, remember that beautiful and perhaps not entirely pointless, after all shot of him on some unlikely bit of architecture, surveying the landscape? You don't get much more (physically) detached than that. And, although he might blend in with the locals, he's a stranger to this place and time. The culture shock, alone...
What interests me is that Jack doesn't seem to be making an effort to fully integrate with his current home, despite having taken on the job of helping it. Otherwise, he'd be living in some cute little semi-detached and drinking something stronger than water down at the pub or at dinner with the team.
(Tangent: The question of why Jack doesn't seem to indulge in the sauce is fodder for a whole other post, but I strongly suspect it ties in to an ongoing need to exert what control he can over his life - god knows, he's been batted about by outside forces enough. Why go out of one's way to lose control again?)
Why is Jack working for Torchwood? What's in it for him? There's got to be something because the self-sufficient con man hasn't been entirely reformed by his association with the Doctor and Rose.
A steady income, a roof over his head without too many questions asked, an exciting life, an opportunity to be the first person to get his hands on time-travel equipment. Those are all valid motives and I suspect some aspect of any/all of them will be addressed during the course of the show.
I've read some speculation that Jack's in Cardiff because he's waiting for the Doctor to find him. I like that theory, as it makes a lot of sense, given the evidence so far. Jack's staying close to theHellmouth space/time rift, because he already knows that the TARDIS finds it strangely irresistible. There's the not entirely-unreasonable notion that the Doctor might track down and want back that hunk of genetic material currently bubbling in a jar. If Jack's got the clearance (and it's likely he does) to know the story of Torchwood's foundation, then he's got a reason to believe that the Doctor and Rose are still gadding about together, after they left him on Satellite 5 - because wouldn't have Rose mentioned meeting Queen Victoria, had it happened in her subjective past? Of course she would - no-one can resist dropping that sort of name. It adds up, in its way.
Why is Jack waiting for the Doctor? There are several potential reasons:
- The Doctor has a time machine. Jack's out of his element in the 21st Century, and wants a ride to somewhen more of his suiting.
- Jack simply misses the Doctor and Rose, and wishes to return to their gallavantin' ways.
- Contraiwise, Jack may indeed be a fully reformed character, but isn't as sure of himself as he appears, and craves the approval of his role model(s). He wants reassurance and an attaboy.
- Jack wants to give the Doctor a piece of his mind after being left on Satellite 5. Ditto Rose and just what the bloody hell did she do to him? Indeed, it might be Rose that Jack really wants to see again, and oh dear, that won't end well, will it?
This has been burbling in my mind for a couple of days and, if nothing else, it's given me stuff to chew on for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jack_harkness_ (no luck finding a Torchwood RP for him yet, sigh. There might be something in early December). I'm looking forward to seeing Jack's character explored a little more over the course of the show. 'Course, my regular readers know I'm a character junkie.
All this because I thought Barrowman had an off delivery in a single shot. Silly fangrrl forgot the first rules of filmmaking - everything is deliberate and don't waste anyone's time.
PS, I realize how ironic this post is, coming immediately after my rant about fans who over-speculate. Oh well, I never pretended to be perfect, or even consistent.
There were several moments in Everything Changes where Jack's behavior rang false - to me, at least - most notably when he was talking to Gwen in the bar and explaining that he'd just whacked her up with an amnesiac and would soon forget everything she'd learned about Torchwood, concluding with something along the lines of "Including me, which will be a terrible shame.".
The line was delivered so strangely that it brought me up short. The timing seemed off, Jack's expression was insincere, and his tone of voice... it just didn't gibe with his body-language. At first, I thought it was a combination of Jack being his usual aint-I-fab? self, John Barrowman having an off take and the editor using what s/he had on hand to make the best of it. A convergence of non-ideal circumstances resulting in a moment that disturbed the pace of the scene. A case of Oh well, not every scene can be perfect.
Then, lo and behold, someone far more perceptive than I described it as Jack uses narcissism to help drive Gwen away. The light-bulb goes on, and I start thinking. It all started with wondering if perhaps Jack's a lousy liar - hard to believe, given his con-man past, but it's also clear that he took a shine to Gwen right away, so maybe the idea of Gwen forgetting about him really does upset him. I'm enough of a gooey sentimentalist to find this rather endearing.
Gooey sentiment aside, I agree with the idea that Jack was, indeed, putting on airs to drive Gwen away. It's easy to forget that Jack must have a certain skill at manipulating people. He was - and in some ways, still is - a con-man. A con man is willing and able to say whatever has to be said for his personal gain, and he's believed when he says it. If seeming a bit repellent is going to help keep Gwen away from Torchwood, then so be it. I strongly believe that Jack's life to date was largely fueled by keeping out of emotional entanglements, by saying whatever needs to be said at a given moment and looking out for Number One at all times. Silly fangrrl had lost sight of all that. Oops.
Given all that, and the fact that Jack lives down a hole under the Hub (it's shown in the Declassified for Day One) and, well, I'm starting to perceive Jack as one emotionally distant fella. and I feel a little sorry for him, which I didn't expect. I tune in wanting my slightly-campy hawtness and, dammit, I start getting all sympathetic to the character and stuff. Fortunately, I dig that, too.
Mindless shagging is, of course, the best way to avoid emotional intimacy, that's a given. For all his talk of "being a citizen", Jack's physically cut himself off from the 21st century world - if the living-down-a-hole thing isn't enough, remember that beautiful and perhaps not entirely pointless, after all shot of him on some unlikely bit of architecture, surveying the landscape? You don't get much more (physically) detached than that. And, although he might blend in with the locals, he's a stranger to this place and time. The culture shock, alone...
What interests me is that Jack doesn't seem to be making an effort to fully integrate with his current home, despite having taken on the job of helping it. Otherwise, he'd be living in some cute little semi-detached and drinking something stronger than water down at the pub or at dinner with the team.
(Tangent: The question of why Jack doesn't seem to indulge in the sauce is fodder for a whole other post, but I strongly suspect it ties in to an ongoing need to exert what control he can over his life - god knows, he's been batted about by outside forces enough. Why go out of one's way to lose control again?)
Why is Jack working for Torchwood? What's in it for him? There's got to be something because the self-sufficient con man hasn't been entirely reformed by his association with the Doctor and Rose.
A steady income, a roof over his head without too many questions asked, an exciting life, an opportunity to be the first person to get his hands on time-travel equipment. Those are all valid motives and I suspect some aspect of any/all of them will be addressed during the course of the show.
I've read some speculation that Jack's in Cardiff because he's waiting for the Doctor to find him. I like that theory, as it makes a lot of sense, given the evidence so far. Jack's staying close to the
Why is Jack waiting for the Doctor? There are several potential reasons:
- The Doctor has a time machine. Jack's out of his element in the 21st Century, and wants a ride to somewhen more of his suiting.
- Jack simply misses the Doctor and Rose, and wishes to return to their gallavantin' ways.
- Contraiwise, Jack may indeed be a fully reformed character, but isn't as sure of himself as he appears, and craves the approval of his role model(s). He wants reassurance and an attaboy.
- Jack wants to give the Doctor a piece of his mind after being left on Satellite 5. Ditto Rose and just what the bloody hell did she do to him? Indeed, it might be Rose that Jack really wants to see again, and oh dear, that won't end well, will it?
This has been burbling in my mind for a couple of days and, if nothing else, it's given me stuff to chew on for
jack_harkness_ (no luck finding a Torchwood RP for him yet, sigh. There might be something in early December). I'm looking forward to seeing Jack's character explored a little more over the course of the show. 'Course, my regular readers know I'm a character junkie. All this because I thought Barrowman had an off delivery in a single shot. Silly fangrrl forgot the first rules of filmmaking - everything is deliberate and don't waste anyone's time.
PS, I realize how ironic this post is, coming immediately after my rant about fans who over-speculate. Oh well, I never pretended to be perfect, or even consistent.
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