On The Psyche of One Captain Harkness...

[fangrrl_squees]

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 the Hellmouth 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 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.

Comments

[ladykoori.livejournal.com]

I wonder if there is any guilt on Jack's part over Rose being dead.

Dead Rose is obviously post-Satellite 5 Rose, even if he doesn't know she was still traveling with the Doctor. So the Rose he thinks is dead is the Rose who he knew and cared about. So while he can't die, Rose is dead. Granted, is in in no way responsible for her death and he was probably dealing with Cybermen issues of his own. But still there could be guilt.

The amount of information known about what happened inside Canary Warf (or however its spell, stupid American here) would be really interesting to know. Does Jack know the Doctor and Rose were there and does he know Rose was saved by Pete? If he does know Rose was saved the guilt factor goes away.

(I swear that all made more sense in my head)

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure where guilt would come into Jack's feeling about her death... From his perspective, she continued on with the Doctor and he probably only would have found out about her death when he went looking for records/info on her family, etc. in trying to track her/them down when he arrived on Earth 2006.

Maybe being Torchwood himself, he would have had access to files that would have given info that she was transported over to the other universe... That's something to think about, I suppose. But if there were no Torchwood files written up, all he would have seen is the official lists. Some ideas:

1) Torchwood has a full file on the Tylers making it to the AU - The Doctor stuck around after, made sure they were listed as dead, some of Torchwood remained and created a file.

2) Torchwood file with limited info because the Doctor stuck around and made sure they were listed as dead AND kept the real info out of the file.

3) No Torchwood file at all - Torchwood London completely dismantled. Doctor stuck around and made sure the Tylers were on the death lists but that's all the records there are.

A lot depends on which of the three it is - From the standpoint of Jack's angst-level.

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

Personally, I believe that Option 3 is the most likely, given the Doctor's past behavior with this sort of thing.

Furthermore, who would have survived to make a report that suggested anything other than what the Doctor wanted known as true? I honestly can't remember anyone who lived throught the end of Torchwood 1 that wasn't either the Doctor, or in the AU by the end of it all...

However... it's not beyond the realm of doubt that Torchwood has found out what happened via other means. A couple of good psychometricians and some jiggery-pokery with time in that area, and surviving Torchwooders could have figured it out. Jack's manner doesn't suggest that's the case but... well, the boy can lie like a rug, when needs be. :)

Argh! Too many potentialities! Brain go ouch now.

[ladykoori.livejournal.com]

I know.

And do we know that the Doctor is the one responsible for them being on the list? Its possibily that they only got on the list because they were missing and so presumed dead.

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

I don't know if the Doctor *put* them on the lists, but he definitely made a point to check and make sure that their affairs were tied up in that universe - He didn't just run to the TARDIS and leave (as is his usual pattern.) I would think the lists would have taken a couple of days to have been put together, so I'm guessing he stuck around and maybe tried to wrap up the Tyler's affairs. To what extend he did anything, I don't know - Just a thought.

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

Personally, I believe that Option 3 is the most likely

I hope so - It's certainly going to cause the most angst for Jack and that's interesting to me. ;-)

I don't know... Maybe there was a surveillance camera - Maybe the Doctor *did* provide some details to surviving Torchwood agents trying to clean up the the loose ends... The writers have a million options on this one - Time will tell.

Argh! Too many potentialities! Brain go ouch now.

Mhauhahaha! Serves you right for hooking up with a Time Lord!

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

Serves you right for hooking up with a Time Lord!

[jack voice]Oh, if I should have been so lucky[/jack]

Sorry, couldnt' resist.

Between my fondness for extrapolating possibilities AND the craziness that is time travel, I'm quite used to talking myself into a corner and my brain seizing up. ;)

[hippiebanana132.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I like those theories. I'd just sort of been figuring that he'd have some sort of alerts system set up so that he's made aware of any data that shows up mentioning 'the Doctor' or 'Rose Tyler' (and let's face it, Torchwood certainly have the technology and the computer-hacking skills to make that possible). I'd never thought about how that information could come about.
Though, either way, I'm quite sad he (presumably) already knows. I wanted *some* sort of Rose reference in series three or Torchwood, whether it be Jack finding her name on the list of the dead or finding Ten in series three and spazzing over how Rose isn't there and the Doctor has a different head. Looks like we're not going to quite get either.

[britgeekgrrl.livejournal.com]

Looks like we're not going to quite get either.

Oh, I dunno. They've backpedaled on the "no crossover" thing, so we might get it after all.

Hmm, Ten/Jack catfight. Y'all will excuse me while I go to my happy place for a few minutes. :)

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

Though, either way, I'm quite sad he (presumably) already knows.

That's a fourth option - That he doesn't know and we'd be lucky enough to actually *see* him going through the process of finding out. :))) Somehow, though, I just think that would be sloppy writing - If he came back to find them, he would have looked and found, Torchwood access or not. Even if he didn't come specifically looking for them, you'd think he would have checked anyway.

I'm sure we'll still get the spazzing when he see's Ten - No reason he would know about that (unless he watched surveillance tapes, I suppose...) Ooo! Maybe he *SAW* that whole scene! Augh! Maybe he has a copy of the tape tucked away somewhere!!! Angsty scene-to-be, perhaps??? Jack gets drunk and watches the tape over and over and over...? Augh!

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

That's a fourth option - That he doesn't know and we'd be lucky enough to actually *see* him going through the process of finding out.

Character torture, yay! Angsty!Jack, yay!

Jack mournfully watching surveillance tapes of Ten all by his lonesome as the empty beer bottles piles up... creeped-out-yay!

*ahem* Pardon me. There's a fic idea in that last one, you know. *nudge*nudge*

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

There's a fic idea in that last one, you know. *nudge*nudge*

I really, really hope someone runs with this...*nudge*nudge*

I'm not allowed to write - Please to see icon above...

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

Aw, we all have a little Mary Sue in us! We have to learn to accept it, love it and beat it with a stick as necessary. Hard voice of experience there, btw. :)

I can't write it. I've got two outlines that are giving me the puppy eyes, and I stumbled across a third one in my archives today AND I'm wondering if I should try tackling my zombie screenplay of doooom over NaNoWriMo and... aw, hell, I'll kick it around tonight. It'd probably made for a good drabble, and those aren't as time-consuming as the stuff I'm procrastinating about. ;)

[ladykoori.livejournal.com]

I know have the image of Jack watching tape of Ten and going "see you don't like getting left alone either."

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

Oh, woe! Woe! The angst!

Pay no attention to the muffled giggling coming from my end of the net.

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

That's pretty brilliant, actually...

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree!

I just realized my earlier comment could be misinterpreted as cattiness, and that's NOT my intent.

I love torturing characters, I do. I just have a misplaced sense of humor, too.

So when are you going to write it, ladykoori?

(why yes, that's the sound of a buck being passed! ;))

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

No, you're fine... I'm just kind of gobsmacked at how brilliant it is and mumbling to myself...

I mean really - I think this is an important undercurrent for Jack and more importantly, a potential new facet to his relationship with the Doctor when they meet again. I just really, really never thought of it. Wow!

There's that look on Jack's face in Dr. Who at the end... When he tried to catch the TARDIS and doesn't make it in time... This look of, "Oh, damn... I was having so much fun with them - What a nuisance." But you know he's not concerened with getting of the satellite or moving on with his life - It's about the sadness that something really great has ended just a little sooner than you wanted it to.

So this is amazing! That Jack would have a touchstone in Torchwood to "feel" his loss of that friendship/moment/whatever. And when he meets the Doctor again, they will have another level of bonding - or tension, if Jack feels resentful or vengeful about it.

[otoselkie.livejournal.com]

He probably knows that the Doctor and Rose were involved in the whole Cyberman thing. There's probably footage from security cameras inside Torchwood 1 (which would also explain why he has 3D specs hanging off his lamp).

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

I'd missed the specs!

*squees quietly*

It's my own personal theory that, given the leet haxxorin' available to Torchwood, that Jack has read a whole lot of UK govt. files on the Doctor and his activities. I didn't buy into Nine's "virus" wiping him off the net. "Love and Monsters" showed how effective that was, and such a virus wouldn't impact the paper records that governments love so much.

So, indeed, it's plausible that Jack knows an awful lot more about the Doctor at this point than he ever has, and has an inkling of what happened at Torchwood London.

However, *my* knowing whether or not Jack knows all that stuff isn't keeping me awake at night. Well, not much. I did have some weird half-awake thoughts at 2AM today, I'll admit... ;)

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

And then there's the hand... I mean - It fell from the sky into central London... How did anyone *find* it so fast? And why (eww...)?

I think everyone is right... I think there must have been a lot of records around and it's fully possible that Jack knows everything about that final scene. Damn.

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

I put the "just how did Jack get the hand" bit down to "Because it's just plain cool for him to have it" and never mind the whyfores. ;)

The damn thing could have SUNG to his Gallifreyan-touched self for all we know. :)

Despite my statement of not needing the whyfores, it won't stop me from making a few of my own, obviously.

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

The damn thing could have SUNG to his Gallifreyan-touched self for all we know. :)

Oh God... I think that was my rib cracking... ROFLMAO!

Jack's reaction to the jar breaking was... I don't know... Kind of *pervy*? I mean, he just went all, "preciouusssss" on us for a minute.

[fangrrl-squees.livejournal.com]

*shrug* I didn't see it as pervy, myself. Shocked, yes. Worried, definitely, but not pervy. I think the hand is something he's very sentimental about and threats to such objects can make one a bit unreasonable, granted.

Having lost a couple of items that I was *very* sentimental about, I can certainly attest to the latter. It's been nearly 23 years in one case and I still get upset about it.

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

I just meant he was concerned when the alien was brandishing it about, and when the alien tossed it, but after it hit the ground there was a moment where he totally blocked out everything and kind of curled around it (in my mind I see him stroking it but maybe I'm making that up) - It just got a little wierd for me for a second. Especially since he completely ignores the fact the alien is getting away and so forth. I think he could have picked it up and protected it while still keeping his wits about him. No biggie - just a moment I remember feeling a bit squicky and unsure what was going on with him.