A quick follow-up post

[lirazel]

So, the consensus on my last post seems to be that I should try Torchwood first (and then West Wing! Yes, I'll get to that! Back off! ;p). madcap_shiny has suggested such a heterodox move that it makes my chronology- and continuity-loving heart tremble:

Watch S2 first.

Now, her reasoning for this is that S1 really is really bad and that I won't really like it till S2 and that by watching S2 without the bad taste of S1 in my mouth, I'll enjoy the whole thing a whole lot more.

I trust her, but the idea of this petrifies me. But what think you, flist? Is this wisdom or folly?

I just want to take this opportunity to say that for some reason, I love it when people tell me which characters/pairings I'm gonna love on a TV show before I watch it. Y'all are almost always right, and it fills me with glee. The predictions for TW thus far are: Owen and Tosh. I suspect this will be proved correct. :D My personal hypothesis is that I will continue to not be a fan of Jack and might even like him less after this show.

Also, to those of you--whoever you are--who wrote me love notes for the meme, y'all are awesome and adorable and creative and wonderful. I adore you.

Comments

[finkpishnets.livejournal.com]

Actually, I feel really strongly about this. It is my SHOW and I take it way more seriously than anything else possibly ever...(ohgosh).

But, no, you really do have to watch S1 first. It is excellent. I don't understand the dislike. In order to really love this show, you have to grow with its characters and see how they get from one place to another. There are things that happen in S1 that play a huge part in the rest of the show. You need to understand who Jack is now; a completely different person than he was when he was with the Doctor. You need to meet his team and understand how lonely and lost they all are before they find a place with each other.

Episodes like 'Cyberwoman' and 'Countrycide' and 'Out of Time', not to mention 'Captain Jack Harkness' are full of such major character development. The sort of episodes that made me care so deeply for these characters that they are still my favourites and this is still my show (even if it keeps breaking my heart).

And it is wonderful. I love it with a rather fiery passion. And, even if people tell you it's not great? It's still better than most things on TV ever.

I love Buffy; I only tolerate Torchwood

[spikes-minion.livejournal.com]

In fact, I only watched TW because BSG finished and I was jonesing for some SciFi. And I knew that James Marsters was going to show up eventually.

But Torchwood is cheese-tastic. John Barrowman is way over-the-top as Captain Jack. Gwen ... I don't know about her. Is she supposed to be a sympathetic character? Because it's not working. Owen is unpleasant and looks like a toad. Tosh is a zero. And the thing that really escapes me is the Ianto the Male Receptionist. He has absolutely zero personality for most of Season 1, and then the one time he has a major role to play, he overacts like crazy.

Season 2 is much better. Ep 1, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is fantastic. Having James Marsters around balances the show--until he arrived, it didn't have a character as charismatic as John Barrowman, so most of the team came across as pale shadows--real also-rans.

[elisi]

I should have read your comment before I posted mine, 'cause this - so much!

(It is *ridiculous* how much I love my show. Esp considering how it broke my heart more than anything else ever...)

[finkpishnets.livejournal.com]

I just remember sitting down and watching the very first episode when it aired and waiting week by week for it, and my love for it hasn't diminished since. I wonder if the people who don't like it watched it later, on DVD or once it was all out? I don't know, I just can't imagine not watching the first series.

I'm so protective of these characters; I could literally write essays about why they are the way the are, and their relationships.

I just...not watching the first series of any show confuses me; even if it's not as good as later series, surely you need to understand the characters and the history?

I'm so glad you agree! ♥

[elisi]

See me, I didn't fall in love immediately. I watched it because I was curious about Jack, but the unevenness of the writing was quite offputting. And yet - I could always see the *potential* (which was one reason I was grumpy, since it wasn't being fulfilled), and so I was always thrilled when something worked. Also, of course, there was Jack/Ianto which sucked me in as if it had been written just. for. me. And finally there was fic. Glorious, gorgeous, beautifully written fic, and I never wanted to stop reading it.

So I think that the world and the characters drew me in, despite all the obvious shortcomings. And yes, I too am very protective. The characters are my gorgeous, broken toys, and I want to scoop them all up and never let them go.