Torchwood Episode 209 Recap: "Something Borrowed"

I could buy the crazy-fanged monster (National Health dental care?), the bridesmaids having a "Hen Party" at Dyke Night at Babylon on "Queer as Folk," and even the possibility of George Michael in the van. But NO WAY would any Mother-of-the-Bride NOT be all over that wedding! No. Impossible. Cannot happen.

*sigh* I think something is gonna happen with Gwack. I just don't know when the damn something is gonna happen. I don't fear it though....i hate it, but eh...i think the writers aren't sure what to do with gwack, but want to explore something. (hence the constant looks between them)

on another note...a friend of mine said jack reminds her of brian kinney. (I WTF'ed so loud at this) she said something along the lines of "they're both horny and full of themselves and everyone goes ga-ga over them" - - I told her I didn't see it, but would ask here to see if others could.....anyone?

OK, maybe I've forgotten something, and folks here can remind me: Where the heck did Ianto come from? I can understand the recruiting paths for the others, Tosh is a computer genius, Owen a doctor, Gwen was a cop who got coffee. Ianto was a..coffee boy in a bespoke suit, who overnight went to carrying guns and delivering some of the sharpest, deepest, funniest lines on the show, and screwing the boss. And as a comment on another thread on this site mentioned, he seems the aggressor, or at least more in control of his personal universe. So how did he get hired in the first place - what was his unique talent, where'd the money for the suits come from, and the posh accent?

And to reply to Liz above - I'd never thought about it, but now that you've brought it up - I completely see the resemblance between Jack and Brian Kinney. I may never be able to think of them separately again.

Okay, you got some really good jokes in this time around.  Of course, it helps when you have such great material to taunt...

First of all, how did two such prissy parents produce a common wench like Gwen?  Her parents are like Greg's parents on Dharma & Greg.  I was rather expecting a couple of Welsh valley folk.

More bizarre are Gwen's gals.  Not so much that she hangs around with whores.  That fits with what we know about her.  But I just never figured her for the party girl type.  She always struck me as the kind of gal that sits on the couch watching football and drinking a pint while picking at her teeth.  However, they had the required three witches for either MacBeth or Clash of the Titans as soon as Gwen joined them.

Side thought:  Jack and Ianto in togas.  When in Greece....Mmmmmmmm....

So, Gwen and Rhys, working class couple, have their wedding booked at an incongrously posh locale.  Bizarrely, the mother of bride has apparently played no role in planning the wedding.  This isn't real, it's some kind of bizare alternate universe!

Now granted, Ianto could probably have assembled the whole thing in between making coffee and putting a smile on Jack's face.  But the idea of a mother so disinterested in planning her daughter's wedding is beyond all comprehension.

Tosh really should have given Banana Boy a tumble.  But I guess that while she's desperate, she's not desperate enough to sleep with anything with an IQ lower than 150.  Which essentially ruled out the entire body of wedding guests male and female.  The wardrobe people on Torchwood clearly have a deep, abiding hatred of Naoko Mori, because her fashion choices are beyond disastrous.  Has it not occured to her to recruit Ianto for shopping expeditions.  He's there, might as well use him.  He even does wedding boutiques.

And BTW:  I'm sorry but I found the bridal shop scene too hillarious for words, mostly because I heard the same thought in Ianto's mind as you did.

Speaking of our boy, poor Ianto is having a rough time of it isn't he?  It's pretty clear that he's falling in love with Jack.  Jack, meanwhile, seems to like the convenience of sex with his coffee.  I think we can all guess what he's taking as "creamer" these days.  But I could almost hear the "Get your hands off of my man!" when Ianto cut in and took Jack from Gwen to dance.  Clearly Ianto is possessive of Jack and is fully aware that Gwen is a cheating whore with access to Retcon.  The calm acceptance of the crowd is no surprise.  Brits these days aren't shocked by anything.  Besides, after man-eating aliens, sword-swallowing men must seem rather tame.  It sucked that Jack was gazing at Gwen though.

I'm not sure what is coming for Janto.  They have great chemistry.  But I also believe that the writers were at this point planning on a series 3, and it wouldn't do to settle things conclusively.  Right now it does seem a bit like Jack is using Ianto for sex while staying emotionally detached from him.  But Torchwood is supposed to be a sci-fi thriller and not a romance drama so I don't have a lot of expectations.  It's just that they are so incredibly perfect together!

I think I know which scene the CBC will cut out ---if they ever get around showing season two---Banana and the big box comment. OMG.

Loved the episode and did not have too much trouble with it.

OK, kick ass / inner drag queen Tosh Rules. True, wardrobe is not doing her any favours (come on she wore the same colour for Tommy, try something new) and she messes up a couple of times. She chases after the alien babe without calling for backup, big no no but she does deserve credit for figuring out what was going on so quickly. Given her need for a man in her life, her quick loathing of Banana was slightly odd, but given how he introduced himself shows that she does have some taste / and is not a complete doormat. Loved all her put downs of Banana. (Will admit that it took repeated playbacks to make out the come out in spots and go soft quickly remark. That is destined to be a classic). Good to see that she also is coming to realise that Owen might no longer be a good candidate for dating. Wastes no time in starting to shoot at Alien Babe (civilians still in the line of fire people!) and can jump out of a window and run after Jack --- onto gravel ---while in heels---and not be winded (unlike puffing Jack!) after the chase. But then you go and blow it for me Steven but reminding me that as you say, the smartest person in the show gets to ask the dumbest question. Aggghhhh! The other thing was her handbag. I read somewhere recently that these clutch purses are all the fashion now, but come on, she either needed something with straps so that she could have both hands free to use the gun or should have dropped it at some point.

Just minor lalala moments for me. Owen seemed to have ok use of his damaged hand for most of the episode up until it came time to operate. Tosh’s dress must have been treated with the best stain guard ever! Alien webbing did nothing to it. Both Jack and Tosh take punches to the face, not a mark on them. Owen invites Tosh to dance, but only ends up taking her to the bar (you can see them in the background while Jack and Gwen dance).

Ah, forget it. The episode was just too good to let the little stuff bother me this week. Every wedding that I’ve been involved with always has its little dramas and stresses going on. Torchwood just went along with that and added some zombie monsters to the mix. In fact I’ll change my first complaint, Tosh’s dress colour, into kudos for Wardrobe. Having it the same colour as the outfit from To the Last Man would be perfectly fitting with Tosh’s mousey personality. She’d be timid and find one colour that she thinks suites her and then would stick with it.

...I feel like I am in the company of Torchwood Evangelicals that are blaming a Gwen-Agenda for the possible non-satisfying ending of the Janto saga. Why, they don't really hate Gwen, some of their best friends even *like* Gwen, they just don't want to see her anywhere near Jack. It makes them shudder. It's just *so* unnatural. It's Gwen's lifestyle choice to act like a common wench. But if her parents pray hard enough, they might be able to de-Gwen their daughter. Praise Be!

 

((oops- teasing tone off, now))

I say we take the warning labels off everything and let nature take it's course.

I dying to read your take. Just watch the Gwenjudice or action will have to be taken! Psionycx, I always felt an inquisitional tone to your articulate ramblings on all things woody....er...torchy... now the truth comes out! But, you know what they say about those that protest too much....

 

I say we take the warning labels off everything and let nature take it's course.

I've been thinking about the Jack/Ianto relationship, trying to put myself into Jack's shoes (although I'd much rather get into his pants) - and I think I can partially understand why he may seem reluctant to commit emotionally to Ianto. Seeing Jack going through the photos in his box at the end of "Something Borrowed", I got a small sense of what it must be like to have seen hundreds of years go by, and to be facing a prospective thousands and thousands of years of life ahead. Jack has to be going through an awful battle between his longing to become fully emotionally attached to Ianto (or any individual) knowing that, in a relatively short 40 or 50 years (by his lifespan), that person will die. My life partner died several years ago, and I doubt that I'll ever be ready to go through that again. I can't imagine Jack being thrilled about the prospect of opening up and loving person after person over the eons, only to keep going through the pain of losing them. It's got to be tough on Jack, knowing he's always going to be the one left alone.

afhickman

"It takes a village (to make Village People)"

Jack is no Brian Kenny (neither was Brian Kenny, when it came right down to it). He is capable of incredible loyalty. Remember Estelle in "Small Worlds"? Jack had apparently been looking out after her for decades. His problem is that he can neither grow old nor die. I think it's understandable that he might want to keep the all-too-mortal Ianto at a distance. In the meantime, however, Jack's "pilgrim soul" still wants to make hay while the sun shines.

After having watched this episode on line a few weeks ago I have been waiting to respond. For the first time in this series I have actually disliked the character of Captain Jack. When Ianto breaks in and starts dancing with Jack, the look on Jacks face and the glance to Gwen just left a bad taste in my mouth. When Jack goes back to the hub and looks at the pictures of past relationships the only one in which he is present is a marriage picture. I really think Jack sees men as just sex and women as relationships and I wouldn't doubt Russel T. Davies is behind it all. I know I am stretching and I am probably way off base but I see a pattern in every show he has done. In Queer As Folk (the original UK version) the gay characters were all about sex; love and realtionships were for straight people(or lesbians). In his next series the gay guy actually married and fell in love with a woman. And now Torchwood the gay realtionship is one sided, Ianto loves Jack completely while Jack wishes for a woman. I did, for most of this season, think that Ianto's character may be playing Jack in order to hurt him. After the cyberwoman episode Ianto told Jack he wanted to basically hurt him like he had never been hurt before. Now I feel Ianto does love Jack but I do not see Jack as loving Ianto. Screwing? Yes. Having Fun? Yes. But returning the feelings that Ianto has for him? I do not know

I agree that this episode puts Gwack to rest. Before this episode whenever my fellow Janto shippers would try to explain Jack's attraction to Gwen as not an attraction to Gwen as an individual, but an attraction to the life she has that he can't, I rolled my eyes. I thought it was just an excuse to ignore the Gwack that TPTB were pushing on us. However this episode made me think very differently. After the wedding, Jack didn't go back to the Hub and look wistfully at pictures of Gwen, which they have plenty of. He went back and looked at pictures of himself (so Jack!) in the past and a picture of his own wedding day. Clearly Gwen's wedding day really brought a lot of emotions to the surface and not just because he's pining after Gwen.

Now where him and Ianto are in terms of a relationship remains to be seen.

Life's a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!

Wha the H?!! That's what sums up this ep for me. It was oh sooo close to (as near) perfect as possible. 90-95% there - and then - tripped, losing all the ground gained. again: what!?! He walks over to Gwen! Gwen! not Ianto. wth? Did TPTB not learn anything from last year's Captain Jack ep?
Here's how the scene should have gone:
Jack walks over to Ianto, who's currently trying to be a DJ. Jack asks Ianto to dance. While dancing they continue the "inside leg" conversation from earlier. ;) Rhys notices them, mistakingly? realizing that Jack's not competition for Gwen. Gwen notices, excuses herself from Rhys and cuts in on Janto. After a brief awkwardness, Ianto realizes Gwen was asking to dance with Jack and leaves. [ROSE: Actually, Doctor... I thought Jack might like this dance. DOCTOR: I'm sure he would, Rose. I'm absolutely certain. But who with?] ...and then we can have the Gwack Gazer moment.

I tell myself it's just a tv show but then I think: it's a tv show with potential to kick-ass and fails to do so... so i try to think positive:
1) Ianto had last line of ep and was usual awesomeness
2) Rhys - awesome, heroic. I love this character. (please, hire him and fire Gwen) How great was Kai Owen in this ep? Decking Jack for insulting his mother, taking chainsaw to Alien bad gal, helping Owen with device - wow! love it! More. please! ok, one small hiccup - Gwen again states, Right in Front Rhys this time, That no-one else would have her and she stands there looking at Jack hoping he'd say "I would/will marry you". Rhys should have walked out in disgust. I almost did. At least now he'll be around more. That's a definite plus. Although I guess I won't be seeing Gwen get her hopes crushed - seems to me the writer are setting up Ianto for that. :(
3) Tosh - good story line for her but to have her trapped with Banana guy? did they ever show her and Owen dancing? at least she was looking great AND packing a gun.
4) Guest stars - no idea who they are in UK but still -loved the Meet the Parents moments.
5) gun hidden in bouqet. Did NOT see that one coming.
6) that we see that Gwen's stopped to check on her parents (saying goodbye) in the background of Jack's "we got a lot of work" speech.
7) how much fun do you think Barrowman had as Alien Jack?!? I'd love to see the outtakes on it.

I actually am not liking Jack though and I usually do. I repeat: he walked over to Gwen. And then he suggests Gwen and Rhys take Retcon and forget they're own wedding day. forget they're wedding day! It was funny that he managed to drug all the attendees but to make such suggestion - doesn't compute. Did the UK writer's join the USA's strike or party too much at the bachelor/bachelorette party for Gwen/Rhys?
The magazine's I've read mention that because kids like Jack from Doctor Who that the plan this year is to chop this season's episodes down into kid-friendly episodes. - can this be the excuse for inconsistent writing.

This week the writers gave us this enlightening bit of conversation:
G: What will you do while I'm away?
J: ...pizza, Ianto
Isn't great to see Jack's paying more attention to Ianto? :-|
Does the writer of this remember an episode called "Cyberwoman" which started the association of Ianto with pizza? apparently not.
On another website's ep highlights [etharei.livejournal.com] there's a bit of discussion over this scene [and some humorous remarks on screenshots for the ep]. In one post by niquita_gia : "I mean jesus if someone pegged me in with pizza... I don't think even a really casual fuck buddy deserves a cheap pizza comparison. It annoyed me."
Annoyed me, too. I guess expected a bit of...seriousness(??Y?n?maybe?) since he is both Gwen AND Ianto's boss. Putting the words Jack and "serious" in the same line - should be wrong I know but I think that they [writers]should remember that Jack's about 200 years old, even if they never mention it. I don't know. The lines just struck me as wrong and I'm trying to figure out why.
And did we really need the last scene? I was not shocked that Jack has a wedding photo. I _was_ shocked that it wasn't his precious Estelle. Are we to find out later that the women is related to Gwen?

...it all comes back to (for me): He walked over to Gwen - the shark is either in the vacinity or has been jumped.

side note: did anyone catch that even though all the guest were passed out that someone managed to cough around the time Gwen and Rhys were leaving the table, saying goodbye?

4 eps left and next week:
Circus people. yeah. The Hubbies -out in the rain without umbrellas AGAIN. can't wait. and did I see Gwen in the teaser? Shouldn't she be on her honeymoon? really, I just can't wait.

Ok. I liked this ep - to a point. But I actually enjoyed the recap of it more. :-D

Another awesome job, Steve!

and if you worry about "Gwack", Wait until you will a next episode and "Adrift" will have a surpise for JANTO fans!

i am up to fragments and think the second season is just fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!! except for Gwack, just hate gwen and jack. Agree with some posters that jack is incapable of love after everything he has been through cannot wait for exit wounds next week, and they better not do what the rumours are suggesting, would kill RTD

But as I read it, the people behind the show know full well at this point how most of us feel about Gwack; they know and they’ve put this scene in just to mess with us. At the same time, it’s very clear to me the whole time that this isn’t actually Jack — there’s just no way he would ever say a line like “you’re not the only one who met somebody that knocked their word out of kilter” — and that Gwen knows it too and is just biding her time until she can take him out.

Unfortunately, I'm not too certain that TPTB have a real clue about what the audience thinks in regards to Jack/Gwen vs Jack/Ianto. I want to believe that they're aware of it but on the other hand you have people like Chibnall constantly nattering on about how "Jack and Gwen LOVE each other" blah blah blah. PLUS Eve Myles appears to have 'bought' the whole Jack luvs Gwen thing totally - just watch any of the DeClassifieds or BBC America's Inside Looks. I agree that the audience should be clued in that this is not Jack the moment he utters that completely inane UN-Jack line, BUT I totally disagree about Gwen knowing and just biding her time. Gwen buys that this is Jack hook-line-sinker and forty-year mortgage. Just go back and watch her reactions to the Nostrovite Jack during their little discussion.

The two men slowdance, and no one at the reception bats an eye. Between that and George Michael, I’m wondering if I should move to Cardiff.

I love seeing men dance together, and it’s very romantic. For about half a second. Then Jack has to start looking across the room at Gwen, and I start having to Lalalalala and shield my eyes, not so much because I’m worried about a future for Gwack, but because I truly fear for Ianto’s sensitive soul. I just have a bad feeling about Janto, and I don’t think it has to do with Gwen so much as how screwed up Jack is.

I totally loved that scene between Jack and Ianto even with Jack checking out where Gwen is. As has been pointed out by other Janto fans - Jack pretty literally handed Gwen over to Rhys joining their hands and telling her the hero always gets the girl (thus giving credence to the thought that on Jack's part the love was something less than romantic and more along the lines of familial or even parental). And then he states very clearly to her during their dance that Rhys is the perfect husband for her. He never implies that he (Jack) would be better.

As for Ianto and his sensitive soul and the potential for hurt. Firstly, he's no longer a child. He is an adult - one who has loved and lost in a most horrific manner. He's also been around Jack for nearly two years and is smart enough to have thoroughly observed Jack and to have done some little digging into Jack's past. I think... no, make that, I KNOW Ianto knows more about Jack than he ever lets on. He is the soul of discretion when needs be and I'm certain he'd take Jack's secrets to the grave if it comes to that. Mostly, Ianto KNOWS that Jack flirts with anything with a pulse and somethings that might not. Ianto is no doubt quite aware that Jack and Gwen have some little chemistry going between them, but I'm also sure as we've noticed he has notices as well that most of the chemistry is on Gwen's side. I have confidence that Ianto will survive this thing with Jack - whether it grows more strongly or they move a part at some point in the future. Will he be hurt? Probably, but I think he knows the potential and after living the through the tragedy of his love of Lisa, I think he knows can survive pretty much anything.

It's also been pointed out that their dance is pretty much the first 'public' acknowledgment of their relationship we've witnessed. Even if the other guests don't remember it after the RetCon, the rest of the Torchwood team have now seen Jack and Ianto together, dancing. (And if you think about it - in the DW universe 'dancing' has other meanings. ;-) )
"Precious and rare all Love is, gender matters not."

It was funny. It had action. It had Janto. That's all I need. Well, actually all I need is Janto...

I didn't mind the Gwack moments too much (the fact that Jack was coming on to Gwen made it obvious that he was an alien). I just wish Jack would have asked Ianto to dance instead of interrupting the bride and groom. At least Ianto claimed his man!