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wintercompanion2012-03-06 10:34 am
wojelah.livejournal.com) wrote in wintercompanion2012-03-06 10:34 am
Entry tags:
Meta Month of March: Ep Discussion: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances
Captain Jack Harkness. 133 Squadron, Royal Air Force. American volunteer.
And so we meet Jack Harkness. Actually, the first time we meet Jack Harkness, he's complimenting someone's bottom. Multiple someones, come to think of it.
Truthfully, we haven't known Nine all that long at that point, either - we don't have nearly as clear an idea of what exactly happened to him. Mostly, we know there was a war, and they lost. We know he's brusque and funny and closed and damaged, and that he doesn't suffer fools gladly.
Enter Jack, the quintessential trickster. He's a conman. The quintessential Fool, in many respects. He's a pretty face and a great smile, a glib tongue and a lot of Spock. He knows his assets, and he doesn't mind using them. Underneath it all, there's something hard and dangerous - just because you can see teeth doesn't mean it's a grin. And it's hard to laugh when, at bottom, you hate what you've become. I was conning you - that's what I am, I'm a con man.
No lie, I think that's where I first fell for Jack. I wonder if the Doctor doesn't hear it, too. Because while Nine's not impressed - the banana groves at Villengard, anyone? - and he sure as hell doesn't trust Jack - he doesn't write him off, either. More, Jack still manages to slip in under Nine's guard and set him off balance. Consider the sonic screwdriver conversation. Consider further the look on Nine's face when Jack admits to two missing years of memories. And consider the genuine amusement at Jack Harkness, flexible, 51st century flirt.
I'm still not sure where or what, exactly, it is, that lets the Doctor say Do what you've got to do, and trust that Jack's going to do the right thing. I'm not sure either he or Jack are either. I'm not entirely sure I think the Doctor didn't forget about Jack, just briefly, until Rose reminded him. But I think that's part of what I love about these introductory episodes. It's not a meeting of the minds - they're very different, and they're both a little (a LOT) banged up around the edges. Still - there's some sort of recognition, and a dawning sense of respect, amidst the wariness. By the time we move to Boom Town, that dynamic's quite different, and I think that's why I adore post-The Doctor Dances fic as much as I do. There's a bridge to cross at the end of these eps, and I want to know how we get there.
What do you think? Am I giving either of them too much credit? Does Rose act as the bridge between the two? (Me, I am of two minds on this.) What do you think of these eps as Jack's debut? What do you make of the Doctor's reactions? Does Jack earn "companion" status later, after these eps, or do you think the Doctor's made up his mind when he first brings Jack on board?
And so we meet Jack Harkness. Actually, the first time we meet Jack Harkness, he's complimenting someone's bottom. Multiple someones, come to think of it.
Truthfully, we haven't known Nine all that long at that point, either - we don't have nearly as clear an idea of what exactly happened to him. Mostly, we know there was a war, and they lost. We know he's brusque and funny and closed and damaged, and that he doesn't suffer fools gladly.
Enter Jack, the quintessential trickster. He's a conman. The quintessential Fool, in many respects. He's a pretty face and a great smile, a glib tongue and a lot of Spock. He knows his assets, and he doesn't mind using them. Underneath it all, there's something hard and dangerous - just because you can see teeth doesn't mean it's a grin. And it's hard to laugh when, at bottom, you hate what you've become. I was conning you - that's what I am, I'm a con man.
No lie, I think that's where I first fell for Jack. I wonder if the Doctor doesn't hear it, too. Because while Nine's not impressed - the banana groves at Villengard, anyone? - and he sure as hell doesn't trust Jack - he doesn't write him off, either. More, Jack still manages to slip in under Nine's guard and set him off balance. Consider the sonic screwdriver conversation. Consider further the look on Nine's face when Jack admits to two missing years of memories. And consider the genuine amusement at Jack Harkness, flexible, 51st century flirt.
I'm still not sure where or what, exactly, it is, that lets the Doctor say Do what you've got to do, and trust that Jack's going to do the right thing. I'm not sure either he or Jack are either. I'm not entirely sure I think the Doctor didn't forget about Jack, just briefly, until Rose reminded him. But I think that's part of what I love about these introductory episodes. It's not a meeting of the minds - they're very different, and they're both a little (a LOT) banged up around the edges. Still - there's some sort of recognition, and a dawning sense of respect, amidst the wariness. By the time we move to Boom Town, that dynamic's quite different, and I think that's why I adore post-The Doctor Dances fic as much as I do. There's a bridge to cross at the end of these eps, and I want to know how we get there.
What do you think? Am I giving either of them too much credit? Does Rose act as the bridge between the two? (Me, I am of two minds on this.) What do you think of these eps as Jack's debut? What do you make of the Doctor's reactions? Does Jack earn "companion" status later, after these eps, or do you think the Doctor's made up his mind when he first brings Jack on board?