So explain to me... (Part one)

[laligin]

In a desperate attempt to improve my Torchwood-writing, and because I have a fanfic100 claim on the entire Torchwood team, not just those members I like/understand/have a million plot ideas for, I'm asking you for help.

Explain to me, please, as politely as you can manage (I'm not here for a fight), exactly why Gwen is a good/useful/likeable character.

Because I don't quite get it. Up to... oh... about Small Worlds (episode 5) I quite liked her. Beyond that...

So, anyway. Gwen fans. I need you to tell me why she's a vital part of the team, and why I'd actually enjoy writing her if I got it right, so I can stop coming up with excuses for her absence in my fic. (Seriously. I don't really give her a starring role (or even a mildly vital role) at any point. I feel guilty.)

Help?

(Also, convince me Jack/Gwen can work.)

Comments

[mimarie.livejournal.com]

I've argued my case for liking Gwen elsewhere - too many times! (if you're interested, for instance - jade's link above) but could you convince *me* what's so good about Ianto? (Not that I'm picking on you as an advocate of 'Ianto can do no wrong', but as you're asking...;) I'd love to be able to see what so many see in him. I've read some good stories with him in, but *nothing* that's made me understand why he's so amazingly popular. (BTW, GDL looks very much like my obnoxious 19 year-old nephew, looks will not sway me!)

[(Anonymous)]

I like Ianto as I can understand his actions more than the others - i probably would have done something like what he did with Lisa if I lost everybody i worked with and then I found the person I loved half converted. I can understand the passion of it. It may actually the way GDL plays it I do like the characters he plays (apart from the guy in Mine All Mine he was mean!).

I like his snarkyness - he's funny.

I'm don't really ship jack/Ianto I certainly don't want to see them as an in love forever ship - but I can read the fics there I love tanarians stuff. I think Ianto neds someone outside of torchwood as I think Torchwood and The Battle have crushed him - he needs to heal outside of Torchwood with someone away from them all.


Gwen - I dont like her as I find her ver self involved, if she is meant to have all this compassion how can she be as insensitive as she is. She was always asking questions which to me felt poorly worded at best and cruel at worst. Its been said again and again about her question about who was the last person you snogged seemed as an excuse to rub in everyones faces she has a boyfriend.

She lied to Rhys when she was still with the Police like it was nothing, there seemed to be no reason for it and then to complain after joining Torchwood that she has no-one to talk to because she can't tell Rhys anything is a lie as I dont think she would have ever told him if she could.
I think she treated Owen unfairly in Combat - he was hurting and yes he unfarly lashed out but then it all became about her and how that made her feel.

But you know what I have a suspicion it might all be about the fact that we always she her as the main focus of the show and as I like the other characters more than her it irriatates me.

but everyone always saya its only fandom that have my reaction to her but I know alot of people who have no idea about the internet Journals and dislike her character as they find her iritating.

Sorry that turned into a huge essay which it wasnt meant to be!

[mimarie.livejournal.com]

I liked that Ianto was passionate about saving the woman he loved (I thought he looked scarily like Beaker when he was crying over her, but it's his face and there's nothing I can do about that). Yes, he has a certain dry wit, and yes, he could do with getting a life outside work. But that's a couple of factors, maybe ten minutes screen time? And I still don't *understand*...

As for Gwen... I think a lot of it is down to personal interpretation, and like you said about Ianto, indentification with a character. Maybe it's that I can identify with Gwen that I like her. And I don't mean that I like or approve of all her actions, but I don't see any of them as incomprehensible, given the circumstances.

I saw her as thoughtless with the snogging question, trying to find a way of getting them talking - and it sure as hell backfired on her, wouldn't you say! I don't have a problem with anyone disliking her for being a liar - so long as we can also acknowledge all the other lying that everyone else does.

I think Combat was about more than how Owen lashing out at Gwen made her feel. She's been utterly slammed for retconning Rhys, whereas if you look at it from another direction, both hers and Owen's actions were self-destructive: his to his life, hers to her self-respect and the relationship that grounded her. I didn't like what she did, but I could *understand* it. She was weak, she wanted something to hold on to, and to feel somehow - *any*how - that she was forgiven for hurting the man she loved but was growing apart from rapidly.

More than anything, I don't feel that Gwen's there to add sympathy, or compassion, she's a cleverly drawn character, with real motivations and reactions, she's *interesting* and considering how much time we spend (as TW fandom) discussing /defending/ excoriating her and her actions, I think the writers should be proud. She works. Personally, I think TW would be a lot duller without her than it would without Ianto. I'm just hoping that in S2 he gets more of a personality, and that we get to see more of Tosh. And *lots* of Gwen.

[(Anonymous)]

I think the point we both made about identufying with a character is what its about here I just cant stand her after about episodes 3-5 she just realy started to get on my tits!!

I'd love to see more Tosh and Ianto (as has already been mentioned in the fandom that if Ianto wasnt meant to last the series an tey changed their minds then that would explain why we saw so little of him but then Tosh seemed under used as well).