Strongman and Torchwood

[redfiona99]

Containing Terry Hollands (GB), Jesse Marunde (USA), for whom my love is a matter of record, Dave Osterlund (US), Gu Yan Li (China) and Raivis Vidzis (Lat).

They had an interview bit with Terry Hollands, and he was talking about how he remembered watching Geoff Capes as a kid and how it was a Christmas tradition in his family, which it used to be in the UK.

Lots of to-ing and fro-ing, and it being down to the last couple of events. Somehow Jesse Marunde ended up out, and Vidzis and Holland are through. And much though I love Marunde, seeing how much it meant to Vidzis, it warmed the cockles of my heart.




With Darren Sadler (wee Yorkshire man), Mark Felix (Grenada), Phil Pfister (US), Janne Virtonnen (Fin) and Elbrus Nigmatullin (Rus), who resembled a genie only slightly less than Dale Norris, who is a genie I swear.

It's been Janne's back that's been keeping him banged up, and then he managed to tear/pull his hamstring/calf during the farmer's walk. He carried on though, because he's an idiot, a brave idiot maybe, but an idiot none the less. Don't do this to yourself, Janne. Also I refuse to believe that it's been seven years since he won World's Strongest Man, because I remember that.

It was an incredible tight heat, with around 4 points separating all 5 of them. Phil Pfister and Mark Felix went through, everything was decided in the last round, and Mark Felix only beat Virtonnen by half a second if not less. That, because Janne was trying so damn hard on one leg, hurt more than Jesse Marunde losing by only one point in heat 2.





When Torchwood is on, it's one of the best things out there, and I'm using this as evidence. Damn that was good. Because they got little details right, like teabags. I think it's just because my Nan is the age she is, a lot of things here rang true. I'm totally in love with the scene with John and Jack in the pub and all the talk of the Matthews final. Which the 1952 FA Cup final is still called and that's what made that perfect, they set it just at the cusp of the change between the post-war period and the modern day.

And I love how Jack reacted because he dressed even more old fashionedly than usual, which I thought was a nice touch, and tried to bond with John, to show him that all this is survivable, and totally hit all of my buttons, because he's lost, confused and scared and he's carrying on. I do wonder if the rest of Torchwood know that, but then I think he'd never let them know, because that goes so totally against his character, which might well be why he and Ianto get on/don't get on in quite the way they do. Mr. repressing everything, meet someone who's even worse.

I <3 Emma because she was so young, sweet and innocent and naive, without being annoying. And Gwen was so nice with her. The birds and the bees talk was so much fun, so awkward, so right. Poor Rhys, he does suffer, doesn't he.

I've kept to talking about Owen last because I have two important points:
1) Dear Torchwood powers that be - I think Burn Gorman is the best actor you've got. I appreciate him getting more screen time, I really do. Owen is a fantastic and fascinating character but I would like to see less of him naked and having sex. Really, far, far, far less.

2) I think I was supposed to like Diane. She was supposed to be the kind of character that I cheer for - independent-minded woman, her own master, the kind of woman who quirks her eyebrows when another girl says she really needs to get married. And I should like her. But I don't. It's not even how she left Owen, even if I think the way she did it was cowardly and had more to do with having a fear of commitment that rivals mine in size than it did with an urge to fly. I think it was her sense of entitlement. She was so upper class, or upper middle at least, I'm right everyone else is wrong, that my blood boiled. It's not a pretty sight.


That last thing may have been my only problem with the whole thing, so I say well done, Torchwood crew, it's nice to see you finally hitting your stride.



Or "Fight Club with Aliens" as it really should be called. Bits of this were good - Jack with the weevils (I particularly liked that one was called Janet, possibly because that's my Mum's name), and Owen in the nightclub. And Gwen, oh Gwen, now you fit into this group of fuck-ups. I love how she not only told Rhys, but retconned him first, oh she fits brilliantly well into Torchwood, especially since she is doing what Suzie did and Suzie was so right when she said that.

I wonder whether the reason the weevils are changing is because of the thing that is coming or because anyone bitten turns into them, because that could work. And it would be interesting - the Torchwood team trying to save Owen from becoming a Weevil.

Not as good as Out of Time, but still not bad.


Anyone who spoils me for the Torchwood finale will be bludgeoned to death. This is a friendly warning, really.

Comments

[nwhyte]

I thought Out Of time was really good. Have only watched the first half of this week's so far (Captain Jack Harkness), but enjoyed it as well.

[redfiona99.livejournal.com]

Out of Time is probably the best Torchwood episode I've seen, and is a pretty good piece of television all round. It's good to hear that the finale is good too.