Catching up

[tardis_stowaway]

Hi, y'all!  I'm back in the states after my trip to the British isles.  I had a great time!  I'll let you know when I've got my photos online.  California looks unbelievably brown by comparison, and is also on fire.  (Darn illegal marijuana farmers can't keep an eye on their camp stoves.)  Also, I go away for two months and when I come back people are bringing guns to protest healthcare reform.  WTF?!? 

On another distressing note, I finally saw Torchwood Children of Earth.  I managed to see the first three episodes while over there, but just didn't have access to a television for the last two.  I've been waiting to find out what happened, and now that I have I'm about to get back on a plane to Wales so I can have strong words with RTD.  That was so unspeakably dark!  I mean, it's a sign that the writers have you really caring about the characters when they have you weeping, but I'm emotionally wrung out.  I fell asleep with a knot in my stomach and dreamed tragic, apocalyptic dreams inspired by Torchwood.  I suspect that immediately after this aired, Joss Whedon, king of character death and suffering, phoned up RTD (in my head they are pals) and told him to ease up a bit on his characters and fans.  JE and now this...the whoniverse is really grim lately.

I'd managed to avoid all major spoilers except a strong hint that there would be character death.  I was predicting Rees, since he seemed the most expendable.  I was completely unprepared for Ianto to die.  Neither the audience nor the characters have had time to be fully over Tosh and Owen (and let's not even speak of JE), and they killed our snarky emo teaboy!  Then they had Jack kill his own grandson to save the world.  I'm largely heartbroken on Jack's behalf, but also furious at both him and the writers.  I refuse to believe there was no other way to do that.  At the least, the writers could have let Stephen overhear what was happening and choose to die for the world, becoming a hero rather than a sacrifice.  It would still have been devastating to Jack and Alice, but would have been less impossible to forgive.   

The hub is no more (was Myfanwy in there?  please tell me they didn't blow up the pterodactyl! and what about the people frozen in the vaults, like Gray?), Jack has left the planet, Gwen is encumbered by offspring, and the rest of the team is dead.  Does this mean there won't be any more Torchwood?  I haven't been following the news, so I don't know what's happening. :(

There were a lot of positives too.  First, I thought the episodes were very well written.  As I think about it I think of little things that didn't quite make sense, but while watching I was completely wrapped up in the show.  The plot was nonstop and the emotions, as I've mentioned, packed a punch.  Second, there was lots of naked Jack!   *is shallow*  Third, Ianto joined Mickey Smith in the club for people awesome enough to save the day with construction equipment.  Next, there were lots of interesting new characters.  Lois Habiba kicks butt (plus I could spend all day repeating her name), Alice was intriguing, and all the government people were thoroughly believable in their rather awful responses to an impossible situation. 

I desperately need fic to cope. Rec me something, please.   I'll take anything, whether wallowing in the grief or fixing it.  I particularly want to read various proposals for where the hell the Doctor was, and I also want meetings between him and Jack afterwards. Self-pimping is totally okay, o talented f'list!  Interesting reviews and critiques are also appreciated. 
Meanwhile, I've missed a lot of goings-on around the net.  I invite you to comment with the following:

-something from your life over the summer (tell me here or link to relevant lj entry...whatever)
-a fic from over the summer that I should read (CoE or other)
-something else from around the web that I should see.  This can be anything from your favorite hilarious macro to an explanation of the latest fandom drama to something in the news...whatever.  (No serious Doctor Who spoilers, please!)

Comments

[wendymr.livejournal.com]

Welcome back!

Post-CoE: yes, there's some excellent stuff. Here goes:

Okay, here goes. At the very, very top of the list is dameruth's Even the Damned - utter brilliance. Ten/Jack hurt/comfort, with a perfect explanation for the Doctor's absence.

One I read just this morning on Teaspoon, by LJG: Fixed Point - another explanation for the Doctor's absence, and also excellent.

Damaged Goods by dark_aegis. Single-part, Ten and Jack, hurt/comfort.

Heroes and Monsters - by yamx. Ten/Jack. Warning for some gruesome descriptions in the first chapter or two.

Oblivion by sensiblecat; single-part, Ten and Jack, rated PG, I think.

Foot-Soldiers by dark_aegis - what happened to everyone we didn't see on screen in CoE? Lovely piece.

The Time Traveller's Daughter by speedgeek - breathtaking story of Alice and Jack post-CoE. Twisty, poignant, heartbreaking and healing.

Where They Have To Take You In by dameruth. Gwen and Rhys receive a late-night visitor six months after the end of ep 5.

And finally, a fix-it that I actually liked (most of them that I looked at made no rational sense to me and I didn't care for them): And Tomorrow by such_heights

[My own, in case you're interested:

The Seventh Circle of Hell; single-part, Ten and Jack hurt-comfort.

Protective Custody; single-part, Ten and Jack, begins seconds after the end of episode 5, PG13 for language.

And I'm working on a multi-chapter OT3 post-CoE fic ;)]

Hope this helps to assuage post-CoE trauma! :)

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the extensive rec list! I've begun working my way through, and these are exactly what I needed. You're fantastic, doubly so because of the prospect of that upcoming OT3. :)

[wendymr.livejournal.com]

I really hope you enjoy them! As for the upcoming OT3, it now has a title (The Cold Heaven), and I'm working on chapter 5. :)

[sensiblecat.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you had such a good time in the UK. I really related to your feelings about Oxford. Cambridge has rather less of that exclusivity, I feel, though it's equally beautiful.

I did Cardiff last summer with another DW friend, known online as aibhinn. We had lunch at the little glass cafe where Micky hangs out with the OT3 in "Bad Wolf."

You sound like a nice, interesting person - may I friend you?

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

Of course you may friend me! I love interesting new lj friends, and I've very much enjoyed what I've read of your fic.

I'm disappointed that I didn't get a chance to see Cambridge. Ah well...it's always good to have an excuse to go back. :)

What fun to do Cardiff with another fan! That sounds like oodles of fun.

[kaydeefalls.livejournal.com]

Fic! It looks like you've been set up with some pretty spiffy post-CoE recs already, so on a different note, the TARDIS Big Bang fics went live while you were away! Lots of excellent, LONG fics, and not a single reference to CoE in sight. (I've been self-medicating for CoE with lots of happy fics written before it aired, so.)

Welcome back!

[tardis-stowaway.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's exciting! I look forward to reading a lot of those (starting with yours:) ) shortly, when I have time and a brain ready to think of something Whoniverse-related other than "OMG CoE!"