S02.E06: Reset

[indeed]

Jack calls in an old friend for a favour, none other than Martha Jones, as they attempt to stop a pharmaceutical facility that uses aliens in the hope of discovering a cure for all diseases.

Jack: Come on Martha, be honest. You just came all this way to see me.

Martha: Still struggling to conquer your shyness, huh, Jack?

[Dizzy76]

Again, not sure how to simply delete a post so just ignore this.

Edited June 30, 2014 by Dizzy76

[itsmeyousee]

I like this ep, i just wish there was more of a build up for Martha coming and what happened to Jack and her during TYTNW would have much more impact.

 

I really enjoy Ianto and Martha scenes, i think GDL and FA have a lovely chemistry. And this ep has one of my fav TW moments when Tosh tells Ianto how they can use the dead guy to still get into The Pharm, i love how happy Tosh is with herself and Ianto thinks she is nuts LOL

 

Plus Alan Dale being evil, is quite a my goodness for someone who grew up with him being Jim Robinson on Neighbours, the nicest dad on the street.

 

And the end is still shocking, even though you know what's going to happen, i still feel the shock through them.

 

Only two bad points one Gwen not knowing who Unit is, makes it very hard to believe that she has even worked at TW for a while let alone was in charge. Surely they could have told the audience about Unit in a better way than that. Maybe with Jack and Martha chat about how she feels being in a Military environment or something.

 

Gwen's jealous moment trying to find out if Martha and Jack were lovers is like she is 5 years old or something, surely that could have been done better as well. I mean what is weird is that they are all jealous in some way of Jack and Martha's relationship except Ianto. The one person who could be isn't, he just seems happy having her there.

[Dizzy76]

I never understood why they wasted such a great opportunity to have Martha and Jack talk about TYTNW.  One of the things I really wanted the show to get into was how that year affected Jack and this episode would have been a great way to touch on that.  Maybe have Jack talk about putting on a good front for his team and doing his best to hold it together but that he has nightmares sometimes or...something.  And it would have been nice too if maybe they had brought up that Jack and Martha keep in touch just to make sure that they are doing ok?  I don't know, just something to acknowledge that TYTNW was a very traumatic experience for them.

 

I understood why Owen was jealous and sadly, Gwen's conversation with Martha was not surprising at all but I was a bit confused why they had Tosh responding to Martha the way she was.  I would understand if the feeling came as a response to seeing Owen try and flirt with Martha but Tosh had a look on her face as soon as Jack was introducing everyone.  It was also before it comes up that she's there from Unit so that can't be it either.  It's a weird moment for sure.

 

I know that the web content came after an episode aired so I'm a bit curious if this was the intention all along or if it was something added to the web content to explain Ianto's reaction to Martha (or lack of reaction when talking about jealousy) but I like that they added an email from Jack letting Ianto know of Martha's arrival.  He also tells Ianto that there's no need to be jealous because she's just a good friend.  Regardless of whether the chicken came before or after the egg, I use that email to explain why Ianto is happy to have her there.

 

Gwen not knowing who/what Unit is just seems beyond stupid and lazy.  I agree Itsmeyousee, that the writers could have handled that better.  My head canon however is that Gwen's question hints at the fact that the others only made her think that she was running everything but really took care of some of the major things needed to be done in order to keep things running smoothly.  Gwen just got to call certain shots when they were out in the field. 

[Swansong]

 

Plus Alan Dale being evil, is quite a my goodness for someone who grew up with him being Jim Robinson on Neighbours, the nicest dad on the street.

I'm the same. I've seem in him in a bunch of stuff, mostly playing baddies, and I still think of him as Jim from Neighbours. lol.

 

 

Gwen not knowing who/what Unit is just seems beyond stupid and lazy

I agree it was stupid and lazy. I don't think they handled showing her in charge all that well in KKBB either so I guess it was par for the course. But it's not as if they had to make her be the one in charge so you'd figure since they were so determined to make it so they wouldn't still insist on making her seem like such a novice. 

It still doesn't make me cringe half as much as the entire Cardiff Police Force being rendered in capable of dealing with a crisis just so Gwen can take charge there too. lol.

 

[itsmeyousee]

I know AD as been in other stuff Swansong but yeah he will always be Jim Robinson, then the best Director on NCIS, so always lovely , certainly not doing what he did here LOL

 

The thing that got me about the Unit stuff is wouldn't Gwen have known about them just working at TW, forget about her being in charge LOL . I mean how many other secret alien organisations are there ? LOL

 

I don't remember reading any web content about this ep Dizzy. Do you have a link for it ?

 

Ianto obviously already knows that Martha is coming from the way he announces her arrival. But his whole attitude is very different from the others. The other 3 are quite narky really as soon as the meet Martha, yet Ianto is happy with his little hand raise. And it does seem to be about Jack, Gwen jealous of Martha as a woman who might have slept with Jack, obviously men don't count for Gwen. Owen is jealous one cause she is a another Doctor but also her relationship with Jack and Tosh is the same she makes quite a face when Martha enters. But Ianto is very happy that Jack's friend is there , the dynamics are just so different.

 

I have always thought that the Meat was the perfect ep to bring back up TYTNW. We have a creature held captive that doesn't die no matter how much it is hacked away at. And Jack seems very determined to save it and we have Ianto and Owen in particular noticing that this is unusual reaction for Jack. Plus there is an ep in between that and Martha arriving so it won't spoil her coming or whatever. But it would really give a lot more weight for TW viewers, but instead we are expected to have watched DW.

[Dizzy76]

I also agree about Meat, Itsmeyousee.  There were a few episodes that would have worked to bring up that time or Jack's issues because of it.  Oh, well.

 

Here is the the web content for this episode.  The email to Ianto is right near the top after Martha's email to Jack.

[indeed]

But Ianto is very happy that Jack's friend is there, the dynamics are just so different.

Ah, yes, an example of how Ianto acts like Jack is an actual person and cares about things/people that are important to him. Also, a possible example of how Jack and Ianto actually talk about things. But Gwen and Jack have the relationship that counts...uh, sure, show.

I know they didn't want to bog down the show with too much DW, but if you're going to bring a character on from another show where the lead has very recent history, maybe acknowledge that thread instead of just some vague references? Annoying.

And, boy, yeah, Gwen, which one is UNIT again? is right up there with

mistaking GPS for alien tech

. Yowza.

And IIRC, Ianto gave Martha "Samantha Jones" as her fake ID...somebody is a Sex and the City fan (I think the Captain's Blog mentioned that).

[Dizzy76]

 

And IIRC, Ianto gave Martha "Samantha Jones" as her fake ID...somebody is a Sex and the City fan (I think the Captain's Blog mentioned that).

 

They do!  I loved that little bit both on the show and in the CB.  I never saw the show myself but I know enough about it to find that funny.  I like that it's another little thing about Ianto that we get

[itsmeyousee]

Ah, yes, an example of how Ianto acts like Jack is an actual person and cares about things/people that are important to him. Also, a possible example of how Jack and Ianto actually talk about things. But Gwen and Jack have the relationship that counts...uh, sure, show.

I know they didn't want to bog down the show with too much DW, but if you're going to bring a character on from another show where the lead has very recent history, maybe acknowledge that thread instead of just some vague references? Annoying.

 

I think that's the worse thing about Martha's visit, Indeed you have to know about the DW eps or it makes no sense. I mean we could go with Jack is being mysterious or whatever. But not for their convo in his office, her family, who Martha is missing, who got her the job, all of it means you need to know DW. But Unit needed the dumb explanation LOL

 

I agree with take your on Ianto. he seems happy because it's Jack's friend. Maybe because Jack has a friend outside of them, i don't know. But the others are jealous and unhappy about having a stranger there and her knowing Jack and them not knowing that seems to make it worse. The difference in the reactions are glaring.

 

 

Thanks for that Dizzy and we definitely needed some sort of reference to what Jack went through before we meet Martha in the TW world. I choose Meat because of the existing storyline but i don't know it would have worked in Sleeper or TTLM. I think it would have taken away from those stories and Adam was setting up more info from KKBB and John Harts last remark, so i don't think it would had fit there either.

[Dizzy76]

As much as I liked the introduction of John Hart, I hated that they introduced him that first episode.  I think that episode could have been just as interesting if they had focused on Jack coming back and not only having to recover from being chained and killed over and over again, but also trying to fit back in with the team.  He's looking to get back to "normal" and to a place where he's needed cause he feels he needs it help himself heal.  But the team is different now because they've spent time without him working together and connecting and doing fine without him.  And that bit would be especially hard on Jack because when he leaves the Doctor and Martha, he tells them that one of the reasons he's not traveling with the Doctor is because his team needs him.  I thought it would have been nice to see Jack floundering because although the team definitely could use him, they don't need him in the way he thinks they do.  Plus, with the anger some of them feel and the way things were right before he left, Jack needed to come home after TYTNW but finding that his home has changed...I don't know if I am explaining what's in my head properly but I think that an episode like that would have been a nice vehicle to show that Jack will be struggling a bit.  It would of course, be wrapped around some case that wouldn't really be the focus but used to help showcase everything else.  That would take a bit of finesse to write though so...

 

THEN the next episode could have introduced John Hart.  You know, right as the team are sort of relearning how to be a group of 5 instead of 4 and Jack is feeling like he'll be able to deal, a blast from his past comes to disrupt things.

 

I also think that TTLM could have been a nice episode to have Jack mention something that eludes to his state of mind.  I think the scene where he and Ianto talk about whether Jack would go back to his own time could have worked if you change the dialogue a bit.  Maybe it would have been as simple as Jack adding that after some of the horrors he's been through, being in this time and this place is right where he wants to be.  Does that make sense?

 

And this might be more of a stretch but Adam could have worked as well.  Maybe along side Adam telling Jack that he could lose that memory of his father and brother, he would also regain the memory of TYTNW.  Or maybe it wouldn't be just that year but just, some of the more horrible moments in his life and TYTNW being one of those moments/time periods. 

 

I wouldn't have wanted them to do everything I've said but I think any of these (including Meat) could have worked before they brought in Martha.  And then Martha and Jack could have talked so that you get more of the story about what exactly Jack is having troubles dealing with.

[itsmeyousee]

Dizzy i'll pop over to the Jack topic to continue this discussion