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I was explaining how cool http://community.livejournal.com/tw_itallchanges/?skip=40 is to a friend, which led to a discussion of what is particularly cool about Jack/Ianto as portrayed in Torchwood the show, and why I think the virtual season is doing a good job at catching it. Discussion and Disagreement is welcome, but please don't flame me.

In this it has the same playfulness and distance I see in the show, that maybe Ianto wants more, but Jack's got that thick shell and Ianto can't push too much least he push Jack away, if that makes sense. It's not that whole twue luv one and only feel at all. It's more subtle than that. I always liked Ianto's vague bafflement at his desire for Jack. I think Jack's knowledge of the ephemeral nature of human life causes him to wall off as much as he can to try to minimize his hurt at all the deaths. I don't think you can do true love while in that state, though one can love and desire, there is a limit to the emotional intimacy. Meanwhile, Ianto is trying to redefine himself in terms of his first man crush. I think Gareth does a good job at capturing that. I Really liked that about the show, that is so much more subtle and interesting than what 99 percent of other shows do with character relationships. I think that's why Jack/Ianto feels real to me in a way storybook TV romance doesn't. Real people are more complex and ambivalent than fits neatly into the romantic love paradigm. I think Ianto is a full participant in their sex life and I think he's more active in the trying to make this a real relationship part of the pairing. I think because he sort of plays man servant in their professional relationship, people miss Ianto's obvious delight in their sex life and the times he's clearly making the first move. I don't think it's all divided up with jack as the sexual aggressor and Ianto the passive partner. I think they are a real partnership and robbing Ianto of agency weakens him in a lot fan writing. What I like about the virtual season is it doesn't do that. Ianto keeps his agency.