TW 2x12 and the canon it creates and conflicts with....

[donutsweeper]

I *liked* this episode.

But it gave me many head-scratching issues with canon.  Owen's age, for one and his years working in the field and whatnot are all wonky given he supposedly died at age 27.  But, not surprisingly, I'm going to look at the issues brought up with Jack (a lot of this I mentioned in torchwood_meta, which is an incredible comm and everyone should participate in the discussion there) but anyway:

We know Jack was killed on Ellis Island in 1892. According to Utopia "...shot through the heart, and then I woke up. Thought that was kind of strange." So we can assume that's his first death he's aware of. Therefore the first part of the flashback presented in this episode must occur after Ellis Island. It takes about three weeks to sail across the Atlantic in those days (judging from the ship manifests from 1892 which list departures and arrivals). But suddenly, he's in Cardiff, waiting by the rift for the Doctor? And had been living there (and dying there) for at least 6 months and it is still the 1890's  (we know that because Tarot Card Girl said he'd have to wait through the change of two centuries). When did he return to Wales? And why? Why would he have left in the first place? And do you really believe that Jack would be so careless to spill so many secrets around in bars that Torchwood could have overheard? The man's been a Time Agent and conman. He'd know how to keep things closer to the vest than that. And there is also the little matter of his instant believing of what Tarot Card Girl told him, wouldn't he have found the timing of her proclamation a little suspicious?

It also appears he's stayed working for TW3 the whole time since his "recruitment", but he wasn't in the WWI picture of the TW3 team that took Tommy. We've been told he fought (and died) in WWI and WWII- would the Torchwood Institute we've seen in this episode really have allowed him to leave to fight? Especially since they didn't seem to trust him- even the typed and early computer notes about him seem to imply he was barely trusted and continually spied upon.

He tells Ianto he's from the 51st century: just comes straight out and blithers on about 51st century hormones. There is also apparently a massive file (if not entire drawer of files) about him somewhere. Yet no one in "Day One" has a clue about his background.

And... apparently he's been using the name Captain Jack Harkness this whole time? That would have made the real Jack's WWII experiences a little complicated. And why would have the information about Jack's 1941 London blitz disappearance still be in the records for Gwen to find in "Everything Changes?"

We can also look at Jack's healing ability.  He comes back from the dead while still impaled by the bottle (however unlike his reanimation after being shot by Susie and Owen he does not reabsorb the blood from the bottle injury).  He does not heal instantly from Owen's punch, but does from the Weevil bite.  Inconsistencies within the same episode.  *sigh*

I'm not sure where I'm going with any of these comments, and I might add more to it later, but it's just some random canon issues I'm trying to wrap my mind around.

Comments

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

I bet we could get a bunch of sneaky fangirls to help with this one.

That's just wrong.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

And Jack's been shirtless three times between DW and TW, right?

Sigh- I'm not sure Logan Cale was ever shirtless. No wait- once late S1- What's with that?

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Yep. I bet JB would embrace a contract stipulation like that, too.

I think you're right about the one time in late S1. It's just so, so wrong.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

JB totally would.

(I am taking a stab at writing Jack/Logan right now) *shhh*

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. I want to read that...

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

it's set right before the last scene of the pilot, after the shooting, but before Max visits. Someone has to show the poor boy his life is NOT over, if you know what I mean, even though he's in a wheelchair.

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

If anyone can do that, it's Jack.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

my thinking exactly. now lets see if the muse agrees.

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Damned muses.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

annoying buggers that they are

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

They like messing with us.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

*grump* it's no fair!!

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Not one bit.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

i shouldn't complain though, at least mine hasn't abandoned me completely

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

This is true. Mine just likes to pop up entirely at random...with porn in tow.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I see nothing wrong with that

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Except for when you're trying to work on an essay for class...

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

If I can write crack in a staff meeting you can write porn inbetween working on your essays

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

LMAO! Well, I did write crack during a class, once.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I'm so proud of you!

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Hee. I was having difficulty not laughing while writing the thing, though. It was amusing.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

drawing attention to yourself when not paying attention (in staff meetings or class) is not a good thing

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Definitely not.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

it makes the next time you're going to misbehave that much harder

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

LOL...don't I know it.