Just so we don’t ruin it for someone who might still have the episodes on DVR and not watched them yet, we’ll warn you that if you haven’t seen all of the third series of “Torchwood” and don’t want to know what happens, please turn back now.
While most fans have praised the current third season of “Torchwood” for its dark plotline and compelling alien invasion story, many fans were upset by one of the twists that came late in the mini-series event, “The Children of Earth.”
SPOILERS ahead….
The controversy stems from the death of popular character Ianto Jones. Ianto was killed in the final moments of episode four as he and Jack finally stood up to the 456 and both paid the ultimate price. Jack’s being stuck in time brought him back, but Ianto is dead and gone.
And that decision hasn’t pleased a lot of fans.
In typical fan fashion, they took to message boards and on-line forums, discussing the death. But now some fans are taking it to an extreme and beginning to make death threats against the writers of “Torchwood.”
The UK’s WalesOnLine reports that a blogger for the Deviant Art web site threatened to track down the writer who axed Ianto and, “murder them in a horrific way. In an incredible horrific and painful way. They will never be able to walk again or move any part of their body. They will be a vegetable.”
Another fan threatened to use “ties and coffee machines,” referring to the ties the character wore and that he made coffee as part of his duties on the show.
The actor who played Ianto, Gareth David-Lloyd, said he is disappointed and appalled by this violent reaction to the death of his character. He also asked fans to not “get abusive” of the writing team.
“There have been one or two that have been saying some unpleasant things about the storyline,” he said: “People leaving unpleasant messages on the message boards. I don’t support that at all.
“As an actor I trust the writers and producers and was lucky to be in the show for as long as I was.”
However, when Lloyd was informed about some of the comments made, he said, “That is ridiculous. It’s a TV show at the end of the day,”
“It’s a TV drama we’re very proud of and we’re happy that people feel strongly about it, but that is completely unacceptable. I would hope the writers would be able to ignore comments like that.”
A source close to the show said: “It looks like it is some sort of obsessed fan. I know people have felt strongly about it but that’s pretty extreme.”
No word yet on if writer Russell T. Davies has gone into hiding yet or not.
*sigh* it was a surprising choice
I guess all we can say is: “No time for love, Ianto Jones”
wtf? I love Doctor Who, warts and all. I was irked with the ending of season four, with Donna’s “death” … but I would never even consider a death threat against a writer. What the hell is wrong with these people?
Honestly, if someone is that worked about about the death of a fictional character, well, they need to be locked away for their own protection, and ours.
What the hell is wrong with these people indeed. I really liked Ianto too as well as Tosh and Owen. Network executives have done a lot worse since the invention of Television and I’ve never actually wanted to kill any of them. Mame some of them to be sure but not death, thats too good for them. Anyway I think fans over blowing this, its just a TV show, no matter how good said TV show is.
Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.
Just like the “Save Wash” bunch.
Gee…I wonder if Shakespeare got death threats after Romeo & Juliet?
Dang!
LOL!!!
That report by WalesOnLine has already been discredited on other sites. It quotes out of context posts that were in no way intended seriously. Unfortunately many other sites like this one are “reporting” this “story” second or third hand, so it just keeps spreading.
This is ridiculous. I liked that character–his death was sad, and it made me fearful for other characters, and it added to the drama of the story.
Since almost everyone has the internet, there are always going to be a few nuts out there, but giving them media attention like this is just going to make more people want to do stupid things like death threats.
Anyone that makes terrorists threats deserves to be arrested, tried, convicted, and thrown in jail. It is the writers’ show their story they get to tell it however they want. If you don’t like it don’t watch.
WASH DIED!?!
Mike from Des Moines. Sorry to say bud, yes, Wash died. But the good news is he came back as Alpha in Dollhouse!! They just uploaded a new program into him.
Oh dear. While I am rather upset that they killed off my favorite character (in what I feel was kind of a senseless way), making threats against the writers for their creative choices is going way too far. If people are that upset about it, well, that’s what AU fanfiction is for. They can retcon (pun definitely intended) to their hearts’ content.
::sigh:: See? This is why the mundanes think all sci-fi fans are weird and scary. The nutjobs continue to give us a bad name.
I was more upset by Owen’s death. But even then I didn’t feel the need to threaten the writers.