And Jo is smart. She understands the science she works with, and I'm sure she manipulated and modifies what she has to work with to her own liking. Which... what science isn't built on the back of others ideas?

I mean, I was surprised to be reminded/told in Phoenix Rising that she was still basically a novice in the sheriffing field and had yet to strike out on her own, but I took that more as lacking opportunity and experience than in insecurity and lack of self-confidence. I can understand some blue-collar shame and not realizing just how smart she is but-in-a-different-way. But she doesn't seem the type to lack the survivalist pride in what one CAN do. I took her more for the "screw you, I'm smart enough to know that I'm damned good at what I do, and I enjoy what I do, and if you can't respect that, then you don't deserve what I have to offer in a relationship."

Jo, where are you?

I took her more for the "screw you, I'm smart enough to know that I'm damned good at what I do, and I enjoy what I do, and if you can't respect that, then you don't deserve what I have to offer in a relationship."

Holds this Jo tight. A lot.

And, okay, maybe just my issue, but EVERYONE IN TOWN. It's a town full of nerds - WHERE THE EVERLOVING FUCK ARE THE JEWS?

...and the pagans, and the atheists...

I checked BBCA On Demand and episode one of Torchwood is up and it's 52 minutes long - so UK cut?

Torchwood's premiere did well:

BBC America said the premiere of Torchwood on Saturday night delivered the biggest audience of any drama premiere in the 58-million-subscriber network’s history.

The grownup science-fiction series, a spinoff of Russell T. Davies’s recent edition of Doctor Who, attracted 297,000 viewers at 9 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. PT in the target demographic of persons ages 25 to 54, network officials said.

That’s slightly ahead of how action drama Robin Hood performed when it premiered last year, at about the same rating (0.42). Viewer numbers were higher for Torchwood than Robin Hood because BBCA is in more homes now

EVERYONE IN TOWN. It's a town full of nerds - WHERE THE EVERLOVING FUCK ARE THE JEWS?

I don't think that building seats 3000. I'm not sure why I think that's Eureka's population, but is doesn't seat many more than the school play did, if that.

Eh. I don't know if the writers didn't think about it, didn't care, or think there's a perfectly good explanation. But I'd be startled if they were putting the whole town in that building.

Can I change CFerg's user name to "Hot Lunch"? It's a little too perfect.

And, okay, maybe just my issue, but EVERYONE IN TOWN. It's a town full of nerds - WHERE THE EVERLOVING FUCK ARE THE JEWS?

...and the pagans, and the atheists...

The sign did say the "First Church of Eureka". Mayhaps it's a special all purpose building and we just didn't see the other one stop parts of the "gathering?" Stranger things than that happen in Eureka.

I took her more for the "screw you, I'm smart enough to know that I'm damned good at what I do, and I enjoy what I do, and if you can't respect that, then you don't deserve what I have to offer in a relationship."

But indignation can only fight lonliness for so long. The thing about Jo that I can forgive is that she is young. It was very realistic for her to be lonely and isolated enough in that town (my god, who wouldn't be?), that she makes a judgment error and thinks maybe she needs to adjust if she is going to be with anyone there. (Wrong thinking, so don't yell...but realistic) I don't see her having a social network of women friends. In fact, I get the impression that she doesn't have much of a social network other than "everyone in town loves Jo" at all. That situation never ends well. Carter and Zoe are the only other civilians in town who can even relate to not being River-like in abilities.

It is also realistic for her to weaken, at this point, in the relationship and for the lonliness to be vulnerable to all the attention he is showing her. I can see her convincing herself maybe he's not really an ass, when yes, he is really an ass. That doesn't mean that after having a little human contact, she can't kick him to the curb, not being in a vulnerable state, and therefore redeeming herself by learning from the mistake.

Smarter, stronger, more self-confident women have made that mistake. The assasination of the character doesn't happen unless the writers drop this and there isn't a payoff with Jo having an epiphany, taking charge of the situation, and not for one minute regretting telling him to get lost. With a payoff, she becomes an example to young women everywhere of learning from her relationships and moving on with herself intact.

Rationalization is my friend. We do lunch.

Yeah, not so much with the Torchwood love myself either. I'm afraid I just couldn't get around Owen being just a reprehensible pig and the show having no underlying sense of humour. Just a wee smidge of not-taking-ourselves-TOO-seriously would have gone down a treat. (I was surprised, as it's one of the things I love best about Dr Who is the ability to put forth a serious subject in a not-humourless manner.)

Humorless? That wasn't Torchwood and you weren't watching at a Legion of Rassilon meeting.

I watched most of the first season of Torchwood, but I really thought it was unutterably bad. Just... bad. Bad writing, especially. Having people swear and have sex doesn't make it a 'grown-up' show. No matter how much sex it is they have.

you make some good points, Austin, but I can't shake the feeling that, while quirk, angst, ambiguously nefarious plotting work within the show, what they did with Jo isn't fitting for me. Maybe it's realistic, but it doesn't feel right, and I'm not much having with the faith that the writer's will have Jo see the light.

Another thing that bugged was the writer's trotting out the old stereotype that science and faith don't mix and perpetuating the misconception.