Also, and sorry for this, but look-s, voice- and, worst of all, teeth-wise, Jack is starting to look scarily like Tom Cruise to me (with perhaps a bit of Mark Harmon thrown in). Colo(u)r me disturbed.

Oh, this was absolutely a problem for me the first two eps that Capt. Jack appeared on Who. Especially because he was in uniform, so it reminded me of... oh, what's it called. The "You can't handle the truth!" movie. A Few Good Men? Anyway, yeah, I feel your pain. It went away for me, though.

Cruise looks scrawny in my head when standing next to Barrowman. Maybe it's the great coat. Barrowman takes me to a nice, beefed-up Cary Grant kinda place.

Barrowman takes me to a nice, beefed-up Cary Grant kinda place.

Oh gods yes! A lot smoother. His easy sexuality with men and women just melt me.

I think I might have to rant about this episode, but I dunno if I will or not. For some reason, the first round, I didn't identify with Toshiko at all. Not a whit. But this round, I'm overidentifying, and it's driving me batty.

I think I have something to say regarding casual racism and sexuality, but I think it may be too close to my chest for me to be able to articulate.

He was - I think that the whole being brought back from the dead has changed something essential in Jack.

he came back wrong?

I was annoyed with how easily Toshiko was manipulated into talking about her work and especially the bit about Jack keeping things from her.

t waiting for Liese's rant

Rant away, Liese! We're here for ya!

Go for it, Liese!

I confess I find Toshiko one of the least developed of the characters - she's pretty much a walking stereotype, most of the time, and her crush on Owen makes my head explode.

(But I did fancy the pants off Mary, and was thus vicariously glad Tosh got the hot alien girlfriend, albeit fleetingly. Just a pity she wasn't a nice, normal hot dyke with a jewellery fetish.)

Meanwhile, you're coming up on one of my favourite episodes. Although YMMV.

You mean the next one? " Everybody Keeps Killing Suzie " (I think.)

Well, that's kinda why I'm dithering about the rant. Waffling. Because sometimes I feel like all I post about shows are criticisms of gender and race issues. I know it's television. I know that brilliant statements about society and life and philosophy aren't going to come pouring out of the shiny box. I'm not sure I would expect them to.

And I guess I'm glad there are now more minority depictions to get angry about. And I don't want to MinoritySue everybody where every depiction of a minority character must be one that is a shining example of humanity, whom everyone adores and/or wants to sleep with, unless I'm on about sexual politics, in which case everyone adores, but politely, from a respectful distance, and who is expert in their field and a mentor to small children with terminal illnesses, but with lovely, almond shaped eyes and glowing olive skin.

I just wish sometimes I didn't have to rant quite so much, you know?