On paper, he's the quintessential (male) Mary Sue -- charming, handsome, multi-talented, and with a hint of darkness. But damned if John Barrowman doesn't pull it off beautifully. Bonus points to the writers for playing Jack's bisexuality with such nonchalance, even treating it as another aspect of what makes him so much fun. We don't see that nearly often enough on television.

New viewers? The whole season is one huge treat, and Jack is the cherry on top -- which is exactly where he'd want to be.

Torchwood, Jack's spin-off, is set to air in September. Here's the BBC press release. I'm particularly thrilled by the description: "a dark, clever, wild, sexy, British crime/sci-fi paranoid thriller cop show with a sense of humour - the X Files meets This Life." Can't wait!

OMG! I LOVED Jack Harkness. And I loved CE as the Doctor. I squeed with happy lust whenever those two were on screen together. If I had been Rose I would have just imploded!

You're absolutely right on both counts. I'm glad I wasn't really spoiled about Captain Jack playing such a large part in the show - he wasn't announced as part of the initial publicity here, appeared in two episodes but only then did we hear he was sticking around. It was an interesting way to get to know the character.

I loves me some Captain Jack. I even had to amend my "No Frenching in the Tardis" rule for him.

Captain Jack can french anyone he damn well pleases.

That was one of the things I love the most about Captain Jack. He's just so easygoing about it. And it makes for some great lines, too.
Jack: Don't I get a kiss?
Rose: Aw, come here!
Jack: I meant from him!

And as for the spoiler that wisteria posted, I'd already heard about that (it was in a headline on the CBC website, which still annoys my inner spoiler-phobe), but I hadn't heard that description, and damn does it sound good.

I loved an interview I saw with writer Steven Moffatt where he answered a question about Jack's bisexuality with "Oh, no. That's a misunderstanding. He's NOT bisexual. (beat) He's OMNIsexual. He'll have anything."

Ha. That is brilliant. Do you mind if I make an icon out of it?

On the subject of Jack kissing people...

How about the Jack/Doctor kiss in "The Parting of the Ways"? I think I may have 'squee'd more at that than at the Doctor/Rose kiss later on... No, maybe not, but it was pretty damn hot!

I might get booted out if my only posts on this thread are recurring squees and variations! But marahsarie you are SO right.

squeeeee!!!!

Maybe Jack is there for all us die-hard shippers. He is a Marty-Stu(Mary Sue male) but he is there to represent ALL of us shippers in one gorgeous omni-sexual being. A Meta Marty-Stu!

Happy thought eh?

The best had to be when he was being worked on by the bitch droids, and pulls a gun from where ever, it's the fact that he is so blase about the fact that he is stark naked and under attack. You just end up laughing

My favorite Jack moment from that episode was the exchange:

Doctor: You mind flirting outside?
Jack: I was just saying hello!
Doctor: For you, that's flirting.

and:

Jack: Nice to meet you, Davish Pravell.
Doctor: There's a time and a place.

Actually, that's not true. My favorite Jack moment is when he cops a feel on one of the Droids. Only Jack puts the moves on killer robots. While on live television.

Too bad almost everything about Jack is a spoiler...

Favorite bits with Captain Jack Hotness:

[in Cardiff]
"...and so there were fifteen of us on the ship, all naked..."

Jack: So I'm naked, on live television?
Fashionbot: Correct.
Jack: Ladies, your ratings are about to go up.

And of course the bit where he pulls a gun from what I'm guessing was his between his butt cheeks.

Wonder if Rose had been aware of his Omnisexuality, she would still have been attracted to him in Empty Child/Doctor Dances?

I feel like, considering her reaction when the Doctor explains about Jack and his "flexibility", Rose probably wouldn't have been attracted to him as much. But I could be wrong!

I love:

Jack: So you're not Time Agents?
Rose: Just a couple more freelancers.
Jack: I should have guessed, the way you two are blending in with the local colour. Flag Girl was bad enough, but U-Boat Captain?!

Dreamy as hell! I love how he's gorgeous and sexy but he's not smug or superior. He's charming precisely because he's the kind of guy who can make anyone feel special. He's genuinely interested in other people and that's how he flirts. I'm definitely checking out Torchwood.

Whenever I've seen John Barrowman interviewed, that's how he comes across too. He always seems to reduce the interviewer to girlish giggles (and not always just the women either!). The man could have chemistry with an ironing board.



Heh. It would be impossible to disagree!

I heart cap'n jack. Only another cap'n I hold more dear.

I do hope the torchwood spinoff doesn't take away from any future appearances he may make on Who, or the quality thereof.

I think my favourite thing about the whole flexibility deal was the fact that the Dr and, after a minute or two of her going "Oh...oh....ok" mentally, Rose were completely at home with it, case in point in Boomtown


Rose hugs Mickey
Jack: How come I never get any of that?
Dr: Buy me a drink first
Jack: Such hard work
Dr: But worth it *smirk*


The exchange that spawned a thousand plot bunnies.

I liked Cap'n Jack originally, but then The Barrowman worked his "showbiz charm" and I found myself irritated by the fact that he's more than a little camp. As is The Barrowman. Dancing on Ice, anyone?

It's not enough to put me off Torchwood, though, because at least Harriet Jones will be in that, right? ETA: Or not, as I just read in the Harriet Jones thread. Bugger.

Me too, andi pandi. Then again, I'm ridiculously excited for Torchwood, not that i'll be watching it on TV anytime soon. Damn you, Australian FTA channels!

Another favourite Captain Jack moment in Boom Town is the 'whatever' sign he flashes Mickey. Rowr. The way he does is just indescribably sexy. And sweet Lord does he look good when he runs.

And to stop me from sounding like a squealing schoolgirl, I think it was John Barrowman's performance of Jack in the two-parter that made him such a likable and sympathetic character from the very start. His wit, his charm and the chemistry between the actors was great, and I loved the revelation of his missing two years. I certainly hope we find out what happened to him!

Okay, back to squeeing. Who else wants to be in the same room with Jack and a Defabricator? *grin*

I hated him at first, being an avid 'shipper. I was liable to start yelling 'STOP BLOWING HOLES IN MY SHIP' ('cause he's Captain Jack? And that was Captian Jack's line in Pirates? And it's a 'ship? ...No?) every time he came on screen. After the end of The Doctor Dances, though, he'd won me over, and I was very upset when I thought he was going to die, and very happy that he became a companion. (I'm trying to be careful, because I'm not sure how spoilery things are). The way he flirts with anything with a pulse makes me laugh.
Bring on Torchwood!

Pulse optional Eruvadhril. I think he'd hit on a traffic light if it blinked at him!

I'm just going to squee.




That is brilliant line - may I use?

For once I am happy to be superspoiled - just to know Torchwood is in the pipeline. Unless it is like Joss Whedon and the bloody Watcher Series Spinoff series that never was. Grrr.

Just thought I'd post this interview with John Barrowman that I found a link to from Outpost Gallifrey. It does have spoilers through the end of series one, but it's a great interview. He talks about Doctor Who and Torchwood a little, some other work he's done and geeks out about DW and barbies of all things. I love the man so much, he's hillarious. Best part for me was his mention of meeting David Tennant and the implication he'll be back for series 3. Much as I'm looking forward to Torchwood, I want to see him on DW as well. (I'm greedy.)

Thanks for posting that interview; it was quite enjoyable. John Barrowman is always delightful.

That was my favourite part of the interview also.

I'm also insanely jealous that he has "a couple of Daleks" even if they are smaller versions.

From the article:


Oh my. My mind just wandered to all sorts of places! Thanks for the link, Tirtzah, it was definitely an enjoyable read. And yeah, I'm very jealous that he has Dalek replicas too.

Torchwood the THING is a spoiler. Torchwood the SHOW is not. Captain Jack and John Barrowman are not spoilers, and it's been so well-covered by the media that I'm making a call here -- the bisexuality is not a spoiler, and the fact that he's returning for at least a few episodes in forthcoming seasons is not a spoiler.

Things that are spoilers: The kissin', anything he does in any episode not yet shown on SciFi, the secret of Torchwood, Harriet's connection to it, or anything like that. Actual plot. Casting and coming shows are not spoilers, ever.

I realize that this whole spoilering thing is a hazy maze of crazy, but I think keeping it simple and as black-barless as possible is best for everybody. Don't drive yourself crazy with it.

redwriter, Good point- he probably would!
EllycatinOz, of course you may.
Tirtzah, Thanks for the interveiw link! I also love the implication he'll be back for series 3.

I suppose the truest test of that will be if the Doctor or another character wanders by Jack's room and hears a lust-befuddled Dalek voice shrieking "Inseminate! Inseminate! Inseminate!"

Scary mental image. But oh so funny!

Thanks for that. I nearly choked on a mouthful of tea and spat it all over my keyboard.

According to Sci-Fi's website (rather than the BBC's, oddly) John Barrowman starts filming Torchwood in May and it will be hitting screens in the UK and Ireland in October. So there's your Captain Jack fix all sorted...

Good morning everyone-my 1st post! have been a long lurker on TWoP (Wingnut+and House maniac) and Doctor Who finally got me to say hello!

Ok Captain Jack who I could do bad bad things to. Skimmed through the board and it seemed unsure if John was back for series 3 of DW. Im pleased to report that after seeing him on stage 3 times in 3 months (offically i think that makes me a stalker), I finally got to meet him in January when he was playing Prince Charming (what else) in Wimbledon and he confirmed he is coming back for series 3 after Torchwood to me.

He signed stuff for everyone waiting and even posed for a photo with me and my fellow Captain Lush obsessive (who slept with the pen used to sign our programmes under his pillow til his boyfriend caught him)

Ah the thoughts of that night are causing this girls stoic brit legs to wobble ;)

If anyone is interested, there's a link to a pre-Who Barrowman interview on this page.

It's from an American radio programme about the theatre, so it mostly deals with his stage exploits. Even if that isn't something that interests you, the interview is a good way to get your Barrowman fix.

Which reminds me to tell people about his semi-official website http://www.johnbarrowman.com/ . I say semi-official since it's a fansite but it's one which he co-operates with a lot - he gives them personal photographs and sometimes arranges competitions through them. He also tends to give them news just before official press releases come out.

Although I haven't looked through the whole thing, it's possible there are passing references to events later in the season for real spoilerphobes.

It seems really weird to me, I have to say, that he's going to be presenting This Morning for four days next month (10th-13th).

To me, John Barrowman will always be the JFK, Jr.-type character he played in the sadly short-lived trashy primetime soap, "Central Park West."

Well, it can't be said that John doesn't like to keep himself busy. Perhaps he missed the days of presenting Electric Circus on Live & Kicking!

I find it very interesting that Captain Jack just barely registers on my radar. It's not that there was anything bad about him and I think he's actually rather interesting but on my first pass through the series (okay and my second) my main reaction to him was essentially "Every moment you're on screen, the less time there is for The Doctor". I think I'll have to go and watch the series again and see if I appreciate Captain Jack more the third time.

That was my initial reaction too during "The Empty Child", however when Captain Jack's "flexibility" is revealed at the end of "The Doctor Dances", it puts a whole new spin on Captain Jack.

One of my favorite moments is at the beginning of "Boomtown" with the banter between Nine and Jack. It also didn't hurt that Jack, Rose and the Doctor gel enough to complete each other sentences.

That's pretty much my main reaction to everyone except for Rose because I just adore the Doctor. That said, I really didn't care for Jack in "The Empty Child" and thought he was a pretty boy waste of space, but that end scene with him waiting to die had me sold. His calm "going down fighting" attitude against the Daleks in "The Parting of the Ways," which I hear is the first time anyone on-screen is killed by a Dalek without screaming, made me love him. Um, it also helps that he's pretty much really hot...

I hadn't realized that was John Barrowman! I saw him in "Company" at the Kennedy Center in 2002. Splendid.

Which means, Captain Jack can sing. I've seen through "The Doctor Dances" -- I'm going to hope that at some point, the Captain sings!

I completely expected to hate Jack. I knew there was this handsome, flirty companion who joined up near the end of the series, and I was bracing myself to hate this man who dared get in the way of the OTP.

Then he actually showed up, and all was forgiven. He had me at "Who looks at a screwdriver and thinks, 'Ooh, this could be a little more sonic?'" Ha! And then he got me more with "Well, I have a banana, and in a pinch you could put up some shelves."

And, to my relief, he actually did NOT get in the way of the OTP. I think that Jack got the message pretty loud and clear when he watched the Doctor and Rose dancing around the console. At one point it cut to him with this look on his face like "Okay, Doc. I get the message: hands off Rose."

And yes, the Nine/Jack banter at the beginning of "Boomtown" is terrific.

I think the thing I love most about Jack is that he's a hugger. We've seen him want a hug from the Doctor twice, and the hugs we've seen him give are the full body, wrap himself around you type of hugs. I love that.

the banter with Nine/Jack? And the Doctor's grin at the end? Awesome.

Damn that Rose is one lucky bitch.

Oh, yes, the hugging. I'm a big fan of the hugging too! It's so endearing!

I love the way he freaks out in Bad Wolf--he's usually so cool but suddenly he gets so shouty and angry, its great.

OMG he can sing - and he has sung most of my favourite songs. OMG - explodes!!!!!!

Rose is an extremely lucky bitch! The hugging was great! I wasn't sure what to make of him at first but was happy to keep looking at him to figure it out. I did worry for a while he would take Rose away totally from the Doctor - I mean out of the show - I'd kept myself spoiler free so I was worried!

I liked him up to then, I found him fun and cute and hot. At that point, I fell in love. Seeing how much he cared about both of them really got to me. Not as much as I'm in love with the Doctor, but I do love him. Which is why I can so see Rose doing them both. Or maybe I'm just kind of slutty that way. *g*

The answer is a threesome!

I really hope he sings at some point in Torchwood. I don't care how contrived they would have to make it, I would just want a musical episode.

Hee! Well, John Barrowman does have a lovely singing voice. I was listening to the De-Lovely soundtrack the other day, and I just adore his duet on "Night and Day". However, if on Torchwood they manage to summon a musical demon, I might have to draw the line on its contrivity (is that even a word?!). On the other hand, I'm sure Jack would be pretty comfortable being Sweet's queen. *grin* Plus, maybe we could also get a tap dance-y number complete with top hat, white and tails. That'd be awesome.

Aw damn. Now I want Torchwood:The Musical! to really happen.

While I don't think they'll ever summon a musical demon, maybe a musical alien will crashland on Earth.

They could have an epi where he sings in Kareoke.