Captain Jack Harkness (real name unknown) is a fictional character from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood. Harkness, played by John Barrowman, first appeared in the 2005 Doctor Who episode "Empty Child" and became the ninth Doctor's companion. In 2006, Jack appeared as a character on Torchwood, becoming the third Doctor Who character to get his own spin-off. He continued to make occasional appearances on Doctor Who in 2007-2008, along with the Doctor's tenth incarnation, and in specials in 2009.
In the chronological order shown in the series, Jack is first introduced as a time traveler from the 11th century. Unlike the Doctor, Jack is a man of action, willing to make difficult decisions in practice. As a result of his death and resurrection in the Doctor Who season 1 finale, Jack becomes completely immortal. On Earth, he becomes a member of the fictional Torchwood 3 Institute, which deals with the prevention of alien threats, and becomes its leader a hundred years later.
Jack is the Doctor's first openly bisexual partner in the series' history. The character's popularity directly influenced the creation of Torchwood; he brought fame to actor John Barrowman and became a role model for young gay and bisexual men in the UK. Outside of the series, Jack Harkness has appeared in several Doctor Who and Torchwood books and comics and has been released as collectible figurines, while Barrowman has been nominated for several awards for his role.
During the broadcast of the first season of Torchwood, the official website of the series outlined some of the adventures of Captain Jack in the format of a game in an alternative reality, which is a collection of online literature, fictional diaries, newspapers, an excerpt of confidential letters and instant messages exchanged among employees Torchwood-3. Written by James Gross, the website's material "sheds some light on Jack's backstory during the years he worked for Torchwood". For the second season in 2008, a second interactive online game was developed by screenwriter Phil Ford. In addition, since 2006, the site contains information about Jack's previously unknown travels. The Torchwood website of the BBC Americas contains a "Captain's Blog" section which features Jack's commentary on the events of each episode. The Torchwood Archives by Jerry Russell includes the majority of all online material from the first two seasons, including the American Captain's Blog. During the fourth season of Doctor Who, the Captain Jack Monster Files section began functioning on the BBC website, where John Barrowman, in the form of his character, through a video broadcast weekly tells the facts collected by Torchwood-3 about the alien creatures of the Doctor Who series. A Christmas special featuring Barrowman as Jack, as well as an added Cybermen edition, was released alongside The Next Doctor on December 25, 2008. According to Dr. Fiona Hobden, the "mockumentary" genre in which the issues are filmed adds "an extra twist" to the interplay between story and fiction. Captain Jack tells "a story unfolding in the finest tradition of modern documentary filmmaking, documentary historical reconstructions." In the fifth season, Harkness was replaced by River Song (Alex Kingston).
Executive producer and head writer Russell T Davies borrowed Jack's last name from Marvel Comics character Agatha Harkness, which he had previously used for characters in Century Falls and The Grand. According to Davis, the reuse of names (such as Tyler, Smith, Harper, Harkness, and Jones) allows you to "get your hands on the character." Initially, Davis planned to name him Jax, but it was decided to drop it due to similarities with other names and names in the Doctor Who expanded universe. Jack later used the pseudonym Jax during World War II. As planned, the character's debut episode will present his moral values in two ways, raising the question of whether he belongs to the evil or good side.
Actor John Barrowman himself became one of the key figures in the concept of Captain Jack. Barrowman said that during his initial casting, Davis and co-executive producer Julie Gardner informed him that the character was mostly written specifically for him. At the meeting with Davis, Barrowman, entering the character, spoke with his native Scottish accent, as well as American and English, choosing the best option; Davis decided that an American accent would be most appropriate. Davies was looking for a "women's favorite" type actor and Barrowman was "the only one in the whole of Britain who could be one". Television critics compared Barrowman's portrayal of Captain Jack to Hollywood actor Tom Cruise.
Jack is described as "deadly charming...beautiful and completely mesmerizing", as well as "flirtatious, cunning, smart and kind of tough guy". In Doctor Who, Jack appears relatively light-hearted, but he changes in the first series of Torchwood, becoming a darker hero. Since the first episode of Torchwood, Jack's obsession with finding the Doctor and his role as the leader of the group have become key moments in the character of Jack. While in Torchwood, Jack intermittently delves into the afterlife, religion, and sympathizes with man's desire to die; the opportunity he lacks. In Season 2 and his next Doctor Who appearance, Jack is more nonchalant. In the third season, the "dark side" is revealed, as well as "the secrets that Jack has, cargo, tragic events and the injuries he carries on his shoulders."
There were several situations in Torchwood where Jack did not feel any compunctions about killing a human or an alien. This, coupled with his portrayal in Doctor Who, makes Jack look different from the standard protagonist. Barrowman comments: “He will do things the Doctor won't do, such as in combat. Jack will be killed and the Doctor knows this and allows Jack to do so. I would say Jack is a hero partner." In the third season of the series, Jack remembers sacrificing twelve orphaned children to aliens in order to save millions of lives. Davis sees Torchwood season 3 as "a tale of retribution and perhaps redemption" for Captain Jack, who experiences his greatest loss when his lover, Ianto, dies. Jack was so traumatized that he agreed to sacrifice his own grandson in order to destroy the aliens.
In a scene in "The Last Time Lord", screenwriter Russell T Davies hinted that a mysterious being named Bo's Face is Jack. This idea came to him in 2007 while working on the script for the season. Bo's face is a large disembodied face in a glass tank that appeared many billions of years ago, according to the theory proposed by Davis - as a result of Jack's immortality and slow aging. Beau's face has appeared three times in the series, the first time being in the episode "The End of the World" in 2005. Barrowman said that he and David Tennant "jumped up and down screaming" when they read the storyline linking Jack and the Face of Bo. "It was probably the most exciting moment we had while filming this series," Barrowman noted. Bo's face was originally supposed to appear only in the episode "The End of the World", as the character's creation proved to be costly. However, special effects designer Neil Gorton liked the idea and encouraged the series' creators to use the character further. Davis liked Gorton's work, and the character appeared twice more, and became a key character in the third series. In the novel The Stealer of Dreams, Jack Harkness refers to the Face of Bo as a famous image.
When Jack becomes mortal during "Miracle Day", critics again brought up the implications of this turnaround for Jack's potential future as the Face of Bo. Barrowman stating that the loose rules of the science fiction genre imply that Jack can still become the Face of Bo even after Miracle Day. In contrast, Davies emphasizes that the connection between Jack and Face Bo remained a hypothesis and that there was a possibility that Jack would not survive Miracle Day, adding, “You know how much I love killing people.
At the end of the fifth season of Doctor Who, River Song purchased a time vortex manipulator from a character named Dorium Maldovar, as he put it, "From the hand of a brave time agent." Subsequently, Maldovar was seen in association with the Headless Monks. From here, the fans had a hypothesis that this same agent could be Jack Harkness, who was caught and beheaded. So perhaps he became the Face of Bo."
(See the source for an extended version.)
This charismatic character, who first appeared in the cult sci-fi show Doctor Who, has gone on to become a recognizable figure in British pop culture, a role model for gay people, an occasion for parodies and satire. This publication will focus on the restless and magnetically charming Captain Jack.
From the screen to the masses
Considered the best companion of the Doctor, Captain Jack Harkness became the main character in the independent project "Alien Hunters" ("Torchwood" 2006). The hero, in whom he reincarnated for the first time, appeared before the public in the next series of Doctor Who under the heading "Empty Child" in 2005. From that moment on, the protagonist became the partner of the 9th Doctor. He is one of the three characters of the legendary series with a personal spin-off. Despite the personal project, Captain Jack Harkness did not leave the Doctor Who movie, continuing to appear in it periodically along with the tenth reincarnation of the protagonist.
Character Development
In the finale of the first season of the recreated Doctor Who project, Captain Jack Harkness becomes completely immortal. On our planet, he joins the ranks of agents of the Torchwood-3 Institute, which specializes in preventing an alien threat, and a century later becomes its leader. In addition to two series, the character appears in several literary works and comics based on two television shows with his participation. Also, at different times, a certain number of collectible figures of the hero were released.
By necessity
Captain Jack Harkness became the Doctor's first openly bisexual partner in the history of the project, it is not surprising that he became a role model for many bisexual and gay people in the UK and around the world. If in the classic version of the show the companions of the main actor were mostly beautiful women who attracted the strong half of humanity to the screen, then the authors of the revived project deliberately introduced Captain Jack Harkness into the film. They justified their decision by the need to equalize the number of men and women so that the modern public has the opportunity to see beautiful men. This measure was effective, many viewers began to watch the project precisely because of the hero John Barrowman.
British Tom Cruise
Actor John Barrowman is positioned as a pivotal figure in the concept of Captain Jack Harkness. The performer told the media that during the pre-casting period, co-writer Russell T. Davis and co-producer Julie Gardner emphasized that the character was largely written specifically for him. During the tests, the actor, having entered the character, uttered phrases in three variations: with a native Scottish accent, English and American. Choosing the best option, the filmmakers settled on the American one. The creators were looking for a performer who would fit the role of "darling of the ladies" and considered Barrowman a worthy candidate. Later, critics often compared the character of the captain in the incarnation of Barrowman with the outstanding American film actor Tom Cruise.
Charming handsome man
Attractive handsome John Scott Barrowman was born in Scotland in the largest city of Glasgow. But growing up in Illinois, his family moved there. Thanks to his creative teachers, the boy with young years became interested in music and theatrical art. After graduating from the University of San Diego, the young man returns to the UK. John begins his creative career with participation in Broadway and West End musicals: Miss Saigon, Matador, Sunset Boulevard and The Phantom of the Opera.
After an already well-known artist, they are invited to work on British television. The role of Captain Jack Harkness for the actor becomes a springboard to worldwide popularity. The performer, in parallel with filming in two series, takes an active part in entertainment programs and television projects. Barrowman does not hide his sexual preferences. In 2006, he entered into a civil marriage with an architect
Characteristics
Captain Jack Harkness is presented to the public in most sources as "deadly handsome", "charming and utterly bewitching", while his characteristics include the eloquent phrases "sly daredevil", "sane and roguish". In Doctor Who, the hero is presented as relatively nonchalant, but in the first season of Torchwood, he changes, becoming more gloomy and gloomy.
Although Jack wore a variety of clothes in The Doctor, in Torchwood he stands out with a personal style that has been hailed by critics as "a milestone in sci-fi fashion." Almost invariably, the hero is dressed in a black-and-gray coat of a military cut from the Second World War period, black, less often dark brown boots. His shirts are of the same classic cut in a color spectrum from light blue to green and dark blue, with traditional T-shirts underneath. Suspenders are an invariable part of the captain's wardrobe. Several times Jack sported a cloth vest, in the left pocket of which was a watch on a chain. Not surprisingly, all films with Captain Jack Harkness have been scrutinized in detail by mod fans.
In "Torchwood"
"Torchwood" is positioned by most film experts as an "adult" offshoot of "Doctor Who", which touches on to some extent more slippery topics and depicts the everyday work of a secret organization in Britain, faithfully protecting the kingdom, and even the entire planet, from the intrigues of aliens or traveling in villain time. Starting rather sedately, by the second season the series found the optimal proportions of irony and serious moments in the narrative and offered the audience a colorful gallery of characters, led by a charming alien from the distant future, Captain Jack Harkness. At the very moment when the series gained cosmic speed, the creators began to kill the main characters one by one, it was painful and unpleasant for the fans of the project to watch this. As a result, the project was closed, which is a pity, because during the time the TV show went on the air, not all exciting stories managed to convey to the viewer. But over the period of its existence, Torchwood managed to secure the status of a cult, photos of Captain Jack Harkness did not leave the media editorials for a long time, the character himself fell in love with a huge number of viewers. 12 years ago, this hero was considered revolutionary because he was not ashamed of his non-heteronormativity and was pansexual. By the way, the longest romantic relationship in the series connected the captain with Ianto Jones, a man who was part of his team. Unlike the family-friendly Doctor Who, Torchwood is not recommended for children.
The immortal Captain Jack Harkness stood on the roof of Cardiff's tallest building. The wind tossed his hair and stirred the skirts of his long coat. No, it was not a coat, but an officer's overcoat from the Second World War. The 21st century is in the yard, and he still wore this overcoat. He loved her very much, and every time she fell into disrepair, he ordered the same one for himself. He had grown into that overcoat just as much as he had grown into that borrowed name, Jack Harkness, which he had long considered his own. He wanted to throw himself down now and stop this endless dance of years and suffering. But this emergency exit from life was inaccessible to him. He knew that a few minutes after death, he would come back to life again, feeling all the pain of the injuries from which he died, and this return to life would be even more painful than death itself. It has been so many times. Thousands of times he died and came back to life, experiencing unbearable pain. But he would experience it again and again, he would experience it a million times, just to meet the Doctor again. Time had almost wiped the taste of that one goodbye kiss from his lips the day Jack had first died. Then they were all ready to die in order to destroy the armada of the Daleks. When Jack revived, the Daleks were finished and the Doctor left him. Then Jack went to the place where the Doctor was supposed to appear sooner or later, but his time vortex manipulator failed, and he was stuck in the 19th century. He remembered. For more than a hundred years, through thousands of deaths, through melancholy and darkness, loneliness and betrayal, through wars and crises of the 20th century, he went to meet the Doctor. The image of the Doctor was his guiding star on this long journey. He thought that on the day he met the Doctor, everything would fall into place, he would get answers to his questions and there would be a meaning, a meaning to his life. And then the Doctor appeared, but he was deadly indifferent to Jack, despite everything that Jack did to help him. And at the end of this year, which no one remembered, after they defeated the Master, the Doctor suddenly suggested that Jack go travel with him. And Jack refused. He refused not only because he was offended by the Doctor's indifference to him, but also because he was overcome with pride, and he wanted to return to his small group "Torchwood-3", for which he was what the Doctor was for him, mysterious, almost omnipotent immortal being. He returned to his team, although once they all betrayed him. He thought he was needed here in Cardiff. Oh, how wrong he was. They did just fine without him. And Gwen Cooper, whom he had almost fallen in love with, was now engaged to Rhys. He has loved many over the years. Or thought he loved? Even an immortal needs someone to keep them from feeling so alone, at least for a while. He loved Angelo Colossante, Lucia Moretti, the real Jack Harkness, with whom he had spent only a few hours on the eve of his training flight from which he was not destined to return. But he didn't love any of them the way he loved the Doctor. Jack never forgot about the Doctor. Once upon a time in another life, he loved John Hart, who suddenly appeared yesterday and reminded Jack of the man he was before he met the Doctor. But that evening, he first met Rose Tyler and thought he fell in love with her. How he regretted now that he had gone back to Cardiff instead of going with the Doctor. How he wanted to use his time vortex manipulator now to immediately seek out the Doctor and join him, no matter what the terms, just to be near him, just to see him every day. But he could not do it, because it was the kind Doctor who again disabled his manipulator bracelet. All he had to do was continue his life in Cardiff, leading his little group, the king in his small fiefdom called Torchwood III, and wait for the Doctor to reappear someday. And then he definitely will not miss his chance. The immortal Captain Jack Harkness stood on the roof. He used to stand here often.
Doctor Who and Captain Jack Harkness
As you know, Captain Jack Harkness, to whom the series is dedicated, first appeared as an episodic character in the revived "Doctor Who" and for some time the companion of the Ninth Doctor. Let's talk about the series dedicated to him.
Writers: Steven Moffat, Mark Gatiss
Cast: Christopher Eccleston, Billie Piper, John Barrowman, Eve Miles
03. The Unquiet Dead
The Doctor and Rose travel to Victorian-era Cardiff and meet Charles Dickens in person. Moreover, together with him they are forced to investigate the story of the corpses that rise from the coffins.
Jack Harkness isn't in this episode yet, but it's still not worth skipping. Firstly, she appears here in the role of the undertaker's maid, who will later play Gwen in Torchwood. And even the name of her heroine is similar: Gwinnet. However, according to the author of the series, there is no direct blood connection between these characters, but perhaps Gwen became a kind of echo of Gwinnet, thanks to the Rift that exists in Cardiff. I note, by the way, that, playing a maid, Eve Miles looks somehow more lively and charming than in the role of agent Torchwood.
9. The Empty Child
10. The Doctor Dances - The Doctor is dancing
In this case, the series form a single story arc, almost like it was with. Of course, then the stories continued for four episodes in a row, but the footage of each of them was about 20 minutes. As it were...
London, the height of World War II. An incomprehensible creature roams the streets: a child with a gas mask on his face, who is looking for his mother. And then there's the charming adventurer Jack Harkness trying to sell the Agents of Time, for whom he takes Rose and the Doctor, a spaceship. I can’t help but note, by the way, that already here, despite the fact that, unlike, it is considered a family series, there is also a hint of the character’s bi-sexuality.
From this series, he turned out to be the screenwriter, the second of the future co-authors of "Sherlock" - and also worked in his trademark, brilliant and sadistic style. It's essentially a horror movie, and an excellent one at that: no bloody details, but every appearance of these creatures with gas masks on their faces gives goosebumps. At the same time, some scenes with them look almost comical - but the eerie feeling does not go anywhere.
As for Captain Jack, here he appears more frivolous and seems to be less powerful. At the same time, according to him, he was already an agent of time, but he meets the Doctor here for the first time.
In the same episodes, direct references to: Rose mentions Mr. Spock several times. It's funny that this is the first time this reference appears in the series, but before that, references to "Star trek" appeared in novels and comics.
11 Boomtown- Urban boom
The mayor of Cardiff decided to build a nuclear power plant - right on the fault, which could lead to the death of the city, and even the entire planet. As the doctor found out, under the guise of the mayor, his old acquaintance is hiding - a representative of the Slitheen family, who have already tried to destroy the Earth ...
Quite a fascinating series, besides, showing the psychology of the opponent - Slithin's experiences in the toilet look very touching, even though the doll plays this episode. There are also humorous moments: what is it worth trying to escape from the doctor and his screwdriver or having dinner at a restaurant.
Pay attention to the nuclear energy adviser at the beginning of the episode: he is played: he also played the role of Gwen Cooper's father and appeared in the classic, thus playing in three series of the franchise. It was the first such case.
It's funny to note in passing that the extras in this series did not play on the same platform with the main cast: they were filmed separately and the frames were joined during processing.
By the way, references to popular culture also appear here: Margaret's intention to use the extrapolator as a space surfboard is, of course, a reference to the Silver Surfer from the comics about.
The two remaining episodes in the season form a kind of arc dedicated to the next attack of the Daleks and, in fact, the rebirth of the doctor. To be honest, this story made less impression on me, but perhaps I will return to the conversation about this season.
Compared with other incarnations of the Doctor, Christopher Eccleston played quite curiously: at first glance, he looks rude, but then you become sympathetic to him - this doctor has a captivating love of life and curiosity, he does not even try to hide his adventurism - and is surprised at the wonders of the universe no less than Rose.
Captain Jack Harkness is a companion of the ninth and tenth Doctors. A con man from the 51st century deceived time agents whom he hated for personal reasons. Met the Doctor in "Empty Child" where he tried to sell him a medical ship. After he took a bomb to his ship, which was supposed to fall on this ship, but was saved by the Doctor and traveled in the TARDIS for some time.
In the last episode of the first season after the reboot, the Captain was killed by the Daleks. Later, Rose, looking into the heart of the TARDIS and absorbing the time vortex, resurrected him. But, not controlling her powers, she gave him immortality.
The Doctor, not knowing that he was alive, flew with Rosa into the 21st century. The captain remained in the year 200100. With the help of his devices, in particular the manipulator of the time vortex, Jack tried to return to the 21st century, but without calculating, he got into the 19th, after which the manipulator broke.
Jack settled in Cardiff knowing that the Doctor would fly there to recharge. And so it was. But Jack didn't. He had to grab onto the TARDIS. The TARDIS tried to shake him off by flying to the end of the universe to do so. But Jack held on. As a result, they met the Master, who stole the TARDIS from them. With the help of Jack's Time Vortex Manipulator, they returned to the 21st century, where it was revealed that Jack was working for Torchwood.
After defeating the Master, the next place they met was on a Dalek ship at the end of the fourth season. All of the Doctor's companions gathered on it after the reboot. There, everyone was saved by Donna, in which the spirit of the Doctor came. Jack, after the victory, the Doctor took to the ground.