Interview: Eskimo Kiss Project

Today, the lovely ladies of Eskimo Kiss Project have graciously agreed to be interviewed for my blog. Thanks for joining us, EKP!

(Who's EKP, you ask? Just about the best You Tube channel out there. Since starting to post clips from Alles Was Zahlt back in November of 08, they've managed to upload over three hundred videos, all edited, subtitled, and hilariously described by Lilith, Aldi and Shelly. I stumbled on their videos a few months back, and have thoroughly enjoyed their work -- and truly enjoyed getting to know them better through this interview.)

1. Which came first – the friendship, or the show? Did you three know each other before you discovered AWZ, or did you connect because you loved the show? And how did you first become aware of the Roman/Deniz storyline on AWZ?

The two kind of nurtured and fed off each other. Like some really scary obsessy time-chomping plant, only, uhm, nicer. We discovered the storyline via similar endeavours on YouTube, like the Christian/Oliver pairing on Verbotene Liebe. In fact, it was a persistent VL friend who first foisted “this other gay German soap couple” on us. Other channels had been generous enough to post the Deniz/Roman storyline, but we discovered that the show’s infamous theme song was right and we “can’t ever get enough” – we wanted more of the storylines and characters surrounding Deniz and Roman. This couple doesn't exist in a vacuum, and we found the community and its reactions to them equally intriguing and endearing. And so we delved headfirst into our active obsession with EKP and haven’t stopped since. (We suspect that if we ever do, we’ll need a patch!) But to get back to your original question, yes, we first connected through our love for the show but quickly became really close friends. We’re lucky enough to be pretty much all on the same wavelength of crazy, which is really a necessity when you spend so much time in each other’s (virtual) hair.

2. Where did you get the name "eskimokissproject"? Are there any other shorthand names/titles/phrases that people might like to know before delving into the world of Roman/Deniz fandom?

The name comes from a brief but legendary moment in the landmark episode 299, where the boys share an affectionate noserub while giggling on the ice. It’s small moments like this that endeared this show to us so much – as ever, the devil’s in the details, and details like that (natural, spontaneous, and lovely) made the characters really come alive. As for other phrases and names, oh, they are legion, from [Angry Turkish], which we insert when Deniz's dad rants, to "Asshole=I love you" referring to Roman's tendency to tell Deniz what an infuriating yet irresistible tool he is. And we’re still quite fond of our original tagline, “My parents had to flee to Asia!” That was on the screenshot of our first ever video and has since become both a synonym for “hare-brained yet hilarious plot we must cover” and an acceptable response in all sorts of social situations. You’d be amazed how many scenarios it fits.

3. If I remember correctly, you don't live in close proximity. Where do you hail from, and how does that work when putting together the clips for YouTube?

The EKP Brain was born of the frozen tundra. Split into three parts by an evil Steinkampian plot, the Brainthirds were cast adrift, settling in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. In terms of doing the clips, it’s really no problem, since none of us actually pay any attention to such silliness as normal hours, night/day distinctions, the time/space continuum, etc. Technology is a beautiful thing. So is mind-melding.

4. Describe your work on a typical episode. How do you put it together?

AWZ airs at 7:05pm in Germany, which is 1:05pm for Lil and Shelly and crazy pre-dawn silly time for Aldi. So work begins with buckets of coffee and an AIM chatroom, where we watch the episode on the RTL site, flailing/grumbling/yawning as appropriate and figuring out how much of the episode we want to cover. Aldi (the only one of us who actually knows German) works up clipping cues, Lil edits the episode, then Aldi translates/subtitles the edited clip, and Shelly puts it all together and forcefeeds it to YouTube (which may or may not cooperate). Somewhere among all that, we scramble to piece together a description (early drafts often run along the lines of “OMG WHAT” and “SQUEEEEEEE” and “WTF Show!”).

5. How do you manage to get the clips posted so quickly? I'm very impressed.

Thank you! It's all due to magic and coffee, with a healthy dose of obsession. Fortunately we all work out of our homes so we can be, uhm, creative with our time.

6. Recently, a hotly-anticipated episode was clicked on so much in the first few minutes after you posted, it managed to break the internets for a little while. Were you surprised at its popularity?

Very! First we thought it was a technical glitch, then we found out we were being overrun and descended into fits of incredulous hilarity. For the record, that particular episode was well worth the fuss. ;) [Note from Kate: I totally agree!]

7. Did you ever expect your work to get such a rabid following on YouTube?

We really didn't. This started just for us – a fun project among friends that we figured others might enjoy, too. We’ve been doing this for less than a year and were surprised to get 1000 subscribers so quickly. Now that we're pushing 2000, we're beside ourselves! Soon we’ll need to put out ads for -slaves- staff or something.

8. What's the best part of working on eskimokissproject? What's toughest?

Best? Sharing the awesome flailing moments, both with each other and then again once we post. Worst? Either waiting by our empty mailboxes for the paycheques from RTL that never come or inexplicable cravings for fries at odd hours of the night.

9. Did you have a hard time keeping the faith during the dark years?

Shared pain is better. We found hidden gems like Killer Virus (episodes 439-443), which turned out to be puzzlingly fabulous despite the cracky premise. And really, the darkness is part of what we love. Besides, there were always past days of glorious storylines to revisit, and now there’s even current awesomesauce going on. Having waited and suffered and moaned through the “dark years” and stubbornly clung to hope where there was none, we feel we’ve got a better appreciation for the good stuff. Or hey, perhaps we’ve just gone mental and made it all up!

10. One of my favorite parts of your eskimokissproject channel is the descriptions you write for each episode. I've found myself cutting-and-pasting paragraphs to friends who don't even follow DeRo, just because they're so hilariously well-written. What other writing do you do? Where can readers find it?

We're all fanfic writers, and dabble in original projects, too, although by necessity that gets backburnered when EKP is really busy. When we first got into this show, we produced a bunch of English-language DeRo fanfic, which can be found at http://delicious.com/awzfanfic but, erm… mind the ratings. None of these are exactly fluffy or innocent. ;)

11. Is there anything I didn't ask that you wish I had? Anything you'd like to add to this interview?

There’s an endless amount of joy in sharing this lovely, insane and occasionally infuriating creation with our equally lovely and insane viewers, but the fact is that there would be nothing to share if it wasn’t for a team of brilliant creative brains halfway across the world who work on making this show every day. So a big thanks to the creators, writers, directors and actors of AWZ, who we curse and slag off daily and with gusto but whom we also adore. Keep up the awesome! (And give us a zombie plot!)

Kate's Current TV Crush -- European Soap Operas

Hi, my name is Kate, and I'm a YouTube addict.

(Hi, Kate!)

A couple weeks ago, I found myself watching a just-uploaded video of that day's episode of Alles Was Zaehlt. In the original German. Because I couldn't wait the extra hour for the English-subtitled version to show up.

Why? Because Roman and Deniz's relationship was supposed to start heating up again. And I had to see what happened.

One of the things about YouTube that is both a joy and a curse is the sidebar with related videos. It's so easy to get sucked into a vortex of more and more videos, until you look up and it's two in the morning and where in the world did all that time go?

So yeah, I'm hooked on European soap operas, or more specifically, m/m storylines on European soaps. I can't even remember how I first discovered this subgenre – probably by clicking on a related video after watching a Jack/Ianto clip – but the first one I glommed on to was the John-Paul/Craig storyline on Hollyoaks, a UK soap. (Bonus: very few subtitles needed!) From there, I progressed to Christian and Oliver on Verbotene Liebe, a German soap, and then Roman and Deniz on AWZ.

(There are others – in France, Spain, even Israel – but I do have to draw the line somewhere.)

Why do I like m/m storylines on European soap operas?

* The drama. In many cases, one of the partners has never been "out" or had another same-sex partner before. The struggle to accept who he is, to admit his attraction to another man, and to come clean to friends and family is inherently conflict-laden and emotional. I'm a big fan of angst, and all of these stories are chock-full of it.
* The acting. I've been very impressed with the quality of the acting by the actors on these soaps. They transcend the often-overwrought stories to bring a level of honesty to the characters that makes me really care about them.
* The production values. On the soaps I've watched on YouTube, they take a lot more risks with the camera angles, the handheld techniques, even the intro and exit of each scene.
* The music! I've discovered a ton of great music (in English and German), from Does It Offend You, Yeah?, to Revolverheld, to Razorlight, to Placebo. I don't know if it's the lower cost for rights in a smaller market or what, but the addition of some fabulous tunes does make a difference.
* The sexiness. Okay, call me shallow, but watching hot guys walk around in towels is fun.
* Less prudishness. This ties in with the previous point, but it's significant. When there is an m/m relationship on a European soap, they're in a relationship. There's kissing and touching and lounging in bed together, just like any other couple. By contrast, after Noah and Luke kissed for the first (and second) time on As The World Turns over the course of a week or so, they didn't kiss again for almost a year – long enough for people to post countdown clocks on websites and start a write-in campaign. Not very realistic for two guys who were supposed to be in a long-term, loving relationship during that time period.
* The YouTube channels dedicated to the soaps. The community of watchers really is a community, chatting about the characters and the storylines and the clips. It's great fun. My personal favorite is Eskimo Kiss Project, the premiere Roman/Deniz channel. The three women who record, translate, subtitle and post the clips are talented, dedicated, and damn funny. Sometimes their descriptions are even better than the episodes! (And being able to watch without commercials and unrelated storylines is a bonus, too.)

Tune in tomorrow for an interview with the creative minds behind Eskimo Kiss Project!

So there you have it – my confession. I'm hooked on European soaps, but I'm not looking for a cure just yet. How about you? What's your YouTube obsession?

(Oh, and that AWZ episode? EVEN BETTER IN ENGLISH.)

Book BIN Tuesday -- You Tell ME! (M/M Edition)

Regular readers of my blog will recognize Book BIN Tuesday, a semi-regular post that highlights a new release or classic romance that I'm excited to read (or have read and loved). Today, though, I'm doing things a little differently.

I'm in the market for some new m/m romances and authors. I'm a huge fan of Maia Strong, who has a new book coming out September 9 (and that cover is just fabulous, isn't it?). I also just read and loved Hot Weather by Matthew Haldeman-Time. But I'm interested in your recommendations. Who do you read for m/m romance? Is there a specific title you really liked? What should I read next?

Remember, in honor of Theme Week, all comments will be entered in a drawing for a prize at the end of the week. So give me your recommendations!

A New Blog Thing: Theme Week!

Well, now that the freebie offer has come to an end, I wanted to try something new and different here on Kate Davies Blogs! So here it is, the inaugural edition of THEME WEEK.

What's that, you say? Theme Week?

Just for fun, all the posts during Theme Week will connect, in some way, to the chosen theme. They won't happen all the time (I'm not focused enough to come up with a new theme every week), but when the mood hits, I'll share.

This week's theme, I blame on Maia.

See, up until a year or two ago I read almost exclusively hetero romance. Then my buddy Maia decided to start submitting her work, and I offered to beta-read her stuff before she sent it out. And Maia writes m/m romance.

Wow! A whole new genre of romance to explore. And I'm not the only one. M/m romance has been growing in popularity recently, both in books and on TV shows and movies. So in honor of this first Theme Week, here's the schedule for the next several days:

Tomorrow, we'll be doing Book BIN Tuesday a little differently. I'm looking for suggestions for good m/m romance, both authors and individual books. So it's your chance to tell me what to Buy Now!

Wednesday, I confess all in Kate's Current TV Crush.

Then, on Thursday, I'll be sharing an interview with the creative minds behind eskimokissproject. You won't want to miss this one!

I hope to see y'all on the blog this week. And as an added bonus, all comments this week will be put in a drawing for a prize! (Possibly, but not necessarily, m/m romance related. I've got to mix things up a little, you know!)

Prize winners -- for this week, and for last week's Lessons In Trust drawing -- will be posted next weekend. So comment early, comment often!

(And stay tuned for next week's theme -- Young Adult fiction!)

Freebie Ends Tomorrow! Plus Bonus Excerpt

Thanks to everyone who's downloaded a free copy of Lessons In Love. Today, it hit #3 on the Kindle Bestseller list, and is #1 in Kindle Romance!

Samhain's promo of Lessons In Love, available free from Amazon and Books on Board, ends tomorrow. So if you haven't picked up your ABSOLUTELY FREE NO STRINGS ATTACHED copy yet, don't miss out!

But maybe "free" isn't enough of an incentive for you? Fear not, here's an excerpt to tempt you. Enjoy!

ADDED BONUS: All comments (and re-tweets on Twitter) will be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of Lessons In Trust, the follow-on book to Lessons In Love. Own both connected books at absolutely no charge!




Alex was sure that he had never been quite so exquisitely tense in his life.

Brynn Dexter was asleep in his arms.

He shifted slightly, wishing his body wasn’t reacting in quite so predictable a manner. But he was, after all, a man. And Brynn was—a desirable woman.

She stirred a little in her sleep. Although the royal plane was luxurious, it was still a challenge to sleep sitting up, even on a deeply padded leather couch.

Her eyelids had started drooping the moment they boarded the plane, and Alex had suggested she use the bed in the sleeping quarters at the rear of the plane to rest. Indignantly, she informed him that she wasn’t the slightest bit tired.

Then she had taken a seat next to him on the couch for takeoff. By the time they were in the air, Brynn was slumped against his shoulder, breathing deeply.

Amused, he considered taking her back to the bed and tucking her in, but swiftly vetoed that idea. Brynn and bed was a dangerous combination in his mind. He was just about to move aside and give her space to stretch out on the couch when she wrapped an arm about his waist and snuggled into the crook of his neck.

She smelled like a citrus grove.

So now he was well and truly trapped, both by the slim woman wrapped around him and by the emotions barreling down on him. He should be at the conference table at the front of the plane, working on his paperwork. He should be anywhere but here.

The problem was, he didn’t want to be anywhere else.

Besides, he hadn’t bothered to bring any work with him on this trip—which was yet another sign that he wasn’t acting like himself lately. And even if he had brought a stack of papers to read and sign, he had a sinking suspicion that he would have chosen to act as Brynn’s pillow anyway.

He sighed, glancing down at the woman sleeping against his shoulder. The two of them were alone in the opulent interior of the plane, having been given a little privacy by Niles and the two flight attendants. All had worked with the royal family long enough to know how much he appreciated a break from the hovering that seemed to go with the territory of being royalty.

After all, what could happen to him on a private plane several thousand feet in the air?

He let his arm drop just a fraction so his fingertips touched Brynn’s bare arm. Tempted beyond belief, he traced delicate patterns, wishing he could explore the soft skin that lay hidden behind her casual outfit. Brynn shifted again, the curve of her breast brushing against his side. Alex dropped his head back against the couch, wishing he didn’t have such an active imagination. He knew what he wanted to happen; he also knew it was an impossibility.

Trying in vain to turn his thoughts in a less dangerous direction, he glanced around the interior of the plane. Those packages which contained clothing that did not need to be altered and delivered were stowed at the front of the cabin, a neatly stacked tower of boxes and bags. A blue-and-gray striped gift bag was tucked in back, barely visible behind the rest.

After agreeing to leave Brynn to her own devices at the dress designer’s, Alex had spent an hour or so just wandering through the shopping district of Milan, trailed by Niles. He’d picked up a little statue of a horse, knowing that Carissa’s current obsession with ponies would make it a popular gift. And then the display in a tiny shop, tucked away on the edge of a piazza, had caught his eye.

Involuntarily, he glanced at his sleeping companion. It had been an impulse purchase, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. It was perfect for Brynn. Now he just had to find the right time to give it to her.

If he gave it to her at all. Really, it was too personal, too intimate for someone who was, after all, just his daughter’s nanny.

Except he couldn’t seem to make himself believe that anymore. Something had shifted for him, some invisible connection that seemed to grow stronger each time they were together.

It was more than a physical attraction, he mused, glancing at the woman sleeping on his shoulder. Although he could not deny the ache of desire that curled through him, it went far beyond that now.

Her passion, her joy, her enthusiasm—all aspects of her personality that made her even more attractive than just her outward beauty. And it was becoming much more difficult to remember the reasons he had to stay away from her.

Brynn shifted in her sleep, her curls brushing his face. He breathed in the scent of her shampoo, that citrusy blend that captured her sunshine spirit perfectly.

When he turned to look at her again, Brynn was just opening her eyes. The dreamy, captivating glow in her doe-soft eyes was quickly replaced by embarrassment.

“Oh my God.” She sat up, shoving the curls out of her face. “I am so sorry. I can’t believe I fell asleep on you.”

“It’s all right.”

“Please tell me I didn’t snore. Or—or drool on your shoulder or something.” She lifted a hand to her mouth, surreptitiously checking it for moisture.

Alex knew without a doubt no woman had ever mentioned drooling to him before. Enchanted by her artlessness, he reached over and captured her hand in his. “You were perfectly appropriate.”
He ignored the fact that with the direction of his thoughts while she slept, she was alone in that regard. “I am glad you felt comfortable enough to rest.”

“Exhausted is more like it.” She rolled her shoulders. “Who knew shopping could take so much out of you?”

His mother. His former wife. Most of the women in his social circle. To them, shopping was a blood sport, and to the victor went the spoils. Shopping with them was wearing.

With Brynn, however, it was a delight. Like a prism, she took experiences that were common to him and fractured them, adding a wash of brilliant color to everything. Unexpected, but enjoyable all the same.

She sat up, moving away from him. He missed the subtle pressure of her head on his shoulder, the soft brush of curls against his cheek. He missed her rhythmic breathing as she slept.

What would it be like to spend the night with her wrapped in his arms?

(c) 2007

Only three more days...

Don't forget, you have just three more days to pick up your free copy of Lessons In Love from Books on Board and Amazon. Get it before the pricing goes back to normal!





And in a little "squeee" moment, I discovered that Smart Bitches had posted about the offer. Yay! I'm on SBTB!



EDITED TO ADD: Also on the Naughty Bits! Thanks, TeddyPig!

Look for an excerpt or two in the coming days, if you aren't tempted just by the free-ness...

Have A Treat, Support A Miracle...

It's not often that eating ice cream is a selfless act of generosity, but Thursday the 13th in the US, you can do good while treating yourself. Thursday is Miracle Treat Day at all participating Dairy Queen restaurants. If you buy a Blizzard, DQ will donate a minimum of $1 of the purchase price to your local Children's Miracle Network Hospital.

Last year, they raised $4.5 million. Why not help DQ top $5 mil this year?

For more details, click here.

And just for fun, what's your favorite Blizzard flavor? I'm partial to French Silk, with its chunks of graham cracker crust and chocolate. Yum!

Try Me Free!

Hey all!

I just found out that Lessons in Love is being offered for free at Books on Board, in multiple formats. If you haven't picked up a copy yet, now's the time! It'll be available until August 22nd.



Also, it is going to be the free Samhain offering on Kindle as soon as Amazon fixes the purchase page for the book. At the moment, it's been pulled completely (I assume because they're fixing it), so I'll add a link as soon as I have one.

ETA: I have a link! Get your free Kindle version here!

Free books! Yay!

A Great Video

On a lighter Torchwood note, here's my new favorite mash-up video. It's Torchwood as Pride and Prejudice. Brilliant!

Torchwood -- Thoughts

(WARNING: Spoilers galore in the following post. I figure I'm mostly safe now, since it's out on DVD already, but if you haven't watched Children of Earth and want to do so spoiler-free, don't read this.)

(WARNING #2: This is turning out to be one LOOOONG blog post. Sorry about that.)

I first discovered Torchwood via Twitter. Earlier this year, someone (Katiebabs, perhaps?) commented that the Captain Jack/Captain John snog was hot. That's it. That's all I had to go on. But I was curious.

Heading over to YouTube, I typed in "Captain Jack Captain John kiss" and watched the video that popped up.

For those of you familiar with the show, it's from the first ep of season two. For those who aren't, and are a little curious yourself, here's a link.

Okay, yeah. I was hooked. A friend sent me her extra copy of season 1, and I glommed my way through it in a matter of days. It took a little longer to finish season 2, just because I netflixed it and had to wait through the mail-it-back-and-get-the-next-one process.

But within a month, I'd say, I'd watched all available episodes of Torchwood, and was anxiously awaiting season 3.

Which brings me to Children of Earth. It would be an understatement to say that I was looking forward to the miniseries. I listened to the radio shows, I skimmed the fan magazines, I chatted about it with friends -- and I did my darnedest to avoid spoilers.

So imagine my horror when I clicked on a blog post about the radio plays to find a major, major spoiler in the comments, just a week prior to the US release. I clicked out immediately, but the damage was done.

I knew about Ianto and episode 4.

My enthusiasm for Season 3 became tinged with dread. Was it true? Was it permanent? They wouldn't really do that to us, would they?

See, Ianto had always been my favorite character. The quiet, competent one who held everything together, the cute one in the background who kept drawing the eye, the one who grew the most over the two seasons I'd watched in very close succession. I liked him. I liked him on his own, and even more with Captain Jack. Jack was more human with Ianto, and Ianto was more confident. I thought their pairing was a positive thing for both of them, and damn were they cute together!

Not only that, but I was already traumatized by the end of season two. Tosh and Owen's deaths had hit me hard, and with two of the five main characters gone, I was wary of how it would work with only three left -- and now, possibly two.

So I approached Season 3 with trepidation. The first episode? Loved it. Loved the premise, loved the fast pace and sense of danger. Especially loved the discussions between Jack and Ianto, and the delving into both their backstories. When Ianto confesses to his sister how he feels about Jack, I melted a little.

Then episode two came along, and I loved it. Watching the Torchwood team fight their way out of impossible situations is one of the reasons I adore the show. And Ianto as romantic hero, saving his man with the help of heavy equipment? Fabulous.

A little disappointed with the final scene of ep 2, though. Ianto SAVES JACK from being buried alive in concrete, and held captive by the shadowy government assassin team, and Jack can't even give him a hug or kiss afterward? Okay, yeah, he's naked, and there are other people around, but still. It didn't ring true for me, especially after he was the one to call Ianto out on his inability to admit that they were a couple.

Episode 3, more of the same. I was impatient for more couple-y moments, especially since I knew where the show was headed. I still really enjoyed the show, caught up in the growing threat to Earth and the children.

Then came episode 4. I watched with dread, knowing what was coming but unable to turn away. And then it happened. Jack and Ianto charged into the room holding the alien, made some high-minded but absurdly ridiculous threats, and brought down their doom.

I mean, really? We're not going to comply because we say so? Against an enemy they haven't even prepared for? Who then turns around and brushes them aside with as much effort as someone swatting a fly?

I cried buckets. It was a heart-wrenching, emotionally draining scene to watch, and I still get a little choked up thinking about it. Gareth David-Lloyd and John Barrowman knocked it out of the park.

I hated it. I hated that my favorite character had been killed off in such a senseless way. I hated that Jack's kiss didn't work this time, like it had back in season one during the fight with the cyberwoman. I hated that the episode ended on such a pessimistic, hopeless note. And I really, really hated that once again, Torchwood had cut short a relationship that was still finding its footing. (See: Owen and Tosh, end of season two.)

I know, logically, that Jack won't ever have a Happily Ever After. Someone who can't die will always be doomed to watching those around him pass away. But dammit, I wanted him to have at least a Happy For Now with Ianto.

I gave in to temptation and headed over to IMDB, just to see if -- yeah, it was true. Gareth David-Lloyd was listed for one less episode than Eve Myles and John Barrowman. He wasn't coming back in episode 5.

I almost didn't watch it. There seemed to be nothing to look forward to -- but I had so much time and energy invested in the show by then, it seemed a waste to leave it without finding out what happened in the end.

A side note: some people were horrified by Jack's decision regarding his grandson. To me, it wasn't outside his character. Remember the episode in season one with the fairies? He's always chosen the good of the many over the good of the individual, even when he, himself, isn't that individual. He's not always a selfless hero -- he can be cold and calculating.

Still, it was ugly.

Don't know what else to say about the end of the season, except it was dark, depressing, and ultimately left us with one character left standing -- and, no offense to Eve Myles, the one who had always interested me the least. Not that I dislike Gwen, but the character just doesn't speak to me the way the others always had.

So Torchwood: Children of Earth was well acted, well directed, intriguing -- and left us with almost nothing Torchwood to move on to in future seasons. Okay, Gwen's still around. And Jack could come back from his snit-fit (look, I get that he's depressed and needs to get away, but having his last line be "watch me" sent me right back to junior high school. And not in a good way.). But what will he be coming back for? And more to the point, what would *I* be coming back for? No Hub, no rift, no team, no love -- everything that made Torchwood one of my favorite shows has been damaged if not destroyed.

I believe that writers have the right to do whatever they want with their characters. But there is a risk in that as well. I remember reading a blog post a year or so ago about an author who took a couple from one of her early books, brought them back in a much later book, and killed off the hero so the heroine could be paired with someone else. The backlash against this book, and the author who chose to do it, was intense. Many believed that the author had betrayed the trust of her readers by this action.

In some ways, for me, the creators of Torchwood have done the same thing. I freely admit that I totally ship Jack/Ianto, and wanted them together. But my reaction to Children of Earth was about more than that. By taking away so much of what made Torchwood what it was, they've taken away my motivation to look forward to season four.

Will I watch it? Most likely. I love John Barrowman, and honestly I will probably be curious at that point to see how they bring Torchwood back. But I'll never wait with excited anticipation for another season again. And I certainly won't fall in love with any new characters again. I don't trust that they'll survive long enough to make it worthwhile. I won't let myself *love* the show again.

And that, to me, is the real disappointment of Torchwood season three.

If you've made it this far -- wow! Thanks for reading! And I'm curious -- if you watched Children of Earth, what did you think? And if not, have you ever felt let down by the creative choices of a TV show, movie, or book? What was your reaction?