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Torchwood 1x01 Everything Changes - On Mind Control
In which it’s OK to do Bad Things to people if it’s kinda cool.
Who is this character and what is he doing?
Owen Harper takes a piece of alien technology from the Torchwood laboratory and visits a bar. He approaches a woman who gives him very clear ‘fuck off’ signals, then uses a spray on himself that causes her to reverse her stance and practically maul him. He uses the spray again when the woman’s boyfriend angrily intervenes in order to make them both lust after him.
He doesn’t go to bed with them; he is interrupted by work.
Owen isn’t the only Torchwood employee to be misusing alien technology. Toshiko is scanning her books, Suzy is killing people in order to practice reviving them and Owen has the spray.
How do we feel about him?
Owen is not a very nice guy, but the rest of his behaviour is low-level nastiness such as verbal cruelty, callousness and arrogance. He’s self absorbed, angry and destructive. His sexual behaviour is not consensual.
How we feel about his behaviour is balanced against other characters that are also misusing alien technology. Suzy wins the Most Evil Award and dies at the end of the episode. Toshiko is alone with her conscience and Owen has no apparent consequences but left me with a Very Nasty Feeling.
We don’t like him, but we don’t hate him either.
There was a lot going on in this episode. It was the pilot, we were meeting the characters through Gwen (who didn’t see what Owen tried to do) and we had the excitement of Suzy turning out to be a murderer and getting killed. It is understandable that Owen’s behaviour is partially drowned out by the overall action.
What is he doing ethically?
Owen used a drug to convince a woman and her partner to want to have sex with him. They were both very clear about not wanting him prior to the use of the spray. If he had succeeded, it would have been rape.
So why didn’t Owen’s use of a date-rape drug elicit an appalled reaction?
I think being irresistible is a very common fantasy and Owen got to live that fantasy for all of us. Alas, when it’s a fantasy you don’t have to deal with the consequences of your actions. Owen is never required to engage with the implications of what he is willing to do either.
It has been suggested that the fact he sprayed it on himself rather than the victim mitigates the circumstances.
If you make it look like a joke and you play to people’s fantasies then it’s OK to do Bad Things to people. It helps if you hide it next to other people being Bad People too.
This is a very clear example of a fantasy situation where ‘real’ world ethics don’t seem to apply. Owen attempts to enact a popular fantasy and miraculously, isn’t bound by ethical responsibilities.
I wonder how the couple he tried to rape would have felt the next day…
Dodgy Ethics, Heroes 1x05 and 1x06, Torchwood 1x07, Supernatural 2x07
In which it’s OK to do Bad Things to people if it’s kinda cool.
Who is this character and what is he doing?
Owen Harper takes a piece of alien technology from the Torchwood laboratory and visits a bar. He approaches a woman who gives him very clear ‘fuck off’ signals, then uses a spray on himself that causes her to reverse her stance and practically maul him. He uses the spray again when the woman’s boyfriend angrily intervenes in order to make them both lust after him.
He doesn’t go to bed with them; he is interrupted by work.
Owen isn’t the only Torchwood employee to be misusing alien technology. Toshiko is scanning her books, Suzy is killing people in order to practice reviving them and Owen has the spray.
How do we feel about him?
Owen is not a very nice guy, but the rest of his behaviour is low-level nastiness such as verbal cruelty, callousness and arrogance. He’s self absorbed, angry and destructive. His sexual behaviour is not consensual.
How we feel about his behaviour is balanced against other characters that are also misusing alien technology. Suzy wins the Most Evil Award and dies at the end of the episode. Toshiko is alone with her conscience and Owen has no apparent consequences but left me with a Very Nasty Feeling.
We don’t like him, but we don’t hate him either.
There was a lot going on in this episode. It was the pilot, we were meeting the characters through Gwen (who didn’t see what Owen tried to do) and we had the excitement of Suzy turning out to be a murderer and getting killed. It is understandable that Owen’s behaviour is partially drowned out by the overall action.
What is he doing ethically?
Owen used a drug to convince a woman and her partner to want to have sex with him. They were both very clear about not wanting him prior to the use of the spray. If he had succeeded, it would have been rape.
So why didn’t Owen’s use of a date-rape drug elicit an appalled reaction?
I think being irresistible is a very common fantasy and Owen got to live that fantasy for all of us. Alas, when it’s a fantasy you don’t have to deal with the consequences of your actions. Owen is never required to engage with the implications of what he is willing to do either.
It has been suggested that the fact he sprayed it on himself rather than the victim mitigates the circumstances.
- The method of delivery of a date rape drug doesn’t stop it being a date rape drug.
- Yes, we have differing abilities and charms, yes, some of us are far more susceptible to being whined at, charmed or manipulated – no it isn’t right in any context to get your own way by disrespecting other people’s choices and forcing your own on them. [I will note here that treating people with respect includes respect for self; consistently choosing other people’s wishes over your own is equally as damaging as always choosing your own.]
If you make it look like a joke and you play to people’s fantasies then it’s OK to do Bad Things to people. It helps if you hide it next to other people being Bad People too.
This is a very clear example of a fantasy situation where ‘real’ world ethics don’t seem to apply. Owen attempts to enact a popular fantasy and miraculously, isn’t bound by ethical responsibilities.
I wonder how the couple he tried to rape would have felt the next day…
Dodgy Ethics, Heroes 1x05 and 1x06, Torchwood 1x07, Supernatural 2x07
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I couldn't help comparing this episode to the daterape drug episode of SGA (I don't know if you've seen it yet) - which is played for laughs, which made it even more abhorrent, creepy and revolting.
Torchwood was pretty upfront in saying that Owen is a dodgy human being who treats people like things and you shouldn't like him. SGA went for comedy and invites the audience in to play. Majorly icky.
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It also saddens me that the show with the least to offer in terms of macro plot/character writing was the best in micro.
Only up to 1x14 in SGA so far.
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