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Angry Torchwood fans threaten writers with bodily harm

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Torchwood: Children of EarthIf you're a regular viewer of the BBC sci-fi series Torchwood, you're more than aware of the recent dust up between fans and writers over a major character death in this past season's finale. Angry fans immediately ran to message boards to express their displeasure with the direction the show has taken, but now, that angry fan reaction seems to have taken a sudden and serious turn for the worse.

Before we get too far into this, I'm putting a spoiler warning on this post, even though the episode in question has already aired in the U.S. For anyone still saving it on their DVR, beware. It's a biggie.



It wouldn't be the first time furious fans have taken to the Internet to vent, but now, those angry over the death of Ianto Jones, main character Jack Harkness' main squeeze, have started to send death threats to show's writers.

Trust me, I understand the impulse that makes fans want to threaten bodily harm to writers for screwing with their favorite shows, but this is taking it too far. The comments posted on a UK fan board and reported by WalesOnline are not just over the top, but go a long way towards giving cult fans, in general, a bad wrap.

One user wrote that she planned to track down the writer responsible for killing off her favorite 'ship and "murder them in a horrific way. In an incredible horrific and painful way. They will never be able to walk again or move any part of their body. They will be a vegetable." Another irate fan wrote: "Kill them painfully! With ties and coffee machines!!"

Wow. To be fair, and as far as I can tell, while there has been much rending of garments over Ianto's death, the majority of fan responses have been of shock and sadness, not extreme violence. But, it's this kind of reaction that reflects badly on all fans, not just the ones in this particular fandom. Cult fans already have a reputation (deserved or not) for over-the-top, obsessive behavior that lacks any and all perspective. Reactions as violent as the one posted above make me want to distance myself from that "fan" label, as well.

For what it's worth, Gareth David-Lloyd, who plays Ianto, was "appalled" by the online comments and basically advised that fans get a grip. Emotional involvement is one thing, but it really is just a TV show.

We can all agree that this is a bit messed up, but come clean now, has there been a TV death or sudden and swift plot change that's made you even one iota as upset as Torchwood fans are over the recent death of Ianto? Spill in the comments!

Update: So, as some fans have noted in the comments, there seems to be a debate about the original intent of the comments posted by the users above. I'm not going to jump into the fray about who meant what, but every savvy internet user knows that comments posted in the heat of the moment, jokingly or not, can back fire, as this seems to have done.

Update 2: Ok, as previously noted above, not all fans have reacted with such misdirected fervor. Other Torchwood fans have set up a memorial for the character here http://www.justgiving.com/iantojones.

[Source: Walesonline.co.uk]

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