2MTL 198: Enchanted Believers and Mourning Ianto Jones

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Were you so saddened by the death of Ianto Jones in 2009's Torchwood: Children of Earth that it almost felt like you'd lost someone close to you?

Or did you see the online reaction and hear about his Memorial Wall in Cardiff and wonder, "Where the HECK is this coming from?"

Racheline Maltese, scholar and fan, wondered the same things about how people relate to stories in her paper, "Tangible Reality of Absence: Fan Communities and Mourning Fictional Characters," presented last July and now available online. I invited Racheline to talk about what it means to be an "enchanted believer" who reacts to a story as strongly as if it were a real-world event, and why Ianto was mourned by fandom but Owen and Tosh weren't.

2MTL 197: Where'd the Human Heroes Go?

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As a parting shot in 2MTL 196, I mentioned that I thought the message of the first four seasons of new Doctor Who, Torchwood and the Sarah Jane Adventures was that "it's the actions of everyday humans like you and me that make the difference in overcoming adversity." Some of you noticed that I left out Series 5. Herewith, the explanation.

2MTL 196: Looking for a Doctor in a Torchwood World

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A temporarily more serious, real-world turn for 2MTL.

Be inspired by the Doctor. Do what Torchwood would do.

Support the people of Japan through the Red Cross, shelterbox.org, and other relief agencies. Support the displaced of Britain through Paul Cornell's drive on behalf of Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, at justgiving.com/paul-cornell0. Help treat terminal cancer patients with dignity through the Nicholas Courtney memorial drive for the Marie Curie Cancer Care at justgiving.com/nicholascourtney.

2MTL 193: Delving Deeper into Gallifrey 22 (Time Dilation)

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We're in full-on Time Dilation mode, all right, as I catch up on some of the reflections on last weekend's Gallifrey One 22 convention. Chicks Dig Time Lords co-editor Tara O'Shea and I talk about fandom, feminism and the digital world the next generation of Doctor Who fans inhabits. Then, I spend some time with the longtime volunteer whom I helped excavate the convention's official TARDIS: actor, comedian and Gallifrey One auctioneer and master of ceremonies Tadao Tomomatsu.

Regular two-minute podcasts will return soon!

2MTL 192: Looking Through a Time Lord's Eyes in L.A.

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This podcast contains: reflections on time and space as depicted in a museum and comic books, and content recorded looooooonnnng before I was able to post it!

References: the art in question and, for the juxtaposition of time and space in comics, scottmccloud.com.

2MTL 191: Return to Gallifrey One (Time Dilation)

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Erik, co-host of The Doctor Who Book Club and Bridging the Rift contributor, joins me for our Wednesday-night reflction on why we've made the pilgrimage to Gallifrey One, and our plans for the convention.

(Time Dilation podcasts are EXPRESSLY designed to break the two-minute format. No warranty is provided.)

2MTL 189: Hoping for a (Torchwood) Miracle

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"Children of Earth" was undeniably brilliant, but it ran the Torchwood concept through a Cuisinart. Is there enough left for "Miracle Day" to feel like Torchwood, or something new entirely? And is that a good thing?