I'm always suspicious of the quality of a story that supports itself on some passages from an episode or two. I've seen some writers who think that transcribing a bit of dialogue here and there, and writing some extra scenes is enough. It isn't. And this story is a good example of how the original material can be used as a starting point and then developed.
Jarod and Thomas relationship was well explored. I appreciated the way that Thomas acted as a sort of involuntary anchor between Jarod and Miss Parker and Jarod forced himself into great lengths to turn away. It was a good story about friendship and sacrifice.
Another thing I enjoyed was the sequencing of the scenes and the dialogues (monologues included). If we didn't know, we could almost mistake the original stuff from the fake. In a manner of speaking.
The question of language was a moot issue, in my opinion. I'm not an English native either, but I've read fics written by some who are and their grammar and syntax, not to mention spelling, was apalling. Fortunately, that doesn't happen with most of them.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much for your kind words, Joel. When I wrote this ff I really wanted to think about what might have happened "behind the scenes". We don't know how J met Thomas, and we don't know what he saw in this great man that made him say: Ok, he's the one for MP. I wanted to explore that moment of their lives, focusing on Jarod and Tommy, by using their POVs. The only conversation we heard during the show let us understand they WERE friends, because Jarod called him 'buddy'. That's where I've started from. A nice relationship that you described so well in your comments. Thank you, really. You made my day!
Reviewer: Joel Gomes Signed [Report This]Date: 17/09/13 09:50 pm
Aww <3 Lurve you, too. :)
This is one of my favorite stories- so nice to see into Jarod and Tommy and Miss P and Tommy's relationships. :)
Although I still wish it was AU and he didn't die. :p
Author's Response:
Thanks Dani, you're sweet! I know you were wishing for a happy ending, but I'm afraid that my being a hopeless MPJ shipper got in the way. I love Tommy, but I could never give Parker a future not featuring Jarod, not even if it was AU ;) Luv ya, thanks for the edits!
Reviewer: Danielle SmileyFace Signed [Report This]Date: 06/09/13 07:13 am
I found a link to this story on tumblr. I am so glad that there are still people out there interested in this fantastic show. I have been rewatching the series and regently viewed the episodes referenced in this story. You did a good job of filling in Jarod and Tommy's relationship around what little we knew. I liked how you showed the similarities in Jarod and Miss Parker's thinking. There is an undeniable connection between them and I am glad that Tommy was aware of that. He knew what an amazing gift Jarod had granted him with. There are many layers to Jarod and Miss Parker, both light and dark, and you did a good job of portraying both aspects. Thank you for this lovely work. And, props to you for tackling such a story in your non-native tongue. There are a few mistakes, but they do not detract from the quality of the story being told.
Author's Response:
Thank you very much Emmakellogg, I've just noticed that you're now my follower on tumblr, thanks for that too :)
When I first thought about this story I had the weird feeling I needed to put it down fast, and so I did. And I'm glad you grasped the exact meaning of this fanfic. I wanted to focus on J and MP's similarities, because their connection is really strong and deep. To me, Tommy was a nice guy who found himself "playing gooseberry" between two people who cannot be together (not for their fault). I was sure that Jarod probably had seen something in Thomas, if he chose him for MP.
So it was nice to imagine what he talked about with Thomas. The only thing we know is that Jarod was the one who introduced him to MP, and later he tries to make us understand that his goal was "love". But we don't know how, when, and what were his feelings when he decided to help her and Tommy to find each other. I've always thought this was one of the greatest ideas I've ever seen not only in this show, but in all the tv shows I've ever been a fan of. Come on, he's too sweet, and also enough smart to tell her the truth one year after his death, as if to say "You grieved, now take that!". That's quintessential Jarod! :)
From the show, we don't know how Parker really behaved with Tommy during their short relationship, but we do know that she was always pushed by Jarod to follow her heart. And I'm glad I've been able to put down my ideas to make them agreeable to you too. So thanks once again! You know, reviews are the best reward for a writer :)
Oh, and I'm sorry for my mistakes (feel free to report them :P).
Date: 24/04/13 05:42 pm
This was wonderful. I like how you "explained" if you will Jarod and Thomas' friendship and how he got them together!
Author's Response:
Thanks KS! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I think Thomas was a nice character. Whenever I heard that call between him and Jarod I thought: "Wow, they were real friends if Jarod called him 'buddy'!". So, here we go! Thanks for reading!
Reviewer: KSPretenderFan Signed [Report This]Date: 16/04/13 12:03 am
Well done. I love the exploration into the friendship (something the creators denied us), you did a good job detailing the foundation, providing us with some history. This is definitely one way it could've gone down.
And I completely agree with you: Thomas IS a great guy; of all the things Jarod has ever done, his putting Tommy and Parker in each other's path was my favorite.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much Mirage! I must say I was really glad to read your review, it was such a pleasure! Yep, I love that little detail the creators put inside the show. Maybe they thought it would go unnoticed, I don't know. I just think it was the sweetest thing J ever did for Parker...And then all I had to do was to write down the idea I had... Thanks for reading! Hope my English was acceptable ;)
Reviewer: Mirage Signed
[Report This]Date: 15/04/13 11:18 pm
