I feel so maternal over Owen Harper as a character, and it is purely because he has been through so much and yet the fandom ridicules him and casts him as some stereotype douchebag with no feelings and it needs to stop.
Owen Harper is the way he is for a very specific reason and if anyone paid attention to his character and not just Jack or Ianto, people would know this.
In series 2, episode 5 of Torchwood called "Adam", We get a glimpse into Owens childhood and how he was routinely abused by his mother. Now, it's only revealed that he was verbally abused and I do not believe there is anything on his father. But in the episode it states his mother told him- "I love you because you are my son, but that doesn't mean I have to like you."- and I think that gives us a glimpse as to why Owen never really believes anyone is there for him.
And once again in series 2, episode 12 "Fragments" it is revealed how he met Jack and how he got to Torchwood. He had a fiance who is originally believed to have early-onset Alzheimer's, but it is later revealed to have been an alien which kills her. This is where he meets Jack and is the starting point to his journey into Torchwood. This also explains why he is always sleeping around and constantly dodging Toshiko's attempts at dating him. Because he does not want to get hurt.
It also does not help that he is left once again by Daine Holmes in series 1, episode 10 "Out Of Time". Which I'm sure only further added to his abandonment issues.
And don't even get me started on series 1s finale of the show. He felt Jack betrayed him and did something reckless, only to immediately regret it and still not expect Jack to forgive him. Which he did. He literally caused his boss's death and his boss forgave him. No wonder he sobbed in Jack's arms when he saw he was alive. Because out of everyone in his life. Out of Gwen, Ianto, Toshiko, Diane, Suzie. Jack was always the most adamant and proving he would not willingly abandon Owen. No matter what he did.
And then Toshiko? Well, he began to trust Toshiko too. Because even after he died and he could no longer see himself ever being able to have a normal relationship again, Toshiko still stayed. Even after all the screaming and the years of watching him sleep around, she stayed. And obviously we see with his childhood, he has a harder time trusting women than men. So it isn't a complete shock that it took him literally years to be able to trust Toshiko. It just sucked that he only began to trust her too late.
Honestly, I could keep going but I fear if I make this post any longer, no one is going to read it so I'm just going to end it right here.
