S10: Critique & Contemplation

[binkpmmc]

But, so do SG1 fans! I know I wanted BB and CB to come into a well-written, thoughtful, entertaining and well-produced show where they would be given interesting, complex roles to play and in which to flex their acting muscles. Unfortunately, I think they have not received this.

I have stated time and again that IMO Ben was given nothing to work with, and that his role has never been fleshed out , nor written very well. And I think that Claudia has been given a cartoon to play. Although not being a FS fan, I watched Peacekeeper Wars to get a feel for the actors, and had HIGH hopes for what they would bring to SG1. THEY came, it is the writing and production that have failed both of them miserably.

I don't think that anyone in either the Anti-S9 or Anti-S10 thread is disappointed in either BB or CB as actors. We are all quite sad that they haven't been given material that will let their talents shine. And we are even more sad to see the other characters whom we have enjoyed watching for so many years be reduced to cardboard cutouts of themselves. The level of quality that existed in S1-S7 is completely missing, IMO.

Good post. Your point about the quality of the show being gone is exactly one of my main problems with the show since mid-Season 7. The show now often feels to me like when cooper says they want to "reinvent" it they want it to be a comedy with low-brow, cheap, sexual innuendo humor, like most other TV shows these days. There is no longer anything unique or different about the show. It used to be a great drama, well, and intelligently, written, now it is at best mediocre and shows like it are a-dime-a-dozen on hundreds of channels.

[binkpmmc]

Gosh, this is exactly what I love about GW. I spent most of last evening in a thread where its was suggested that folks who post in ant-threads were neither true fans, nor should they even be allowed to express their negative views at GW. Then I read thoughtful and interesting posts like the ones above and have to laugh at the folks who want to silence negativity in general. This thread is in fact a place where many views are welcomed and no one gets bashed for using their brains and forming their own opinions. There are as many different fervent beliefs of what is screwy with the show in here as there are stars in the sky, and yet we stilll manage to chat about the ones we disagree with no fisticuffs or threat of nuclear war. LOL

Nicely said. I spent quite a bit of time on that same thread (as well as a couple of others he trolls on) and it seemed to me that there was just one "big" pro Stargate fan on a one-man crusade to "take back the forums" from the anti and negative fans. He's got a rough road to hoe though since the anti and negative numbers of fans is growing with each passing day and each passing episode. As I have said and asked before, prior to S9 I cannot recall ever seeing any thread that was an anti-anything thread when it came to Stargate.

I have been on these forums for many years now and the real negative and anti sentiments seemed to have started in earnest in S7 and they have just been gathering steam since. I do believe that a lot of people who still watch, but find continuous disappointment with the show, are indeed watching because they still have some level of hope that the original, real SG1 will return (I fit that category but my patience is just about gone) especially since so many of TPTB have said that in S9, while there is so much new, they will be going "back to their roots". Well I have seen zero in the way of going "back to their roots" but I have seen plenty of ROOT ROT.

I think that of the people that have been watching with disappointment the past few seasons but still hoping, patience is running thin and that is why more and more people, with the passage of time and no real end to the downward slide of the show in sight, are starting to come out and criticize the show. Plain and simple they are losing patience and are tired of waiting and hoping so where once they said - okay let me sit back, watch what happens and not be critical until we see where this goes - people are tired of sitting back and waiting and watching something that was so good for so many years die a slow and terrible and UNDESERVED death. Just MO on the progression of this I have seen over the past few years.

[Skydiver]

Guys, let's stop talking about people please.

We all have our issues with the course of the show, however we do need to keep other posters here out of the discussion

[Amanda Eros]

i think, if there is a s11, at and ms will be gone. they will eitehr move on on their own or they will not be asked to resign their contracts (kinda like amanda was for s10. she had to go to THEM while the other 3 plus claudia had already been contacted BY them.)

cj will likely stay because he is the least troublesome of the bunch.

s11, presuming the show keeps its name, will be cam and vala's wonderful adventures and scifi will have what they've wanted for quite some time now....as close of a retread of farscape that they can get without being sued.

to those that say they're not gonna recreate it until there are farting puppets....hey, these are the same folks that think we're too stupid to tell the difference between shanks and browder without facial hair. i'm sure they think we're too stupid to realize that all the new show is is the same actors in different costumes

They likely see it this way as well, why have these veteran actors on the show when they can get rid of one of the old ones, pay a new one half the amount of money and pocket the rest for themselves.

Though I think CJ possition will be secure as long as they don't find some other (and I hate to say it like this) minority that is payed less to fill it. They really aren't too keen on using minorites on the show unless they are Jaffa, or if they are from the SGC, they say some rude or sexist comment.

[STARGATE7777]

I agree completely about people running out of patience. The first part of season 9 was 'lets just wait and see' with many people watcing out of habit and loyalty. Now, I believe that many fans will watch 2-3 shows in the 2nd part and then make a decision to continue watching or just give it up. Sadly, I see that many of us will be saying good-bye to a show that we once loved. When I hear fans or TPTB defend the changes and the slow progression to where the show used to be I am reminded of Jack in the episode with the Tokra who said they had been fighting the gould for a thousand years. Jack's reply ' Yeah, just when should we expect some results?" ...When indeed.

[Seshat]

I agree completely about people running out of patience. The first part of season 9 was 'lets just wait and see' with many people watcing out of habit and loyalty. Now, I believe that many fans will watch 2-3 shows in the 2nd part and then make a decision to continue watching or just give it up. Sadly, I see that many of us will be saying good-bye to a show that we once loved. When I hear fans or TPTB defend the changes and the slow progression to where the show used to be I am reminded of Jack in the episode with the Tokra who said they had been fighting the gould for a thousand years. Jack's reply ' Yeah, just when should we expect some results?" ...When indeed.

I honestly don't know if it's my lack of patience for results or just my general disappointment that's making me change the channel about 20 minutes into every new ep. I used to be a very active fan, and still love the "idea" of Stargate, but it gets harder and harder to stay tuned in. Which is why I lack enthusiasm for a S10 - I don't want to have high hopes for something I don't really believe in anymore.

However I do realize that MY disallusionment is only my opinion. I guess I just haven't given up hoping for better someday.

[Seshat]

Guys, let's stop talking about people please.

We all have our issues with the course of the show, however we do need to keep other posters here out of the discussion

It's cool - I was just trying to pay a compliment to the FS fans who come and post in here and encourage them to do more because I like hearing their take on things.

[Skydiver]

It's cool - I was just trying to pay a compliment to the FS fans who come and post in here and encourage them to do more because I like hearing their take on things.

it's not just that. It....if I started a 'season 10 will be frellilng fantastic' thread, it just wouldn't be good for folks in here to take me to task, behind my back, for doing that

[ToasterOnFire]

Any actor is ultimately limited by what they're given to work with. Sure, there's some room for adding gestures, voice inflections, and whatnot, but you can only do so much with lines like "Rock and roll!"

Writing is the base of any show's pyramid. Actors, sets, special effects, and music all stack up above this base. If there's flaws in the writing then there are flaws in the show's foundation that can only be partially saved by good actors, pretty sets, and stunning CGI.

[Dream-a-Little]

Ok, as an unapologetic BB fan I gotta tell you, I have as much trepidation about season 10 as anyone else on this thread. My reasons may be vastly different, but just as real. I realize people were very upset about the heavy press on BB prior to season 9. And I understand how many would find that a dis to the original actors. But from my point of view, I'm the victim of a bait and switch. They were more than glad to use BB's name to sell season 9 but IMO seriously marginalized the character in at least the first half of the season. And I find that as a dis to BB and an extraordinarily bad strategy if they really are trying to make any of his fans happy. If I had to choose between the two, I'd rather trade the press for better treatment of his character within the show. If any of the changes in the show were geared towards me, well they missed and missed badly. I'm really not sure who they are gearing the show to any more, but so far I'm not getting what I want from them any more than a lot of other groups are either.

The arguments that the episodes from the first half of this season weren't Stargate is something I find to be totally legitimate. But trust me they weren't Farscape and they weren't geared to audiences of Farscape or BB. Or if they were, boy did they miss the mark!

No warm and fuzzy feelings for this BB fan about season 10. They sandbagged me once, I figure they are more than willing to sandbag me again. If I didn't admire Ben so much as an actor, I'd have put myself out of this misery several episodes ago. And unfortunately I'm afraid that's what they are counting on. They feel they don't really need to do anything other than point to him every once and awhile to keep me as an audience member. And I really hate that! End rant.

[kazzyk]

Good--cant wait! Oh--and I love firefly--wish someone had what it takes to put that back on TV.

[Seshat]

Ok, as an unapologetic BB fan I gotta tell you, I have as much trepidation about season 10 as anyone else on this thread. My reasons may be vastly different, but just as real. I realize people were very upset about the heavy press on BB prior to season 9. And I understand how many would find that a dis to the original actors. But from my point of view, I'm the victim of a bait and switch. They were more than glad to use BB's name to sell season 9 but IMO seriously marginalized the character in at least the first half of the season. And I find that as a dis to BB and an extraordinarily bad strategy if they really are trying to make any of his fans happy. If I had to choose between the two, I'd rather trade the press for better treatment of his character within the show. If any of the changes in the show were geared towards me, well they missed and missed badly. I'm really not sure who they are gearing the show to any more, but so far I'm not getting what I want from them any more than a lot of other groups are either.

The arguments that the episodes from the first half of this season weren't Stargate is something I find to be totally legitimate. But trust me they weren't Farscape and they weren't geared to audiences of Farscape or BB. Or if they were, boy did they miss the mark!

No warm and fuzzy feelings for this BB fan about season 10. They sandbagged me once, I figure they are more than willing to sandbag me again. If I didn't admire Ben so much as an actor, I'd have put myself out of this misery several episodes ago. And unfortunately I'm afraid that's what they are counting on. They feel they don't really need to do anything other than point to him every once and awhile to keep me as an audience member. And I really hate that! End rant.

This makes a lot of sense to me! I can easily see why FS fans AND SG1 fans BOTH have reasons to be unhappy now. After viewing this season thus far I wish TPTB had brought BB in with more of his FS-character's personality and charm – that characterization was certainly much more interesting than what we've gotten so far on SG1. And even the little wonderful bit I saw of CB's acting in Peacekeeper Wars made me wish we had THAT character instead of Vala around the house. I watched PWars to get familiar with the actress before Prometheus Unbound came out, got all excited and was anticipating some wonderful stuff, so you can imagine my disappointment with the poor writing that showed up onscreen instead!

Since we have no reason to think that S10's storylines or writing will change direction (towards GOOD), it looks like one long slide towards cancellation to me. Habit and loyalty are keeping me around and just interested enough to go to the con in March, otherwise I really doubt I would still be tuning in. After that, we'll see. I know I stopped watching X-files towards the end, too, much as I loved Robert Patrick as an actor I just didn't think the scripts worked anymore and lost interest, I feel the same type of thing is happening now, at least as far as I'm concerned.

[Mr Prophet]

From Gateworld's spoilers re Vala's miracle child: "But no one can predict the astonishing -- and dangerous -- being that is brought into the world"

Myself, I think a lot of people could have - and, in fact, did - predict most of what's being spoiled there.

[ChevronSeven]

So they're making the child a harsesis, eh? And Vala will join the team to track down her daughter who's evil and try and reform her. Hmm...sounds a bit like a season of Xena, where she went in search of her daughter (who aged thanks to Xena being stuck in an ice cave) who had become evil and bent on conquering the world.

[smurf]

Reading the spoilers, I was going to respond with a sarcastic "Oh, good", but I really don't care any more. So I'll have to go with a "that's nice, dear" **pats head**

Somebody wake me up when the 200th episode comes around.

On a vaguely positive note:

Spoiler:

At least Bra'tac hasn't been killed off, and we aren't going to spend a season playing hunt/protect the baby.