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    What do you think of the dialogue on SG-1?

    One of my pet peeves with the show is the way the dialogue is written. I'm not talking about the villagers and aliens because they usually have a certain style and syntax that make them unique from us. And that's fine if they don't use contractions or speak more formally than we ever would.

    What I'm talking about is the regular SG-1 characters. To me, much of the dialogue clunky and unnatural. I end up wincing a lot. The words are too formal. The sentence structure isn't natural. It's too perfect. They all use the word "device" way, way, way too often. LOL In fact, if I were working on that show, I'd ban the word "device" and make the writers come up with more creative choices. Have you ever used the word "device" in your own life? I bet you haven't. You say "thing" or "machine" or something else that's unique to you.

    O'Neill sounds okay, but I've heard RDA did a lot of ad libbing, which could explain it. But man, when Carter starts explaining something scientific, she sounds like a science article. And I don't care how smart you are, people just don't talk that way in real like. The go in fits and starts and finish each other's sentences and interupt each other and stuff like that.

    Does this bug anyone else?

    #2
    My biggest pet peeve is repetitive dialogue. I've noticed a few times that they use exactly the same put downs over and over, sometimes even within the same episode.

    And can some please tell TPTB that it's exceedingly bad English to use the word you are definining within a definition...

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      #3
      Originally posted by ShardsofGlass
      What do you think of the dialogue on SG-1?
      I like it.
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        #4
        I think that should be more accurate about science and history. It doesn't cost that much to have a graduate student to check the script for minor errors.
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          #5
          I have notice they use a repetitive phrase for each episode (I'm confident... Me too... As am I etc), and I quite like it.

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            #6
            Originally posted by ShardsofGlass
            . And I don't care how smart you are, people just don't talk that way in real like. The go in fits and starts and finish each other's sentences and interupt each other and stuff like that.

            Does this bug anyone else?
            In my experience military and para military people tend to have a very professional, correct speaking habit. Even the speech habits of some long-retired personel that I know put me in mind of Carter and Hammond.

            As for speaking "in fits and starts and finish each other's sentences and interupt each other and stuff like that," that's a Jack / Daniel thing - kinda like their signature act.

            Device is fine by me. It would bug the blue blazin' daylights outta me if Sam called a device a "thing" or even worse, a "thingie." That's Jack's, and sometimes, Daniel's line.

            So, no, it doesn't bug me.
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              #7
              Regarding the use of the word "device" I think there is a specific reason for that. I've always been taught by my warrant officer during exercises to refer to bombs as a "device". It could be similar for other machines. Especially alien ones.


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                #8
                Originally posted by Flying Officer Bennett
                Regarding the use of the word "device" I think there is a specific reason for that. I've always been taught by my warrant officer during exercises to refer to bombs as a "device". It could be similar for other machines. Especially alien ones.

                Having been in the military myself and thinking about it. Your right Bennett, the word device was used alot by my fellow sailors.
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                  #9
                  Originally posted by mazzmatazz
                  I have notice they use a repetitive phrase for each episode (I'm confident... Me too... As am I etc), and I quite like it.
                  Yeah, the one you cite I remember. It was obviously on purpose and for a kind of humorous effect. I've never noticed any problems with the dialog.

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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Flying Officer Bennett
                    Regarding the use of the word "device" I think there is a specific reason for that. I've always been taught by my warrant officer during exercises to refer to bombs as a "device". It could be similar for other machines. Especially alien ones.
                    Good point. What *do* you call something that has a function you don't understand yet? I checked my thesaurus to see what other terms they might use instead of device.
                    Could you just hear Carter say: "I'm about to take apart the alien contraption now, sir. "Daniel found an alien whatsit near the Stargate." "I can reroute the power in this gadget, by changing this doohickey, sir."

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                      #11
                      Lol nice!

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by ShardsofGlass
                        One of my pet peeves with the show is the way the dialogue is written. I'm not talking about the villagers and aliens because they usually have a certain style and syntax that make them unique from us. And that's fine if they don't use contractions or speak more formally than we ever would.

                        What I'm talking about is the regular SG-1 characters. To me, much of the dialogue clunky and unnatural. I end up wincing a lot. The words are too formal. The sentence structure isn't natural. It's too perfect. They all use the word "device" way, way, way too often. LOL In fact, if I were working on that show, I'd ban the word "device" and make the writers come up with more creative choices. Have you ever used the word "device" in your own life? I bet you haven't. You say "thing" or "machine" or something else that's unique to you.

                        O'Neill sounds okay, but I've heard RDA did a lot of ad libbing, which could explain it. But man, when Carter starts explaining something scientific, she sounds like a science article. And I don't care how smart you are, people just don't talk that way in real like. The go in fits and starts and finish each other's sentences and interupt each other and stuff like that.

                        Does this bug anyone else?
                        I prefer that, but it's because I don't understand very well English, especially spoken, and I understand them when they don't use contractions or other colloquial expressions. I neither notice very much all the things you say about their dialogue, so my opinion is very diferent from you, that speak English naturally
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                          #13
                          I can only recall being irked by dialogue once on the show and that was Jacob repeating the almost exact same line about 'you can't just slap an Air Force sticker on the side of this and call it yours' in two separate episodes. That was just lazy writing imo. They couldn't have found some other way for him to phrase the point in Descent?

                          Other than that - I've found the dialogue to be slightly more intelligent than most SF shows out there, in the main. Part of what makes it a good show for me.

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by Tok'Ra Hostess
                            In my experience military and para military people tend to have a very professional, correct speaking habit. Even the speech habits of some long-retired personel that I know put me in mind of Carter and Hammond.

                            As for speaking "in fits and starts and finish each other's sentences and interupt each other and stuff like that," that's a Jack / Daniel thing - kinda like their signature act.

                            Device is fine by me. It would bug the blue blazin' daylights outta me if Sam called a device a "thing" or even worse, a "thingie." That's Jack's, and sometimes, Daniel's line.

                            So, no, it doesn't bug me.
                            Well said. I completely agree


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                              #15
                              I got sick of hearing the word cliche in the early seasons. Often words like proverb or aphorism would have been much more appropriate. Overall the dialogue is pretty good.
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