First info on Atlantis's 'Runner' (Spoilers Inside)

[MajorSam]

Initially, I was angry. We've barely gotten to know Ford, and it looks like they're writing his character out of the regular cast. How screwed up is that?

But on the OTHER hand...
We've been begging for a Ford-centric episode this whole time. This is exactly what we wanted; an episode all about Ford.

Plus they're doing something we don't see very often on TV shows like this. They're shaking up the line-up of characters. They're showing us that, early on, something drastic could happen to one of the main characters that will completely change the team's dynamic. It took SG-1 5 years before they were willing to kill Daniel (for more than 5 minutes at a time, that is), and 7 years before the command of the SGC was taken from General Hammond.

2 seasons into Atlantis, and we're already seeing the chain of command change, a main character might get taken away from the team, and they're already introducing another alien to the fold. If they're making all of these changes during the 2nd season, there's no way we can predict what's in store for seasons 3, 4, and maybe even 5. 5 years into SG-1, and the cast looked exactly the same (give or take some haircuts on Amanda and Michael's parts). If Atlantis gives us something new every year, then it has the potential to keep getting better.

It also has the potential to get worse and worse, but we shall have to cross that bridge when we reach it.

Here here! I'm really excited to see how they make Ford really come out in this ep. He's just... been there, up till now, imo, but now he gets to have the coolest thing happen to him. The first season, imo, was just... almost "blah" with every episode being "ooh, we need a ZPM, oh darn, there's the Genai and Kolya or whatever again" I'm definately interested to see these new things.

I just really hope they don't replace Ford or anything. I want this to bring his character out, not push him back.

[astronomicalchick]

actually what really bothers me about the introduction of a new main-ish characters, well two actually, is there are several fantastic secondary characters, like Grodin, Zelenka, Bates, who I would love to see more of. They are just great! Plus, what about the existing main characters? These new characters better not steal screen time from my Rodney! Mind you, he steals every scene he's in anyway so I shouldn't worry. But I also like Weir a lot and I worry she's going to lose out. (my shippy concerns I have kept for the appropriate thread...)

[Fenwaybbg]

I'm looking at these forums and I was surprised to see that no one was at all optimistic at the prospect of replacing Lt. Ford. I'm as big a Gate fan as anyone, but a couple of characters in Atlantis bug me. Ford tops the list, and this episode has noble-death written all over it for Ford. It's not that I don't like him so much as his character sucks. He is supposed to be a tuff military guy but I just don't buy it. I refer to his bravery in the nanite episode, which I guess Americans haven't seen yet, (Go Canada, McKay rules). If they can get him appearing a little tuffer in this episode I'll be happy to see him stick around, but otherwise I relish the possibility of having someone on the team with a Teal'c-like tuffness.
But that's just me, any thoughts?

[Whistler]

Good point that may well be the purpose for it but according to Mackay

Spoiler:

the virus was not created by the ancients or the wraith

But that was only speculationon the part of McKay or Beckett, noone knows if this theory of "human wraith hibrid soldiers" is true, and if it is, it will cirtainly clear up any issue over the

Spoiler:

purpous, or creators of the virus, I personally believe it was the Aincients.

[Sela]

Ok, I just want to state for the record that I'm not at all happy about this replacing Ford idea. I just read about it on Gateworld's home page and I really hate this idea. I know it's not set in stone yet, but in case any one of the PTB tune in, I really, really, really hate this idea.

[prion]

You know, the damn shame of it is that after watching LETTERS FROM PEGASUS, where Ford gets to do something, I'm like, you coudn't have done this sooner?

However, if they get Carl Binder on the writing staff (big hint to the people who are writing/producing the show) it can only go up. He's put out two of the episodes seen only in Canada and they've been great, and he knows how to write characterization and action.

[Erik Bloodaxe]

Ok, I just want to state for the record that I'm not at all happy about this replacing Ford idea. I just read about it on Gateworld's home page and I really hate this idea. I know it's not set in stone yet, but in case any one of the PTB tune in, I really, really, really hate this idea.

We don't know if they're replacing Ford yet, and in fact the evidence is to the contrary; we were told that all 5 regulars are returning (along w/ a promoted-to-regular Beckett), and regulars aren't always in every episode, just most of them. So we should probably wait until we here about a few more season 2 episodes before jumping to conclusions; this could just be setting up a new direction for Ford, to make him unique from all the others, as fans have been asking for.

And, for the record, it's not impossible to have 7 regulars plus good character development; Star Trek once did it (back around the time of The Next Generation), Andromeda did it for a couple seasons, and Joan of Arcadia's currently getting by dealing w/ that many. So, if all those shows can handle that many regulars, then Stargate certainly can.

-Bloodaxe

[Darren]

Exactly true, Bloodaxe. Let's not all go jumping to conclusions that we're losing anyone from the main cast. We'll hopefully have something more to report soon, one way or the other.

[keshou]

I'm not sure what this means for Ford, but I'd prefer to see him as an interesting recurring character than wasted as a barely-developed regular.

I also agree with whoever posted up the thread that if they do kill off Ford it could be that they want to avoid the situation that developed with SG-1 where it was difficult to make changes in the cast after multiple seasons. This will show they're willing to make changes early on.

Except they can't kill off McKay! They can't kill off McKay!

Okay, I feel better.

Guess we'll just have to wait for more information. Coming soon I hope.

[Erik Pasternak]

I'm not sure what this means for Ford, but I'd prefer to see him as an interesting recurring character than wasted as a barely-developed regular.

I have to agree with you Kes. It seems to me that all we know about him is that he is 25, in the Marines, and is close to his grandmother. I could see him become a recurring villan, in a way. The better villans always have personal ties to those they are fighting. On another note, it'll be intresting to meet Colonel Caldwell and find out the current state of relations between Earth and Atlantis. I'd love for more frequent contact than we got now.

[Easter Lily]

We don't know if they're replacing Ford yet, and in fact the evidence is to the contrary; we were told that all 5 regulars are returning (along w/ a promoted-to-regular Beckett), and regulars aren't always in every episode, just most of them. So we should probably wait until we here about a few more season 2 episodes before jumping to conclusions; this could just be setting up a new direction for Ford, to make him unique from all the others, as fans have been asking for.

And, for the record, it's not impossible to have 7 regulars plus good character development; Star Trek once did it (back around the time of The Next Generation), Andromeda did it for a couple seasons, and Joan of Arcadia's currently getting by dealing w/ that many. So, if all those shows can handle that many regulars, then Stargate certainly can.

-Bloodaxe

I'm with you... I don't think that it's a huge problem to have that many regulars on a television show... To add to that list that you've started, I would say that B5 is another pertinent example that a large cast can work if the WRITING and ACTING are good.

[Mr. Seven]

This all sounds good to me.

I can't wait for Season 2. Although I am going to make a point to stay out of the Season 2 Forum after this topic due to spoilers......if I am strong enough.

[Erik Bloodaxe]

Um. I dont like it at all.

Season 1 seems awesome. This Season 2 from this episode is already driving me crazy.

Season 2 could very well be even more awesome, we just can't tell yet from the info regarding a single episode.

The Wraith game seems okay. It doesnt really seem Wraith-esh. The Wraith are survival, instinctual creatures. They shouldnt even have access to feelings like "Pride" because it hurts the race. The game seems okay though and hopefully, we see "Steve-like" Wraith nobles hunting Lex, not just soldiers.

No pride?! What about their whole consideration of themselves as being so highly superior to humans, when the evidence seems to be to the contrary.

The Supersoldier thing sounds really stupid. It'll add this stupid plot to the show because makes it seem that the show is running out of ideas and forced to relay on stupid plots like 'supersoldier'. It's cliched and I dont like it. But my opinion doesnt count.

Part of the problem here is the wording, I think; whenever Super is added to something -- in this case, Super-Ford -- it seems to automatically sound absurd. :-P However, the fact that he becomes a one-man army; that actually sounds pretty cool, and isn't at all unlike what was done before in SG-1 when they got ahold of those armbands, but it would seem that the Ancients would be capable of far more advanced genetic-alteration technologies than even that. What I'd like to see myself someday is if the Ancients had evolved to the point in which they had portable devices that'd actually allow for limited travel through Hyperspace, while the gates and jumpers were for much more long-distance travel.

-Bloodaxe

[Erik Bloodaxe]

Especially since we have the Kull Warriors on SG-1.
A textbook example of bad writing.

No, it wasn't all bad writing; it was the case that a new enemy badder than the Jaffa was needed at that time, but they just simply dropped the ball by having a weakness be found for them conveniently too soon. But we have the human Replicators now, which are even better villains, so all's good.

-Bloodaxe

[Erik Bloodaxe]

We can deduce ONE thing: there will be great events in the season 2 openers.
Stargate definitely adopted the "2 part closer - 2 part opener" season system.

Yes, that seems to be where the scale of their stories currently stands, which I have no problem w/. I just wonder how long it'll be until the finale/premiere stories get so big that they wind up taking back-to-back 3-parters to tell?

-Bloodaxe