Originally posted by Luciana
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the best I could imagine - no, wait - the best would be having the real Paul here xD
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Bringing you some pancakes?sigpicComment
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Thanks for the interview link. I would love to see Paul guest star in either Heroes or desperate Housewives.
spoilers for season 5
Spoiler:
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Wow, very deep conversation on violence, ethics, and television deaths. Not sure if I'll be coherent, but my random thoughts:
I definitely would love to see Atlantis devote more time to debating the ethics of the decisions they make. I know they want to convey it's a darker world and hard decisions have to be made, but Battlestar Galactica does the same thing and they take a lot of time to agonize over the decisions. (It's my dad's favorite thing about the show, since he used to be an ethics officer for the Air Force.) I just love angst, psychological, character-focused drama over explosive action/adventure, and the Stargates do tend toward the latter. I fell for Atlantis more than SG-1 because it felt like they got into their characters' heads and hearts a bit more, something they're not doing quite as much lately, though there are still moments.
Beckett made a lot of poor choices, yes. With the best of intentions, yes, but ultimately flawed. I was always a bit stunned at some of the choices made regarding Michael, but loved that Beckett stuck up for the humanized Wraith in "Misbegotten" and hoped that we would see more of him sorting out the line of where he stood morally with the ramifications of his work. At the end of the day, Beckett did sign up to work on a military installation, and while he's insistent on his civilian status and independence, his skills were recruited to study life in that galaxy as well as heal the wounded. He has the skills of a geneticist and cell biologist, not just a straight surgeon or clinician, and that gives him the perspective of a research scientist as well as a healer (not a common combo in my experience, as most of the pre-med students I've met usually pick one or the other, applied science or research science). As they're facing new dangers and ailments left and right, he has to come up with new treatments and that's a tricky enough ground to cover. Add into that the military's interest in having bioweapons to face the Wraith's bioweapons, and the water gets really muddy. I'm sure Beckett felt he was helping the Wraith into a "natural" human state (something I think he understands better now, yes), but I'm sure there's also the pain of watching every injured young soldier, scientist, Athosian, or other Wraith victim die in his infirmary. How could he not want to find a way to stop this from happening again? I really, really wish we'd gotten to see more of him seeking that balance, finding his footing amid all those emotions and demands. We got tiny glimpses here and there, but there's so much more to be said and done, especially after the events leading him to where we are entering season 5.
At this point, I am so sick of character deaths in television (and some books) it has no meaning anymore and just pisses me off. Around the same time "Sunday" aired, Lost killed off my favorite character (surprise, surprise), the Star Wars expanded universe novels (which have turned quite bloody these last few years) killed off one of my favorite characters, and only months before Battlestar Galactica killed off (but brought back too) one of my favorite characters. So I'm completely burnt out on it and don't even see the point of most of those deaths. There is by far more to drama than blood and death. You keep raising the stakes until you've painted yourself into a corner where even death isn't enough to stun the audience, so where do you go? In my opinion, the far more interesting moments are emotional. There's plenty of drama that can be created in much more subtle ways that rely on the personalities of the characters, the bonds formed between them, simple things. Yes, these require consistent viewership and intense story-arching, and these usually spell the death of TV shows these days, but I really don't think that's too much to ask for story-telling. You should not have to pull stunts to lure in enough viewers to help you survive the season. And as the audience grows more jaded, the shows have to push the bar higher and do even stranger and crazier things.
Of course, then the sweet, quiet, and gentle moments and characters start to stand out again and are a refreshing, interesting change. Beckett's a prime example. As much as I loved him in Kindred, I really hope they let him work out his issues and bring him back to that emotional center in season 5 that gives him the moral perspective to question the others now that Weir isn't around to do so. (Have I mentioned how much I miss her and her stubborn diplomatic priorities, despite the mistakes in judgement she made too?)Spoiler:
I do think the increase in violence reflects society as it is now. I can't speak for other countries, but Americans, at some basic level, are cynical, bitter, and jaded right now. And yes, right now we're very used to being bombarded with war rhetoric and us-vs.-the enemy kinds of ideas. Optimism and hope for finding the good in everyone isn't exactly at the forefront of most Americans' minds right now, unfortunately. Heck, we've needed frakkin' movies lately to remind us exactly why torture is wrong! We're desensitized. So it isn't surprising to see the military of SGA taking on the whatever-it-takes perspective. And, put in their shoes, seeing my people killed and, frankly, eaten, my home threatened, I would want to put up a fight too, eliminate the threat. It's the natural defensive response. That's where the civilians come in, I think. You keep multiple points of view and opinions coming so no one group makes every decision, and no one can act too suddenly or emotionally. It's the idea behind separation of powers in government (not that that's worked all that well in the US recently).
I don't write it off as, "this is just sci-fi, after all". Sci-fi is a powerful tool to play out issues of our times in a socially-acceptable scenario. We can handle difficult issues there that are too touchy in "the real world". And dark sci-fi can be very strong. Look at BSG, Farscape, Deep Space Nine in its strongest years, Babylon 5. If it's played right and the allegories made correctly and subtly, it can open up a great dialogue. Light sci-fi has its place too. Look what original series Star Trek did, giving an air of hope for a better future. I'm not sure which is best right now, which the world needs more, but if Atlantis can find a way to blend both elements into a realistic, yet inspiring middle ground, I think that will reach the most people and touch on the issues in the right way.
My 2 cents (or 2 dollars, looking back at the length now.
)
And can I just say how awesome you guys are that we're having this conversation mixed in with talks of bathing a hot actor?
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He could bring me EVERYTHING ...Originally posted by Luciana View Post
I also belief thatThanks for the interview link. I would love to see Paul guest star in either Heroes or desperate Housewives.
spoilers for season 5
Spoiler:
Spoiler:Spoiler:Comment
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Never stop hoping or never say never...
or something like that.
He will return...
that's the post important thing of all.
Did you watch ADB?
I was working in Photoshop and when I finishes my msn didn't want to start.
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Don't feel bad, Msn messing up on me quite a bit too. Knowing he will be back makes things great. As for future season (I will put it in spoilers tags just in case.)Originally posted by Luciana View PostNever stop hoping or never say never...
or something like that.
He will return...
that's the post important thing of all.
Did you watch ADB?
I was working in Photoshop and when I finishes my msn didn't want to start.
Spoiler:
Seti-
Beautiful post. TV and movies get one idea or concept and recycles the dickens out of it. I wish they (writers) would get it out of their head that stunt deaths are getting pointless. Some of Atlantis recent episodes have reused some of SG1 plots. I don't remember where I found this but It is a neat comparison between Star Wars and Harry Potter.
Spoiler Tag because of how big the picture is:
Spoiler:
I do like the Michael storyline because we got to see the aftermath of what us human tried to do to him. I know Carson just wanted to help the wraith and humans. I would love to seem more aftermaths of other things we have done good or bad.Comment
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MyMSN does this too... but I just can't live without it. And I hope so too^^Originally posted by miss_kaylee View Post
*rofl* this is soo coooooool .thanks for the pictureSeti-
Beautiful post. TV and movies get one idea or concept and recycles the dickens out of it. I wish they (writers) would get it out of their head that stunt deaths are getting pointless. Some of Atlantis recent episodes have reused some of SG1 plots. I don't remember where I found this but It is a neat comparison between Star Wars and Harry Potter.
Spoiler Tag because of how big the picture is:
Spoiler:
I like it too. It's like the black sheep - noones wants it but it is there and fights for his right of existance.
I do like the Michael storyline because we got to see the aftermath of what us human tried to do to him. I know Carson just wanted to help the wraith and humans. I would love to seem more aftermaths of other things we have done good or bad.
Don't worry. I had to go off too because I suddenly remembered that we had a meeting at Kaufland/work (our new boss indroduced himself)Luci
Did you watch ADB?
I was working in Photoshop and when I finishes my msn didn't want to start.
I did not watch ADB - I tried and it works on the computer but it takes a while til it loaded up everything and the aforesaid meeting broke into my plans
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I'm sure, MSN hates me.
Ask Fainne...she knows what I'm talking about.
I love the deep thoughts here.
Between the desire of shaving him and the happiness he'll return.
It's very diversified in here.
I'm watching ADB right know.
It's killingly funny.sigpicComment
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I am supposed to get my copy of ADB tomorrow. I order it though work. Don't have to pay shippingOriginally posted by Luciana View Post
I have seen it but I wanted to own it. MSN can be a pain. A lot times I want to log in but it will not let me. I currently trying to find a good msn pic to use.
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I watch ADB online.I am supposed to get my copy of ADB tomorrow. I order it though work. Don't have to pay shipping I have seen it but I wanted to own it. MSN can be a pain. A lot times I want to log in but it will not let me. I currently trying to find a good msn pic to use.
Pretty strange, with some asian subtitle.
I want to own it as well!
I have no problems with loggin in.
I just crashes down to often.
She's so right!As Abby from NCIS would say: our brains work like pinball machines... xD
What about that one?sigpicComment
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Currently, I am using:
I might go back to this one:
I like the Carson one.
. I have to leave for work. I hope eveyone has a nice evening/afternoon. I'll have to add anyone here on msn when I get home tonight.
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wow, thanks for the long write and chain of thought.
it is nice to have discussions like this over here. (and indeed amidst a thread of shaving and bathing *grinn*).
i loved the first 2-3 seasons of SGA, but lately the episodes seem hurried and unballanced.
like you i really wished tptb would bring again some ethic and discusion issues within the show instead of just the big explosions and killing people. (i read in an interview somewere that even the SGA writers admited they had blown up more stuff and killed more people last 1.5 season then ever before. maybe they should step away from that somewhat now. ).
there seems also to be some weird statement from Martin Gero, in an interview. (came over on the savecarsonbecket.com website) stating:
"In the newest Stargate Magazine there's a section of an Interview with
Martin Gero about Keller and Beckett. He said "Everyone's going to be
a Keller fan, regardless of your thoughts on Beckett"
*grinn* seems to me the poor fellow has fallen hard for a pretty face
)
i doubt if this is true though. on the forums the carson beckett fans outnumber the keller fans about 10 to 1, and i wonder why the writers seem to think Keller is a hugely popular caracter. the only fans from her seem to have come over from Firefly.sigpicComment
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Aaaaaw...the last one!Originally posted by miss_kaylee View PostCurrently, I am using:
I might go back to this one:
I like the Carson one.. I have to leave for work. I hope eveyone has a nice evening/afternoon. I'll have to add anyone here on msn when I get home tonight.
I love this one.
I like her already. She saying something nice in "Missing"..."In the newest Stargate Magazine there's a section of an Interview with
Martin Gero about Keller and Beckett. He said "Everyone's going to be
a Keller fan, regardless of your thoughts on Beckett"
can't remember exactly...
Spoiler:
But she's not Carson.
And if I had to make a decision...
you know?Last edited by Luciana; 13 March 2008, 01:09 PM.sigpicComment
xD
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