Originally posted by Scary Kitty
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For those who don't want to go searching through all four pages, the relevant sections on Sheppard...
Well, well, well. Isn't that interesting? It almost sounds like he's been reading our minds!
And on to Weir...
I'll admit,
Spoiler:
It seems in the last few episodes you're trying to say something about Sheppard in particular, but it also seems the more you dig, the more of an enigma he is.
It has a lot to do with his backstory, and the fact that when we're first introduced to the guy, he's the Everyman -- he's the ground through with the first-timer experiences the adventures in this other galaxy. When we get to know him, he's sort of a loose cannon, he has a bit of a dark side. Over the course of the show's history we've cut this course of exploring what contributed to that darkness -- that he disobeyed orders to go back and rescue friends, there's a lot unresolved.
In season 4 we explore the relationship with his family and the fact that he's essentially ostracized from his family and that he's turned his back on the upbringing they offered him. We go into his marriage and the fact that the marriage fell apart because of the back-ops operations and the secrets he had to keep from her essentially wore away at the bond of their marriage, but they're on good terms, it's like a lost opportunity. I don't know if you know people like this, but there are people who are just generally unlucky people in life. The worst things happen to them and yet they manage to persevere and it's really what shapes them.
Over the course of the season we had a chance to scratch the surface -- not as much as we would have liked. But he's -- I wouldn't even call him an antihero, because he's in a class all by himself. It's something we focused on in "Remnants" [5x15], where Kolya apparently has captured him and is quizzing him, and then you discover that it's basically his own subconscious coming to terms with some of the decisions he's made -- that the reason he's so driven is events in his past where he just won't allow himself to give up on situations, on people. And sometimes, despite his best efforts -- particularly people he can't save, like Carson, like Dr. Weir -- those kinds of things weigh on him. There are things that he just can't let go.
It has a lot to do with his backstory, and the fact that when we're first introduced to the guy, he's the Everyman -- he's the ground through with the first-timer experiences the adventures in this other galaxy. When we get to know him, he's sort of a loose cannon, he has a bit of a dark side. Over the course of the show's history we've cut this course of exploring what contributed to that darkness -- that he disobeyed orders to go back and rescue friends, there's a lot unresolved.
In season 4 we explore the relationship with his family and the fact that he's essentially ostracized from his family and that he's turned his back on the upbringing they offered him. We go into his marriage and the fact that the marriage fell apart because of the back-ops operations and the secrets he had to keep from her essentially wore away at the bond of their marriage, but they're on good terms, it's like a lost opportunity. I don't know if you know people like this, but there are people who are just generally unlucky people in life. The worst things happen to them and yet they manage to persevere and it's really what shapes them.
Over the course of the season we had a chance to scratch the surface -- not as much as we would have liked. But he's -- I wouldn't even call him an antihero, because he's in a class all by himself. It's something we focused on in "Remnants" [5x15], where Kolya apparently has captured him and is quizzing him, and then you discover that it's basically his own subconscious coming to terms with some of the decisions he's made -- that the reason he's so driven is events in his past where he just won't allow himself to give up on situations, on people. And sometimes, despite his best efforts -- particularly people he can't save, like Carson, like Dr. Weir -- those kinds of things weigh on him. There are things that he just can't let go.
Well, well, well. Isn't that interesting? It almost sounds like he's been reading our minds!
And on to Weir...
Spoiler:
What were your plans for Replicator Weir, had you been able to get Torri Higginson back for this season?
When we were first tossing it around, we wanted to open the door to having Weir be the leader of this "rebel group" of replicators. At the end of the episode they're jettisoned into space, and that's how we pretty much ended that story ["Be All My Sins Remember'd," 4x11]. At the least we wanted to leave the door open and potentially have them out there.
And one argument we had in the room was, this is the Replicator Weir, but what happened to the real Weir? In "This Mortal Coil" [4x10], the Replicator Weir tells Sheppard that her body was destroyed by Oberoth [following the events in "Lifeline," 4x02]. But you wonder -- was she telling the truth? Was Oberoth telling the truth? We had an internal debate in the room, and my thinking was, of course he didn't tell the truth. She was too valuable to him to kill.
And the rule in sci-fi is, if you don't have a body, they're still alive.
Exactly, exactly. He had to have put her on ice, to use later as a source of information or what have you. And the replicators were wiped out, so her body remains in stasis. And ultimately the storyline I would have liked to have pursued would be to have this rebel Weir and the replicators find the real Weir -- it would have been a race to recapture the body between our team and the replicator team, and ultimately how it would have turned out, I don't know.
When we were first tossing it around, we wanted to open the door to having Weir be the leader of this "rebel group" of replicators. At the end of the episode they're jettisoned into space, and that's how we pretty much ended that story ["Be All My Sins Remember'd," 4x11]. At the least we wanted to leave the door open and potentially have them out there.
And one argument we had in the room was, this is the Replicator Weir, but what happened to the real Weir? In "This Mortal Coil" [4x10], the Replicator Weir tells Sheppard that her body was destroyed by Oberoth [following the events in "Lifeline," 4x02]. But you wonder -- was she telling the truth? Was Oberoth telling the truth? We had an internal debate in the room, and my thinking was, of course he didn't tell the truth. She was too valuable to him to kill.
And the rule in sci-fi is, if you don't have a body, they're still alive.
Exactly, exactly. He had to have put her on ice, to use later as a source of information or what have you. And the replicators were wiped out, so her body remains in stasis. And ultimately the storyline I would have liked to have pursued would be to have this rebel Weir and the replicators find the real Weir -- it would have been a race to recapture the body between our team and the replicator team, and ultimately how it would have turned out, I don't know.
I'll admit,
Spoiler:
I have to give Mallozzi credit for being smart enough to recognize that logically, the real Weir could still be alive, and how it could happen (damnit, I so called that Oberoth would want her kept around for his own nefarious purposes!), but I also have to ultimately withdraw that praise, for Mallozzi bowing to Mullie's bully pressure to kill her off.
On the other hand... the way that GitM ended does still leave open the possibility that the scenario Mallozzi has suggested could happen. It was never definitively answered whether or not Franibeth really was the REAL Elizabeth Weir, or just another duplicate with Weir's memories that believed that she was the real Weir. Those 'flashbacks' in GitM, of being turned into a full Replicator and thus 'killing' Weir's human body, could simply be false memories planted to make the duplicate think she was the real one... With the Replicators' ability to manipulate human minds, it would be all too easy for them to do it.
It's certainly an interesting idea, with Atlantis racing the rebel Replicators to find the real Elizabeth... but as we all know well, Mallozzi's recent track record for turning ideas that look interesting on paper into good, solid episodes is, well, not good. (Whispers, anyone? The snore-inducing Woolsey storyline in Remnants? And let's not forget the clusterfrak called Enemy at the Gate!) If Mallozzi could dump Mullie and team up with Carl Binder to develop this into a future movie idea with a decent and respectful resolution, I might just be interested... But I sure as hell am not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen.
On the other hand... the way that GitM ended does still leave open the possibility that the scenario Mallozzi has suggested could happen. It was never definitively answered whether or not Franibeth really was the REAL Elizabeth Weir, or just another duplicate with Weir's memories that believed that she was the real Weir. Those 'flashbacks' in GitM, of being turned into a full Replicator and thus 'killing' Weir's human body, could simply be false memories planted to make the duplicate think she was the real one... With the Replicators' ability to manipulate human minds, it would be all too easy for them to do it.
It's certainly an interesting idea, with Atlantis racing the rebel Replicators to find the real Elizabeth... but as we all know well, Mallozzi's recent track record for turning ideas that look interesting on paper into good, solid episodes is, well, not good. (Whispers, anyone? The snore-inducing Woolsey storyline in Remnants? And let's not forget the clusterfrak called Enemy at the Gate!) If Mallozzi could dump Mullie and team up with Carl Binder to develop this into a future movie idea with a decent and respectful resolution, I might just be interested... But I sure as hell am not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen.
Are you hearing us Mallozzi? Team up with Binder and write this awesome stuff!! NOW!!
My OTP's LEAP with passion.
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