The Anti Season 4 Thread (Spoilers). For complaints and misgivings ONLY.

[Anuna]

I'm cool with that Sky, thanx for the clarification.

[ToasterOnFire]

I want the off-screen show, it sounds interesting because so far:
- Weir killed ... off-screen.
- Huge land and space battles between the Wraith and Asurans ... off-screen.
- Teyla having a relationship ... off-screen.
- Carter doing something ... off-screen.
etc...

No doubt. Maybe TPTB that mean insider guy can "leak" that version of s4?

If we could have anything we'd want underneath our anti Xmas tree, what would that be?

I can think of lots of things, but here are my major ones:

-For the series to maintain the magic it had back in s1.
-For TPTB to actually learn how to write for characters instead of dumping them.
-For the female characters on Stargate (SG1 and SGA) to be written just as well as the male ones.

[Pajus]

No doubt. Maybe TPTB that mean insider guy can "leak" that version of s4?

For some bizarre reason, I think this show will never see the light of day

[Anuna]

-For the series to maintain the magic it had back in s1.
-For TPTB to actually learn how to write for characters instead of dumping them.
-For the female characters on Stargate (SG1 and SGA) to be written just as well as the male ones.

Magnificent Xmas package. I agree with everything, especially with the last wish. Female characters in Stargate suffer and I keep wondering why. All of them have potential, all of them are portrayed by amazing actresses. But lately male characters begin to suffer too... just look at Ronon. Grunt, grunt, run, shoot, eat, grunt, grunt. And that's supposed to be a guy who was a runner for years. One would think he is actually very smart (I think that), but I'm not seeing that in the show. PTB are treating him like big scary wallpaper.

[Pajus]

Magnificent Xmas package. I agree with everything, especially with the last wish. Female characters in Stargate suffer and I keep wondering why. All of them have potential, all of them are portrayed by amazing actresses. But lately male characters begin to suffer too... just look at Ronon. Grunt, grunt, run, shoot, eat, grunt, grunt. And that's supposed to be a guy who was a runner for years. One would think he is actually very smart (I think that), but I'm not seeing that in the show. PTB are treating him like big scary wallpaper.

You could say like Teyla. It's shorter and has the same meaning

[Anuna]

You could say like Teyla. It's shorter and has the same meaning

Yeah, what they are doing with her is portraying her like tiny scary wallapper. She's supposed to be the leader, but when did we see that? Hmmm. I see her like wise person who is very comfortable with who she is. She can calm people down, she can talk people into sense, she is a great friend. But we were never actually shown this side of her, that's more like fanon than actual canon. I wnated to see friendship between her and Elizabeth but all we got is several scenes with two of them. Talk about wasted chances.

[Gregorius]

Magnificent Xmas package. I agree with everything, especially with the last wish. Female characters in Stargate suffer and I keep wondering why. All of them have potential, all of them are portrayed by amazing actresses. But lately male characters begin to suffer too... just look at Ronon. Grunt, grunt, run, shoot, eat, grunt, grunt. And that's supposed to be a guy who was a runner for years. One would think he is actually very smart (I think that), but I'm not seeing that in the show. PTB are treating him like big scary wallpaper.

Well, we can't have Ronon outwitting Sheppard in battle now can we? Not to mention the horror of Ronon knowing local pieces of technology and how to deal with them better than McKay, that would be unthinkable. Can you images Sheppard and McKay being outclassed by someone who's not from Earth, a "barbarian", someone who shoots first and asks questions later? The whole universe would instantly collapse, it would be like "The Question to Life, the Universe and Everything" and the answer to it be known at the same time!

Anyway, for me Ronon has been the sole voice of reason in the show when it comes to tactics, logic and appropriate actions, but, alas, he's never listened to. Think of the Michael storyline, Ronon was against it since it was being performed on Atlantis, it made his nervous a human Wraith on Atlantis, which again was the correct call to make.

Sadly even this aspect seems to be deminishing, and I would love to see it again. Perhaps they even could have Ronon lead his own squad on Atlantis for special ops, afterall he was a runner and outwitted the Wraith for a long time.

[Gregorius]

Yeah, what they are doing with her is portraying her like tiny scary wallapper. She's supposed to be the leader, but when did we see that? Hmmm. I see her like wise person who is very comfortable with who she is. She can calm people down, she can talk people into sense, she is a great friend. But we were never actually shown this side of her, that's more like fanon than actual canon. I wnated to see friendship between her and Elizabeth but all we got is several scenes with two of them. Talk about wasted chances.

Teyla? Isn't she that woman that follows Sheppard around, acts as his conscience, and gets ignored all the time?

*sighs* She's a wasted character despite having so much potential but since she's a PG native she'll never get a chance to shine since, as with Ronon, we can't have a non-Earth human outperform an Earth human, we're special since WE have the ATA gene, and thus remains a nice little plotdevice for whenever a new trade-mission is undertaken - which always seems to end with blazing guns, betrayal and death (Sidenote: They should cast someone as Death, and this character should have the personality of the Discworld Death. It would make the show more enjoyable and they can add the humor parts to that character and refrain from it in the rest of the dialogue) - or when the ignored conscience is needed.

*sighs* I wonder why Teyla doesn't leave the Expedition, goes to the Genii and forms a rebellion to get rid of the Earthlings from the PG. That would make such an interesting arc.

[ToasterOnFire]

Magnificent Xmas package. I agree with everything, especially with the last wish. Female characters in Stargate suffer and I keep wondering why. All of them have potential, all of them are portrayed by amazing actresses.

Absolutely. Carter was largely wallpapered in s9 and s10, so far has been wallpapered in Atlantis, and from what I hear has been wallpapered in AoT (what an honor! ). Vala oscillated between OTT sexy and innocent gal in pigtails (Madonna/whore complex?) and was constantly attached to Daniel. TPTB didn't utilize Weir as a diplomat well at all and she was largely minimized as the show went on. Worse, she played worried mom who appeared like she only waited around worrying about the team (surely TPTB could have showed her other responsibilities?) or schoolteacher to Shep and McKay's childish behaviors (embarrassing for all characters involved). Teyla's had the worse development of everyone and she's been the show's eye candy even though she isn't overly sexual as a character, sending an odd mixed message.

That doesn't go into all the female guest stars that are paraded around in tight fitting outfits and/or are the objects of lust by Shep or McKay (or both, if only I could burn Inferno from my brain). Does the reverse happen? Rarely to never.

And don't get me started on how TPTB took Carter's command from her in s9 to give to a new man, but now she's good enough to replace Weir as head of Atlantis. It seems like TPTB had to keep the "male lead" spot for SG1 so Carter got bumped, but since Shep and McKay are considered the male leads for SGA there's no problem swapping one woman for another. Blech.

Lots of trends in SG1 and SGA over the years in how they've treated female characters. I chalk it up to lack of interest in writing women at best, ineptitude or sexism at worse. Yikes.

But lately male characters begin to suffer too... just look at Ronon. Grunt, grunt, run, shoot, eat, grunt, grunt. And that's supposed to be a guy who was a runner for years. One would think he is actually very smart (I think that), but I'm not seeing that in the show. PTB are treating him like big scary wallpaper.

I think Ronon started out as a big grunting cliche (Ronon SMASH!!) but at least he had eps like Sateda and Reunion to develop his past and his character. And I think he's starting to move beyond the cliche, though he's certainly not past it. Recently it seems like the only writing TPTB have done for Ronon is to tell McKay to stuff it. That got old a while ago. They certainly don't give JM a lot to work with.

[Anuna]

Ah, well said Gregorius, those are intriguing thoiughts indeed. Of course the universe would collapse if Ronon outsmarted Sheppard and if Teyla was actually listened to.

Great that you mentioned Michael. See, that's one of the reasons why I'd chose Ronon as my buddy, if I could chose among SGA characters. He is smart, in some things he is smarter than pretty hair and always hungry genius, and unlike the pretty hair thinks first and then acts. But I guess the SGA universe would simply implode if somebody who is pG native outwitted Earthlings.

I like them all and it makes me sad when I realize over and over and over how many wasted opportunities are around. That makes me want to write... yes, writing will help.

[Falcon Horus]

If we could have anything we'd want underneath our anti Xmas tree, what would that be?

Kate, Kate, Kate, ... *thinks* ... Kate, Kate and more Kate.

Now for what I want on the show:
* Kate ... sorry, couldn't resist
* more Teyla
* more continuity and development
* out with Carter, and back in with Weir
* less Rodney & John
* ...

And if there is anything I could put under the tree, it would be Kate Heightmeyer for Falcon Horus

That is so sweet.

...I join your wishes for FH - I'd love if we could give her Kate under the Anti tree.

Yay, Kate under the Anti tree.

[Anuna]

Absolutely. Carter was largely wallpapered in s9 and s10, so far has been wallpapered in Atlantis, and from what I hear has been wallpapered in AoT (what an honor! ). Vala oscillated between OTT sexy and innocent gal in pigtails (Madonna/whore complex?) and was constantly attached to Daniel. TPTB didn't utilize Weir as a diplomat well at all and she was largely minimized as the show went on. Worse, she played worried mom who appeared like she only waited around worrying about the team (surely TPTB could have showed her other responsibilities?) or schoolteacher to Shep and McKay's childish behaviors (embarrassing for all characters involved). Teyla's had the worse development of everyone and she's been the show's eye candy even though she isn't overly sexual as a character, sending an odd mixed message.

That doesn't go into all the female guest stars that are paraded around in tight fitting outfits and/or are the objects of lust by Shep or McKay (or both, if only I could burn Inferno from my brain). Does the reverse happen? Rarely to never.

And don't get me started on how TPTB took Carter's command from her in s9 to give to a new man, but now she's good enough to replace Weir as head of Atlantis. It seems like TPTB had to keep the "male lead" spot for SG1 so Carter got bumped, but since Shep and McKay are considered the male leads for SGA there's no problem swapping one woman for another. Blech.

Lots of trends in SG1 and SGA over the years in how they've treated female characters. I chalk it up to lack of interest in writing women at best, ineptitude or sexism at worse. Yikes.


I think Ronon started out as a big grunting cliche (Ronon SMASH!!) but at least he had eps like Sateda and Reunion to develop his past and his character. And I think he's starting to move beyond the cliche, though he's certainly not past it. Recently it seems like the only writing TPTB have done for Ronon is to tell McKay to stuff it. That got old a while ago. They certainly don't give JM a lot to work with.

Exactly. I see these trends as sexism (although undercover type) and clinging to cliches which are easy to do (Ronon doesn like it - Ronon smashes it).

I don't know if I'm more annoyed with PTB's treatment of "leading" females (meaning - females in leadership roles) or "supportive" ones - Vala irritates me 'till no end with her one liners and innuendos - what is she? daniel's third arm? I didn't watch whole S9 and I saw even less of S10, but what I think is that vala could have been more interesting, intriguing and darker; and not some sexcy and comic relief prop.

carter was inetresting in early seasons but became very dull later when she could figure out any kind of alien technology in no time. Don't get me started on S9. What i saw was pretty much non existent, almost invisible wallpaper.

I guess Weir was simply too smart for them to write, and poor Teyla... she's supposed to be smart and respectful, but how can you be respectfun if you're running around scantly dressed with minimum of spoken lines,a nd all you do on screen is look pretty - blink - fight - blink - look pretty.

[Falcon Horus]

Something funny hit me today while watching the Ark of Truth:

Spoiler:

Mitchell has command of the Oddyssey but at one point, after he's gotten it in with the guy from IOA, he (jokingly) offers Carter the chair (command) and she says "Nooo, but I got your back."

Why would she answer him like that? Were they joking about it? Or did she know about the troubles that go with command and she just didn't want to deal with them.

I know they were probably joking, but you know... It felt wrong since she's "in command" now in Atlantis. Dude... it's wrong!

[Anuna]

Something funny hit me today while watching the Ark of Truth:

Spoiler:

Mitchell has command of the Oddyssey but at one point, after he's gotten it in with the guy from IOA, he (jokingly) offers Carter the chair (command) and she says "Nooo, but I got your back."

Why would she answer him like that? Were they joking about it? Or did she know about the troubles that go with command and she just didn't want to deal with them.

I know they were probably joking, but you know... It felt wrong since she's "in command" now in Atlantis. Dude... it's wrong!

Whoever write that scene made a BIG freudian slip. Because to me it says

Spoiler:

Carter: My command in Atlantis is a big joke, but here, my dear Cam, I've got your back, that's the only thing they (PTB) think I'm capable of doing.

Okay, did anybody understand what I wanted to say or my brain is simply too mixed up from all the stuff I've eaten today?

[Anuna]

Kate, Kate, Kate, ... *thinks* ... Kate, Kate and more Kate.

Now for what I want on the show:
* Kate ... sorry, couldn't resist
* more Teyla
* more continuity and development
* out with Carter, and back in with Weir
* less Rodney & John
* ...

I'll put more wishes under the Anti tree.

*continuity
*character development that makes characters more like real people and less like bad comedy
*my OTP or at least some nice moments between them
*Carter back where she belongs and Weir also beck where she belongs - and that's the big office in Atlantis
*more quality screen time for all female characters
*real story arcs
*real moral issues raised in episodes and not forgotten
*Sheppard shown as a grown up person who doesn't suffer amnesia or uncontrolable libido
*Ronon being portrayed like he deserves
*more screentime for Dr. Z.
*Carson
*keep Keller but make her more like brilliant young doctor and not like a whiny baby
*Kate
*good stories.

Was that good?