Season Five : Complaints and Misgivings

[Suzotchka]

I'd like to know why the guys get all the 'hot' girls and we get Woolsey.

[justhere1971]

I'd like to know why the guys get all the 'hot' girls and we get Woolsey.

ITA! I want more Shep types.

[marielabbott]

Thanks for these threads!

Concerns for season 5:

No Weir. And no proper pay-off to the end of BAMSR.

I weary of SG-1 crossovers, and we'll have Daniel next year.

Introduction of new characters that may further dilute/damage the character dynamics I used to love.

Woolsey as commander--I have no idea how that is going to play out.

Larrin returns.

Keller becomes a regular/Carson is only there for 5 eps.

More Earth based episodes like this year.

More episodes that focus only on a few characters instead of the expedition or Sheppard's team.

Canon romance.

[The_Carpenter]

My main misgiving about Season 5 is Carter no longer being in command, firstly because I think she was just settled in to her new role and had alot of potential as the Atlantis Commander in Season 5. Secondly three commanders in as many years is a bit unbelievable for such a important outpost.

[SMB_BOOKS]

I'd like to know why the guys get all the 'hot' girls and we get Woolsey.

LOL - now THAT was funny.

My Season 5 Concerns:

Woolsey in charge - seriously how long can the inept, bumbling, administrative bureaucrat storyline last? It might be amusing for an episode or two, but after that, it is going to get OLD. Although, if TPTB really view the leader of the expedition as support only, at least he won't be onscreen much.

Larrin. Can't stand the character. Hate the hormonal, sexual innuendo comments and behaviors her character inspires. I like to see women portrayed in a strong, confident, intelligent and compassionate manner. The way Larrin has been written and portrayed, I get NONE of those things from her.

Keller is a regular. I can't remotely identify with or warm up to this character. First it was the whining, then it was the flirting, throughout I've picked up on the immaturity. Just can't believe we lost a strong female character, and gained another female character that doesn't even come close. Yep, I know Weir leaving has nothing to do with Keller arriving. Just making a comment about the shift of portraying women of substance to something altogether different. Not my cup of tea.

The potential for increased use of sophomoric, frat-boy humor. In small doses, it can be humorous. The use of it in SGA, however, seems to be on a distinct rise.

The potential continued use of belittling characters by other characters. It is one thing to tease each other and make a joke. SGA used to use these moments sparingly and at least to me, seemed to be less annoying than some of the things I've seen this Season.

No Weir (as portrayed by Torri) in Season 5. Again, a strong, confident, intelligent and compassionate female character sacrificed for some unknown reason. That decision by those in charge won't ever be made right for me.

At this point, I really don't think I plan to watch Season 5. Could there be something out there that might make me change my mind? Sure - I'm a strong, confident, intelligent and compassionate woman who reserves the right to change my mind - if it suits me!

[The_Carpenter]

I agree, it would of been nice just to keep the commander the same. That is no ones fault really, because of Sanctuary, they had to replace, and had no choice.

Indeed, but its still a shame

[mcbarr]

I'd like to know why the guys get all the 'hot' girls and we get Woolsey.

This phenomenon is not restricted to Stargate, apparently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLn8v4BPvUw

I agree, it would of been nice just to keep the commander the same. That is no ones fault really, because of Sanctuary, they had to replace, and had no choice.

Yes, it is. If the current showrunners had kept Weir in the first place (who was fully committed to the show), none of this mess would have happened.

[ShadowMaat]

Scientists on Stargate tend to get a very bad deal; even when they're allowed to be serious (instead of buffoonish incompetents) they're mocked and belittled. Even the lesser characters like Dr. Lee suffer. He used to be a pretty decent character, but the last time I saw him it was like he was channeling Felger (who is a sore point all on his own). McKay has always been a bit of a twit, but now he's being used more for comic relief and Zelenka... *winces* It's frustrating and not a little insulting. I, for one, am sick of seeing intelligence being treated as something bad or something to be ridiculed. It sends a bad message. Yeah, I have a sense of humor and yes, I can appreciate the occasional bit of poking fun, but this feels constant, like I'm getting hit over the head with the fact that intelligent people are undesirable losers.

Women, alas, aren't much better off than the scientists. There's an old thread about Stargate writing women that covers a lot of the salient points, but while that thread died quietly in 2005, the issues expressed there are continuing and in some cases seem to be getting worse. It might just be me, but I feel as if there are a lot of "bimbo" characters in Atlantis. Any intelligence they may have tends to take a back seat to their form-fitting wardrobe and if they're saying anything relevant to the situation chances are that Shep and McKay are too busy staring at her bulging chest (or her ass) to hear a word she's saying. And they ALL have some chemical imbalance that forces them to flirt with Sheppard and/or McKay. Again, I find it kind of insulting. Why can't there be more strong, intelligent female characters who wear sensible clothing and maintain a professional attitude? Of course, that's part of the problem right there, isn't it? Expecting intelligence on Atlantis.

[stclare]

This phenomenon is not restricted to Stargate, apparently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLn8v4BPvUw



Yes, it is. If the current showrunners had kept Weir in the first place (who was fully committed to the show), none of this mess would have happened.

Do we know if Woolsey is contracted for more than this season? its just I dont think the show itself could cope with another leader change if we get a season 6.

Also how many eps do you think he will be in. Carter was under utalised this season (good for me I cant stand her) but bad for the episodes as I think you could sense the loss of not having the leader there. I hope thats not going to be the case in season 5

Hammond was in eps briefly from what I can gather, but still had presence. I hope woolsey can pull that off in this role.

[marielabbott]

Do we know if Woolsey is contracted for more than this season? its just I dont think the show itself could cope with another leader change if we get a season 6.

Also how many eps do you think he will be in. Carter was under utalised this season (good for me I cant stand her) but bad for the episodes as I think you could sense the loss of not having the leader there. I hope thats not going to be the case in season 5

Hammond was in eps briefly from what I can gather, but still had presence. I hope woolsey can pull that off in this role.

I don't think we know anything about Picardo's contract at this point. JM has stated again and again that he views the leader as a support role, so I'm guessing Woolsey will not be present much...but at the same time, to make Woolsey a believable leader, he's going to need some screen time and character development. That's why I'm confused about this choice and what their plan is.

[mcbarr]

Do we know if Woolsey is contracted for more than this season? its just I dont think the show itself could cope with another leader change if we get a season 6.

Also how many eps do you think he will be in. Carter was under utalised this season (good for me I cant stand her) but bad for the episodes as I think you could sense the loss of not having the leader there. I hope thats not going to be the case in season 5

Hammond was in eps briefly from what I can gather, but still had presence. I hope woolsey can pull that off in this role.

Well, I think TPTB wouldn't know how to answer those questions themselves. They don't seem to think long term... However, if they give Woolsey a Lantean holodeck, Sheppard and McKay are finished.

[ToasterOnFire]

Oh, I had forgotten about Larrin coming back in s5. Thanks for reminding me!

Well the only real misgiving I have now is Carson. I just cannot see it working. Even if I buy how they do it (in season 4) having him back in season 5 is going to feel odd and unnecessary.

Carson's storyline could be very cliched and cheesy. It will all come down to how TPTB handle Kindred. But having him in 5 eps in s5? It feels like TPTB are shoehorning him in to "repair" the damage caused when they killed him in Sunday. And I won't be surprised if they kill him off again...

I'd like to know why the guys get all the 'hot' girls and we get Woolsey.

Because we're in the wrong demographic, obviously. But there's a good chance that Kannan is a looker. Isn't he one of the actors from 300 or something? Too bad he's probably going to die, if not die twice...

Teyla had a great potential during S1 but after that she has became useless. And her people? they had been forgotten for almost two years and suddenly they're back with a silly story-arc. Why should we care about them?

Yep, I don't care about the Athosians because TPTB don't care about them either. And what a choppy story arc for Teyla - neither her nor the Athosians have been mentioned in the past 3 eps!

Of course, that's part of the problem right there, isn't it? Expecting intelligence on Atlantis.

Heh.

[Jackie]

I'm happy...these are some very good post with real concerns to look at.

Teyla had a great potential during S1 but after that she has became useless. And her people? they had been forgotten for almost two years and suddenly they're back with a silly story-arc. Why should we care about them?

I loved S1. There was a great story-arc with a new amazing enemy. And now? Big emptiness with silly filler episodes

Exactly, the writer's figured out they ignored her too long but couldn't come up with a story arc that would be part of an over all arc for her. Just a filler arc about super baby and mysterious daddy. Her people being missing doesn't impact us becuase we haven't seen them since season 1.

If they left her people in the city and made them regulars trying to cope with people from another galaxy that has more advanced technology then we would care if they were missing or dead.

I have my concerns about the return of Carson too. I'm staying mostly spoiler-free atm so don't know much about how they plan to bring him back so I'll wait and see and hope that it's done well (Paul said at the P3 con that he thinks it's very interesting and very well done the way they've done it so fingers crossed)... my concern is that in general bringing back a character that's been previously killed off is kinda tacky and, by it's nature, kinda stretching the boundaries of suspension of disbelief (yeah, I know, we're talking about a show about wormhole travel and life-sucking aliens! ).

I like the character and I was sad when they killed him but I kind of fear that bringing him back will lesson the impact of his death and the method they use to bring him back will seem cheesy or silly.

But, but, but he never really died...he was kidnapped by aliens. lol.

My main concern is the continuation of the Asuran storyline... sans Weir I hope hey can pull it off, and that they still leave it so that she is alive somehow. I don't see how they could, but I hope they can.

I think it will be difficult to get us engaged in that story line with no weir in it. I often wonder if tptb realize that Dr. Weir was so loved and drew in a great crowd of fans? They obviously new Beckett was well loved and admittedly "killed" him off to shake things up and get higher ratings. But they way tptb wrote weir out and what little grace they have shown towards the actress I can't help but wonder if they honestly thought the fans wouldn't care about the character being gone.

IMO continuing the weir arc without weir is a reflection of season 4. JM stated, "Weir will have her very own arc and be in 4 episodes." which in reality boiled down too...Weir was conveniently left in enemy hands and we will not touch on her for a most of the season. Then we will show the team believing she's dead but we will leave a little hook for the audience to show she's still alive and she won't really be in four eps...just 1 where she is unconscious and 1 where she's a repi/human combo meal. We will give her 10 minutes for the ep where the team thinks she's dead and that's it--nothing more.

I'm glad we got this thread!

What concerns me....

Asurans/Replicators - this was just carrying over more baggage from SG1.

JM and gang are poking fun of Zelenka and I don't like it. How are they going to treat him in season 5?....

I'm tired of the producers bringing in young babes, like Larrin, Keller, the new Vega chick. They are only there for boob appeal...............

I don't want to see anymore episodes that feel they were written by college freshmen in Creative Writing I!.......

I'm a little baffled by what they are doing to Zelenka and considering tptb repuation of butchering characters I get the feeling his head is on the butcher block. My theory is that due to Zelenka being so popular with the fans and the fact they don't want Zelenka to be full time they are butchering him so fans would demand he become a reg on the show.

I have noticed the influx of "hot chicks" to the show too. Characters we like would like to see on the show...like Officer Novak (hiccups) we never see or hear from again. Of course the clevage is aimed at the target demographic and everyone knows sex sells.

The repi/asurans are another fine example of the lack of creative writing that has been churned out. Couldn't think of another enemy that would be interesting like the wraith or have have puppets or anything requires the actor to don lots of make up...so, we got human replicators. (I preferred the bug ones...they were far more menacing)

Freshman might turn out better writing to be honest.

..........

I thought Weir was supposed to be 'developed' by what they did to her in FS/Adrift, instead, it's pretty obvious it was just a method to get rid of her in an interesting enough way they could justify it as an 'arc' when the objective was to ditch her all along. I can't find any other explanation for the way they've ignored all the cool plotlines made possible in LL/Mortal Coil/BAMSR. If Carson could get 5 eps after he was blown up [it *sounded* fatal at the time], how much more could they have done with Weir and the changes that happened to her [especially considering all the clones running around, lol] and the shifts in power in Pegasus?.......

you hit the nail on the head. The repi wier arc had good potential but they never really wanted to follow it up. Then pushing that arc back till season 5 shows just how enthused they are about writing it too.

OR...my conspiracy theory is.....th=ptb didn't want the arc to have weir in it to begin with so they figured if they pushed it back far enough they could make it seem like the actress ditched them and it wasn't their fault.

Why even have a story arc that you don't plan on visiting for a whole year? That makes absolutely no sense unless you really do want the actress to turn the script down.

So, it's possible that they did intend for Wier not to be in the arc but just needed an out where they wouldn't look worse in the fans POV.

I can't help but frrl like the actress has been manipulated and so have we.

I'd like to know why the guys get all the 'hot' girls and we get Woolsey.

But we get don't just get woosley...we get Rodney's political clone. Everybody just LOVESSSSS Rodney. Or at least tptb think so.

My only complaint is Weir not returning next season. There was so much potential in that story arc that could of likely gone on for several episodes. I am afraid if they visit the story arc without Weir, it will not be as interesting and likely very dull.

I would guess...short lived and dull with hot new actress with huge cleavage, in tight leather and high heels delivering Weir like lines.

LOL - now THAT was funny.

My Season 5 Concerns:............

Keller is a regular. I can't remotely identify with or warm up to this character. First it was the whining, then it was the flirting, throughout I've picked up on the immaturity. Just can't believe we lost a strong female character, and gained another female character that doesn't even come close. Yep, I know Weir leaving has nothing to do with Keller arriving. Just making a comment about the shift of portraying women of substance to something altogether different. Not my cup of tea.
...........

Ah, yes...keller...the teenage wonder doc. I suppose she's thier version of doogie houser...md.

Yep, whinny and immature about somes up the character. Funny, I loved JS as the wraith girl who wanted to be human.

Anyways, between Rodney, Keller and Woosley the show should have lots and lots of whining, crying, shivering, shaking, thumb sucking moments to share with us.

Oh, so much to look forward too.

[blue-skyz]

Larrin. Can't stand the character. Hate the hormonal, sexual innuendo comments and behaviors her character inspires. I like to see women portrayed in a strong, confident, intelligent and compassionate manner. The way Larrin has been written and portrayed, I get NONE of those things from her.

I disagree. Larrin is all of those things: strong, confident, intelligent and compassionate. She’s not one of us and she’s not of our culture. The first three, strength, confidence and intelligence are obvious from her position as captain of a ship with the Travelers, the respect that her people give her and her ability to go toe-to-toe with Sheppard. Her compassion and motivation are driven by her own people. As she said, “Look, I know you don't agree with my tactics, but I wasn't lying about why I need this ship. I'm doing this for my people.”

One of my misgivings is the opposite of most of those expressed here.
My fear is that we will not see enough of Larrin in S5.

Larrin and the Travelers have so much potential, I hope TPTB don’t waste it.
I would like to see them figure prominently in at least 4 episodes of S5.

I fear they will miss this opportunity to have Sheppard temporarily interested in a woman that is his equal, a woman that is truly an interesting character.

(A complementary misgiving is that TPTB will provide suggestions that Sheppard is interested romantically with any of the female characters on Atlantis, especially Teyla. Hopefully, no main character ships will ever be canonized.)

[Falcon Horus]

Season 5 as it stands now...

Woolsey - Uhm yeah... well... In my eyes he's the kind of guy who flees from the scene and lets his army/expedition deal with the crisis. He's a coward and a beaurocrat (sp?), a paper-pusher.

Also what happened to the militarization of Atlantis all of a sudden? I asked that same question in JM's blog and he told me to wait and see. It would be explained in season 5. I bet it will. And I'm still waiting for Teyla's arc too.

Weir - No Weir cause TH ain't coming back to reprise her role as the wonderful diplomat. And I can't blame her. FCOL, ONE episode to deal with the Asuran-end of BAMSR? Come on, that's just ridiculous. That last scene was grand in potential and it was a powerful moment. It made for a great cliffhanger too. Unfortunately TPTB didn't deliver the closing in season 4 but chose to do the rest in season 5... Well, it seems they didn't have a clue to begin with.

Carter - well, can't say I'm sad seeing her go. Didn't like her on Atlantis in the first place.

Keller - regular as of the start of season 5. Wanna bet she goes boom in an episode called Saturday to shake things up a bit? Can't say I'm too thrilled about it.

Captain Vega - Is she going to be taking Lorne's place of being back-up team? Looks like she's there to cater to the key demographics.

Carson - he went boom... seems like The Kindred will reveal that little detail.

Larrin - If she should suddenly change into an actual leader-type, I might not have a problem with her, but as it stands she's nothing more than a sexual object that Sheppard can lust after. I highly doubt he's upset about being tied to a chair when she's around... kinky Shep.

It seems that boobs have become more important than brains, frat-boy humor is the key to everything and big explosions rule the galaxy. Characters are being treated like carbon copies of themselves (if they ever were more) and great stories stopped being born from great minds, cause those minds have lost quite a bit of their greatness.

Stargate Atlantis is but a breath away from becoming The Bold & The Beautiful: Stargate Atlantis or Baywatch Pegasus.

Like I mentioned earlier at the moment I'm still waiting for Teyla's arc and since she has been ignored pretty much throughout season 4, without much surprise really. Yes, Rachel's pregnancy got a bit in the way, but then I'm saying "What was the excuse the previous two seasons?". It's a shame how Teyla has been treated over the years, and how she will be treated in the coming season. There is no doubt that it won't change much, no matter the (empty) promises TPTB make about how they will change all that.

The reasons why I am not thrilled about season 5:

- I learned the hard way that looking forward to something, comes back to bite you in the butt .... and snuffs the flame that was glowing inside me. Yes, I'm talking about the death of Kate. I'm still very bitter over that decision and no, she won't be back. She's not one of those lucky characters who never die in sci-fi.

- empty promises made by TPTB

- the severe lack of quality in season 4

- the knowledge that they will squander their budget on big explosions and visual effects and are left with nothing and have to resort to filler episodes that bring nothing to the story other than to be boring and stupid, and usually ignore 3/4 of the characters

- more new characters, means less screentime for Ronon, Teyla, Lorne, Zelenka, Chuck, ....

- ....

I will be cautiously looking towards the news about season 5 and I don't think this was my last post in this thread. I will be back! (she said)