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[Spinobreaker]

yes now back to the point...

the podcast has made 50...

[TameFarrar]

It may not have been announced yet but I am going to say this now ....
I must say...I may have been the most off topic of your guest this week but my goodness I think I had the most fun LOLOLOL

and Darren...I changed the signature just for you

La Bamba!!!! AWESOME job you two 50 EPISODES!!!! WOO HOO!!

[Darren]

Episode #50 is now available!

It’s time to party! This week we’re celebrating not only our 50th episode of the GateWorld Podcast, but also one year of shouting our inane opinions via MP3. We’ve been meaning to bring on more guests than we have, so to make up for it we’re celebrating with three, count ‘em three very special guests. Stopping by are Justin Nolan, co-host of The 5th Race podcast; Michael Hinman, founder and site coordinator for Airlock Alpha; and Tame Farrar, moderator at GateWorld Forum. We’ll talk about everything from podcasting and the end of Atlantis (beware of SPOILERS) to reality TV and getting ready for Stargate Universe.

Also this week:

Stargate News! The latest news from the world of Stargate

GateWorld Features! What's new on the site?

Interview Preview! Hear a preview of our interview with visual effects supervisor Mark Savela

This Week's Listener Question: Do you "ship?" What do you think romantic relationships add to – or take away from – Stargate?

CALL US! You can call the hotline and leave us a voicemail any time, day or night. Give us your thoughts on this week's listener question, leave feedback on the podcast itself, or talk about anything Stargate-related you want.

Dial: 616-712-1647 (long distance rates apply)

Thanks to everyone for listening and contributing to the podcast!

[Xiphias]

I do not care about relationships either way, however in regards to Carter relationships humanised her, making her seem like more of a plausible person, but with the Keller and... anyone relationships it always seemed forced. A bit awkward.
If written well, they do give characters more depth and add to the show as a whole.

[Kliggins]

Congratulations on #50. This is the first podcast I have listened to and it was fun. It is nice to have a voice to go with Tame's face. I enjoyed Justin from the Fifth Race and might pop over to his podcast for a listen. Thanks

[Optimus Chekov]

I personally dislike the entire idea of shipping and I do wonder why I have this deep seated non-likingnessness. Is it becasue it's girly and I try to be macho perhaps? Is it the fact that a second story is being performed and fans are sticklers for continuity? Is it because we're ignoring the story's real aims? Surely that cant destroy a show that beams out to millions when someone writes about Sheppard and Wier and it gets read by only a hundred?
In fact, what is there to dislike at all about it?

[Coronach]

This Week's Listener Question: Do you "ship?" What do you think romantic relationships add to – or take away from – Stargate?

Personally, I am not much of a shipper, per say. However, the idea of romantic relationships on Stargate have always been a contentious point for me, as I don't think the writers have handled these types of relationships well in the past. Furthermore, it's something I really would like to see in canon on Stargate.

Though I don't actively ship, I am fully willing to support a relationship that is written and executed well on-screen, and I've noticed several others here on Gateworld agree with this sentiment.

A good relationship, to me, is one that takes time to develop, and this definitely applies to on-screen romance as well. If rushed, it comes off as a bit forced, but it also cannot be simply alluded to for a decade and never capitalized upon.

I think, if the writers can strike the balance for what I (and apparently others) are looking for, then a romantic relationship on Stargate could fit quite well into the weekly storyline.

[Mac Jackson]

I've been waiting for this one so PLEASE read it: This Week’s Listener Question:
Do you “ship?” What do you think romantic relationships add to – or take away from – Stargate?

I am not one who wishes for non existant romances to happen. However when they ARE there and done as well as Stargate does them then I support it. It never drove the series but is a realistic, important part of our heroes lives that show them as human. However, it is crucial that the audience, in the end, gets the happy ending(closure/confirmation- Jack and Sam) that they've been waiting for, such as we did with McKay and Keller. Otherwise it's just mean.

Thanks

[majorsal]

This Week's Listener Question: Do you "ship?" What do you think romantic relationships add to – or take away from – Stargate?

i ship!

i think relationships 'add' to the show, to any show. ppl like to be in romantic relationships, so why should stargate be any different?

to me, asking this question is like asking 'do you like to eat?'.

[Spinobreaker]

ships are good, but shouldn't be focused on to heavily. And if there is a ship it needs to be clarified so there isn't to many... odd... ship ideas running around... like shep/ronan.... ewwwwww..... lol
But yeh ships good, to much focus on them bad

[samcarterrules]

Hi Darren, David and Tame,

Great 50th podcast!! I loved it! The guests were good, especially Tame!

Answering this weeks listener question

Yes I whole heartedly ship Sam/Jack! I think Ship adds to SG, as long as like Sam/Jack its built up slowly and most of the time a B story, then I say yes Ship is an integral part of the show and for me it makes the characters more 'real' to me and helps me relate to them better. After all, we humans are driven by our emotions, so why should our TV characters be any different, TPTB have often said that SG is a way for us the viewers to examine 'the human condition' and love is a huge part of that condition IMHSO. Ship isn't the only reason I watch the show though, but I do wish TPTB would do something/anything! With the Sam/Jack ship because for me 'the will they, won't they' and the dancing around each other is getting a bit old and boring.

Thanks!

[Spinobreaker]

there's a deleted scene from trio where Sam mentions shes going out with someone in Washington, jacks name isn't said but its implied
so yeh check it out

[samcarterrules]

there's a deleted scene from trio where Sam mentions shes going out with someone in Washington, jacks name isn't said but its implied
so yeh check it out

Yeah I saw that on my boxset, but...Darren and David will correct me if I'm wrong but...if a scene is cut and not in the actual ep then its not cannon and doesn't count. But it is a lovely scene, it had me grinning for days.

[Lucylee]

Listened to the most recent podcast. Loved the "guest stars." especially Tame. Once again, as an Atlantis fan, felt a bit sad at your comments about the show. But overall, enjoyed it.
Re shipping, I always had fun shipping/slashing Sam/Jack and Jack/Daniel on SG1 and then Sparky, Sheyla and McShep on SGA. But the fun really turned sour when they actually had a canon ship on screen. McKeller just felt so forced and unnatural that it actually diminished my enjoyment of the show. I didn't even watch Brainstorm, it repelled me that much.
So I think I liked the hints, the looks, the implication that a ship might exist in Stargate,because it let my imagination provide the details. I just don't feel the writers in this particular franchise were able to make it work and present a real relationship on the show. (loved John and Aeryn in Farscape, so don't mind canon ships if done well)

[Atri]

Great podcast and congratulations on making the magical number 50!

Do I ship? Yes, I do.

I believe I'm not the shipper who only watches an episode to catch that one romantic moment, but if you're somewhat active in fandom, especially if you're reading or writing fanfiction - like I am -, then it's inevitable that you get sucked into the whole shipper thing. In most cases you won't ignore a story because the writer ships i.e. Weir and Sheppard, if it's written well.

And why should you?

If the romantic relationship is build up well over a period of time, then it can only add to the story and the series. Of course, in Atlantis or SG1, which could be described as adventure or action series, it should not overshadow these core aspects that the shows are based on.

But I believe you can still make a great action series with romantic relationships present. Just look at the example of B5! It is one of the best sci-fi shows ever and the relationship between Sheridan and Delenn never overshadowed the other aspects of it.

Also, without romantic relationships, you can't make episodes like BSG's Unfinished Business . I cannot imagine such an episode in SG-1 or Atlantis right now, not without the deep emotional bonds between the characters.

As social beings, we humans are always searching for these bonds and the on-screen chemistry of some characters is simply there, even without the writers actively pursuing such a development. Just look at the huge followings some of the ships have, like Sheppard/Weir, Sam/Jack or Ronon/Teyla. One has to wonder if there's not something there, because otherwise so many people wouldn't believe that there is.

The - yet unconfirmed - relationship between Jack and Sam in SG-1 had its beginnings in season one. We have seen, from time to time, evidence of its existence but never true confirmation. It certainly added more layers to the series but also made many fans very frustrated because even after more than ten years there is no absolutely unquestionable evidence that they're together. Some episodes, like Divide and Conquer, would not have been possible without the S/J relationship and SG-1 as a whole would not be what it is now without it. The relationship also never seemed to be forced. It was simply there and I doubt that the writers actively tried to write it in in the very beginning, though they certainly did it later on.

And why shouldn't the writers utilize the on-screen chemistry of two characters?

In Atlantis, it was a whole different game. It seemed to me as if the writers tried to consciously write romantic relationships, but it kind of got confusing after a while. Ronon/Keller, McKay/Keller or even Sheppard/Keller? It looked like they couldn't decide which they really wanted and there was virtually no set-up for some of them, so we were practically blindsided by these new developments.

So, yes, I think relationships only add to Stargate, if they're done well. They're not only natural, they're almost necessary. You can't, for example, expect the Atlantis Expedition to become celibate, do you? In the SGC, people can have lives outside the mountain, but in Atlantis? Such celibacy would not only go against our inherent instincts as human beings but it would also be unhealthy.

So, yes, give us the relationships but don't overshadow the elementary concepts of the shows!

My question for you is: What do you think about the huge followings some of the ships have? The Sam/Jack relationship is more or less confirmed by the TPTB and it has the largest following in the SG-1 fandom. But what about Atlantis? Do you think there were some grounds to the Sheppard/Weir relationship, a ship that has an almost equally large following in the SGA fandom?