Anti-S9 thread. For complaints and misgivings ONLY.

[ShadowMaat]

OK. So there've been some "recent" developments now in regards to season 9, both in terms of casting and storylines. Am I the only one who cringes at each new announcement? The more I hear, the more certain I become that I want nothing to do with S9 or any future seasons of the show.

[Lunar]

Nope. I do as well. I've never seen Farscape so the *big stars* being bought in mean nothing to me, I didn't like (Prom. Unbound)

Spoiler:

Vala at all and can't believe she's meant to sustain my attention for five eps next season, I found her sexual innuendo childish and clumsy, funny at first, but it got old fast.

Combined with the fact that (sadly, I know, ) Jack's my favourite character and I'm a Sam/Jack shipper S9

Spoiler:

With no Carter for 5 eps and potentially no Jack all season, two of my favourite elements of the show are removed

[Jillybiehn]

I don't know, Shads. I'm excited about some of the changes they're making, but at the same time I can't help but think it feels like they're trying to slap a band-aid on a hemhorraging artery. And after watching the Atlantis marathon last night I wondered how much better THAT show would be if they gave up on SG-1 and concentrated solely on that. I guess I'm still taking a "wait and see" stance.

[ShadowMaat]

*eyes thread title* Hmm... suppose I should get a mod to snip out the (possible) thing.

As for waiting to see... Well, the way I look at it, I've already given them more than enough time to fix all the things I see as problems and instead they've been getting worse and worse and downright abysmal in places *cough*Sam*cough*, so... knowing what they've already done and seeing what I consider to be some very dodgy ideas for S9, I can't say I think they'd do a very good job of ANYTHING next season. Except making a right mess of everything. I think they'll do very well at that.

[ShadowMaat]

Here's something else... and I'll probably get sniped for it, but so be it.

If RDA wants to leave, more power to him. I'll bid him a fond farewell and wish him all the best. But I think he should actually LEAVE instead of waffling about. This three or four eps thing is, IMO, kind of ridiculous. Either you're gone or you're not. You can't have it both ways and trying to... please everyone only makes the situation worse. Just say, "It's OVER." and walk away. If you keep coming back, if you keep exhibiting signs of weakness, then the Ones in Charge will continue to exploit you, digging the knife in deeper and deeper.

And you KNOW (or I know, anyway) that the rest of the season will suffer for that handful of eps. All attention will go into making RDA's eps as spectacular (by their definition) as possible and the rest of the season can more or less go to hell.

Maybe that's an overly negative way of interpreting things, but if the past couple of seasons are anything to judge by, then the Jack-centric eps will be the best of the season. Relatively speaking. Or they'll be the flashiest, anyway.

I'd rather see the producers free to concentrate on OTHER things and on expanding things in new directions rather than "saving up" and waiting to expound all kinds of coolness on the Jack-centric eps because they know that's what the fans want.

Negative, bitter, pessimistic, but that's my outlook on the situation.

[keshou]

I don't know, I'm kind of excited about some of the casting changes. I think the new dynamics might be interesting.

As much as I'll miss Jack, it's clear that RDA just isn't very involved with the role anymore. No one can replace RDA, but I'm looking forward to the new faces. And I happen to like both Ben Browder and Claudia Black, so that is a plus for me.

I think they've made some huge mistakes with the Sam character but I'm still optimistic that her character could come back and be pretty interesting away from all the soapy stuff that's surrounded the Sam/Pete/Jack storyline of S8. Maybe.

My main concern - ALWAYS - is that there just aren't any interesting stories left to tell and that the writers aren't as interested in writing the SG-1 world as they are the Atlantis world. I think the Goa'uld have become kind of a tired villain and the replicators (who used to be a favorite of mine) aren't that great anymore either. I'm hopeful that the new writers will bring some new ideas to the table.

I do think the last half of S8 is looking pretty decent so far and I'm looking forward to the last five episodes. I still think they should have probably ended it with Moebius but I'm not going to spit on S9 until I've at least given it a chance.

[ShadowMaat]

I don't know, I'm kind of excited about some of the casting changes. I think the new dynamics might be interesting.

Oh yes. They could be VERY interesting. In the right hands. But I've lost all faith in the "storytellers" on the show. The past few seasons of the show contain far more examples of "bad" storytelling than "good", in my opinion, and I can't see them suddenly turning over a new leaf and making it all- or even mostly- good.

Granted, the first few eps of S8 reignited my hopes and made me think maybe they COULD pull the fat from the fire, but alas, those were false hopes and a few good eps does not a season save.

[keshou]

Oh yes. They could be VERY interesting. In the right hands. But I've lost all faith in the "storytellers" on the show. The past few seasons of the show contain far more examples of "bad" storytelling than "good", in my opinion, and I can't see them suddenly turning over a new leaf and making it all- or even mostly- good.

Well my faith is not at an all-time high either. I think the best writer (Brad Wright) is concentrating on Atlantis and it shows. I haven't seen the last half of S1 Atlantis yet but everything I'm hearing sounds very very good.

But I just keep thinking they might be able to pull it out. Maybe the new characters will mean the writers will spend more time concentrating on SG-1. New plot bunnies will burst forth from all those brains that exploded writing Moebius.

Daniel and Jonas interacting in Fallen/Homecoming was fun to see because it was different and they had good energy and chemistry. Maybe Col.M will provide a shot of adrenalin. I'm curious to see how Col.M fits in and what Daniel and Teal'cs reactions are going to be. How's Sam going to react when she comes back? This could all be very intriguing if it's combined with some "good" storytelling. If it's not? Well, it could suck like a Hoover.

I'm at the point where it's not going to be that hard to let go if it's awful. I hate to see a whole season of "awful" but it won't be the first time a series has stayed on the air too long.

[ShimmeringStar]

…I think we fans ought to seriously think about what level of evolution / changes to the show we're willing to embrace.
What if RDA left, mostly or entirely?

For some, it’s going to be “see ya.” For my father, and an uncle (who I was surprised to find watched and loved the show), SG: SG1 isn’t going to be the same without RDA. Neither participate in fandoms of any type and enjoy the show for a variety of reasons & both have made comments that, in their opinions, RDA carried the show. I think they, like me, will give the first few shows of S9 a try… But it won’t be with the same enthusiasm we all had for earlier seasons.

For me the current team configuration (w/RDA) was what hooked me to the show. I’ll give S9 a try, but it will be with very low expectations and if it doesn’t hook me in the same way… I’ll turn it off.

If the setting and essential formula stays the same, would you be happy to watch the show keep going for another decade and evolve into an entirely new cast, new SG-1?

I don't want to be entirely negative, but what can a bunch of seemingly exhausted writers and producers do with a new cast? TPTB say 'oh yeah, new blood, new action, new stories, new energy,' but if their own writing is on par with what it has been the past year or two --- the stories limping along, the show’s budget being sucked up by Atlantis…. It’d be hard for me to see the show lasting another 10 seasons unless there’s more than just an infusion of fresh acting blood. IMOHO there’s not another 10 years worth of stories left in them (if even 5, 3, or barely 1); they’ve lived this show for 8+ years and MO is that the breaks they are getting between filming aren't enough to recharge those 'batteries' of theirs or to allow them step back far enough back to see what they’re doing or what we're seeing with a critical eye.

[ShimmeringStar]

I would, however, be happy to watch a spin-off with the same setting and essential formula with entirely new people. Just as long as no-one tries to pass it off as SG-1.
SG-1, meanwhile, could live on in movies, direct-to-videos, miniseries or whatever TPTB can come up with.

If the actors in the spinoff series clicked for me like those on SG1, probably, but I’d have to agree with the posters who’ve said that the show would then deserve a name change.

My only concern with the movies/direct-to-video/etc. (which would be great to see) is that with the long amount of time it may take for TPTB to ever get something worked out in that area (years?), with the actors not getting any younger, it’s really going to be asking us to ‘suspend our disbelief' way past the point they already ask us to, in order to for us to believe that the AF/SGC would continue to allow these characters to still be going out on missions. And as the AF/SGC has made exceptions already by keeping these team members together for longer than they usually would have, instead of rotating them out to other teams, would we the viewers be willing to believe they’d still be together for another 2, 4, 6 years?

[ShimmeringStar]

As of now, the main point of having a season 9 seems to be for the sake of having it, and that seems a shoddy reason to do it.

I agree. Their probable profit-making motives aside, trying to make SG the longest running scifi show to beat X-Files’ record seems (to me) to also be top in their minds. Quality story arcs and production values be damned.

[ShimmeringStar]

Am I the only one who cringes at each new announcement?

No, you aren’t the only one. I’d love to say ‘yay hurray’ for different changes I've heard about and to think the best would come of the announcements. But I’ve been around here since March of last year, reading everyone’s posts and links, and the info on GW, & piecing together what happened when during the show’s production. While I’m usually an optimist, I’m feeling awfully pessimistic about how TPTB might handle the changes that we’re hearing about. If I’m proven wrong, wonderful. But that’s just how I feel about it at the moment.

I'm at the point where it's not going to be that hard to let go if it's awful. I hate to see a whole season of "awful" but it won't be the first time a series has stayed on the air too long.

I think you summed my feelings up for me.

[Kalliope]

Nope. I do as well. I've never seen Farscape so the *big stars* being bought in mean nothing to me, I didn't like (Prom. Unbound)

Spoiler:

Vala at all and can't believe she's meant to sustain my attention for five eps next season, I found her sexual innuendo childish and clumsy, funny at first, but it got old fast.

Combined with the fact that (sadly, I know, ) Jack's my favourite character and I'm a Sam/Jack shipper S9

Spoiler:

With no Carter for 5 eps and potentially no Jack all season, two of my favourite elements of the show are removed

Well, Farscape is not for everybody It's definitely more difficult and complicated show than SG-1 and it's THE MOST BRILLIANT TV SHOW EVER MADE!!! If you are smart, intelligent, and with sense of humour person, you can give it a try
And Claudia Black is extremely talented actress and a wonderful human being (I met her at a small FS con in UK on December 2002), so you should be grateful that TPTB invited her to SG-1.

[ShadowMaat]

Well, Farscape is not for everybody It's definitely more difficult and complicated show than SG-1 and it's THE MOST BRILLIANT TV SHOW EVER MADE!!! If you are smart, intelligent, and with sense of humour person, you can give it a try

Yes, well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion. But while I consider myself to be smart, intelligent and in posession of a sense of humor, it was exactly those traits which made me loathe the final season of Farscape so much that I stopped watching.

And Claudia Black is extremely talented actress and a wonderful human being (I met her at a small FS con in UK on December 2002), so you should be grateful that TPTB invited her to SG-1.

Even the most talented actor in the world can't save a character who is written badly. And I don't have to be grateful for ANYTHING if I don't want to be. Again, it's your opinion that Claudia is extremely talented and I need not share that viewpoint. Personally, I haven't seen enough of her stuff to judge.

Anyway, this is an ANTI season 9 thread. There is a PRO season 9 thread somewhere and you are more than welcome to dig it up and post about how wonderful everything is going to be, but this thread is for those who disagree or who are severely skeptical.

[Ancient 1]

Season 9: The beginning of the end?