Browder's character should OUTRANK Carter

[auralan]

bonus points if BB is married

Yes!!!!!!! Please. Pretty please. I'll forgive ten pieces of technology that make no sense and five gaping plot holes you could drive a bus through for this! I'll even throw in a few inexplicable wardrobe choices involving leather -- hey, at least it's pretty.

[auralan]

MM????

LOL
can we finally have lt col Matt Mason?????

formerly Major Matt Mason

MM, mmhm, wonder if he's the crispy, plain, or peanut kind?

Ding! Ding! Ding!

I think we have a winner. That's exactly the kind of bad joke they'd inflict on the new guy -- and it would explain the bit about getting it cleared by the legal department before mentioning it.

Anyone want to start a pool on how long it is before we get a joke about the doll not being, um, anatomically correct?

[scorpy808]

If I may add my 2 cents in here ...

If the writers are creating this elaborate backstory to Browder's character, and saying that SG-1 already knows who he is and all that (and that he was part of a major mission, etc. etc), don't you think they're setting it up so that he could lead the team?

I think a lot of people are looking at the whole thing on a personal level instead of a "it's a t.v. show" level. Obviously, the writers and the cast aren't going to have any problems with whatever the new character does - it's the fans who will ... and I think the producers of the show have already mentioned that they try and do what's best for the show, not the fans.

Personally, I was hoping the new guy would be a baddie ... but with the SG-1 team down so many members, it was kinda obvious where they were gonna stick him.

[graculus]

don't you think they're setting it up so that he could lead the team?

I don't see how this follows logically from "elaborate backstory".

the writers and the cast aren't going to have any problems with whatever the new character does

The writers will probably try to act consistently within the world they themselves created. They haven't even begun to explore what Sam could do with her command. Why put a new character in charge?

I was hoping the new guy would be a baddie

I wouldn't want to see a baddie on SG-1. Obviously a person would have to go through a zillion hoops just to get to that level. Ben Browder's character will have to be the best of the best. He will probably have to have a special skill of some sort as well, unless SG-1 just decided they were so elite that they need a chauffeur.

Later,
Graculus

[scorpy808]

I don't see how this follows logically from "elaborate backstory".

I just meant that the writers are trying to make it so that the existing SG-1 people would be "comfortable" with the new character ... and that it would make sense that he may lead if he's already had a lot of experience or maybe has a high rank already.

I wouldn't want to see a baddie on SG-1. Obviously a person would have to go through a zillion hoops just to get to that level. Ben Browder's character will have to be the best of the best. He will probably have to have a special skill of some sort as well, unless SG-1 just decided they were so elite that they need a chauffeur.

I meant baddie like alien baddie - not a baddie on the SG-1 team

[graculus]

I just meant that the writers are trying to make it so that the existing SG-1 people would be "comfortable" with the new character ... and that it would make sense that he may lead if he's already had a lot of experience or maybe has a high rank already.

Sorry if I'm being dense, but I'm still not following your train of thought here. Why would SG-1 be more comfortable if someone replaced Carter in the command role? If he has a lot of experience, he would ask for and be given his own team, not join SG-1.

Later,
Graculus

[scorpy808]

Sorry if I'm being dense, but I'm still not following your train of thought here. Why would SG-1 be more comfortable if someone replaced Carter in the command role? If he has a lot of experience, he would ask for and be given his own team, not join SG-1.

I guess we'll all just have to see ... it could depend on what they do with Carter's character (to account for her real life absense from the show at the start of S9) ... If she's gone/injured/abducted/whatever then they might call up this new character to fill the void. My whole take on what I've read about it, is just why would they make an elaborate back story to the character unless they were going to introduce him in a pretty important role? I guess just being a part of SG-1 at all is an important role, but they (the writers/producers/tptb) have said that this new character was promised a spot on SG-1 after that big mission. Like I said in the first post, just my 2 cents. Doesn't have to make universal sense or anything.

[graculus]

just being a part of SG-1 at all is an important role

Well, SG-1 is the premiere team, and any member of it is going to have to pull his or her weight as a lead on Stargate. I see no need to displace Sam, who had been building her experience on SG-1 since Season One.

they (the writers/producers/tptb) have said that this new character was promised a spot on SG-1 after that big mission.

Exactly. They said he would get a spot on SG-1, not take charge of SG-1.

Doesn't have to make universal sense or anything.

I'm all for wild theories, but this one is really, really, really far-fetched. If Sam's doing a tour on the Alpha Site, then BB's character will probably be in charge since I think Teal'c technically counts as a civilian. But the minute Sam is back, she's in charge. She's proven herself many times in combat as well as in intellectual capability.

Later,
Graculus

[LoneStar1836]

Tossing in my two cents.

While I tend to agree with the points made in the original post (except for the remark about Sam not being an interesting stand-alone character), I would rather not have Browder’s character outrank Carter and thus command the team. I would see it as giving AT and her character the shaft. (They better give her the lead spot in the credits after the show's title if RDA is not coming back.) Anyway, I do agree that Carter is not a natural leader like Jack, but that doesn’t mean she’s incompetent and couldn’t handle the position, but hell they have yet to have her lead any substantial off-world mission with tough decisions to be made so the writers really haven’t allowed her to take on that responsibility. So I’m not sure whether she does or doesn’t have the “charisma” to lead; she just hasn’t had the opportunity to exhibit it, because she rarely if ever overstepped her bounds when Jack led the team. He led, she followed, end of story, usually.

During the first half of this season we get a brief glimpse of tactical leadership in “Icon” and then some headbutting with, I believe, Col. Reynolds in “Zero Hour”. I was wanting more episodes this season with her leading the team because I wanted them to redeem the character for me. For me the character has taken a down turn and is not as strong as she once was. I hope the second half of the season makes up for what the first half was totally lacking – off-world eps with Carter leading the entire team even though it only consists of two other people. That’s my biggest gripe about this season so far along with another aspect of her storyline which I’ll save for another thread.

But since I haven’t seen her in command and have only her past actions as a team member to draw from, then I’d say she probably is not leadership material when it comes down to tough, decisive choices being made. I don’t see her as quite being able to make the tough decisions like Jack did. Two examples: 1) "Scorched Earth" – blowing up the naquadah reactor even while Daniel was still aboard. 2) "Unnatural Selection" – leaving Fifth behind. Course then when they put her in command last season, she made what I considered an idiotic decision. I know it was split second, but it still irked me. In "Evolution pt2", she made such a stupid mistake in

Spoiler:

shooting the Goa’uld thus drawing the attention of the super soldiers when Teal’c could have just zatted him again

but I blame that incident on the writers.

Anyway, all that to say that while I’d rather have Carter in command, she might not be the best leader for the team. I haven’t seen her truly lead the team as a whole so I don’t know. If Ben’s character is a seasoned commander of a fighter squadron, then he might have more desirable leadership characteristics even though Carter has more off-world field experience. At least he has some command experience and is not some fresh officer out of the academy (or at least according to that statement by Brad Wright he does). Wouldn’t want him to “accidentally” get fragged because he couldn’t lead the team out of a paper sack. (Not that I want Ben’s character to get fragged because I’m looking forward to his addition to the cast.) Unless he is already a full-blown bird or was promoted to the rank of Lt Col. before Carter, then I would think they would not give him command. Then again, there are probably exceptions to that rule in the military in real life so it could add a different aspect to next year if by chance Carter out ranks him but is denied command. But knowing Carter, she wouldn’t put up much of a fight or act as a thorn in his side just to spite him. She’d soldier on and still enjoy the scientific aspect she brings to the team since that is her first true love.

But then again, he might outrank Carter, and she still gets command of the team. Get some major conflict going on rather than some nicey-nice transition of adding on another team member. On the bright side, if by some chance Ben’s character is in command, it saves Carter from having to write up all those mission reports unless all these years she’s been secretly writing them for Jack anyway. No wonder she never had any time to finish that book on astrophysics.

Again, this is just only my opinion, though be it rather too longwinded. TPTB will do as they please. We’ll just have to wait and see. Though I’m having a hard time just waiting for the second half of season 8. Is it January 21 yet?

And this is kind of off-topic, but it appears we at least have a hint as to the new character's name.

I was over at one of the Farscape forums and there's a new TV Guide out that has Robert Cooper talking about the new character and he said his initials are M.M.

Yay, Ben’s character finally gets some initials! I rather like Mark for the first name. Now for the last, they could give him a Louisiana flare and go with Melancon (pronounced Meh lawn’ sahn) minus any stupid attempt at an accent. That would give everyone the opportunity to butcher his name on the board since it’s not spelled like it sounds. Or they could go with a nice Italian last name such as my own. Now that would be cool. My own Stargate character. *just kidding about the last names though I do like Mark*

[Easter Lily]

MM????

LOL
can we finally have lt col Matt Mason?????

formerly Major Matt Mason

Hey, that's not bad... has a nice ring to it... could work.

[Easter Lily]

I think it is puzzling and amusing when we talk about how things should be. My question is... according to what law in the universe? Are we appealing to some innate sense of justice? Are we talking about TV show logic here?
So then Browder's character should OUTRANK Carter because...

BB's character has more military experience?
BB's character may have more charisma?
Carter is suited to a more scientific advisory role?
Carter is still developing leadership skills?
Carter lacks charisma?
Amanda Tapping is about to have a baby?

Are we talking about a perfect universe? Or something that makes for exciting television?

[david2708]

I think it has nothing to do with who is more entitled to lead the team.
It's all about what character/actor has the charisma to carry the show as the leader and bring in the numbers for the SciFi channel.
Carter/Tapping simply doesn't have those attributes. RDA did.
Don't know whether Browder can as I didn't watch Farscape.Tapping, however, is just not lead material in my opinion.

[Nathan]

Why is Matt Mason a joke that would need to be cleared? I work with a guy named Matt Mason

[SaharaGate]

I think Carter should retain her position on SG1. I think she makes (or will make...haven't seen too much of her in command situations yet) a great leader...she'll never be an O'Neill, but then *nobody* could ever replace Jack. She will be a different kind of leader, but a good one, in my opinion. I think it is much more rewarding to see her assume military command and watch her character grow and change because of it since she has been with the show so long...it's what she has been prepping for all these years.

IMO it would be more difficult for sg1 and for fans to accept a new leader, than it would be to accept a new member.

Whatever the command situation will be, I only hope that there is some tension involved in resolving it...as long as they don't make it a simple, easy transition, I'll be happy.

As far as being the headline act goes, I think if RDA does leave, it will be and should remain a level playing field. All the actors have earned our admiration and have kept us watching for 8 years, so they all deserve the spotlight...and I'm happy to give Browder the same opportunity.

[Flyboy]

You know there is an option we havent considered...

What if Sam is captured on a mission, either Goa'ulded or just plain imprisoned. BB is put in charge of Daniel and Teal'c in order to get her back?