S10: Critique & Contemplation

[Ashizuri]

The bolded part was apparently why he got the MoH, and in doing so it evidently saved SG1, whilst all the other pilots in their F302's and the Prometheus were watching the whole thing, yawning in boredom, and checking their watches to see if it was time to go home yet. Oh, and apparently he did shoot down one alkesh.

Man, if only I could accomplish nothing and get everything....

Lame.

[jckfan55]

Just for comparison--the other day, I saw something about a soldier who just got the MOH (posthumously) for service in Afghanistan. iirc, he not only helped take out an enemy position, he went out into fire to get a wounded comrade & kept trying even after he was wounded. This was above and beyond what anyone could expect.

[Ashizuri]

Just for comparison--the other day, I saw something about a soldier who just got the MOH (posthumously) for service in Afghanistan. iirc, he not only helped take out an enemy position, he went out into fire to get a wounded comrade & kept trying even after he was wounded. This was above and beyond what anyone could expect.

The last one I remember being awarded, also posthumously, was for a man fighting in Iraq who covered a live grenade with his own body to protect his team. That's selfless heroism.

[EvenstarSRV]

I could have enjoyed the Ori story but even that wasn't done right IMO. They didn't show anything new, that we haven't seen with the Goa'uld. They wanted to conquer the galaxy and everyone to worship them. The only difference was that they were in a different plane of existence and we never really saw them and we never even saw them defeated. We just heard about it.

What disappointed me most about the Ori compared to the Goa'uld, was even though they both had almost the same motivation (galactic domination) the Ori basically used only one tactic, tell people to convert and then kill them if they don't. They didn't nearly have the personality of the various Goa'ulds, the different ways of pursuing their goals, from genetics research, all-out battles, trials, and even negotiations. It kept you guessing what they'd do next, while with the Ori the only things that surprised me were the guy in 4th Horsemen curing everyone and Tomin helping Vala.

What would have improved the Ori arc for me was to delve more into the followers. LITS was great because Tomin's doubts about the Ori finally gave the new enemy some depth to me. Until then, they were just monolithic all-powerful beings with pretty much mindless followers.

The way they were defeated I can only describe it as lazy story telling. The Ancients just happened to create all this really cool powerful gadgets that no one knows how they work cause they just do that were lying around waiting for SG-1 to find them all (and we get to the fantasy part of the story).

This was probably the most frustrating part of the Ancients for me. One or two devices I can go along with, but by the end it just got ridiculous. In essentials, all SG-1 apparently had to do to defeat the Ori was find and use the Sangraal and Ark. They made the Ori so untouchable, that there was apparently no other way for them to be defeated than by magic.

It's been a while, but were we ever actually told why Mitchell got the CMoH? Because all I remember of Avalon was him crashing an F302 and getting the dream job offer, no outstanding heroics or anything that set him apart, just following orders like the rest of the pilots.

GAH! If anyone deserved that award it was Jack or Hammond, both of whom willingly put their lives on the line for the rest of humanity without being told to.

Well, according to Stronghold, the official citation of Mitchell's MOH was that he crashed a plane in a test flight.

[hedwig]

Well, according to Stronghold, the official citation of Mitchell's MOH was that he crashed a plane in a test flight.

Wonders how this could possibly in any universe merit an MoH.

Also, isn't Stronghold the one where we find out he accidentally destroyed a convoy of civilians? Or is that in another episode? And I think it was his father that crashed a plane in a test flight, which resulted in the permanent injury to his legs. But since I rarely watch any of these episodes, my memory could be faulty.

[Ashizuri]

Well, according to Stronghold, the official citation of Mitchell's MOH was that he crashed a plane in a test flight.

Wow. Really? That is lamer than anything that has ever been lame before.

I suppose Jack should have one as well, seeing as his and Teal'c's "test flight" of the X-301 ended just as disastrously as Mitchell's.

...now I want to watch Tangent, I love that episode.

[EvenstarSRV]

Wonders how this could possibly in any universe merit an MoH.

Also, isn't Stronghold the one where we find out he accidentally destroyed a convoy of civilians? Or is that in another episode? And I think it was his father that crashed a plane in a test flight, which resulted in the permanent injury to his legs. But since I rarely watch any of these episodes, my memory could be faulty.

I only watched Stronghold once, but it was when he was visiting his friend in the hospital, and the guy mentioned that he never bought the idea that Mitchell had gone down in a test flight. That was a reference to Mitchell crashing in the Antarctica battle, I presume.

What puzzles me, it seemed like with all the flashbacks they had ample opportunity to show Mitchell's defining act of bravery. But all that was really shown was him shooting down a plane heading towards SG-1, which I would think the other pilots would have been able to do as well. If you're going to make a single act the basis for Mitchell joining SG-1, wouldn't you want to show it as clearly as possible?

[Skydiver]

in the 'real world' most MOH's are posthumous. and getting one, it's not a pat on the back. it is THE honor.

if you research it recipients get honored and perks for their whole life, their kids get 'first dibs' on military academies. it's not a nice medal, is is THE MOST RESPECTED medal in the militaries.

i can't believe their advisor let them get away with it. it's a massive disrespect to the real winners.

give him a medal sure, just not the cmoh

[leiasky]

in the 'real world' most MOH's are posthumous. and getting one, it's not a pat on the back. it is THE honor.

if you research it recipients get honored and perks for their whole life, their kids get 'first dibs' on military academies. it's not a nice medal, is is THE MOST RESPECTED medal in the militaries.

i can't believe their advisor let them get away with it. it's a massive disrespect to the real winners.

give him a medal sure, just not the cmoh

I couldn't agree more with this statement. It's yet another thing they let slip by in seasons 9 and 10 that should easily have been caught - and wasn't. Did they even bother to have a military advisor in the last few seasons?

There's an amazing episode of NCIS that deals with a MOH recipient. Their respect and the detail that was given to the topic it was simply beautiful and heartwrenching. This episode was season 2 of NCIS (2004) . . . and season 9 of SG-1. (2005)

[hisg1fans]

I couldn't agree more with this statement. It's yet another thing they let slip by in seasons 9 and 10 that should easily have been caught - and wasn't. Did they even bother to have a military advisor in the last few seasons?

There's an amazing episode of NCIS that deals with a MOH recipient. Their respect and the detail that was given to the topic it was simply beautiful and heartwrenching. This episode was season 2 of NCIS (2004) . . . and season 9 of SG-1. (2005)

90% of MOH medals are awarded posthumously.

Charles Durning, who starred as the MOH recipient in that NCIS episode, served in WWII. If you read about some of his experiences, you can get a taste of what he went through. He received a Silver Star for his actions, which is the third highest honor possible.

Charles Durning
Born: 28-Feb-1923
Birthplace: Highland Falls, NY
Military service: US Army (Ranger, WWII)

Charles Durning joined the US Army when he was 17 years old, and during World War II he was seriously wounded by a mine and suffered severe bayonet wounds in hand-to-hand combat with Nazis. His unit was eventually defeated in Belgium by an SS Panzer unit, but Durning escaped and was spared the fate met by many of his friends -- the infamous Malmedy massacre, in which German officer Joachim Peiper had over 100 American prisoners shot dead without warning as they stood in a field. On 6 June 1944, Durning was with Allied troops for the invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings. For his military service, he was awarded three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. He later had a long career as a movie actor.

Now compare that description with Mitchell's actions for which he received the MOH. No real comparison.

[Melora]

I couldn't agree more with this statement. It's yet another thing they let slip by in seasons 9 and 10 that should easily have been caught - and wasn't. Did they even bother to have a military advisor in the last few seasons?

There's an amazing episode of NCIS that deals with a MOH recipient. Their respect and the detail that was given to the topic it was simply beautiful and heartwrenching. This episode was season 2 of NCIS (2004) . . . and season 9 of SG-1. (2005)

I love that episode. The MPs are ordered to take Durning’s character into custody and all he has to do is show them his MoH and they immediately stand at attention as a sign of respect.

Fortunately, NCIS has military veterans working on the show as writers and producers. Although having a military advisor is nice, there are a few times SG-1 could have used someone on the writing staff with more knowledge of the U.S. military. The advisors can’t be there all the time and the writers don't always listen to them anyway.

I also think that the AF has different priorities when looking at the show. It amazes me that the AF made a huge fuss over one of the extras on one of the ships having her hair down, and yet they didn’t question the logic of Mitchell receiving the MoH. They also made a fuss about AT’s hair in Season 4 and JF’s hair on SGA. Yet, they had no problem with an AF command placing a former thief and con artist on their flagship team.

It seems the AF was more concerned with the physical appearance of the actors and extras (and the frat regs of course) than with major story elements that went against basic military procedure. I guess it really is all about the hair for them.

[Mandysg1]

I think the problem is the Military Advisor, is just that an Advisor; they can listen to him/her and say...Nah, I like it the way I wanted it, he has to be a hero, so he gets the MoH

[jckfan55]

I couldn't agree more with this statement. It's yet another thing they let slip by in seasons 9 and 10 that should easily have been caught - and wasn't. Did they even bother to have a military advisor in the last few seasons?

There's an amazing episode of NCIS that deals with a MOH recipient. Their respect and the detail that was given to the topic it was simply beautiful and heartwrenching. This episode was season 2 of NCIS (2004) . . . and season 9 of SG-1. (2005)

I saw that episode. I recall one scene where in the middle of a discussion the marines in the room catch a glimpse of his medal and they immediately stand at attention and salute. Even high ranking officers, iirc, salute medal of honor recipients. They are not given in boxes of cracker jacks.

90% of MOH medals are awarded posthumously.

Charles Durning, who starred as the MOH recipient in that NCIS episode, served in WWII. If you read about some of his experiences, you can get a taste of what he went through. He received a Silver Star for his actions, which is the third highest honor possible.

Charles Durning
Born: 28-Feb-1923
Birthplace: Highland Falls, NY
Military service: US Army (Ranger, WWII)

Charles Durning joined the US Army when he was 17 years old, and during World War II he was seriously wounded by a mine and suffered severe bayonet wounds in hand-to-hand combat with Nazis. His unit was eventually defeated in Belgium by an SS Panzer unit, but Durning escaped and was spared the fate met by many of his friends -- the infamous Malmedy massacre, in which German officer Joachim Peiper had over 100 American prisoners shot dead without warning as they stood in a field. On 6 June 1944, Durning was with Allied troops for the invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings. For his military service, he was awarded three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star. He later had a long career as a movie actor.

Now compare that description with Mitchell's actions for which he received the MOH. No real comparison.

Exactly. Mitchell would have gotten a purple heart & maybe a lower air medal.

Not only does Mitchell's MOH insult real MOH recipients, but even if you're dealing just in the SG world, what about all the other airmen who went down protecting SG1?

Or as hedwig says was it:
"all the other pilots in their F302's and the Prometheus were watching the whole thing, yawning in boredom, and checking their watches to see if it was time to go home yet"

[Melora]

I think the problem is the Military Advisor, is just that an Advisor; they can listen to him/her and say...Nah, I like it the way I wanted it, he has to be a hero, so he gets the MoH

That's true. But I was amazed at how far the AF would go over hair and yet not do anything about things like Cam's MoH. I guess I read this over on JM's blog that when they had the extra with her hair down, the AF actually told them they would have to re-shoot the scene or take out all of the shots of Cheyenne Mountain that were in the episode. It seems the AF would not let them use any shot of real AF property if the actors portraying AF personnel in the episode were not dressed and coiffed according to regulation. The only way JF got to keep his hair intact was the fact that on SGA they rarely used shots of Cheyenne Mountain. He also refused outright to cut his hair and the producers backed him up.

[Mandysg1]

That's true. But I was amazed at how far the AF would go over hair and yet not do anything about things like Cam's MoH. I guess I read this over on JM's blog that when they had the extra with her hair down, the AF actually told them they would have to re-shoot the scene or take out all of the shots of Cheyenne Mountain that were in the episode. It seems the AF would not let them use any shot of real AF property if the actors portraying AF personnel in the episode were not dressed and coiffed according to regulation. The only way JF got to keep his hair intact was the fact that on SGA they rarely used shots of Cheyenne Mountain. He also refused outright to cut his hair and the producers backed him up.

LOL about the hair and JF I think in the earlier years and when Gekko was there, they listened more to the advisors and wanted to portray thier AF characters correctly. RDA was even honoured by the AF for his portrayal of Jack, what a big difference with the later years and the loss of Gekko.