S10: Critique & Contemplation

[Hubble]

I find it curious that he mentions that no one has come up to him in an airport and told him that he ruined their favorite show - perhaps he has not seen the online stuff here, as well as at other forums, as I have seen dozens of posts specifically mentioning that mitchell has indeed ruined the show for some fans (myself included) and/or has made the show worse in their eyes and that mitchell takes away from the enjoyment and I have seen plenty of people who state that they actually fast forward through many of his scenes because mitchell is ruining the experience (myself included in that one as well) too bad he has not been at any of the same airprorts I have been at recently because I would certainly tell him that mitchell has ruined it for me and exactly why I think so and what I think of mitchell as a character from the poorly contrived intro and backsotry to the way in which Carter has been sandbagged to the way in which it completely and utterly defies canon and the history of the show that a useless noob with absolutely no Gate or off-world experience such as mitchell would even be ON SG1.

I would also point blank ask him (BB) why, in every single interview, he fails to mention the fact that mitchell took the leader role from Carter not from O'Neill and why he fails to address that in relation to how how character interacts with Carter - who is by far the superior leader, especially in light of the fact that she lead the team for S8. He has clearly been given tow-the-line marching orders on what he can and cannot say and ignoring history and canon is obviously one of them.

I dislike the Mitchell character very much - I am one of those who *does* fastforward through his scenes. (I taped most of S9 instead of watching it 'live' for that very reason.) And while I was a big fan of Ben's as Crichton, I'm not at that impressed with his acting on Stargate - not entirely convinced that he isn't a one-trick pony; that what made me like him so much on Farscape *was* the writing and the OTT nature of the character and situations in which he found himself.

However, I see the problem with Mitchell as being 95% the writer's fault. If he's been given directions on what to say in interviews (to tow the company line), them that is what he will do (and should do if he wants to stay in their good graces and keep his job.) I have no issue with that at all. Even if he did come to the various forums and hear people talk about how much some people dislike Mitchell, I don't know what he could do about it, frankly. Tell the writers to read the complaints and change the writing? There is only so much he can do with the character in context of how he is written. I know there are those who say a good actor can rise above bad writing, but in this case, I really don't think a really really good actor could rise above this writing. He was doomed from the get-go with the ridiculous introduction and the CMOH, IMO.

I guess if I saw Ben in an airport, I wouldn't say anything at all. I think he is in a difficult situation. Now if I saw RCC, I would have a few things to say....

[smurf]

Have you guys seen the latest Ben Browder interview from TV Zone?

http://www.benbrowderportal.com/inde...317&Itemid=139

One quote: "Having done a year on Stargate, I think there's a clear concept in the writers' minds of where Mitchell sits in terms of the rest of the team and in my mind too."

It would have been nicer if he spelt it out so I wouldn't have to guess.
Far end of the table? At home on permanent leave?

Also, who is trying to get Mitchell and Adria together? I haven't seen any threads (although I haven't been looking hard) asking for it. Is this another great TPTB idea?
Be afraid, be very afraid.

[LaCroix]

It would have been nicer if he spelt it out so I wouldn't have to guess.
Far end of the table? At home on permanent leave?

Also, who is trying to get Mitchell and Adria together? I haven't seen any threads (although I haven't been looking hard) asking for it. Is this another great TPTB idea?
Be afraid, be very afraid.

Can someone, somewhere say something to BB that using the phrase "pretty girls" does not endear me to like this interview. If he used beautiful and intellegent as to the actors, I would buy it.

And just say no to Mitchell/Adria. Yes I'm very afraid.

[AGateFan]

It would have been nicer if he spelt it out so I wouldn't have to guess.
Far end of the table? At home on permanent leave?

Also, who is trying to get Mitchell and Adria together? I haven't seen any threads (although I haven't been looking hard) asking for it. Is this another great TPTB idea?
Be afraid, be very afraid.

Well they cant put him and CB together (even stargate TPTB arent that stupid) and i think Lam is toast (shes annoying character thanks to the writing and the actors pregant). Sam is waayyy too cool for Mitchell. Arnise already said she liked Jack\Daniel. So that pretty much leaves the infant. Yes Mitchell is the Hewro so he MUST have the girl... so what if she is less then a year old she looks HAWT.... (so its not just the guys that like men in spandex and leather scifi is going for)

[smurf]

Can someone, somewhere say something to BB that using the phrase "pretty girls" does not endear me to like this interview. If he used beautiful and intellegent as to the actors, I would buy it.

I'm going to be nice and say that he might have been trying to say it was a good idea to hire an actress rather than just a pretty girl to play the part.

And just say no to Mitchell/Adria. Yes I'm very afraid.

Well they cant put him and CB together (even stargate TPTB arent that stupid) and i think Lam is toast (shes annoying character thanks to the writing and the actors pregant). Sam is waayyy too cool for Mitchell. Arnise already said she liked Jack\Daniel. So that pretty much leaves the infant. Yes Mitchell is the Hewro so he MUST have the girl... so what if she is less then a year old she looks HAWT.... (so its not just the guys that like men in spandex and leather scifi is going for)

**Squik!!**
I hope it's not going to be twu luv for the hewo. Everyone else got along fine (very humanly) messing it up.
( she turns against the Ori because she luvs him. He's so dreamy and hewoic )

Mmm Mitchell/Adria.
They can't write ship, they can't write a decent new lead, and they can't write better than scifi's biggest shark jump plotline.
It all goes together so well. Sounds perfect.

[Rogue]

Have you guys seen the latest Ben Browder interview from TV Zone?

http://www.benbrowderportal.com/inde...317&Itemid=139

One quote: "Having done a year on Stargate, I think there's a clear concept in the writers' minds of where Mitchell sits in terms of the rest of the team and in my mind too."

I read one page and shut it down.

[binkpmmc]

I read one page and shut it down.

smart move on your part - wish I had done the same. Remind me to avoid his stuff like I avoid the mitchell stuff -- and yes I am well aware that my disgust for mitchell is spilling over onto the actor (not that I will ever go OTT with it - I just do not like BB or his interviews as I think he has fallen waaaay too deeply into TPKTS lock-step and will not give his own thoughts or opinions (I know it's his job however we have seen plenty of actors who speak their mind and some of them are even on Stargate). I believe that BB, as well as TPKTS, are well aware that many fans feel that mitchell is a lousy character, a character that does not shine and does not belong in the role he has been given on SG1, a character that has been contrived to the hilt and is a square peg being crammed into a round hole - I would have more respect for him if he addressed the criticisms of the character (and there are plenty of them) and if he would address the leadership issue as it pertains to mitchell's having taken the role from Carter and not O'Neill since that is exactly what happened. He, BB, falls into the same category as TPKTS IMO since he does not address the issues he just continues to spew the same bunk as TPKTS which continues to make things worse for the character and the show, IMO.

[Sg Gato]

Have you guys seen the latest Ben Browder interview from TV Zone?

http://www.benbrowderportal.com/inde...317&Itemid=139

One quote: "Having done a year on Stargate, I think there's a clear concept in the writers' minds of where Mitchell sits in terms of the rest of the team and in my mind too."

It's clear alright - clear as mud.

[Nightspore]

I'll bite. What is TPKTS? "The Powers.........?"


I don't think the PTB or Ben thinks of Mitchell as taking the lead role/leadership from Carter. Technically so, perhaps in terms of the storyline. But in terms of the actual show, Ben was brought in to take over the role that was vacated by RDA - a white, male, hunky (depending on one's view) leader of SG-1. That it seems, is all that concerned them, not whether Mitchell was more qualified than Sam, less qualified, etc. The sad reality is that there is no way they would have let AT/Sam become leader of SG-1...Ben/Mitchell has to be the star, according to their mentality. I don't think that's something Ben could answer fully or even logically. It's just "show business and suits" mentality and has everything to do with the PTB and nothing at all to do with Ben, IMO.

I personally don't think of Ben in terms of whether I respect him or not; he's an actor doing a job (probably glad to have a steady gig after FS ended) and I don't think he owes the fans anything in terms of addressing the faults of the character, why some fans don't like him, etc. Certainly not after having been there only 1 year. If the person doing the interviews actually said to him, "A certain percentage of fans are not happy with the Mitchell character and feel resentment that Mitchell is leader of SG-1 when he has less experience than Sam Carter," then I would expect him to reply in some way. But I've not seen that question posed to him yet.

I guess I'm with Hubble. I don't want my dislike of Mitchell to turn into dislike for the actor. I detest how some anti-Sam fans let their dislike of the character bleed over into their dislike of AT based on how they interpret some things she says in interviews. Not fair to AT, not fair to BB, IMO.

But that's just me.

[LaCroix]

My problem was with one part that really bothered me. I'm a product of the ERA era and it hit me the wrong way. Now I really have nothing against Ben at all, it's they way they introduced his character. I can separate charcter from actor.

[RealmOfX]

<snip>

I don't think the PTB or Ben thinks of Mitchell as taking the lead role/leadership from Carter. Technically so, perhaps in terms of the storyline. But in terms of the actual show, Ben was brought in to take over the role that was vacated by RDA - a white, male, hunky (depending on one's view) leader of SG-1. That it seems, is all that concerned them, not whether Mitchell was more qualified than Sam, less qualified, etc. The sad reality is that there is no way they would have let AT/Sam become leader of SG-1...Ben/Mitchell has to be the star, according to their mentality.

<snip>

Who remembers Season 8????????

General O'Neill - commander of the SGC
Lt Colonel Carter - commander of SG-1


It really irks me when we get posts that ignore those facts.

"there is no way they would have let AT/Sam become leader of SG-1" - she already WAS the leader FCOL.

"Ben was brought in to take over the role that was vacated by RDA" - did I miss something? It's General Mitchell is it?

[Nightspore]

Who remembers Season 8????????

General O'Neill - commander of the SGC
Lt Colonel Carter - commander of SG-1


It really irks me when we get posts that ignore those facts.

"there is no way they would have let AT/Sam become leader of SG-1" - she already WAS the leader FCOL.

"Ben was brought in to take over the role that was vacated by RDA" - did I miss something? It's General Mitchell is it?

Settle...settle...(as Jon Stewart says)....I'm not ignoring the facts. What I'm saying is that if you expect the writers/PTB to adhere to all the previous facts/canon of the show, you are always going to be sadly disappointed. If you want to make sense out of it within the context of the Stargate story, that's impossible. Technically, they are saying that SG-1 was disbanded, so Sam wasn't the leader anymore. (I don't agree with that, but that is their loophole - a bad one, IMO and in many others opinions.)

Several people have said that SG-1 didn't need a new leader, but the PTB felt the show did need a new lead to take over for RDA. Ben Browder *was* hired to take over the role, as in lead actor, vacated by RDA; whether Jack was promoted to General and was no longer head of SG-1 in S8 is irrelevant. I repeat, IMO, there was no way the PTB were going to let AT remain as leader of SG-1 once RDA left the show, albeit in his capacity as General. I'm not saying it's right, saying I agree with it because I don't. I'm saying that's the way PTB think and trying to apply logic to it, to their casting of Ben in this role ain't gonna work. Which isn't to say people shouldn't complain all they want, but PTB it seems weren't looking at in in terms of the storyline making sense, they were looking at it in terms of when RDA goes, we gotta bring in another known male actor to play the kind of role Rick played for 7 years - leader of SG-1. Voila....Ben Browder who already has a built-in fan base to compensate for the possibility of any fans who left when Rick did.

People can throw titles around all they want, but in my mind, Browder took over for RDA and Bridges took over for DSD, in spite of Jack's short tenure as General in charge of the SGC and Carter's short tenure as leader of SG-1. Others obviously see it differently.

Well, of course, the ironic part is that the writing of the character, the way he was introduced; that he is so very ill-suited to be the leader, may well be much more of a minus than a plus in terms of ratings.

[ReganX]

I read one page and shut it down.

The article has certainly made me more pessimistic about Season Ten. I didn't think it was possible but they've proven me wrong.

Given all the crud about Mitchell taking the lead, I think the chances of TPTB redeeming themselves and promoting Sam are exceptionally slim. It seems that if I want to see the leadership issue properly settled, I will have to rely on fanfic, my own or others'.

All I can do now is pray that Season Ten is the last. The sooner it ends, the less Fargate rubbish there will be to sully the name of a once great show.

[ReganX]

just Walter? darn.

I'm sure Walter wouldn't mind if you wanted to throw things at his assistant. He keeps a basket of rotting fruit and vegetables at hand just in case and Siler is working on building the stocks.

[ReganX]

This deserves a green (but I cannot) and it should be repeated far and wide. Mitchell makes no sense as leader of SG-1.

Mitchell doesn't make sense as a member of SG-1.