S10: Critique & Contemplation

[Skydiver]

but dont you know, it's all OUR fault. see we're not running around grabbing people and tieing them down and forcing them to watch the show.

we're not grabbing our friends and paying htem off to make them watch it live or preventing them from tivoing it. we're not looking up neilson families and convincing them to watch the show to save it and to save the writers' jobs and to keep allowing htem to tell anyone that doesn't blow praise in their face to bugger off and take our issues elsewhere

it's all our fault. the poor writers are just innocent little victims in all this. poor brilliant souls that are tormented by the whole of the frakking world not appreciting their greatness

[Skydiver]

next thing you know, they'll blame the war in iraq

see, i'm sure a lot of soldiers watched it, thus witl all them deployed they can't be home to watch so the ratings have fallen

it's not their fault, it's the war.

might as well blame that since that's all they've been doing for a couple years now, blaming anyone and everyone but themselves for the decisions they've made

[smurf]

Although it wouldn't have taken an oracle to predict that people would be angry about Sam's loss of command - I guessed as much as soon as I heard, and I had only seen a handful of episodes on DVD - this seems to have taken TPTB by surprise, but while it would have been possible to correct the situation and return Sam to command, they did not do so. It is possible that they were worried about how some of the new fans, particularly those who followed BB to the show, would react.

They didn't even need to predict it. I clearly remember there was a thread on this forum discussing BB joining and the effect to the dynamics of the team pretty much as soon as BB's contract was announced.
I remember the general consensus being that, although it was obvious BB's character would probably lead, there would have been no way that Sam would be demoted to 2IC at all, or not be leading SG-1 without a pretty good reason. Unfortunately demote her is what they did, regardless of the poor off-screen backtracking.

[ReganX]

but dont you know, it's all OUR fault. see we're not running around grabbing people and tieing them down and forcing them to watch the show.

we're not grabbing our friends and paying htem off to make them watch it live or preventing them from tivoing it. we're not looking up neilson families and convincing them to watch the show to save it and to save the writers' jobs and to keep allowing htem to tell anyone that doesn't blow praise in their face to bugger off and take our issues elsewhere

At this point, I would be reluctant to inflict Season Nine on an innocent person. If people ask for my opinion on the changes, I give it.

it's all our fault. the poor writers are just innocent little victims in all this. poor brilliant souls that are tormented by the whole of the frakking world not appreciting their greatness

Poor dears. A lot of great artists were never fully appreciated during their lifetime. Cruddy artists are rarely appreciated or remembered even after they're dead.

[Skydiver]

it was. i seem to recall a good chunk of the fandom agreeing that sam didn't deserve to be set aside for cam even as many - my self included - knew that the stereotypical sexist ideals would be put to the fore...ie they simply could not have thier hewo answering to a woman.

OMG what would the world come to if mister action hewo had to play second fiddle to a woman?????

fanboys can't fantastize about that now can they????

the hewo must be the boss, even is he las little to no qualifications for the job. these writers are very happy to perpetrate the fallacy that an ill-equiped male is better than the most experienced female any day of the week.

all cynicism and grumpiness aside, it is quite possible that the writers really initially meant well. they knew that AT was going to be tired and working two full time jobs being mommy and actress and probaly wanted to cut her soem slack.

which is well and good. and if htey had just made cameron a mature male with about 20 years of experience under his wing and better qualifications than 'young rogue pilot' it woulda worked.

cameron mitchell coulda been like Dixon. a mature man who'd earned his way into a leadership position and had the qualifications to lead a team through the gate.

but, while giving AT a lessened role might have had some noble intentions at the beginninng, it soon fell victim to the need to promote their hewo and make him the youthful, fun rogue and the center of attention and apparantly, no one took the 10 minutes it would have taken to realize that they were creating an unsustainable situation.

tehn they make matters worse by turning their attention to Vala the VAmp and all the fun they could have with her and how self-indulgent they could be and seemed steeped in the belief that if they lobbed enough jokes at fans theyu'd not notice the travesty that was unfolding

[ReganX]

all cynicism and grumpiness aside, it is quite possible that the writers really initially meant well. they knew that AT was going to be tired and working two full time jobs being mommy and actress and probaly wanted to cut her soem slack.

I think that there is little that they did with Lt Colonel Mitchell that couldn't have been adapted for a major and 2IC - "Collateral Damage", "Stronghold" and "Off The Grid" would barely have needed to be changed, for example. "Beachhead" would have needed only a few alterations.

AT was present for a lot of Season Nine, but she wasn't always given much to do even when she was onscreen.

[Mandysg1]

It's a shame that after 8 years in priding themselves in trying to have as realistic as possible, military characters in an unrealistic scifi setting, they chose to make the new characters as unrealistic and ridiculous as possible.

Down went the quality and the fans as well. No show can afford to lose 30% of its established ratings.

[saberhagen83]

It's a shame that after 8 years in priding themselves in trying to have as realistic as possible, military characters in an unrealistic scifi setting, they chose to make the new characters as unrealistic and ridiculous as possible.

Down went the quality and the fans as well. No show can afford to lose 30% of its established ratings.

Yeah I agree. That was one of the reasons I really started to love the show, it was realistic made, even though it still was unrealistic . It made one belive it could actually be happening right now...out there.

But it's taken a nasty turn. I just don't buy the Mitchell in command thing, there is no reason that he should or could take command of a team, with no experience from gate travel. Or having a unpredictable and unreliable Vala on the most important team.

[ReganX]

Yeah I agree. That was one of the reasons I really started to love the show, it was realistic made, even though it still was unrealistic . It made one belive it could actually be happening right now...out there.

But it's taken a nasty turn. I just don't buy the Mitchell in command thing, there is no reason that he should or could take command of a team, with no experience from gate travel. Or having a unpredictable and unreliable Vala on the most important team.

Reality seems to have been flushed down the toilet ship.

At least good characterization, the team bond and intelligent storytelling can keep it company.

[Skydiver]

I think that there is little that they did with Lt Colonel Mitchell that couldn't have been adapted for a major and 2IC - "Collateral Damage", "Stronghold" and "Off The Grid" would barely have needed to be changed, for example. "Beachhead" would have needed only a few alterations.

AT was present for a lot of Season Nine, but she wasn't always given much to do even when she was onscreen.

major mitchel could have fit in very well honestly.

he'd have been in command of teal'c and daniel and then faced the choice when sam was summoned back...does he stay on sg1, living out his dream and step down or does he transfer, get his own team and keep his command

it would have been fantastic character devlopment, but was shoved aside to perpetrate the WMAH syndrome

another lost opportunity

[Skydiver]

Yeah I agree. That was one of the reasons I really started to love the show, it was realistic made, even though it still was unrealistic . It made one belive it could actually be happening right now...out there.

But it's taken a nasty turn. I just don't buy the Mitchell in command thing, there is no reason that he should or could take command of a team, with no experience from gate travel. Or having a unpredictable and unreliable Vala on the most important team.

same here. thaqt was part of what i loved about the show. real characters, 'real' people that were doing a super fantastic job and dealing iwth the unreality they witnessed in a realistic way

they used to pride themselves onmerging fantasy adn reality

but now it's just fanboys running amuck, indulging themselves at every opportunity and so committed to just having fun that they seem to have forgotten that they were also making a tv show

[Skydiver]

Reality seems to have been flushed down the toilet ship.

At least good characterization, the team bond and intelligent storytelling can keep it company.

they've homogenized and sterililzed it into template tv full of cardboard characters and by the number plots

[ReganX]

they've homogenized and sterililzed it into template tv full of cardboard characters and by the number plots

Yet they're surprised that they've been cancelled.

[ReganX]

major mitchel could have fit in very well honestly.

he'd have been in command of teal'c and daniel and then faced the choice when sam was summoned back...does he stay on sg1, living out his dream and step down or does he transfer, get his own team and keep his command

That could have made for some great development for the whole team, not just Mitchell. After eight years together, it makes sense to me that Sam, Daniel and Teal'c would have trouble adjusting to a newcomer in their midst, and in all honesty, they don't really need one.

Major Mitchell, moved from SG-Whatever to SG-1, would have been thrilled to get the coveted fourth spot, though perhaps a little overwhelmed when he found himself expected to command the team. Even if he knew that it was to be temporary, having to step down would be a blow - especially if there was no specific time frame given for Sam's return - even more so if he was under the impression that his command would be permanent.

If Landry offered him command of another team, an offer that should have been made to Sam, he would have a choice. He can stay as 2IC of SG-1, a team he deeply admires but isn't certain he is needed by or he can accept command of SG-27.

Major Mitchell would have to decide if he was willing to accept being 2IC in return for the chance to learn from Sam, Daniel and Teal'c, who would have to adjust to working with a fourth person, someone they have to get to know and trust.

[Skydiver]

That could have made for some great development for the whole team, not just Mitchell. After eight years together, it makes sense to me that Sam, Daniel and Teal'c would have trouble adjusting to a newcomer in their midst, and in all honesty, they don't really need one.

Major Mitchell, moved from SG-Whatever to SG-1, would have been thrilled to get the coveted fourth spot, though perhaps a little overwhelmed when he found himself expected to command the team. Even if he knew that it was to be temporary, having to step down would be a blow - especially if there was no specific time frame given for Sam's return - even more so if he was under the impression that his command would be permanent.

If Landry offered him command of another team, an offer that should have been made to Sam, he would have a choice. He can stay as 2IC of SG-1, a team he deeply admires but isn't certain he is needed by or he can accept command of SG-27.

Major Mitchell would have to decide if he was willing to accept being 2IC in return for the chance to learn from Sam, Daniel and Teal'c, who would have to adjust to working with a fourth person, someone they have to get to know and trust.

yep. and major mitchell woulda gotten a freebie on pretty much every one of his faux pas.
major mitchell can be enthusiastic. he can be goofy and OTT. he can make mistakes. he can be the 'who was that?' guy like jonas was. (anyone that watched s6 will remmber that jonas was often the ask the stupid questions to start off the exposition guy. lose mitch's 'memorized all the mission reports' and have him ask questions. lose the CMOH and just give him the air medal, which was far more realistic and let mitch be human.

major mitchell can have some great ideas. he can shake up sg1 a bit. sometimes he's wrong. but other times he's right. he can have a new way of doing things, which sometimes work out and other times dont

there could have even been an ep where he and sam had separate opinions and daniel and teal'c get caught in the middle. who do they trust? sam who they've known for years or the new guy that has a good idea?

there could have been this subtle tension between all of them, nothing OTT, but enough to add some depth to the characters