Jack O'Neill's position and actions in Earth

[Mongoletsi]

He's 59 for heavensake!

[sg-1fanintn]

He's going to look better in regular photos than on TV right now...because the TV camera adds 20+ pounds.

I saw him last August at Gatecon, and he looked fab! Yes, he was a little heavier, but he looked great. So, I think the TV camera is accentuating the extra weight.

He did promise he'd lose 30 pounds in time for the third SG-1 movie to be made...but that keeps getting pushed back...

[Driskoll Xun]

I also thought Jack was perfect in this episode. He did the best with the information given to him. He's alway relied on the experts. On screen, it usually works out for him. Regarding Telfords orders: I believe O’Niell was referring to the objective, not the cut-n-run bit. It seemed that he only stated that Telford was under orders because it was appropriate. While one hopes that a soldier will go above the call of duty, it cannot be expected. I think it is obvious in the scene that Jack loses respect for Telford.

[IrishPisano]

He did promise he'd lose 30 pounds in time for the third SG-1 movie to be made...but that keeps getting pushed back...

that's to give RDA time to lose the weight
lol

[leiasky]

that's to give RDA time to lose the weight
lol

That's ridiculously not true.

[IrishPisano]

That's ridiculously not true.

you never know

[banlu]

~wandering in from lurkdom~

What I didn't like about this ep is Jack being 'wrong'. On SG-1, Jack and/or a teammember were always in the right, and to drive the plot of the show, the people above them were the ones that were wrong.

But this show is about Young and Rush and all the others, and now Jack is one of the 'people above' so he has to be the one that is 'wrong'. I have to accept that as Jack's role now, but I won't like it LOL

As for the office - that's the one in the command center - he probably has a flashy one somewhere else where he meets folks not privy to the Stargate.

And LOLOL at "Battlestar Voyager 90210" Would that then make this BV9?

banlu ~wandering back in to lurkdom~

[justanotherjen]

Considering the amount of stress Jack is probably under I think he was pretty in character. I got the feeling he's a bit conflicted over what is going on. He's being pressured by the president and the IOA to do something to get destiny home but has to trust in Rush and Young that they know what they are talking about since they are there and he isn't.

I saw the scene in his office as Jack's way of trying to get through to Young...either take control of the situation or it's going to be taken away from you. Up until this point Young has been a bit of a reluctant leader, taking command because he's the senior officer. He knows he has to do something but he can't trust Rush and doesn't get the science of what is going on. He needs to be able to trust the people under him.

Jack didn't want Telford taking control of Destiny but didn't have much choice in the matter. He tried to warn Young. I liked Young calling him on the whole "the military isn't a democracy." Jack's forgetting that most of the people on Destiny are not military. Young can't order them to do anything. He has to be just as diplomatic as Jack has to be. I mean, how often did Daniel follow Jack's orders in the field...at least without arguing over them first.

The final scene with them meeting cracked me up...the whole "allotted time" thing. Blatant insubordination and it was awesome. It was Young finally growing a pair and realizing he's a billing light years away and there's not much they can do to him. He has to do what is best for Destiny not the IOA. And I wouldn't be surprised if Jack cracked a smile about the whole thing in the privacy of his office. It's something he would have done back when he was a colonel and he can accept the insubordination. Hammond put with a lot from Jack, Jack will do the same with Young.

[J_schinderlin56]

I don't know what his deal was either, this plan was good in principal, but not very well thought out. I can't see him going along with it. Why? Because I can't see Carter or Mckay going along with it. O'neill's been through the gate enough times to know how to look before you leap. "Hello! New Guys!!!!"

And I'm sorry, I just can't see Jack being ok with Telford wuss retreat, it was down right Kensey like in it's cowardus.

Kensey: Mr President we should get to the Alpha Site.
President Hayes: Go ahead bob.
General Hammond: I think you know we're staying with you Mr. President

I could almost imagine the old Jack grabbing the Jack from this episode's face.

Gen O'neill: What are you doing?
Colonel O'neill: Looking for the edges OF A MASK!!!!!!!!!

And as for the IOA.
The IOA is an organization of sniveling opportunistic sleeze bags. They've poisoned what the Stargate Program is. We might as well have turned the S.G.C. over to the Trust, at least they were honest about their goals.

When the most honest, dignified and upstanding person in your organization is Richard Woolsey..... you have real problems.

[Petra]

Jack didn't want Telford taking control of Destiny but didn't have much choice in the matter. He tried to warn Young. I liked Young calling him on the whole "the military isn't a democracy." Jack's forgetting that most of the people on Destiny are not military. Young can't order them to do anything. He has to be just as diplomatic as Jack has to be. I mean, how often did Daniel follow Jack's orders in the field...at least without arguing over them first.

I disagree with you here. I don't think Jack forgot about the civilian personnel. It's just that Stargate is still a military run operation. All civilians are Air Force civilian contractors and hence they have to do what military tells them. Remember McKay in "48 hours" (SG-1 season 5)? When gen. Hammond told him he was being sent to Russia Rodney was like "I'm a civilian, I don't have to go" to which he was told that yes, he has to, as long as he's on the Air Force payroll. Daniel could argue all he wanted but in the end he had to either follow Jack's orders or get him to change his mind; he couldn't do what he pleased. Heck, Teal'c and Jonas were aliens and they still had to follow Air Force rules.

So Jack was absolutely right: military isn't a democracy and it's Young's responsability to make sure everyone on ship follows his lead. It was Jack's duty to make Young understand this, "man up" and take charge. And I think he succeeded.

[natyanayaki]

You know, I get the feeling O'Neill was cool with it - simply because he wanted Young in command and not Telford. When Young stood up for himself and grew a pair while Telford ran away, O'Neill let it slide.

I agree with this. I also think Jack is in an interesting situation, in a lot of ways he's a lot like Hammond. Jack did not blindly follow command, he tried to do what he felt was right for his people, but now, he is part of the bureaucracy, and as such has a certain responsibility. I think like Hammond respected Jack's understandable insubordination, Jack would feel the same way regarding Young, I love the way Jack has been written so far!

i suspect Oneill set Young up to grow a pair based on their conversation at the beginning. Hes molding Young into a better leader, and that means standing uo for yourselves. Particularly when ur a bazillion LY away and Young could permantly cement his greater authority over hear by smashing the box the stones go on.

I didn't think of that, but maybe...that's totally something Jack would do, he IS that awesome after all!

i actually would HATE to see O'Neill being in his current office while still being the maverick he was as a colonel... that would be completely unacceptable for arguably the most important military officer on the planet.

AGREED!

[Ripple in Space]

The 'We've gone through the time I've allotted for this meeting' at the end was an incredible show of insubordination. O'Neill should have hauled him into his office and had more than a word.

Since S1 of SG-1, Jack was always the guy reigning in Daniel & Carter, pulling them away from pursuing treaties, technologies, and knowledge he knew were doomed situations. Early Captain Carter & Dr. Jackson would have died on almost every mission if not for Col. O'Neill dragging them back home after he saw the aliens were never going to cooperate. This was one of those, there was no way he could actually reprimand Col. Young.

You could easily imagine early SG-1 Carter telling early SG-1 Jack that Col. Young isn't acting ethically, and Jack replying he's not going to fight a losing battle.