"Sabotage" (116) Pre-Airing Discussion/Speculation Thread

[Coronach]

Will 'remaining mindful of the ethical issues we're raising' include addressing the use of quadriplegia as a plot device and portraying the use of someone's body for sex without their consent as rape?

Wait a second...including a quadriplegic is a bad thing? Given that they have written episodes up to this point that would bar a quadriplegic being on the Destiny already, how else do you propose they bring her on?

And, yes, that's the feeling that I got from his statement...that they will acknowledge such a thing as rape.

Man, TPTB get no breaks these days.

[PG15]

Will 'remaining mindful of the ethical issues we're raising' include addressing the use of quadriplegia as a plot device and portraying the use of someone's body for sex without their consent as rape?

I've seen the "use quadriplegia as a plot device" criticism a lot.

I don't quite understand it.

In TV, everything's a plot device. They've used terminally-ill patients as plot devices (that guy in "Poisoning the Well"), they've used radiation-poisoned people as plot devices ("Coup d'Etat"), they've used blind people as plot devices (that guy at the end of SG1's "Prisoners"), they've used cancer patients as plot devices (Jacob Carter, Adrian Conrad), they've even used race as plot devices ("The Other Side"), so...what's the deal here?

[Sweeneybird]

Wait a second...including a quadriplegic is a bad thing? Given that they have written episodes up to this point that would bar a quadriplegic being on the Destiny already, how else do you propose they bring her on?

And, yes, that's the feeling that I got from his statement...that they will acknowledge such a thing as rape.

Man, TPTB get no breaks these days.

I wasn't implying that including a quadriplegic is a bad thing, I was asking if making the character quadriplegic was an excuse for the sex scenes. I asked explicitly if they will acknowledge the sex while body-swapped as rape because it wasn't clear to me from the statement what was meant by addressing the issues.

[Dr Weir]

Recently, a casting breakdown was released to agents for a upcoming character in our television show, Stargate Universe. The character, Doctor Eleanor Perry, is a brilliant scientist at the top of her field, who also happens to be a quadriplegic. As part of a science fiction conceit that is core to our series, Perry's consciousness is temporarily exchanged with one our series main characters, Camile Wray, who is a lesbian. In the course of the story, Perry has the experience of being able bodied for the first time since she was a child. At the same time, Wray, temporarily encumbered by Perry's physical disability, experiences the unconditional love of her life partner. The language of the breakdown was insensitive and inaccurate, and we sincerely apologize to those who may have been offended. The audition pages that have been under scrutiny were from an early draft and released out of context. It is our desire and intention to portray both characters with dignity and respect, while remaining mindful of the ethical issues we're raising.

Brad Wright and Robert Cooper

So there'll be no people forcing sex onto other people's bodies?

[Coronach]

So there'll be no people forcing sex onto other people's bodies?

Perhaps. I'm not sure if it was ever confirmed that they go through with it, or if Eleanor comes to her senses...maybe people have just been assuming the worst?

Still, even if they do go through with it, it would still be a powerful story if handled properly, which Brad and Rob seem pretty determined on doing.

[Sweeneybird]

I wonder how people would have reacted if the quadriplegic character was a gay man who swapped bodies with a straight man and then had sex with other men?

[SGFerrit]

I wonder how people would have reacted if the quadriplegic character was a gay man who swapped bodies with a straight man and then had sex with other men?

That would have been even better. Show runners seem scared to even go there, because they know they'll get even more people complaining. I think they've got balls for going this far, but I'd have given them a round of applause for that.

[brihana25]

That would have been even better. Show runners seem scared to even go there, because they know they'll get even more people complaining. I think they've got balls for going this far, but I'd have given them a round of applause for that.

They've got balls for raping a lesbian's body by loaning it to a straight woman, and you'd have applauded them raping a straight man's body by loaning it to a gay man?

Please tell me that you didn't mean that the way it sounds.

[Naonak]

They've got balls for raping a lesbian's body by loaning it to a straight woman, and you'd have applauded them raping a straight man's body by loaning it to a gay man?

Please tell me that you didn't mean that the way it sounds.

Which is how, exactly?

[Shan Bruce Lee]

They've got balls for raping a lesbian's body by loaning it to a straight woman, and you'd have applauded them raping a straight man's body by loaning it to a gay man?

Please tell me that you didn't mean that the way it sounds.

You mean the way it sounded, or the way you took it?

The thing you really have to understand is that the entire 42 minute episode isn't just gonna be this scene (and we still don't know what actually happens btw) You have to step back and look at the big picture and none of us know what that is right now.

All you're doing is jumping the gun.

[sideburns]

@Sideburns/spankys - a little mean perhaps? Mr Wright very rarely comes by here and we treat it as a great honour when he takes the time to post. Moral stories are what makes sci-fi and all other genres/forms of media so fascinating. Without some controversy the entertainment business would probably stagnate

Wow! I'm definitely looking forward to this one I love moral debates. It will certainly be a tricky one to write though. I don't envy the writers and I wish them luck

Truth is truth, mean or not. And if you think there will really be a moral debate (that lasts longer than 3 minutes on screen) than you never watched the other two shows. And Mr. Wright is a big boy and I'm sure he can handle posts that do more than simply pat him on the back and tell him how wonderful he is.

[Skydiver]

Just keep those posts respectful please

(word to everyone)

[sideburns]

Wait a second...including a quadriplegic is a bad thing? Given that they have written episodes up to this point that would bar a quadriplegic being on the Destiny already, how else do you propose they bring her on?

And, yes, that's the feeling that I got from his statement...that they will acknowledge such a thing as rape.

Man, TPTB get no breaks these days.

Just one thing wrong with your statement: the quadriplegic DOESN'T get on board Destiny AS a quad. She's in Camile's body. If they wanted a quad on board, then Eleanor would have been a part of the cast originally. IMHO, the whole thing is simply to have the only gay character, a lesbian, have sex with men. They won't *deal* with it any more than they've dealt with any real moral issues on their two previous shows, unfortunately. History is a great teacher and leopards rarely change their spots.

[Shan Bruce Lee]

Just one thing wrong with your statement: the quadriplegic DOESN'T get on board Destiny AS a quad. She's in Camile's body. If they wanted a quad on board, then Eleanor would have been a part of the cast originally. IMHO, the whole thing is simply to have the only gay character, a lesbian, have sex with men. They won't *deal* with it any more than they've dealt with any real moral issues on their two previous shows, unfortunately. History is a great teacher and leopards rarely change their spots.

That's not what he said. In fact, he said the exact opposite.

[Dr Weir]

Why would there be a moral debate on a straight woman taking over a homosexual woman's body and using it to have sex with a man? This never happens in real life, so there's no point discussing it. Common sense tells you there'll be no moral debate. What do you think will happen? After the scene, everyone will sit down and debate it?

Anyway Brad Wright never said there'll a moral debate, it's pure assumption.