Was it really necessary to show James at the end?

[GateroomGuard]

1. Johnny Cash poster and a view to die for. Screw home, I'd fall asleep to the sound of the ocean any time.
b. Jack drank more beer than Homer Simpson. It's the main ingredient in his food, for cryin' out loud. Plus, you KNOW Daniel's a pothead. Just look at him.
III. And they were all okay within 5 minutes after that...They probably just have better shrinks. I mean, who'd take TJ seriously as a shrink anyway? She's BLONDE, for God's sake!

I concede my point! SG-1 and Atlantis are made up of only the most emotionally deadend people while SGU is made up of everyone who couldn't make it through the 'Goaul'd kicking pupies' training video.

(On everyone else's comments about my comment, I can't get my multi-quote thingy to work right, sorry.)

I never meant to imply in my list that each one event would make her cry, but all the events together would. And the excuse that simply because your part of the SGC that you are some super soldier who can turn off their emotions for their entire lives is ludicrous. I also find crying to be a lot better and healthier way of dealing with sadness that assaulting someone and destroying things. I respect James a lot more because she cried in the privacy of her own room rather than simply going on a rampage and punching Scott's lights out. I'd have to say that that at least shows she can control her emotions.

[Coronach]

"Water" was weeks ago. Weeks. Why break down now?

Really? Are you seriously not understanding what my point is that I'm trying to make? Apparently not, given your responses to GateroomGuard. You're essentially looking at each discrete event and deciding whether or not each one warrants crying by itself. And this is why I say you're strawmanning.

Of course these isolated incidents (by themselves) wouldn't break Lt. James. Unfortunately, that's not what I or anyone else here is saying. If you can't understand why compounding stresses over the course of weeks (yes, weeks) couldn't cause someone to break, then I'm done here.

Maybe you hold military members in some strange echelon in which absolutely nothing will break their spirits, I don't know. However, my final words will be this:

She's a strong woman, and has dealt with a lot over the past few weeks. Yes, weeks. The fact that she started crying in the privacy of her own room is completely consistent with her characterization to this point. As I said before, I think it's disingenuous to suggest she's crying solely because Scott treated her like crap in the hallway. But (as I've also said before), given all that she's been through these past few weeks, the idea that this is the "straw that broke the camel's back" is entirely understandable.

I'm not gonna make a bunch of assumptions just because it suits my side of the argument. All we know is that Scott treated her like manure.

They are not assumptions. In fact, had you actually understood what GateroomGuard was saying in his post (and what I'm still trying to get across), you'd understand that we know quite a lot about what she's been through.

[Avenger]

Exactly what I've been saying all along.

Heck, she could've had an adverse reaction. Like possibly sitting in her room brooding. Or throwing things. Or just showing signs of sadness. But crying because "Scott was mean to me" (and all of those things people have listed, none of which would ever make me cry. I'm a guy, but I'm gay and I'm told we're all sissies, just like women.)?!

First, you clearly have never been in such a stressful situation in your life.

Second, just because you claim you wouldn't react in the same manner does nothing to solidify your point about a character who is not you. You can't use your own personal experiences on how you would react and transplant your actions onto a different person or assume that he or she would react to stress in the same way you would. You have to look at the character's experiences and reactions on the show. GateroomGuard listed numerous things that have caused various levels of stress for James (in addition to be trapped on a spaceship billions of light years from home), all things that have happened on the show. Given James' reaction at the end of the show, it is perfectly reasonable to think that they all piled on and eventually became too much. Not everyone can take the stress of a single situation and deal with it in a short period of time.

[The_Asgard_live]

I never meant to imply in my list that each one event would make her cry, but all the events together would.

Of course its plausible, but doesn't Chloe already fill that role on the show? Why do we need another one?

And the excuse that simply because your part of the SGC that you are some super soldier who can turn off their emotions for their entire lives is ludicrous.

I've seen this argument before and I just don't know what to make of it. What is the point of training to become an elite fighting machine and being vetted if not for the very purpose of being able to keep your "stuff" together. If any G'auld can break you down by showing you a photoshopped picture of your boyfriend having sex with another woman, you shouldn't be in the SGC.

I also find crying to be a lot better and healthier way of dealing with sadness that assaulting someone and destroying things. I respect James a lot more because she cried in the privacy of her own room rather than simply going on a rampage and punching Scott's lights out. I'd have to say that that at least shows she can control her emotions.

I would find it to be healthier too. However, the mental health of these characters does not interest me. I want to be entertained. Watching James cry alone in her room to a music montage makes me bored to my own tears.

Watching her kick the crap out of Scott for being hmmm a "richard" works on multiple levels for me.

[pipi]

She's known about them for some time now. Why cry now over it? If that's true, then that makes it a little less sexist, but still sexist.


Even if that were true, why have her cry at all? She could just look sad or something. Why have James of all women, the physically strongest of all women on-board, break down in tears because of "Loneliness" or "Lack of Scott"?

This is the reality genre of the show. There is no such thing as a non-sexist storyline and other politically sensitive topics that make shows a bit superficial and goodie goodie like SG-1. James crying after being dumped only makes the show more realistic of human emotions. Would you have prefered she blow her brains out like that other 'male' soldier did when he was depressed.

[Coronach]

Of course its plausible, but doesn't Chloe already fill that role on the show? Why do we need another one?

Lol.

I've seen this argument before and I just don't know what to make of it. What is the point of training to become an elite fighting machine and being vetted if not for the very purpose of being able to keep your "stuff" together. If any G'auld can break you down by showing you a photoshopped picture of your boyfriend having sex with another woman, you shouldn't be in the SGC.

Apples and oranges. For what purpose does she need to utilize her training in the privacy of her own room?

[GateroomGuard]

Of course its plausible, but doesn't Chloe already fill that role on the show? Why do we need another one?

I've seen this argument before and I just don't know what to make of it. What is the point of training to become an elite fighting machine and being vetted if not for the very purpose of being able to keep your "stuff" together. If any G'auld can break you down by showing you a photoshopped picture of your boyfriend having sex with another woman, you shouldn't be in the SGC.

I would find it to be healthier too. However, the mental health of these characters does not interest me. I want to be entertained. Watching James cry alone in her room to a music montage makes me bored to my own tears.

Watching her kick the crap out of Scott for being hmmm a "richard" works on multiple levels for me.

On your first point with all of Chloe's near death expierences wouldn't it be wise to have a back up Chloe?

On your second. I'm pretty sure she could stand up under alien torture and keep her emotions in check. She didn't let her emotions get the better of her while on duty, it was in the confines of her own private room. While on duty she keeps her emotions in check but once she can finally let it out once her dutys over she lets it out. If the normal SGC personel never cried ever, then I would order a psych eval done of them. Even the toughest soldiers are known to weep once their off duty, and some while their on duty.

On your third point. I like SGU because the characters are smart enough to take care of themselves rather than simply give us spectacle.

[s09119]

I mean, the show hasn't been blatantly sexist insofar, but I got really ticked off when we were shown James randomly crying at the end of "Space".

Sure, in the past we'd had fan service scenes where either Chloe or James is naked or half-naked but, hey, at least that wasn't sexist. It was just opportunistic (of the writers/showrunners). Then, in this episode, all of a sudden, James is reduced to a 14 yearold girl!

First get the scene where she gushes about the Cute Scientist (henceforth known as the Cutist). Then, when she is told that he can hear her, she goes "Kill me now!" while she and TJ run off and TJ's practically skipping and being all "Girlfriend! That was so embarassing!"-ish. Then the Cutist turns her down, which seemingly leads to her crying in her room (half-naked, I might add).

I mean, what gives?! These are strong military women! Soldiers! James has always been portrayed as the one with the Big Boobies Who Can Kick Most Guys' Asses. Yet one guy turns her down and she is reduced to tears? Really?! Unless I'm going senile, I don't remember Eli crying when Chloe ended up going out with Scott. And he's a softie civilian! Meanwhile, just because James is a woman, she stereotypically breaks down in tears?!

I thought we were past this, PTB.

As I said in another thread: she's lonely. She thought she'd at least have Scott when they got stuck here, but now she realizes that she cared abot him way more than he cared about her, and no one else seems to want to risk a relationship out in the middle of nowhere. Being stuck so far from home, getting kicked to the curb, and then getting rejected... yeah, guy or girl, I'd be crying, too.

[The_Asgard_live]

On your third point. I like SGU because the characters are smart enough to take care of themselves rather than simply give us spectacle.

Hrmm.. Greer threatened to shoot rush in the face after knocking him on his ass. He also knocked out the suicidal guy. Young used the stones to assault Telford and tried to murder Rush. Chloe is a walking spectacle. I don't think you and I are watching the same show.

James standing up for herself and giving Scott his comeuppance doesn't rise to anywhere near the spectacle of any of those mental health issues.

Young needs to institute a no crying policy. Water is hard to come by, the women on Destiny need to stop dehydrating themselves.

We'll just have to agree to disagree.

[GateroomGuard]

Hrmm.. Greer threatened to shoot rush in the face after knocking him on his ass. He also knocked out the suicidal guy. Young used the stones to assault Telford and tried to murder Rush. Chloe is a walking spectacle. I don't think you and I are watching the same show.

James standing up for herself and giving Scott his comeuppance doesn't rise to anywhere near the spectacle of any of those mental health issues.

Young needs to institute a no crying policy. Water is hard to come by, the women on Destiny need to stop dehydrating themselves.

We'll just have to agree to disagree.

Uhh... yeah forgot about those... Okay I like SGU because 'Secondary' characters are smart enought to take care of themselves rather than give us spectacle.

[Coronach]

Uhh... yeah forgot about those... Okay I like SGU because 'Secondary' characters are smart enought to take care of themselves rather than give us spectacle.

But....Spencer committed suicide after weeks of being angry and unstable.

Lol...I had to do it

[PG15]

How about, the characters showcase a variety of ways to releasing stress, just like normal people.

[Coronach]

How about, the characters showcase a variety of ways to releasing stress, just like normal people.

That's where I'm leaving it.

[GateroomGuard]

But....Spencer committed suicide after weeks of being angry and unstable.

Lol...I had to do it

.............................Okay I like SGU because currently living secondary characters are smart enough to take care of themselves rather than give us spectacle.

That good enough!

[reddevil18]

How about, the characters showcase a variety of ways to releasing stress, just like normal people.

You just KNOW what Eli does in the kino room at night. To relieve stress, of course...*cough*