Character development

[eccscape]

All this talk on certain character developments for the end of the season made me think we should start a thread.
So, where do we want our characters to go? What do we want to happen to them? Situations we'd like to see acted out?

For example....my take...

Shep - I think Sheps got something to hide. There's some deep dark secret in that guys past just waiting to come out at an in opportune moment. Or some very hurtful event in his past. We know he has noone on Earth he wants to send a message to in 1x17 and when he left earth he didn't seem concerned about leaving anyone behind. Where is his family?

Beckett - as i said in the 'season end' thread i think Beckett needs to really terribly screw something up, do something wrong/amoral/against his principles (see that thread for reasons)

Weir - needs to get out of Atlantis, get captured/tortured.....and get over her Shep protection thing.

Rodney - actually it strikes me that there has already been alot put into his character this season. they're doing pretty well on McKay.

Ronin - likewise with mckay (but i'd like to know why wraith can't feed on him)

Teyla - something needs to happen to get me to care what happens to her character...she's just not interesting to me...

Interested in hearing other peoples suggestions
Eccs

[Steve_the_Wraith]

Shep - I think Sheps got something to hide. There's some deep dark secret in that guys past just waiting to come out at an in opportune moment. Or some very hurtful event in his past. We know he has noone on Earth he wants to send a message to in 1x17 and when he left earth he didn't seem concerned about leaving anyone behind. Where is his family?

Apparently "Ephiphany" is about Sheppards past - Specifically Afhganistan. I wonder if he'll turn into Cam

Daniel: "Antartica"
Cameron: "Antartica, Antartica, Antartica, Antartica.... "
Teal'c: What is he doing?
Daniel: Flashbacking


About Teyla, there actually writing her much better this year but she does need an episode to focus on her

[alfirin_kirinki]

Ronin - likewise with mckay (but i'd like to know why wraith can't feed on him)

It's because he kicks their arses first.

[skritsys]

I would like to see more of Teyla's character for a whole episode myself. There really is not a whole lot to follow, and an ep with her as the focus would definitely be worth doing.

[kimaken]

All this talk on certain character developments for the end of the season made me think we should start a thread.
So, where do we want our characters to go? What do we want to happen to them? Situations we'd like to see acted out?

For example....my take...

Shep - I think Sheps got something to hide. There's some deep dark secret in that guys past just waiting to come out at an in opportune moment. Or some very hurtful event in his past. We know he has noone on Earth he wants to send a message to in 1x17 and when he left earth he didn't seem concerned about leaving anyone behind. Where is his family?

Beckett - as i said in the 'season end' thread i think Beckett needs to really terribly screw something up, do something wrong/amoral/against his principles (see that thread for reasons)

Weir - needs to get out of Atlantis, get captured/tortured.....and get over her Shep protection thing.

Rodney - actually it strikes me that there has already been alot put into his character this season. they're doing pretty well on McKay.

Ronin - likewise with mckay (but i'd like to know why wraith can't feed on him)

Teyla - something needs to happen to get me to care what happens to her character...she's just not interesting to me...

Interested in hearing other peoples suggestions
Eccs

Shep definitely needs more filling out. He's the lead action character yet we know hardly anything about him! But I think there is an ep or two in the second half of this season that will give us a bit more about Sheppard.

Beckett already had a major loss on his conscience ("Poisoning the Well"--thousands, maybe even more, died or would die from his research, although not directly his fault). And WHY did he take that case with the bug retrovirus to that planet in "Instinct"? There was no reason for him to do so--it wasn't like he NEEDED that with him on the planet.

Weir definitely needs more of a story, too. It was okay for Hammond to stay at the SGC--he dealt with the President, government leaders, the NID, and hosted diplomatic missions between other worlds so he was effective as a leader. But Weir--why does she stay on Atlantis? She's a diplomat--she SHOULD be going out, perhaps not with the first exploration teams, but she should be out doing the diplomacy thing to recurit allies and make nice with other worlds.

McKay and Ronon both have a lot of good development. Not that there shouldn't be more...but let some of the others develop a bit next.

Teyla, I actually like her but more as a romantic interest for Ronon (and I'm not a shipper!) simply because it gives her SOMETHING this season. I'd like to see her and Weir on some diplomatic missions together. Maybe get into danger and have to figure their own way out of it because they don't have Shep and/or McKay there to save them. I'd also like to see more of her with her own people--for a leader, she's rarely amongst her people!

[MarshAngel]

Shep I definitely think there's room here for development but there is still much time for a backstory. I'm mostly satisfied with what they've done so far this season.

Beckett I think his motivations, personality and character are fairly well established. I'd like to see him play more part in each episode.

Wier Underused and underdeveloped. There's a lot of potential here but I haven't seen her character live up to it. She isn't Gerneral Hammond and she's not field personnel but there must be something she can do to emphasize her importance.

Teyla They haven't found a niche for her. We know who she is supposed to be and some of what she is capable of but she is, for the most part, just there. I don't know if it falls under character development so much as she lacks something to do to establish her value and importance. Right now she's fairly expendable if only because they haven't made use of the abilities she has in a good way.

[Jeyla4ever]

Sheppard...We need more background information on him..what happened to him and why he seems to be so secretive and so private..it seems we will get some of this in Epiphany...I think we can also get away from him always been the heroe...it's too much...In addition, I don't like the Cpt. Kirk side of him..need less of this as well because it kind of contradicts what we know from him in other ways...He is an interesting character but they need to show less episodes of Shep being the main attraction and provide more team episodes where he really shines with the rest of the team.

McKay....his character is great...but I don't think it is consistent...he is complicated and confusing...he is sometimes so predictable and at times so surprising. We need to see more of the heroe in McKay and we certainly need to see a more sensitive, caring, human side of him as well..He needs to get away from being Sheppard's shadow and puppet. He needs to follow more in the lines of a leader and not so much a follower....


Beckett...one thing..more screentime and maybe we can get to know him better.

Weir....she needs to a leader...she needs to stop stressing over her officers(Shep) in particular and concentrate more on leading Atlantis and inverstigating more on its power and usage to be able to combat the Wraith and defend Earth...she needs consistency and determination on her part than from those around her. She needs to begin showing why she was chosen as the leader and less of her diplomatic and sensitive side that is simply weakening her character in my point of view. She has great potential and we have seen some great scenes with her; but I find that those scenes are only when she is with Sheppard and a true leader is not influence by one person but by the great people that it sorrounds itself with!

Ronon....he needs to show more of his Warrior side without convincing us that he has now turned into a team member...Ronon has lived too many years on his own and I find it a little difficult to believe that now he is going to follow Sheps' orders...Why? what has Shep done for him or anyone else in Atlantis? He needs to be more ruthless and more the Ronon that I fell for in Runner and then slowly work his way into becoming part of the team..but first, we need some conflict!

Teyla....she needs more screentime..Teyla is such a great character and has so much potential and I believe the writers know this and they are beginning to develop it! she needs to play more the role of the leader of her people...we need to see more of her abilities and have her kick some major Wraith butt...we need to see her interact more with Weir, Beckett, and Rodney....I like her relationship with Sheppard and I would like that to continue and develop further without taking away the main plot of Atlantis..(no I don't want a soap opera) and I would also like her to build a better relationship with Ronon since he came along her character has improved greatly since we can now see her feelings and understandings towards the people in Atlantis...more of her culture and her beliefs as well as provide her to become more involved with the decisions in and out of Atlantis. I don't want her to be Sheps shadow or anyone else's for that matter..And YES! we definetly need a Teyla centric episode...

[FoolishPleasure]

Shep - "The Pretty" only goes so far. What the heck motivates this guy? We still know NOTHING about him.

McKay - I love Rodney. He is infuriating, neurotic, genius, and lovable. Don't change him.

Beckett - More, please!

Weir - Want to see her off-world more. Not just as the Atlantis "Administrator". Use those negotiation skills! Now that I've seen Torri in other things, I know she has the ability, and TPTB just need to give her some scripts to sink her teeth into.

Ronon - I love the guy. . but let's not let him fit in too easily. He is used to doing things his own way, so I want to see him remain the "loose cannon" for awhile. Makes things interesting.

Teyla - Her scenes with Ronon really brighten her up. There has been good interaction between their characters and I enjoy them together. We need to see her with her own people as well.

Caldwell - Let's see him in action, working WITH our heroes to save the day, instead of undercutting them for his own ambition.

Zelenka - Make him a reg. (I know, too many already)

Major Lorne - Make him a reg. (Same as above)

Hermiod/Novak - More of them.

I don't want much.

[general ben]

i feel that shep has something more going on with him especially the way wier talked about him to oniell in the rising part 1 about how he disobeyed orders i wonder if it had something to do with his past or just an isolated incedent. it would be interesting to see.

[gambit]

Sheppard: We don't know what makes him tick. He can be kind, charming,
funny...and he can also be cold and ruthless and a killer. In 'Rising'
you see everybody saying goodbyes to their lives and loved ones,
but Sheppard is by himself, sitting in a park(?) Though mystery is
also what makes him interesting, and it lets Sheppard do anything
the writers what him to do, (you can't do that with the other
characters that already have more development).


Weir: She needs to be used more, aren't she and Sheppard the leads?
Though I think her character development is okay, we know what
kind of person she is, we know a little about her past. Just needs more
screen time.

Mckay: He is fine the way he is right now.

Ronan: He cool, we even know more about him than we do Sheppard.
Needs to do more than just "being there."

Teyla: Not a big fan of Teyla, maybe because the writters don't do much
with her. Need something centric for her.

Beckett: Just needs to be used more. Simple as that.

[eccscape]

Beckett...one thing..more screentime and maybe we can get to know him better....

Yep!! Eveeryone seems to think so!!!!

Sheppard.they need to show less episodes of Shep being the main attraction and provide more team episodes where he really shines with the rest of the team...

Or if they're gonna make a show where he is the main attraction, at least make it for more than th fact that he is holding the grenades

McKay....his character is great...but I don't think it is consistent...

I totally agree!!! Sometimes he aims guns like a pro and sometimees he hits the clip ejection button (that's just an eexample). I guess thy could be trying toindicate that he is complex and hence will react differently at different times but it seems more like theey can't decide.

Teyla....Teyla is such a great character and has so much potential and I believe the writers know this and they are beginning to develop it! ...

Right now she reeminds me of Cousellor Troi with a gun!!

Eccs

[SnoggingPicard]

Shep - "The Pretty" only goes so far. What the heck motivates this guy? We still know NOTHING about him.

McKay - I love Rodney. He is infuriating, neurotic, genius, and lovable. Don't change him.

Beckett - More, please!

Weir - Want to see her off-world more. Not just as the Atlantis "Administrator". Use those negotiation skills! Now that I've seen Torri in other things, I know she has the ability, and TPTB just need to give her some scripts to sink her teeth into.

Ronon - I love the guy. . but let's not let him fit in too easily. He is used to doing things his own way, so I want to see him remain the "loose cannon" for awhile. Makes things interesting.

Teyla - Her scenes with Ronon really brighten her up. There has been good interaction between their characters and I enjoy them together. We need to see her with her own people as well.

Caldwell - Let's see him in action, working WITH our heroes to save the day, instead of undercutting them for his own ambition.

Zelenka - Make him a reg. (I know, too many already)

Major Lorne - Make him a reg. (Same as above)

Hermiod/Novak - More of them.

I don't want much.

Ditto for me. I think you've pretty much nailed this one! The main thing that I want to see in Season Three is more solid, consistent development of the characters. I want them to keep throwing out little hints of all of their pasts, more scenes to build on the relationships they all have with each other, learning what makes all of them tick, maybe some disagreements between the characters. In a nutshell, everything that you said.

[MarshAngel]

Right now she reeminds me of Cousellor Troi with a gun!!

That's so true! I wouldn't have made the connection but it's a very apt one. I didn't much like Deanna half the time because she was always "captain I sense..." the same thing the sensors are confirming this minute. I would hate to see them do the same for Teyla where they only use her when they need her to conveniently sense a wraith in their midst after we can hear him coming.

A girl is more than her psychic abilities.

[Whistler84]

Sheppard: More backstory, and more of that intensity we saw in Sheppard during 'The Eye"/"The Storm" and "Siege II/III."

McKay: More speeches like we saw in 'Letters from Pegasus." LOL!!

Weir: More off-world Weir, and negotiator-Weir. More screen-time, period. But less antagonism with Cadwell.

Teyla: More time with her people. More time focusing on her Wriath-connection. More time, period. Less time surrounded by either Sheppard or Ronon. She can function on her own without a guy to play off of.

Ronon: Need more sword fights, and more scenes with Weir! lol!

Beckett: Just more screentime. Anything, really. Just give me some Beckett!!!

[MarshAngel]

You know I noticed today, watching "Home" that Shepphard seems to be fairly well off, possibly wealthy. His house very large and expensively furnished, he took Teyla shopping... I don't know if this was an intentional effort on the part of the writers but maybe its something they'll explore later on. It would be unusual for a wealthy person to joined the armed forces.