Originally posted by Garron
You've made some valuable points and have contributed to my understanding of Jonas' character. Still, you've overlooked the essence of his character.
No, I think I've nailed it pretty well. He's a coward, a liar and a thief who changes sides with every wind that blows. Would you like your life to depend on such a one as he?
Jonas hoped to bridge the relationship between two worlds.
This assumes that such a bridge is desirable. They are 60 years behind Earth technologically and politically, and we all know how 'primitive' the Tau'ri are
He's the misunderstood academic
Spelled T R A I T O R...
Not many people were kicking and screaming when Teal'c left Chulak to backstab his gods.
Now that's just comparing apples with elephants. There's a world of difference between the two cases:
Teal'c:
spent years of soul-searching, along with Master Bra'tac, about the False Gods whom he could see through as I easily as I can see through Judas.
Given the absolute control that the Goa'uld System Lords wielded until they ran up against the Tau'ri, he could not stand against them alone. He would simply have been killed and that would have achieved nothing.
In the interim, as shown in 'Cor-ai', he did what he could to minimise the suffering of those in thrall to the Goa'uld. Finally, S.G.-1 came into his life, giving him his chance to make a difference to his people - to set them free, or at least to give it his best shot.
Furthermore, the people he betrayed are intrinsically evil, so, on the grounds that 'my enemy's enemy is my friend' (cf. 'Crystal Skull'), that makes him a GOOD EGG and a worthy ally.
Judas:
acted on the spur of a rather uncomfortable moment for him on his home planet. His people are not evil, so far as we have seen, just 'primitive'. They are trying to defend themselves from a single enemy on their own planet, much as the Americans v. the Soviets during the Cold War here. They are not tyrants as such.
Judas's defection contributes nothing to the safety of his world; if anything, he's made it more dangerous in risking war between his world and the Tau'ri if we refuse to return their stolen property. Definitely a BAD EGG.
He also intended to help Earth find a new power source.
Why? What's in it for him?
The bottom line is that Jonas government were using the 'ore' to intimidate the other rivalling superpower. We all know that nuclear weapons don't prevent war, but ignite change in political ideologies and methodologies.
Wonder what would have happened here if some extra-terrestrial power had tried to intervene here during the Cuban missile crisis? Would it have been appreciated? Or would we have gone closer to the edge if we'd had someone holding our leash?
As I recall, knowing the result of a nuclear war - M.A.D. - we managed to work things out for ourselves. Don't you think they have the same right to self-determination? Wouldn't intervention look a bit like Goa'uld-like arrogance?
The bottom line is also don't know much about Jonas.
Quite. And what we do know is solely to his detriment.
But S.G.C. knows virtually everything it needs to know about its own people whom they've trained themselves for a number of years. Don't they have a better claim to join S.G.-1?
We don't know if producers read our comments.
Or if they do, whether they care that they are insulting the intelligence of their audience.
The bottom line is MS is gone.
Ooh, another bottom line
Well, here's a third bottom line. Putting 'Meridian' behind us, S.G.-1 is a person short...
If we continue to look at Jonas through Daniel's lenses,
We're *not* looking at Judas through Daniel's lenses, we're just refusing to look at him through rose-coloured spectacles, and we're seeing him for what he has already shown himself to be, a BAD EGG.
we're not helping Stargate. If we're true fans we'll embrace what Jonas has to offer.
