MythingLink
First Prime of ASciFi
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2000
- Messages
- 1,529
Posted with the permission of the original author ...
Although I make it a point to avoid reading fan fiction, I decided
to make an exception for the recent Salon.com article, "Fan
Rebellion Threatens 'Stargate'". To my surprise, it proved to be an occasionally amusing and overall very entertaining read, a true gem of fantasy and wishful thinking. Given the fact that
the "journalist" who wrote the piece culled her facts from the
handful of "negative rant sites" that have popped up of late, I
suppose it was too much to expect at least the semblance of
impartiality. In all fairness, however, it is possible she did try
to contact someone involved in the production to offer a balanced
view but was unable to get through (If I recall correctly, we were
on the phone between 11:30 and 11:35 last Friday ordering lunch from the nearby Swiss Chalet). More a rambling editorial than than anything else, it does neatly encapsulate many of the half-truths and fabrications that have been making the rounds. And so, using the Salon.com diatribe as my launch point, I'd like to address some of these so-called "facts".
To begin with, ratings haven't plunged. If they had, we wouldn't be around for a sixth season. In fact, last time I checked, our
syndication numbers had us finishing first three weeks running.
Secondly, in spite of assertions to the contrary, the show did not
suddenly abandon its tried and true formula in favor of conspiracy
storylines. The fact is, the NID have been part of this show since
first season. In season three, we had one episode (Shades of Grey) dedicated to the so-called "NID conspiracy angle". In season four, we had one episode (Chain Reaction) dedicated to the storyline. In season five, the NID angle was a B plot in Fifth Man and a minor development in Desperate Measures (the second to last scene) and 48 Hours (the goa'uld happened to be with the NID). Admittedly, we aren't meeting as many new off-world civilizations as we did in the first two seasons, but this is due to the evolution of the show's ongoing story-arcs rather than any "creative re-tooling". Episodes dedicated to revisiting old friends (the Asgard, the Tollan, the Tok'ra, etc.) and storylines (the struggle for power amongst the System Lords, the rise of Anubis, etc.) necessarily result in fewer episodes focusing on off-world exploration. Nonetheless, we strive to include a fair mix of off-world and Earth-based episodes in every season.
Thirdly, season five did not "have more Earth-based stories".
Season five contained 9 Earth-based stories, the same number as seasons two and four, and one more than season three. The fact that a number of these episodes happened to fall together may have led many to incorrectly assume a preponderance of these storylines.
Fourthly, contrary to the opinion of some, the character of Daniel
Jackson was very present in season five. He was spotlighted in such episodes as Beast of Burden, Summit, Last Stand, and Menace, and was an active and driving force in many others (Enemies, 48 Hours, Red Sky, and The Tomb to name a few). True, I've only cited 8 episodes out of the 20 episodes prior to his departure, but in all fairness the team is made up of three other members.
Fifthly, while some lament the change in the Daniel Jackson
character over the course of the five seasons, his progression from the animated, wide-eyed innocent of Torment of Tantalus to the cool, willing assassin of Summit/Last Stand, the fact is that characters do evolve over time. Given everything Daniel has gone through in his five years with SG-1, it would be unrealistic for him to remain unchanged. Michael Shanks himself pushed for this development as he clearly saw the danger in keeping Daniel a static character.
Finally, I'd like to end with a quick thank-you to all of the
Stargate SG-1 fans out there who take the time to posts or, at the very least, take the time to read the posts. I can honestly say that the overwhelming majority of the fans I have dealt with online have been intelligent, polite, and well-spoken. When you've liked something, you've let me know. And when you haven't liked something, you've darn well let me know as well. But throughout, you've been respectful of us and the show as a whole - and for that I also thank you.
As we head into the show's sixth year of production and make the big move to SciFi, you can look forward to a kick-butt sixth season. Questions will be answered, secrets revealed, old friends revisited, and a few surprises sprung. Better invest in a crash helmet for at least the first three episodes. We're going to hit the ground running. Hard!
Joseph Mallozzi
Oh and I didn't post this as an excuse to open up that whole can of worms again that started in another thread.
Cheers,
Although I make it a point to avoid reading fan fiction, I decided
to make an exception for the recent Salon.com article, "Fan
Rebellion Threatens 'Stargate'". To my surprise, it proved to be an occasionally amusing and overall very entertaining read, a true gem of fantasy and wishful thinking. Given the fact that
the "journalist" who wrote the piece culled her facts from the
handful of "negative rant sites" that have popped up of late, I
suppose it was too much to expect at least the semblance of
impartiality. In all fairness, however, it is possible she did try
to contact someone involved in the production to offer a balanced
view but was unable to get through (If I recall correctly, we were
on the phone between 11:30 and 11:35 last Friday ordering lunch from the nearby Swiss Chalet). More a rambling editorial than than anything else, it does neatly encapsulate many of the half-truths and fabrications that have been making the rounds. And so, using the Salon.com diatribe as my launch point, I'd like to address some of these so-called "facts".
To begin with, ratings haven't plunged. If they had, we wouldn't be around for a sixth season. In fact, last time I checked, our
syndication numbers had us finishing first three weeks running.
Secondly, in spite of assertions to the contrary, the show did not
suddenly abandon its tried and true formula in favor of conspiracy
storylines. The fact is, the NID have been part of this show since
first season. In season three, we had one episode (Shades of Grey) dedicated to the so-called "NID conspiracy angle". In season four, we had one episode (Chain Reaction) dedicated to the storyline. In season five, the NID angle was a B plot in Fifth Man and a minor development in Desperate Measures (the second to last scene) and 48 Hours (the goa'uld happened to be with the NID). Admittedly, we aren't meeting as many new off-world civilizations as we did in the first two seasons, but this is due to the evolution of the show's ongoing story-arcs rather than any "creative re-tooling". Episodes dedicated to revisiting old friends (the Asgard, the Tollan, the Tok'ra, etc.) and storylines (the struggle for power amongst the System Lords, the rise of Anubis, etc.) necessarily result in fewer episodes focusing on off-world exploration. Nonetheless, we strive to include a fair mix of off-world and Earth-based episodes in every season.
Thirdly, season five did not "have more Earth-based stories".
Season five contained 9 Earth-based stories, the same number as seasons two and four, and one more than season three. The fact that a number of these episodes happened to fall together may have led many to incorrectly assume a preponderance of these storylines.
Fourthly, contrary to the opinion of some, the character of Daniel
Jackson was very present in season five. He was spotlighted in such episodes as Beast of Burden, Summit, Last Stand, and Menace, and was an active and driving force in many others (Enemies, 48 Hours, Red Sky, and The Tomb to name a few). True, I've only cited 8 episodes out of the 20 episodes prior to his departure, but in all fairness the team is made up of three other members.
Fifthly, while some lament the change in the Daniel Jackson
character over the course of the five seasons, his progression from the animated, wide-eyed innocent of Torment of Tantalus to the cool, willing assassin of Summit/Last Stand, the fact is that characters do evolve over time. Given everything Daniel has gone through in his five years with SG-1, it would be unrealistic for him to remain unchanged. Michael Shanks himself pushed for this development as he clearly saw the danger in keeping Daniel a static character.
Finally, I'd like to end with a quick thank-you to all of the
Stargate SG-1 fans out there who take the time to posts or, at the very least, take the time to read the posts. I can honestly say that the overwhelming majority of the fans I have dealt with online have been intelligent, polite, and well-spoken. When you've liked something, you've let me know. And when you haven't liked something, you've darn well let me know as well. But throughout, you've been respectful of us and the show as a whole - and for that I also thank you.
As we head into the show's sixth year of production and make the big move to SciFi, you can look forward to a kick-butt sixth season. Questions will be answered, secrets revealed, old friends revisited, and a few surprises sprung. Better invest in a crash helmet for at least the first three episodes. We're going to hit the ground running. Hard!
Joseph Mallozzi
Oh and I didn't post this as an excuse to open up that whole can of worms again that started in another thread.
Cheers,