PETITION for SEASON 7

[webmouse]

Patiently Waiting For A Reason To Care

At the risk of repeating myself I posted this a little while ago under the "Jonas" forum, but it seems topical here, too.

quote:
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Originally posted by Hatshepsut
The point is that T.P.T.B. have chosen to present Quinn as totally undesirable. They didn't have to; it was a free choice.

Now, they're piously demanding that we play fair and give him a chance to prove himself. What a cheek!!!

Why should we? If they wanted us to like him, why in Heaven's name didn't they depict him in a more favourable light in the first place? They could have done that - couldn't they?
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Coming from S4 to S6 I have no history for Jonas before "Redemption." I've been mulling over his character ever since. It isn't so much why should Jack or Sam or T'ealc care about him, or why should Hammond give him a place on the team. Why should I care about him? What makes any of us care about a character?

So far, Jonas has been overly eager to please -- understandable under the conditions presented -- but it isn't winning me over. He has shown a heroic side, but mostly to gain a place on the team. I didn't see a genuine life-risking desire to save his friends, just a need to prove himself.

The tough choices still aren't there. Consider "New Ground" when 3 of the team are prisoners. Daniel's interrogator fires at Sam and Jack; a second shot will kill them. Daniel knows this and has to choose between allowing them to die or giving up the existence of T'ealc, blinded and hiding in the woods. Jack's training is to make those tough choices, but Daniel's is not. Yet he holds his ground, refusing to acknowledge a 4th team member -- and the questioning ends in the nick of time, of course.

What would Jonas do? We don't know and so far the writers haven't placed him in a situation where he has to make a difficult choice that is not to his own benefit. Consider all the situations that the team has been in -- capture, interrogation, torture, isolation, only one outcome possible and it isn't a good one -- and then imagine how Jonas might handle it. Regretably not much comes to mind.

I need to see how the writers choose to use him. It might be interesting to have him as an uncertain element, but then there's no way he could be on the SG1 team. He has blithely won the grudging respect of the SGC, but after all the writers can control the reactions of the other characters. There is no such control over the audience.

So, to like Jonas Quinn, what's my motivation?

 

[skoon]

how would Jonas react? Run with his tail between his legs, trip over a toothpick (joke my Dad always used..."you tripping over a toothstick? there's nothing there!"), fall on his face be knocked out, shot & killed by a Jaffa & then Danny-boy would come glowing to SG-1's rescue

 

[webmouse]

Sadly, Skoon, you may be right. There was a lot of development put into taking the nerdy professor type that was the original Daniel Jackson and turning him into a brave and selfless man willing to die for something he believed in. And in that character Daniel was much like Jack, Sam and T'ealc. All have been tested in one scenario or another and found to be genuine. They can count on each other and we can count on them.

Corin Nemec and the writers have a lot of work to do if they mean to create a Jonas that can reach that same level. Perhaps that's why a 7th season is being proposed -- to give Jonas time and space to grow, something that every character needs. Yes, I can accept Jonas as "the new guy" rather than the "Daniel replacement" because you can't replace people in any emotional sense.

But the producers had better start giving us a reason to care about Jonas now or many of us won't be around to see him blossom into whatever they mean for him to become.

 

[skoon]

as I posted over in the deface images thread...

 

[Texane]

I was disappointed with "The Abyss." RDA did a good job, but I don't think MS was given much to work with.

 

[webmouse]

I was relieved that DJ wasn't turned into an omniscient, instant fix to all major plot problems, but he wasn't given much else to do either.

So what is the advantage to being an energy being? We didn't learn much about what his life is like now that he has ascended. I suppose they're saving that for later -- like when they figure it out.

 

[skydiver]

well, we learned that he apparently has a little omniscient knowledge (he knew what was going on at the sgc, how jack got in trouble)...and he can't do a dang thing about it.

I can see why jack made the decision he did....the frustration level alone would have driven him nuts

 

[webmouse]

Not having seen S5, I may be handicapped in my knowledge of the ascended ones. Are there rules of etiquette, a Prime Directive, etc. that prevents interference in the affairs of mortals? I got the impression that Daniel seemed to be hinting that he could do something, but it would break the rules.

 

[skoon]

well Orlin broke the rules & was there for band from the 'glow colective'

 

[webmouse]

Of course no one on SG1 has ever shown a tremendous respect for the rules -- military or otherwise. Suddenly Daniel is behaving himself. I wonder why.

(yeah, yeah, yeah -- something for a future episode )

 

[HeyLynny]

AS much as I love the show, I found that season 5 was less interesting than any season I had seen up til that point. Season 6 has definetely been better for me, so I hope they keep up the good work and enough fans watch so that there will be a season 7!

 

[webmouse]

Perhaps SG1 was getting a bit jaded -- too many captures, too many harrowing escapes, all in a day's work. Although I'm not setting my hopes on S7 (gotta get through S6 first), I think there is a chance that JQ may refresh the team to some of the original wonderment of seeing the universe and its inhabitants as though for the first time.

 

[spookypumpkin]

i dont think it was jaded, but

Spoiler

rda wants to spend more time w/ wiley and apryl and perhaps have another kid, so we'll be killing jack off

and of course danny's not long term any more. a movie would be a nice round up, but if they persue it, they cant call it SG1, it wont have the same sentiment.

 

[webmouse]

If wishes were horses . . .

I'm with you, Spooky. As much as fans are clamoring for S7, there is a point where the show either is or is not SG1. MS isn't gone gone, but he isn't there either. RDA has made it clear that he isn't planning on being around for S7 if it means more time away from his family.

If Daniel returns and Jack leaves, then perhaps a semblance of SG1 can continue into S7. No need to kill Jack off. He can retire (he's done it before -- several times as I recall). But minus Daniel and Jack, it really isn't SG1 anymore, and I think S7 would fall flat
-- unless the writers do some really spectacular work, something that just doesn't happen as often as it should.

A spinoff is the most likely continuation, but it won't be SG1. Those who have watched the various incarnations of Star Trek have seen some fine shows with related themes and characters.
It is a formula that has worked before and can work again, if the fans are patient and open-minded enough.

Assuming the loss of Daniel and Jack as regular characters, I'd prefer a gracefull end with S6, see the original SG1 team make feature films, and have the producers come up with a dandy spinoff with a wholly new and winning premise. Perhaps even the Adventures of Jonas Quinn

 

[skoon]

here here

 

[webmouse]

Thanks for the support, Skoon.

But I'm still waiting for the "S7 At All Costs" backlash. Some posters have exhibited strong opinions on the subject -- and not always tactfully put.

 

[spookypumpkin]

I'm not an "at all costs" groupie. Also, recently teal'c said in a conversation with Jonas that he would return to chulak. ((think it was nightwalkers)) so that leaves SG1 down to...well....... sam ((and perhaps jonas, if he doesn't get himself killed in the meantime...))

 

[webmouse]

Sam and Jonas -- well, she can tease him and slap him around a bit. Not much of a plot line, but could be fun to watch.

 

[skoon]

ya & since Jack will be retired at least they can hint that she has a love life...

 

[webmouse]

Actually, once Jack retires the writers can do a lot more than hint and still stay within USAF regs