The Gater/Scaper Bar, Cantina and Mutual Non-Aggression Zone

[RydraWong]

In the wake of recent news, I've gathered that some folk from the Stargate camp have been peering round the forums here, feeling too nervous to post. And I know that I for one have been lurking warily on some Stargate boards.

I think a lot of us (quite apart from the substantial number of people who already watch and enjoy both shows) are curious about each other and each other's respective shows.

You want to know who this Browder guy is, we want to know who he's going to be hanging out with now (the hussy ;)).

But we're also scared of each other, and worried about hostility because many of us have seen the two shows as "rivals" in the past (and because in all fandoms bashing everyone else's shows for being Not As Good As Ours is pretty much compulsory).

So I suggest that we do what we Scapers do best (apart from bitching and sending Bonnie Hammer bras) - party! :baloons: :partytime:

I hereby nominate this thread as a neutral zone where those of the two fandoms who so wish can hang out, drown our worries in virtual alcohol, get to know each other in safety, gather courage to dip into our respective boards, and ask the questions we really want to ask each other (like "But how do you get past the Muppet factor?" :cookiemon - or "Er, isn't Thor a puppet?" :D ).

No, this is not saying that we all have to like each other's shows, or have to hate each other's shows, or have to make nice, or have to do anything, we just ... could use a neutral zone, IMHO.

To set the tone, here are two invaluable guides from Katie M. and Cofax respectively:

A Stargate Primer For The Farscape Fan (http://www.livejournal.com/users/katie_m/79386.html)
A Farscape Primer For The Stargate Fan (http://www.livejournal.com/users/suelac/167104.html)

Hands across the fandoms!

Oh, and happy Ramachanukwanzamastice!

[JrMissToughChick]

haha cute :)

[stlscape]

This is a great idea, Rydra! ::waves hello to everyone::

[Twich]

Hey!!! Welcome! Hope to meet some new friends! :)

I'm looking forward to Stargate. I haven't watched before...but I always wanted to. It intrigued me. (Loved the movie and have caught a few eps here and there.) Ben's hiring was the fire under me that got me moving to MAKE time.

Anyway...I'd love to make some new friends! Come on in and enjoy the party :beer:

[Nicola]

Party!
:dancin: :partydude :partytime :djdisco: :joy: :band: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :joy: : :partydude :partytime :dancin:

[canadadoc]

Thanks for this Rydra. Love the primers. Both are well written with a nice balance of humour and back story. It is amazing to think that you are hosting a mixed party for these two shows. I could not have seen this coming until last week. I guess change is good after all. :D

[RobynBender]

[wheeeee]
[pours hot cider with one hand while struggling to control overexcited cat in other arm]

The very same Perspicacious Husband who lured me into Farscape in the first place also got me watching Stargate a couple of years ago (as we were running out of FS and Buffy). We've seen most SG episodes at least a couple of times, and I've read some very nice bits of fanfic here and there, and both have enhanced my quality of life. Haven't spent time on the SG sites (except to check episode guides and the occasional screencap and interview), but that's mostly because an old lady can only play on the internet for a limited time after work before she dozes off on the couch... [um, WHAT?]...

Does that make me a step-Gater, or at least a shirt-tail relation? Anyway, y'all are welcome on my playground anytime and I think Our Guys are going to have a fine time working together.

[must remove Other Cat from shiny tree] Later, Robyn

[RobynBender]

...and, GO, RYDRA, you've broken 1000 posts! [wheee] No wonder the cats are excited!

[RydraWong]

Glad people seem to think it's a good idea - and anyone who's "dual nationality" already, feel free to circulate the URL among the Stargate folk (and other Farscape folk). Equal numbers! Non-threatening postures! :D

Peace on earth, and goodwill to all fen. :snowman:

[bummer23]

I'm a longtime 'Gater but have been more invovled in Scaperdom in the last few years.... I revisited some Gater forums earlier...and I saw at least a couple of posts that mentioned they had never watched Farscape...except for the miniseries... Proof positive that you had new viewers from the mini!! Just thought I'd share....

[BackStageJim]

Hope the other gaters (yes, I'm one) will blend together with one mindset.

Excellent stories, acting and an even larger universe to play in.

Besides ... what is a Farscape wormhole, but a stargate event horizion on the other side.

[Pitry]

Squee! Thankee for that Rydra - I found Katie's primer a couple fo days ago, the Farscape one was very amusing too (though, of course, I didn't get all the jokes, hehe).

*brings in the silly party hats and bad 80s music*

..Actually reading that primer actually made me realise something: can you guys imagine how many crossover fanfics we're gonna get out of all of this? *shudders at the thought* :lol

[RydraWong]

Oh, the crossover fics started long ago ... <g>

It's the potential future crossover fics that scare me, the ones where BB's-new-character-who-is-currently-nameless runs into John Crichton.

Because, brain hurty. Ow.

(Ah, bad 80s music! The vital party ingredient!)

[JrMissToughChick]

Oh, the crossover fics started long ago ... <g>

It's the potential future crossover fics that scare me, the ones where BB's-new-character-who-is-currently-nameless runs into John Crichton.

Because, brain hurty. Ow.

(Ah, bad 80s music! The vital party ingredient!) and some one says they look alike and they think that person is nuts ;)

[JadedLegend3]

Yay! I'm a Scaper/Gater, too! :D Great idea, Rydra!

[sny]

Well, I'm only really good for the first season-ish of Stargate, but I'm glad to lurk on the sidelines or "rah rah" or whatever. I'm still kind of getting into the swing of Stargate. (I'm one of those weird people who think you need to watch the entire first season before you really know if you like a show or not, anyway.) I'm pretty good at extolling the virtues of Farscape, though. I do work with a massive Gater and we've been watching the eps during lunch when we run out of Farscape or when he isn't there. (Come on, he's seen all the episodes multiple times already. He doesn't mind if we watch SG-1 without him.)

[RydraWong]

and some one says they look alike and they think that person is nuts ;)

It's going to be bad enough when that happens with Daniel Jackson :D.

Although I do think this anecdote, which Michael Shanks was apparently telling at cons earlier this year, is beyond sweet:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/my_tallest/49801.html

{So at this recent con,} one of the attendees asked Michael Shanks how he felt about being compared to Ben Browder and their startlingly similar appearance. Then, Shanks launches into this story of waiting for his airplane on some return flight to Vancouver for filming and he sees this guy in the airport that looks REALLY familiar. After a bit he passes a brushed metallic column and glimpses himself and realizes -- Oh, that guy looks familiar because he looks a lot like me! Wait a sec...that’s Ben Browder – no wonder the fans are always comparing us – we do look alike! So he goes up to chat with Ben and the two of them proceed to hang out and chat about everything from acting to hobbies to being geeks themselves and it was apparently great. Then, they sat together on the plane and chatted all the way back to Vancouver. Naturally, the flight attendant thought they were brothers.

(Awwww, the geek bonding!)

And if they've already met and got on so well - good sign for a fun and sparky working relationship.

[waltersgirl]

:beer:

[Sponge]

Since I'm a fic writer (though I've still only written one major work), I've got a question about the Stargates - just in case I get afflicted with the desire to write for it (or better yet, a crossover).

Are thre any in places where a spacecraft can come safely though them, and if so how big would the ship be (in Farscape terms. I'm thinking Marauder or Stryker size definitely, maybe a capital ship if there's a big enough gate in the right place) ?

[AcidFlashGordon]

Since I'm a fic writer (though I've still only written one major work), I've got a question about the Stargates - just in case I get afflicted with the desire to write for it (or better yet, a crossover).

Are thre any in places where a spacecraft can come safely though them, and if so how big would the ship be (in Farscape terms. I'm thinking Marauder or Stryker size definitely, maybe a capital ship if there's a big enough gate in the right place) ?


I remember seeing an ep when I believe it was Teal'c who flew a small Goa'uld ship through the gate. It might "conform" to the size of a Prowler but that's just a wild guess on my part. From what few Stargate eps I have seen, there seems to be a default size to all the Gates.

[Col. Kathryn O'Neill]

i think those ships maybe a lil too big to get through a gate, prowler perhaps... or a puddle jumper (from the SGA series) the death glider i think is the only ship that ive seen go through the gate.

to be safe, i'd use hyperspace travel or something

--course this does come from me and i am a x-over writer. ;)

but then dont let that stop ya... the point it to have fun and enjoy

[anlashock]

This certainly warms the cockles of my heart. Being a person who has had many a program that I cared about canceled I am happy to see that actors from Farscape can bring some terrific talent to another show I watch. I think it's time to buy everyone a round ( on my tab ). What will it be folks ?
Saurian brandy ? Argellian wine ? 7-UP ? How about some Harvey Shooters ?

__________________________________________________ _____________
Mystery, Moonlight, Murder ~ Jason Carter in Ill Met By Moonlight (http://www.buzzymultimedia.com) http://imagehost.biz/ims/pictes/157115.gif

[Pitry]

So.. we're gonna have fics with Daniel Jackson being the long lost brother of John Crichton and BB's Stargate character?...

Oh boy.

*starts thinking of Stargate slashers.*

oh, boy.

Katherine O'Neill is right, there's a death glider going through the gate in Into the Fire and Solitudes and of course the Puddle Jumper - erm, about 3-man wide, I'd say, from the insides of PJs. two people can sit one next to each other.

Ah, there's no bonding as geek bonding!

[JrMissToughChick]

It's going to be bad enough when that happens with Daniel Jackson :D.

why do i keep forgetting about that? :headbang: good point. lol

[RydraWong]

So.. we're gonna have fics with Daniel Jackson being the long lost brother of John Crichton and BB's Stargate character?...

Triplets? :D

Well, I gather that Joe Mallozzi's officially stated that BB's Stargate character will not be Daniel Jackson's long-lost brother or any other kind of relative. Of course, truly determined fic-writers will never let a little detail like that stand in their way ...

But I've already seen people pointing out that it's better if they're not actually brothers, so the slashiness isn't incestuous :D.

[JrMissToughChick]

But I've already seen people pointing out that it's better if they're not actually brothers, so the slashiness isn't incestuous :D.
while mildly wigged, I still think that is hillarious lol.

[RydraWong]

Hey, we're in the fandom that invented the blow-up Crais doll, remember - I don't think we're in a position to be wigged by anyone else's goings-on ... :D

[JrMissToughChick]

Hey, we're in the fandom that invented the blow-up Crais doll, remember acutly I had never heard of that, that wigs me out even more thought lol

[RydraWong]

Lechery and insanity: the two common denominators of fandom :D.

[canadadoc]

Wow - this cantina is taking on a very sensuous atmosphere. Nice work ! :cool:

[Sponge]

i think those ships maybe a lil too big to get through a gate, prowler perhaps... or a puddle jumper (from the SGA series) the death glider i think is the only ship that ive seen go through the gate.

to be safe, i'd use hyperspace travel or something

--course this does come from me and i am a x-over writer. ;)

but then dont let that stop ya... the point it to have fun and enjoy

I was wondering if you'd reply, CKO - you seem to be the authority on this kind of thing...

The ship I was hoping to have come through is the ESV Cry Havoc - Harrigan's ship. Which, in case you don't know it, is massive (we're talking Darth Vader's Executor here size, people). As far as hyperspace travel goes, the Cry Havoc does have hetch drive (rating about 6.5-7 on the Star Trek-type speed level I use)...would that be close enough?

But I suppose they could find and secure an out of the way gate on a backwater planet...might even be one on Ithlin somewhere (read Harrigan's Heroes to find oout what plaanet that is)...

Only question now is...how would the Stargate characters react to Harrigan (a genetically-altered human who looks like a black-armoured medieval knight without a helmet) and a large group of Scarrrans? Certainly something for me to think about if I decide to write for this too...

[waltersgirl]

WEIR: I know I'm playing catch-up, but I understand that time is short.

O'NEILL: Actually it's all relative ma'am. Carter could explain it better if we had more time. (Sam smiles)


sorry. been reading S7 transcripts and the dialogue is crackin' me up. this was so very Farscape.

[JadedLegend3]

wg, where are you finding the transcripts? Are they on Gateworld? I need to catch up from this season...

[BackStageJim]

I do notice less agressive dialog on this site then other sites reguarding actor cross-over. I just think of myself as a fan of the actors acting, story/idea, and writing. It is a TV SHOW afterall ......

[canadadoc]

I do notice less agressive dialog on this site then other sites reguarding actor cross-over. I just think of myself as a fan of the actors acting, story/idea, and writing. It is a TV SHOW afterall ......

Most of us are less aggressive here and loyal to the actors' choices, but I will say that many of us do "our crying in the rain" or at least off forum. Respecting choices and change does not mean some of the fans are not a little or even a lot sad. We are mostly a respectful crowd here.

[Pitry]

Well, I gather that Joe Mallozzi's officially stated that BB's Stargate character will not be Daniel Jackson's long-lost brother or any other kind of relative. Of course, truly determined fic-writers will never let a little detail like that stand in their way ...

oy...
thankfully he [Joe Malozzi] has said that. *phew*

But I've already seen people pointing out that it's better if they're not actually brothers, so the slashiness isn't incestuous .

*return to original comment of, "oh boy"* :D


Only question now is...how would the Stargate characters react to Harrigan (a genetically-altered human who looks like a black-armoured medieval knight without a helmet) and a large group of Scarrrans? Certainly something for me to think about if I decide to write for this too...


can you show a picture? Your description sounds like a Kull Warrior, and if so.. erm - very very badly :) (isn't CKO but answers anyway )


wg, where are you finding the transcripts? Are they on Gateworld? I need to catch up from this season...


*bursts into questions again* you can find transcripts here (sgdb.theaquaria.net) ... Though I think they don't have most of season 8.

[JadedLegend3]

Thanks, Pitry, and welcome! :hi: :D

[Roland]

I Have a question. Apart from Ben and Claudia, have any other Farscape actors been in SG-1?

I've only seen a few eps from season 1-3.

[JrMissToughChick]

I Have a question. Apart from Ben and Claudia, have any other Farscape actors been in SG-1?

I've only seen a few eps from season 1-3. not that I know of... the two shows film(ed) on oposite sides of the planet.

[RydraWong]

Well, I'm only really good for the first season-ish of Stargate, but I'm glad to lurk on the sidelines or "rah rah" or whatever.

Actually, I figured that the people who are already "bi-show" are sorted - I was more envisaging this thread being useful for those of the rest of us who are ignorant and nervous but sort of vaguely interested in sidling out and peering at each other :).

[sny]

Well, I'm still mostly ignorant of Stargate. I doubt the few scattered DVDs and other eps I've seen qualify me as "bi-show". As I've said elsewhere, from what I've seen so far, I'm still a tad tepid on SG-1. I don't adore it, but I certainly don't dislike it, either. It's not the sort of thing (from what I've seen so far) that I would arrange an evening around, but the DVD viewing at lunch has been pleasant. I'm hoping perhaps the crossover will help me get into Stargate a bit more.

Despite not being a great deal into SG-1, I sure don't see SG-1 as the evil empire, or whatever. Seems at least a few Gaters have the impression that all Farscape fans somehow "blame" SG-1 and have never given it a chance before saying they hate it (if they don't like the show). Or at least one Gater took pains to come into the Farscape newsgroup and trumpet that opinion, like he had done formal research into the matter or whatever. Tain't so, far as I can tell. I was never real wild about SG-1, but maybe the DVD catchup will make me fonder of it. I find that some shows just really lend themselves to DVD viewing. Scifi shows usually do.

[RydraWong]

I've noticed a number of people who are into both shows saying that the thing is that they're very different in feel and aims, so that if you expect Stargate to be like Farscape (or vice versa) you'll be disappointed. Like comparing apples and oranges, someone said.

That makes a lot of sense to me.

Personally, I haven't got into Stargate yet, I must admit (although I realize that I may have to watch SG: Atlantis when it makes it to terrestrial, owing to my Mad Geek Love for Dave Hewlett).

But I have way smart friends <points at RobynBender, for example> who watch Stargate, from which I infer that it must be worthy of watching.

[waltersgirl]

wg, where are you finding the transcripts? Are they on Gateworld? I need to catch up from this season...


yeah, Gateworld. they have S1, S7 and S8. also have screencaps with brief descriptions of, i think, all the episodes. Gateworld also has an encyclopedia and everything is crossed referenced to terminology and relevant episodes for characters mentioned, so it's really easy to figure out what's goin' on.

Personally, I haven't got into Stargate yet, I must admit (although I realize that I may have to watch SG: Atlantis when it makes it to terrestrial, owing to my Mad Geek Love for Dave Hewlett).

sadly, Atlantis bores the frell out of me. and it's not the acting. the cast is really good. it's that Atlantis is ripping off Stargate and doing it badly, in a "we're gonna cover every scifi cliche and SG:1 ep in the first season of Atlantis if it kills us" kinda way. oy.

[Lost Like Me]

Gotta love a non-aggression zone. Howdy Gaters! :)

I just finished the first few disks of SG-1 S1 via Netflix. I went in with little knowledge, besides seeing the movie years ago, and with no expectations of seeing or comparing it to Farscape, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I totally understand all the RDA love. It only took a few minutes for me to join the club. Of course I've love him since waaaay back in his General Hospital days. Shanks is okay, but I just don't see the sex appeal that others see. General Hammond is also another standout. He and RDA make the show to me.

Can't wait for the next few disks. It's not fair to compare it to Farscape since it's totally different, but I still enjoyed it. Now pass the Tequila!

[divinedaydreams]

Shanks gets more into the sex appeal worthy catagory as the seasons pass.

[kellialwyd]

Shanks gets more into the sex appeal worthy catagory as the seasons pass.
At one point I was wondering if Shanks and Judge had started taking steroids. They both have built up over the last couple of years. Maybe they just spend a lot of time together and work out. I don't want to offend but Chris looks close to being muscle-bound. In any case they are both good actors and seem to be nice people as well. I was so happy that Michael welcomed Ben...Good to know that the folks on SG1 are not insecure and look forward to the challenge of a 9th season.

[canadadoc]

There is a marathon for SG1 season 6 on today on the Space channel. I watched an ep today written by Chris Judge. Does anyone know if the other actors write any eps as well?

[JadedLegend3]

I think Shanks wrote one or two...and Tapping has directed at least one...I think. :)

[canadadoc]

I think Shanks wrote one or two...and Tapping has directed at least one...I think. :)

That is promising I think. Thanks for the intel.

[Sponge]

you show a picture? Your description sounds like a Kull Warrior, and if so.. erm - very very badly :) (isn't CKO but answers anyway )

Are Kull those Borg-like guys I heard about in the primer? Because if so, Harrigan's nothing like them - he's totally biological. As for a pic, I once tried to get Catluckey to do one, but forgot to send a description so it never happened. But here's as detailed a description as I have...

Height : 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 metres)
Weight : 1100 pounds (500kg, or half a metric ton)

General appearance : Buzz-cut black hair, skin colour's a bit of a mix between human Caucasian and Scarran.
Face still looks human, none of the characteristic facial ridges present with a Scarran.
He's disproportionately wide across the shoulders, though not by a lot - A regular human's about one-third their height from side to side, Harrigan's about one-half.
Skin has a slight rubbery and burnt look to it. Anyone who's played the Cyberpunk RPG will recognise why - he has armoured skin.
The most obvious thing people would notice - the carapace. Thick, matt black, and segmented - covering pretty much the whole body from the shoulders down (includes the feet, but not the hands).

There is a very good reason why he looks so weird - he's the only surviving subject of a Scarran genetic engineering program. Best details on this can be found in Harrigans Heroes - specifically Chapter 11 - Frankenstein's Soldier (http://www.farscapefantasy.com/creative/index.php?area=fiction&story=324&chapter=12) - he has to explain it all to the Moyans here.

Personality : Harrigan was actually part of the US Air Force (in special ops, too) before he left on the very unoffical Farscape 2 mission (the shuttle had to be...er...liberated...from its original task - and Earth never got it back), so despite the fact that he's been with a lot of Scarrans for the past cycle or so he'd probably fit in fairly well - though he's less happy-go-lucky than he was, and a little nastier and lacking in patience. Especially towards government bureaucrats and politicians (he hurled one through a set of double doors without opening them first because he was stonewalling - the guy didn't hit the ground until after he'd gone through the doors).

Genetic alterations : This is the good part - and once the Stargate characters see at least one of these in action, it might really freak some of them out.

1) Armoured skin and armoured carapace. The carapace is slightly flexible. The combination of the two is extremely strong - he's resisted a direct hit from a BMP-1's main gun before (I know it's only a 73mm, but it's big enough), and in the later chapters does take several hits from slightly bigger weapons (though he barely survives that).

2) Multi-layer nervous system. Essentially like how military aircraft flight controls are - four layers of nervous system. If one goes down in any part, another willl cut in. Mostly done to assist the body in dealing with chemical and biological warfare agents, but if he's in a sufficiently stressful environment, the individual layers may start to work together (hasn't happened yet, though).

3) Enhanced senses. Infra-red and UV bands. Low light (much like a cat - including the slight glow). Thermal imaging (like a rattlesnake. This is not always on, and it's short-ranged). polarising lenses (like very good sunglasses). Other senses are similarly enhanced as well.

4) Electrical projection. The one that will probably freak Stargate charactyers out the most. It's an outgrowth of the nervous system alterations - and not an alteration that was part of the original program (see Harrigan's Heroes for how and why). Strength can be varied - anything from a slight crackle, through knocking someone on their eema, to knocking them unconscious, and - of course - to death. Harrigan's used it to torture a couple of Charrids for information before. Range - about 40m.

5) General strength and toughness enhancements. Much like you'd expect - muscle and skeletal for the most part. But also includes faster regeneration from damage and injuries - can regenerate lost limbs if necessary. Harrigan is extrememly strong - he can easily pick up a large human one-handed by the neck and hurl the a considerable distance.

6) Deadlock zone. Basically shielding built into his body against any mental tampering. Does actually extend a short distance from his body - so if a telepath was trying to send to anyone close to/obstructed by Harrigan, it wouldn't get through, Harrigan would know someone's sending (though not where they are unless they're very close) - and he'd generally get very annoyed about it.

7) Booster gland. This one even Harrigan's wary of, and tries to avoid using whenevr possible. A small gland that can release a powerful combat drug into his system. Usually under conscious copntrol, but can be triggered unconsciously if he's really stressed - or, more likely, badly injured. It boosts his strength, resistance to pain, and some speed - but makes him go badly beserk and gives a vicious come-down and probable addiction.

[Pitry]

Or at least one Gater took pains to come into the Farscape newsgroup and trumpet that opinion, like he had done formal research into the matter or whatever.

Well, I guess just like there are Scapers who believe Farscape was cancelled because of SG1, there are SG1 fans who believe all Farscape fans believe that.. I think you will find most Stargate fans (who don't know Farscape) to not be aware of it ( I wasn't til I got here), or not care... ;)

Harveywhispers - I'm not sure I'd be the right person because I know nothing of Farscape - and I'm sure you have enough "bilingual" people here - but as a complete Stargate obssessed I'd be happy to contribute my services as a Stargate linguistic when needed ;) Heck, I could even learn myself about Farscape that way. You'd drag me in there after all, you people would :)

Are Kull those Borg-like guys I heard about in the primer? Because if so, Harrigan's nothing like them - he's totally biological.

Nah, those are the Replicators. You can see a Kull Warrior here (http://www.gateworld.net/sg1/s7/graphics/716_43.shtml).

Hmm.. sounds like if Harrigan's wearing a mask (and probably a different armour), he could pass - although you'd need a very frightened character, because the Kull Warriors are human in size. Resistance to direct hits sounds about right, the rest of the things freak me out! :lol

[RydraWong]

I'm not sure I'd be the right person because I know nothing of Farscape

Hang out here long enough, show the slightest flicker of interest, and I'm sure you'll find a tape fairy ....:devil:

[Selena]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_1_20.gif welcome :bigwave: "Gaters" we love to party http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/13/13_4_6.gif

[Sponge]

Nah, those are the Replicators. You can see a Kull Warrior here (http://www.gateworld.net/sg1/s7/graphics/716_43.shtml).

Hmm.. sounds like if Harrigan's wearing a mask (and probably a different armour), he could pass - although you'd need a very frightened character, because the Kull Warriors are human in size. Resistance to direct hits sounds about right, the rest of the things freak me out! :lol

Intersting looking guys, those Kull. Harrigan's carapace would look a bit more like a cockroach carapace than that - it defintitely does not look artificial, and Harrigan never wears a helmet (the carapace doesn't cover the head, either)

Different armour? He's not wearing it - it's part of him! But a sufficently large trenchcoat can hide anything :D .

The face would look a little odd, certainly - but since the only difference is the skin tone, the sticking point in how people would react (until they'd seen him fight) would be his massive bulk - even the biggest WWE wrestlers won't match that :eek: .

[MrX]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_1_20.gif welcome :bigwave: "Gaters" we love to party http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/13/13_4_6.gif

She's not lyin'

[Pitry]

Intersting looking guys, those Kull. Harrigan's carapace would look a bit more like a cockroach carapace than that - it defintitely does not look artificial, and Harrigan never wears a helmet (the carapace doesn't cover the head, either)

Different armour? He's not wearing it - it's part of him! But a sufficently large trenchcoat can hide anything :D .

The face would look a little odd, certainly - but since the only difference is the skin tone, the sticking point in how people would react (until they'd seen him fight) would be his massive bulk - even the biggest WWE wrestlers won't match that :eek: .

Well sounds like he can just frighten everyone who sees him no matter what :D

*hides from RydraWong* ;)

[RydraWong]

*hides from RydraWong* ;)

Why? Why are you hiding from me? What did I DO? :cry2:

(Whatever they've told you, it's all lies, lies I swear ...)

;)

[sny]

Well, I guess just like there are Scapers who believe Farscape was cancelled because of SG1, there are SG1 fans who believe all Farscape fans believe that.. I think you will find most Stargate fans (who don't know Farscape) to not be aware of it ( I wasn't til I got here), or not care... ;)


They are few and far between, at least in the corners where I hang out. Meh, this one claimed to be a fan of both shows, but I had never seen them post there before and considering he just seemed interested in picking a fight (which wasn't too successful, given that the newsgroup regulars pretty much either pulled the stuffings out of his argument by either asking to see his research, rebutting that they didn't feel that way, and/or threadjacking the whole thing into a conversation about sandwiches...), I didn't see him as too much of a fan of either show.

He actually seemed most interested in telling everyone what idiots they were for blaming SG-1 (despite the fact that, as far as I can tell, no one there did...) and how much both shows sucked the first season. He seemed awfully defensive about how "everyone knows the first season of SG-1 sucked" (huh?), despite the fact that non-Gaters were terminally polite about their personal dislike or non-fanning of the show. I thought that argument tack pretty weird, considering I generally hold Farscape to be one of the strongest first seasons of any show I've seen, and Stargate hasn't been too bad, from what I've seen so far. It takes that first half to get any semblance of a personality for Teal'c, which improves things mightily, but any ensemble show needs a bit more forgiveness in the first season. It takes time to get four main characters up and running.

I think it takes every show, including Farscape, until about the second season to really hit full stride, but buying the DVDs reminded me that Farscape started out a lot stronger than most series. There was no boring "getting to know you" pilot and early episode period. It took off rather nicely, even in the pilot. I see SG-1 getting stronger as I near the end of the season 1 boxset, so I imagine season 2 will be more enjoyable than season 1 has been to me. And it's been decently enjoyable, to this point. I guess we'll amuse ourselves with Stargate during lunch breaks at work until the PK Wars DVD comes out.

[malachilenomade]

I think Shanks wrote one or two...and Tapping has directed at least one...I think. :)

Amanda Tapping:
Director - filmography

"Stargate SG-1" (1997) TV Series (episode 7.19 "Resurrection")


-------------------
Michael Shanks:
Director - filmography
"Stargate SG-1" (1997) TV Series (episode 4.21 "Double Jeopardy")

Writer - filmography
"Stargate SG-1" (1997) TV Series (story) (episode 7.11 "Evolution Part 1") (writer) (episode 7.19 "Resurrection")

[BackStageJim]

At one point I was wondering if Shanks and Judge had started taking steroids. They both have built up over the last couple of years. Maybe they just spend a lot of time together and work out. I don't want to offend but Chris looks close to being muscle-bound. In any case they are both good actors and seem to be nice people as well. I was so happy that Michael welcomed Ben...Good to know that the folks on SG1 are not insecure and look forward to the challenge of a 9th season.


From what was said at a con, Michael has been working out with Chris to close the gap. Chris, former Football Bowl player, has to 'work my arsh off to keep looking like this. Can't wait to relax the diet.'

[Sponge]

Well sounds like he can just frighten everyone who sees him no matter what :D

He's quite scary to look at, yes. But once you get to know him, he can be quite nice - though being around Scarrans for as long as he has will have made him a little more blunt and unsubtle than he was (at least socially). It probably doesn't help that he's married to a Scarran as well ;) .

[hypnotoad]

[QUOTE]Oh boy.

*starts thinking of Stargate slashers.*

Is it my imagination, or is slash really big in Stargate? Do you think this is due to the fact that there is only one woman on team and/or the military environment?

Someone on Gateworld is already speculating that Jack will be "jealous" if BB's character starts making moves on Daniel. :eek:

[canadadoc]

[QUOTE]Oh boy.

*starts thinking of Stargate slashers.*

Is it my imagination, or is slash really big in Stargate? Do you think this is due to the fact that there is only one woman on team and/or the military environment?

Someone on Gateworld is already speculating that Jack will be "jealous" if BB's character starts making moves on Daniel. :eek:

So I see you lurk over there too LOL.

And double :eek: :eek: to that thought of Lt Col MM and Dr. DJ.

[RydraWong]

Is it my imagination, or is slash really big in Stargate?

I think it's really big in most fandoms. And there's a fair amount in Farscape fandom too - it's just that evidently we're relatively unusual in having a lot of het fic too.

Possibly because Farscape has more interesting female characters than many shows do, and possible because, as has been pointed out, the John-Aeryn relationship is not only very strongly-written and -acted but also doesn't exactly follow standard gender rules. So it seems to provide a lot of the things that many fanfic writers often write slash for.

Farscape: where even the het is slashy :devil:.

[RydraWong]

Plus: on Farscape, the excessive leather, bondage and all-round kinkiness are canon. :D

[hypnotoad]

[QUOTE]Plus: on Farscape, the excessive leather, bondage and all-round kinkiness are canon.

True, sex and sexuality are a big part of Farscape. Given that Stargate is to a greater degree a "process" show (it has a greater emphasis on what the characters do than who they are), the Stargate characters more "modest/pure". Slash is one way fans can access the characters' hidden lives.

[Pitry]

Why? Why are you hiding from me? What did I DO?


The evil smiley was looking at me in a strange way. It seems.. hungry ;)

(Whatever they've told you, it's all lies, lies I swear ...)

Even the part about the cake? *disappointed*

They are few and far between, at least in the corners where I hang out. Meh, this one claimed to be a fan of both shows, but I had never seen them post there before and considering he just seemed interested in picking a fight (which wasn't too successful, given that the newsgroup regulars pretty much either pulled the stuffings out of his argument by either asking to see his research, rebutting that they didn't feel that way, and/or threadjacking the whole thing into a conversation about sandwiches...), I didn't see him as too much of a fan of either show.

Meh, maybe he was bored and looking for a fight.. *shrug* I find Stargate online community to be awfully big. It got it's advantages, but as bit as your community is, the more twats it attracts. Sounds like you guys did the right thing moving the discussion to sandwhiches! You'd always get those looking to flame a thread, always should be ignored ;)

and Stargate hasn't been too bad, from what I've seen so far. It takes that first half to get any semblance of a personality for Teal'c, which improves things mightily, but any ensemble show needs a bit more forgiveness in the first season. It takes time to get four main characters up and running.


Most shows do take a while to take off - if they do... I think you'll find - as you started saying - the second part of sG1 season 1 much better than the first (I know I did ;))

I think it takes every show, including Farscape, until about the second season to really hit full stride, but buying the DVDs reminded me that Farscape started out a lot stronger than most series. There was no boring "getting to know you" pilot and early episode period.

That's really impressive. Most shows would try and get you acquiented with the main plot and characters... which is something SG1 didn't do so well, considering they had the entire setting and the two main characters introduced in a film. I have to admit they did quite a poor job on both Carter and Teal'C in the first half of season 1 - but they were more busy establishing the enviornment than the characters then. They really kicked off in the second part - including making Carter and Teal'C more integral parts of the team and a bit better characters. ;) *shudders at Carter's feminist streak on eps 1-5*. Again, very impressive Farscape din't lose their heads over not doing that, sounds like a complicated situation to throw the viewers straight into.

He's quite scary to look at, yes. But once you get to know him, he can be quite nice - though being around Scarrans for as long as he has will have made him a little more blunt and unsubtle than he was (at least socially). It probably doesn't help that he's married to a Scarran as well .

...Scarrans?... :eek:

Is it my imagination, or is slash really big in Stargate? Do you think this is due to the fact that there is only one woman on team and/or the military environment?


I s'pose so about slash being big.. I don't know! I'm not a shipper, I'm not a slasher, I don't even read fanfic! I think though the basis to a lot of Slashers in SG is the Daniel-Jack friendship in the show, a lot of people simply take it forward.. *cough* actually MS and RDA are aware of that and urban legend has it they're playing it off off the set. ;) Having only one major woman would actually shoudl draw more shippings, as shippers would pair her with O'Neill and most - if not all - SG slash is O'Neill and Jackson.
Hey, and actually you have another main female character, Frasier...

[RydraWong]

buying the DVDs reminded me that Farscape started out a lot stronger than most series. There was no boring "getting to know you" pilot and early episode period.

Interesting, because I kind of feel the opposite: IMHO, the first half of season 1 is okay, but as BB's said, it's "Farscape Lite" - to me, it wasn't until the end of the season that they really hit their stride and got into what makes Farscape Farscape.

Of course, once you've seen the later eps, then it gets fascinating to go back and look at the earlier ones again ...

[Frell-n-Grok]

I totally understand all the RDA love. It only took a few minutes for me to join the club. Of course I've love him since waaaay back in his General Hospital days. Shanks is okay, but I just don't see the sex appeal that others see. General Hammond is also another standout. He and RDA make the show to me.

Can't wait for the next few disks. It's not fair to compare it to Farscape since it's totally different, but I still enjoyed it. Now pass the Tequila!


I'm with ya. Been lovin RDA since GH myself. I also don't get the Michael Shanks thing but then again, I wasn't too into BB until Season two. So, I'm thinking if they put MS in leather pants, it may just give me a different perspective! LOL!

:D

[SBN]

This is a great idea, it is about time the communities come together instead of breaking into war camps. Something that really caught my eye was a few comments at Gateworld after BB was announced to be in S9 of Stargate, the comments went along the lines of "Gee wonder what the Farscape community is saying about this, can't be good because they blame Stargate for their shows demise"

I myself love both shows, but not one more than the other because they are so different in style and substance. So for that I can understand why a lot of Scapers might not get in to Stargate. Me, I am just a big freekin SciFi/computer geek (no, I am not Comic-Book Guy!).

I say a lot of this from experience, there is a certain show that a lot of people here seemed to like, that I just despised. So I know first hand that sometimes things can blind us a bit. I went over to Gateworld and bashed this show after reading some Stargate bashing here. My childish thinking was if this is what people prefer here then I am going to bash it full force. I was wrong.

I think the first thing that a lot of Scapers should know is that this could be really good news for future Farscape. I'll explain. Stargate never seems to have stopped their regulars from doing jobs outside of Stargate. Remember NBC refusing Pierce Brosnan to do Bond? Only thing that would have done is helped save Remmington Steele from eventually being cancelled, ironic. Anyways, lets face reality, Farsape returns if money can be made, i,e SciFi channel will definetely try to capitalize on the Farscape characters comeing to Stargate. Even more, if S9 should get higher ratings then I would almost surely say SciFi will ask for another mini-series at least. I have to say this because how many times do we see this happening. Hell, SciFi channel is probaly the worst and most obsessed with cross-promotion. Mark my words, if by the middle of S9, ratings are good and BB's presence as a regular is a hit, Scifi will anounce a new Farscape mini-series just to capitalize on this.

Now, for those Scapers unfamiliar with SG, let me give you a brief primer-
First, SG is NOTHING like Farscape. That is why I love the 2 shows because they ARE so different. Stargate is essentially SciFi lite, I mean by that they do not take a lot of things as serious as say Farscape would. Where Farscape had a serious drama and romance, Stargate has never gone more than a couple of eps and that to only build a storyline.

Another thing people here unfamiliar with SG should know is there was/is some anxiety over BB coming aboard. It has nothing to do with him/Farscape at all. People are just worried about RDA leaving and what that will mean for the show. When BB was first announced a lot of people assumed that this was because he was there to replace RDA. The majority though seem to be in between excited to intrigued for what will happen in S9. I fall in to a little from column A and a little from column B. All I know is I can not wait for S9 to begin.

So with that, lets all board the SciFi bus and get a long. Because something every SciFi fan should know, no matter how good their show is, it can still get cancelled if it isn't profitable for the corporate suits.

[hypnotoad]

[QUOTE]Originally Posted by Pitry

I think though the basis to a lot of Slashers in SG is the Daniel-Jack friendship in the show, a lot of people simply take it forward.. *cough* actually MS and RDA are aware of that and urban legend has it they're playing it off off the set.

canadadoc,

Does Ben know what he's in for? :eek: :eek: :eek:

[AnnieBW]

Yep. The "Jack Daniels" slashers are really a huge contingency in the fandom. Either that, or they're just very vocal.

Someone at Burbank said that Scapers are "afraid of slash" stories. Frankly, I don't think that's true at all. I think it's because there's no clear-cut "coupling" between John and D'Argo to exploit. And they killed off Crais, so that leaves out that option. It's not like Stargate or Smallville (a.k.a. "Slashville"), where you have two relatively good-looking male leads that women want to fantasize about. Well, unless you're into tentacles or bondage gear, that is! :D

After four-plus years of working with Anth, I'm SURE that Ben knows what he's getting into! :D

[sny]

Interesting, because I kind of feel the opposite: IMHO, the first half of season 1 is okay, but as BB's said, it's "Farscape Lite" - to me, it wasn't until the end of the season that they really hit their stride and got into what makes Farscape Farscape.

Of course, once you've seen the later eps, then it gets fascinating to go back and look at the earlier ones again ...

Oh, I agree that later Farscape is much more polished and together and groovy than early Farscape. But as compared to most "first/early episodes" on other (or your typical television show) series, I think Farscape did a better job of getting the good stuff off the ground and not getting bogged down in the "get to know you" period that most shows have.

You know, where they spend about six to ten episodes having no real plot or character interaction, and they're just going "This is Bob. Bob works at the chocolate factory. Bob will be our sympathetic main character, and his stereotype/designated role is 'wisecracking womanizer'. Feel free to laugh here. Sympathize with poor, put-upon Bob. This is Ned. Ned is Bob's 'wacky next door neighbor'. See Ned. See Ned be wacky. See Bob whack Ned. Ha. Ha. This is Janet. She moves in across the hall. Janet will be our obligatory silicone model. Pant after Janet. She is the 'hot babe'." Which generally makes me go *snoooore*.

Instead of doing that annoying "training wheels" period, early Farscape assumes you've likely got half a brain and you're pretty familiar with how space travel organizations work, what Earth and astronauts and humans are like, they give you a bare bones taste of what John is like on Earth, and then they immediately hurl you, along with Our Hero, into the middle of a space battle, start blowing things up, suck you onto a living ship where you can't understand anyone, initially, and the aliens aren't E.T and they're staging a prison break. You get some taste of just how jarring John's transition is, because your own, as a viewer, is jarring. It's not the typical "hold the viewer's hand" pilot that most series experience.

And instead of falling prey to the "We must introduce all our character backgrounds right away, for viewers have short attention spans and must know the entire character history and know all there is to know by episode four!" temptation, Farscape is still filling in basic character backstory in great, rich detail and at a nice, leisurely pace as late as the latter half of season one and the first half of season two. It's thereabouts that you actually find out about Aeryn and Pilot's past in greater detail, without rushing anything, and without the show sounding like it was written and acted by Bobby McExposition. Little character traits come out at a steady pace as the storylines move along, and as the characters interact, and then, each main character eventually has an ep where you really get to delve into their backstory in depth. I can't really think of another show that handled so many character backstories in such a way.

Season 2, of course, is where the crew really gelled into that big, dysfunctional, Jerry Springer family, and where the larger story arcs really kicked into high gear, so it's better, in my opinion, than season 1. But season 1 and the premiere pretty much kick keister when compared to other television shows. Most television shows plod in the beginning. I never felt like Farscape plodded, even in the premiere. It ran off at near top speed and expected you to keep up, which was refreshing.

[RydraWong]

Does Ben know what he's in for? :eek: :eek: :eek:

Well, we know Ben's coped with seeing pictures of John and D'Argo in a "compromising position" - and not only not run screaming for the hills but had lots of fun teasing fans about it at one of the cons (that was the "Put Photoshop down and back away from the computer!" quote, as I recall).

And let us not forget that the fishnets were Ben's idea.

I think he'll cope juuuuuust fine :D.

Well, unless you're into tentacles or bondage gear, that is! :D

You say that like it's a bad thing ... ;)

[RydraWong]

Further to which, I cite the interview that's just been posted at http://forums.scaperoute.com/kansas/index.php?topic=23146.0:

There are only so many times that you can look at yourself manipulated into some kind of compromising position with a huge alien before you try to avoid that stuff.

Personally, I reckon it's John Crichton's black leather trousers that really have the gay following.

As I said - after surviving the Scapers for so many years, I don't think he'll have any trouble with the Gaters. I think we've immunized him :D.

[spectecjr]

So.. we're gonna have fics with Daniel Jackson being the long lost brother of John Crichton and BB's Stargate character?...

Oh boy.

*starts thinking of Stargate slashers.*

oh, boy.


Cue the Quantum Leap crossover. Any minute now. I can wait...

[hypnotoad]

Originally Posted by RydraWong

as has been pointed out, the John-Aeryn relationship is not only very strongly-written and -acted but also doesn't exactly follow standard gender rules.

Many of the Gaters have compared the characters of John and Jack when contrasting Farscape and Stargate. Given the gender role reversal on Farscape, Jack/Aeryn and Sam/John is a better analogy.

Jack and Aeryn are the strong, silent, warriors. Both are emotionally reticent and prefer to "shoot first and ask questions later". In some ways Aeryn is more of soldier than Jack, because she was born into military service.

Sam and John are the Phd. scientist/technical geeks that try to minimize the loss of alien/human life. They are more in touch with their emotions, feel guilty when they kill and like to "talk". :snicker:

[Frell-n-Grok]

I have to say I really hope BB's character is not a science geek at all. Not that he has to play dumb like RDA does, but just be someone who understands at a basic level but that's not what he's about. I know that BB is enough of a great actor that he can play someone completely different than JC! My hope is that the writers/ directors on Stargate take acvantage of that and make the character very different.

[JadedLegend3]

Many of the Gaters have compared the characters of John and Jack when contrasting Farscape and Stargate. Given the gender role reversal on Farscape, Jack/Aeryn and Sam/John is a better analogy.

Jack and Aeryn are the strong, silent, warriors. Both are emotionally reticent and prefer to "shoot first and ask questions later". In some ways Aeryn is more of soldier than Jack, because she was born into military service.

Sam and John are the Phd. scientist/technical geeks that try to minimize the loss of alien/human life. They are more in touch with their emotions, feel guilty when they kill and like to "talk". :snicker:


That is a really good point. Jack and Aeryn are more alike than Jack and John, and the same with Sam and John. But that is the surface. When you get down to it, Jack is goofy and Aeryn is rarely goofy (unless under the influence of some weird alien drug or possession), and John is way goofier than Sam has ever been, IMO.

I'm not sure if Aeryn is "more of a soldier" as you say just because she was born to it. She walked away from military service (or if you want to argue it, was chased away), meanwhile Jack came back to the military even after he had retired. They both have let their military beliefs stand in the way of relationships with their coworkers, or in Aeryn's case, shipmate. Time will tell if Jack lets go as Aeryn did.

John and Sam are both really scientific, I agree with you on that. :) However, Sam seems to live and breathe science whereas John was "just this test monkey who screwed up his first experiment." Yes, wormholes have been a major issue for him, but his life and family and friends have always been more of a concern for him than science, I think. Sam on the other hand, has always let work, aka science, stand in the way of relationships and has prioritized her life so that science/work comes first and everything else comes after that. John is almost the opposite of that.

That's all the thinking I can do for now. :)

[Nhoj]

I'm not sure if Aeryn is "more of a soldier" as you say just because she was born to it. She walked away from military service (or if you want to argue it, was chased away)

I think I have to disagree with you here. The Peacekeepers may have foolishly expelled Aeryn from the ranks :wb: but nothing will ever make her less then the embodiment of the ideal Peacekeeper. You can kick Aeryn out of the military but you can never kick the military out of Aeryn! All you have to do is observe the way she maintains her prowler and her weapons to know she is what she always was. :boom: Only now she's "more".

P.S. Welcome Gaters :bigwave: Now my only question is - How the frell did I get appointed designated driver for this party?? :coffee:

[canadadoc]

John and Sam are both really scientific, I agree with you on that. :) However, Sam seems to live and breathe science whereas John was "just this test monkey who screwed up his first experiment." Yes, wormholes have been a major issue for him, but his life and family and friends have always been more of a concern for him than science, I think. Sam on the other hand, has always let work, aka science, stand in the way of relationships and has prioritized her life so that science/work comes first and everything else comes after that. John is almost the opposite of that.



I disagree with this a bit. I think that John was the sort of obsessed scientist who let his work get in the way of relationships until he arrived on Moya. From what little we learn of his past we do know he was not around to support his Mother when she died, he has had one failed and one very superficial relationship in the past and I think a very rocky friendship with DK. I think that John was very good at acting like the great open guy but for a lot of reasons managed to stay very superficial and closed down to most friends. I honestly think that D'Argo is his first really close friend and in fact his friends on Moya are truly his first close companions.

He admitted to being obsessed with the Farscape project on Earth and certainly acts that way with Wormholes while lost in space. But he does develop his emotional side on Moya - because he must to survive and because he falls deeply in love ( probably for the first time I think). For me Farscape is not just Aeryn becoming more but John finally letting himself become deeply attached to something other than his projects.

I don't know Stargate well enough to comment on Sam - but have been watching the show lately. I do see that the shows are different concerning their focus on character development - we see so much of the emotional development of John but I am not seeing that in the SG stories so far. This is not meant as a criticism of either show - just pointing out a difference.

John must have had to give up a great deal of his social and personal development in order to be as accomplished a scientist and astronaut at a relatively young age.

[Selena]

I agree canadadoc - you have John down to a tee! Samatha is very similar in personality - her work consumes her to the exclusion of relationships. Jack has invited her on fishing trips to his hide away on a number of occasions and she always has some project that she can't tear herself away from ... projects that she calls "fun".

I will be curious to see what type of character Ben's new role will be. Whatever it will be I am sure the writers will be careful to avoid making him anything like his former Farscape character. Ben is a talented actor and will do any role justice. A friend of mine, who is a huge Stargate fan hopes that Ben's new role will be a "wise ass smart commander" in the fashion of Jack O'Neill. I must admit I will miss the RDA snappy comebacks and witty retorts. But whatever the character will be I am eagerly waiting for episode 1 of season 9. ......... is it July yet???

[Alexxia]

I can't believe I only just came across this thread!

[Lindsay White]

HOWDY, to all Gaters and Scapers! This is an inspired idea, RydraWong, thank You! My memory is that it was either Bonnie H or Michael Jackson from Britain, who made the comment that "SG-1" has better ratings than FARSCAPE, and it doesn't cost as much.. (paraphrase) She or he set Scapers and Gaters against each other, at the time of the cancellation.

[jerseygirl]

Help me out here, gang. I have tried a few times in the past (okay, not very hard) to get into SG1, but just haven't been drawn into it. One of greatest of Farscape's strengths is the depth of the characters. We can't help but care deeply about them. Because SG1 is such a plot-driven show, I haven't really been drawn to the characters. I don't have an emotional stake in what happens to them. Which means I haven't felt compelled to keep watching.

So I'm asking you guys who watch regularly, what should I be looking for? What's my way into these guys? What's really neat and what's worth caring about? Of course, with Ben there, I'll certainly have a reason to watch. But I want to know what else to keep my eye out for.

[AnnieBW]

I think it was MJ, but Bonnie Yammer didn't help much. Personally, I've been into SG-1 since it first started, and I'm thrilled that Ben's joining the cast. It's best for all concerned. SG-1 gets some much-needed updating, and Ben, well, he gets a steady paycheck. :D

[faustus]

it's all good we get to see some of our favorate actors in a sci-fi show and that is cool.

[sny]

So I'm asking you guys who watch regularly, what should I be looking for? What's my way into these guys? What's really neat and what's worth caring about? Of course, with Ben there, I'll certainly have a reason to watch. But I want to know what else to keep my eye out for.

Spoilers through SG-1 Season 3 ahoy!

Well, I've only seen up through season 3, but I think the first few eps are a bit weak character-wise. It gets better as you continue to watch, the team gels, they start to care about each other (as much as you can in a military setting) and Teal'c develops a personality. It also helps that Daniel sort of fulfills his story arc about searching for his wife, and Teal'c does a similar thing with his wife and son. It at least gives you a bit of personal backstory for all the characters by the latter half of season 3. O'Neil's lost son and ex-wife, Sam's rocky relationship with her father and the loss of her mother, Daniel's loss of parents, rocky relationship with gradfather Nick, the loss of his wife, and the search for her child, and Teal'c balancing between caring for his son and fighting for the independence of his people.

I like SG-1, but you just have to realize it isn't the same sort of show as Farscape. You have to approach it differently. Some of it's the military setting, part of it's the writing style. There is not going to be massive carryover of angst and strong feelings from one ep to another. F'rinstance, Daniel's wife is shot by Teal'c. There's minimal angsting over it for all of an ep, and by the end, Daniel acts more or less like Teal'c just bogarted the chips at lunch, rather than shooting the woman he loved and had been searching for for years, no big deal. By the very next show, Daniel's got a new love interest of sorts. Not a terribly long mourning period. This isn't all bad, of course, it's just that in the Gater universe, you learn to expect that most things will be "okay" within an hour, and characters are not going to have deep story arcs that plumb their emotional depths for half a season, then dig new ones.

Now, I have to say, the generally lighthearted vein of SG-1 is kind of nice. All the characters have a bit of an angsty past, but they don't dwell on it much in the show, unless it's convenient to the ep in question. O'Neil's more the wisecracking military guy who has an aversion to technobabble, but proves to be a bit of an egghead himself from time to time. Sam, of course, supplies the technobabble. She's sort of an eager beaver Hermione Granger "I love learning" type. Daniel is similar. There's a lot of comic relief, and the show does have the rather charming habit of deflating the usually pompous sounding science of most sci-fi shows on a pretty regular basis, and it has no qualms about making fun of itself. I think you just have to go into it looking for something diverting and entertaining, with a sense of humor, and let the enjoyment of the characters come as you watch. Renting a box set or two and watching several eps in a row is probably a good way to do that.

Like any long-running show, not every ep is a winner, but I have, by and large, enjoyed the first 3 seasons, which I watched in this fashion with friends. We had a good time making light fun of some of the situations and episodes, and season 2 and 3 are big improvements over season 1, as far as I'm concerned. There's more story arc and the characters seem more accessible. O'Neil is a lot like let's-put-this-crazy-half-plan-into-action-Crichton in his lighter moments. He's similarly there for his team when the chips are down. Actually, the whole crew is. Sam is a really refreshingly geeky girl, something you don't often see on television. Teal'c, once he loosens up, is great occasional comic relief, and it's nice to see some of the crazy plans come together on SG-1. The working out of all the cultural aspects and how they tie into one another from planet to planet are pretty interesting, as well.

So, in summary, I think you just have to get in there, roll your sleeves up, dedicate yourself to watching, and let the enjoyment of the characters come to you as it will.

[Selena]

You can pick up season 2 eps on Monday nights on Skiffy - they show 4 eps each Monday. It's about half way through season 2.

[sny]

You can pick up season 2 eps on Monday nights on Skiffy - they show 4 eps each Monday. It's about half way through season 2.


And that's not a bad spot to start, actually. If you've seen the movie, you should be familiar enough with the concept. I just like the "do your own marathon" and "commercial-freeness" DVDs afford. I'm spoiled like that. :)

[jerseygirl]

Thanks for filling me in, sny. Maybe I'll put Season 1 on my Netflix queue and start that way. I'm getting to the point where I have an aversion to actually sitting down at an appointed time and watching a scheduled program. But I'll definitely give it a try. I understand it's not the same as Farscape. No show is. And I'll approach it with an open mind. I'm glad to know there's humor, and that they don't take themselves too seriously. Pomposity is a cardinal sin in my universe.

[hypnotoad]

Spoilers through SG-1 Season 3 ahoy!

There is not going to be massive carryover of angst and strong feelings from one ep to another. F'rinstance, Daniel's wife is shot by Teal'c. There's minimal angsting over it for all of an ep, and by the end, Daniel acts more or less like Teal'c just bogarted the chips at lunch, rather than shooting the woman he loved and had been searching for for years, no big deal. By the very next show, Daniel's got a new love interest of sorts. Not a terribly long mourning period.

sny,

You should have a spew warning on your post. I almost embarrassed myself at work when I read it. :lol

Due to my Month Python sensibilities, I found some of the "serious" Stargate episodes humorous because "Daniel acts more or less like Teal'c just bogarted the chips at lunch". :D

[Pitry]

Hmm.. Jerseygirl, my own two cents (er, I'll try not to throw in spoilers of seasons 1-8, but be warned...)

Sg-1 and Farscape are very different shows. They have point of similarities - other than the obvious scifi-action-alien stuff, and that's mainly the self-humour, and humour in general. From what I've seen of Farscape, they're not afraid of laughing a bit about themselves, about the genre, about the character, adding the odd joke here and there. So does Stargate - especially as the show progresses.

Main differnece would be the "drama", or "angst", or whatever you wanna call it. It's not true to say there isn't strong, angsty emotional development in Stargate. I also think that the view that things that happen in one episode don't effect the next is notr competely true. To refer to SNY's example, one episode Daniel's wife is being shot by Teal'C, the next he's okay and has a new love interest... not quite so. It is mentioned, and so does the reference to Teal'C as the person who killed his wife - it's just in a small comment, a nod of the head, not as a major part of the plot. It's there - underground. This happens often with SG-1 episodes. What happens more often, though, and also a thing I ran into a lot lurking in the forum - people saying that SG-1 is an episodiacal (er, sp?) show, unlike Farscape, being more arch-centred. Again, true only to an extent.
Farscape starts a plot and moves on from there, finishes it and uses the end to start a new intake - or so I think. Stargate has arches. A lot of them, in fact. It's jsut that often you have about half a season in between two parts of them. For example, in season 2 Carter becomes a host of a Tok'Ra. This, while being mentioned slightly in the next two episodes, doesn't take its full function until mid-season... and then again the specific implication of that arch are visited in the endng of the season and the middle of season 3. That's how Stargate archs move, mostly.. it has its disadvantgeous - but then it has its advantageous, as two differnet arches from the beginning of the show are united in the ending of season 6, and then again united with a third major arch in the ending of season 8... it creates a very strong feeling of a well-contructed universe - even though most of it wasn't there to begin with :). Of course, it means you sometimes have to wait a very long time before you get certain character-driven answers for questions, what you referred to as the "emotional stake" (for example, very important question about Daniel's ascension that were only addressed in the beginning of season 7... and then at the ending of season 8.)

My conclusion.. it is there. You jsut need to have the patience to watch long enough to see it :)