Stargate SG-1: Threads

[butterfly]

Stargate SG-1 8x18 -- Threads

On the one hand, I do feel pretty bad for Ba'al. He's working for a complete wack job.

On the other hand, he tortured Jack. He can stand being conflicted about his boss.

Speaking of Jack, OMG his denial was a beautiful thing.

"I'm not falling for it this time."

*happy sigh*

Oh. "Bra'tac of Chulak and Teal'c of the Tauri."

Oh. That's... so really nice to hear, actually. He's "of the Tauri".

*again, happy sigh*

The whole Daniel thing? Just makes me giddy. I love his head. So much. Even when it's being influenced and messed with. He just has an interesting brain, you know? And the body that it comes with ain't bad, either.

I like the Domino's commercial better when it has the "But you ordered three pepperoni," "I fear change," exchange included.

I love being inside Daniel's head (again). And he's so smart and tough and caring and snarky and...

*sigh*

Wow, I want to smack Hersey's for their new commercial. I'm actually genuinely offended.

And I'm really feeling all kinds of bad for Pete. He's such a nice guy after you get past the whole 'stalking' thing. And he has a nice smile. And she doesn't love him as much as he loves her and... that makes me go "ouch" for him.

The Daniel stuff is just so... we're finally getting into why he descended (*chose to descend!*).

Burger King's new commercial offends me a bit, too. Am I just suddenly more sensitive or is it just really crass?

The Sam stuff is kinda painful to watch. She's... god, she's just holding onto that Jack thing no matter how little he gives back. And I just want her to get over it because she's actually embarrassing herself and god, I hurt for her because she's being dumb and emotional and I was really hoping she'd dealt with her issues, but no.

Kerry's pretty, though, woah. Check out the forehead. Also, interesting that she looks a bit like Laira.

Okay, writers of shows everywhere -- having other characters tell your main ones that they're in love? Is not a substitute for chemistry. It really, really isn't. Not for Dawson and Joey, not for Angel and Cordy, and very much not for Jack and Sam.

Eeeee! The Daniel thing just makes me so happy. Anubis and Daniel and it's so interesting.

Aw... poor, poor Pete. I want to cuddle him. God, Sam really fucked him over, didn't she? At least she had her 'epiphany' before the wedding day.

Mmm... Daniel in the SGC flag. Attractive and symbolic.

And the end made me all happy and giddy and OT4-y. So, that's good.

Comments

[destina.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Jack, OMG his denial was a beautiful thing.

LOL! Yes it was. *g* As was his flagpole fondling.

The Sam stuff is kinda painful to watch. She's... god, she's just holding onto that Jack thing no matter how little he gives back.

That's just it. On a meta level, RDA plays it like he could care less. And he always has, so it's consistent. But on the level of pure characterization, he just...doesn't give her any 'continue' signs. It makes me sad.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

As was his flagpole fondling.

Ooo. I need to rewatch. I was distracted by nearly naked Daniel and missed the pole fondling.

That's just it. On a meta level, RDA plays it like he could care less. And he always has, so it's consistent. But on the level of pure characterization, he just...doesn't give her any 'continue' signs. It makes me sad.

But it makes sense. As far as he's concerned, the issue is settled. They talked about it that one time, he said it should stay in the room, and Carter keeps on bringing it out of the room. Jack doesn't want to talk about it, told Sam as much, and has proceeded to not talk about it. I don't see any mixed signals from him.

[scrollgirl.livejournal.com]

Okay, writers of shows everywhere -- having other characters tell your main ones that they're in love? Is not a substitute for chemistry. It really, really isn't. Not for Dawson and Joey, not for Angel and Cordy, and very much not for Jack and Sam.

Yeah, I was just saying that (http://www.livejournal.com/users/tempe/111553.html?thread=677569&style=mine#t677569).

Nos calls Jack's non-reactions to Sam's advances "bad acting". But Destina has a point. If it's so consistent, and I do think it is and that RDA is making a choice here, I'm more inclined to believe the actor is purposely interpreting material differently from how the writers intend for him to portray it. (Again, who is the final word on canon?)

Because those Jack/Sam scenes in "The Lost City"? I don't actually see it as bad acting. I don't see RDA at all. Just Jack, being withdrawn and closed off. (It still might be bad acting, and maybe RDA doesn't think about Jack/Sam at all. But that's how I see it anyway. I never thought, "Wow, is that ever bad acting.")


I love how you talk about the commercials almost as much as you talk about the show :)

[elz.livejournal.com]

If it's so consistent, and I do think it is and that RDA is making a choice here, I'm more inclined to believe the actor is purposely interpreting material differently from how the writers intend for him to portray it. (Again, who is the final word on canon?)

Or not - if the writers actually intended to write a romance, they've been doing an incredibly half-assed job of it. I've tended to assume that they all like the occasional pat on the head from the Air Force better than they like the idea of telling a love story, and that they collectively see Jack as a guy who (in addition to being very clam-like about his emotions) would never sleep with someone under his command. If there was ever a 'fish or cut bait' moment in terms of the writing, it was the end of this episode, and they... well, they did both. *g* But there was obviously a conscious decision there to leave the romance stuck in park.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

The Air Force would so kick their asses.

*is mildly gleeful*

But yeah, I do think that Jack's... smarter than that. Which is probably why I haven't actually written any J/D slash yet. Because that would, indeed, still be sleeping with someone under his command. Though the gap was always smaller with them and has become this teeeeny crack by this point.

[elz.livejournal.com]

Which is probably why I haven't actually written any J/D slash yet. Because that would, indeed, still be sleeping with someone under his command.

I honestly don't think the Jack we see on-screen would sleep with either one of them, at least while he's still at the SGC. But fanfiction is all about, "Well, what if I nudged his character just a little bit in this direction?" so in that context, it doesn't bother me at all.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

And I've always found it remarkably easy to believe in Jack as a good person with significant emotional damage. I think that RDA's done a wonderful job. I really do. He's been very emotionally consistent.

Again, who is the final word on canon?

For me, canon is what shows up on screen. No more, no less. Canon is the basic facts. Everything else is subtext or supertext.

[lerefuge.livejournal.com]

I so agree with you guys and I can't say if it's bad acting or not... but the thing is, I dont get *why* they would let RDA act it this way when they seem to want it to mean otherwise. It doesn't make much sense, unless the writers really want RDA to acts Jack this way which rises the question why they keep bringing the ship if they make Jack uninterested and also the fact that it portrays Sam in a very bad clingy-girly-dependant light. *mind boggles*

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think that this is RDA exercising his power as an Exec. Producer. Because he's allowed to pull shit like random adlibs, not letting his character give Jonas the time of day, and completely ignore anyone's urging to make his character about Sam.

More than that, I actually have a guess as to why he might not want to have Jack get with Sam -- RDA was really happy with the AF giving him an honor (I saw the picture, there was giddiness). He's all about giving the AF props. I don't think that he wants to do anything that would reflect that badly on the AF, which is, even now, dealing with the troublesome fraterization thing.

[lerefuge.livejournal.com]

*nod* It could be. RDA is very silent about what he thinks of it which is both frustrating and professionnal I guess. All this could also be because we look for 2nd and 3rd degrees where there are none ;)

Btw, hi there! I'm Neige and I hope you don't mind me friending you. :) I enjoy your meta.

[scrollgirl.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not sure if the director is doing his best to get RDA to emote, and that's all that RDA can give? Or if the writers/directors actually want that ambiguity there, to show Jack there, physically, but emotionally closed off.

It's just so weird because I feel like the writers mean Thing A (I assume, since they keep bringing up the Jack/Sam thing), but RDA keeps showing me Thing B (why? I don't know) and it plays havoc with fandom because the 'shippers are all "Can't you see the het?" and the ones who can't see it are all "Um, sorry, no?"

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not sure if the director is doing his best to get RDA to emote, and that's all that RDA can give? Or if the writers/directors actually want that ambiguity there, to show Jack there, physically, but emotionally closed off.

Hard to say. Because the writers say that they are about the Jack/Sam but my experience in Jossverse has taught me that writers lie like politicians.

[iamrosalita.livejournal.com]

I've said before that if RDA is supposed to be playing it as if he has feelings for Sam, someone should let RDA know that, because he so isn't. I thought I'd heard once that RDA doesn't like the ship and never has. If that's true, that could be why he plays it the way he does. And I agree, I think it is a choice he's making just because the writers all seem so gung ho about the ship.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Which, sadly, if they chose to go that way, would actually make it easier for them to write ship with RDA gone. Hopefully, they'll want to have a single Sam who can... damn, they'll just have every male alien in sight fall in love with her.

[deifire]

Oh, be so glad you don't live where I do. There's a local computer center commercial set to the tune of "I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" which played about 39 times during the course of Sci-Fi Friday and that song is never, ever leaving my head.

Okay, writers of shows everywhere -- having other characters tell your main ones that they're in love? Is not a substitute for chemistry. It really, really isn't. Not for Dawson and Joey, not for Angel and Cordy, and very much not for Jack and Sam.

Yes, yes and yes!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Oh, be so glad you don't live where I do. There's a local computer center commercial set to the tune of "I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" which played about 39 times during the course of Sci-Fi Friday and that song is never, ever leaving my head.

That sounds just horrible. I'm so sorry for you.

[jic]

Eeee! Catch me up, quick!

Also: very, very glad that I never see commercials.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It is so good!

Hey, what are you doing here?

Stop reading. Be surprised!

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

The Sam stuff is kinda painful to watch. She's... god, she's just holding onto that Jack thing no matter how little he gives back. And I just want her to get over it because she's actually embarrassing herself and god, I hurt for her because she's being dumb and emotional and I was really hoping she'd dealt with her issues, but no.

She's trying. It's just that some bastard won't give her an answer.


Aw... poor, poor Pete. I want to cuddle him. God, Sam really fucked him over, didn't she?

Ah, she tried...

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

I really don't think that Pete deserved that, though. She shouldn't've said yes. He would have been much less hurt if they hadn't gotten this far.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

The one I'm going with is the one that takes in Grace/Chimera/Affinity/Threads Etc as one. It goes thusly:

1. Sam has a hallucination and decides that Jack is going to dally forever. He says in her mind that he will always be there.
2. She gets Pete, who is a stalker but non-Jack. Bless.
3. After several attempts, she has got nothing from Jack. Fair enough, she can move on. Gets engaged, etc.
4. Realises that she is Fucked In The Head and should shoot for Jack. Dumps Pete.

She said yes and I think she honestly meant it. She figured, hey, she's never sure about anything, should probably stop second-guessing and go with it.

When he goes and she says "is that it" she's thinking of Grace et al. Jack would have (in her way of thinking, at least, which is what matters here) that'd he'd be there for her anyway, that this didn't mean the actual end. He'd have clung a bit more. So, Jack says "always" (because the room is a waiting room, really), and Pete... isn't Jack.

[inyron.livejournal.com]

Attractive and symbolic

Oh. Huh. I guess it was symbolic. I didn't really get anywhere beyond "Nice pecs."

We were bitching in my room about that Hershey's commercial, too. Gah.

I thought Kerry looked a little like Jorja Fox. I used to love her when she was on ER.

Oh, and yes! Sam! Didn't run out in her white dress on her wedding day! Thank goodness for small miracles.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Oh. Huh. I guess it was symbolic. I didn't really get anywhere beyond "Nice pecs."

Yeah. They really were.

*sigh*

[iamrosalita.livejournal.com]

Oh, god, the Hershey commercial. How insulting. If some guy thinks he can get me with a Hershey bar, he better think again. It takes Godiva, at the very least. And it better be one of the big, expensive boxes.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Hee. Word.