masochistic pleasures -- pondering ascension (SG-1; AtS)

[butterfly]

Why is it that every time I go to watch a 'random' Stargate episode, it ends up being Meridian?

I find the entire idea of 'ascension' to be fascinating. In the Stargate universe, it really does seem to be just another possibility, another way of being. In the end, Daniel goes because he believes that he'll be able to do more good that way.

I like the idea of comparing ascensions. Cordelia ascends in Tomorrow not simply because she believes she can do more good that way but because she believes that she is a higher being, that she has shown enough character and goodness to qualify above 'mere mortals'. It's only a hop, skip, and a jump from her earlier attitudes -- remember, this is the girl who thought that Buffy should get special privileges because she was the Slayer (Ted). Cordelia firmly believes in the power = moral authority paradigm, at least when she's the one with the power.

Daniel Jackson's major faultline is a different one. While Cordelia believes that beauty and privilege make her better, Daniel believes in knowledge and truth above all else. It's a goal that appears noble but that can lead into dark places. Any fantasy show is littered with shadow figures and dark possibilities. We see the ultimate extreme of what Daniel could be in Absolute Power, while I believe that Jasmine is Cordelia's ultimate extreme.

Anyone who truly believes that they know best and that they have the right to enforce that belief is scary.

On another topic, is it wrong to long for the AtS Season Five dvds partly because I can at least be pretty sure that Cordelia isn't going to be on the cover? Because you do not know how much I long to have an Angel dvd set without Cordy on the cover.

Comments

[scrollgirl.livejournal.com]

Huh. I've referenced Angel as well (http://www.livejournal.com/users/scrollgirl/83993.html) when looking at "Meridian", though it was for "Long Day's Journey" and not Cordy's ascension. But yeah, I've found it interesting to compare the two ascensions.

The reason why I've always been behind Daniel's ascension, and why I absolutely hated Cordy's (until masqthephlsphr and I developed the theory that she'd been duped -- a theory later proved correct!), was because Daniel didn't feel like it was a reward for good behaviour, or that it conferred special status. No, for him it was simply another step to take on his journey. Sure, he questioned whether he was "worthy", but his conclusion (and Oma's) was that anyone could do it, if they opened their mind to the possibilities.

Don't get me wrong; I loved the arrogance in "Absolute Power". But "Meridian" showed us a Daniel taking stock of his life and finding he was human and imperfect. Cordy didn't even question Skip's flawed reason for why she'd been chosen to ascend -- which was that she'd been tested with her new demon powers and had been found worthy. Cuz we were all going, whuh? She learned to control her demon powers? She resisted temptation? When exactly was this?

Ack. Don't mean to bash Cordy. I loved the story we ended up getting in Season 4, so I can't complain too much. Both Cordy and Daniel got very powerful stories out of their ascension/descension. Luckily Daniel survived his arc though!

Anyone who truly believes that they know best and that they have the right to enforce that belief is scary.

Agreed. Which is why I actually like Oma and don't think she talks utter nonsense as I know many other SG fen believe.

is it wrong to long for the AtS Season Five dvds partly because I can at least be pretty sure that Cordelia isn't going to be on the cover?

Heh. You're not the only one. Though it might not be so bad if only the cover designers would quit CGIing Charisma's boobs bigger than they really are. And now I'll shut up -- sorry for the babbling!

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

The reason why I've always been behind Daniel's ascension, and why I absolutely hated Cordy's (until masqthephlsphr and I developed the theory that she'd been duped -- a theory later proved correct!), was because Daniel didn't feel like it was a reward for good behaviour, or that it conferred special status. No, for him it was simply another step to take on his journey. Sure, he questioned whether he was "worthy", but his conclusion (and Oma's) was that anyone could do it, if they opened their mind to the possibilities.

Right. I love how excited he first is in Kheb, when he discovers the 'guide book'. He says that anyone can do it if they believe. It's stressed in Meridian that the key to ascension is freeing the mind -- it's not about being better than other people, just about being willing. And in Abyss, Daniel is firm in his belief that Jack is fully worthy and capable of ascension.

He never jumps thinks to use the 'I'm better than you' card. Sometimes, he pulls the 'I know better than you' card (in Absolute Power, he believes that he has absolute knowledge, but he still wants Jack to agree with him -- he insults Jack and still desires his good opinion. He thinks that he knows better, but he doesn't think that he is better), but he's also always willing to admit when he's been wrong. He just also points out when other people are wrong, and does it with such careless arrogance that it attracts and repels. But it's an arrogance that is well-earned and often justified by his knowledge, intelligence, and ability to keep an open mind.

Don't get me wrong; I loved the arrogance in "Absolute Power". But "Meridian" showed us a Daniel taking stock of his life and finding he was human and imperfect. Cordy didn't even question Skip's flawed reason for why she'd been chosen to ascend -- which was that she'd been tested with her new demon powers and had been found worthy. Cuz we were all going, whuh? She learned to control her demon powers? She resisted temptation? When exactly was this?

Which is why I'm so glad that they pulled the dupe card. Because she did not control her powers. We saw her with her powers and they just snapped on -- she wasn't making the choices. And her arrogance is born of position, wealth, and beauty, which makes it far less justified than Daniel's.

Don't mean to bash Cordy. I loved the story we ended up getting in Season 4, so I can't complain too much. Both Cordy and Daniel got very powerful stories out of their ascension/descension. Luckily Daniel survived his arc though!

I've grown to like Cordy (it was You're Welcome -- I loved her in that and it makes me like her more in earlier seasons), but I'm very glad that her ascension story ended up the way it did.

Which is why I actually like Oma and don't think she talks utter nonsense as I know many other SG fen believe.

I'm with Daniel. There's definitely wisdom there, and I don't always get it, but not getting it doesn't mean that it stops existing. She has a system and it works for her. She has her followers and she's working toward something (I do hope that we get a hint at what that is, but I can understand it if we don't -- her story was in play long before Daniel came to Kheb and will continue long after Stargate ends, I feel). We never do find out what 'Oma' means, do we? Daniel tells us that 'Desala' is 'nature', but the monk says that words cannot express Oma Desala.

One of the things that I find interesting about her is that she responds in kind, always. The Jaffa attack with staff weapons, we see the weapons discharge, the charge is absorbed by Oma's blue flash, and then they all get burnt. Daniel summons up enough power to destroy Anubis and, to me, it looks as though Oma takes that power and uses it to pull him away. Backlash. Oma does not act to cause harm; she reacts. Whatever force is being used is pushed back towards the one who used it. I'd say that it's entirely possible that the reason that she could 'ascend' all the Abydonians is because Anubis unknowingly fed her the power using the Eye. She's incorporeal, she's energy.

Plus, I just like her. "The tall man cannot hide in the short grass." That is so true.