assorted bits and pieces

[tielan]

About Stargate Atlantis?

Let's get this straight: I'm feeling rather bad about making this admission. The attitude of many people who used to watch Stargate seems to be that if you like Atlantis anymore, you need to have your head checked.

I seem to be one of the increasingly few people on my f-list who are enjoying the show more in the last couple of seasons rather than less.

I like that they're doing stuff with Teyla and Ronon (stereotypical stuff, yes, unexpected leaps of technical ability, yes, but I'd rather have that than the dead silence of Seasons 2 & 3 regarding anything and anyone in Pegasus who couldn't make something go boom). I don't have axes to grind about the comings and goings of actors on the show - or, if I do, I'm not going to grind them. I used to like Joe Mallozzi back in the S5-S6 days of SG1, although I think intarwebs blogging fame has gone to his head. I don't think Atlantis is The Best Show Evah or that it's Brilliantly Original Writing or that it's A Good Example Of Women In Sci-Fi.

However, it is my central fandom - primarily because the characters have me by the scruff of the neck as far as my writing goes.

There are certainly things that could and should be done better. There are choices they could have made that would have opened up options, leading to a broader variety of stories and less "SG1 repackaged". And would be done better if they'd get new writers in and have the 'old writers' stick to producing or directing the franchise, rather than trying to give depth and dimension to characters who, until now, have been apostrophised as 'background'.

But this is the Stargate franchise. I expect certain things of it - just as I expect certain things of Bones, or BSG, or Dr. Who, or Torchwood, or Dexter. (I really have to start watching Blood Ties and get my hands on Eureka, too.) There are some things I don't and will never expect of Stargate Atlantis. It would be nice to get them, but I'm not holding my breath.

Ultimately, though, my expectations of Stargate Atlantis are being largely met, and lately even exceeded by the writers as far as the show goes.

As far as the show could go, they fall far short of the mark. As in, they're not even getting a passing grade when it comes to what Atlantis could be. On the other hand, I don't feel I can expect skilled character stories from people whose ability lies mostly in making things go boom - anymore than I'd expect anyone on my f-list to be able give me an explanation of how the SAP HR Interface Toolbox works.

I suppose this is one of the moments where My Friends Aren't Watching The Same Show As Me, And That's Okay. It just feels very NotOkay given the apparent tide of disgruntlement with the show this season and last.

No, Stargate Atlantis is far from perfect. But Joss Whedon has Skeevy Issues With Hispanics In California, and Ron Moore has An Obsession With Kara/Lee Angst.

I have issues with Capitalising Concepts That I Want To Emphasise.

Ultimately, Stargate Atlantis isn't the show I think it could be. But right now, that's not an issue for me the way it is for a lot of other people - many of whom are still bitter about Elizabeth or Carson or Sam or no-John-character-development.

I guess, mostly, I'm wondering if there are other people who feel this way? People who like the show, but they feel a little ashamed of liking it because so few of their friends do anymore?

--

I was invited to partake of the "five freebie celebrities" meme.

Except that I wouldn't have sex, no questions asked, with anyone. No, not even with the hottest of hot guys or girls. I simply wouldn't.

(Sorry, saeva!)

Comments

[mahoni.livejournal.com]

I don't think Atlantis is The Best Show Evah

I TOTALLY DO! *geekgasm* After every episode this season so far I've been all THIS IS THE BEST SHOW EVER!!!!ELEVENTY!!!!

...okay, so what I studied in college was Literature. I got to college and I thought, hey, I love to read, I should pick a field of study where I get to read and talk about books all the time! One thing I learned was that great literature did not always = stuff I absolutely love to read. During that same period of time I was dragged to all kinds of critically acclaimed movies during independent movie festivals, and I discovered that Great Movies do not always = movies I love.

I spent a lot of time feeling kind of lame about that. But I got over it. Mostly because many Great Movies and Great Books either bore me or make me cry, and life is too short to make myself do either of those things, right?

I really don't give a fuck if something isn't the Best Written Show Ever. I really don't give a fuck if people think I need to have my head checked for loving some show or another. There are a few cartoons I really love, and my sister spent all freaking week rolling her eyes at me about it and telling me I need a better hobby because I could answer all of the kids' questions about Batman. If I'd been in as bad a mood then as I am now I probably would have said something along the lines of, 'do you only watch shows sanctioned by the Socially Accepted Acting-Your-Age Pseudo-Intellectual Policing Society? Or do you just follow the fads obsessively? Or do you actually decide for yourself what you like and just sort of go with it like you are in fact allowed to do?'

*goes on random cussing streak off-stage*

Ahem. Okay. Sorry.

But seriously. If someone asks me if Stargate Atlantis is the Best Show Ever, I know they probably want to know if I think the writers deserve Emmys or if I think it hits every perfect mark on every existing issue; and no, I don't think any of those things. But I also kind of don't care. I DO think it's the Best Show Ever in terms of the amount of YAY!!! I get from it, and when it does do writerly or issue-y things right that's like an extra extra huge burst of yay which is pretty awesome. And frankly, that's all that matters, to me anyway, right now, while I'm enjoying it.

(Tangent: what is that called? The term has totally escaped me. Isn't there a term for people who live in the moment? Not that I do that in general, but that pretty much described my approach to entertainment...)

I guess, mostly, I'm wondering if there are other people who feel this way? People who like the show, but they feel a little ashamed of liking it because so few of their friends do anymore?

...kind of, ish? I don't necessarily feel ashamed, but it is a bit of a bummer to not be able to share the joy with people I've been used to sharing the joy with. Particularly when a lot of those people are defecting to Supernatural, which I have recently defected away from. *headdesk*

Except that I wouldn't have sex, no questions asked, with anyone.

I wouldn't either, in real life, but I like that meme as a sort of 'in a fantasy world, who would I...' thing. Like, if I answered John Sheppard, I would not be thinking along the lines of, if I bumped into John Sheppard on the street tomorrow and he propositioned me I'd totally tap that. I'd be thinking along the lines of, if I had been Larrin and I'd been necking with John Sheppard after narrowly escaping death by Wraith, I could have thought of better things to do with him than shoot him with a stunner, for God's sake.

I'M RAMBLING AT YOU. I'M SORRY. GAH.

[renisanz.livejournal.com]

"But seriously. If someone asks me if Stargate Atlantis is the Best Show Ever, I know they probably want to know if I think the writers deserve Emmys or if I think it hits every perfect mark on every existing issue; and no, I don't think any of those things. But I also kind of don't care. I DO think it's the Best Show Ever in terms of the amount of YAY!!! I get from it, and when it does do writerly or issue-y things right that's like an extra extra huge burst of yay which is pretty awesome. And frankly, that's all that matters, to me anyway, right now, while I'm enjoying it."

Ditto. I'm totally entertained by the show, and I like season 5 so far. Seems like they've been taking more time with the character moments and giving the minor characters a bit more screen time, which is cool.

[tielan]

Seems like they've been taking more time with the character moments

They are!

Although I guess there's a bit of a trade-off here. The character moments are coming at the cost of 'bridging scenes' that show more about what's happening in the plot. The Daedelus Variations wasn't so bad about this, but the first three episodes had a lot of "this is what's been happening in the meantime" infodumps.

Still, I have been enjoying S5 thus far. I'm waiting for the first 'big clunker' of an ep to turn up: something that leaves me cold.

[tielan]

or if I think it hits every perfect mark on every existing issue

This.

There was a bit of an outburst against TPTB in Season Four. The fans in question got stuck on the idea that Teyla being pregnant was 'lesser'. Any encouragement she offered, any emotional support, any knowledge or diplomatic skill she presented didn't count; she was pregnant and, if you listened to the rhetoric, you could be forgiven for thinking that being pregnant meant she was no longer a strong female character.

it is a bit of a bummer to not be able to share the joy with people I've been used to sharing the joy with.

Yes. That's probably the hardest thing: to have people who you used to squee with just vanish. :(