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You know when you read something that has the seeds of greatness in it, but all the writer managed was a jungle of mediocrity? I'm afraid that's what Stargate has become to me.
Ultimately, my issue with Stargate is that all the really cool, really interesting angles have been systematically cut out of the show, one by one, leaving something that doesn't really appeal to me.
Diplomatic relations with completely different cultures while in what should have remained a 'desert island' scenario where the options were 'assimilate or die', people with genes that give them access to technologies that integrate into the mind and the thoughts (both Ancient and Wraith), enemies that share a group mind but which can operate as individual units two - the exploration of the individual vs. society (both Wraith and Asuran), what it means to be cut off from your origins (the expedition in S1, Teyla and her people, Ronon and the destruction of his world) and find connection with people who are in a similar situation...
The talking points for Atlantis were: a new galaxy with new possibilities and new allies...
However, very little of that has been really explored. It's been touched upon, but not expanded upon. It's been highlighted, but not developed. It's been outlined, but not detailed. Granted, some areas of fanfic have taken the seeds of greatness and grown them into concepts that blow me away. It's just...disappointing not to see it in the show - to not even see the consideration of it in the show.
I have a theory on Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and collapsing waveforms as they relate to TV shows.
Up until the point where it was cancelled, there was always the potential of Stargate Atlantis to make something of those seeds of greatness. Unfortunately, when it was cancelled, the waveform collapsed, taking away the echoes of possibility, and leaving only the cold hard reality.
And the cold hard reality is that Stargate Atlantis has not only missed its bullseye potential as part of the sci-fi genre, but it hasn't even come close to touching the target board.
So, yeah. Seeds of greatness. Jungle of mediocrity. Stargate Atlantis in a nutshell.
Ultimately, my issue with Stargate is that all the really cool, really interesting angles have been systematically cut out of the show, one by one, leaving something that doesn't really appeal to me.
Diplomatic relations with completely different cultures while in what should have remained a 'desert island' scenario where the options were 'assimilate or die', people with genes that give them access to technologies that integrate into the mind and the thoughts (both Ancient and Wraith), enemies that share a group mind but which can operate as individual units two - the exploration of the individual vs. society (both Wraith and Asuran), what it means to be cut off from your origins (the expedition in S1, Teyla and her people, Ronon and the destruction of his world) and find connection with people who are in a similar situation...
The talking points for Atlantis were: a new galaxy with new possibilities and new allies...
However, very little of that has been really explored. It's been touched upon, but not expanded upon. It's been highlighted, but not developed. It's been outlined, but not detailed. Granted, some areas of fanfic have taken the seeds of greatness and grown them into concepts that blow me away. It's just...disappointing not to see it in the show - to not even see the consideration of it in the show.
I have a theory on Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and collapsing waveforms as they relate to TV shows.
Up until the point where it was cancelled, there was always the potential of Stargate Atlantis to make something of those seeds of greatness. Unfortunately, when it was cancelled, the waveform collapsed, taking away the echoes of possibility, and leaving only the cold hard reality.
And the cold hard reality is that Stargate Atlantis has not only missed its bullseye potential as part of the sci-fi genre, but it hasn't even come close to touching the target board.
So, yeah. Seeds of greatness. Jungle of mediocrity. Stargate Atlantis in a nutshell.
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One of the commentators for my recent SGA/TW fic said that she loved the cross and it made her want to go and watch SGA (I think she was a TW fan only). I told her not to bother. It's sad that the only reason I even attempt to watch episodes nowadays is to feel some inspiration and to be able to figure out what is going on in fandom.
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Granted, they haven't used any of that, so...I guess this is ground zero. :(