I like gray. I also believe they make more realistic characters. Life isn't black and white, and for characters to act as such is pure fantasy.
Having said that, I also want my characters to show remorse for actions that are morally questionable. For instance: when John feeds the corporate guy to the Wraith, I really wanted some discussion of whether it was right or not for him to do that. I wanted John to how remorse or guilt for what he did or maybe have to face consequences for his actions. Whether he did it for a greater good or not, John facilitated the death of someone. And yes, he is a soldier but soldier does not mean one can simply convince someone to kill himself so that one's friend is saved. John had to weigh the circumstances and he made a decision that I'm sure many would have agreed with. Doesn't mean it wasn't morally dubious.
I also wonder whether our reactions would have changed had corporate guy not been set up as he was: yes, we're given this sob story about his daughter and why he's desperate for the nanites and the reason for his kidnapping of Jeannie. However, he is not all that sympathetic a character until the end, when John gives him the situation, tells him he won't force him to go into the room with the Wraith but implies that he owes it to the SGC to do it.
By contrast, Kolya and the Genii were already shown as cartoonish villains so the fact that they would use a Wraith on John as a means of torture isn't that hard to believe. It's "evil" because we "know" that the Genii and Kolya are evil. We "know" this because they tried to hide their tech advancements from others, they coveted Earth tech, and they tried to take the City that "belongs" to Earth. Also, given that we "know" the Wraith are all evil because they consider humans as nothing more than prey, it seems doubly evil that the Genii are willing to use a Wraith against fellow humans.
As you've noted, there are a number of dubious actions by the expedition, actions in which the consequences aren't so much discussed by the characters, but instead are used to create further plot points and these plot points usually have the expedition acting in a self-righteous "greater" good manner. Example: the whole Michael arc. The only person who feels even remotely guilty for what they did to him is Teyla.
Even the one episode in which the people of Pegasus call the expedition to task is handled poorly. Rather than answer to the ills they have given to the people of Pegasus, the team and the expedition are aghast at the temerity of the people who have placed them on trial. It highlights the arrogance of the expedition as a whole.
In the case of SGA, the writers have already fed us a narrative where the expedition and particularly the main team, are heros and cannot do wrong. Even if they do wrong, they will show remorse only to their friends not to others. (Thinking of the Arcturus project.) Any time the characters are shown doing morally dubious actions, it's okay, because, as you noted, it is for the greater good. A greater good that is defined as whatever is best for the expedition.
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I like gray. I also believe they make more realistic characters. Life isn't black and white, and for characters to act as such is pure fantasy.
Having said that, I also want my characters to show remorse for actions that are morally questionable. For instance: when John feeds the corporate guy to the Wraith, I really wanted some discussion of whether it was right or not for him to do that. I wanted John to how remorse or guilt for what he did or maybe have to face consequences for his actions. Whether he did it for a greater good or not, John facilitated the death of someone. And yes, he is a soldier but soldier does not mean one can simply convince someone to kill himself so that one's friend is saved. John had to weigh the circumstances and he made a decision that I'm sure many would have agreed with. Doesn't mean it wasn't morally dubious.
I also wonder whether our reactions would have changed had corporate guy not been set up as he was: yes, we're given this sob story about his daughter and why he's desperate for the nanites and the reason for his kidnapping of Jeannie. However, he is not all that sympathetic a character until the end, when John gives him the situation, tells him he won't force him to go into the room with the Wraith but implies that he owes it to the SGC to do it.
By contrast, Kolya and the Genii were already shown as cartoonish villains so the fact that they would use a Wraith on John as a means of torture isn't that hard to believe. It's "evil" because we "know" that the Genii and Kolya are evil. We "know" this because they tried to hide their tech advancements from others, they coveted Earth tech, and they tried to take the City that "belongs" to Earth. Also, given that we "know" the Wraith are all evil because they consider humans as nothing more than prey, it seems doubly evil that the Genii are willing to use a Wraith against fellow humans.
As you've noted, there are a number of dubious actions by the expedition, actions in which the consequences aren't so much discussed by the characters, but instead are used to create further plot points and these plot points usually have the expedition acting in a self-righteous "greater" good manner. Example: the whole Michael arc. The only person who feels even remotely guilty for what they did to him is Teyla.
Even the one episode in which the people of Pegasus call the expedition to task is handled poorly. Rather than answer to the ills they have given to the people of Pegasus, the team and the expedition are aghast at the temerity of the people who have placed them on trial. It highlights the arrogance of the expedition as a whole.
In the case of SGA, the writers have already fed us a narrative where the expedition and particularly the main team, are heros and cannot do wrong. Even if they do wrong, they will show remorse only to their friends not to others. (Thinking of the Arcturus project.) Any time the characters are shown doing morally dubious actions, it's okay, because, as you noted, it is for the greater good. A greater good that is defined as whatever is best for the expedition.