SGA The Return pt. 2: SPOILERS

[justalurkr]

edited to add: I am informed that Brad Turner, not Brad Wright, directed "The Return, Part 2." Six of one, half dozen of the other, as far as I'm concerned. Sticklers for accuracy should mentally substitute "Turner" for "Wright" wherever applicable.

(warning: extremely negative reaction to "The Return, 2.")



Next time, bring Carter? The bitch doesn't even have to be there to upstage Rodney?

I burn Brad Wright in effigy, the bastard. Crap like that makes me wonder out loud just what the hell (or who?) Amanda Tapping did to get this kind of hold over the production staff. Seriously.

Comments

[khek.livejournal.com]

Who. Definitely who.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

RDA is meant to be a draw to episodes; he is now (for me) definitely a repellent.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

He's been a repellent for me for years now.

[nialla]

Forgot to mention in my other comment downthread... Jack's comment about Beckett being there irked me. When Beckett asked what he meant by that, I said, "Jack's an ass. That's all anything he says means these days."

I'm surprised Jack could touch Woolsey at all in this episode. I would think the military's DADT policy would make it illegal for a prick to touch an asshole. ;)

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

And the really sad part? I kind of liked the rest of it, willing to overlook Brad Wright's tendency toward Rodney torture, until he had that line.

[khek.livejournal.com]

I don't watch Atlantis. Not because it's not a good show...it probably is...but because I don't trust those guys at Bridge not to create something I really like and then just completely fuck it up. It's better to not watch and not give them the chance.

Which, if the news of the addition of Spam, the Wondergirl, savior of the universe who drops men at her feet with a single gulp, an uplifted chin and a concentrated glare from the doey eyes of death, is true; it makes me glad that I didn't start. (My sympathies to all the people who did though.)

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

[sniffle] Thanks. I suspect we'll need it.

I simply do not understand why they think grafting the traits of a cancelled show onto a renewed on is a good idea. The whole Atlantis chemistry is just different, and bringing Miss Patty Perfect in to mock everyone makes zero sense to me and leads to prurient speculation about what makes it happen.

And if a Carter-upstaged

[alyburns.livejournal.com]

Rodney wasn't enough, next season the primary xover SG1 star is, naturally, Amanda Tapping, who is slated for several appearances. Is anyone surprised? No, didn't think so. :(

Re: And if a Carter-upstaged

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

I had heard she was slated for "several" episodes. If this is what we have to expect, I'm not looking forward to it at all.

Re: And if a Carter-upstaged

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

The only reason Tapping got asked back (IMO) is that, according to a thread on Sony, she was quoted as saying she was still under contract to Bridge, and they wanted to move her over to Atlantis.

Shanks however, has already said he had NOT extended his contract another year with Bridge. Frankly, I think he was smart. He needed to get out the Bridge ghetto and out of the role of Daniel Jackson if he wanted to move his career forward at all. He should have done that a long time ago.

And Justa? Well...let's say I have nothing *polite* to say in answer to your question about who or what she does to have such a hold on the production team.

Re: And if a Carter-upstaged

[alyburns.livejournal.com]

They're all still under contract - they don't end until, I think, March? Or is it June? They all renewed before season 10 started - but it's possible they offered AT a longer version of the contract? Which of course, we knew would not be offered to Michael. Heck, I just hope they include him in the movies! LOL!

Re: And if a Carter-upstaged

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

Having gone to the crow-eating trouble to get him back for Season 7 of SG-1, I'd assume faster that MS got offered the same contract as everyone else, and nixed it on his own recognizance once he saw Bridge's vision of Daniel's story. He's just a really pretty prop to a really lame plotline, providing exposition until they can figure out a way to get a money shot of Claudia's cleavage or Amanda's hypnotic eyes.

Could these producers be more obvious about never having escaped puberty?

Re: And if a Carter-upstaged

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

From what I understood, Shanks was the only actor to NOT renew his contract for a *season eleven* - which means that Tapping and Judge *had* renewed and signed for a possible eleventh year.

The contract that you're talking about (it sounds like) is the regular season 10 contract, with some overspill just in case they need to refilm or something like that. But, the Bridge schedule has always been somewhat nonsensical and mysterious to me. So you could be right.

Re: And if a Carter-upstaged

[alyburns.livejournal.com]

It is confusing, isn't it? The only thing that comes to my mind is that we don't usually receive any announcements about contracts until between November and January and the actors usually announce in Januray (last year, Amanda wasn't completely sure in early January, but thought when signed, she might not be in all the SG1 episodes for S10, but she'd be crossing over to SGA and then, a week or two later, it was announced she was in all the SG1 episodes *plus* the SGA episodes, BUT it was Michael who'd signed a contract where he'd only be in 16 episodes)

I know the only comment Chris Judge has made on season 11 was back in July at Comic Con. He was asked about a season 11 and whether he'd do it and he said yes, for enough money! LOL! And of course, it was only a bit over three months later that it was announced the show was cancelled so I don't *think* anyone was signed for season 11?

But you know, I doubt that if any offers were made, Michael was offered anything even close to the others. I'm one of the suspicious ones who doesn't for a moment believe that MS voluntarily took a cut in season 10 to appear in only 16 episodes, especially since his PC comment was that he wanted to spend time with his family and yet went off and made a movie in that time. I also have real concerns about the two movies and how much Daniel will be in them, let alone what happens to him. :(

But then, I've always been a pessimist. :)

Re: And if a Carter-upstaged

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

I'm one of the suspicious ones who doesn't for a moment believe that MS voluntarily took a cut in season 10 to appear in only 16 episodes, especially since his PC comment was that he wanted to spend time with his family and yet went off and made a movie in that time. I also have real concerns about the two movies and how much Daniel will be in them, let alone what happens to him. :(

Oh...I think he negotiated for fewer episodes last season. He had already appeared in CSI: Miami by that time, and was obviously fishing around for other roles. That he got the movies during that time, and told the "PC" facts that he was spending more time with his growing family, but actually was going to work -

I think that's the nature of the business, AND partly he said that because I doubt his fans (DJ fans) would have been pleased to hear he was going for other roles, especially when at *last* OMGTHANKYOU (to them) he was finally getting meaty scenes on Stargate because of Claudia Black's Vala. I'm just speculating here since I don't know the guy - but it can't feel very good to know that the only reason your character is actually getting airtime is because of a new [slutty] character who only seems to bring out the whininess in your own character.

And it's been TEN years that he's been playing Daniel Jackson. He must be bored stiff, Claudia or no Claudia.

Re: And if a Carter-upstaged

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

Atlantis doesn't need her. It doesn't need Richard Dean Anderson, even if O'Neill's IQ appears to gain points into the positive when he goes there. It doesn't need Brad Wright. I'm still digging for the best contact at MGM to make sure they get a really clear picture of my contempt for this ep and his mis-handling of it.

[nialla]

Crap like that makes me wonder out loud just what the hell (or who?) Amanda Tapping did to get this kind of hold over the production staff.

I'm tellin' ya, those Doe Eyes of Death aren't just for show. ;)

IMDB and TV.com both list the director as Brad Turner, with Martin Gero writing. Unless you mean burning Wright in effigy as the showrunner?

Looks like I really have something to look forward to watching this evening.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

I may be hallucinating, but I swear I saw "Wright" in the credits as director. Either of'm is bad as the other in the end, though.

[nialla]

I just checked, it is Turner. But Wright is still (last I heard), the grand poobah over at Atlantis.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

The only bright spot now is that whichever Brad it was didn't let RDA play O'Neill dumb.

[nialla]

I think it might be because RDA has had a break. Before, he was like anyone would be in a job where they were wanting out -- slacking and doing a piss-poor job. Maybe now that he's semi-retired, when he does show up, he'll give his A game.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

Yes, O'Neill's little speech about retirement is sure to warm the cockles of many a shipper heart.

[nialla]

I can't decide... are TPTB continuing ship to service the shipper fans, or are they doing it to thumb their noses (or show their asses) to everyone who hates even a mention of it?

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

No, from the little I saw of him on Atlantis...he was still doing a Wooden-Plank imitiation very well. From interviews, he didn't sound too pleased he was doing so much Atlantis.

Now that he's semiretired, with no SG-1 to go back to now...no, he'll give his C-game.

[nialla]

I think TPTB pulled a bait and switch on RDA. They said, "You want to come back and do some episodes?" and he assumed that meant SG-1.

I guess maybe TPTB are trying to shore up Atlantis, with SG-1 riding into the sunset, as it were.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

And this is what drives me crazy. Atlantis was picked up. Why would it need shoring up? They are entirely too tunnel-visioned if they're that convinced Atlantis is going to stagger and drop unless it gets a massive infusion of new bl--wait, the blood's not all that new, is it?

[nialla]

Well, from a certain POV, Atlantis might well have been renewed simply because it's cheaper than SG-1 at this point. The ratings are neck and neck with SG-1, so there probably is a bit of fear some viewers will drift away without SG-1, not to mention "Sci Fi Friday" has officially bit the dust now.

Being newer and cheaper may have saved it for now, but each year will mean increased costs, and Sci Fi will expect high ratings in return for ponying up the dough.

TPTB seem to be quite the whores for hiring people from other sci fi shows in the hopes of attacting fans from that show to their own. Why not do it from within?

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

At least he didn't come across as a brain-deficient wooden-plank, though. RDA seemed to make O'Neill intentionally dense his last several outings as regular SG-1 cast member. Granted, there was no one else for the character to delegate being smart to, but I was still happy to see the action side of Jack.

[nialla]

Finally had time to watch this. Wow. I've never seen one line so totally ruin an episode before. The Boyz @ Bridge must be very proud.

The rest was pretty mediocre, but hearing that line just killed it deader than dead. And considering Sam's joining the SGA cast in some capacity next season, I think this is only the beginning of The Sam Carter Fan Club: Pegasus Galaxy Edition. The only question is who'll be the President? John or Rodney?

There was no need for that line. None. Just like there's no need for Sam to take away time from characters I do like on SGA.

[justalurkr.livejournal.com]

I've never seen one line so totally ruin an episode before.

It's eerie, is what. I mean, was O'Neill less alive and unharmed than if Carter had been there? I can't think of a single justifiable reason for the man whose ass Rodney et. al just saved to say that except for with Carter? There would have been "blowjob, sir yes sir!"