#chappa'ai time

[incomingalbatross]

Actually I have more things to say about “Children of the Gods,” mainly that it laid the groundwork for Teal’c’s turn better than I’d realized.

We see him noticing the non-Goa’uld weapons and technology several times—he registers that the Abydonians have the same unfamiliar weapons as the last place, probably also registers that both places fought back against Apophis, and then when these crazy people show up on Chulak he points to Jack’s watch as more unfamiliar technology. Because of this, we see him piecing together that they have human civilization, learning, and technology, that are free of the Goa’uld and may be advanced enough to threaten them.

We also see his growing horror during the host-taking process, starting small and becoming very prominent by the time Sha’re is taken over. There are a lot of shots of him standing there looking Disturbed (especially by Teal’c standards). And when you add together that it is (I think?) entirely plausible he’s never seen the Goa’uld take hosts before, it makes a lot of sense that this would push him close to snapping.

And then he talks to the team in the dungeon, and A) they are free people. They don’t care about the Goa’uld, except in that they’re really determined to save the humans from them, and B) they say they’re from the First World, which means even more that they could be the people to actually hurt the Goa’uld.

Anyway. I love that insane, overpowering moment of hope that makes Teal’c turn around and defend the humans. I also love him walking through the wreck, afterwards, very clearly knowing he has pulled his own world down around him, with that “I have nowhere to go.” And then him coming through the Gate and handing his weapon to Sam! And Sam accepting it!

Good stuff.

#chappa'ai time #teal'c #stargate sg-1

[stimminginthepit]

And next up we have a split between a French and a Hungarian band. Both are around for some time, Whoresnation from France plays the hyperfast bit technical (as there are a lot of sudden changes) style of grindcore which is more popular in the UK but they’re easily faster than most UK bands, and somehow i like them even more than their UK colleagues (except Horsebastard maybe). they blast through their 4 tracks in about three and a half minutes. On the flipside we have Chappa’ai, who are some great fellas, and fucking amazing live (especially if you’re high). They play noisegrind with two guys providing the noise undertones to a precise and brutal drum/bass blastfest. It’s kinda akin to Gore Beyond Necropsy in that. Their side is not as good as Whoresnation’s (and in general i like their live shows way more than their studio stuff), but still worth checking out. FFO: Whoresnation: The Afternoon Gentlemen, Ona Snop. Chappa’ai: Gore Beyond Necropsy meets Warsore

#Whoresnation #Chappa'ai #grindcore #noisegrind

[incomingalbatross]

Re: Goa'uld worldbuilding like... it's very striking how atypically... family oriented? Apophis is. He rules side by side with a Queen, whom he evidently loves, rather than regarding as a subordinate OR rival. He is interested in having children, first Chlorel (sp) which is Weird, and then the Harsesis (downright transgressive). Between T'ealc's discussion here of their numbers being small, their endemic Chronic Backstabbing Disorder, and what we later see of the System Lords literally devouring unhosted Goa'uld, it makes Apophis and his dynasty building really REALLY strange

Oh this is TRUE this is WEIRD, yes. (I'd forgotten about the cannibalism bit—I was already thinking how they have no familial or even species-type attachment to their own young, sticking them in foot soldiers, but THAT is a whole new level and I'm glad you included it.)

Apophis... really is incredibly atypical. A further question re: Amaunet—is it likely or even possible for that symbiote to have had a previous host? Or is it a newly-matured one that he just... assigned as his Beloved Queen??

(after a quick Google) Amaunet is a mythological name, but it's an old goddess of one of the less-mainstream Egyptian pantheons—she's linked to Amun, who got folded into Amun-Ra. No links to mythological Apophis, so the Goa'uld isn't trying to recreate a preexisting role...

And yeah, Chlor-whatsit is even more confusing. My only theory is that choosing more "gods," and making them subservient to the existing ones, might have been an attempt to gain strength for the power vacuum opened by Ra's death? But you wouldn't think you'd need to create a human familial unit for that... and the flipside of making a "son" is the implication you're providing for the next generation, which is very odd. As somebody from another show once said, "When you're immortal, you have no need of an heir."

And yeah, the Harsesis was not just tactically useless but TABOO. Even weirder.

...What was UP with Apophis?? Is this some kind of Host Influence we don't know about??

#asks #animate mush #chappa'ai time #goa'uld #stargate sg 1

[incomingalbatross]

I am... honestly baffled by how functional Jack is. He says he came back from the suicide mission to Abydos to find Sara had left him (though, I think there are two sides to that story? “Cold Lazarus” paints a different picture, since we get some of Sara’s perspective), and certainly he’s separated from her. The man lost his child, lost his wife, left his career...

But he has an honestly nice and put-together house, which is DEFINITELY new because A) it’s in Colorado Springs and B) it’s later established Sara’s in their old home. At some point he must have moved into it and fixed it up. He seems relatively healthy right now. It’s... very impressive.

...It is also worth noting that the man moved TO Colorado Springs. And spends his nights with a telescope, talking about aliens to any Air Force officer who might drop by. I think “Being Prepared For A Sequel” might have been a significant thing he was clinging to.

Anyway, his house is surprisingly nice, which will come in handy for team dinners and Daniel’s wakes.

#chappa'ai time

[incomingalbatross]

1.05 “The Broca Divide” pt 2:

I want to throw the first half of Everlasting Man at the entire concept of this episode.

All right, though, I'll admit that "She... tried to seduce me." "Oh! ...You poor man" is a very funny exchange. Maybe it’s just the awkwardness. Maybe it’s Daniel’s deadpan. Maybe it’s that they both seem able to accept it as just an awkward occupational hazard of Gate travel—sometimes your teammate may try to seduce you, and all you can do is fend them off, fix the problem, and move on.

Ooh, I like how Jack seems to be talking in a completely rational tone, even as his sentiments get more off-the-wall, all the way up to the “physically whaling on Daniel” point. It’s disturbing. Again, subtlety and incomplete corruption is often spookier than a sudden and complete takeover.

Daniel, realizing that two of his friends have been taken by this dumb Caveman Disease: all right, now I’m mad >:(

“Mr. Teal’c” aw, I appreciate your courtesy, Janet

“I think it's safe to say they aren't born primitive, they must have this very contagious disease, and we came in contact with them... isn't that special.” Have I mentioned I enjoy Daniel being sarcastic and aggravating? It’s lots of fun.

Oh hey, this means Daniel and Teal’c have to interact because they’re the only sane team members left! GOOD.

AND they have to go on a mission with just the two of them. Into the deep end, considering we really haven’t seen them interact directly before.

First “Daniel Jackson” from Teal’c!! (Incidentally, I think we can assume Teal’c is very very focused on “do NOT let Daniel Jackson die while offworld under my protection,” right now.)

Daniel instinctively moving to help the new leper-girl they see unconscious and getting mad about her abandonment is correct Daniel Jackson Behavior. More of that, please, Daniel.

...Oh, yeah, Daniel and Teal’c are not a good team right now. Teal’c is very focused on fulfilling his duty, accomplishing their objectives, and not endangering either the mission or themselves (again, I think that’s about Daniel, thought he didn’t say so), and is not up for arguing. Daniel has seen a helpless person in need by the side of the road, and Teal’c telling him what to do just activates his contrarian streak. Also, they have no built up trust yet, not really. They’re completely out of sync... which is how Daniel can get abducted by the cavemen while Teal’c is trying to fend them off and doesn’t notice.

Jack, his mind 80% gone, clinging to shreds of coherency induced by the dangerous level of sedative he begged for: “Experiment... on me. Use me.” HE’S STILL TRYING TO PROTECT HIS PEOPLE. 

HAVE I MENTIONED JACK O’NEILL IS THE BEST.

(Also, fighting to retain his self and save others while being driven mad is distressingly on brand for Colonel Jack O’Neill and we WILL be seeing this behavior again. JACK.)

The ruler of the Land of Light is a PUNK and his clothes are RIDICULOUS and I hope Teal’c punches him.

Aw, no, he knocked out the guards instead, because the leader ran away from Teal’c like the punk he is.

The prosthetic caveman eyebrows are very funny. I forgot about them.

Oh GOSH. Teal’c’s actions after losing Daniel were 1) go to the Land of Light people and ask them to help him find Daniel. 2) When they refused to help at all, take blood samples by force. 3) Return to Earth and give Dr. Frasier said blood sample. 4) Go to Jack’s cell (again, Jack is barely cognizant) and immediately confess his fault in losing Daniel.

That... that’s a meta in itself about how Teal’c’s mind works, and his ethics and honor and decision-making process at this point in his character. Even without dialogue points like his insistence that “It is not a curse. It is a disease,” because Teal’c hates superstition, and his anger at people who are in their own way living—as he used to!—in a culture of cruelty born from despair. It just. It’s a lot.

Janet, trying to explain her scientific breakthrough to Jack (barely articulate) and Teal’c (knows no science): Tough crowd huh

Oh NO Teal’c is gently moving Jack to lie down on the bed before leaving him, while they wait for the treatment to work? Teal’c is PUTTING A BLANKET OVER HIM? I wasn’t prepared for that.

And of COURSE he proceeds to sit outside Jack’s cell door, meditating, until Jack yells for him. Where else would he be.

“Lucy! I’m ho-ome!” Another classic exchange. (And I’m trying to decide if Teal’c is trying to make joke, re: “You may still be confused.” He could have been! Hi poker face is too good to tell.)

Okay I KNOW they were in a literal plague-outbreak situation and probably didn’t have any able bodies but you’d still think they could have sent SOMEBODY to go pick up Daniel from caveman-land a little earlier? Or maybe it WAS pretty early and they didn’t show it well, I dunno. I just did not feel the urgency i would have expected here.

Daniel’s first conscious word was “Jack.” Yeah, that’s typical. (I say this with affection.)

Teal’c was carrying his glasses. When did he even pick them up? I don’t know! But here we are again with the acts of service!

SG-1, repeatedly and vehemently whenever they come to a post-Goa’uld world: “WE ARE NOT GODS! NO, REALLY. STOP WITH THE KNEELING.”

Next time for SG-1: Sam’s Crazy Ex!

I haven’t actually watched that one before, so should be interesting.

#chappa'ai time #anyway the *important* thing here is that Teal'c Loves His Friends

[incomingalbatross]

Daniel, after probably the worst day of his life: *lets one (1) spontaneous emotion slip out for a moment*

Daniel, immediately: haha GOSH, I mush be drunk! It’s definitely the one singular beer I’ve had that made me act like THAT. wow. so embarrassing.

#jack made a dumb wisecrack and daniel laughed #that was IT #buddy you're allowed to chill out and just react to things occasionally i promise #chappa'ai time

[incomingalbatross]

Final notes from “Children or the Gods”:

Just as a general observation, Daniel is insane

HECK YEAH TEAL’C HECK YEAH THAT IS HOW YOU START A REDEMPTION ARC

Love that SG-1 rescued a whole crowd of innocent alien refugees on their first mission. Very them. <3

Reiterating: Goa’uld are VERY BAD. In this house we hate the Goa’uld.

General Hammond deserved none of this in what was supposed to be a next-door-to-retirement assignment, and he stepped up SO well and deserves SO much appreciation

#chappa'ai time

[incomingalbatross]

It is Very Important To Me that Jack literally opens his home/extends hospitality (in one sense or another) to both Daniel and Teal’c before the end of the pilot. That’s important.

#chappa'ai time

[incomingalbatross]

Again, watching the abduction on Abydos is just me repeating it’s a sad song (it’s a sad song) it’s a tragedy to myself as Sha’re is taken away

(Although Daniel is not quite Orpheus. I’m sure there’s a more applicable myth about the gods stealing a married woman, though... But also Daniel is thinking Icarus right now if he’s thinking anything)

Oh I have one other observation and it’s that Teal’c is smart and I think recognizes the Abydonians’ guns from the Earth attack. Which is unnerving. No one like an intelligent enemy.

Oof, Daniel’s reactions... Yelling Sha’re’s name, immediately going “We should never have taken the barricade down, this is my fault” (which I think he reasserts in Meridian?? So yeah he’s never letting go of that), laughing wildly when people try to talk to him, calling Jack “Colonel” when Jack says he has to come back with them, on the verge of tears as he says goodbye to the people who adopted him a year ago.

I appreciate that when they come through the Gate, though, it’s him and Sam who are dragging the wounded Feretti through. Daniel’s still helping people.

Side note: General Hammond got the iris set up in, what, the few days maximum between Ra’s first attack and their return from Abydos?? INCREDIBLE.

“General, hi. I'm Daniel Jackson, we've never met, um, I'd like to be on the team that goes after them.” FIRST WORDS out of the Gate.

I love Daniel. King of willful tunnel vision. There are his priorities and then there’s whatever everyone else has going on, that doesn’t matter, he needs you to FOCUS right now because he’s explaining the important stuff.

General Hammond: “??? NO???” *walks away*

#again i ask: HOW did daniel ever convince anyone he's the Nice One #or even the Tactful One #chappa'ai time

[incomingalbatross]

Further Name Data Points as of Stargate 1.04:

Jack and Daniel are on a first-name basis but Daniel has called him “Colonel” twice (once bitterly, once genuinely)

Daniel is still calling Sam “Dr. Carter,” and we don’t know if Sam’s still calling him “Dr. Jackson” because she hasn’t actually said his name in the last two episodes?? but I would assume she is

Everyone calls Teal’c “Teal’c” because, well, that’s his name

Teal’c is already calling Jack “O’Neill,” but he referred to Sam as “Dr. Carter” (which I’m assuming he picked up from Daniel) and... has not spoken directly to or of Daniel yet at all

Jack and Sam haven’t addressed each other by name much yet either, so I’m not sure if they’ve settled into “Carter” and “Colonel”/”Sir” yet or if they’re still figuring out which combination of rank/name to use. I don’t think they’ve exhibited any real patterns, yet

Anyway, one thing this means is that NO ONE has called Sam “Sam” since General Hammond’s first introduction. I want her and Daniel to be on a first-name basis already!!

#chappa'ai time

[incomingalbatross]

I chose to half-watch 1.04 Emancipation, write up notes, and post them all at once, this time. Partly because I am Not Really Invested in this ep and didn’t think I’d have as much to say... But there are early team dynamics!

Daniel starts to introduce Jack but stops dead as he visibly realizes he doesn't know whether he should use his name or his title. I like that.

Kssh, Daniel is still referring to Sam as "Doctor Carter." He also addresses her as “Doctor” later... I’m going to be pondering Daniel and Names at some point, I think.

Daniel called Jack "COLONEL" in direct address  in a Tense Situation that's SO WEIRD, BUDDY. THAT’S WEIRD. It’s not like he DOESN’T call him Jack normally... but I think he’s Deferring To His Authority here?? Again, WEIRD to hear on multiple levels.

Ooh, no, not the Scary Culture That Thinks Women Can't Exist Outside The House!! Mongolians deserve better.

Jack's so pleased with himself for having a Gun.

Today in "Daniel does NOT know everything": him nerding out about this tribe showing "a way of life that's been extinct for 900 years" when there are still nomadic Mongolian peoples out there TODAY who've retained a lot of traditional continuity. Buddyyyy. I know it’s the writers who didn’t know this, but I’m still holding you partly responsible here.

…Not sure where I stand on the "Sam dressing like the other women" thing. On the one hand obviously it IS a good idea to not give offense to your new diplomatic/trading contacts, and there's nothing morally WRONG in adhering to their standards of dress. On the other hand, it's sending the message that the Tau'ri agree with this tribe's view of women, and do we want to compromise ourselves like that?

Anyway. They dressed Sam up to the NINES. I refuse to believe that's normal attire for the tribe.

I DO like the guys being apparently Stunned Into Silence By Her Makeover because A) they’re not going to actually change the dynamic because of it and B) it means they’re arguably more off-balance than Sam, who’s really just grumpy about the whole thing.

I would like Jack and Daniel's teasing better (mild though it is) if this were a later episode, though, where they had stronger team camaraderie. Here it comes off as potentially more rude because I don't know that they're FRIENDS as opposed to colleagues. In a later season it would be absolutely fine.

SIDE NOTE. The team: *talking about this tribe and how they treat women while, themselves, ignoring the OTHER NATIVE WOMAN IN THE TENT as if she's furniture* ???????? Guys???? SAM????

Aw, Jack hangs back to make sure Carter IS okay. And to clarify that her "looking great" wasn't just teasing, it was genuine. Good CO. (This is not a ship comment, it is a “Jack making sure his team’s okay” comment.)

DANIEL, stop arguing and GO FIND SAM. (Or "Captain Doctor Carter.")

Jack is in "MY OFFICER is ABDUCTED" mode and I like that, among other things, he's insisting on respect for her a lot more now. No one gets to even unintentionally or indirectly insult her if she’s actually vulnerable somewhere.

Annnd the "Sam is a magnet for questionable aliens" trend begins, sadly. I mean, she IS lovely, obviously, but why is it a given that this guy will think so? (Especially when he hasn't seen her SMILE.)

Hrgh. This isn't a Space Whale Aesop but it isn't much of a NORMAL Aesop either. What's the message? "Women aren't property?" GROUNDBREAKING.

Aw, Daniel. Dropping the cultural relativity when put on the spot AND trying to sneakily promote other, better Mongolian traditions re: women. ("We don't own our women." "Truly?" "YES. --Um… and we heard…stories, about the Shavadai women, that once they were free. Some might even have been warriors, that fought alongside their men.") THERE'S my guy.

Okay, I can get behind their culture being negatively affected by trying to survive and protect their people from the Goa'uld. Even things that had a reason can get twisted into abuses very very easily, and surviving the Goa'uld SHOULD leave marks on these cultures!

…Not sure I buy this particular justification was ever fully honest, but that's a different point.

Daniel, finding Common Ground with the relatively-decent chief: "Wait, you love your wife? :D I love MY wife! We're friends now" (he didn’t SAY that but I can tell he was THINKING it. Buddy)

Sam can't cook or spin or weave (though I bet she’d like some fiber crafts, they have math!!), but she CAN ride a horse! Nice.

Oh, sure, Evil Chieftain, just rip someone's clothing when you're going to beat them. Clothing is VALUABLE and that's one of your tribe that will have to keep wearing it later, are you cruel AND wasteful??

Oh boy, Sam's first sexual assault!! *glares* It was ""only"" a forced kiss, but it was still unnecessary.

TEAL'C is the first one to say "If we wait until morning to rescue her, what will happen to Captain Carter tonight?" Given this is Teal'c still at his most stoic-and-silent stage, I'm proud he was so quick to speak up here.

Raising my eyebrow at the fact that Sam called herself a "scholar" and Daniel described her as a "shaman"... Again, I think, we see the difference between Sam's desire to just express HERSELF and Daniel's desire to meet strangers where they're at. As general approaches, they both have their points. (Of course, since you don't KNOW where a stranger's at, you risk making a fool of yourself by talking down. I think Daniel's word choice here is unnecessarily… exoticized? And his assumption that they believe in "spirits" could have gotten him lauged at in a different ep. But whatever.)

Negotiations: *go poorly* Jack: time to bring out my Gun again. (He’s fired his handgun for effect THREE TIMES this ep and he’s Smug about it. Can’t blame him, though.)

Wait, they're saying they've had other missions offscreen? Interesting? I’m not sure I can reconcile that in my head, but... it’s superior, I think, to shows that insist for no reason that NOTHING worth seeing has EVER happened to the characters offscreen, eliminating time jumps completely.

...Idk, I think literally calling romantic love "the madness" is a little… on the nose. A little YA Dystopia Worldbuilding. Yanno??

We see a little more Daniel Mediation. Good stuff. I appreciate it. Didn’t get a chance for that in the Children or Enemy. 

Pfft, Sam challenges the guy to a fight and we get the Moving Stargate Theme.

Sam, internally: I get to fight I get to fight I get to FIGHT THIS GUY HECK YEAH LET'S GO

A) of course it's a fight to the death, Jack, did you think these people were likely to go with anything less?? B) ASK THE RULES FIRST. YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS. HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED STAR TREK OR NOT.

Except apparently it’s NOT, really, because Sam’s not urged or expected to kill her opponent once SHE’S defeated HIM. Hmph. Some hyperbole there.

Yay, we brought about lasting cultural change in an apparently-stable system in just a few days! How lucky we just HAPPENED to meet up with a local leader who already secretly really wanted those same changes! This isn't contrived!

...Anyway. Worldbuilding was heavy-handed, Sam could have been a Strong Female Character a lot more easily if she’d just been allowed to, you know, be herself and do her job without all this fuss (which the show largely lets her do after this, so great!), and I’m not terribly pleased with Daniel here even if he got his head on straight when it mattered. Also Teal’c wasn’t nearly enough of a presence, but. Again. Early days for him, he’d mostly rather just loom.

(Oh! And this is the source of Teal’c’s classic line, “What is an ‘Oprah’?” So I can’t complain too much.)

Sam worked through the plot okay, though, and escaped feeling like a mouthpiece or like somebody’s idea of someone else’s mouthpiece. It felt like she was just genuinely trying to do her job and responded to these stupid situation like a human being—even better, she didn’t feel like any human being other than Sam to me, even though this is Early Days. Also, the costumes were pretty, and we established that the SGC is establishing trade relations with extraterrestrial cultures! Which is good worldbuilding I’m happy to have.

In conclusion: not great, not horrible. Kinda just there.

Next ep is Caveman Time! Also not quite top-tier Stargate, but I’m looking forward to some elements of it a lot more, and it is good old-fashioned corny sci-fi.

#chappa'ai time #long post #i'm sorry i don't feel like picking a spot for a readmore cutoff #it is late and i should be in bed #but i am happy to have watched this ep instead of just knowing about it secondhand

[incomingalbatross]

It’s worth noting that in the scene at Jack’s house, Jack talks more willingly about his own trauma and how he feels about it than Daniel does about his.

Of course, it’s also worth noting that he talks a little more because Daniel prompts him to elaborate (Daniel, more comfortable trying to get someone else to open up than doing so himself? NEVER), and that they’re probably both seeing the ways in which Jack can help Daniel learn to cope with his more-recent trauma.

But I don’t want to overlook the fact that Jack is LESS likely to deflect and obstruct from his own feelings than Daniel is, in a personal conversation between them with no larger agenda.

#my working thesis is that daniel talks about his own feelings mostly when a) it will serve some larger purpose #or b) he forgot he's actually talking out loud to another person #chappa'ai time

[incomingalbatross]

Oh, Sam. I’m delighted to see you, but I’m sorry about your first scene.

General, I know you know her and know what name she goes by, but saying “Sam Carter” in a male-dominated field is actually unnecessarily confusing!

Because of this, Sam’s emphasis on “yes, I’m a girl, how shocking,” comes off as just an (uncharacteristic!) chip on her shoulder. Jack just heard “Captain Sam Carter,” of COURSE he’s going to think that’s a man! It’s a man’s name!

None of the “antagonistic banter” between her and Kawalski makes sense or is appropriate, given they’re two Air Force officers in a fairly tense briefing...

But okay, we DO get the detail that Sam had astronaut dolls when she was a kid, which is cute in itself AND furthers my belief that Jacob imparted the love of sci-fi to her. It can stay for that.

Still, though. Sam is generally overeager and the guys are trying to haze her. No one looks good in this scene.

Ah, yes. The Line Which Shall Never Be Lived Down.

In all fairness, though, Jack’s “I don’t mind women, I just don’t like scientists,” does actually sound like the truth, and he did not participate in the hazing attempts. (And ”I don’t like scientists” is, of course, very funny in light of the entire rest of the show. Have fun with your geeks whom you will rely on more than anyone else in the universe other than Teal’c, bud!)

Additional positives: Sam does make a very good case that she is a brilliant and accomplished officer. “Have you ever pulled out of a bombing run in a F-16 simulator at 8 Gs?” (Or something like that.) Sam, zero hesitation: “Yes.” *waits politely for Kawalski to finish his thought*

I will choose to attribute the intermittent chip on Sam’s shoulder to the fact that I think she’s canonically just gotten out of an engagement to a real piece of work (Guy Who Deserts The SGC To Start A Slave Cult). That could do a number on your politeness in the face of condescension, I’d think.

She’s also still mad that she wasn’t put on the Abydos mission and HYPED to go through the Gate this time. Entirely understandable and justifiable, given A) a lot of the work to get the Gate working was her work and B) this is literally sci-fi! She wants to go through a wormhole!!

#chappa'ai time

[incomingalbatross]

What did General Hammond think happened on Abydos?

He had Jack’s report, which I’d guess was accurate up to the point of the bomb blowing up (with the small alteration of where the bomb was). 

A glowy-eyed alien like Ra had just come through the Gate, attacked and run off again.

In addition to this information, General Hammond is working on the assumption that Abydos is the only other Gate, and maybe Ra is the only Ancient Alien.

Because of this, he definitely believes Jack didn’t detonate the bomb.

We don’t get much other information from him, but he does start the questioning with “You didn’t like Daniel Jackson much, did you, Colonel?” delivered in a challenging tone.

So... I think he came to the conclusion that Jack just, what, gave up Daniel for dead and ditched Abydos without killing Ra? Maybe his team was overpowered, so they cut loose the dead-weight civilian, left the alien threat undefeated, ran home, and lied about having neutralized the enemy.

And actually! Given all that, General Hammond could also theorize that Daniel was captured and has given up intel about Earth to the aliens! That’s a perfectly plausible theory.

And ALL of that would paint Jack & Co. in the worst possible light, so that’s fun.

#'we did kill the bad guy but we left the planet intact and lied so the civilians wouldn't be threatened by the US military' is SO much tamer #if hammond was expecting treason and cowardice and abandoning comrades #chappa'ai time

[incomingalbatross]

Re: Jack doing Pretty Well Actually, I bet it's a form of coping via partitionioning. New city new house new interests (space) distance from wife and career and all of the trappings of the guy who lost his son. That all happened to the Other Guy, the one with no sense of humor. He says later "I can forget, but I can never forgive myself." He's got a telescope on his roof. He's looking out, the better to not have to look in.

(This analysis brought to you by the Star Trek episode wherein Kirk's pregnant wife is beaten to death and dies in his arms and it's Never Mentioned Again)

That's a solid analysis, thank you! Makes a lot of sense. (Is it healthy? Definitely not completely, but it makes sense and is a big step up from "active death wish," so.)

(INSANE. I love TOS, but the adherence to the Status Quo... sometimes broke things in the narrative.)

#asks #animate mush #chappa'ai time

[incomingalbatross]

Early Pilot Jack Thoughts:

Love that he sat on his roof, definitely able to hear the Air Force car drive up, and just ignored them.

Also love that he’s sitting there looking through his telescope and telling Random Air Force Officer “you gotta get to NASA, that’s where all the action’s gonna be.” I... am getting a vibe that he maybe would not have gone back into retirement if Cool Space Stuff had been an option, post-movie.

...Although I’m also getting a vibe that he’s cultivating a reputation as a UFO Nut, maybe purposefully for his own entertainment. Guy’s gotta cope somehow.

Jack is in an position of being three steps ahead of the Air Force in some places and three steps behind in others, and it’s interesting to watch.

Jack *seeing Kawalski and Feretti, alarm instantly ratcheting up like three notches*: “Why are they questioning my men.” Love that Jack CANNOT put down his Team Lead Instincts.

Jack DELIBERATELY tells Kawalski about Charlie. Like, not all at once, but he deliberately opens the topic and prompts him to ask the important questions, and then answers them! All of which gains several layers, which make varying degrees of sense, when you factor in that A) Jack And Kawalski are later given Backstory together and B) Kawalski’s first name is also Charlie.

The implication IS in fact that they were out of touch and/or Jack NEVER talked about his family in the field for an entire decade, but also Jack might have named his kid after Kawalski without telling Kawalski said kid existed. OKAY.

#chappa'ai time #pilots are REALLY good for forming lots of Thoughts so yes there will be more posts coming