5.21: Meridian

[Anni]

Ah well, you're both just big softies!!!! Meridian was such a long time ago and so much has happened in the series since, that it's almost strange to read back thru the thread.

I still get a 'meh!!!' feeling about this episode. I've watched it again and still thought 'meh!'. But then I'm not a great fan of the schmaltzy angst ridden side of Stargate or any show. Leaves me pretty much cold. To me there's far too much bloody real life angst going on in the world to allow a TV programme to make me fill up.

Fact is, the episode should never have needed to be made in the first place. I'm not a Danielite or an I love Daniel fan, I think the actor is pretty, but mediocre at best, however, I think getting rid of his character was a big mistake which they have lived to regret.

Still, if it satisfies others, then who am I to put a dampener on things............

Weep away my pretties........!!!! Remember, crying gives you a red nose, pink eyes and blotchy skin, not to mention headaches!

:rolly2: :rolly2: :evil: :evil:

[Tapestry_03]

Wow, I just watched this ep for the first time last weekend and I was actually a bit disappointed. (Yeah, I know, I'm slow. But gimme a break, I've only got broadcast networks to work with here) I was looking forward to this whole big heart-breaker with Danny-boy leaving, completly prepared to cry, and all I saw was a pretty lame ending with him turning into a big ball of light.
LoL, I supposed you could say, rather than going toward the light, he became the light.
But no, it was a good ep, it just wasn't as sad as I thought it would be. Daniel is the man! I didn't want him to leave. I've spent the past year hearing all about this horrible episode where he exposed to tons of radiation and has to leave. I finally see it and, well, what can I say? It kinda, honestly, really sucked. Not much of a note to leave on. I'm just glad to know good ol' Michael Shanks decided to come back.
By which way, I saw the ep after last night. It was kinda funny how at first they thought Thor was dead (seeing as how Michael did his voice and all). But what was up with that Asgard chick?! She sounded like a Goa'uld! Whenever I wasn't lookin' at the tv I got totally confuse. But, that's another episode. Thus, I digress.

[beckmen]

Yeah, Meridian didn't do it for me. There wasn't really enough impact or anything, and the story was pretty bad.

[webmouse]

I felt far more impact with Martouf's death, which for me was unexpected. So was the loss of Lt. Elliot. Even the Tollan got a better send-off.

Besides being a poor story in which to introduce Jonas, Meridian has suffered from its own hype. There was too much speculation for too long, as well as ill feelings amongst the fans, about Shanks' departure from the show. The episode lost whatever emotional punch it was going to have because we already knew that Daniel was leaving.

But not dead, of course. Instead we are left with this ambiguous ending -- did he or didn't he? -- and Jonas with a very lame transfer to the SGC. It then took months before the writers got it together to write for Jonas in a way that made him more than a DJ stand-in, by which time it was announced that Shanks was returning.

At least Jonas got a more believable exit and the possibility of future guest spots.

[Texane]

Originally posted by webmouse I felt far more impact with Martouf's death, which for me was unexpected. Besides being a poor story in which to introduce Jonas, Meridian has suffered from its own hype. There was too much speculation for too long, as well as ill feelings amongst the fans, about Shanks' departure from the show. The episode lost whatever emotional punch it was going to have because we already knew that Daniel was leaving.

But not dead, of course. Instead we are left with this ambiguous ending -- did he or didn't he? -- and Jonas with a very lame transfer to the SGC. It then took months before the writers got it together to write for Jonas in a way that made him more than a DJ stand-in, by which time it was announced that Shanks was returning. At least Jonas got a more believable exit and the possibility of future guest spots.

I donno. I seem to be the only one who is satisfied with most of everything. The huge reaction to Shanks (not Daniel) leaving the show took on a life of its own. I really began to wonder if many of our members knew this was only a tv show. I liked Sam's long hair for the short time she had it. I didn't mind the Carter/O'Neill deal as it was not brought out for a long time, and was not a primary arc in the show. I agree there was more impact when Martouf died, particularly when the actor could not return due to scheduling conflicts. And yes, the story line introducing Jonas was weak, but nothing would have satisfied the fans, no matter what. Again, I seem to be the only one who is satisfied with most of everything. Everyone knew Shanks was leaving. Starting Meridian with a scene that could only end in his death was ok with me - don't jerk around; we all know he's going. Texane shrugs . . . is there a shrug smiley?

[Tapestry_03]

Thus far, Meridian is the first ep I've seen with Jonas. Just the single fact that he replaced Daniel, no matter how helpful he was, I just don't like him! I have no plan to like him in the coming season! I'm biased, I'm a Daniel fan and I'm just not going to like any replacement.
I'm just glad to know that in a year I'll get to see good-ol' Danny-Boy again!!!:rolly2:

[skoon]

a lot of use used to feel the same about not liking Jonus, but you do grow to like him in his own right, even for his breif existance

[beckmen]

I was skeptical, but I didn't hate him right off. Of course, I didn't see Meridian untill AFTER Redemption, since I had to wait for it to air on Canadian TV (CH showed eps a few months ahead of syndication), whereas I saw Redemption on Scifi. Actually, I was working the first three times SG-1 was on (and forgot it was on until I was AT work and couldn't do anything), so the first episode I saw was Frozen, but I caught the others in re-runs a few months later, So actually the first Jonas ep I saw was Frozen.

Anyway, I really grew to like him. It was good to have a frech face, and CN has a personality/mannerisms that make for an interesting charecter. I was really sad to see him leave, just so MS could reset the money flow. If I was CN I'd be bitter.

[webmouse]

Originally posted by Tapestry_03
Thus far, Meridian is the first ep I've seen with Jonas. Just the single fact that he replaced Daniel, no matter how helpful he was, I just don't like him! I have no plan to like him in the coming season! I'm biased, I'm a Daniel fan and I'm just not going to like any replacement.
I'm just glad to know that in a year I'll get to see good-ol' Danny-Boy again!!!:rolly2:

So you're going to pass on a whole season of SG1 because an actor decided to pursue a career choice and leave the show.

And whatever you think about Jonas in "Meridian" (not a great intro as has been stated) Corin Nemec does turn in some fine performances.

I really like Daniel and missed him when he was gone. Jonas took some getting used to, but it was worth my patience.

It is JUST A TV SHOW. Sit back and enjoy -- or don't. The loss is yours.

[Hatshepsut]

Originally posted by webmouse


It is JUST A TV SHOW. Sit back and enjoy -- or don't. The loss is yours.

Yes it is "just a T.V. show", but with science fiction it still has to have its own internal reality and integrity to give it credibility. Loss of that credibility renders it unwatchable for the most part.

Please - please - note, this has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with either of the actors.

It also has nothing to do with the character of Daniel and his absence. It has everything to do with plain common sense. So for the moment, forget Daniel; he's out of the picture.

Concentrate instead on the people whose job it is to select a fourth team member. I'm not an expert on the American military system, but I wouldn't expect a lowly - and somewhat wayward - colonel to have the right of veto over whom he has assigned to his team. I'd expect his opinion to be canvassed and to be taken into consideration but (and correct me if I'm wrong here) I would think that the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon would have the final say in the matter.

Now, we know from 'Proving Ground' that the S.G.C. has its own selection procedures, so it is clearly canon that they don't take any Tom, Dick or Jonas from a less advanced planet and with no relevant qualifications and stick him in S.G.-1, no matter how fast he can read or how long he can hold his breath under water.

On top of this, Quinn cannot keep his head in a crisis - and I'm not talking about the explosion here but its aftermath.

When the chips were down, he colluded with the scientists to blacken the name of the guy who saved not only his life but the lives of millions of people. He clearly hadn't thought it through very well...

The high ranking advisor to the High Minister tells one story and the scientists, who have to cover up their ignorance and incompetence to save their jobs, tell another. And the High Minister is going to believe their tale rather than his advisor's account? Yeah, right!

Further to that, having come clean about it - which would have involved admitting he'd lied in the first instance - he does a runner to the Tau'ri. Again, he hasn't thought it through very clearly...

He's met a small number of Tau'ri who, logically, have been chosen for their ability to make their country look good besides all their other skills. A bit like car salesmen then. He knows nothing about the Tau'ri except what they've told him. For all he knows, their 'High Minister' could be someone like Saddam Hussein who would hand him over to the N.I.D. and use the naquadria to make a bomb to destroy Colona. And he's played straight into their hands!

All in all, not a very dependable person to employ in the defence of our world.

And the stupid thing is that the whole sorry mess could have been avoided if Quinn had been written as a believable character - another member of the S.G.C.'s anthropology department who'd worked alongside Nyan and Robert Rothman for instance. He would then have been able to have taken the moral high ground as Daniel was wont to do and, as a demonstable moral bankrupt, he was unable to do, thus forcing Jack to take on that role. Incroyable!

As you say, it was my loss, hence my great dissatisfaction with the implausible way Quinn was introduced and the appalling character he was given.

Best wishes,
Hatshepsut :wave:
--

[Texane]

back to being the only one who is satisfied with just about everything. At this point in the game, I really couldn't care less if every little do dah thing is exactly by the book. That's why they call it science fiction. FICTION!!! FICTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

JEEZ!~!!~

Dune has done just as well with science fiction.

and I've seen some of CN's old stuff - the actor has come a long way; very impressive.

Agreed: your loss.

[Hatshepsut]

Yes, Sweetie, science fiction, not fantasy.

You can get away with whatever the heck you like in fantasy - water flowing uphill if that's what floats your boat - but fiction does have rules. Sorry, but that's just the way it is.

Best wishes,
Hatshepsut :wave:

P.S. If it's fantasy you want, try:

http://www.pandemonium.me.uk/crownin...ernalindex.htm



P.P.S. Didn't I say it's nothing whatever to do with either of the actors? By that I meant Michael Shanks and Corin Nemec.

I didn't know anything about either of 'em before Stargate and hence had no preconceived notions about 'em - though J.M.'s puffing C.N. off as 'a hunk' before we ever clapped eyes on him did him no favours whatsoever, and telling one's audience in advance what they will like just gets people's backs up. Like we can't form our own opinions?

--

[Tapestry_03]

Originally posted by webmouse


So you're going to pass on a whole season of SG1 because an actor decided to pursue a career choice and leave the show.

And whatever you think about Jonas in "Meridian" (not a great intro as has been stated) Corin Nemec does turn in some fine performances.

I really like Daniel and missed him when he was gone. Jonas took some getting used to, but it was worth my patience.

It is JUST A TV SHOW. Sit back and enjoy -- or don't. The loss is yours.

Who ever said anything about passing on it? Stargate actually beats out Star Trek as my favorite show. How in my right mind would I ever be able to live with myself for skipping a season just because Danny-boy is gone? Yes, I'll miss him until next September, but I wouldn't dare skip out on one of the best sci-fi shows of all time. Besides, I've got RDA to suffice me, he is, after all, the original reason I started watching the show back in 97 when it premiered on FOX.
And I know, I'll probably end up liking Jonas, but for the time being he ticks me off because he is a symbol of Daniel being gone.
But like I said, I never planned on skipping the season just because Danny-Boy is gone.
And yeah, I know it's just a tv show. I have a life and it doesn't circulate around SG-1 (it just circulates around CSI, is all). TV is not my life, well, it is in a way, being I want to minor in media, but I can accept television for what it is and get on with life.

[Nyssa]

Originally posted by skydiver
it was revealed at wolfecon that apparently there was a scene cut from meridian.

here's the post

Apparently in "Meridian" we should have had a wonderful Sam and Teal'c friendship moment, which was cut.

At Wolfcon AT talked about the Sam and Janet friendship and then says: "I want more with Janet and I want more with Teal'c…. We've been talking for three years about that and in fact in "Meridian" there's a scene…There is a scene where I'm coming out of Michael's uh Daniel's hospital room and Teal'c is about to go in and the scene is written that Carter and Teal'c pass each other in the hallway and acknowledge a silent glance and then continue down the hallway. And Chris and I couldn't stop crying for real so - and Michael wasn't even in the room anymore, there were just shooting the hallway - so there was this empty bed and it was symbolic and every time I look at it I start crying, so I turn to Chris and said "This our chance. This is our moment to play something organic where it happens. These characters care about each other and we're losing one of our best friends." So what we did and the cameras kept rolling and it was just so beautiful and so spontaneous is I walked out and he's standing there, and he's like twelve feet tall. I just rested my head into his chest and cried and he put his arms around me and I cried and he did his 'Teal'c, I'm about to cry' thing and it's so moving when he does that and then we released and I kept walking on down the hallway and he steeled himself and then went in to the hospital room. And they cut that."

[HUGE groan and "Nooooo!" from the audience]

"For reasons of timing, whatever, whatever. I thought that would have been such a crystal clear solidity for that friendship."

[HUGE burst of applause from the audience.]

I really hope they issue an outtakes DVD someday. Scenes like this would be worth seeing. (Though I can picture it pretty well, as AT descripbed it.)

This scene, for me, would have really helped. While I did find depth in the team, Dr., and Hammond's lines, it would have been good to see Sam just let loose. While this should be used sparingly, I can't picture any more appropriate time to see her a total and complete wreck over the (potential) loss of her friend and teammate. Just sayin'.

This ep will always make me cry. Yes, Oma peeved me off. Yes, Jonas whined. Not the best writing, or perhaps the issue was write the editing. Still, it tears at my heart strings. Daniel is a beloved character.
Nys.

[Sindri]

Originally posted by Jobeth
Also, the science was totally bad. Window panes don't block radiation, and seeing that Daniel broke the window while Jonas was nearby, how come Jonas didn't get fried too?

Quinn spent most of the relevant scene sheltering behind a thick wall, not the glass pane. Neutron radiation can be blocked by a few centimetres of concrete, therefore it is unlikely Quinn would have received an acute dose.
What appears strange is Jackson's post-exposure lifespan was inconsistent with the dose of radiation he received. An absorbed dose of 7Gy is usually fatal in the short term although death is normally expected within around 2 weeks, not the 10-15 hours stated. It seems unusual that the writers looked up the symptoms of acute radiation exposure for a dose an order of magnitude greater than they stated.