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lycannoirSPOILER ALERT FOR ENTIRE POST. But they're... forever old spoilers, since I'm on my first watch-through.
It is absolutely not okay with me. I knew that it was coming, but I just simply wasn't prepared. I knew that he died toward the end of Season 5, but I was expecting it to somehow be connected to the season finale, as such catastrophic things usually are. The fact that they threw a curve ball was actually probably a good thing from a writing perspective, but there's a tiny part of me that feels betrayed. Even knowing he's going to come back, I don't think I can remember the last time I was rattled so much by the events of an episode since Doomsday (Doctor Who).
I did cry a bit, and I felt that the episode was actually pretty well done, in spite of the fact that I didn't want to admit this since I was so angry and heartbroken that Daniel was dying.
I think that the most difficult thing to deal with was the abruptness of the beginning of the episode. The fact that Daniel knew more or less what was happening to him from the start, was still able to act very much like himself at first, and that they really didn't give us any fair warning within the show itself made it feel like a stomach punch to me. I realized, from their body language, even before they opened their mouths what was going on, but even that second's realization didn't help anything.
I must say, first and foremost, that even if I hadn't admired Daniel (obviously I do) prior to this episode, that this would have made a very good case for winning me over. I have seen a lot of "worthy" deaths from characters in the sorts of shows I watch. Many people have died doing honorable things, saving the world, sacrificing themselves, jumping in front of the bullet, etc. The fact that Daniel's death combines all the aforementioned kinds of deaths is a testament to who he is, I think. Daniel's relationship with being Action Man has been very fair weather at best, but in the most crucial decision-making moment of his life--and think about it, he's had a lot of those--he leapt into action. However, this wasn't the bravado, blind sort of action that Jack likes to jump into. Daniel didn't jump into a plot device. Well, not really, if you don't take into consideration all of the meta reasons that Michael Shanks wanted Daniel out of the primary cast at the time. Everything about what he did was very much what Daniel had become in the previous five years.
However, I must make further distinction about the fact that Daniel's jumping into the fray wasn't like jumping in front of a bullet for someone that one cares about. In fact, it was even more brave, more determined, more selfless, than something like that would have been. Granted, had the radioactive thingamajig bomb thing exploded, it probably would have wiped out at least three people Daniel cared very deeply for, the bigger thing that Daniel was doing was saving the lives of hundreds and hundreds of people he had never met. Furthermore, bullets lead to quick bleeding out, and the suffering only lasts for a few minutes if you're going to bleed out. If you're not going to bleed out, there's usually something they can do about bullets. Daniel is smart enough, educated enough, to realize that there is literally nothing human technology can do about radiation poisoning. He grabbed hold of the radioactive thing (I keep calling it that because I was too emotional to bother remembering its name) knowing that it was going to kill him--slowly and painfully at that. In my opinion, this would be a much more difficult decision than facing some quick death that would happen on your feet with much more supposed dignity.
As if Daniel dying wasn't bad enough, the way he died was just about enough to finish me off.
Daniel's assessment of his life also broke my heart. Part of me wanted to shout at him and tell him the truth about the fact that his life had not been a failure. Honestly, part of me felt like he was being a little bit self-indulgent during part of the scene with Oma Desala, but I kind of feel like he was entitled to be... Being very, very young to die, I would imagine it hard for anyone to just let go when they felt as though they had failed to accomplish many (or any) of the things they had hoped to.
On a couple of other notes, I must say that this episode send my J/D shipper bunnies to hopping when they weren't sobbing. Even keeping the shipper bunnies at bay, there was no way to stop being touched by the portrayal of their friendship in this episode. Beyond that, however, the way that their final interactions with Daniel conscious went never once strayed from the way they typically acted with one another--snarking, arguing, rinse, repeat--felt right. Part of me wanted both of them to say what they meant--particularly Jack, of course--but somehow it also seemed to just fit that some things between them really didn't need to be said, or maybe couldn't be said... something that was there but that hadn't had the opportunity to achieve the fullness of its time.
Jack's willingness to go against the grain isn't anything new, but the particular way in which he wanted to do it wasn't entirely familiar to me. He was willing to go above and beyond what is typical for him for Daniel's sake in order to save his life. Of course, I think he has done that for his entire team multiple times, but in these, as in other scenes (even with Sam and Teal'c), sometimes what Jack doesn't manage to say with his mouth, he says with his eyes. The amount of absolute desperation in trying to save Daniel at times just absolutely made my stomach turn into little pretzels.
Second note, in the spirit of multi-shipping, I also was surprised at the tonality of Sam trying to tell Daniel how she felt about things. Teal'c's goodbye was very much what I expected--there was no question of sexual tension (as I'd argue is there at times with both the other two), no equivocation. Just honesty.
Sam was very, very honest, but in a way that she rarely is because she finds it unprofessional. I was reminded of a scene from one of the earlier episodes (Solidarity, I'm fairly sure), when she and Daniel had the conversation about detachment, and she said, "Sometimes I forget you're not military."
There was some correspondence between the two moments--like bookends--and while I typically prefer to read their relationship as a platonic, even familial sort of bond as they are both the two sides of SG1's collective brain in a sense, I guess the delivery of her final words to him raised some questions in my mind. "What really matters"--she knew this because of him, specifically? And, "hope you always knew"---knew what, exactly?
That's enough for tonight about that episode which shall live on in my mental infamy, but I am very emotionally drained...
Also: RADIATION POISONING. HOW IS IT FAIR THAT MY TWO FAVORITE CHARACTERS EVER BOTH DIE FROM IT?
(Please do not be foreshadowing, Cosmos.)
That is all.
It is absolutely not okay with me. I knew that it was coming, but I just simply wasn't prepared. I knew that he died toward the end of Season 5, but I was expecting it to somehow be connected to the season finale, as such catastrophic things usually are. The fact that they threw a curve ball was actually probably a good thing from a writing perspective, but there's a tiny part of me that feels betrayed. Even knowing he's going to come back, I don't think I can remember the last time I was rattled so much by the events of an episode since Doomsday (Doctor Who).
I did cry a bit, and I felt that the episode was actually pretty well done, in spite of the fact that I didn't want to admit this since I was so angry and heartbroken that Daniel was dying.
I think that the most difficult thing to deal with was the abruptness of the beginning of the episode. The fact that Daniel knew more or less what was happening to him from the start, was still able to act very much like himself at first, and that they really didn't give us any fair warning within the show itself made it feel like a stomach punch to me. I realized, from their body language, even before they opened their mouths what was going on, but even that second's realization didn't help anything.
I must say, first and foremost, that even if I hadn't admired Daniel (obviously I do) prior to this episode, that this would have made a very good case for winning me over. I have seen a lot of "worthy" deaths from characters in the sorts of shows I watch. Many people have died doing honorable things, saving the world, sacrificing themselves, jumping in front of the bullet, etc. The fact that Daniel's death combines all the aforementioned kinds of deaths is a testament to who he is, I think. Daniel's relationship with being Action Man has been very fair weather at best, but in the most crucial decision-making moment of his life--and think about it, he's had a lot of those--he leapt into action. However, this wasn't the bravado, blind sort of action that Jack likes to jump into. Daniel didn't jump into a plot device. Well, not really, if you don't take into consideration all of the meta reasons that Michael Shanks wanted Daniel out of the primary cast at the time. Everything about what he did was very much what Daniel had become in the previous five years.
However, I must make further distinction about the fact that Daniel's jumping into the fray wasn't like jumping in front of a bullet for someone that one cares about. In fact, it was even more brave, more determined, more selfless, than something like that would have been. Granted, had the radioactive thingamajig bomb thing exploded, it probably would have wiped out at least three people Daniel cared very deeply for, the bigger thing that Daniel was doing was saving the lives of hundreds and hundreds of people he had never met. Furthermore, bullets lead to quick bleeding out, and the suffering only lasts for a few minutes if you're going to bleed out. If you're not going to bleed out, there's usually something they can do about bullets. Daniel is smart enough, educated enough, to realize that there is literally nothing human technology can do about radiation poisoning. He grabbed hold of the radioactive thing (I keep calling it that because I was too emotional to bother remembering its name) knowing that it was going to kill him--slowly and painfully at that. In my opinion, this would be a much more difficult decision than facing some quick death that would happen on your feet with much more supposed dignity.
As if Daniel dying wasn't bad enough, the way he died was just about enough to finish me off.
Daniel's assessment of his life also broke my heart. Part of me wanted to shout at him and tell him the truth about the fact that his life had not been a failure. Honestly, part of me felt like he was being a little bit self-indulgent during part of the scene with Oma Desala, but I kind of feel like he was entitled to be... Being very, very young to die, I would imagine it hard for anyone to just let go when they felt as though they had failed to accomplish many (or any) of the things they had hoped to.
On a couple of other notes, I must say that this episode send my J/D shipper bunnies to hopping when they weren't sobbing. Even keeping the shipper bunnies at bay, there was no way to stop being touched by the portrayal of their friendship in this episode. Beyond that, however, the way that their final interactions with Daniel conscious went never once strayed from the way they typically acted with one another--snarking, arguing, rinse, repeat--felt right. Part of me wanted both of them to say what they meant--particularly Jack, of course--but somehow it also seemed to just fit that some things between them really didn't need to be said, or maybe couldn't be said... something that was there but that hadn't had the opportunity to achieve the fullness of its time.
Jack's willingness to go against the grain isn't anything new, but the particular way in which he wanted to do it wasn't entirely familiar to me. He was willing to go above and beyond what is typical for him for Daniel's sake in order to save his life. Of course, I think he has done that for his entire team multiple times, but in these, as in other scenes (even with Sam and Teal'c), sometimes what Jack doesn't manage to say with his mouth, he says with his eyes. The amount of absolute desperation in trying to save Daniel at times just absolutely made my stomach turn into little pretzels.
Second note, in the spirit of multi-shipping, I also was surprised at the tonality of Sam trying to tell Daniel how she felt about things. Teal'c's goodbye was very much what I expected--there was no question of sexual tension (as I'd argue is there at times with both the other two), no equivocation. Just honesty.
Sam was very, very honest, but in a way that she rarely is because she finds it unprofessional. I was reminded of a scene from one of the earlier episodes (Solidarity, I'm fairly sure), when she and Daniel had the conversation about detachment, and she said, "Sometimes I forget you're not military."
There was some correspondence between the two moments--like bookends--and while I typically prefer to read their relationship as a platonic, even familial sort of bond as they are both the two sides of SG1's collective brain in a sense, I guess the delivery of her final words to him raised some questions in my mind. "What really matters"--she knew this because of him, specifically? And, "hope you always knew"---knew what, exactly?
That's enough for tonight about that episode which shall live on in my mental infamy, but I am very emotionally drained...
Also: RADIATION POISONING. HOW IS IT FAIR THAT MY TWO FAVORITE CHARACTERS EVER BOTH DIE FROM IT?
(Please do not be foreshadowing, Cosmos.)
That is all.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-11 08:02 pm (UTC)Oh. I am SO with you. I cried my eyes out during the ep and was totally gutted. I think all the goodbyes suited the raltaionships they each had with Daniel...and Janet's at the end, the way she cried out 'Colonel'. (Although I'm now firmly in the J/D camp, I think Dan/Jan had possibilities.) I think Sam loved Daniel like a best friend/ brother. I really liked that relationship between them, which unfortunately kind of takes a back seat in season ten with the addition of new characters.
That Jack would go to any lengths to try to clear Daniel's name is so typical. they have been through so much together, and he knows EXACTLY the type of man Daniel is. I'm almost in tears just thinking about it. Gotta change the subject 'cos I've gotta go to work shortly.
I've always been a big Doctor Who fan as well but I don't remember names of eps or all the facts...too long ago!!! Was Doomsday Tom Baker's swan song?
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-11 11:00 pm (UTC)Jack/Daniel is my flagship, so to speak, but I have plenty of other sea-worthy (bad pun) vessels that I hop on now and again. Stargate's character relationships just seem so real to me that I can imagine their evolving in quite a few different directions.
And that's very, very true about Jack's drive to clear Daniel's name. In fact, everything about their interaction was so typical that it was eerie. Especially when Daniel was describing the symptoms that would develop, Jack's body language was very strange and very him. I guess what kills me about it is that from a shipper's perspective--but also, as I keep saying, even from a strictly canonical/friendshippy perspective--there was something haunting about the fact that their interaction was just so everyday and normal. They're used to talking about grave things... And yet, there was some very visible discomfort in Jack's demeanor--understandably--but I could just feel the tension... the ticking realization that this would be the "last" time they would do this. The finality that both of them were refusing to admit by carrying on as usual... And that's them, and that's why they break my heart.
Doomsday is actually a New Who episode. The end of Series 2. *shame* I haven't actually seen any Old Who.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-13 01:23 am (UTC)Must be something about the name Jack, although Daniel is my favourite SG-1 character.
Are you over Meridian yet? Took me a LONG time!!! (But I wasn't a Jonas hater.)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-03-13 06:51 am (UTC)However, Rose still hasn't lost her place in my liking her and shipping her with the Doctor. The thing is, about Rose and what is most likely going to be the case with Jonas (I haven't managed to move past Meridian yet... I went back and watched Children of the Gods today, lol...), I am exactly the kind of fan that (most) character-driven scifi writers want. I do not have to try to begin creating headcanon and rationalizing things that don't make sense or that I find annoying about a show, whether it's a character or a situation. I am the ultimate devil's advocate to a really picky, cynical critic. Even if a character does something that might make me despise them, I'm going to try to find a way to forgive them. Rose never did that, really--she just could have done a lot more with herself, and in my headcanon, she did. Therefore, I still find her redeemable, though somewhere along the way I started identifying much more with Martha. That was a bit of a curveball.
Anyway, I'm in love with all of the companions and quasi-companions from New Who, and it's hard to choose favorites. And I still like Rose, Mickey, and company enough to have a rather large plot bunny involving them and a SG-1 crossover... You may lynch me now, if you like.
The name Jack does seem to signify awesome.
Jack O'Neill. Jack Harkness. Jack Sparrow. Jack o' Lantern.
Daniel is also my favorite SG-1 character for tons of reasons I can't even begin to list. I'm not really sure I'm ever going to get over Meridian entirely. Like I said, I'm forgiving and will stomach just about anything TPTB throw at me up to a point. However, I think I'm always going to mark Meridian as a sort of end of an era. Even if you put out a ban on all shipping (after I protested and tried to kill whoever was in charge of that idea), I would still absolutely adore SG-1 because of the foursome (non-sexual, shipper police!) interaction between the original members of SG-1, and I think that changing that dynamic is going to make something in me sort of die... I'll hold my torch forever, go down with the team!ship, etc.