SG1: thoughts on Vala and ship
Jan. 30th, 2007 10:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tenayaI'm downloading The Shroud as I write. So are a lot of other people. What usually takes an hour is now somewhere between 7 and 24 hours for a 350m file. :::sigh:::
Anyway, I've been spoiling myself left and right on the different forums and it's made me think about my preferences.
I don't like Sam and Jack for a couple of reasons. First, the show and the characters weren't set up to support it. In my opinion, Sam was set up to be smart and a competent and dignified USAF officer and not arm candy for the lead actor. The "romance" didn't start up until S4 when the writers changed. Second, I think it cheapens the character and ethics of both characters. I have no problem with them noticing that they are each very attractive people, but for Jack to pursue a relationship, imho, makes him despicable. I don't see Jack as the type of man who would put a subordinate in an impossible situation. Sam's career would be ruined. Third, it would and has destroyed Sam as a viable character. Her only contribution to the show is that she moons after her superior officer and she's a joke. Yeah, there are a few times of late where I see glimpses of the old Sam but for the most part--and here is point Four--I just cringe when she's on the screen and there's any possible opportunity to push the ship. Yeah, that's my problem; I feel like I'm one of Pavlov's dogs as a result. It's a knee jerk reaction now and I'm actually surprised and relieved when we get through an ep without some sort of embarrassment for Sam. That REALLY damages my enjoyment of the show.
So, what about Daniel/Vala? I think it's kinda cute but I don't, as a rule, look for the D/V ship fic. Am I a hypocrite? I don't believe so because: First off, the Daniel/Vala relationship was constructed to have a sexual attraction between them. Even before she had taken off her Super Soldier mask/helmet and we'd met Vala, she had made a pass at Daniel. Will they end up together? I'm not sure, but since they were attracted to each other from page one, it feels acceptable to me if they will. Same thing with Sam and all her paramours, or Jack and Sarah; those characters were written to be in a relationship with each other. Second, there is the thing that Daniel and Vala are on the same team and doesn't that make their romance inappropriate? Well, until they both agree they are in luv with each other, it's just UST. Besides, Daniel works hard at keeping her at bay and has taken a more mentoring type role. He's trying to help her and that only makes his character more admirable. And if the time came when they started sleeping together, I actually would expect one of them to leave the team. Third, the reality is that Vala makes a pass at everything male and some females. The reality is that Daniel resists the relationship both emotionally and physically. He protests quite vigorously--and I find that very cute. I like the predatory moments as Vala pursues Daniel (and she has had to take a number when it comes to pursuing Daniel.) The writers have constructed these characters to dance around their attraction to each other and the audience is meant to be entertained by this dance.
Now, the ship I'd personally would like to have seen would either have been Jack/Daniel or Daniel/Teal'c...yet I don't expect to see it on screen at all. And I freely admit that if Jack and Daniel were during the horizontal bop, realistically they couldn't be on the same team. But I do love the forbidden luv thing and therefore have gigs of J/D fic.. *g*
So, that's why I cringe at one ship on the show and laugh with enjoyment at another pairing and read tons of stories about the third.
Oh joy, an hour later and the Shroud is now 33% downloaded (was at 22% an hour ago.) Yeah, it will be morning before that finishes.
Anyway, I've been spoiling myself left and right on the different forums and it's made me think about my preferences.
I don't like Sam and Jack for a couple of reasons. First, the show and the characters weren't set up to support it. In my opinion, Sam was set up to be smart and a competent and dignified USAF officer and not arm candy for the lead actor. The "romance" didn't start up until S4 when the writers changed. Second, I think it cheapens the character and ethics of both characters. I have no problem with them noticing that they are each very attractive people, but for Jack to pursue a relationship, imho, makes him despicable. I don't see Jack as the type of man who would put a subordinate in an impossible situation. Sam's career would be ruined. Third, it would and has destroyed Sam as a viable character. Her only contribution to the show is that she moons after her superior officer and she's a joke. Yeah, there are a few times of late where I see glimpses of the old Sam but for the most part--and here is point Four--I just cringe when she's on the screen and there's any possible opportunity to push the ship. Yeah, that's my problem; I feel like I'm one of Pavlov's dogs as a result. It's a knee jerk reaction now and I'm actually surprised and relieved when we get through an ep without some sort of embarrassment for Sam. That REALLY damages my enjoyment of the show.
So, what about Daniel/Vala? I think it's kinda cute but I don't, as a rule, look for the D/V ship fic. Am I a hypocrite? I don't believe so because: First off, the Daniel/Vala relationship was constructed to have a sexual attraction between them. Even before she had taken off her Super Soldier mask/helmet and we'd met Vala, she had made a pass at Daniel. Will they end up together? I'm not sure, but since they were attracted to each other from page one, it feels acceptable to me if they will. Same thing with Sam and all her paramours, or Jack and Sarah; those characters were written to be in a relationship with each other. Second, there is the thing that Daniel and Vala are on the same team and doesn't that make their romance inappropriate? Well, until they both agree they are in luv with each other, it's just UST. Besides, Daniel works hard at keeping her at bay and has taken a more mentoring type role. He's trying to help her and that only makes his character more admirable. And if the time came when they started sleeping together, I actually would expect one of them to leave the team. Third, the reality is that Vala makes a pass at everything male and some females. The reality is that Daniel resists the relationship both emotionally and physically. He protests quite vigorously--and I find that very cute. I like the predatory moments as Vala pursues Daniel (and she has had to take a number when it comes to pursuing Daniel.) The writers have constructed these characters to dance around their attraction to each other and the audience is meant to be entertained by this dance.
Now, the ship I'd personally would like to have seen would either have been Jack/Daniel or Daniel/Teal'c...yet I don't expect to see it on screen at all. And I freely admit that if Jack and Daniel were during the horizontal bop, realistically they couldn't be on the same team. But I do love the forbidden luv thing and therefore have gigs of J/D fic.. *g*
So, that's why I cringe at one ship on the show and laugh with enjoyment at another pairing and read tons of stories about the third.
Oh joy, an hour later and the Shroud is now 33% downloaded (was at 22% an hour ago.) Yeah, it will be morning before that finishes.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-01 01:40 pm (UTC)I'm not sure how much of this is deliberate. But I think the dynamic with Daniel and Vala has been kind of interesting. Vala starts off seeing Daniel as cute but basically a mark. Throwing herself at him is an attempt to manipulate him. But it doesn't work and that makes her genuinely interested. Also challenged- the bracelet thing has to have been at least partially competitive on her part. She lost to him at her own game, and she wants another chance to beat him. And as she gets to know him, she realizes that he's genuinely- well- nice. And still cute.
Daniel on the other hand, sees her first as an adversary, but then as a cause. He doesn't love her, he wants to save her. In some ways possibly because he couldn't save Sha're or a lot of other people. But also because he sees that she isn't completely amoral. He wants to give her a second chance. Enough to argue her case to Landry, despite the fact he has to be aware there's a real chance she's going to disappoint him.
Will Daniel ever see her as more than that? Hard to say (and open to whatever fannish interpretation would like to see :). But I find it touching and rather astonishingly subtle for this group of writers (and I wonder if the actors are putting their own spin on some of this). Because isn't it a nice reflection of the beginning of it all? When Daniel helped give Jack another chance, and the Abydonians gave him one?
(no subject)
Date: 2007-02-02 09:18 am (UTC)Once the bracelet came off and some time had passed, he really lightened up towards her. She really had him off-balance and flustered at the start of S9. Good point about him wanting to save her since he wasn't able to save Sha're. I thought that at the time and was surprised they didn't mention it. If Sha're had been free, she might have been just has screwed up as Vala was.
I think the actors have a bit of ownership on their characters and how they interact, bringing nuances that the writers haven't put in.
I look forward to how they'll leave the relationship when the show ends. The D/V writers have a lot to work with already so at least they're happy.