Stargates 7/30/04

[Elf Witch]

In part I agree with you, in that she was a little strict, but also let's look at the scientists.

For one, rather than working together to solve an immediate problem, they chose to sit there and bicker. Especially the guy, who would not let it go, even though the rest of the scientists had agreed that the danger was minimal.

Second, we don't really know how much of a possibility the danger was, since McKay is well known to worry overly much, so his thoughts can't be taken as the literal truth.

Third, and most damning, is when he challenged her authority. A leader can not let a challenge to her authority just slide. That just opens up the possibility for everyone to pave their way right over her.

In this instance Weir did, IMO, exactly the right thing - consulted with the scientists, got their opinion, acted on it in the way they decided to as a group, and then stood up to the one guy who chose to be an arrogant pain in the rear, as well as challenge her authority.

To your second point, she did do what you said... she gave the guy a chance to explain, he decided to act like an ass. She even questioned the other scientists. It was the scientist that then decided to challenge her, it wasn't Weir that undercut him.

If this were an attack by the Wraith, and things depended on everyone functioning as a whole, there would be major problems that could very easily result in deaths. Rather than wait until that happens (and it will) Weir needs to nip this in the bud... and she did.


In this I totally agree... the Atlantis crew, and especially Weir, have been treating the "natives" as almost second-class. Mark my words, it'll come back to bite her in the bum, I'd bet my life on it.

I agree that the scientist were bickering on the right thing to do and she needed them to focus. My problem came when she asked everyone what they thought and then made her decision and then said "worry about saving them instead of your own ass" That was not called for nor was it needed. If she had a problem with him then after everything was over she could have taken him aside in private and chewed him out. To me t the remark made her look like an overwrought female. it was the whole timing of the remark that was the problem. If she had said at the begining when she came in and found them bickering then I could understand it but not after both sides had made their cases and she was leaving.

Now she has help make a situation that in the future could have serious ramifications.

I watched this scene again tonight and as for challenging her authority I did not see that as happening until later after she made her nasty comment and he sought her out in the control room and she told him to get back to work or else. BTW That I thought she handled the right way because at that point he was challenging her.

This episode was badly written from start to finish. Most of the tension felt forced. It didn't feel natural.

I do not like this actress and I do not like the way the writers are writing her. I do hope it gets better soon.

 

[Kesh]

Weir didn't make the 'saving your own ass' comment until after the decision had been made and the ponytailed scientist chose to confront her and generally be belligerent.

In that situation, with lives on the line, her responsibility was to get the scientist back on the solution. He had voiced his concerns and she had made a judgement call. It may have been the wrong call, but they did not have the luxury of further debate. His choice to come up to the observation room and bicker about it was arrogant, self-centered, and caused greater risk to those in the shuttle because he wasn't working towards the solution. Weir had every right to take him down a peg for being more concerned about being right than about doing his best to save lives.

True, we don't know the dynamics of the scientists. Maybe the blone woman was being dismissive. Maybe ponytail was right, and the danger was significant. Weir had to make a decision, and she made it. The problem was that ponytail chose to argue about her decision, rather than work with the other scientists on a solution. That was arrogant and self-important, deserving every bit of a verbal dressing-down.

In the situation with the natives, I agree that Weir was again a bit rude and insensitive to their beliefs. However, what was the man asking? He wanted to tell Teela she was going to die, in no uncertain terms. That may have been proper and what Teela wanted. However, there were also 5 other people onboard who would have reacted quite badly to that statement.

Further, it depends on the ceremony: could they not perform it without Teela, or did they have to talk with her to do it? In the former, the only problem was that Weir didn't want to hurt the morale of the others on the shuttle. In the latter case, they would have been a major distraction and even more of a morale drain on everyone in the shuttle and in the observation room.

Again, Weir may have been harsh, but she did not have time to debate. To save lives, she had to focus on her job, not arguing with scientists or letting someone perform a religious ceremony of death over the comms.

 

[Elf Witch]

Weir didn't make the 'saving your own ass' comment until after the decision had been made and the ponytailed scientist chose to confront her and generally be belligerent.

In that situation, with lives on the line, her responsibility was to get the scientist back on the solution. He had voiced his concerns and she had made a judgement call. It may have been the wrong call, but they did not have the luxury of further debate. His choice to come up to the observation room and bicker about it was arrogant, self-centered, and caused greater risk to those in the shuttle because he wasn't working towards the solution. Weir had every right to take him down a peg for being more concerned about being right than about doing his best to save lives.

True, we don't know the dynamics of the scientists. Maybe the blone woman was being dismissive. Maybe ponytail was right, and the danger was significant. Weir had to make a decision, and she made it. The problem was that ponytail chose to argue about her decision, rather than work with the other scientists on a solution. That was arrogant and self-important, deserving every bit of a verbal dressing-down.

In the situation with the natives, I agree that Weir was again a bit rude and insensitive to their beliefs. However, what was the man asking? He wanted to tell Teela she was going to die, in no uncertain terms. That may have been proper and what Teela wanted. However, there were also 5 other people onboard who would have reacted quite badly to that statement.

Further, it depends on the ceremony: could they not perform it without Teela, or did they have to talk with her to do it? In the former, the only problem was that Weir didn't want to hurt the morale of the others on the shuttle. In the latter case, they would have been a major distraction and even more of a morale drain on everyone in the shuttle and in the observation room.

Again, Weir may have been harsh, but she did not have time to debate. To save lives, she had to focus on her job, not arguing with scientists or letting someone perform a religious ceremony of death over the comms.

I must have seen a different episode than everyone else Because her nasty remark about saving his ass happened in front of the other scientists as she was walking out. The kick out and put on another planet after he came up to the control room happened later.

As for not wanting the people in the shuttle to be demoralized that is just plain silly. They knew that there was a good chance that they all were going to die. It was why Shepard asked to be allowed to say something.

She was like a mack truck hitting their beliefs and shoving them aside. She never gave the guy a chance to explain what was involved in the cermony. maybe the cermony did not need to tie up anyone else. She did not make the decision based on if it was fesible she made her decision based on how she felt about it.

Maybe the point of it was to give the audience a sense of urgency. Which seemed rather pointless we all knew that they would be saved because more than half the regulars were on the ship. What makes a story like this work is all the other stuff that goes into it not the will they be rescued in time because we already know that answer.



Like I have said before I do not like the way she is being written now. She does not come off as a strong leader to me she comes off as an insensitive over reactive jerk.

 

[Abraxas]

Like Elf Witch said - we must have seen a different show (I rechecked the episode just to make sure) - The save your own ass comment is in front of the other scientists and is really uncalled for.

Actually the interaction with the scientist, the locals, and the scientist again happen right in a row are really jarring, and seem to illustrate that Weir is pretty insecure in her command. Overall Weir is the weakest character in the show so far and if the writers don't do something, well, I still have SG-1 to watch.

 

[Mark]

I'm not sure that her insecurity makes her a "weak" character, per se, nor that all of the characters on the show necessarily have to be "strong"...

 

[Abraxas]

I meant weak as in the writers are already flailing about trying to define the character and not doing a very good job - not weak as in as a commander the character is insecure and ineffectual (even though I think that she is). They aren't building on her portrayal in SG-1 in any kind of effective manner, which I think is a mistake - but I don't write em, I just watch em - so what do I know . . .

I realize its only been what 3 episodes, but Stargate SG-1 had basic foundations for their main characters by its first couple episodes. Stargate SG-1 grabbed my attention right from the start - Stargate Atlantis has barely piqued my interest to watch the next episode. . .

It may have enough fan appeal to cruise on SG-1's popularity for several seasons like Voyager did on the Star Trek TNG and DSN popularity. Or it may crash and burn.

Oh, and as I write this I've noticed the show I was only half paying attention to is done and Crossing Over has just come on and I must change the channel before I get the urge to throw something very hard at the TV.

 

[Mark]

I meant weak as in the writers are already flailing about trying to define the character and not doing a very good job...

It might also have been done purposefully, to give us a leader with flaws.

Oh, and as I write this I've noticed the show I was only half paying attention to is done and Crossing Over has just come on and I must change the channel before I get the urge to throw something very hard at the TV.

I wonder about the appeal for such shows.