Ascension: Success and Failure

By: Celtic Angel

The following are just my thoughts on Meridian and the journey of Daniel's ascension. These are just my opinions, of course, but as I look around at various discussions I find my thoughts very similar to other fans in some respects, and completely different in others. Major ER spoilers concerning Mark Green, Luca, and Carter also included here.
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Never in the history of Stargate has there been an episode more controversial than Meridian. Setting aside the politics of whether or not the episode should have ever happened, or whether or not SG-1 is whole without Daniel Jackson, many of us still feel the need to examine our young hero’s farewell, time as an ascended being, and his return to his corporeal form. How did such an adventurous, somewhat successful journey become such a controversial, unsatisfying disappointment to those who love him most?

It nearly goes without saying that most fans would feel that Daniel should have never left in the first place. A farewell scene for Daniel Jackson should have never been written. But it did happen, and that part of Daniel’s journey seemed to be quite successful in hindsight. As viewers we know that Daniel had been through a lot in his fairly short life, and it is conceivable that he reached a point where he just really didn’t understand his purpose anymore. He felt like a failure, which is incredibly devastating for someone who has such an enormous capacity for empathy and a need to help mankind.

When Daniel is fatally injured Oma DeSala offers him a chance to survive and do something more with his life. He’s reluctant because he’s not sure he deserves ascension. He truly does not see what he has done to gain this opportunity. Oma allows him to ascend regardless as a means of saving him. We learn in Abyss that he is really enjoying his ethereal life style. He is still fascinated by the discovery of this new existence and by the universe itself. But it is also in Abyss that Daniel begins to learn the downside of his ascension. He can no longer help people. From this point on, he questions what kind of a higher being could stand by and allow these things to happen. Each time he is not allowed to intercede as his friends are suffering he becomes more uncertain that this new path is right for him. Finally, as a result of his effort to save Abydos he is cast out of his higher existence as an Ascended or Ancient, his memories erased, and eventually is returned to his friends, where he learns there really is no place like home. His life is important, and what he was doing on earth did matter on both a personal and a universal scale. One would assume that if the Ancients—Oma DeSala in particular—felt Daniel was this vital to the universe that they would invest this time in such a valuable lesson—we can expect greater deeds from Daniel in the future.

Quite a grand adventure indeed—an amazing journey of self-discovery and universal exploration—the stage of the classic hero’s journey, in which a supernatural guide shows him his potential. So what happened? For me the problem has always been in the execution. To begin with if Daniel needed this sort of life lesson, and apparently it was very beneficial, then why did he have to leave the series to learn this? Daniel’s journey has always been one of discovery and learning and this could have been just another stage in that journey. The ideas were all there; they just weren’t fully realized. What could have served as a potential storyline to boost Daniel’s moral, may have done the same for Michael Shanks, who was feeling a bit too much like wallpaper by the end of season five.

But Daniel did leave and examining the execution even closer there is a huge problem in Meridian from the beginning. There was no need to introduce a new character and take away from valuable story time for the departing character. The Stargate writers would have been far better off following the example of another top rated series ER. The night before Meridian aired for the first time in the US we were given Dr. Mark Green’s final performance. The entire episode was dedicated exclusively to the character, centering only on he, his wife and daughters, and the quality of his life. No additional cast members were present, and his death was poignant. I was reminded of this after watching recent episode of the medical drama that once again dealt with a cast member leaving.

We were told Luca was dead, and we are given a beautiful episode dedicated to his last days, and his commitment to his work, his God, and how he, a very scarred and tortured character, finds himself and his faith in a higher being, before he was to die. We see his friend—and for those who watch the show we know it's been an up and down friendship—also find himself, as Carter who has quite nearly grown up on the show, seeks the truth of Luca's death and goes on a mission to bring his body home. Then there is a complete turnaround with a surprising twist, as the farewell is actually Carter's and Luca survives. But we see two characters, who were often at odds, heal themselves, renew their commitment to life, and their dedication to their friendship. We get a farewell hug, and even a platonic kiss. And they were the only ER characters in the entire episode.

Their friendship had never been as intense as that between Jack and Daniel. And darn if I wasn't left wanting to see them together again.

Meridian should have been dedicated to Daniel’s life. And though I myself would have liked to see a more emotional scene between Jack and Daniel, I accept that they really didn’t need to talk about their true feelings for each other. They did say what needed to be said, though I could think of plenty of things we as an audience would like to hear from them for ourselves. Comparing Jack and Daniel’s final scenes to those of Luca and Carter, we actually have the actors together far more, and say much more to each other in Stargate than the ER doctors did, yet “The Lost” seemed even more poignant than “Meridian.”

The key was again in the execution. ER chose to concentrate on Luca and Carter’s journey of self-discovery, while torturing us with which character is actually going to leave the series. Luca reaffirms his devastating life so he can return to the states, Carter finds himself in the Congo—the spoiled rich kid decides to devote his life to the needs of others. An incredibly defining episode for both men. Several months later, Carter returns in another brilliant episode demonstrating his experiences. His character is now a transformed man who's released his burdens, fallen in love and is expecting a child.

Meridian tried too hard to sell us a new character, when we should have been given more of Daniel and a celebration of what he had done with his life. Flashbacks could have been utilized complementing some of the more emotional aspects. We are tempted with an absolutely beautiful scene where Jack sits with Daniel as he lay dying; the devastation and the loss clear on his face. But rather than hear Jack’s thoughts, use flashbacks, or possibly even see “flashbacks” filmed specifically for this episode, as in Threshold, the poignant moment is interrupted by Jonas and Hammond. I’ll indulge myself and say that had I written Meridian, Jack’s defense of Daniel’s reputation, as wonderful as that was, would have waited until the next episode. Anything to deal with anyone else but Jack and Daniel, and possibly Sam and Teal’c would have waited.

One of the more touching scenes for me was the almost childlike manner Daniel used to share all the bad things that were going to happen to him with Jack. The horrible truth tumbled out as though he wanted to explain something exciting. Usually we only see Daniel breakdown or worry over others. He remains almost stoic in regards to himself, yet he desperately needed to voice his fear, and he knew that telling Jack was going to help in some small way. Daniel is an incredibly strong character, but he and Jack have a way of sharing and supporting each other because they are secure in their belief of each other's empathy and love. Throughout this episode Jack offers Daniel his strength by not falling apart. He knows Daniel’s fear and pain. Daniel knows he understands and knows that Jack would do anything possible for him, and even tries to convince Jack that he shouldn’t, because he believes he is no different than anyone else. The look on Jack’s face speaks volumes, and Daniel hears him loud and clear. He is more important to Jack, and if Jack gets the opportunity he will use whatever alien technology he can to save Daniel.

When Jack tells Daniel he’s been a tremendous pain in the ass, there’s an unspoken understanding, a long-term affection, behind that statement. Daniel knows and enjoys the fact that he’s a pain in Jack’s life. Because despite what a pain he has been, Jack continued to accept, love, and protect Daniel unconditionally—as Daniel has Jack—because he was worth it. Their feelings for each other have always been strong, and have never needed to be voiced. Their relationship is both tacit and tactile, the spoken word having little meaning between two men who communicated almost telepathically. Jack did want to make sure that Daniel knew he admired and respected him, but his love was never in question.

The scene at the end where Daniel leaves is very difficult. Jack is a bit taken off guard. He’s not sure that Daniel standing there looking so desperate could possibly be real. He tests the waters with his quiet, almost fatherly, “Daniel, did you want something?” He questions whether Daniel is giving up, he sees the desperation and the need Daniel has to move on, and he bravely lets him go. And again, in an almost fatherly manner, he watches Daniel as he leaves, his eyes misty, a brave smile—until Daniel is gone—and then his heart breaks, and Jack O’Neill closes himself off for good. All the fear, all the worry, the pain he tried to hide from overwhelms him. Everything Daniel saved him from in the past is thrown back in his face. He just shuts down, and Daniel will be the last person he ever lets into his life.

Revelations gives us Jack O’Neill who is very closed off from everyone and alone in his grief. He refuses to talk to Carter because he could not bear to. It would not take much to completely undo his sanity and stoicism, and right now he is quite content in his grief because that is all he had left. There is no Daniel and no Skaara to bring him around again. And even if there were they would not have stood a chance. Daniel and Skaara were able to get through to Jack the first time because they had no idea they were doing it. They caught Jack off guard as they innocently stumbled into his path and then dared to care about him. They got to Jack through the gaping hole in his heart because they needed his help and his protection as much as he needed to give it and prove to himself that he was still capable of offering it. This time Jack would not make that mistake. Jack’s grief, his withdrawal into himself through season six, was truly in character with Jack O'Neil of the orginal movie, but unfortunately for some it made him appear too callous and unconcerned. I would not have accepted a Jack who acted any other way.

With Abyss we finally see Jack come around a bit. Once he meets Daniel again, and he can accept that his friend is all right and not just an illusion, he is able to get his act together somewhat. There is still a big hole in his heart, but at least he knows Daniel is okay; he is just continuing on his own path and finding out who he is and what he can do for mankind. Jack may not agree with Daniel’s career choice, but the important thing is, Daniel is happy for the moment. They clash again over Daniel’s chosen path when they meet in Full Circle. Jack pushes Daniel to interfere, because he knows Daniel better than anyone else, and he knows Daniel won’t be able to live with himself if he doesn’t help. He was right, but I wanted to see a Jack that worried over what happened to Daniel after Full Circle. I as a viewer really needed to see how the loss of both Daniel and Skaara affected the man who saves our universe on a regular basis. It wasn’t enough for me to remember the anguish Jack felt four years earlier when he was forced to choose between Daniel and Skaara, only to turn around and sacrifice Daniel. I wanted to see him actually deal with the buried grief of continually losing someone so close to him.

Again, execution problems are coming into play throughout Daniel’s ascension. We as the audience should have been able to witness more of his conflict and dilemma as well. We should have seen what happened to him when the Ancients intervened. We should have seen discussions between he and Oma. It would have been wonderful to see Daniel come to the realization that he wanted to return to his life and do what he could. It may have played out like It’s a Wonderful Life, but since Stargate is in the business of homage….

Even though none of this happened it would have still been nice to have had Fallen as a two hour special in it’s own right. Once again the ball is dropped on Daniel’s journey. And actually it would have been even more appropriate to see them help him remember and come to the conclusion that he belonged with Jack and his team, saving the universe. All of this could have been handled with a series of clips from earlier shows and a few heart to heart conversations. I wanted to see Jack convince Daniel that his life had been worth returning to and that he was a decent human being he was proud to call his friend.

Daniel went through the most phenomenal period of growth and exploration in his entire life. An absolutely incredible journey—and we only saw tiny glimpses. Time that could have been spent showing us what he did, how he felt, and how his friends helped him reclaim his life—time that should have been devoted to the character whose journey has driven the Stargate saga—was used to blow things up, chase after the single worst villain in sci-fi history, and give a fonder farewell to the controversial character whose introduction robbed the audience of a more appropriate departure for Daniel a year earlier.

Stargate started as a high quality, character driven show that captured our imaginations with its stories of our tragically scarred heroes’ journeys and the magnificent universe we live in. It was full of possibilities and wonder. It dealt with levels of human emotion and story lines that were Emmy quality. The actors weren’t afraid to really show they could act, and certainly had no fear of physical contact and overt platonic love for each other. Somewhere between the third and fourth season, things started to change. The characters grew more distant; there was less physical contact and obvious caring, that quite honestly made it hard to always remember these people were friends. Oh, it would show up occasionally, but it has never regained the level it once did. Sometimes the series is just left lacking and the audience going—hey, a hug wouldn’t have been inappropriate there.

There have been a variety of suggestions thrown about as to what happened particularly between the characters of Jack and Daniel. Some blame the forced relationship between Jack and Sam for driving a wedge between their friendship. It would appear that the new producers in season four wanted to take the emphasis off of Daniel and place it with Sam, while substituting character driven storytelling with explosions and mindless action. Others blame the actors themselves. They worry that the slash fiction phenomena has affected the two main actors ability to give us the close portrayal they once did for fear of being seen in a more than platonic or family situation. It’s an age-old genre, but the Internet has brought it to the forefront. Some fans are concerned with Jack and Sam being so close because it is clearly against military regulations. The Air Force appears to have some influence in Stargate, which has proven to be great publicity for their branch of service. Could the strict military regulations, fraternization rules, or even the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” rule also have had an influence on the Jack and Daniel relationship? Not only might the military be opposed to Jack and Sam, but Jack and Daniel as well. Is the forced and unrequited ship of season seven a clear message that "feelings" should be suppressed, processed and tossed away? Is the distancing of Jack and Daniel's obvious affection and familial relationship an effort to prove an Air Force Colonel must not fraternize or get to close to his men, either as friends or lovers? But such thoughts lead us into areas of useless speculation that we as viewers should never have to approach.

Regardless of where the deficiencies lie, whether they are with the producers who come from a shoot ‘em up animation background and prefer to write for Sam, whom they don’t seem to understand; the actors’ personal concerns; or the military guidelines, I think all fans would agree that we just don’t care. We just want Stargate back the way it used to be. Forget the personal choices, forget whatever reasons caused any character dynamics to be lessened or strengthened, and give us back a Jack who’s not afraid to hold a teammate, or hug a friend, and a Daniel who will be hugged. This is fiction, folks. Nobody’s going to care about the reality or worries behind screen unless it interferes with what we get onscreen. And it has interfered.

There does seem to be a little improvement this season with Martin Wood and Peter DeLuise now also donning producer hats, be we have a long way to go, until we have Jack and Daniel hugging again, Daniel’s story given full consideration rather than time wasted on blowing things up or sharing it with a departing character, or the team working more closely together. I have hope that once the production staff understands how to work around a schedule as tight as RDA’s that we will see even more progress, but that remains only a loosely founded hope.

So was ascension a good thing for Daniel Jackson? It certainly gave him a chance to discover his value as a human being. Hopefully it helped him understand what he had already done for the universe. We know he now feels as though he belongs. Too bad we didn’t get to see more of his incredible journey.

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Posted by Dana Jeanne at March 22, 2004 04:35 AM