Thought of the Day for TPTB
Giving Jonas A Chance by RF
I think up there with 'It's just a TV show', 'You just want the Daniel Jackson Show', and 'You're just a Michael Shanks fan', in the phrases to make one's blood boil is 'Give Jonas a chance'! Just saw another one on the SDJ Discussion Board and it's the last straw.
Last week Joseph Mallozzi, in his 'setting the record straight' and wonderful public relations exercise at GateWorld, <watch out for the puddle, the sarcasm is dripping rather thickly> he tried to counter the rampant dislike of Jonas with the stock 'Give him a chance/ you haven't seen enough of him to pass judgment'.
Well, you know what, I have now seen two episodes with Jonas Quinn, two TV hours, which translates into approx. 90 minutes minus the commercials.
Interestingly enough, that is the length of the pilot episode, 'Children of the Gods'. The episode which reintroduces us to a new Daniel Jackson and a transformed Jack O'Neill, as well as two completely new, never seen before characters that are meant to be part of the team: Sam and Teal'c.
While Sam got a rough start with the femme-breast-beating, her very next scene of wide-eyed wonder at the Stargate started tipping the scales in her favor. Her giddy, little-girl grin on seeing the DHD on Abydos and then on meeting Daniel pushed her so far over to the positive I was grinning along with her. Sam only continued to prove herself more solid and endearing of a character throughout the episode. Conclusion: In less than ten-twenty minutes of the pilot Sam did the impossible and I actually *liked* a female character in a sci-fi show! Less than ten on-screen minutes!!!
Teal'c, obviously, was a slower sell, since except for knowing he was a future cast member, there was no way of knowing where the character was going but by watching it unfold. But first impression was he was a strong, conflicted man who was bound/enslaved by his duty and position. A 'bad-guy' by circumstances not by choice. He may have been on the wrong side but he was still interesting. Once he turns on his own to save the lives of the captives, trusting the Tau'ri to help him do the right thing, I was hooked.
Side note: In this action, Teal'c was only risking himself if the Tau'ri couldn't be trusted. If he had been wrong, and wasn't able to defeat his fellow serpent guards on his own, he would be dead. That's it. His 'betrayal' of Apophis and trust in Jack was completely selfless. He risked everything in that act, and even though the Tauri were trustworthy, Teal'c still lost his family and his home, to an uncertain future on Earth.
Jack had the advantage of Richard Dean Anderson to gain my interest, but still it had been sooooo long since I had seen the movie and the character was being played differently from what I remembered, it still took some getting used to, but aside from the little blip in the briefing room with Carter, Jack's humor, irreverence, caring, heroism, and the list goes on, made enjoying his character very easy. It was guaranteed when he gave Daniel an anchor to Earth and home again, and friendship, by brining him to stay at his house.
And Daniel... There just aren't words... It was nearly instant. Michael Shanks is a remarkable actor and made Daniel adorable from moment one. Daniel and Sam's instant repore with each other, like siblings, created a dynamic that endeared each character in a way that alone wouldn't. Daniel only continued to prove himself througout the pilot as being multi-faceted and immensely interesting. If I had to point to one thing about Daniel that was so engaging, it would probably be his passion: for knowledge, for life, for his beliefs, convictions, for what was right. I believe if it had only been Skaara who had been taken by Apophis, Daniel would have just as passionately wanted to be a part of rescuing him. It's just the way Daniel is. And all that from one ninety0-minute pilot... of which it only took ten minutes to know Daniel was a worthy man, a man of integrity, and fire, and compassion.
As to Jonas, well Meridian was sufficient to give him the equal length of time for revealing his character that JAck, Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c had. After watching Children of the Gods and immediately bought the Season One DVD set. I was hooked completely and totally, loving every minute, on each of the characters. After two episodes of Jonas, I am convinced of my first, second, and third impressions, which were pretty much consistenly the same: I can't stand the guy! He's a smarmy, smug, weasel of a man who seems better suited to selling used cars or being a low-rent lawyer than an ethicist (Is 'ethicist' his world's term for 'smarmy, lying, blame-the-good-guy bastard'? I think instead of ethicist, they meant 'spin-doctor'.)
So, you see, Jonas has actually been given far more of a chance than he not only doesn't deserve, but far more than was necessary to welcome Jack, Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c into my home and my heart. He failed, miserably. And furthermore, more time only caused me to dislike him more. I may have to see a dentist for all the teeth-grinding his scenes enduce. Aside from his often 'praised' traits of liar, coward, thief, traitor, he's flat, wooden, boring, smug, unbelievable (Reading really really fast doesn't mean comprehending squat of what was read), grins too much in a way that makes me uncomfortable... and is just plain uninteresting.
The character, actor, and PTB are trying way too hard to make him likeable and that only makes him even more unlikeable. Talk about 'beating dead horses'! It's not working, so stop trying!! Give up and give us back what did work.
By RF
13th June 2002
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