GateWorld Podcast: SGU’s Anti-Heroes

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• "But can we as viewers still love these characters and engage in their stories?" -> No

  "We can relate to their imperfections" -> No

  "can we look up to them?" -> No

• How can you love characters with no redeeming qualities who are selfish and self absorbed. They don't need to be heroes to be likeable, they just need to be decent human beings who are interested in something more than their own petty issues.

• Oh, thanks - podcast is here. I've been checking in often! I'll enjoy this.
  Agree with psw - I'm more into heroes than anti-heroes (though if someone is really good looking (oops being a bit shallow here), or have some redeeming factors I could like them a little. In SGU so far... Eli and that Lady "doctor" are the only ones that I find like able, so far...
  I do love Robert Carlyle but would have loved him to be a O'Neill kind of hero, but his way

• Okay just going to pass along a few comments made on twitter about the following podcast:

  "SGU does NOT have "Anti-heroes" It's layered, it's a tapestry with a weave! Snip one thread -it changes!"

  "I think SGU works well because it doesn't have the clean-cut heroes and villains."

  "I agree and that's what the show is all about. Cannot believe @GateWorld can't see that. They really missed the point"

• I don't usually agree with you guys, but IMO this podcast is very balanced and well-done, and I think you've fairly represented the risk of SGU in terms of whether fans can accept very flawed characters week after week. Being able to root for them, wondering if they'll be redeemed, it's all relevant to discuss.

  A character can be flawed and still NOT compelling, or evocative of loyalty. That's the issue for SGU for many of the characters.

  How can anyone (Brian's mommy or others) say you miss the point? It's just your interpretation, and it's clearly based on lots of TV-watching experience. They should be grateful you're willing to spend hours and braincells analyzing their show, instead of ignoring it like most of fandom seems to be doing now.

• I can sure relate to comments made on Sons of Anarchy & shows of its ilk, as I just can't get into series where the main character is just a tad-bit better than the bad guy. Dexter. Yech, sorry.

  SGU has characters who are a bit too flawed. They need to give something to the viewing audience that makes you go 'I can relate'. Perhaps Eli and CHloe are the closest one can relate to, but Chloe gets to do basically zip except have sex. As was pointed out in another's comments, the characters aren't compelling yet.

  SG1 and SGA - those characters grabbed me right away. They weren't perfect. Both O'Neill and Sheppard did some stuff that you went "whoa...". You could understand why they did it, but couldn't condone it.

  Right now I don't have a favorite character on SGU. There are times I'd rather this have been a miniseres, with a set ending, than a show that is, at times, just dragging along.

• @ Tanith

  I wonder why you decided to only post well worded twitter messages. Brian Jacob Smith's mother also wrote in response to this podcast:

  "Because sites like Gateworld keep stirring sh*t."

  "yeah, I wonder what the cast/crew of SGU will think about the site while they keep trashing them?"

  "they are causing trouble, for some strange reason."

  "I don't go anymore, but I saw the tweet about the podcast and thought since it's the site owners should be fine. NOT!"

  "dumb ass people"

  Just to put your quoted twitter messages into perspective. I really don't understand what made her so angry. It is not like Darren and David are bashing SGU. They are just discussing the pro and cons of flawed characters.

• The world is full of anti-heroes taking it to the Nth degree misses the whole point of why Stargate has been successful for a decade plus. The show put our best foot forward and said yeah were not there yet but we can work hard and get there.Anti-Heroes isn't bold new territory it is a joke and a smear on the franchises own legacy.

• I want to watch people who try to do the right thing, even if it doesn't turn out that way in the end. Watching people struggle to make the best choices and failing is so much more my thing than watching characters whose only goals are selfish and self-serving. One or two of those types might be OK, but everyone? Not my cup of chai tea.

• “But can we as viewers still love these characters and engage in their stories?” -> Yes

  “We can relate to their imperfections” -> Yes

  “can we look up to them?” -> Yes (some)

  That 1st lady didn't even know the names of the characters. I actually do relate a bit to Rush. I relate to all of them except maybe Cloe, but I don't dislike her. Sons of Anarchy are not drug dealers, they are *specifically* not drug dealers. They *attack* drug dealers. That's a redeemable quality. Jax and the some others do have redeemable qualities individually too. I actually don't blame Young for leaving Rush, he was basically a mutineer.