JUNE IS JONAS QUINN MONTH!
Daniel Jackson is exposed to a lethal dose of radiation while visiting an alien civilization that is building a weapon of mass destruction.
Our rewatch of favorite moments in Stargate history continues! Each month we’ll pick a theme, and feature a key episode every week. Join us by watching the episode this week, and then head to GateWorld Forum (or posting below) to talk about it!
Welcome To The Team …
- Jonas Quinn (Corin Nemec) is a member of the Kelownans, a human species whose technology level is about on par with World War II-era Europe and the United States.
- The Kelownans are actually one of three rival nations on the same planet, which they eventually got together and decided to name Langara.
- Langara is one of those rare planets with a high amount of the rare element naquadria — much more powerful than regular naquadah, the element that the Stargates are made out of, and which powers much Goa’uld technology.
- Jonas sought asylum from his government for a time, during which he served as a member of the SG-1 team.
- … But his long-term goal is the health and security of his people, which brought him back home to help them take their place in the larger galaxy Jonas had seen first-hand.
“Meridian” Facts:
- As Stargate SG-1 wrapped up its fifth and final year on Showtime and prepared to head to basic cable, fans were stunned by the news (first shared by executive producer Brad Wright during a convention appearance) that co-star and fan favorite Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson) was leaving the series. Why? Shanks wanted to try other things, and expressed a general disappointment with how his character was being used in recent years.
- The ascension storyline presented the writers with a real opportunity: Daniel’s character could actually be killed off in dramatic and heroic fashion … and yet at the same time the groundwork could be laid to potentially bring him back one day. Ascension also brought the ever-inquisitive archaeologist a look at the mysteries of the Ancients to which he had dedicated his life.
- Jonas (Corin Nemec) was introduced in the episode to lay the groundwork for his return as a main cast member in Season Six — the first main cast change the show experienced. The fan reaction was swift and severe, with many Daniel fans rallying for Shanks’ return and coming out against his replacement. The fact that Daniel had died as a result of Jonas’ own cowardice certainly didn’t make things any easier — though Jonas would devote himself to making up for his mistakes.
- Although the ascended Oma Desala had been introduced back in Season Three (“Maternal Instinct”), this is the first appearance of actress Mel Harris in the role.
- “Meridian” is the first episode directed by William Waring, who joined the show as a camera operator in Season Five. Waring would direct 13 episodes of SG-1 plus 16 hours of Atlantis and 9 of SGU.
“Meridian” on GateWorld:
Download “Meridian” now from Amazon or iTunes!
Rewatch “Meridian” this week! Then post your comments below, or head over to the “Meridian” discussion thread and see what people were saying back in the day. What are your favorite moments?
Every month we’re featuring a new theme from Stargate’s 17 seasons. Watch the weekly episode with us join in the fun!
View Comments
Yes, let's celebrating all the characters in Stargate and Jonas has an interesting story arc. However, Meridian is for me and many SG1 fans the saddest episode in the whole franchise since Daniel dies--a terrible death--and ascends. It was not the best way to introduce a new interesting character to the show and not the best way to celebrate him here. Please, be mindful to the fact that Daniel Jackson was a central character in the movie and the show and much beloved by fans.
I loved the addition of Jonas to the show. I thought he added a needed refreshing change.
I always felt bad that we didn't see more of Jonas after he returned home. Especially when SGU did an episode on Langara and Jonas wasn't even mentioned.
Solstice0612 - I don't see any disrespect to Daniel here, which seems to be what your post implies. And he was not "much beloved" by me. He was just a member of the team to me, and I liked others far better. :)
I love this episode and I love Jonas. This was really the time that I joined the series full-time since it would no longer be on Showtime (which never knew until a few years later). I had been catching it in syndication land prior.
This is not disrespectful to Daniel or his fans. This marks Jona's debut and love it or hate it, Jonas debuted here.
I actually LOVE that Jonas' actions caused such an impact. That meant the character had a good arc set for him. He's actually my favorite along with Mitchell since they both were new to the team. It added a fresh perspective.
Additionally, Aiden Ford was a favorite since I was in AF ROTC at the time and I identified a lot with him, but they wasted his potential. How? I have no idea since they created him!