So I've been rewatching Stargate SG-1
Jun. 29th, 2014 11:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
potentiality_26And I just saw "Upgrades" again. It has a lot of funny moments, but to me it's always really going to be the episode with the bit where Sam is trapped on the other side of a forcefield and Jack won't leave her, which is later used as proof of their great love.
Here's the thing about that:
First of all, in the spirit of full disclosure, I'm going to admit that it works fine as proof. Because I have little to no investment in things not directly Daniel related, I'm unenthused by Jack/Sam in general, but I technically dislike it in execution, not in principle. So, honestly, if Daniel had been anywhere in that particular equation, I'd be using it as proof too. But to me, it's different to see something as a fan that reads as romantically suggestive and tell yourself a little story about how it shows how strongly they feel about each other. (I'm a slash shipper, I would know. And seriously, watching S3 and S4 I'm coming to the conclusion that there's actually a better case for Daniel/Teal'c than Daniel/Jack. Don't know how I missed that before. Like the time Daniel was invisible and Teal'c could sense him. They have a connection, dudes. It's sorta hurty). See? I did it right there. But the writers of the show had opportunities to do better, and instead they did this.
Basically, the entire upshot of why this moment is proof that they're in love is the fact that Jack wouldn't leave her, which in turn suggests that if it was Daniel or Teal'c on the other side, he would have left them to die, which I totally don't believe is true and I don't think the writers do either. But even if I let that slide, there's still the fact that despite being completely unable to help Jack or Sam in any way, Teal'c and Daniel stayed too, just to die with their teammates. Other than the fact that they're not technically inside the mountain and therefore cannot gaze angstily at them, there is no difference whatsoever between what Teal'c and Daniel do, and what Jack does.
Thus, we're meant to conclude that whenever Jack and Sam show "feelings" for each other it's love, and with Teal'c and Daniel it's just brotherhood or whatever, because Boy + Girl = Romance. It's basically heteronormativity in a nutshell, and that's my beef with this whole business.
Here's the thing about that:
First of all, in the spirit of full disclosure, I'm going to admit that it works fine as proof. Because I have little to no investment in things not directly Daniel related, I'm unenthused by Jack/Sam in general, but I technically dislike it in execution, not in principle. So, honestly, if Daniel had been anywhere in that particular equation, I'd be using it as proof too. But to me, it's different to see something as a fan that reads as romantically suggestive and tell yourself a little story about how it shows how strongly they feel about each other. (I'm a slash shipper, I would know. And seriously, watching S3 and S4 I'm coming to the conclusion that there's actually a better case for Daniel/Teal'c than Daniel/Jack. Don't know how I missed that before. Like the time Daniel was invisible and Teal'c could sense him. They have a connection, dudes. It's sorta hurty). See? I did it right there. But the writers of the show had opportunities to do better, and instead they did this.
Basically, the entire upshot of why this moment is proof that they're in love is the fact that Jack wouldn't leave her, which in turn suggests that if it was Daniel or Teal'c on the other side, he would have left them to die, which I totally don't believe is true and I don't think the writers do either. But even if I let that slide, there's still the fact that despite being completely unable to help Jack or Sam in any way, Teal'c and Daniel stayed too, just to die with their teammates. Other than the fact that they're not technically inside the mountain and therefore cannot gaze angstily at them, there is no difference whatsoever between what Teal'c and Daniel do, and what Jack does.
Thus, we're meant to conclude that whenever Jack and Sam show "feelings" for each other it's love, and with Teal'c and Daniel it's just brotherhood or whatever, because Boy + Girl = Romance. It's basically heteronormativity in a nutshell, and that's my beef with this whole business.
