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We are Hugh
Aug. 3rd, 2009 06:05 pmI just finished rewatching season five of TNG, which means watching the episode "I, Borg." As I was watching it, I was thinking--this is what SGA is missing. An episode like this, where everyone has to address their prejudices and think long and hard about their kneejerk hatred of the enemy, despite what that enemy has done. It's a fantastic episode of learning to hate the war, not the soldier.
SGA came close a few times, with Todd and with Michael. But each time, as you got to that place of understanding, where the Atlanteans had to look at this one wraith as an individual, both wraiths reverted to mustache-twirling villainy, freeing the Lanteans of the responsibility of having to reevaluate their view of the wraith as a whole.
I was particularly struck by how, in "I, Borg," as soon as the possibility is raised of planting a computer virus in Hugh that he would bring back to his race to destroy them, people immediately voice ethical objections, particularly Dr. Crusher. When similar suggestions were made on SGA, with respect to the replicators or the wraith, everyone just went great--do it. That means that not only did SGA lack a certain moral depth, but it lacked drama. What on TNG was a serious ethical struggle and source of conflict between the characters, on SGA was just a bit of technobabble.
(Also, the actor playing Hugh? OMG adorable. They have an interview in the special features with him from 2002 in which he still looks barely twenty.)
SGA came close a few times, with Todd and with Michael. But each time, as you got to that place of understanding, where the Atlanteans had to look at this one wraith as an individual, both wraiths reverted to mustache-twirling villainy, freeing the Lanteans of the responsibility of having to reevaluate their view of the wraith as a whole.
I was particularly struck by how, in "I, Borg," as soon as the possibility is raised of planting a computer virus in Hugh that he would bring back to his race to destroy them, people immediately voice ethical objections, particularly Dr. Crusher. When similar suggestions were made on SGA, with respect to the replicators or the wraith, everyone just went great--do it. That means that not only did SGA lack a certain moral depth, but it lacked drama. What on TNG was a serious ethical struggle and source of conflict between the characters, on SGA was just a bit of technobabble.
(Also, the actor playing Hugh? OMG adorable. They have an interview in the special features with him from 2002 in which he still looks barely twenty.)