We've told TPTB that we don't want the product they are trying to sell us.  Here we explain to them why and present some Stargate Solutions.

Write or Wrong? Writing Stargate SG-1

"Stargate is a tough show to write for," continues Glassner. "One of the reasons for this is that we want to give something to all of our leads to do in every episode and occasionally that's a challenge if the plot centres on just one of them." 

Jonathan Glassner, Executive  Producer, Stargate SG-1 Seasons One - Three.

PhoenixE: An open letter to Mr. Joseph Mallozzi continued

Conflict

Conflict: noun.  Disagreement; struggle or fight. Verb: be incompatible.

It is possible to have compelling drama and conflict where that conflict is achieved strictly through the scenario.  Where the characters stay completely in character.

Incredibly possible, and incredibly well done on both counts in Beast of Burden....

In case you haven't already figured this out, I love this episode.  To pieces.  It's a wonderful character piece.  Jack and Daniel, being not only themselves but manifestly two men who have a deep respect and concern for one another which they never lose sight of even when they don't see eye to eye.  It is possible to have 'conflict' in a story, and for two characters to disagree with each other without needing to resort to making them mean to each other.  People who are friends can fight and still be friends.

In this one Jack and Daniel are frequently at odds over a cause which is hugely important to one man but not the other, but hey, for the sake of his friend he'll try and help because he know it means so much to him.  The scenario has sticky moral implications which can only lead to unfortunate repercussions one man does not want to let himself look at but the other can see, all too clearly and wishes he could keep his friend from having to see them as well, but knows in his heart that's just not going to happen.

Conflict and serious moral implications with an ending that is not all tidied up in a bright shiny bow but is powerful and real and COMPLETELY effective and stunning, deep, rich characterisation.  All in one episode.  Sigh.

People absolutely rave about this episode.  It's widely considered to be the best Jack/Daniel character episode of the entire series and in fact on a lot of people's tally sheets Beast of Burden is the BEST episode of the entire run.

(I still like One False Step the best but this one is RIGHT up there).

Why do we love it?  It's a GOOD story.  Lovely, angsty, plausible premise, great characterisation - with some added dimension to our guys  through a very clever, completely in character for both of them 'role' reversal and even Teal'c steps a little outside the box as well.  All of the team is involved, hey, we even use the gate and go offworld and not a hint of X-Gate (yeah!).The original characters, even Chakka in their proper place and at no time do they take over the episode or are used as substitutes for other team members for the lion's share of the important interaction with one of the main characters. (since the fifth season, Jack or Sam). Conflict, everybody being who they are throughout, action, difficult decisions, and a great ending.  Maybe not 'resolution' because this isn't a situation which has any easy answers or can be resolved at the end - just like life, and that is the point of the ending - which is not backed away from and glossed over.  And yet, it isn't without hope either, but I'll discuss that further when we get to the ending.

(Before I go any further - it's not absolutely perfect.  The 'cowboy' culture on this planet is more than improbable.  As is any culture which is North American based - at least one seeded by the Goa'uld.  There weren't too many cowboys in North America five thousand years ago.)

While we love this episode for all of these things stated above the reason why we love it most is for something it has as its central focus which has been sorely lacking through most of the fourth season and fifth.  Jack and Daniel.  I'm sorry to keep saying this but it's true.  This episode is so popular and praised because it has EVERYTHING we want in an episode of Stargate - and that essential Jack and Daniel element is what we want most of all, and which, coincidentally is the strongest point of the episode and what makes it so good.

The two elements go hand in glove.  Jack and Daniel is what makes Stargate 'good' and that's why we like it and that's why we want it.  Because it 'IS' Stargate.  Its very heart and soul. You can't have 'good' Stargate without it.  Which is why we've been yelling so much most of season four and five ISN'T GOOD!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for punctuating so rudely, but I feel very strongly about this.  And I'm not the only one.  You ask fan after fan what their favourite episodes are and most of them will be episodes which heavily feature the Jack Daniel dynamic.  I know this because I've been on lists where this question has been asked again and again and again and the same episodes come up again and again and again.  We know what 'good' is, we know why and this is it.

I realise it's not enough to say it's 'good' without trying to explain why.  It all comes down to who these people are and the sort of things that need to happen in the course of an episode to have things go and still keep them being who they are.

Daniel is absolutely essential to the dynamic of all the relationships, but most especially, his influence on the team and in the episode is the key contributing factor to keeping Jack - Jack - because Daniel is the only one who is really 'different', not only because he isn't military, but because he is DANIEL.  And the person to whom this 'difference' makes the most difference is Jack.

Jack is 'the man'.  The guy in charge, the 'star' of the show.  He's also an extremely volatile and at times difficult individual who while he isn't stupid, doesn't always think, and doesn't always listen, and has a marked propensity for being a loose cannon when it suits him. It suits him a lot.  We like this about him, but it also, when overused and exaggerated, as it has been in the fourth season and some of the fifth, makes him arrogant and stupid. Not a bit likeable.  Given his head, not questioned, not stood up to, not reasoned with, not told to 'not be an ass' Jack turns into the man we want to love but hate in The Other Side and Scorched Earth.  2010.  Entity.  Double Jeopardy.  Red Sky.  There's more, but I'll move on.

As pointed out above, when it comes to standing up to Jack, Sam is not the man for the job.  If you'll pardon the expression.  She can't call him on his crap. Besides, she doesn't have what it takes for Jack to listen to her.  It's not that he doesn't 'respect' her, that's not quite right.  Jack doesn't care what she thinks about him.  Her opinion of HIM does matter enough to him for her disapproval to have an effect on him.  Daniel is the only one who 'matters' enough to Jack to get through to him.  If Daniel disapproves of him - totally different story.  Jack listens because he doesn't want to lose Daniel's respect.

Teal'c and Jack have 'alpha male' issues.  Jack gets very defensive and cranky if Teal'c looks like he's making any moves to question or challenge his authority. Plus he has insecurity issues with Teal'c (his reaction to 'apprentice' in Crossroads and 'underling' in Rules of Engagement) that make him react negatively and with the 'putting Teal'c in his place' stuff. He's too busy 're-asserting his authority' or sulking and venting about being 'challenged' to listen.  Plus, as Teal'c has voluntarily placed himself in the chain of command and subject to Jack's authority he's got the same problems Sam does with questioning/criticising Jack's actions.

That leaves Daniel.  The civilian. Who because he is has a distinct advantage over the others from the get-go because Jack doesn't regard Daniel 'challenging' his decisions as a challenge to his authority. Daniel doesn't have to cut through any of the alpha male crap Teal'c does.  Jack doesn't see Daniel as a threat; Daniel isn't trying to take over and be the boss, he's just being Daniel. HUGE ego issue for Jack out of the equation right at the starting line.

Daniel also has the further advantage of being Jack's friend, and a man he respects - a lot, because he has 'history' with Jack the others don't have and can never have (and that goes for the 'anagram' presuming to replace Daniel as well) going all the way back to that first mission on Abydos.  Daniel knows things about Jack none of the others do, has seen him at his absolute worst (which Jack knows) and still likes him - which is precisely why Daniel's approval means so much to him, consequently Daniel can understand him in a the way none of the others ever can.

And talk to him with the authority of that personal knowledge and as an equal in a way it just is not possible for Sam and Teal'c.  Daniel can get in Jack's face and call him on his crap and make him do what he doesn't want to do but has to do and make him see what he doesn't want to see but must see and the essence of that caring and impassioned - but never cruel and mean conflict and that friendship is what drives the show and makes it so damned much fun to watch.  Jack and Daniel, going at it - giving each other hell, and making us love every minute of them doing it.

Daniel is the only one who can 'handle' Jack.  Make him behave, make him listen, make him see the truth, make him do the right thing. Without Daniel keeping him honest and under control  Jack gets boorish and excessive and loud and becomes an annoying caricature of himself.  Distressingly de-evolving into a man we want to smack.  Repeatedly.

It's a terrible thing to watch happening to a character we love.  Which is why - along with the marginalisation of Daniel, the Neanderthalisation of Jack has been so painful to watch over the past two seasons.

I'm telling you, you really need Daniel on the team to keep Jack in line.  The anagram doesn't have a prayer, civilian or no.  Jack is gonna walk all over him, chew him up and spit him out.  Hell, you remember what he did to Rothman.  Before he shot him, even.  And if he doesn't - well, then he isn't being Jack.  But then, he hasn't been 'Jack' for a long time, not really, ever since you started making Daniel go away.

But on to examining a piece of what used to be good about Stargate.  Which sadly now, will probably never be good again.

The briefing room scene where Daniel makes his 'pitch' is very interesting.  It's obvious he's come a long way since the early briefings like Broca Divide and Thor's Hammer and even Fifth Race where his personal enthusiasm for the enterprise put an 'unmilitary' slant on his presentation.  Daniel has learned which elements to lead with in order to 'sell' to his target audience.  The general.  (just a little piece of nice character development I wanted to mention).

Daniel starts with the guys having Goa'uld weapons, etc, the possibility of them having more but it quickly becomes apparent solving this mystery is not what he's really on about.  This isn't about technology, it's about him feeling personally responsible for Chakka's plight and wanted to right the wrong - rescue him.

Jack doesn't care about Chakka.  Says so, straight out, for the record.  But he can see Daniel does.  So even though he makes a few 'I don't care noises' and is only mildly enthusiastic about the prospect of possibly finding more Goa'uld technology on the world where these guys went, one look from Daniel and he's adding a little ' Well, general, they've got Goa'uld weapons, you've gotta wonder what else they've got' to reinforce Daniel's pitch. Just in case what Daniel has already said isn't enough to swing George over into letting them go.

Jack not only commits himself and his team to a mission he is not particularly interested in, but he weighs in his two cents to get the go from the general because this is important to Daniel, and Daniel wants to go.

Nice.  Very nice.  But then, Jack is very impressive in this one.   In a way he hasn't been for a long time. He's FINALLY being written properly and being allowed to be the man he really is.  And the quality of the trust between these two men gets even more impressive in what follows.

When they get to the planet Jack lets Daniel know, from the beginning, this is HIS show, by deferring to him and letting him decide their course of action.  Now tell me, when have you EVER seen Jack let someone else call the shots on a mission? What's more, he does it voluntarily, because he wants to.  It's a huge whacking courtesy and a sign of his trust and respect he does so, and he continues to do so, letting Daniel lead, for most of what follows.  He only steps in when he has to rein Daniel in - several times (which is what I was saying about 'role reversals') and even then, he is firm, but not unkind.  Mind you, it's easy for him be that way because Daniel respects him as well, and listens, and does what he's told, even though he doesn't want to.

Daniel takes the lead, makes contact with Burrock, gets him to buy their story and continues to take the lead as he gets lots of information out of him without giving any away. Jack just sits back and lets him go. Daniel handles Burrock - and himself very well - until they get to the barn where Chakka is imprisoned and then Daniel's indignation starts to override his usual instincts towards tact and discretion and he starts to get very stubborn and belligerent.  And dangerous - as Jack well knows.

An angry Daniel, especially when his sense of moral outrage for another being is fully furled and snorting in the wind - is a very determined, often heedless and reckless Daniel.  Definitely not thinking - and wave a bully in front of him in the bargain. Wooooo.....  We're talking red flags and bulls time. We get a man who mouths off to System Lords and doesn't bat an eyelash.  Cold, determined, as ruthless and uncaring of his own safety as they come.

Like I said, nice role reversal, but also in character.  Jack is usually the hot-head, but in this one, it's Daniel all the way.  In contrast Jack is the one using his brain in this episode.  Staying in control.  Threat assessing.  Trying to keep Daniel from mouthing off at the bully too much and getting them both in a lot of trouble.

He's got Burrock's number and he knows the way Daniel is handling things ' you don't understand this one's name is Chakka and he's coming with me' - isn't going to cut it. The situation has gone south and if Daniel keeps pushing Burrock it's going to get a whole lot worse. Fast.  So he shuts him down and calls him off. Daniel doesn't want to disengage, but he does. Without an argument.  Jack only has to 'suggest' they withdraw once. Tells Daniel to come, and he does.  Respect demands respect.   Jack has granted it to Daniel, and when he asks for it back in return, he gets it.  Immediately.

A wonderful indication of how deep and mature and trusting the relationship between these men has grown.  They listen to each other, they trust one another.  Daniel is pissed and about to go off in Burrock's face - but one look from Jack telling him he's getting out of hand and it's NOT the way to go - he's mad but he KNOWS Jack wouldn't try and shut him down unless it was absolutely necessary.  So he doesn't complain or argue, he does what Jack needs him to do.  He saves his objections for when it's safe for him to do so.

Jack gets him out of the situation and tries to reason with him. Once again, they clearly have a difference of opinion about the situation, but the way they handle it is anything but disrespectful of either each other.  Anything but.

If Jack had his way they would have left right there.  It's not his fight and he doesn't want to get into it.  Not for an Unas. He also knows something Daniel won't face - Burrock is not going to let them have Chakka without a fight - one in which people are going to get killed. As far as Jack is concerned, human lives are worth more than Unas'.  Whether that's right or wrong.... It's the way he feels.   Daniel's 'we should be able to avoid that, shouldn't we' is not realistic.  It's not going to work that way - Jack knows it - Daniel still won't face it.  All he can think about is Chakka.  He tells Jack point blank 'I will not leave him like this' - a phrase Jack's heard before, something Daniel once said about him - and he knows he means it.

Jack doesn't insult him by grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and hauling him back to the Stargate although he looks like he wants to.  He doesn't pull 'rank' and say 'it's too risky, sorry about the Unas, we tried, but we're going home.  I believe if he had insisted they leave Daniel would have gone, but the price...

Rescuing Chakka is important to Daniel. Really, Really important to Daniel.  So although it's a fight he doesn't care about, doesn't believe in  and wants no part of  Jack commits himself to the extraction attempt - which he doesn't want to do - and to trying to do it bloodlessly - which he knows is going to make it even more difficult - for Daniel's sake. He's not doing ANY of this for Chakka.  Chakka doesn't mean squat to Jack.  Daniel does, though.  Quite a moment for both of them.

Of course, they get captured and Daniel is extremely contrite, expecting a hail of 'I told you so's' - which never happen.  Jack doesn't waste time blaming, he's got more important things to worry about.  Which soon start threatening and torturing and killing Unas and getting Daniel all worked up again. Dangerously so.

Jack is really impressive in this one. I said that before, but it's still true.  After all the blustering and posturing and yelling and just plain stupid way Jack has been behaving since the other side it's so wonderful and refreshing to see him being 'Jack' again.  A seasoned, experienced warrior backing up his friend in full protector mode, keeping his cool - letting Daniel do what he needs to do but still looking out for him.

 Daniel is the one who loses control, perspective, engages in the power struggles with Burrock.  Jack remains in control, and through it all, his only focus and concern is Daniel.  Burrock doesn't matter, Chakka doesn't matter, everyone on the whole damned planet doesn't matter, all Jack cares about is getting DANIEL out of this in one piece, without getting his ideals too shredded.  He knows the uglier it gets, the harder it's going to be on Daniel.  He doesn't want that moment to happen when Daniel finally gets it - really understands, as Jack tells him - 'trust me Daniel, a whole lot of people are going to have to die around here before one Unas goes free.'

An insight which is brought powerfully home to Jack, and us by the lovely little touch of a morality lesson from a small boy telling them it is wrong to steal with all the fervent conviction of innocence, while he is completely unaware of the larger, rank wrongness all around him of being part of a society which sees nothing wrong with enslaving sentient beings.  A very powerful moment.

I also  really like the touch of Teal'c going 'screw it, I'm not sitting around here any longer doing nothing!'  Way to go, big guy!  (Well, he doesn't say 'screw it', but he might as well have.)  Sam has no choice but to tag along in his wake because ain't no way she's reining in a Jaffa bent on rescuing his team mates.

Also, I also have to add Sam and Teal'c do make a very good team.  We don't get to see much of them interacting together, so their 'two man' team effort to spring Jack and Daniel is great to watch, and another lovely bonus in this episode.

The moment Jack is dreading finally arrives - Burrock's actions have so disgusted Daniel he doesn't care what they have to do to bust out of jail. 'I don't think we're going to talk our way out of this one - well for once, I'm not asking us to. Let's just get out of here.  All of us.'

In Daniel's eyes - Unas lives are more valuable than 'human'.  Whether that's right or wrong - it's the way Daniel feels.  Once again, Jack gives in to Daniel about getting all of the Unas out.  Doesn't want to, but he does.  And tells Sam to do what she has to do.

At least one human life is lost in their bid for freedom - Burrock's.  At Chakka's hand, even though Daniel tries to stop him. The ending is powerful, dark with ambiguity about the future but not without hope.  Daniel's desire to right a wrong has uncovered a larger wrong, and his efforts to help a friend have given Chakka not only his freedom, but the means to give his people the ability to fight for the right to be free and determine their own destinies.  Simply because they're not human - millions and millions of members of our own species, all through our entire recorded history, have fought, bled and died for that very same right.  Freedom.  No one has the right to take it away from any sentient being, and every being who can understand the concept and burn to experience it deserves the right to achieve it.

That's what Daniel tells Jack - they deserve a chance.  They didn't have one before.  He isn't attempting to impose his own values or ideas on the society or condemn it for his own sake - he's simply saying - the Unas have already chosen for themselves.  They decided to fight, they armed themselves. They want to be free, and they should have the chance to try.  He's absolutely right.  Whatever we might think about whether it's 'right or wrong' for them to have given the Unas this chance  - it's not our decision to make.  I love this.  I love this ending.

Yes, it's dark, and there is probably going to be a lot of blood and death ahead for the oppressors, but I have to wonder - when Daniel hands Chakka the zat and tells him he has a choice to not kill - at first Chakka rejects the idea and then Daniel just - looks at him.  Doesn't say a word, but with a look impresses on Chakka how much it means to him he should try, and how much it would disappoint Daniel if he didn't.

This makes an impression on Chakka.  You can see it.  Chakka thinks a lot of Daniel.  And he doubtless remembers Daniel didn't kill.  Didn't kill him when doing so would have gotten him his own freedom (and Chakka knows Daniel understood Chakka was taking him to his death) and didn't let his friends kill Chakka and his people when they came to rescue him - although they could have.

Daniel didn't kill.  Daniel didn't need to kill.  Daniel doesn't want HIM to kill, either.

I think Daniel got through to him.  I think he'll try to do it Daniel's way.  We'll never know for sure, but one thing we do know, because of Daniel's influence Chakka is much less a 'beast' than those who judged him one and tried to enslave him were.  So although Daniel didn't accomplish what he set out to do - bring Chakka home, I think in the long run he made possible what will some day prove to be a much greater, better thing.

Something to think about, anyway.

This episode is Jack and Daniel at their finest.  Caring, impassioned, sometimes at odds with each other, not always perfect, not always smart, making mistakes but through it all doing their best, dedicated as much to each other as the 'cause'.  Being there for each other.  Being friends. With the other members of their team who care about them just as much being there for them as well.

This is good.  This is Stargate.  Please, bring it back.

PhoenixE

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