SG-1 fic: Debrief, post-ep for Ethon (rated G)

[cofax7]

Something untitled,Debrief, set after SG-1 Ethon. This is hard to balance, between having an opinion on the OMG stupid decisions that were made, and the reality of how the show supports its people, regardless of how stupid they are written.

Anyway. Cam's not off scot-free.

ETA (2/8/06): I tweaked the story some yesterday; this is probably the

Comments

[katie_m]

"I read the report, Mitchell." O'Neill pushed back from the table and stood up. He threw a couple of crumpled bills down. "You should have fired right away. Regardless."

ME: But--

"Mitchell." O'Neill's face was pained and sympathetic. "You shouldn't have waited for Daniel. Don't make my mistakes. You're not me. Make your own."

ME: --never mind. Nice.

[cofax7]

Well, you know, they might have gotten Daniel out anyway. Maybe. But why they let him go anyway was beyond me. They knew these people were not to be reasoned with.

[cofax7]

And I'm glad it worked for you. I'm always leery of those post-eps that beat up the character for what was basically the writer's fault. It feels cheap.

[somedaybitch]

do you think it was fault though, really? why wouldn't Cam trust T'ealc and Sam [and later Daniel] in a matter like this? they are the ones, after all, that have 8 years of offworld experience, and prior experience here specifically. sure, Cam should be able to read between the lines, but, i don't think it's faulty characterization for Cam to still be unsure at this point in the game.

so, i don't see it as taking advantage of bad writing, but rather, O'Neill taking the time to use the mission as an object lesson, and that's where your last line [see below] TOTALLY sells the whole fic for me. nicely done.

[destina]

Oh, THANK YOU for this. Man, you know, this episode made me all itchy and chafey in the 'wtf is Mitchell thinking??' department, and you just made it all better for me. Well, you and Jack. *g* I love the idea that he actually seeks Mitchell out to chew his ass, in an empathetic kind of way.

O'Neill sighed threatically and took another drink of beer. "Rule one: just because Daniel wants to do something doesn't make it a good idea. See--well, just about every damned mission, actually."

*snickers* Oh, so very true. And so perfect that Jack is the one who points it out from a position of experience. I mean, this so goes against the fanon, which is another reason I love it. Sometimes Daniel has *spectacularly* bad ideas, and Jack absolutely feels this way, even though he respects Daniel's ideas, right or wrong.

Don't make my mistakes. You're not me. Make your own."

Really, really lovely. Thank you for posting this.

[cofax7]

Aww, thanks, hon. I am seriously missing Jack these days, even though I do find Mitchell kind of interesting. I just wish he'd, well, step up to the plate, already. He acts like he's a pal, not a commander.

And I do think Jack would be able to see how he'd screwed up in so many ways, and hope to steer Mitchell differently.

[cofax7]

ps -- I love your icon.

Oh, and I meant to say, sometimes that happens, with an episode: it gets itchy under my skin, and I have to write something to deal with it. I don't need to fix it, but I have to address it. I like that it makes me write, even if the episode itself makes me cranky.

And really, Mitchell should have learned something from all those reports he's clearly read.

[advection]

So satisfying to read this; very glad you wrote. I admire that it engages the events of the ep as they stand, instead of excusing or retrofixing them. Wonderful Mitchell and wonderful Jack, too, of course, and the venue of the deserted afternoon bar, and the Iraq report in the bg -- very effective.

"They've got the experience, but you've got to drive the car." -- Somehow that makes Mitchell's role make sense to me in a way it hasn't onscreen so far (haven't read through all the comments yet on your post about him, which look very interesting).

Jack's last statement is great.

[cofax7]

Jack's last statement is great.

Aw, thanks. I do think Jack knows his own weaknesses--and yet he had reasons for them. Mitchell's got no particular reason to that attached to Daniel, any more than he is to anyone else in the SGC. Putting the mission at risk just for Daniel? Sigh.

I think this could be an informative episode for Mitchell, if the writers take advantage of it (I know Browder would, if he gets the leeway to do so); but I don't know. I don't really trust the writers that much, so.

Anyway, thanks--I'm glad you liked it.

[advection]

I think this could be an informative episode for Mitchell, if the writers take advantage of it (I know Browder would, if he gets the leeway to do so) -- I was just reading katie_m's post mentioning something like that, and there's real potential there. I won't expect it, but I will hope for it.

[fourteenlines]

Oh, this was really nice. Though the episode was well put-together, it kept making me think, "Oh, give me a break." I still can't really put my finger on it.

Anyway, I like your Cam.

[cofax7]

Well, it was weird -- there was all this interesting content, with the new Orii technology, and Earth getting directly involved in an intraplanetary dispute (not that they haven't done that before)--but the way it was structured required a series of deeply stupid decisions, decisions that frankly would not have been made, would never have been approved.

They would never have sent Daniel through alone, not after what happened there last time. They should not have relied on Sam's interpretation of early designs. They should have had a plan to fire immediately upon arrival. And so forth.

So now basically everyone's dead, and they gained nothing.

I once took a class on consulting with Indian tribes. At the beginning, the instructor got up and said, "Do not get involved in inter-tribal politics," three times. You don't know what you're doing, and you're going to screw up. And SG-1 just keeps screwing up...

[somedaybitch]

solid story that i nevertheless didn't agree with, characterization-wise until here:
"Mitchell." O'Neill's face was pained and sympathetic. "You shouldn't have waited for Daniel. Don't make my mistakes. You're not me. Make your own."

perfect observation.

[cofax7]

What, I can't tweak characterization to make a point! ::flings self onto bed and kicks her legs in outrage::

(erm, yeah, Mitchell's a bit passive, but dude, he killed a planet; I think he's entitled to some uncertainty *g*)

[somedaybitch]

What, I can't tweak characterization to make a point! ::flings self onto bed and kicks her legs in outrage::

heh.

and it wasn't Cam's characterization that seemed off to me, which, you know, if i was communicating well tonight i could have explained better. oy.

it was Jack's, until that last line, and then what he says last retroactively solidifies everything else. he was trying to make a point to Cam, but also trying to lead Cam to reach the conclusion on his own, versus Jack beating him over the head with it.

spot on, yo.