Jack O'Neill: That's with 2 L's

[solotrek]

Jack is my favorite character from SG1 and I think full credit has to go to RDA for playing him the way he did. However, I think full blame has to also go to RDA for eventually going way too far and making him worse than an ADHD 5 year old with equal intelligence. I know he was an EP for the show and couldn't wait to fly to California to see his daughter for the weekend; and the writers had a ton of fun writing dumb Jack, but someone at some point should have reined it in.

Early Jack was a great balance of a military minded leader who had implicit trust in his subordinates who weren't necessarily as battle minded as he was. In fact, I thought early Jack knew more than he let on and just enjoyed messing with both Daniel and Sam. Teal'c's Jaffa senses had to be tingling about Jack for some reason. And not in that way.

I know a lot of people say that Daniel is the heart of the team. In a way he is, but more in the moral conscience sense. I always thought Jack was more the heart. The other characters had stronger relationships with him more than anyone, that's not to say that they all wouldn't lay down their lives for each other. However, the Jack/Daniel relationship was the core of the show; Jack/Sam is something best left to another thread; Jack/Teal'c was important in establishing the viewers implicit trust in Teal'c immediately in CotG.

Though funny/sarcastic/irreverent Jack was entertaining, I do think that more serious/badass/angry Jack was also fun to watch and had RDA not given up on acting something that could have been hit on more. When Jack flipped a shit in Red Sky*, or the look on his face when he closed the gate on Odo in The Other Side*, or when he was blasting the leader in Beneath the Surface*, for being a classist asshole - that was a character I could get behind and probably a character I wanted to see more.

*Season 4 was a fun season.

[theredhead77]

I think I benefited greatly by watching the series so far removed from the original airing. Not knowing that RDA was 'over' the show, and was flying to CA every weekend I always viewed later seasons Jack as mentally exhausted and physically drained. I also didn't know RDA was dealing with illness, or leaving the show and by the time 200 rolled around I was shocked at how "bad" Jack /RDA looked (due to RDAs health issues).

Early Jack was a great balance of a military minded leader who had implicit trust in his subordinates who weren't necessarily as battle minded as he was. In fact, I thought early Jack knew more than he let on and just enjoyed messing with both Daniel and Sam. Teal'c's Jaffa senses had to be tingling about Jack for some reason.

 

They immediately showed us Jack was a great leader who respected his team. His debates and exasperation with Daniel always seemed to come from a place of respect even if he didn't agree with the premise. I am also of the the school of thought that Jack knew more than he let on when Daniel and Sam would ramble in scientist speak. You can't become a Black Ops / fighter pilot / seasoned officer and be dumb.

Dark!Jack was always my favorite. Even though RDA wanted TVJack to be lighter than movie Jack he still conveyed a man with demons who saw and participated in some serious shit.

[elle]

O'Neill: So what's your impression of Alar?
Teal'c: He is concealing something.
O'Neill: Like what?
Teal'c: I am unsure, he is concealing it.

 

*Season 4 was a fun season.

It was, wasn't it?  And even in the most dark episodes, they weave in that bit of humor that made the show special.

 

"The Other Side" is on tonight.  I always wonder why during the early dinner scene when Daniel is asking question, Jack is such a, um, bureaucrat to him.  Was Jack just annoyed that Daniel was asking questions at the wrong time or was he under so much pressure to make the deal?  It seemed almost as a set up for a "Shades of Grey" type plot.   And then within minutes, Jack has done an about face and is telling Daniel to ask questions while he and Teal'c go to investigate things.  Or was that the plan all along?

[stillshimpy]

I could be wrong about this, elle, but I thought that the targeting machine/aircraft interface actually was supposed to have an impact on brain function or be slightly addicting.  Jack really snapped at Daniel in such an over-the-top way, it did seem a little out-of-character.  However, when they showed the almost brain husk of the aircraft operator, I wondered if it wasn't supposed to be a case of the machine influencing people to be more aggressive, or some alteration in brain chemistry.  

 

Jack actually felt a little off all the way through The Other Side[/], including the infamous "close the iris" *thunk* moment.  Sure, no one wants to feel duped by another world's Hitler, but that again just seemed really aggressive/angry.  

 

Or it might have been that he was just feeling surly and tired of Daniel never behaving like a soldier under his command.  I actually love that episode, but it's partially because there is such friction and then it's such a horrifying moment  when they discover that everyone looks the same.  That they've been helping people intent upon genocide, Space Nazis.  Certainly not one of the show's more subtle moments, that's for sure.  

[solotrek]

Jack actually felt a little off all the way through The Other Side[/], including the infamous "close the iris" *thunk* moment.  Sure, no one wants to feel duped by another world's Hitler, but that again just seemed really aggressive/angry.

 

That was a pretty Shades of Grey Jack we had in that episode wasn't it. I do feel that the closing of the iris was pretty in character. The US military/government has a history of dealing with pretty shady characters, heck just look at modern day geopolitics and world events, and Jack knows that.  Regardless of what atrocities Alar had committed on his world, he would have been given a pretty sweet deal in the US given the technology and other advancements he could bring with him. I know we love him (or at least, I love him a lot), but Jack was always a cold and calculating murderer when he needed to be. The man was spec ops after all.

 

Jack really snapped at Daniel in such an over-the-top way, it did seem a little out-of-character.......Or it might have been that he was just feeling surly and tired of Daniel never behaving like a soldier under his command.  I actually love that episode, but it's partially because there is such friction and then it's such a horrifying moment  when they discover that everyone looks the same.

 

I kind of think it was because Daniel was being so obvious with his hesitation and distrust. Alar was obviously lying, the whole thing was just off kilter, and SG-1 had the upper hand. I think Jack just wanted, for appearances sake, to make it seem like SG1 was game so that they could snoop around without raising suspicion.

[elle]

 

I could be wrong about this, elle, but I thought that the targeting machine/aircraft interface actually was supposed to have an impact on brain function or be slightly addicting.  Jack really snapped at Daniel in such an over-the-top way, it did seem a little out-of-character.

I never thought about the interface being an issue, but that does make sense.  It did seem to trigger Jack's darker side.  I know Jack has snapped at Daniel and vice versa in other episodes, I can not recall an incident like this were is seems out of character.

 

I think Jack just wanted, for appearances sake, to make it seem like SG1 was game so that they could snoop around without raising suspicion.

While I want to agree with you on this, what makes me hesitate is that Jack was still in "deal maker mode" until Alar mentions that next time the should not bring The Jaffa.  It seemed that at that moment someone waved a big enough red flag in his face that he started to investigate.