Static Zombie

Exploding Tumors

Spoilers for Stargate: Atlantis follow

In a world of internet news and instant spoilers, it's rare for a major development in a television show to come as a complete surprise to me unless I've made a concerted effort, as I do with Lost or Heroes, to avoid seeing any spilled beans. So it's astonishing to me that Doctor Carson Beckett's death on Stargate: Atlantis came as a complete shock-- especially since the episode aired months ago in Canada and the UK. Shows how low the show is on the Hollywood food chain.

I've searched the net in vain for information on what spurred this baffling decision. Actor Paul McGillion's portrayal of the Scottish doctor was one of the highlights of the show, as he exhibited remarkable chemistry with everyone in the cast. Consequently Beckett became more than just the moral center of the series-- in many ways, he became its soul. You just couldn't help but like the guy, and any scene with him in it was richer for it. That kind of impact is rare, and excising it from your ensemble seems beyond boneheaded. Did they learning nothing from the debacle of killing off Daniel Jackson on SG:1 (only to bring him back a season later)?

Apparently not-- and history seems to be repeating itself. Fan reaction was swift and deeply felt, and producers have figured out a way to write the character back in for 2-3 episodes at the end of the next season with a possibility of a full-time return in season five. But that still doesn't explain why they killed him in the first place. It certainly wasn't because the story-- about exploding tumors, of all things-- demanded it.

On the bright side, next season Jewel Staite (Firefly's Kaylee) joins the cast. On the down side, Torri Higginson's Dr Weir gets downgraded to recurring character. And somewhere in between, Amanda Tapping's Samantha Carter also joins the cast. Tapping's Carter hits very few notes, so her voice brings little new to the table except for the inevitable conflict with McKay-- which will no doubt become tiresome quickly. It's a bit like Worf moving over to Deep Space Nine after TNG's conclusion-- not the character I'd prefer to see make the transition (either Vala or Daniel would be my choice), but I appreciate the continuity.

Posted by Peter at June 7, 2007 9:21 PM