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It’s been quite a while since we’ve last done this, but that’s exactly why I started them during the episode hiatus! Now, with the series ended and ![[info]](https://stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small}
redial_the_gate not yet starting, it seems like the perfect time for another installment.
Welcome back to Canon vs. Fanon. And welcome, too, to the newcomers to my flist. Drop a comment and say hello! Or don’t, as it pleases you. :)
Recap: Canon is anything shown onscreen in the movie or show; show supersedes movie, when necessary. (The Goa’uld use the genetically-modified Jaffa as soldiers, not ordinary humans dressed in funky armor.) Fanon is defined as popular concepts that occur regularly in fanfic, but have little or no actual canon basis to defend them.
This is a first for me: a Jack O’Neill edition! No, I am not finished with Daniel, I assure you all. But for a nice change of pace, let’s look at some of the more common fanon tropes for Colonel Jack O’Neill. As always, pointers to what I've missed, and discussions and/or disagreements with my analyses, are more than welcome.
Jack constantly snipes about the abundance of trees on the planets they visit through the Stargate.
It is certainly true that nearly all the planets the SGC visited through the Stargate fell into one of two categories: forested or desert. Many fanfic writers seem to consider a Jack remark about trees to be an integral part of a Stargate story, as if it’s something on their mental checklist: story must include Jaffa shooting and missing everything in sight, a reference to Oz, an exchange of “Jack,” “Daniel,” and a gripe about trees. Surprisingly enough, though, remarks about trees in canon are actually very uncommon – not only from Jack, but from anyone at all.
Our first tree observation takes place in First Commandment – the seventh canon planet through the Stargate, although we can easily theorize there were other missions that we didn’t actually see. (Abydos, Chulak, PX-575, P3X-595 [where Sam “drank that stuff that made you take off your-”], Simarka, P3X-797 [aka The Land of Light], and P3X-513, the planet of this episode.)
Sam observes, “Apparently Abydos was the exception, not the rule, as far as trees are concerned."
Daniel points out, "Well, that makes sense. For a planet to support human life, there must be some sort of carbon-based vegetation, right?"
Teal’c explains to them both, "It is no accident. Many Stargate worlds were terra-formed by the Goa'uld, centuries ago."
[Please note the charm of early SG-1 episodes in that statement of Teal’c’s: a time-frame of centuries rather than the more reasonable millennia, and the use of an Earth-centric term such as “terra-formed.” Give them time; they’ll settle down, eventually. :) ]
At this point, Jack interrupts the conversation and directs them to take a quick look around the Gate before they start hunting for the missing team.
The next mention of trees takes place in the following season, at the very beginning of Prisoners.
Jack orders the team to return to Earth, and Daniel protests, “We practically just got here! We have no idea what this planet has to offer.”
Jack suggests, with a heavy dose of sarcasm, “Trees and moss?”
Daniel tries to argue further, and Sam diplomatically tries to support him, but Jack interrupts them and says, “Much as I love a good rain forest…” Then the Taldor’s fugitive shows up, and SG-1 finds themselves booked on a one-way trip to Hadante.
In Need, the very next episode, Shyla takes Daniel on what she clearly perceives to be a romantic walk in the woods. She says, “I know you must have seen much in your travels, but surely you've never seen anything quite so beautiful. We call them ‘trees.’”
A very uncomfortable Daniel says, “Oh. Um, so do we.”
Shyla, surprised, asks, “So you've seen them before, on other worlds? “
“Yes, I have.”
Fast-forward another season, to Demons. As the team exits the Stargate, Jack declaims, “Ah, trees, trees and more trees. What a wonderfully green universe we live in, eh? Where's that village?”
On to Season Four, and Prodigy. Sam takes Haley to M4C-862. Haley looks around and comments, “Doesn’t look that different from home.”
Sam explains, “Well, where there's oxygen, there's usually plant life, trees, water…”
Next comes Scorched Earth in Season Five. Daniel takes Lotan down to the surface of the planet, to show him what is being destroyed.
Lotan studies the surroundings and makes a brilliant observation: “These are trees.”
Daniel quirks a smile and says, “Yes. Anywhere there’s oxygen, you’re sure to find trees. They’re kinda like nature’s air filters.”
From there, we need to jump another season, to Paradise Lost.
Maybourne tells Jack, “I’m tired of running, Jack. Why should I, when I could have a chance of retiring in paradise?”
Jack answers dryly, “I see trees, Harry. You get that in Colorado.”
Then there’s the seriously entertaining exchange in Heroes, when SG-13 gets all the teamy goodness and camaraderie instead of SG-1:
Colonel Dixon observes that the planet seems to be deserted. Balinsky holds up a small notebook and asks cheerfully, “Take the usual bet on that, sir?”
Dixon says, “Sure. Wells?”
Airman Wells offers, “Abandoned naquadah mine.”
“Boring,” Dixon says dismissively, “but good odds. Bosworth?”
Bosworth, completely deadpan, says, “I’m going to put my money on trees, sir.”
Dixon looks at him and announces, “Bosworth’s disqualified for being a smartass.”
To sum up: references to trees on planets occur eight times over seven seasons of the series. Three of them (or possibly four, depending on how you define Daniel's exchange with Shyla in Need) are simply observations, not sarcastic grumblings. Of those eight incidents, four take place when Jack isn’t present, and one takes place with Jack ignoring the conversation, and even cutting it short. That leaves three times when Jack snarks about trees: Prisoners in S2, Demons in S3, and Paradise Lost in S6.
The one in Demons is clearly the template from which fanon is taken, and we can technically say that yes, canon does give us a basis for Jack grousing about trees on other planets. But three times over a five-year period cannot possibly be considered something constant, any more than we can say that Jack’s six uses of the name “Danny” over a three-year period make it canon for Jack to call Daniel by that nickname on a regular basis.
Conclusion: While many planets in Vancouver have their fair share of trees, and Jack does grouse about them, this actually happened very, very rarely. Writers should keep that in mind when they choose to include references to comments about trees in their stories – or maybe even have someone else do the snarking.
Jack is 2IC of the SGC.
There is no question that the members of the SGC, both civilian and military, are accorded all due respect by the SGC staff, and that their advice and suggestions carry a great deal of weight. Consider Sam in Message in a Bottle and A Matter of Time, for example, when her recommendations to Hammond are accepted and followed; or look at Daniel, who is apparently directing the search for Jack and Sam in Solitudes, gives orders to Walter in New Order, and is in charge of interrogations in Endgame. Teal’c, with his status as an alien, might be a little more ambiguous; but certainly he is obeyed in all matters of strategy and defense, as we see from the actions of the SFs in Avatar (which were surely extrapolated from how SFs would act in “real life”), and Hammond deferred to his knowledge and experience with the Goa’uld on a regular basis.
Jack has the authority of his rank – he seems to be the most senior colonel among the SG teams – and his position as leader of the front-line team, as well as his expertise as the man with the most experience through the Stargate. He has the admiration of many of their allies, with Thor (obviously) as head of the Jack O’Neill fan club, but by no means the only member. (Consider Charlie-Reetou’s “mother” and the Enkarens, to name a few.) His suggestions are often interpreted as orders, and his orders are instantly obeyed.
That is not, however, the same thing as being second-in-command of the SGC. Jack’s position as 2IC is such a common part of fanon that no one even seems to think about it; but for two very good reasons, it’s actually impossible.
Let’s take the in-canon reason first: There is no canon proof for this common fanon assertion. We have never seen Jack temporarily in charge when Hammond leaves, for instance; and when General Bauer took over in Chain Reaction, he treated Jack like a regular, not-very-important subordinate, not like the 2IC of the entire base. (The scene when Bauer first appears, and Jack calls everyone present to attention, doesn’t mean he’s in charge of the base; it means he’s the ranking officer in that room, which was quite possibly composed of SG teams only.) Jack’s authority at the SGC is due to him because of his rank and status as CO of SG-1, but that doesn’t automatically make him 2IC of the entire base. The limitations of a television series might not allow us to see anyone other than Jack or Hammond in positions of authority, but there is never any suggestion that Jack is Hammond’s second-in-command.
ETA: Thanks to ![[info]](https://stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
ivorygates for suggesting A Matter of Time as a possible canonical reference!
With the Stargate linked to another a planet under the influence of a black hole, time dilations are taking place at the SGC. Hammond tries to get in touch with the President, but the red phone isn't working. Lt. Simmons reports that they've lost all communications on the lower levels; in Hammond wants to get to a secure line, the closest one is up on NORAD, on the main level.
Hammond turns to Jack and says, "I won't be long. In the meantime, Colonel..."
Jack replies, "Understood, sir."
A person could take this exchange to mean that Hammond is telling Jack, as his 2IC, that he is now in charge of the base. However, I would personally suggest that Hammond is actually instructing Jack to keep doing exactly what he's already doing - that is, supervise his junior officer, Captain Carter, as she and her team try to disengage the Stargate. Throughout the following scenes, Jack does nothing to indicate that he's concentrating on anything other than the immediate problem of breaking the Stargate's connection; he doesn't go to Hammond's office, or receive reports from other sectors of the SGC, or anything else at all. So I would conclude that A Matter of Time doesn't support the "Jack as 2IC" fanon, either.
So much for the in-canon contradiction. Now we come to the more interesting argument: that of reality in the Air Force.
I can’t even begin to take credit for the following analysis. It is the work of Codger, a regular contributer to the Television Without Pity’s Stargate: SG-1 forum. It is referenced and linked here with permission, with the help of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
aurora_novarum. Thanks, Codger. :)
Essentially, there is no way that Jack, together with his duties as commanding officer of SG-1, could also be second-in-command of the SGC. His rank is too low; he isn’t available when he would need to be; and there are entire layers of chains of command between Hammond and Jack.
Realistically speaking, there has got to be at least one alternate commander of the SGC; after all, Hammond can’t possibly be there 24/7. We’ve seen him at all hours, of course; but in practical terms, there would need to be four separate shifts of officers running the SGC. And with Jack going through the Stargate half the time, how can fanfic writers even try to suggest that he’s next in line for responsibility for the entire base?
If you consider it further, command involving hundreds – or possibly thousands – of people couldn’t possibly be run by Hammond alone. There would need to be officers in charge of maintaining the base, supplying ordnance and medical necessities, security, the commissary, mental health (not just what we see represented by Mackenzie, but an entire network including chaplains, family support during crises, emotional support during recovery, etc.)… The list goes on and on, and many of the officers performing these duties obviously outrank Colonel Jack O’Neill.
There are also those layers: as Codger puts it, there’s the Commander (Hammond), the Vice-Commander (the 2IC), the Operation Groups Commander, (someone who oversees the teams and runs mission support), and the Reconnaissance Squadron Commander – who would be Jack. That means there would be at least two officers between Jack and Hammond in the chain of command.
Codger also includes the other layers of command, including medical, security, supply, analysis, and so on; but those run more or less parallel to the links between Jack and Hammond, so I haven’t included them here. For a more detailed explanation, you can take a look at Codger’s original post. And if I haven’t explained it accurately, the fault is entirely mine.
Conclusion: The fanon suggestion that Jack is 2IC of the SGC is contradicted both by the complete absence of any evidence in canon and the normal chain of command on a military base.
Jack is a practical joker who loves to play pranks on the Marines, other SG team members, and Daniel (especially Daniel).
I’ve read stories entirely devoted to an escalating prank war between Jack and Daniel, or fics that reference Jack gleefully playing practical jokes on SG-3 despite the promises of mortal revenge. Many of them have been highly entertaining, and they certainly seem to be in character. So it might come as a surprise to discover that there is no canon incident whatsoever in which Jack actually plays a practical joke in the SGC. Heavy sarcasm and mockery, yes. Pranks, no.
Does it fit Jack’s character to make him a practical joker? Quite possibly, although I would maintain that Jack is too professional to play such jokes on SGC grounds. But while Jack the Joker doesn’t actually contradict his behavior in canon, there is no actual evidence of it at all.
The closest incidents we ever get to a practical joke take place in Seasons Four and Five, respectively:
Window of Opportunity. Jack walks through the hall and starts to look at his watch just as he hears a call of, “Jack!” He gestures with disappointment at his failure to time Daniel’s interruption properly, then turns to look at Daniel, who comes running up with an armful of papers. They only have time to exchange a few sentences before Daniel is knocked down by Siler, and all the papers go flying.
“Shoulda seen that coming,” Jack mentions.
On the next loop, Jack’s timing is a little better; he’s already counting down on his fingers, and he gives a smirk of pleasure as Daniel’s call of, “Jack!” occurs right when he expects it. And while he interrupts Daniel to point to the sheaf of papers and identify it as “four hundred pages of alien text,” he doesn’t bother to stop the collision with Siler. This time, his comment is, “Oops.”
[The original script actually had Jack move Daniel out of the way, so that Siler didn’t crash into him; unfortunately, the airman walking next to Siler (PDL in his one of his semi-regular cameos) knocked Daniel over instead. I personally would have found that a lot funnier, but that’s not how it was filmed.]
Since Jack was timing it the first time we see it, it’s obvious that it happened at least once before. That makes it a minimum of three times that Jack allowed Daniel to be knocked down before he finally pre-empted the incident by going to Daniel’s office first.
Proving Ground. Daniel is enjoying the comfortable feel of Hammond’s chair, and Teal’c is amusing himself with a magnifying glass, when Jack calls to warn them that the recruits are on their way.
Jack drawls, in a deliberately ominous voice, “Have fun, Daniel.”
“Yeah,” Daniel says, sitting up a little. “You did tell them to take me prisoner and not shoot me, right?”
The scene switches to Jack’s utterly expressionless face, and the faint, tinny sound of Daniel’s voice coming through the phone, still saying, “Right?” as Jack slowly hangs up.
Neither of these are actually practical jokes. Window of Opportunity gives us Jack, probably as an outlet for his frustration, allowing something to happen; but it’s not something he deliberately set up as a prank. Proving Ground was a deliberate setup, but it’s not a practical joke as much as it is part of a training exercise – even if it’s an aspect that Daniel would have preferred to avoid.
Conclusion: While it’s reasonable to extrapolate from Jack’s character that he probably enjoys practical jokes, there is no canon evidence that Jack has ever orchestrated a practical joke at the SGC.
My personal fanon opinion? None of the fanon assertions listed here are hugely out-of-character for Jack, even if the 2IC one turns out to be completely impractical on both a canonical and military basis. There are canon incidents in which Jack grouses about trees on other planets, and it’s clearly an in-joke among the SG teams. Jack’s personality is certainly well-suited to playing practical jokes. But the trick to fanon is knowing that it’s fanon, not canon. If a writer wants Jack to complain about trees, or play practical jokes on his friends/enemies, go right ahead – but please realize that it’s fanon, and adjust the frequency accordingly!
"Anyway, I'm sorry, but that just happens to be how I feel about it. What do you think?"
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And as far as Daniel Canon v. Fanon goes, I could go look through them all again, but that would take an incredibly long time (because I can't seem to just search for what I'm looking for, I have to re-read. Always), so I guess I'll just ask here. Have you made an entry about Daniel and touching things, which inevitably leads to trouble? I suppose it's possible that a convincing argument could be made for the touching and the trouble, but I don't really remember anyone ever being all "Daniel, WHAT DID YOU TOUCH?! DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING! AAARHHHH!" like they are in multitudes of fanfic. Maybe without the egregious use of capslock, though. And maybe a few fewer exclamation points, but you get the idea.
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Have you made an entry about Daniel and touching things, which inevitably leads to trouble?
Hee! It's part of the next Daniel one, together with the clumsiness thing. It's definitely worth discussing, because hoo boy is that fanon blown out of proportion. :)
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Huh. I hadn't noticed a real preponderance of tree comments in stories but I wonder if that is a fannish meta in a lot of ways (teasing the show for always looking like Canada). I have to say Jack has always struck me as someone who appreciates trees - feels at home among them.
The 2IC thing is touchy. While everything you said is true, the show has never shown us anyone between Jack and Hammond (though there really does have to be). Really, we don't see much of the infrastructure behind running the SGC - which I think is actually a shame because it could have been used for an interesting story. But then, it also makes no sense for Daniel or Sam to be heads of Archaeology or Science either - department heads shouldn't be on 'gate teams.
The practical joke thing....just fits Jack's personality too well. We just don't get to see him with his hair down often enough and he's too professional to do it on while (seriously) on the job. that's my theory.
Now, with the series ended and [info]redial_the_gate not yet starting,
*mumbles*
working setting it up! I swear! Just being very fannishly lazy recently.
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It probably depends on the author. Lots of writers use it lightly and appropriately. But there are a large number of stories that have Jack make a remark about trees the second they're through the Gate - as I said, certain fanfic writers seem to have a checklist. Trees, "for cryin' out loud," and Oz for starters. There are, in fact, a few authors who seem to think that if those elements are present, they needn't bother with proper characterization, as the setting is enough.
It was fun to go through the show and realize that the tree thingy wasn't restricted to Jack at all - the scene in Heroes, for example, is hilarious. That one little exchange makes it clear that the entire SGC is in on the tree joke, and that it's not exclusively Jack. But the fanon trope of always commenting on trees is just too much overkill for me.
As far as the 2IC thing:
While everything you said is true, the show has never shown us anyone between Jack and Hammond (though there really does have to be).
I'm using to seeing soldiers, but I know nothing about military protocol. I trust Codger, though. :) But even if, like me, you find it easy to accept that Hammond and Jack deal directly with each other without a go-between, that doesn't automatically translate into Jack being second in command of the entire base, which was the main point.
it also makes no sense for Daniel or Sam to be heads of Archaeology or Science either - department heads shouldn't be on 'gate teams
Hm. Can you point to a specific scene in canon where Daniel or Sam are actually called the heads of their departments? I can see Daniel more than Sam for that, to be honest - he probably created the archeology apartment in the first place, after all. But other than Sam always being The Scientist (tm) on behalf of the writers, is there any reference to her being head of sciences?
he's too professional to do it on while (seriously) on the job
That's my personal opinion, too. Yes, I can so see Jack creating an elaborate prank... but NOT at the SGC itself.
*mumbles*
working setting it up!
Hee! I wasn't trying to nag! But this little slice of time did make it easier to finally get this post up. :)
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The 2IC thing is tough, because TPTB never got into that aspect at all. Yes, obviously General Hammond couldn't be there 24/7, and Jack never sat in that chair when he was out. And yet Jack was very much (understandably) the person people would look to for orders if Hammond wasn't there. (They did show Sam officially in command while Landry was at the cabin in Uninvited. No word on whether she was the number 2, or who took over after she went up.) Just as a fan of the team I can see how it makes sense to have Jack as the go-to person for the military, Daniel as the go-to person for the social scientists and Sam as the go-to person for the hard sciences -- they have the most expertise in their areas. But since they're going offworld all the time, they aren't available. Plus, making them department heads means they'd spend more time doing paperwork than actually applying their expertise, so never mind. ;-)
And I agree about the joking, too. I see Jack's sense of childish playfulness mostly expressed at his own expense (playing with yo-yos or video games, playing stupid, feigning worry about whether he looks fat). He doesn't mind making himself look like a kid or a clown, whether it's to misdirect the enemy or to make himself more approachable than his big, bad colonel reputation. But you're right, he's the consummate professional soldier, always knows where the line is, and has the utmost respect for the service. The only thing he'll consider crossing the line for is extreme circumstances like imminent goa'uld invasion. (Unlike Vala, who is held up as Jack's replacement in the fun and games department, which -- ew. You already know my rant on Vala's lack of respect for appropriate behavior and other people's personal boundaries.)
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I honestly have no trouble with ignoring military protocol to the point of accepting that Jack deals directly with Hammond, without any go-between. But that's a very far cry from Jack being 2IC of the actual base. That bit of fanon never ever made any sense to me, and discovering Codger's explanation was actually quite a relief. :)
They did show Sam officially in command while Landry was at the cabin in Uninvited. No word on whether she was the number 2, or who took over after she went up.
Seriously? I didn't watch that ep, actually. Come to think of it, wasn't there something going on in Ethon, too, where Landry was absent and no one quite wanted to sit in his chair?
Just as a fan of the team I can see how it makes sense to have Jack as the go-to person for the military, Daniel as the go-to person for the social scientists and Sam as the go-to person for the hard sciences
Ignoring the catch-all of Daniel knowing all social sciences and Sam knowing all hard sciences, are we? Dear silly writers. :) Again, I agree with you - aside from their knowledge, they also have the greatest experience. But that doesn't automatically equal department heads or The Ones In Charge.
I see Jack's sense of childish playfulness mostly expressed at his own expense
That's a very cogent point. He mocks himself, which in turn makes in impossible for anyone else to mock him. That's... very Jack-like in defense. And yes, he is way too professional for practical jokes on base. We can forgive his antics in WoO, I think; it took quite a while before he started going "whacko," and then it was Daniel who inspired the real goofing off. :)
Vala, who is held up as Jack's replacement in the fun and games department
I seem to have missed that one. Happily.
I don't hate Vala, y'know. I think her character's backstory is so contradictory, and her development so unrealistic, that I can't like who she is now because of what she was then. And yet I do like who she is now, a bit. Which is annoying, actually.
You already know my rant on Vala's lack of respect for appropriate behavior and other people's personal boundaries.)
Hm, yes. The pushy female stereotype gets on my nerves very rapidly. Double standards don't fit in any direction.
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I have an addition to the ones you've listed -- it seems to be an article of solid fanon that Jack is easily wakened and is a light sleeper because of his experience in Special Ops. Or that it's dangerous to startle him awake for the same reason. Also, that he can't be snuck up on while sleeping because he always hears you and wakes up. This is directly contradicted by canon several times, and the one that leaps to mind is in S8 Lockdown.
I haven't been around much because of various LJ and RL issues, but I'm enjoying these and watching for them.
*cheers*
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I do agree with this, but only up to a point. It comes to characterization, I think. Like the Daniel/Danny thing - Jack called him "Danny" six times, but I find it HUGELY out of character when a fanfic has Jack calling him "Danny" on a regular basis. The author might well offer your argument in defense: that if Jack called Daniel by that nickname six times in canon, we can assume it was done much more often "off-screen." And I don't think it's true, because it doesn't fit their characters.
So the tree thing doesn't bother me when it's used as part of the background color of a story. If it's used to make the character more Jack-like - especially when precious little other characterization is present - then it bothers me a lot.
this is not my LJ and that's just my 2 cents
Oh, come now. :) To quote my profile page: "Participation is welcome, including (civil) rants."
Thanks for the suggestions! I have Jack's knees and mother-henning on my potential list, too. That's why I specifically labeled this "a Jack O'Neill edition" instead of "THE Jack O'Neill edition." I do hope I'll be able to manage another post or two about him in the future. :)
I'm glad you're still enjoying these!
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I sort of handwave the command structure at the SGC by saying that it grew more organically out of necessity than anything else. So it's not really like a normal base because normal doesn't really apply at the SGC. *g*
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Now THAT sums up SG-1 in a nutshell, really. :) And it works so well to handwave everything, too!
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I just fanwank that Hammond happens to be on duty when all the shit comes down. We never see his 2IC because he's drowned in paperwork. What was the 2IC's name back in the beginning? I keep thinking it's Simmons, but Simmons was the other guy.
When are you doing Daniel losing his glasses? Is that part of the clumsiness? Hee!
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It was Samuels, actually. Apparently, if an officer's name starts and ends with a S, it's a sign to run away. Fast. :)
When are you doing Daniel losing his glasses? Is that part of the clumsiness?
It's on the list, and not under clumsy! I'm hesitating because I'm not sure that I dare even try to make some kind of sense out of Daniel's nearsighted/farsightedness. I may just leave it at the losing/breaking his glasses thing. We'll see. :)
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds some assertions in fic a little hinky when it comes to drawing it back to the actual show.
I definitely agree with the Jack the Practical Joker assertion. Jack loves a good laugh, but is more the type to take the piss out of someone verbally than anything else. Playing an actual planned out joke on base just isn't his style.
The military is very bureaucratic and the idea that Jack actually has the time or patience to be the 2iC seems a little out there (the same can be said for Daniel and Sam as pointed out in an earlier comment). As you said despite the fact that we have never seen anyone else fulfill this role in the show doesn't automatically put Jack in the hot seat.
I think I'm going to have to go back and find you're previous ones now.
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds some assertions in fic a little hinky when it comes to drawing it back to the actual show.
Oh, you are definitely not alone in that one. :) The canon vs. fanon debate is long and varied and hopefully affectionate rather than caustic. Some people can't bear anything that isn't directly derived from canon; others don't mind fanon as long as it doesn't contradict canon. My personal preferences are somewhere in between, in that I don't mind non-contradictory fanon as long as the writers seem to be AWARE that it's fanon, not canon.
There are exceptions, though. Saint Daniel is one of my hot buttons. So is Danny. :)
Playing an actual planned out joke on base just isn't his style.
Yes, exactly. And I personally imagine that Jack's idea of a practical joke is more verbal and mind-blowing than any physical prank. For example, the shtick that Daniel and Sam pulled with Mitchell would be exactly the kind of thing I'd expect from Jack.
I think the 2IC thing grew out of the shorthand of the show itself, which certainly never bothered to show us any real chain-of-command. But while it's only fair for non-military thinkers to perceive that Jack reports to Hammond without any chain-of-command in between them, I've never quite figured out how that automatically translated, in many fans' minds, to Jack being 2IC of the whole base.
Most of the previous canon vs. fanon posts were more or less centered on Daniel. If you're interested, you can find them most easily by the tags.
Hope you'll stick around and chime in! Diverse opinions are always fun. :)
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Thank you! :)
it's a concept that has been dangled in front of us on-screen
Oooh, thank you for pointing these out! A Matter of Time... hm. Haven't watched that one for a while, although it does have the relatively rare status of being a (practically) non-Daniel ep that I actually like. I'll have to go back and look at it again. Oh, the humanity! :)
in SGtM, Jack was General West's XO, which does imply to the fandom group mind that he has administrative experience
Hm. That one's a bit more iffy to me. Jack was called in pretty late to be considered executive officer, don't you think? My impression was more he was assigned to babysit the Jackson kid in case, as Jack put it, he succeeded - that he was assigned to lead a mission if one actually took place, but not that he was in charge of the Bear Mountain base in any way.
I'm not suggesting that O'Neil didn't have authority; but that authority was strictly the Stargate project itself and not the base where the project was taking place.
I'll get back to you on A Matter of Time when I have time to sit down and watch it, which will hopefully be Sunday or so.
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Thanks, as always, for writing these, they're fun and illuminating to read.
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Glad you're enjoying these posts. :)
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Dang! I think that's funnier too!
(Yes. Annoyingly, I am not only reading the earlier entries, I am adding comments. You'll get lots of LJ messages and not feel lonely? : ) )
Ummm? People get promoted?
(Likewise all the other characters)
If I had to 'fannon' - I might put it around the 'I have a desk?' line - which is clearly snark ( Yes, Jack had a office and knew where it was... but an increase in responsability might make the office a LOT more important... and Jack could be riffing on the idea that before he didn't spend as much time on paperwork.)
Re: Ummm? People get promoted?
It's not a question of Jack earning more responsibility; it's a question of Jack having plenty of responsibility already, and in a truly unique venue. If he really was promoted to 2IC sometime in the first 7 seasons, we'd have to see a reduced presence on SG-1 in compensation, I think.
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