fignewton | Canon vs. Fanon, part 5: When Canon Isn't Canon

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Canon vs. Fanon, part 5: When Canon Isn't Canon

Wednesday, January 10th, 2007 09:05 pm

I'm taking a temporary break from the current Canon vs. Fanon topic – The Care and Feeding of Archeologists – to address another aspect of fanon that has cropped up frequently in the last several posts. It also happens to be an aspect of fanon that utterly infuritates me at times, so I figured I might as well get it out of my system!

This topic is a little complicated, so we'll take it in sections.

Recap: Canon is defined as anything we see onscreen during Stargate: The Movie or episodes of the show; show supercedes movie when there's a contradiction. (The Goa'uld are snake-like creatures that wrap round the host's brain stem and spine, not whitish, Roswell-like creatues with pointed teeth). Fanon is defined as widely-accepted concepts that often appear in fanfic, but do not have any actual basis in canon.

So, the question is: When is canon not proof of canon?

We can divide the episodes of Stargate into four categories, with a single exception.

1. Episodes that take place in real time, within the framework of reality, with the characters in full control of their behavior.

2. Episodes that take place in real time, within the framework of reality, but with the characters under some kind of alien influence.

3. Episodes that take place either within an alternate reality or a separate timeline.

4. Episodes that do not actually take place within reality.

[The single exception is the episode 200, from Season Ten, in which reality and meta and parody are so insanely mixed that it's impossible to tell if any of it actually happened at all. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, the single unquestionably real event in that episode is that Daniel got new glasses.]

Any episode that falls into the first category can be used to offer canonical proof of events, behavior, personality, tastes, and motivations. This includes, confusingly enough, the events of TBFTGOG and POV, because those are alternate universes within the frame of the regular reality of canon.

Any episode that falls into the second category is a little more tricky; some canonical proofs are still valid, but many will not be. Depending on the circumstances and strength of alien influence, anything from motivation to taste to characterization might be compromised.

Episodes in the third category are highly suspect in terms of canonical proofs. Like the second category, the degree of validity depends on the divergence from "regular" reality; but by its very definition as an alternate reality/timeline, the characters have undergone enough differences in life experience that any action undertaken might not be reasonable from the in-canon character's POV.

Episodes in the fourth category cannot be used as canonical proof at all. While they might grant us some insight into the characters' psyches, authors that use unreal events to back up their stories are creating something that's – well – unreal.

(Spoilers for Seasons Nine and Ten are bracketed by warnings in red.)

Category #2 is probably the most interesting and challenging to define. (As an aside, it was interesting to discover how much more alien whammies they suffered in the earlier seasons, as compared to the later ones!) Let's examine the behavior of SG-1 when they're under the influence:

The Broca Divide. I don't read S/J fic but I very much doubt any writers point to Sam's attempts at seduction, when she was "devolving" into one of the Touched, as early proof of their attraction. Nor will anyone suggest that Jack has this burning need to turn Daniel into a cowed beta male, or that SG-3's Johnson truly hates Teal'c, or that Makepeace is a masochist for beating his fists into bloody stumps.

In fact, I mention The Broca Divide at all because it's so obviously of no use as a source of canon behavior. And just as no one will ascribe the behavior of the characters, when they were "touched," as being typical canonical behavior, any other episode in which the characters are influenced by alien substances/motivatoins must be equally suspect as canon.

Cold Lazarus. The Unity's actions and behavior as O'Neill might have been based on the alien's perception of Jack's motivations, but he wasn't Jack. So as good as it might be for Jack to gain a little catharsis by mourning in his son's bedroom, he never actually did it. Therefore, an author who wants to write about a Jack overwhelmed with grief would do better to look at other episodes for a more realistic reaction.

Brief Candle. Jack's fling with Kynthia is solely the result of being drugged. A more realistic canonical look at Jack's attitude towards one-night stands would be 100 Days, when Jack waited over three months before he accepted Laira's advances.

Fire and Water. This one is actually a bit tricky. Technically, the only influence that SG-1 suffered was the conviction of Daniel's death; however, Nem deliberately planted a vision of such horrible suffering that the team shied away from even the thought of returning. It could be argued that their demonstrations of grief were more exaggerated than they might have been, because of that influence; it can equally be argued that that while the conviction of death was false, their reactions were not. So is Jack's fury at losing Daniel enough to truly make him smash Hammond's car window, and was Sam's distress at discovering they'd left him behind truly that intense? That's the choice of the fanfic writer, and it's valid either way.

Hathor. From the moment Hathor's pink mist entered a male's system until the moment she walked through the Stargate, none of the men's reactions can be accepted as normal characterization. At the same time, though, it must be conceded that something of their personalities still existed. Jack remained skeptical until she dosed him a second time, right before she Jaffa'd him. Daniel tried to resist, and had to be redosed before Hathor raped him; later, there was still enough Danielness left that he tried to plead for clemency for Sam's life. Hammond retained his mannerisms, even when he was protecting Hathor from the women's first attempt to take her down. I would suggest that while the events of Hathor can't be used as proof of canonical behavior, the actors were following canon in their behavior. If that makes any sense at all!

Tin Man. Until the robots discover that they're not the originals, any behavior can be accepted as canon. The obvious exception is Teal'c, who is not himself, but a bizarre Harlan-induced hybrid of Teal'c/Junior.

In the Line of Duty. From the moment Jolinar took Sam as host, none of her actions are actually hers. The sole moment is when Sam cries out to Jack – calling him Jack! – as he leaves her cell. It can be argued that it was Jolinar speaking, and it can be argued that it was actually Sam. There's no proof either way, and the choice is up to the fanfic writer.

Gamekeeper. This probably doesn't need to be said, but Gamekeeper-as-Hammond obviously can't be accepted as normal Hammond behavior. SG-1, on the other hand, remained wonderfully in canon behavior throughout.

Need. How much of Daniel's behavior, when under the influence of the sarcophagus, can be accepted as real? I would suggest that underlying attitudes might have had some basis in reality, but that verbalizations and actions did not.

For example, it's more than likely that Daniel suffers anxieties regarding whether or not he's earned Jack's respect; this was excaberated by the sarcophagus to the point where he could blow up at his friends, facing them down in the mine, and accuse Jack of never showing him any respect. Does Daniel actually believe that? Probably not; but he does probably worry about having Jack's respect, and the sarcophagus addiction caused him to erupt.

On the other hand, we know that Daniel was hardly ready to give up on Sha're, yet the sarcophagus changed his mind's chemistry and balance until he was ready to abandon Sha're and the SGC and run back to Shyla and the apparently naquadah-enhanced mousse she gave him for his hair.

Where does that leave the fanfic author? Treading very, very carefully, apparently. Writers do have more or less of a free hand in abscribing motivations during the events of the episode itself; but anyone using Daniel's reactions in a story that has nothing to do with the events of Need or its immediate repercussions might find themselves straying far from realistic characterization.

Message in a Bottle. Aside from telling us that Jack is capable of crying – even if it's tears of sheer agony – there are some interesting implications to Jack's behavior when he was pinned to the wall. Was his frantic insistence to Teal'c that he "shoot it!" his own reaction, or driven by the thing's need for power to grow? And the thing itself was definitely channeling Jack when it's first words, after Jack's death, were, "Good morning, campers." I'd say that writers can choose to go either way here.

Bane. Teal'c's behavior was strongly influenced by the venom, but there was enough of Teal'c left to deal with the punks and try to keep Ally safe. The only behavior that was unquestionably not Teal'c own motivation was the need to retreat to a place of dark quiet in order to… well… metamorphose himself to death. Yuk.

Spirits. The behavior of Connor, Warner, Hammond, and anyone else who was actually one of the "spirits" can obviously not be used as canonical proof of typical behavior.

The Fifth Race, and The Lost City. While Jack's mind was overtaken by the download, his personality was not. He still had the close rapport with his teammates; he displayed panic, frustration, and determination in much the same way he would under other circumstances. So in this case, while his actions are suspect, his characterization is not.

Holiday. Characterization and behavior depended solely on the "mind" of the person, not on the body. So while poor Daniel might get quite a shock when he gets his credit card bill, we can't make any assumptions about his dessert preferences based on the events of the episode, any more than we can assume that Jack has a secret desire to shave his head.

One False Step. This one is a little more straightforward than Need. Under the influence of white noise below their level of hearing – but not below the level of feeling – Jack and Daniel experienced extreme degrees of irritation, to the point where they were actively sniping at each other. However, while they lost their inhibitions and patience, there is no suggestion that their attitudes and feels were affected. So yes, Jack probably does think of Daniel as being a little "flaky," and Daniel probably does sometimes find Jack "condescending." Under normal circumstances, however, this is not something either of them would voice, or possibly even find irritating enough to want to do so.

Out of Mind/Into the Fire. Drugged and duped into believing everyone they know and love is dead for decades… the surprising thing is that Daniel is the only one staggering around in a daze, not that he's behaving so numbly.

Seth. Anything done under the nishta's influence cannot be accepted as typical canonical behavior, although it's interesting to see that neither Jack nor Daniel had forgotten what they knew about cleaning and assembling weaponry.

Legacy. Machello's little buggers have a lot to answer for, but Daniel, Jack, and Janet don't have to answer for their behavior under the buggers' influence.

Foothold. This one is less tricky than it looks. The creatures – lobstermen? – wore two devices: one that mimicked the appearance character (did they raid Jack's and Daniel's lockers for their civilian clothes?) and one that read their thoughts and personalities in order to mimic behavior. So essentially, unless the creatures were breaking character – as when the Paul Davis one howled and hissed – anything they said and did were actually in canonical character.

Urgo. We know Urgo influenced tastes – there is, to my knowledge, no other instance in which Teal'c drinks coffee, and Jack says, "And I don't even like yogurt!" And we know he influenced behavior – making them all sing, and causing Teal'c to turn on the defribillator. Emotion, however, seemed to be untouched; Urgo couldn't force them to like him, and their reactions to him seemed entirely characteristic – Jack advocating Urgo's destruction, for example, while Sam was more amused than anything else and Daniel argued for Urgo's sentience. So while I’m sure there are lots of stories out there where Urgo induced kissing (or more) for the author's OTP, I would suggest that such behavior is not bourne out by canon.

Upgrades. Inhibitions went out the window, and so did self-restraint. Any author who tries to use Upgrades as proof that Jack or Sam would blithely ignore Hammond's order to stay on base would definitely be getting it wrong. On the other hand, the attitudes the characters displayed were certainly their own, only with the brakes off. Consider what each character enjoyed most about their enhanced abilities: Jack wanted to take it to Goa'uld, Sam wrote a book on wormhole physics, and Daniel went into spasms of delight at his ability to "read… really fast!" Similarly, at O'Malley's, Daniel's annoyance at being called a "geek" was fully in character; it was his reaction to it – that is, the willingness to get into a bar fight – that was not.

Personal tastes were probably still in character as well, including the way they liked their steaks, Jack's preferences in snacks, and Sam's liking for Diet Coke.

Beneath the Surface. This episode is most fascinating for how much of them really did still remain "beneath the surface." While their behavior and memories had been stamped, the essence of what they were remained. Jack and Sam, as trained military officers who obey orders, were unwilling to challenge their apparent way of life; it was Daniel, the anthropologist, who sensed contradictions in their behavior and sought answers. And it was Dr. Sam Carter who sought engineering solutions to problems, and it was Team Leader Jack O'Neill who snapped out of it most completely and took charge at the end. Like Hathor, I would suggest that their behavior here can't be used to support similar behavior elsewhere, but the actors stayed within character of who they're supposed to be.

The Light. There are three separate aspects here. I'll deal with the easiest one first.

The slighter withdrawal symptoms that Jack and Sam experienced – when Jack blew up at Janet, and when both Jack and Sam yelled at each other on the beach – can be dismissed as uncharacteristic. (No, I'm not suggesting that Jack wasn't truly anguished that Daniel was dying. I'm saying that he wouldn't yell at the Little Doc under other, similar circumstances when he wasn't influenced by The Light.)

The more extreme symptoms we saw Daniel experience – his rudeness to Jack and to Hammond – is somewhat more borderline. It's not unreasonable to suppose that Daniel is often frustrated by the constraints imposed by working for the military, especially when their motivations so often contradict each other. However, his willingness to act on those attitudes is extremely uncharacteristic, and giving Daniel such characterization in a fic outside these events would not be supported by canon.

Suicide – Barber's successful attempt, and Daniel and the rest of SG-5's aborted attempts – can probably also be dismissed as uncharacteristic. A fanfic writer might be able to argue that Daniel has suicidal tendencies, but it would have to be a really compelling argument, and I'd probably still be skeptical. Daniel is the anti-poster boy for suicide – starting from the movie, when he talked Jack out of the option, right on through his determination to keep going in the face of tragedy after tragedy. As I said, it's technically possible to argue that canon here supports suicidal tendencies from Daniel, but I would strongly disagree, and I would personally dismiss a fanfic with a suicidal Daniel as being outside canonical behavior.

Entity. Sam is not herself when she's in a computer instead.

Enemies/Threshold. Not only is Teal'c acting unlike the Teal'c we know, but Threshold also teaches us that he isn't acting like the Teal'c he was – even before he met Jack, First Prime Teal'c was riddled with uncertainties and doubts about Apophis. (AU Teal'c in Moebius was similarly uncertain, even before he rebelled, but as I'll explain later, that's an unfair proof for our Teal'c.)

The Fifth Man. The only alien influence was SG-1's belief in Tyler's existence. Other than that, they acted perfectly in character – in some instances, delightfully so. (And yes, I'm thinking of Teal'c.)

Rite of Passage. While the person influenced was Cassie, rather than SG-1, it still deserves mention. Cassie is shown as a perfectly normal teenager with a love/hate relationship with her mother both before the illness affects her and after she recovers. Her reactions to Janet during her illness should be treated as uncharacteristic and not as canonical behavior.

Abyss. Host influences the symbiote, rather than the other way round… "We don't leave our people behind."

Paradise Lost. I've never seen it. I know, I know – shrieks of horror from those that love the Jack and Harry Show ™. I am aware that both Jack and Maybourne degenerate into rather senseless violence, but I don't know the details. It's safe to assume, though, that characterizations are displayed in the course of this episode are not typical for Jack and should not be used to characterize him in fic – unless, of course, it's taking place within the framework of this episode.

Fallen. Despite having no memories, Daniel is unquestionably himself – even irritatingly himself, Jack might suggest.

Fragile Balance. Mini!Jack is so deliciously in character that he's almost moreso than Jack himself.

Lifeboat. Daniel is only present in the first and final moments of the show, plus "Janet? What's going on?" Any behavior or attitudes displayed throughout the rest of the episode cannot be ascribed as typical Daniel behavior.

Evolution, part 2. It might be suggested that Daniel was somewhat influenced by his exposure to the Telchak device during his second torture session. Certainly, he recovered quickly enough to engineer their escape from the shack. I personally didn't see any sign of erratic behavior, but I've read fanfics that imply that he was shorter with Bill than he might have otherwise been. I don't think it matters very much, either way.

Chimera. The events that took place in Daniel's dreams cannot be wholly accepted as canon. While the basic facts are true – the ones that Daniel himself confirms in his conversations with Sam and Teal'c – the dreams were being manipulated by Osiris to get Daniel to translate the tablet for him/her. So yes, Daniel and Sarah first met in Chicago; and possibly yes, Sarah did reference Daniel's work in her own thesis (although that might have been just a line even in reality, to get him interested in her). But other than specifically knowing that Sarah broke it off on their "two-month anniversary" because Daniel was too wrapped up in his work and forgot about it, the dreams are only a basis for Daniel's pre-series life, and not absolute proof.

Lockdown. When Anubis possesssed the various characters, he allowed them to act as themselves – until he directly intervened. So Vaselov acted like himself all along; Daniel acted like himself when he summoned help for Vaselov and walked with him to the infirmary; and Jack and Sam seemed to act like themselves, right up to the moment they started zatting people. Canon characterization, therefore, depends on what Anubis was doing.

Gemini. Did Replicarter plant suggestions or behavioral changes in Sam's mind when they interfaced? Many Sam fans apparently wish that was the case, to serve as an excuse for the mistakes she made in this episode.

Reckoning. Replicarter invades Daniel's mind and manipulates him into "talking" with Oma, but his characterization remains the same. If anything, the influences go the other way, as Replicarter enters "Danny's world" and gets a very emphatic taste of her own medicine.

Threads. Is Daniel under alien influence here? I would say not. Daniel evidently remembers his time in the Waffle House at the End of the Universe, as [season 10 spoiler for Pegasus Project] he refers to human as "lowers" when talking to Morgan Le Fay.

Season Nine Spoilers ahead!

Collateral Damage. Mitchell remembers what didn't happen, but retains enough of himself to know he wouldn't act in such a manner. The memory, obviously, can't be used for characterizing Mitchell, but his other behavior in the show can. (Too bad, considering his stupidity in going home with her in the first place; but good, considering the memories of the missle accident and the rapport with his father.)

Stronghold. While many fans care little for the Jaffa as they are in these last two seasons, the behavior of the brainwashed Jaffa in this episode is clearly defined as uncharacteristic, especially through Bra'tac's observations.

ETA: Thanks, aurora_novarum, for pointing out that I missed Crusade. Vala takes control of Daniel, and he has no control. Vala-in-Daniel does a lot of things our Daniel wouldn't normally do, including ogling the men (especially Cameron) in the shower room and licking a plate of chocolate ice cream, leaving a tell-tale blob on his nose - or is it her nose? As I pointed out in a previous post, there is apparently something about possessed Daniels and messy ice cream.

Season Ten Spoilers ahead!

Momento Mori. Vala's behavior, after she's lost her memory, can be considered as either entirely characteristic or entirely out of character, depending on the author's view of Vala. Since opinions on Vala in this fandom are at opposite sides of the spectrum, I'm not even going to attempt to define it.

End Spoilers.

On to Category #3: Episodes that take place outside the timeline, or in an alternate universe. Can writers draw on the behavior we see in these episodes to create canonical characterization? Yes and no, depending. The wise author will tread carefully, though.

Window of Opportunity. Aside from this episode being one of my favorite proofs against Saint Daniel (yes, we'll get to that discussion, one of these days), it's interesting to see that the concept of "no consequences" didn't occur to Teal'c or Jack – both military leaders, with a strong sense of duty – until Daniel suggested it. Once the concept did occur, however, they both seized upon it with alacrity.

The question remains, though: are the actions they took, when no consequences existed, actually things they really wanted to do, or simply things they could get away with? S/J fans have one answer to a certain event, while non-shippers like me have another. :) I seriously doubt, though, that anyone would suggest that Jack has always harbored a secret longing to play golf through the Stargate.

The fun thing about WoO fanfic is the ability to take the characters just about anywhere, because the fanfic author has been given a reset-the-universe-free card. Once the machine is turned off, however, a little more caution is required. Any fanfic writer who tries to sell me on the idea that Jack and Teal'c organize an annual Stargate Golfing Festival is going to be met with extreme skepticsm. (Okay, kellifer_fic actually did this, and it was hilarious. But it was also tongue-in-cheek, so doesn't count.)

2010. This riveting episode gave us SG-1 ten years into a very different future. Can writers use the behavior we see in this episode for characterization under different cirucmstances? Well, yes and no.

Their individual mannerisms remained the same: Teal'c drinks fruit juice instead of champagne, for example, while Janet's caring personality is the same and Sam's skeptic need for proof remains unchanged. Daniel's personality is intact, as evidenced by his, "Uh, guys? The sun is beeping." And Jack's attitude, once he joins them on their quest to change the past, is perfectly Jack.

On the other hand, the characters' reactions to past events – events, that is, that have taken place in the past in the timeframe of the episode, but haven't yet taken place in the real timeframe of canon – cannot be accepted as real characterization. That means that Jack's bitterness towards his teammates isn't acceptable as regular post-retirement Jack behavior… unless, of course, the fanfic author gives him the motivation of a similar act of apparent betrayal by the rest of SG-1.

Moebius. While underlying personalities were similar – Daniel's drive to discover the unknown and his determination to keep Sam in the loop, for example, and Jack's ability to take charge, and Sam's love for science, and Teal'c's secret longing to rebel against Apophis – each of these four people led such different lives that their behavior is completely different from "our" reality's counterparts. Therefore, the characterization of the AU Sam, Teal'c, Jack, and Daniel cannot be used as canonical behavior for the regular characters. If anything, it's the other way round: the characterizations we know influence the AU characters, modified by the different life experiences.

Season Nine Spoiler! Ripple Effect. The behavior of the "black" SG-1 cannot be used as characterization for our SG-1, although it's an awful lot of fun for fanfic writers to try and come up with justification for black SG-1's behavior.

End Spoilers.

Finally, we come to Category #4: Episodes that don't really happen. While these episodes are often the most fascinating, their usage as canon is also the most infuriating for me. Basically, if it didn't happen, it's not canon. A lot of fanfic writers don't seem to understand this, though, and it can be really, really annoying.

Forever in a Day. I am in awe at how beautifully this episode is crafted, even if I would have wished for Sha're and Daniel to have some kind of happier ending. I could write pages and pages on this episode, and maybe I will, some day. But astonishing as it is to me, a lot of fanfic writers don't seem to realize that the majority of the events in this episode did. not. happen.

Daniel never left the SGC. Rothman never joined SG-1. Sam never offered Daniel chocolate walnut cookies (although that doesn't contradict his liking for them – on the contrary, they're part of his vision because he does). Daniel never cold-shouldered Teal'c. And Sam and Jack never hugged Daniel in his apartment (although it surely happened, at least once, on some other occasion).

Besides, he was wearing his Cream Existential Sweater™, which is a dead giveaway.

There is a very clear frame to define the beginning and ending of reality. In the last seconds of the opening teaser, we see Daniel's pistol slip through his fingers. In the last seconds before Teal'c fires his staff weapon at the end of the episode, we see the pistol hit the ground. Everything else in the episode happens in the seconds it takes for the pistol to fall and strike the floor of the tent.

…In other words, everything else doesn't happen at all. It's a vision, sent to Daniel by Sha're through the hand device, with a dual purpose: to ask him to find her son, and to convince him that he must forgive Teal'c and continue his journey through the Stargate.

I've never made a secret of how much I love Sha're, and this episode made me love her even more. It's more important to Sha're that Daniel forgive Teal'c and have a reason to keep living than it is that Daniel find her son; she wouldn't give him the necessary clues about the boy until Daniel had forgiven Teal'c in the vision. The vision continues until Sha're is sure Daniel has come to some kind of acceptance; then she tells him about Kheb, kisses him farewell, and ends the vision, ready for her death.

Since the vision is Daniel's, everything that happens within the vision takes place within Daniel's POV. (For example, Jack arguing with Hammond about keeping Rothman on the team: Daniel is seen through the window, approaching them and overhearing the conversation.) There are three exceptions to this: We see Teal'c meditating in his room, both before Daniel comes in and after he leaves; we see Jack dismissing Rothman from SG-1, before Daniel actually enters the Gateroom (it can be suggested that Daniel was watching from the control room, but there's no proof of that); and when Daniel flees through the Stargate back to the planet where Sha're died, we see SG-1 racing toward the DHD to try and spot where he'd gone. I would classify these three moments as mistakes, or perhaps Daniel's instinctive knowledge of his teammates' behavior.

It amuses me that the "purple planet" is one of the Stargates we see in Reckoning. Either the planet really exists, and SG-1 went there at a later time; or even the director got confused; or they just pulled out stock footage without bothering to check the source. I leave the choice to the reader. :)

So when an author has Teal'c remembering Daniel's refusal to forgive him; or has Sam remembering Daniel telling her about Sha're and ballpoint pens; or mentions the time that Rothman was on SG-1, because Daniel had left – all those references are false. Please, do me a favor: don't use them.

Absolute Power. I think it's important to recognize that this episode doesn't actually give us a clear look at Daniel's head; rather, it's a vison crafted entirely by Shifu, giving Daniel a clear look at what it means for anyone to have absolute power that corrupts absolutely. This is Daniel without his moral compass, but it doesn't mean that a Daniel who loses his moral compass would necessarily choose this particular direction, even if the same opportunities presented themselves.

Certainly, some aspects of the dream seem scarily plausible. Would an amoral Daniel avenge Sha're's death by killing Teal'c? Would a Daniel in power take vindictive glee at going over the military's heads to make his own decisions? The answer, unfortunately, has to be, "We don't know." This is not Daniel's vision; it's Shifu's.

Fanfic authors might disagree, of course. I'm sure that Daniel would. This is my own analysis, and others might reach conclusions of their own.

The Changeling. This one is a little tricky – especially for me, since I have very little knowledge of Season Six. ("Huh? There were more than three episodes that year?") So I'm not sure how much of the characterization is not precisely what it should be. However, Changeling is a little different from FIAD; not only does most of it take place entirely in Teal'c's head, but it's completely a product of Teal'c's mind, without any outside influence. Daniel himself (in his Cream Existential Sweater™) confirms this; his presence there was only to give Teal'c some kind of anchor, not because he was creating the scenario.

From the moment the episode begins until the moment a badly wounded Teal'c finds himself lying on the ramp in the Gateroom, there is only one scene that does not take place within Teal'c's mind: the moments when we see the site of the massacre, and watch Teal'c take Junior out of Bra'tac's symbiote pouch and place it in his own. Everything else does. not. happen.

So how real is the characterization of the people we see in Teal'c's imagined realities? Essentially, the characters are behaving as Teal'c perceives them. Teal'c sees Jonas as the rookie, even after all these months on SG-1; therefore, in the fireman scenario, Jonas is "Probie." Teal'c sees Sam and Jack as competent leaders, so they act as such in his visions. Bra'tac's behavior, as "Bray," doesn't precisely fit the Bra'tac we all know and love so much; on the other hand, Teal'c must have been aware, on some vague level, of what was really happening, and Bray's acceptance of inevitable death might have been colored by Teal'c's perceptions.

So what kind of characterization can we take, canonically, from The Changeling? Mostly, it's how Teal'c sees his friends… and himself. The scenes with Apophis are astonishingly creepy. So this episode serves as a good source for what Teal'c thinks of the others, but not such a good source of canonical behavior of the characters themselves.

ETA: The Other Guys/Avenger 2.0. aurora_novarum once again catches something I missed! I've never seen these eps, so I skipped them.

In both cases, the closing scenes are Felger's male fantasies and do not actually occur. Apparently there is a thriving argument that both episodes are nothing more than Felger's fantasies. I looked it up a bit after Aurora's comments, and some people suggest that while the actual events are true - after all, Anubis' First Prime clearly knows SG-1 in Full Circle, so they would've had to meet before that, and the virus from Avenger 2.0 plays a major role in Reckoning/Threads - any scene that includes Felger is warped by his own fantasies and don't actually reflect what really happened. (Hey, if I can indulge in wishful thinking regarding Gemini, other people can indulge in this!)

Grace. Like Changeling, the behavior of the characters is Sam's hallucinations aren't based on reality as much as they are on Sam's perceptions of her friends. Thus, Teal'c urges defense; Daniel suggests communication; Jacob is the father, wanting what's best for his daughter; and Jack is her CO, challenging her to keep moving and make the right decisions. None of the conversations are actually happening, though. (Bizarrely, the writers forget this and use Jacob's conversation in the "previouslies" for Threads.)

So all we can take from the characterization in the hallucinations is an understanding of how Sam percieves her friends… especially the hilarious confirmation that Sam is convinced that Daniel is a shameless flirt. :)

My personal fanon opinion? Authors have over two hundred episodes as canonical source for their characterization of Sam, Teal'c, Jack, and Daniel. Even those episodes that don't fit the mold – whether it's due to alien influence, different timelines or universes, or non-reality – can be sources of insight; and, of course, the characterization can be used for fanfics that are directly related to those episodes. But please: remember what's real and what's not, and write your stories accordingly!

"Anyway, I'm sorry, but that just happens to be how I feel about it. What do you think?"

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