Re: 4th Season Stargate Atlantis - Trio - 5 star poll - SPOILERS AHOY !

Anim8rFSK wrote:
> In article <atropos-4B47FE.17072214022008@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
> Thanatos <atropos@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>> In article <mht8r31nsthaoo7gq4o0qtovuqu18l3tin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
>>  Jeffrey Kaplan <nomail@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>>
>>> The language thing, though... it was either ignore the language
>>> issue by just having everyone speak the same language, waste time
>>> in EVERY EPISODE learning a new language, or have a magic-tech
>>> universal translator that works instantaneously on hearing a new
>>> strange language.  They opted to just ignore the whole thing.
>>
>> Which continues to be one of the most jarring aspects of the show. I
>> agree that the language issue is a problem-- one which has no easy
>> solution-- but to have them whisked through a Stargate each week to
>> the vast corners of the galaxy (and now another galaxy altogether)
>> only to be instantly greeted by (often) bizarre natives who speak
>> perfect English instantly takes me right out of the story. Heck, the
>> aliens not only spoke English, they even understood O'Neill's slang
>> and jokes, things even an Earther who learned English as a second
>> language wouldn't get.
>
> And sometimes they have societies that are clearly clones of stuff we
> had 400 years ago, even though they were wisked away thousands of
> years ago.

Given the predations and intentional hobbling by Go'a'uld and Wraith, I 
think it's not unreasonable to see stunted levels of development but your 
point about most alien cultures being clones of some seemingly arbitrary 
geographical point in Earth's history is dead right, I think.  Or are the 
writers trying to demonstrate that cultural and technological development 
are irrevocably linked and, furthmore, can only be attained by adhering to

one specific series of stages?

If so, they might find it helpful to study on Earth civilizations circa,
oh, 
I'll guess 1200.  Wouldn't that be around the time Europe, Africa, the 
Middle East, China, Japan, and Central and South America would have 
simultaneously been host to an incredible variety of cultures and 
technological achievements?  Or are there just not enough actors of color
in 
the greater Vancouver area?

Although, maybe it's just that they get their scenery cheap from the local

RenFaire and Medieval Times franchises.