In which we ask whether Sheppard is as cool as O'Neill.
What Happened
Stargate Atlantis: Epiphany
Rodney finds a door. Sheppard is dumb enough to walk through it. While Sheppard does his cell-phone guy imitation, McKay gets his freaked on when he realizes that time is going faster on Sheppard's side of the portal. Sheppard slides past Don Johnson and into Tom Hanks before he finds the group of cowering villagers, one of whom is a hot babe. They are the descendants of some humans who came to the time bubble to learn how to ascend. A few months later, Sheppard teaches them how to face their fears in the form of a scary monster and they ascend. That makes it two Ascended girlfriends for Sheppard, Rodney points out. What's up with that?
Stargate: A Hundred Days
Jack gets stranded on a pastoral world when a meteor flattens the Stargate. With nothing better to do, he romances the nearest blonde for a few months. Teal'c finally Gates in and digs his way to the surface, allowing Jack to be rescued.
In Comparison
It all comes down to whether you like Sheppard enough to care that he's all on his lonesome. Though McKay as usual provides a sideshow, it is still Sheppard in the main ring.
Though they are similar character-types, the differences between Sheppard and Jack are there. For one thing, Jack didn't fling himself at every chick who came along, so it is easier to invest in his romance than in Sheppard's simply because it didn't happen as often. Novelty gave it more weight.
I suppose we could argue who has better taste in women, but in the end, neither will likely reappear, so why bother? Lara has more maturity, but still wound up staring wistfully after Jack as he went back to his real life. Teer was saddled with spiritual mumbo-jumbo about having seen Sheppard's face in her mind since childhood, but didn't let "true love" get in the way to ascending to a higher plane of existence. Interestingly, both women were more seducers than seduced.
Aside from the hot chick, the usual complement of guest characters surrounded both Jack and Sheppard. Lara's idiot son, his girlfriend, and the big lug who becomes Jack's new best friend contrast with the cowardly guy in Teer's village who finds his courage and the little girl with the mystical powers. None of them are truly annoying; in fact, they are altogether fairly pleasant. It's a good thing, considering how predictable the story-telling is.
This is where "Epiphany" really loses points. Jack's sojourn is predictable in the sense that we know he will eventually be rescued just as he's given up hope and made an investment in his new life. Sheppard doesn't exactly reach that point, but his ultimate fate is never in doubt and he is surrounded by horribly pedestrian story elements that simply don't appear in "A Hundred Days."
For example, the Lesson of the Week, that all you have to do is face your fears to defeat them? How many episodes of Charmed hinged on that idea? Sheppard as the clueless messiah, who inadvertently inspires the villagers to stand up for themselves? His admonishments that the villagers are spending too much time meditating and not enough time "Living"? As defined by how much noise they make one supposes. On television, quiet people are obviously not having as much fun.
This isn't to say that Jack didn't occasionally meet up with very similar situations, or that Stargate never dumped everything but the kitchen sink into an episode. One fact of life, however, is that Jack is the original, so he gets cut a little slack that Sheppard doesn't. No matter how clever Sheppard's quips, there's always the sense that Jack O'Neill got there first.
Does that mean Sheppard is never going to break out of that shadow? Well, his funky hair is working against him in my book, but that might be a me thing. Joe Flannigan is an otherwise likable actor. He meshes well with his co-stars, particularly when he's trading snark with Rodney. Jack came with built-in depth, thanks to his back-story, and the writers will eventually have to get around to giving Sheppard something to do besides greet every situation with a smirk. When that happens, Flannigan will likely be able to handle it.
And let's face it: Jack simply isn't an active character anymore. Insisting on remaining faithful is understandable, but it will mean watching nothing but reruns. I can complain that the writers haven't given Sheppard the layers that Jack eventually acquired, but I can't hate him simply for existing.
Best Lines
McKay: "Hey, it's MALP on stick. Only shows you so much."
What Did I Think?
Not offensive, but nothing particularly memorable.