Tenebrae Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 It's spoiler heavy - as it contains a fairly complete plot synopsis and then my typically light hearted and optimistic enjoyment. Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maybrick Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 No offense, but I'm really very tired of so many people misusing the term "Deus Ex Machina" around here. Seriously. As soon as I saw you mangle it's meaning I read no further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amnot Borg Posted March 16, 2008 Share Posted March 16, 2008 which definition do you disapprove of? the solution from nothing just when needed or the moving of people around stage on wires to make them seem all-powerful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenebrae Posted March 16, 2008 Author Share Posted March 16, 2008 I'm fully aware of the origin of the phrase's origin - lowering gods to save heroes in ancient plays... hence the phrase, God literally coming from the machine but really, don't be such a naif to think that phrases (especially these days) are immutable. Deus Ex has come to mean a plot device that saves the day... if you're going to be such a drama Deidre about it, well - good luck with being so highly strung in real life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amnot Borg Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 are you commenting to me or maybrick? I'm still curious which use of the word he has problems with. YOU definitely were slinging the magic plot device solution thing around everywhere. I understood that. From what you wrote, I even understand why you used it so much. As a stupid story, was it at least exciting and interesting to watch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maybrick Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 It's just become a major pet peeve of mine, is all. I guess in the broad overall story arc sense of it all The Ark of Truth is deus ex. Given that the show was cancelled unexpectedly and they needed to wrap things up fast, I guess something along that line was necessary. But as a single one off story it definitely wasn't, and most definitely neither was Merlin's Ascended being destroyer. The object of a quest introduced in the first act and the central focus of the running storyline is NEVER deus ex machina. Deus Ex is by definition last minute, not first.[br]Posted on: March 17, 2008, 04:41:02 AM Deus Ex has come to mean a plot device that saves the day... Really, if you make the definition that broad then the term becomes meaningless. Taken in that context, every story ever written where the hero wins has a deus ex ending. If every story has deus ex, then why even mention it, especially with such negative connotations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenebrae Posted March 17, 2008 Author Share Posted March 17, 2008 Because it just magically works at the last minute, yes - it may have been the macguffin they were chasing after but it was a contrived, lazy way to wrap things up. But if you want to get worked up about semantics, feel free - I'm going for a pint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maybrick Posted March 17, 2008 Share Posted March 17, 2008 Because it just magically works at the last minute, yes - it may have been the macguffin they were chasing after but it was a contrived, lazy way to wrap things up. A machine that works as intended is not "magic", and if it worked at the "first" minute then there would be an awful lot of time to kill until the end of the program wouldn't there? ;) You may see it as "lazy". You may also see it as "contrived". But just because you didn't like it doesn't mean it's deus ex machina. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilander72 Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 Another entertaining 'rant' by Ten. :) Personally I think the 'Ark of Truth' was pretty decent, with both highs and lows. The re-use of replicators was a low, considering they had 'resurrected' them in SGA in the form of Ancient Replicators and were 'on' at the same time (?). But I've become so used to the 'convenient events' (deus ex? ;)) in SG, that if there were none it wouldn't be SG to me, so that would count as a high... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amnot Borg Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 ...so, it's contrived and stupid but entertaining? cool. I'll see if I can rent it since I'm not gonna buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion Posted March 18, 2008 Share Posted March 18, 2008 If not the ark itself, Morgan Le Fay's role in AoT had "deus ex" written all over it. But yeah, convenient events happen all the time on Stargate: Ancient outpost in Antarctica (season 7), Dakara device (season 8), Sangraal (seasons 9 and 10), Ark of Truth (AoT). Don't get me wrong. I like those stories, but it's clear SG writers are getting lazy. So what happens now? The Ori followers will be our new best buddies? Who's gonna stop the Tau'ri now with Asgard tech and the new über ally? And when will the Stargate program be DISCLOSED, so we can have some fresh stories once again?? :-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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