If this makes sense: "Prodigy" is not one of the better episodes of this great series, but it is one of my favorites.
Cadet Hailey may very well have not been written realistically as an air force cadet with a bit of an independent streak (though I think people expecting military personnel to be conformist robots are being equally unrealistic) ... but is she any less realistic than:
1. A PhD in astrophysics, who also logged several hours in combat during the Gulf War, being led by:
2. A colonel who is recruited back to a project after admitting that he disobeyed orders in contravention of the use of nuclear weapons.
Given this, the cadet is far closer to being the most realistic person in the show. I argue that her character is not too bad a fit.
The point of this episode:
1. The cool idea of the world's biggest secret being revealed to someone ... the Stargate project is regarded as the biggest secret in the world, and it is a cool plot point when someone who is outside (like the audience), gets let in on it. Part of the enjoyment of the episode is sharing the experience of a new character experiencing the gate for the first time.
2. There is also the idea that all people have moments of great decision, and often times, especially someone with gifts, needs that moment of inspiration to keep going. It is a special moment in a person's life when they are inspired to go one way instead of another. For most people, it isn't as dramatic as is shown here, but then again, it is a work of fiction; things do get magnified, but that doesn't make it wholly bad.
I mean, in the end ... who wouldn't want Sam Carter as their mentor?
Cadet Hailey may very well have not been written realistically as an air force cadet with a bit of an independent streak (though I think people expecting military personnel to be conformist robots are being equally unrealistic) ... but is she any less realistic than:
1. A PhD in astrophysics, who also logged several hours in combat during the Gulf War, being led by:
2. A colonel who is recruited back to a project after admitting that he disobeyed orders in contravention of the use of nuclear weapons.
Given this, the cadet is far closer to being the most realistic person in the show. I argue that her character is not too bad a fit.
The point of this episode:
1. The cool idea of the world's biggest secret being revealed to someone ... the Stargate project is regarded as the biggest secret in the world, and it is a cool plot point when someone who is outside (like the audience), gets let in on it. Part of the enjoyment of the episode is sharing the experience of a new character experiencing the gate for the first time.
2. There is also the idea that all people have moments of great decision, and often times, especially someone with gifts, needs that moment of inspiration to keep going. It is a special moment in a person's life when they are inspired to go one way instead of another. For most people, it isn't as dramatic as is shown here, but then again, it is a work of fiction; things do get magnified, but that doesn't make it wholly bad.
I mean, in the end ... who wouldn't want Sam Carter as their mentor?