Every time I write something about Emilie Ullerup, I keep thinking this will be the last thing I have to say about the issue of Emilie Ullerup (Ashley Magnus) leaving Sanctuary. Or more specifically, why Emilie Ullerup was released from the cast of Sanctuary.
From what I’m seeing, this development has taken people by surprise and is frustrating them. Many are saying with Ashley gone, they are gone.
Ashley Magnus Death (played by Emilie Ellerup)
The writers played us along for more than an episode of Sanctuary while Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) kept coming up with ideas that might have led to finding Ashley alive.
Kate Freelander (played by Agam Darshi) The Replacement
NO ONE seems to like Kate Freelander. Kate Freelander is incredibly flat, dead panned and boring. Her character traits are ambiguous while the writers play her off as greedy with sporadic moments of nice. They’re taking the easy way out. (Notice I’ve criticized the character, not the actor.)
On top of Kate Freelander being dislikable, it’s such a blatant and insulting swap out of female support characters that I’m surprised at how the writers went about it.
The Studio Spin On Why Ashley Died
Inevitably, viewer and fan outrage throughout the internet has been heard by the studio / creator (Damian Kindler) of the show and they have put together their response to the outrage and frustration that viewers are expressing about Ashley dying.
Please Don’t Insult Our Intelligence
The very first sentence in my source article printed, from Kindler, is this:
“To be very honest about it, it was a decision we arrived at with our two major networks in the U.S. and Canada creatively, and we really felt it would have the deepest, most dramatic impact on the series and the characters…“
He said it was a strong choice and then he back pedaled in the same quoted sentence later by saying that
“people don’t necessarily have to die in sci-fi…“
Then Kindler acknowledges that Freelander is not very likable and that’s by design and that by season’s end of Sanctuary, we will like her.
In an upcoming episode titled “Penance,” (Guest starring Michael Shanks [Stargate-SG1]) Freelander will have a shining moment.
Sure, if you say so, but we’re still pissed about Ashley, so forgive us we don’t swarm all over this premise right away.
Aaaand The Back Pedaling Continues
Kindler addresses the premise that once they know about a 3rd season for Sanctuary, there will definitely by an Ashley story that will take place that they’re developing.
Folks… first you just said IF there’s a third season, but then you say you are developing an angle on Ashley for the 3rd season. That doesn’t seem to make sense. Did I not read that right, or are you confusing your tenses and excuses? I’m just wondering out loud there.
You’ve dropped Emilie Ullerup for whatever reason you say, but I’ve never seen an actor dropped from a show that’s doing well, just because it’s a great dramatic event. There has to be much more behind the scenes of why she was set free.
So Emilie is playing politically correct and taking the high road and the studios have tossed out the show creator, Damian Kindler to be the face man and take the brunt of the fan frustration.
Syfy did that to Ronald D. Moore when they split up the seasons of Battlestar Galactica. Instead of stepping up and telling us the truth of the matter that was decided more than a year previous, they shoved Moore out there and made him spin it.
I think the fans have been heard.
I think the efforts that have just started to develop may just have an impact on what does happen, while Ashley Magnus is “mostly dead” in this ether zone of science fiction’s void of death that is not.
I think this public statement was a knee jerk reaction statement and now they may have to figure out how to sort it all out… and now afford this extra cast member they’ve brought in.
My Honest Position:
Last year, I hated Ashley in the beginning. She was flat and predictable. But Ashley did grow on me and her last episodes were incredible. I felt like she carried the show because I’m having a hard time being pulled along by any emotion that isn’t happening when Amanda Tapping tries to force that accent she tosses out there. (That’s not a bad thing, but it’s just not working for me.)
UPDATE 11/20/09: Emilie Ullerup Gets a New Role!
UPDATE 2/24/10: Check out the guest opinion on Emilie Ullerup Was Fired For All The Wrong Reasons!
UPDATE 5/21/10: Check out what new upcoming movies Emilie Ullerup is in.
source for this tirade: Sci Fi Wire,
Sanctuary: The Complete First Season on Amazon
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Quote”In an upcoming episode titled “Penance,” (Guest starring Michael Shanks [Stargate-SG1]) Freelander will have a shining moment.”end quote
But I have no desire to like her and no reason to I just want to watch run around ofter being skinned. Her voice is grating and She a Kid Napper who sell people for medical experiments. And you should give the fan what they want Her slow screaming death. A autopsy why she alive will do !And that one of Kate’s ideas!
Is this all looking so horribly familiar, perhaps we should ask Michael Shanks himself what he has to say about actors being let go on Sci Fi shows, need I remind anyone about SG-1, Season 6. Can anyone say terrible mistake?? Please give Mr. Kindler a cigar, and tell him to phone up Emilie & take the hook to the dreadful Ms. Freelander who has replaced the lovely Ashley. And this isn’t going to do much for the plotlines with John Druitt & Dr. Helen Magnus.
Such a lot of trouble to build up a big plotline with the Cabal & then drop it all!!! I guess Kindler has been watching SG Universe about how to write shows. Too bad, year one was really great and year two is shaping up to be a big blah. There isn’t even enough camera time for the lovely Tapping & the subplots so far stink, shall I say Kate Freelander once more? Wake up and smell the coffee guys, you had a great little show and now you’ve stuck your foot in it. Get back to the drawing board & write some decent scripts. And oh yeah, what’s with change in focus away from Will’s POV, you remember how he used to look at things and they’d light up. Now, we’re getting this cheesy split screen view all the time. Come on guys, this isn’t 24 & it doesn’t work! Do what worked for you.
Kay B. – A big fan who is getting annoyed
while i am so very very sad to see Ashley go, i can only say: good for her! she got out while she can! If the network and everyone are going to treat her so disdainfully than shes actually the lucky! Let them eat it! From my perusing i have noticed that more than half and way more than that have become upset about this premature departure. It was foolish and now the writers cannot even follow their own storyline with a bit of proper writing. It was bad enough that they hardly gave her screen time to begin with.
So many people were looking forward to such a beautiful storyline..that of mother and daughter and now they have gone and mucked that right on up.
What they dont seem to understand is that shows do not survive because they have “cool” effects and what not…ITS ALL ABOUT the relationships that form. Look at any show that was made famous…what made it famous? the relationship within the show….not the props or extras but the relationship and the raw emotion.
i am very familiar with that of the film life and all that surrounds it and i have to say bad move old boys! There first mistake was killing off a character so early in the series; makes for a tacky show.
There second mistake: everything else theyve been doing.
The SyFy shows have a history of killing off characters. I have no idea why they did in this one, but it didn’t bother me as the character bothered me. Alas, her replacement is no better. Where are man (er, woman?) eating critters when you need them?
I’ve been so distracted by Emilie’s scenario that I’ve glossed over something that KAY earlier mentioned, and it’s that split screen / scene change effect they’ve been using.
It is distracting because somehow it’s not working for this show and they do need to stop doing that. It seems … cheap, for lack of a better word.
Everyone here has made good points.
bring emilie back, give her and amanda more airtime and the show will be fine. lose the new girl.
I completely agree; so much of the draw was the mother daughter relationship. Bring back Emilie, please!
I most definately agree. BRING EMILIE BACK! She brought life to this show, she was the only reason I watched and I will stop watching if something isint done about it. If its true and Damian really is writing a part for Emilie in Season 3 then I will ride it out but if all I see if a 5 minute appearance as an hallucination/spirit, then I really cant keep watching. Shes been there through everything and there is still so much story to be developed with her and all the Sanctuary team so please Damian and writers/producers bring Emilie back. If you dont its a big mistake.
signed! we need emotions and we DO NOT need split screens! Season 1 was nearly perfect. never change a running system!
ps: thanks google for finding me this blog
Thanks for the great compliment Manuel.
First of all I’d like to say how disappointed I am about how things have turned out. I loved season one and was eagerly awaiting season 2 of a show I never missed. My household also includes 3 others who watch, two of which are in the coveted age group targeted by the sponsors.
I can’t really express my disappointment in the removal of such a great character with so much left to explore. She wasn’t the only reason I watched, but that character to me was vital to the dynamic of the show. How they did it isn’t sitting well with me either. First kidnap, torture and alter her, send to her destroy everything her mother has worked for and then kill her parents and friends. Have her shot, ran through with a sword (by her FATHER), electrocuted, BURNED ALIVE (the reactions to this were lame btw. You would have more reaction to a complete stranger being burned alive in front of you. All we got was a “Dear God” from her Helen), hit with a rocket by that B**** and then just *POOF*, she’s gone. WTF!?!?!
Then we get to go through the wringer again next week with absolutely no payoff at the end, just to draw out the drama. I feel cheated and disgusted. It’s left me with the desire to never watch this show again. Even if things didn’t end up this way, we have to deal with the new girl, who will drive away more people than losing Ashley will.
Maybe if they hadn’t made her so utterly bad in the first place. How are we supposed to forget that she kidnaps people and sells them? Just business? Are we supposed to believe that the Helen of season one would EVER get over that fact? They have sorely misjudged their fanbase I think. They have me for sure.
Sorry for the long post, end of rant….
Great Blog BTW!
Thank you Lisa… and long comments are fine. We’re here to chat about the noise we get from Hollywood and the Entertainment industry!
With that said, though I thought Ashley was a very flat character in the beginning, they were developing her and Emilie was bringing her along nicely.
The flat part, I accredit to writers and directors.
If you look at some of the acting, a lot of mannerisms and body posturing done by the evil super-powered mutants were so very schoolyard cliche with their representation that at moments, I seriously had to wonder if the creative team just wasn’t taking some parts seriously.
But the show is growing and we’re all having fun. (Well, at least we were until the Freelander character showed up with her own style of sinister flatness.)
Like Lisa, I loved season one. I eagerly watched the first three episodes of season two. Lisa’s comments were right on.
I now feel like an idiot for watching. Syfy’s ratings for October were good. We have been played.
It has been over a week and I am still angry.
The only thing that would placate me is Ashley returning permanently. But, that is not going to happen. Season two is in the can. And I bet season three has already been planned and they will tease the viewers with her maybe coming back to get people to watch. I not going to buy that and it wouldn’t be enough. Therefore, SyFy has been placed on my blocked channels list permanently.
I am no longer going to spend time getting involved with any show on a network that doesn’t respect the viewer.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
The first mistake was killing her off. Bad move.
Replacing her with a generic “vulnerable chick hiding under a tough exterior” was worse. In addition, I have to say it: the actress playing her is terrible, beyond words. Just… awful…
I was disappointed that they killed off Ashley. However, I thought it was well done. Much good drama. As long as losing such an integral part of the team resonates throughout the season (though I don’t expect sadness or a mention at any and every opportunity) I have no problem with it.
I more miss the promise of what could have been. I thought Amanda and Emilie did the mother/daughter relationship quite well, and there was a *lot* of untapped material both with those two and with Ashley and Druitt.
Yes, Kate is a bit of a cookie-cutter grifter-type ‘tough-girl with a vulnerability’ character. I expect her to improve over the next several eps. Honestly. Will she ever be Ashley? No, of course not. But that doesn’t mean she can’t develop into a decent character in her own right..
Bruce I posted the following on Scifiwire. It was there then removed after 30 minutes.Could you possibly tell me why? I cannot figure why. It is not abusive.
Network Executives do not make creative decisions about shows. They make decisions based on profitability. They are watching the viewers. It is all about selling advertizing. Who is watching and how many determines how much time they can sell and how much it costs.
They would not cut a main character or actor if it would cost them revenue. On the contrary, they would argue against it. Someone convinced them that Ashley or Emilie was expendable. Kill her off early enough in the season and you can promise to bring her back for an episode next season. There would be some backlash, but most fans would continue to watch and the viewers would be won back eventually. Ashley would be a memory. They wouldn’t even have to bring her back. They could claim schedule conflicts.
As for blame, the executives would gladly take the blame if that would bring back the viewers.
The new character is irrelevant to the decision. New characters are brought in all the time. Writers love that. It opens up new storylines and character development.
So, why was the character killed off? Someone wanted her gone.
Who wanted her gone? Remember, I said network executives make decisions based on money. Unless her demographics were bad they would not risk killing off her character. Were her demographics bad?
Then who? I googled. Gues what came up.
Sam Egan and Martin Wood are the creative producers.
Hey Tim,
That sir, is a good question as to why your comment was deleted.
I’ve been surprised, and not in a good way, to some of the things that SCI FI WIRE does.
To me they represent Syfy, and should be held to a higher status, but the site seems to sometimes have curious situations happen.
I’ve seen them actually scrape a large number of pictures from a friend’s popular blog and without batting an eye, never credited their source. They didn’t even back track to fix the post to reflect their source when a few of us left notes on their blog and twitter account.
So my guess… you may have hit a nerve in the political hierarchy of the site.
Rest assured, I only delete comments when visitors start bashing on each other. (I won’t tolerate that in a place where I feel we’re free to express ourselves and chat about things.) The only other reason I’d remove anything would be if I got one of those infamous ‘cease and desist’ requests that networks and websites sometimes do!
Until then, you’re safe here!
Ashley made the show. If she does not return , I will not watch the show anymore!
I never post to forum’s, however, I just wanted to cast my vote of disapproval for killing off Ashley. I really like the show probably won’t stop watching unless they continue kill of interesting characters.
J.Akers: Well thanks for coming on by and visiting.
bummer they killed ashley, but we should cut kate some slack, its ot her fault they killed ashley, or that they give her sucky storylines.
I pretty much agree with everything said here.
Ashley’s character was very flat in the beginning, but she quickly improved. The new Freelander character is absolutely awful. Like one poster said even if she gets better, which right now I can’t see, I don’t want to like her.
The first thing that struck me was who is now going to kick butt? Seriously. She was the muscle. I guess they brought in that other guy but Ashley was the fighter. Now they just have a bunch of brainiacs running around trying to defend the Sanctuary. Granted Magnus can handle herself but Ashley is the enforcer.
And you’re right. Amanda Tapping needs to work on her British accent. She’s great, I love her, but she just needs a little more practice. Oh, and the split screens is very cheesy and they need to get rid of that too.
SciFi (now Syfy) has proven time and time again they don’t make decisions that the fans want. Canceling SG1 (I was a part of the save Stargate campaign) and then killing off Dr. Beckett from Atlantis just to bring him back later because I think the fan backlash was so great (I can’t prove that) are just some examples.
Anyway, they need to bring Ashley back. There isn’t much left on SyFy I want to watch. If Season 2 doesn’t get more interesting and soon, I’ll be done with it.
What a disappointment! Season 1 was awesome…I enjoyed the first couple of season 2…even enjoyed killing off Ashley…until I realized it was “permanent.”
I know the filming is probably done…so I don’t know that season 2 can be saved and frankly it’s got one, maybe two more shows before I delete it from my DVR schedule.
Whoever made this decision is a moron.
Alright love the comments, I loved season 1, I loved how each episode was individual and did not neccisarly have to be watched in order, I liked how they focused on Will and his abilities as a forensics profiler, and slight anthropoligist feel to the character. The key lighting when seeing items in the room, they should have kept that, get rid of the split screen, all I thought was the show was taking a serious approach then just got cheesy campy(remember batman and robin 60′s style splitcreen?). Just like everyone says there was a lot of untapped material to work with. Freelander I think she could serve a role like Silvia the weapons dealer who got killed off so early in season 1 she could be a recurring character who assists in eps from time to time, like an informant or something, and I would be perfectly happy with that. Also like so many other people I don’t post on forums, but I would participate in a campaign to bring Ashley back, otherwise all the investment and emotional attachment I have in the show is just a kick in the (insert expletive here). Also what about an abnormal with time traveling ability and bringing her back. I just think the first season showed how tightly woven everyone was, and how great the concept is and its future potential. The first season being so good shows how lacking the second season is. If I were to kill a main character I would have waited until the magic formula was running out min around season 3 but more around season 4 or 5.
*breathe in *breath out
Reiterating I don’t comment on boards, but it’s been a while since I liked a show so much, and feel that the fans should have a say. Yeah ultimately the writers will do what they do, but when ratings drop 25-30% due to the character swap, it would have to be reevaluated. I want to know if Emilie had things outside the show that caused the story to take this turn. Otherwise if it was the studio decision, I hope they pull their head out of their arse, realize fan disappointment and come back rewrite and reshoot her back into the story.
I can only hope that Ashley can somehow return. What an episode that would be! This Freelander character is very, very poor choice for a replacement (I bet half the Sanctuary fans would like to see her get eaten alive). Her character has a horrid background, acts like a B**ch and worst of all, LOOKS like a B**ch… which is something you cannot change with plot lines and story arcs.
I loved the Sanctuary series, but it dropped huge in my eyes with Ashleys death. I bought season one on DVD but I will NOT buy season 2 on DVD.
How about if Ashley comes back with her new powers and kills off Kate Freelander, when she discovers that Kate is betraying the Sanctuary by continuing to do her dirty deals behind their backs? Ashley, with her enhanced powers would be an even greater asset to the Sanctuary.
Like Bruce, I thought I had said all I was going to say about Emilie Ullerup leaving Sanctuary. Until two weeks ago, I didn’t know anything about her except as the character of Ashley.
First, the comment that I made to an article by Kathie Huddleston on Sci FI Wire is back.
My guess is that the thread had played itself out. So they put the post back.
Kathie wrote two articles and as you can imagine there have been a lot of comments. The vast majority are expressions of outrage over Emilie being removed from the cast.
I have been following everyone’s comments here and over there. I have tried to get information on the shows ratings to see if there has been any impact. I have searched the internet and have come up with nothing. Does anyone know how to get this information?
Have they circled the wagons over there? My guess is that they have. A decision was made and they are going to stick to it. They had to have known what would happen. You don’t become a writer, director, or actor without studying human nature. Except for the lame comments made by Damian Kindler nothing has been said. If you read his comments closely he didn’t say or promise anything. Creative Arc, Bull. “Dance a little side step.” I think they felt and still do that it will blow over eventually.
At first, this was about a favorite character being cut from the cast. But now it is more about arrogance and the abuse of power.
Anyone learn anything new let the rest of us know. Please
They are making the same mistakes that the Smallville destroyers did: they admit they got rid of Laura Kent because she was too much competition for Clark on screen, they add way too many minutes for a several episode character that everyone knows is bad and will never get to like, they were much too late in following massive fan demands in getting rid of Lana…Next thing you know they have been kicked off by a new show, Vampire Diaries, to death on Friday night. I can just see it happening again. I just wonder who Ashley was too much competition for.
I’m sorry to see Emille Ullerup go. It’s sad when people are let go so early in a show. Some of my favorite character started out rough around the edges. Then I grew to love them & knew the show would not be the same without them. That’s how I feel about Kate Freelander.
I am really starting to feel like DK, MW and all of TPTB from the Stargate(s) have come to the conclusion that the longtime fans of their shows are meaningless to their perspective on their jobs as they see them. I thought SG1 was reenergizing itself in season 10 and don’t even get me started on the killing of Atlantis! I’m giving SGU a few more episodes but for the most part I find the characters either reprehensible or just plain BORING (with only 3 exceptions which is NOT enough to keep me coming back for more when it feels like there’s so little to come back for…) and the show I felt was going to fill that loss, the HUGE GAP in story-telling…. that SciFi jettisoned along with it’s original name……
was Sanctuary.
WRONG AGAIN! And what do I get for choosing to try and find some faith behind door number 3? The death of a central character who was beginning to feel like the “heart” of the team (although I’m sure the plan was for Helen to fill that roll), the death of another character I was REALLY starting to like and just getting to know, and a pathetic “does anybody really die in sci-fi?”!!! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE TO ME!!!! Cutting Ashley out of the story cuts out most of the elements that I found most compelling. The mother/daughter relationship. The discovery of who her father is and the changes that they were going through. The idea of family disfunction being worked out alongside a life-long mission to save an endangered and misunderstood part of the population. I also found the idea of an ongoing “war” with The Cabal to be pretty riveting. I wanted to see more on the original “sources” and watch them work together. I wanted to see ALL of them fighting their lessor demons and greater angels to work together for a common and dire cause. It put me in mind of the short BBC series “Jekyl” which I still hold as one of the most remarkable pieces of SF I’ve seen on TV in recent years….. (which I saw echoes of in Torchwood COE by-the-by) and here I am… crapped on again!
Maybe their plan all along has been to dump all the old fans in favor of new ones……
They do know that SF fans are pretty well read and tend to be passionate about the genre right? They also know that those of us who’ve been with them from the beginning are now in a place that affords us the creature comforts that comes with having worked a few years and having a disposable income right? They know that it wasn’t the 18-23 year old males who brought about the making of Serenity after Joss Whedon’s Firefly was cancelled right?!!!!!! But basically, they’re going to kiss us good-bye because……..
Because they can; that’s why.
Well…. Joss is back on TV again. V appears as though it’s got some serious potential and even though it probably won’t be returning, Defying Gravity gives me the hope that interesting science fiction set in space can and will find a home on channels other than the one that doesn’t seem to want to live up to it’s own name. I shouldn’t whine and I’m sorry to those I may have offended…….. There really are some extraordinary things on TV these days. TNT and USA have stepped up to the plate and hit some programs out of the park………..
It’s not entirely unreasonable that one of them will be the parent of the next Farscape is it? Of course it isn’t. Because ultimately, the best fiction of any kind comes with a little hope in it.
Thank you for letting me ramble in a place of open mindedness where people use full sentences and paragraphs while allowing others to do the same!
This is so disapointing, I have just caught back up on hulu, and could not believe they killed off Ashley. WTF. What is wrong with people now, killing off main characters, especially main characters that are interesting – for “dramatic effect” come ON. I have ZERO interest in this new girl they brought in, rather the character. I’d rather see the other girl they killed off. I liked the dynamic of the mother, father and daughter scenario. why RUIN a good thing?
I am a member of the demographic the advertisers on Sanctuary wish to keep. The changes the producers forced into the second season has lost my viewership. There are plenty of other shows with quality writing and with all of the reruns available through the Internet the remnants of what used to be a good show won’t be missed.
Check out the new campaign on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmZ2Jt4OxOs
I don’t often get on the internet to follow up on characters. I did so for Emilie Ullerup.
It’s inconceivable that such an integral character should suddenly be killed off. When I realized that she wasn’t coming back, I couldn’t help but think about how her loss was reminiscent of Torri Higginson (Stargate Atlantis), Denise Crosby (Star Trek:TNG) and others.
Emilie’s loss is a void that will remain with the show for as long as it remains on the air. There’s no way to fill it, no way to cover it up.
You don’t kill off the 2nd in command, the daughter of the group’s leader, develop a father-daughter relationship and turn her into the second coming of Selene (Underworld) to finally write her off.
I’ve a feeling we’re going to see a repeat of what happened with Stargate Atlantis where this show is going to nosedive. Those ridiculous multiple screens they’ve come up with are a big clue PLUS they’ve already done a contrived ZOMBIE episode (they’ve already run out of ideas).
Quite enjoyed Season 1; not as ‘groundbreaking’ as it liked to think it was, but mostly watchable and enjoyable, particularly when Ashley was kicking the excreta out of the bad guys.
Began watching Season 2, and discovered the morons who run the show have quickly replaced the likeable and exceedingly attractive Ashley by a thoroughly dislikeable and unattractive Freelander, and started writing far poorer scripts at the same time.
I really couldn’t care less whether Freelander ‘becomes likeable’ later on … I’m gone now, so it really doesn’t matter, does it.
I did pause to wonder whether Ms Tapping might have prompted the sacking of Emilie Ullerup … younger, blonde female who can also actually act, replaced by less attractive brunette … ?
Emilie has left a thank you to the fans for their support on her forum site:
http://www.emilieullerupforum.com/index/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=73&sid=c6f54666be493435533d58a919f32ad3
It has renewed my will to keep fighting to get Ashley back on the show. Let’s keep screaming until they listen.
Thanks Lisa!
Kill the hot girl, not smart. And what is it wiht that phoney assed Brit/Irish/Aussie accent Tapping is trying to spit out. My goodness, I know that she lived in England as a kid but it is clearly fake and awful and it is the equivalent of House (Hugh Laurie) going to a new series and using his Brit accent. She is too identifiable with her natural American accent (especially on SciFi – hello Stargate????) to be believable as a Brit. Plus, after 100 or so years living in America (isn’t that where the Sanctuary is located) don’t you think she would have lost the accent.
One thing for sure, Brits and Aussies do a much better job faking ‘merican accents than we do faking theirs.
I see that Dr. Hottie Fontana from Eureka (Jamie Ray Newman) as well as Jordin Hinson left Eureka for obviousl better jobs on the networks (on shows that were cancelled) and I would guess both will show up in the next season since they were not written off like Emilie. Perhaps she left for the WB (which is what, slightly up the food chain from SyFy unless your name is Mischa Barton) and a better salary?
Sanctuary, after the ‘gates, BSG and Farscape, is a big disappointment to me, as is SGU. They are trying to recreate the Baltar character, complete with accent, with the leader dude on SGU, and failing miserably. I never liked Baltar anyway. Snivelling, conniving and not even likeable as a villan.
Thanks for the link, Lisa! It’s always great to see artists communicate with their fans.
She was tactful in her message. Sadly, after reading her post… it’s clear to me that leaving the show was not her decision.
I still plan on seeing Sanctuary. I’m a big fan of Amanda Tapping for her work on SG1. I don’t believe that actors should be type-cast or shelved after being on a successful series for many years and so… I applaud her efforts in this new endeavor. She’s a positive voice for Sci-Fi in general and perhaps a true fan of the genre.
Hope the writing picks up though and they do something about Ashley. Maybe bring her back and have her settle in a new office clear across the globe (guest appearances). There’s a void in the show now that’s palpable because her needless death.
Belive or not my whole family and friends wathched this show! And when we saw the episode when ashley died. My family and friends were depressed for almost a whole week. I just dont get it, at first season we were yeah ok its a good show and later on in first season it got more exciting! When we saw second season it got boring. I mean come on you can add more people to the show but it doesnt mean you can permanantly replace a really talented person and replace her. Its too early for Ashly (who made the show come alive)and then out of no where DIE! Im just saying you dont have to let go of kate free lander, she can still be part of the show but I want ashley back!!
JI cant watch the show any more its just not exciting anymore. Just like some of you guys said its not about the effects and stuff, its about the relationship bettwen the characters and how they react.
When I first posted a comment here I checked subscribe to this entry.
I had no idea it would still be receiving comments. I can only hope that everyone that has commented is writing the network, in a respectful way, of course.
Granted they probably won’t listen. But like playing the lotto, if you don’t buy a ticket you definitely won’t win.
BTW, Bruce, thank you for your article on ScreenRant. I didn’t comment there. Everyone else pretty much expressed my feelings. Also, thanks for providing a place for the older and more verbose fans (like me) a place to rant.
Thanks for the kind words Tim… Hope you come back often and say hi here and there.
I pondered it for a while and felt that even though this subject had steam on the internet already, it wouldn’t hurt to encapsulate the situation on SR. (Dang, someone found me out!) I thought I’d give our readers there the scoop also, just in case they hadn’t heard the news.
I like to think of SoB as a place we can all chat about things, and do it calmly… mostly.
What really annoys me, is there was no “payoff” to Ashley’s death. She was horribly tortured for THREE episodes by the cabal, and those responsible were supposedly taken care of “off screen.”
Well, I wanted to see that woman get her’s after all the pain she caused and that didn’t happen. That in my mind is why there is so much fan frustration. A beloved character was horribly killed off with no real payoff in the end.
That’s a great point David. I’ve been so distracted by this debacle that I overlooked the point of retribution from this scenario.
Just remember that was the SyFy Channel and the Space Channel that forced this cast change. The writers had to rewrite the scripts to shoehorn Kate in, and Amanda Tapping says that she fought the change but the networks insisted. Make sure to direct your complaints to SyFy, Space, and SyFy’s parent company NBC. Sending complaints to Sanctuary itself won’t do any good, as if they had any control over their own show this wouldn’t have happened.
It seems to me the reason that they created the eulogy episode was to throw out as many possibilities as they could from fans saying what if x happened. So that there would be no chance that her character survived, but if you remember when her father was killed he eventually popped back into the show a little less powerful. But there are always possibilities, remember how Lawnmower Man escaped.
I love amanda tapping. I could watch her make a show about making pumpkin pie ( I hate pumpkin pie.) I have a great idea that will fix all this. Well, everything but the Freelander issue. Give Emilie here own show. Heck let it be a spin off. I don’t care. She could keep all the abilities that she received from the Kabal. I just like to see her have a lot more screen time. As far as studio executives are concerened, it is hard to hear the masses when you pay groups of people to tell you how your own ideas are brilliant. I will never accuse these bloated individuals of being connected with reality.
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