Jonas Quinn is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
in the 1997 Canadian-American television series ''
Stargate SG-1
''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrigh ...
'', a
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by
Corin Nemec
Joseph Charles Nemec IV (born November 5, 1971), known professionally as Corin Nemec, is an American actor, producer, and screenwriter. He was billed as Corin "Corky" Nemec or Corky Nemec until 1990.
Nemec is known for playing the title characte ...
, Jonas is introduced in the season 5 episode "
Meridian
Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to
Science
* Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon
* ...
." Jonas fills
Daniel Jackson's empty spot on the SG-1 team in season 6 and the beginning of season 7, and last appears in the mid-season 7 episode "
Fallout
Nuclear fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and the shock wave has passed. It commonly refers to the radioac ...
".
Nemec's character replaced Daniel Jackson (portrayed by
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks (born December 15, 1970) is a Canadian actor, writer and director. He is best known for his role as Daniel Jackson in the long-running military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1'' and as Charles Harris on ...
) during season 6 after Shanks had left the show amid controversy after season 5. The producers based Jonas' motivation to join
Stargate Command
Over its decade of existence, science fiction TV series ''Stargate SG-1'' developed an extensive and detailed backdrop of diverse characters. Many of the characters are members of alien species discovered while exploring the galaxy through the S ...
on his momentary reluctance to actively prevent Daniel's death, and his feelings of responsibility afterwards. Jonas was slowly integrated into the story in a prolonged transition stage over the first half of season 6. Nemec was open to continue playing Jonas Quinn after season 6, but a new contract was reached with Michael Shanks for Daniel to return in season 7. The role of Jonas was reduced to recurring status in season 7.
Role in ''Stargate SG-1''
Character arc
Jonas Quinn is introduced in the season 5 episode "
Meridian
Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to
Science
* Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon
* ...
" as a scientist of the human nation of Kelowna on Langara, a planet with an industrial level comparable to Earth of the 1940s, and that is also locked in a cold war with two rival states. He is an exceptionally quick learner, which becomes useful in memorizing SG mission reports and earth culture. The Kelownans are experimenting with naqahdriah (an unstable but extremely powerful native element related to naqahdah) to build a bomb against their two rival nations, Terrania and the Andari Federation. Jonas is present when SG-1 team member
Daniel Jackson gets radiation-poisoned with naqahdriah in an attempt to prevent a catastrophe in Kelowna, but when the Kelownan leaders respond with indifference to Daniel's imminent death and glee with regards to the destructive power of the naqahdriah, Jonas steals a small amount of naqahdriah and offers it to Earth for more peaceful uses. Still wracked by guilt in the season 6 premiere "
Redemption" over his hesitation to step in,
Jonas helps Major
Samantha Carter
Samantha "Sam" Carter, United States Air Force, USAF is a Character (arts), fictional character in the Canadian–American military science fiction ''Stargate'' franchise. Played by Amanda Tapping, she appears in all three shows in the franchise ...
find a solution to save Earth from an attack by the
Goa'uld
The mythology of the ''Stargate'' franchise is the historical backstory of the ''Stargate'' premise, which centers around xeno-mythology as experienced by humans during episodic contact. In the fictional universe of the franchise, the people of ...
Anubis
Anubis (; grc, Ἄνουβις), also known as Inpu, Inpw, Jnpw, or Anpu in Ancient Egyptian () is the god of death, mummification, embalming, the afterlife, cemeteries, tombs, and the Underworld, in ancient Egyptian religion, usually depict ...
. Although Colonel
Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the MGM's military science fiction franchise ''Stargate'', primarily as one of the main characters of the television series ''Stargate SG-1''. Richard Dean Anderson played O'Neill in all th ...
is reluctant to add a new fourth member to SG-1, he allows Jonas to join the team, partly to prevent a Russian from being assigned.
After several missions with SG-1, Jonas is confronted with his past in "
Shadow Play
Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment which uses flat articulated cut-out figures (shadow puppets) which are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. The cut-ou ...
" and learns more of the effects of naqahdriah on people. In "
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...
", the Goa'uld
Nirrti learns via an
Ancient
Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian language, Sumerian c ...
DNA Resequencer that Jonas is different from other humans, but she is killed before this is further investigated. In "
Prophecy
In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or prete ...
", Nirrti's experiments cause clairvoyant visions in Jonas, and the doctors remove a potentially lethal tumor from his brain. After SG-1 finds the
de-ascended Daniel on another planet in the season 7 premiere "
Fallen
Fallen may refer to:
People
* Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist
* Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player
Arts, entertainment, and media
Fictional entities
* Fallen ( ...
"/"
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia.
...
", Jonas and Daniel join forces and succeed in driving Anubis away from Kelowna. The three Langaran nations agree to meet for peace talks for the greater good of the planet, and Jonas decides to become a peace negotiator for his people. While Jonas returns to his planet, Daniel rejoins SG-1. Jonas last appears in season 7's "
Fallout
Nuclear fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and the shock wave has passed. It commonly refers to the radioac ...
" to ask Earth for help saving his homeworld from the destructive powers of naqahdriah in the planet's core. Season 10's "
Counterstrike" mentions that the
Ori conquered Langara, Jonas's homeworld.
Langara's story arc is resumed in ''
Stargate Universe
''Stargate Universe'' (often abbreviated as ''SGU'') is a military science fiction television series and part of MGM's ''Stargate'' franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient ...
''s "Seizure", where Earth eventually agrees to protect Langara from the
Lucian Alliance, while the Langarans remove the Stargate from their facility.
Characterization and relationships
After Daniel's death and Jonas' subsequent move to Earth, Major Carter is the SG-1 team member around whom Jonas Quinn feels most comfortable.
Nevertheless,
Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping (born 28 August 1965) is a British-Canadian actress and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian–American military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1,'' ''Stargate Atlantis,'' and ...
(Carter) felt that "there is a hesitancy on
arter
Arter is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Harry Arter
* Jared Maurice Arter
* Kingsley Arter Taft
* Philip and Uriah Arter, after whom Philip and Uriah Arter Farm is named
* Robert Arter
* Solomon Arter, after whom Solomon Art ...
s part to be too familiar with Jonas
rmake this big emotional investment" in him because he is not Daniel.
Jonas hopes that Carter and the alien SG-1 member Teal'c can persuade Colonel O'Neill to give him a chance to prove himself worthy of a place on the SG-1 team,
but according to
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson (born January 23, 1950) is a retired American actor and producer. He began his television career in 1976, playing Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series ''General Hospital'', and then rose to prominence as the lead a ...
(O'Neill), "O'Neill feels that Jonas is directly responsible for the demise or at least the damaging of Daniel Jackson
nd thusharbors some resentment towards Jonas".
Although O'Neill is suspicious of aliens in general (except of Teal'c), O'Neill begins to accept Jonas at the end of "Redemption" yet finds it hard to ever significantly warm up to Jonas,
something which Nemec felt "makes things much more interesting".
Tapping added that Jonas inadvertently brings the three remaining SG-1 members closer together again.
Jonas's "easy-going nature" later helps him to also establish relationships with the supporting characters Dr.
Janet Fraiser
Over its decade of existence, science fiction TV series ''Stargate SG-1'' developed an extensive and detailed backdrop of diverse characters. Many of the characters are members of alien species discovered while exploring the galaxy through the S ...
and General
George Hammond, whom Nemec regarded "very much
sa father figure in Jonas's eyes".
Conceptual history
When actor
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks (born December 15, 1970) is a Canadian actor, writer and director. He is best known for his role as Daniel Jackson in the long-running military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1'' and as Charles Harris on ...
(Daniel Jackson) announced his decision to leave ''Stargate SG-1'' at the end of season 5 for concerns over being under-utilized,
the
Sci Fi Channel
Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Launc ...
wanted to fill the void with a new character for season 6. Corin Nemec happened to be at the courtyard of
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
's Santa Monica offices rehearsing audition dialog for an independent film when some casting agents recognized him from previous projects. They briefly mentioned ''Stargate SG-1'' to him and informed Nemec's manager of their strong interest in him the same afternoon. Although Nemec was familiar with the ''
Stargate
''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the Stargate (film), film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien E ...
'' film, he had never watched the television show and was sent videotapes to familiarize himself with the series. Nemec was cast for the penultimate season 5 episode "
Meridian
Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to
Science
* Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon
* ...
" after several more meetings, but both sides agreed to await the character's look on film before deciding on a long-term involvement.
Producer
Brad Wright
Brad Wright (born May 2, 1961) is a Canadian television producer and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of the television series ''Stargate SG-1'' (with Jonathan Glassner), ''Stargate Atlantis'' (with Robert C. Cooper) and ''Stargat ...
announced in September 2001 that an actor had been cast and that the new character would be someone whom fans would recognize. An MGM Sci-Fi newsletter revealed Corin Nemec to play the role of Liander Quinn in "Meridian" in November 2001, fueling fan speculation of the identity of the new character. Soon afterwards, producer
Joseph Mallozzi
Joseph Mallozzi (born 16 October 1965) is a Canadian writer and producer.
He is most noted for his contributions to the ''Stargate SG-1'', '' Stargate: Atlantis'' and ''Stargate Universe'' television series and as showrunner of ''Dark Matter'' ...
revealed that Nemec's character appears in the first five episodes of season 6. Meanwhile, Nemec started to work out six days a week in-between seasons and gained about to look bigger around the tall ''SG-1'' cast.
Mallozzi stated before the airing of season 6 that "Jonas will bring a unique alien perspective and ability to the team
hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
will allow him to contribute in areas of expertise usually owned by
arter
Arter is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Harry Arter
* Jared Maurice Arter
* Kingsley Arter Taft
* Philip and Uriah Arter, after whom Philip and Uriah Arter Farm is named
* Robert Arter
* Solomon Arter, after whom Solomon Art ...
and Daniel."
[ Cha]
archived at sjhw.net
Retrieved on 2008-11-02. Brad Wright hoped that "what Corin, as Jonas, will bring to the show is a renewed sense of amazement" of traveling around the galaxy although older characters have grown accustomed to it.
The season 6 opening two-parter "Redemption" intended to establish Jonas as a team player who can contribute ideas,
although writer
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the ''Stargate'' franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Stargate Atlantis'' and ''Stargate Universe''. He also co-created both ''Star ...
felt the need to acknowledge and not "trivialize what the
aniel Jacksoncharacter meant to the team and to the show for five seasons".
The writers incorporated the initial viewer resistance to the change by making O'Neill the most resistant to Jonas' presence, allowing viewers to grieve Daniel and gradually come to terms with his absence.
The producers based Jonas' motivation to join SG-1 on his former reluctance to shut off the machine that indirectly killed Daniel, and his feelings of responsibility for Daniel's death.
Jonas was slowly integrated into the story in a prolonged transition stage over the first half of season 6.
Nemec was open to continue playing Jonas Quinn after season 6 or in a feature film or a spin-off series,
but a new contract was reached with Michael Shanks for Daniel to return in season 7. The role of Jonas was therefore reduced to recurring status in season 7. Nemec welcomed the producers' openness for story pitches and offered several story ideas. He wrote the mid-season-7 episode "Fallout" and considered pitching more stories afterwards, but he became busy with other projects.
Jonas is seldom mentioned in the series after this point but after Season 10's "
Counterstrike" stated that the
Ori conquered Jonas' homeworld,
[
* Carter: "Meanwhile, we received word that five more planets have fallen to the Ori, including Hebridan and Langara."] ''Stargate'' producer Joseph Mallozzi said in his blog that "in
ismind, Jonas went underground and is still alive somewhere, resisting the Ori army."
Reception
The audience reception of Jonas Quinn was sparked with controversy over Michael Shanks' departure from the show.
When rumors began late in 2001 that
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
would also not be renewing ''Stargate SG-1'' after its fifth season, panicking fans rallied to save the show and Daniel's character, starting massive write-in campaigns and setting up websites such as the "Save Daniel Jackson" site. The SciFi Channel eventually ordered a sixth season of the show, but the character of Jonas continued to be distrusted by loyal fans, who were concerned that Daniel's death might cause the SG-1 team to lose its moral compass.
Robert C. Cooper summarized that "there's been quite a bit of ire directed by fans towards Daniel's replacement" after the airing of "Meridian", but he hoped that the character would grow on fans eventually.
Producer
Joseph Mallozzi
Joseph Mallozzi (born 16 October 1965) is a Canadian writer and producer.
He is most noted for his contributions to the ''Stargate SG-1'', '' Stargate: Atlantis'' and ''Stargate Universe'' television series and as showrunner of ''Dark Matter'' ...
claimed at the beginning of season 6 to still get the "odd incoherent rambling death threat passed along to me from the
ave Daniel Jacksonsite".
Amanda Tapping admitted that it had been easier to establish relationships with her co-stars at the beginning of the series, comparing Nemec's situation to "being the new kid in school; we're still trying to make
orin
ORiN (Open Robot/Resource interface for the Network) is a standard network interface for FA (factory automation) systems. The Japan Robot Association proposed ORiN in 2002, and the ORiN Forum develops and maintains the ORiN standard.
Background
...
comfortable, but it's not the same".
Nevertheless, the ''Stargate SG-1'' actors and producers complimented Corin Nemec and the character. Richard Dean Anderson was impressed with Nemec's performance in "Meridian", saying "he really struck me as a bright guy, very respectful of the dynamic of the set, but with an awareness of what he wanted to bring."
Don S. Davis
Donald Sinclair "Don" Davis (August 4, 1942 – June 29, 2008) was an American character actor best known for playing General Hammond in the television series ''Stargate SG-1'' (1997–2007), and earlier for playing Major Garland Briggs on t ...
(General Hammond) noted during the filming of season 6 that "Corin is a wonderful
nd well-likedyoung man with a tremendous personality and he's had a great deal of experience in the business",
agreeing with writer
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the ''Stargate'' franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of ''Stargate SG-1'', ''Stargate Atlantis'' and ''Stargate Universe''. He also co-created both ''Star ...
that Nemec had done a "fine"
and "wonderful"
job.
''
TV Zone
''TV Zone'' is a British magazine that was published every four weeks by Visual Imagination that covered cult television. Initially, it mostly covered science fiction, but branched out to cover other drama and comedy series.
History
''TV Zone'' ...
''s Jan Vincent-Rudzki expected Jonas to be "pushed out of the way" in season 7's "Fallen"/"Homecoming", but considered the character's departure as "keeping with previous events" and "quite plausible".
[ The writers' decision to team up Jonas with Daniel for a significant part of the two-part episode "gives credence to Jonas's exit", although "it's a great shame that this new 'partnership' couldn't have continued" since "the two haractersworked so well together".] Nemec stated in a 2008 interview that "the initial backlash from a very small core, outspoken group of the fandom had a bit of a volatile reaction to it, which is totally natural... I'd say 95-plus percent of the fan base grew to like the character and accepted the character overall. Especially by the time season 6 ended, I think people were pretty much, 'Eh, OK — I'm cool with that.' For the most part."
References
External links
Jonas Quinn
at scifi
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel universe ...
.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quinn, Jonas
Stargate alien characters
Fictional characters with precognition
Fictional scientists
Television characters introduced in 2002