swim through the fires to stay in this world

Well, to be completely fair, SG-1 benefits from the fact that it started with a small cast, and it made Sam both a soldier and a genius. There was also no "living up to" aspect. SGA was in the position of having to create a male lead that was a good follow up to Jack, and...well, the best way to show your lead is cool is to have him stand up to authority and be the right one. (See my Starbuck problem.) The Stargates seem to have a serious love for the military, and a need to show it as being better than anything else. Sam's in the military, Weir and Teyla...aren't. They also seem uncertain about what to do with a woman in charge, hence the FUBAR-ness of the gender politics in SGA. I noticed it a bit in s8 of SG-1, with Sam in charge of the team, but it wasn't bothersome there because the "woman in charge means she gives advice and they may or may not listen" was a situation where she'd been their best friend and second in command for 7 years already, so it was more like "we all think the same now anyway," and there was already the established dynamic where Daniel and Teal'c would automatically follow her lead if Jack wasn't there, and "group decision instead of direct order" makes sense when there's 7 years of being near equals behind it. She was, though, still much more clearly in charge than SGA made Teyla or Weir, and there was never really a situation where her authority was challenged, not even by Jack(but then, she pretty much owns him anyway.) (Also, SG-1 writers seem to be very in love with Sam, SGA writers seem to be very in love with Sheppard.) I'm curious to see how S9 plays out. Sam was gone from the early eps because Amanda Tapping had a baby, so there's a new guy leading SG-1, and I actually don't know who leads once she comes back(if you know, that's one thing I don't really mind being spoiled for.) That said, he was wanting to serve under Sam, not lead the team, and has an obvious case of hero worship for her(and I suspect a crush, too.)

Really, though, I think I'm pretty much just trying to make excuses for SGA in hopes that it'll get better later, because I do adore Teyla, and I greatly anticipate the very pretty man with dreads, and, well...I know Sam joins the cast later on, and the sad thing is that I love her enough that I'll probably tolerate anything for her.