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.)
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