sholio: sun on winter trees (Woolsey baby)
Sholio ([personal profile] sholio) wrote2009-07-05 11:43 am
Entry tags:

Fannish miscellany ... and a meme!

The Stargate Fan Awards are open for voting 'til the end of the month. Go forth, poke around, see what they've got. :) I often find new little gems by looking through the nominees!

I haven't decided if I'm going to buy the SGA Season 5 DVDs or not. Technically I already own the episodes on iTunes; I doubt if I'll be interested in rewatching the series anytime soon, and I'm not really interested in the extras. The completist in me wants all the boxed sets, though. Maybe I'll pick it up if I see it on sale for cheap. [Edit2: Aww, hell, I'm making an Amazon order anyway. See below re: lack of willpower. And they would be so shiny on my shelf. *adds*]

I did stumble across this though - Invisible Man Season One, OMG! That was my last western fandom prior to SGA; possibly the last time before SGA that a currently-airing show caught my attention in a fannish way. I still have a lot of warm fuzzy feelings for that show, silly as it was. Now I'm tempted to buy the DVDs and liveblog my reactions to rewatching it. :D I want both seasons, though. I have a number of the episodes on tape (VHS tapes! yikes!), but not the whole thing. [Edit: Okay, I have no willpower, none at all. *places order*] There are also rumors that Wiseguy has been picked up by a new distributor and the whole series might be available soon at an affordable price -- in order, even! *makes grabby hands*

And finally ... a meme! As seen at [livejournal.com profile] zvi_likes_tv, this looked like fun:

Inspired by Doctor Who's "Turn Left:" Pick one of my stories and tell me a point in the tale that you'd change. Something tiny (e.g. "and then Fay chose silver glitter instead of gold") or big (e.g. "and then Rose was arrested instead of Jack") and I'll tell you how that one difference would have altered the course of the entire story.


Only, insert appropriate fandoms for me, of course. :D Give me a point of departure for one of my stories, and I'll tell you how the story would have gone!
sheron: RAF bi-plane doodle (Johns) (Default)

[personal profile] sheron 2009-07-05 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
When you say you own them on iTunes, what format are they in? Thanks! (I uninstalled itunes a while back before the movies came on there so I was just wondering...)
ext_1981: (Default)

[identity profile] friendshipper.livejournal.com 2009-07-05 08:59 pm (UTC)(link)
The format is m4v - it's DRM protected, so they can only play on the computer that downloaded them (or others authorized under that account). iTunes is all right for a quick fix, but I like having the physical DVDs of shows that I enjoy because I can loan them out to people and I know that if I ever lose access to iTunes, I won't lose the files too. With SGA, I was trying to *both* buy it on iTunes and then go ahead and buy the DVDs to show my support for the show. hahahaha ... won't be making that mistake again. (Though the iTunes ones did have the seamless editing where the commercial breaks go - something I always really appreciated about SGA was the way they edited out the commercial break fades on the DVD releases.)

[identity profile] argosy.livejournal.com 2009-07-05 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
The seamless editing where the commercial breaks go - something I always really appreciated about SGA was the way they edited out the commercial break fades on the DVD releases

See that's interesting because I HATE that. As I writer I want to know where the act breaks are. :)

I'm thinking of something I can ask you for this meme. I'll be back. (And maybe I'll do the meme myself? We'll see.)
ext_1981: (Sheppard moody)

[identity profile] friendshipper.livejournal.com 2009-07-05 10:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Ha, that *is* interesting, because I really love it for my own viewing experience. Though I do like comparing them to the Sci-Fi aired versions to see how they planned the breaks so that they could be edited out; I find that quite fascinating!
leesa_perrie: two cheetahs facing camera and cuddling (Carter S4)

[personal profile] leesa_perrie 2009-07-05 09:33 pm (UTC)(link)
For the Meme: Cheating the Other Guy - the price for the boys goes up not down!

Btw, loved Invisible Man when I saw it a few years back! Not enough to get into the fandom, but it was certainly fun and I might pick up the DVDs one day to rewatch. It's one of those TV shows that I'd love to see a SGA crossover with, but doubt I'll ever find one (and if I did, what's the betting it's not Gen?). Of course, a fusion might be interesting too, though it breaks my brain to try and work out who would be who!!
ext_1981: (Vala autumn)

[identity profile] friendshipper.livejournal.com 2009-07-05 10:50 pm (UTC)(link)
I went ahead and ordered the I-Man DVDs! I have the feeling that I could be sucked back into the fandom quite easily, which makes me a bit nervous (barely time for one fandom right now, let alone two ... but we shall see!)

Meme reply to come in another comment ...
ext_1981: (Teyla sad)

Meme: Cheating the Other Guy

[identity profile] friendshipper.livejournal.com 2009-07-05 11:27 pm (UTC)(link)
The bidding keeps climbing; Sam notices Teyla's teasing smile has been replaced by a thin, tight-lipped expression. It had been a game; neither of them expected that they wouldn't be able to get the boys back.

Eventually, Teyla reaches the limits of what she has to bid with. The winner of the auction is a big, complacent-looking guy who's already purchased a number of other young, healthy male slaves. "Help me!" Rodney mouths at them as he's dragged off. Ronon looks like he's already contemplating various homicidal options.

Teyla and Carter glance at each other.

A bit of asking around determines that the new owner of Teyla's teammates is one of the wealthiest ranchers in the valley. He uses debt-slaves to labor on his ranch, clearing land and tending cattle and crops. He's said to be a tough but fair man, as long as his rules are followed, and many of those who work for him are able to buy their freedom. However, his punishment for escape attempts is harsh; there are rumors of slaves being badly beaten, even worked to death under the hot sun.

Sheppard's team, Carter thinks, are doomed. She and Teyla have a brief discussion. They can pursue diplomatic channels -- while hoping that Sheppard doesn't attempt to escape on his own...

"May I remind you whom we are discussing, Colonel," Teyla says.

"Good point."

That night, there's a rather splashy jailbreak at the quarters of the debt-slaves and bondservants on the ranch. Any rumors of flying invisible spaceships are clearly exaggerated. By the time things in town calm down, it's discovered that the mysterious offworld woman who bought the old Gh'karna place has vanished, along with three escaped slaves.

Oh well. The Gh'karna (temporarily Emmagan) ranch is seized in compensation for the lost slaves, and life goes on.

Back on Atlantis, Carter is starting to have a lot of sympathy for Landry and Hammond. Actually, maybe she'll send them both a nice card and have some flowers delivered the next time the gate is open. Just because.
leesa_perrie: two cheetahs facing camera and cuddling (Teyla)

Re: Meme: Cheating the Other Guy

[personal profile] leesa_perrie 2009-07-06 08:39 am (UTC)(link)
That sounds wonderful!! I love the bit where they discuss options ('May I remind you whom we are discussing...'), the rescue (with rumours of flying invisible ships!) and the last bit is priceless!! Ah, poor Sam - and poor boys!!!

This is fun. Can I do another one?
ext_1981: (Default)

Re: Meme: Cheating the Other Guy

[identity profile] friendshipper.livejournal.com 2009-07-06 04:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Sure, go right ahead. No one else is! :)
leesa_perrie: two cheetahs facing camera and cuddling (Wraith Army)

Meme: Running on Empty

[personal profile] leesa_perrie 2009-07-06 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Seeing as you don't mind me doing another one, how about 'Running on Empty' (that I still totally love, btw):

- what if Sheppard met the kids first and Rodney was the one who got the stunner through the leg?

(Feel free to chose one half of the above instead of all of it)
ext_1981: (Jeannie alien WTF)

Re: Meme: Running on Empty

[identity profile] friendshipper.livejournal.com 2009-07-07 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
Ooh, interesting! I think, actually, things would have gone a lot better for them that way. In the "canon" version of the story, both of them were forced to contend with roles that were uncomfortable for them (Rodney being a kid-wrangler, and having to be the "brawn" and fly the dart!). This way, they could have played to their strengths. Sheppard, of course, would have been very comfortable with the kids (and they'd probably have loved him). He would've saved Rodney from the Wraith out of pure instinct, even though he wouldn't have any idea who he was. At that point, Rodney would've talked Sheppard into helping him implement his crazy Wraith-dart-capturing plan (which is probably what he was doing in town when he encountered the Wraith -- collecting materials for a desperate plan he could probably never have implemented on his own). Though slightly skeptical, because he still doesn't remember Rodney, Sheppard would've LOVED the plan, particularly if he didn't have to contend with an injured leg. (Explosions! Flying Wraith darts! What's not to love?) Sheppard, being a much better pilot than Rodney, would've been able to scoop them up and then avoid getting shot down; he would probably still be dogfighting with Wraith when the Daedalus broke orbit and picked them up.

The only problem is that he very likely would not have regained his memory -- the catalyst was having to remember to save Rodney from anaphylaxis, but if Rodney's mobility was severely hampered by an injured leg, he probably wouldn't have run into the alien bees, so that scene never would have happened. So Sheppard's memory would have trickled back slowly once they were rescued. (This is assuming that he didn't just get blown out of the air by the Daedalus, being mistaken for a dart and not knowing the Daedalus was on his side. Still, Sheppard's smart and he could probably figure out that the ship wasn't the same style as the Wraith, and if he saw it shoot down a couple of darts, he'd realize that it was a good idea to make sure he didn't suffer the same fate.) Back in familiar surroundings, with Ronon and Teyla to help, he would have gotten his memory back in bits and pieces, over the next few weeks, while Rodney recuperated from his damaged leg. Having met Sheppard first, the kids would have bonded with Sheppard, not Rodney; it's also likely that Rodney would be (paradoxically) less traumatized by the whole experience, even though he was the one that almost died, because he never had to take charge and do all of the things that he did in the "canonical" version of the story.
Edited 2009-07-07 04:15 (UTC)
leesa_perrie: two cheetahs facing camera and cuddling (John Glasses)

Re: Meme: Running on Empty

[personal profile] leesa_perrie 2009-07-07 08:56 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks! It would have made an interesting story, but I prefer the original - Rodney and kids, *bg*! Having to fly the dart *vbg*! Being pushed to his limits *vvbg*! Yeah, the original is best, but I was curious to see what would have happened the other way round! Thank you!

[identity profile] schneefink.livejournal.com 2009-07-07 01:32 pm (UTC)(link)
May I? I´m normally a silent lurker and only read, but I can´t seem to resist a meme (that not enough people are doing to just read and enjoy.)
So, in "Ghost in the Machine": what if a) there wasn´t a "Sheppard as a Stargate Ghost", the thought patterns simply got erased, or b) the Ghost = Sheppard was fully conscious all the time, for forty years? I know two options are cheating, just pick one.
ext_1981: (Shrine-Rodney back)

[identity profile] friendshipper.livejournal.com 2009-07-07 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Hello! Delurkers are always welcome. :)

b) is pretty easy - if Sheppard had been more cognizant/aware, the story would have been a lot shorter. :D It's kind of a toss-up between two outcomes, I guess, depending on how easily he could communicate with Old Rodney and whether Old Rodney would listen to him. Either he and Old Rodney would have eventually, sooner or later, ganged up on the Sheppard-creature and killed it (so the canon guys would have come through to find Old Rodney living in relative comfort and safety, and it just would have been a matter of waiting for the Daedalus), or as soon as they came through, Sheppard-Ghost would have explained what was going on, and Sheppard, at least, would have immediately taken out the monster. (Rodney would probably have been harder to convince, for the same reasons that Old Rodney was reluctant to kill it. I think he would have been trumped by Sheppard's military pragmatism in the end, though.)

The possibility that he might have been completely cognizant all the time and also completely unable to communicate is so awful that it doesn't bear contemplation ...

a) probably would have been pretty similar to the actual story up until the end. Even then, seeing Sheppard in danger, Old Rodney is pretty likely to have gone ahead and done what he did without Ghost Sheppard's approval/absolution; it just would have been more depressing. :D Actually, in general, I think the only difference with the absence of the Sheppard-Ghost is that the story would have been a little less ghostly/creepy and a bit more depressing at the end.

Thanks for asking! This is fun. :D

[identity profile] schneefink.livejournal.com 2009-07-08 12:13 pm (UTC)(link)
"The possibility that he might have been completely cognizant all the time and also completely unable to communicate is so awful that it doesn't bear contemplation ..."
That´s... actually what I meant. Does that make me an evil person? But I like your first scenario much better: Rodney and Ghost-Sheppard living together in the wilderness. Sounds like fun. In a weird kind of way.
Thanks :)
ext_1981: (SGA-Game-John-look)

[identity profile] friendshipper.livejournal.com 2009-07-10 06:40 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, you are evil! :D The less interesting option would be that he just kind of faded away and never had any influence on the plot at all. But the more interesting option would be that he went completely crazy from forty years of isolation, so they not only had a Sheppard-monster to deal with, but a crazy Sheppard ghost as well!
sentientcitizen: Rose Tyler throws her head back and laughs. (Seriously? John Shepperd)

[personal profile] sentientcitizen 2009-07-09 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
I suppose it's missing the whole entire point of the story, but for the meme, I'd like to know what would happen in Long Road Home if the doctor's could have fixed John's legs up to perfect working condition. Would he still be in the military? Would they all still have met? :)
ext_1981: (Christmas cookies)

[identity profile] friendshipper.livejournal.com 2009-07-10 06:50 am (UTC)(link)
Oh wow, tough one!

I think he would very definitely have stayed in (judging from "our" Sheppard's career track). So he would not have moved to Texas and bought the ranch. Rodney and Teyla would still have been in the same town at the same time, though -- it's possible that they would have met anyway, with Rodney helping her out instead of Sheppard. This could fork in several ways from there, but perhaps he'd have gone ahead and accepted the DoD's job offer, and moved back to DC, taking Teyla with him. From there, he could help her search for Ronon, while she lived with him and helped keep him from sinking into a pit of despair from his work (and tried to talk him into doing something less soul-destroying).

John starts flying black ops missions, so he's in and out of DC in between. His path keeps crossing Rodney's at various society functions; after initially irritating each other, they strike up a distant sort of friendship, keeping in touch by email. Then Rodney discovers that John's gone down on a mission and he's MIA somewhere in Afghanistan, and he and Teyla go gallivanting off, halfway around the world, to save him.

Possibly they all end up raising goats on a farm outside Kabul.