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3x16: The Ark
Did this one make anyone else think of NotTasha's fic Among the Stars? Team trapped on a space station that's venting atmosphere, separated by bulkheads and able to communicate only with their radios! HEE. Of course the actual plot was quite different, just the basic premise was similar, but it made me grin.
In a lot of ways this felt like a throwback to the action/suspense episodes of the first season. I remember thinking, when we started watching the show, that their action episodes were the most successful ones, with the plots falling down just a trifle when they'd do the more story-driven episodes. Over time, I think I've come to enjoy the "slow" ones more; I don't know if that's because they're doing them better now, or because we tend to get more "character moments" in the slower episodes, or what. However, it's really nice to see that they can still do tense, fast-paced, "OMG we're all gonna die" action well. I was just talking on Derry's LJ about the need for balance on the show, and this episode was perfect to balance out the more humorous and "talky" episodes that we've had lately. In fact I'd love it if the show kept up a mix like this -- a couple funny or character-focused episodes, offset with a couple of fast-paced ones.
I really liked the episode; unlike the last couple, it didn't really have any huge "squee and rewatch a dozen times" moments, but there were lots of fun parts and a few sweet ones. Loved Rodney's "We don't leave people behind!" to Lorne, and Rodney and Sheppard trying to say goodbye in that emotionally-stunted-yet-touching way that only they can do so well. (There was a certain lack of concern for Teyla on Rodney's part in that scene, IMHO, but on the other hand she's out of sight and mind at the moment, while a certain Colonel is going all kamikaze AGAIN.) All the banter was too much fun, including Teyla and Ronon's long-suffering reaction to the usual bickering in the beginning -- and I just loved how they dial up poor Weir, only an hour late for their check-in, with this massive, abbreviated tale of woe; good thing she's such a diplomatic person, because you can just imagine her thinking, "Everything was FINE the last time I talked to them! How did they screw up THIS badly THIS fast?!"
One of the things I've always loved about the Stargate shows is how they find new ways to use old technology, and when they find a new thing to do with it, they remember. This episode's case in point -- turning the cloak into a shield and extending it to the space station. And I liked that they didn't waste a lot of time explaining it to the viewer ("Hey, just like we did when we rescued old so&so!") -- it's just very matter-of-fact. I also liked the way they had the LSDs strapped to their arms, freeing up their hands for other stuff. Clever!
Another way that this episode provided nice balance is that all of the team got to do something -- emphasis on Sheppard and McKay, of course, but the four-way interplay was neat. (Oh, and if I may be shallow? Sheppard in the welding goggles -- ROWR! *grin*)
Oh, and it's been nice to see Lorne so much lately! I'm not a huge Lorne fan the way some people are -- not that I don't like him, just that I don't really feel like I've seen enough of him to have that much love for him -- but because of his history with the team and his friendly-affectionate way of relating to them, it's a lot of fun when he's the one who gets to come and rescue them. I'm always happy to see his name in the credits.
In a lot of ways this felt like a throwback to the action/suspense episodes of the first season. I remember thinking, when we started watching the show, that their action episodes were the most successful ones, with the plots falling down just a trifle when they'd do the more story-driven episodes. Over time, I think I've come to enjoy the "slow" ones more; I don't know if that's because they're doing them better now, or because we tend to get more "character moments" in the slower episodes, or what. However, it's really nice to see that they can still do tense, fast-paced, "OMG we're all gonna die" action well. I was just talking on Derry's LJ about the need for balance on the show, and this episode was perfect to balance out the more humorous and "talky" episodes that we've had lately. In fact I'd love it if the show kept up a mix like this -- a couple funny or character-focused episodes, offset with a couple of fast-paced ones.
I really liked the episode; unlike the last couple, it didn't really have any huge "squee and rewatch a dozen times" moments, but there were lots of fun parts and a few sweet ones. Loved Rodney's "We don't leave people behind!" to Lorne, and Rodney and Sheppard trying to say goodbye in that emotionally-stunted-yet-touching way that only they can do so well. (There was a certain lack of concern for Teyla on Rodney's part in that scene, IMHO, but on the other hand she's out of sight and mind at the moment, while a certain Colonel is going all kamikaze AGAIN.) All the banter was too much fun, including Teyla and Ronon's long-suffering reaction to the usual bickering in the beginning -- and I just loved how they dial up poor Weir, only an hour late for their check-in, with this massive, abbreviated tale of woe; good thing she's such a diplomatic person, because you can just imagine her thinking, "Everything was FINE the last time I talked to them! How did they screw up THIS badly THIS fast?!"
One of the things I've always loved about the Stargate shows is how they find new ways to use old technology, and when they find a new thing to do with it, they remember. This episode's case in point -- turning the cloak into a shield and extending it to the space station. And I liked that they didn't waste a lot of time explaining it to the viewer ("Hey, just like we did when we rescued old so&so!") -- it's just very matter-of-fact. I also liked the way they had the LSDs strapped to their arms, freeing up their hands for other stuff. Clever!
Another way that this episode provided nice balance is that all of the team got to do something -- emphasis on Sheppard and McKay, of course, but the four-way interplay was neat. (Oh, and if I may be shallow? Sheppard in the welding goggles -- ROWR! *grin*)
Oh, and it's been nice to see Lorne so much lately! I'm not a huge Lorne fan the way some people are -- not that I don't like him, just that I don't really feel like I've seen enough of him to have that much love for him -- but because of his history with the team and his friendly-affectionate way of relating to them, it's a lot of fun when he's the one who gets to come and rescue them. I'm always happy to see his name in the credits.
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*snort* I just realized that that Rodney actually came damn close to blowing up the Earth when his magnetic-pulse plan failed in Redemption! Hmm, so far, the major things we've seen them do on Earth are:
- Rodney almost killed Teal'c (48 Hours) and then almost got Earth destroyed (Redemption)
- Carson almost killed O'Neill (Rising)
- and then they all stole a spaceship and fled to the Pegasus Galaxy in Return.
Yeah, I bet no one's real eager to get them home again...
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"Dear John and Rodney,
I am writing to you both in one letter, because where one is the other usually is too.
We are sending you back to Atlantis, because we don't have the nice Pegasus brand of kibble that you like. Also we're fed up of you using Earth as a throw toy, and could you please desist chewing on Alaska? It's making the inhabitants cranky!
You may keep the blankets we gave you, but please go!"
(I think I ate a bowl of weird!)
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And I love your icon!!!
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Rodney got Carter electrocuted in 'Redemption' WHILST cutting in half the amount of time they had to save the world from Anubis. (with an EMP - Rodney loves his EMPS)
He also suggested O'Neill put his X303 into a suicidal nose dive into the ocean.
Not really the kind of thing that does down well in the old SGC.
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Ah well, it deserves mentioning again. In detail!
And yes, Atlantis_fan's points about 'The Return'.
But then again, it's not like SG-1 aren't trouble magnets too! In fact they started the ball rolling in the first place.
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If SG-1 hadn't messed up, John and Rodney would never have got their opportunities to mess up as well.
If they hadn't pissed off Apophis, it's likely the Stargate would have been buried again.
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