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3x15: The Game (brief)
Okay, I need to go to bed because I have to work in a few hours and I am going to DIE if I don't sleep, but first ...
OMG! I could not stop laughing all through that episode...
I just about DIED when I saw spoilers for it on David Hewlett's blog a few months ago. Of the handful of episodes whose plots I knew ahead of time this year (and aside from the McKay's sister episode, which was THE must-see) this was the one I wanted to see the most.
The reason should be perfectly obvious ...
Sheppard and McKay, competitive! Snarking! SQUEEEE.....
This episode was pretty much everything I was expecting ... except for the fun with Lorne and Zelenka, which totally came out of left field. There weren't really any surprises -- most of the plot twists could be seen coming a mile away (although I didn't anticipate the fake war -- that *was* a surprise, if a kind of hard-to-swallow one). Still! It wasn't the most fantastic episode from a plot perspective, but it delivered everything I was hoping for and more. It was light and fun and filled with one-liners and adorable expressions from the boys (all of them) ... just generally a giant barrel of squee.
And I think it's pretty much canon now that Sheppard and McKay spend all their waking hours together. Playing chess too! The writers have been reading fanfic again, I swear! And wannabe-dictator-Zelenka! I *love* this show!
Gotta sleep now.
Squeeeee!
OMG! I could not stop laughing all through that episode...
I just about DIED when I saw spoilers for it on David Hewlett's blog a few months ago. Of the handful of episodes whose plots I knew ahead of time this year (and aside from the McKay's sister episode, which was THE must-see) this was the one I wanted to see the most.
The reason should be perfectly obvious ...
Sheppard and McKay, competitive! Snarking! SQUEEEE.....
This episode was pretty much everything I was expecting ... except for the fun with Lorne and Zelenka, which totally came out of left field. There weren't really any surprises -- most of the plot twists could be seen coming a mile away (although I didn't anticipate the fake war -- that *was* a surprise, if a kind of hard-to-swallow one). Still! It wasn't the most fantastic episode from a plot perspective, but it delivered everything I was hoping for and more. It was light and fun and filled with one-liners and adorable expressions from the boys (all of them) ... just generally a giant barrel of squee.
And I think it's pretty much canon now that Sheppard and McKay spend all their waking hours together. Playing chess too! The writers have been reading fanfic again, I swear! And wannabe-dictator-Zelenka! I *love* this show!
Gotta sleep now.
Squeeeee!
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They are such BOYS! 'See we did tell you about it' - yeah guys, except you didn't really did you? Because you were afraid that Elizabeth was going to stop you playing video games and send you to your rooms without any supper!
Man, I love those two snarking and sniping at each other, and yet still working together - and yes - they really do spend most of their time together. I think the twelve-year-old in them calls out to each other. And to Lorne and Zelenka by the looks of it! Yes, that was a lovely undercurrent - and Radek is quite the powermonger - who'd have thought? Oh and watch out - you just know that there's going to be a slew of 'Lorne dumps Parrish for Radek' or 'Jealous!Parrish' fics coming up.... *face palms and head desks*
I'll not comment on the troubling (ie inaccurate) History references made - except, oh look! I just did! Couldn't help myself!
You know, something's just occurred to me. I mean we knew the Ancients are a bunch of really quite sneaky, unhelpful personages, with a penchant for over-looking their own laws, but how is it acceptable for them to violate the Prime Directive (yeah, yeah, wrong show - but it still works) before they're Ascended, but not after they Ascend. Screw the frickin' rules I say - bunch of hypocrites!
Joe pulls the best awkward/sheepish/guilty faces in this episode. I swear his face muscles don't get a rest! ANd he got to say his two catch phrases 'let's check it out' and 'I was going to use a different word'.
You know, I'm glad you said it wasn't a great ep from a plot perspective, because I was watching it thinking 'this is pretty stupid' in some places, but it was fun, and FUNNY!
What would have been better than chess at the end (and did anyone else think that John beating Rodney was totally hot?) would have been John and Rodney playing Risk! Somebody needs to buy them 'The Sims' or 'The War of the Ring' or something now....
Oh, and is it just me, or does Atlantis seem to be sponsered by Evian these day?
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I was expecting a spate of Lorne/Zelenka after "No Man's Land" that didn't really seem to materialize. If this episode doesn't do it, nothing will! *laughs* You know, I never really could figure out the Lorne/Parrish thing, considering that Parrish was in maybe 2 seconds of one episode, but go figure ...
but how is it acceptable for them to violate the Prime Directive (yeah, yeah, wrong show - but it still works) before they're Ascended, but not after they Ascend. Screw the frickin' rules I say - bunch of hypocrites!
*g* You know, watching this one, I was actually thinking about the Prime Directive with regards to our intrepid heroes ... as in, their total lack of it! But I hadn't considered the utter hypocrisy of the Ancients here. (And, man ... the Ancients are just getting less virtuous every day, aren't they? Talk about a god complex ...)
And sending John and Rodney to negotiate a peace treaty has to be the worst idea EVER...
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yeah but you gotta love John's solution to the whole thing. I'm thinking he watched WarGames! Have you seen that movie? :O)
Could you give me an example of one of the plot holes? With the fuzzy dl I got I was missing some stuff... I'm just courious what there was, not looking to debate them :O) Heck I figure by now any Stargate episode is going to have a few plot holes in it. :O)
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Plot holes ... I really hate to pick nits with this episode, because I really *liked* this episode. The plot in general, though, if I tried to look at it realistically, had a lot about it that just didn't work for me. I didn't believe that so much cultural change could happen so quickly, or that Our Intrepid Heroes could have pulled off such a convincing fake-out in so little time (and completely convincing everyone, too ... I mean, obviously these people have some way of communicating with each other over long distances, or else they wouldn't be able to coordinate the movements of their troops -- so why didn't ANYONE tip off the two leaders that no one is actually getting killed?) or that the two groups would simply drop hostilities so easily after a brief taste of fake war.
As (rightfully) paranoid as the Atlanteans are about other people learning their gate address or even discovering the existence of Atlantis, why did Elizabeth not only let the Wonder Twins bring the leaders of a planet that's only just been discovered back to the city, but give them the run of the place? They don't even seem to have a guard on them!
In the "peace negotiations" scene on Atlantis ... Elizabeth is supposedly a master negotiator who has brokered peace treaties in the Middle East ... so why can't she do a better job with two little countries who were allies up until 2 years ago?
I know there were other things that bothered me too. But I'd really rather focus on the positives here. Like ... the SNARK! :)
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Elizabeth is supposedly a master negotiator who has brokered peace treaties in the Middle East ... so why can't she do a better job with two little countries who were allies up until 2 years ago?
This is the thing that has bugged me about Elizabeth since the first season of the show. Espcally since "38 Minutes" when she trashes Kavenah(sp?) - and he was totally right. Now the thing is that I totally blame the writers for this - The Stargate writers never seem to be able to go a good job with their female characters. And I've learned to just ignore it for the most part.
I know there were other things that bothered me too. But I'd really rather focus on the positives here. Like ... the SNARK! :)
*nods* HUGES RODNEY AND JOHN - NEVER STOP BEING AWESOME!
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OH THANK GOD IT'S NOT JUST ME!
The Kavanagh scene bugged me *so* bad! And then I was totally floored to find all the fans treating it like a clear-cut case of "Kavanagh had it coming"! I mean, WHAT?! He was pointing out a legitimate problem with their plan! Elizabeth was totally letting her personal feelings blind her to the safety of the city, Kavanagh called her on it, she gave him a *completely* unprofessional reaming in front of his staff ... oh yeah, I was pretty cheesed off at Elizabeth for that one, and at the fans for taking her side.
What frustrates me about it is that we're *told* repeatedly that she's a great leader, but we don't see it. She's a decent person, but a mediocre leader, and I think I'd like her a lot better if the show would stop trying to make her out to be this Mary Sue-ish Superdiplomat whose plans work out even when logically, they *shouldn't*. If only the show would acknowledge that Elizabeth's as pathetic and dorky in her own way as the guys ... but instead, it keeps trying to make her out like an uber-diplomat while not portraying her as one!
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Nope, not just you :O) And ditto on everything you said.
Elizabeth's as pathetic and dorky in her own way as the guys ... but instead, it keeps trying to make her out like an uber-diplomat while not portraying her as one!
I had hoped that in Misbigotten, Woodsly would do that but they kind of failed in my expectations for that bit. He did TRY to call her on a bunch of things but then he ruined it by letting everything slide in the end. Oh well.
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But they make it worse when they have her doing things she clearly shouldn't be doing.
I see Elizabeth as the mother figure. She's there to direct and guide them, and discipline them sometimes. Daniel has had more tangible successes than Weir! The only one I can think of for Elizabeth, is with the Genii in Siege II.
If only the show would acknowledge that Elizabeth's as pathetic and dorky in her own way as the guys
Yup! It's why we love them so much. If she were allowed to be human and infallible she'd be much more likeable. And yet when we have seen her being pathetic (Conversion) she's annoyed me even more - but I think that was because she failed on a human level in that ep.
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I wish they'd give us more of *that* Elizabeth. I wish we'd see her having silly hobbies or making jokes, dropping things or laughing with her friends, having irrational fears and phobias, trying to do something even though she isn't good at it and screwing up and having it *acknowledged* that she *did* screw up. They do it so well with the guys! Why can't they do it with her?
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Note that they did similar stuff with Sam. At first she had no personality. Then she got one. But then she was superwoman, so they made her cry a bit. And she did make mistakes, but they always seemed to ignore the fact - unlike they do with Rodney. I actually do like Sam now, but they took a very long time to make her seem human.
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I do think this show has trouble letting its women appear fallible and human. It's not that they *can't*, because sometimes they do. Take Vala! She's a great character! Why can't they have more like her? And they're doing MUCH better with Teyla this season. All they need to do is let the characters relax and act like people, and it's *so* much better.
Admittedly, it's not just women. Ford was portrayed very stiffly, too. And I didn't start liking Ronon, as a character, until this season -- which is, not coincidentally, when he's been loosening up and acting more like a part of the group.
It's definitely not a coincidence that their most popular characters (guess who...) are also the ones that are given the most leeway for acting human.
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This season has been such JOY. I really can't think of a better time for me to have gotten fannish about SGA, because I watched the 1st and 2nd seasons this spring in rapid succession, and then I *thought* that I knew what to expect (and not to expect) from the series as far as what it would deliver to a fan like me.
And then Season 3 happened, and OH MY GOD. It's all the more wonderful because I didn't expect very much of the emotional and character-interaction stuff. I'm just in a total warm glow of love for the show, the characters and the writers.
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And sending John and Rodney to negotiate a peace treaty has to be the worst idea EVER...
I can actually think of a worse idea......
......sending Ronon!
Maybe the Ancients who did the social engineering thing never Ascended... I don't know! But really, I agree with John's assessment of them in 'Tao'.
Yeah our gang really don't have a Prime Directive - they did in SG-1 concerning time travel (and look how often they ignored that). Maybe we're too indoctrinated in 'Star Trek' - Stargate is more about 'we'll darn well interfere all we like if it means we kick Goa'uld/Replicator/Orii/Wraith ass!'
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The whole Star Trek prime directive idea always seemed a whole lot more idealistic than workable to me, anyway. I seem to recall that there were a couple of TNG episodes that addressed the ethics of it (such as allowing people to die rather than interfere) but generally, the problems were all handwaved away by the mechanics of the plots. They just didn't get into situations where they really had to deal with the ethical and practical pitfalls of it.
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"Wartha and Yansin were so intent on yelling at each other that they didn't even notice when Elizabeth sighed loudly, got up, and left the room. Two minutes later, they were gazing up in awed silence at the imposing figure of the Satedan, who stood before them, his arms crossed over his chest and a look of utter displeasure on his face.
"So...?" he asked, and the leaders resumed their screaming match.
Ronon listened for about a minute, his eyes moving from one to the other as he tried to to follow the gist of the argument. Then he shrugged, pulled his gun out of his holster and sent a bolt of energy into the far wall.
"If you don't shut up and start co-operating that-" he gestured at the sizeable crater the gun blast had left the substance of the wall, "-will be happening to your heads. He gazed at Wartha and then Yamsin placidly.
"You wouldn't dare!" Wartha protested.
Ronon smiled. "Wanna try me?"
Half-an-hour later they had an agreement.
Forty-five minutes later Elizabeth was admitted to the infirmary - with a migrane.'
But of course, if he'd been on a planet (as oppased to Atlantis - which os on a planet - but you know what I mean) it would have ended with a hole through the wall of someone's house, and the team running for their lives, with Ronon trying to convince John that he could totally take them if John would just let them stop and fight. Rodney would be shrieking about cave men and Teyla wouldn't be there - hence Ronon taking her place....
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Actually, in all seriousness, they *have* used Ronon that way in the past on the show (as with Kavanagh, for example). The really terrifying thing is the idea of sending him *by himself* to some hapless planet to negotiate. The last time we saw him try to do THAT was in Trinity, which, not coincidentally I believe, was also one of the first times they took him offworld. I don't think they let him do that anymore. :)
He'd probably come back with all kinds of trade concessions ... the first time. The second time, he'd be met by an army. :D