Let's hear it for dorks kicking alien butt

[sholio]

I just saw Moebius for the first time (yeah ... it was part of that big chunk of episodes I never saw between when I stopped watching in Season 6 -- for the most part -- and when I started again in S10).

Oh SG-1, you are so ADORABLE!

I've really been falling back in love with SG-1 ... not like I once was, probably never like I once was -- but just enjoying their overall fun-ness.

Especially in light of all the frustration lately about SGA ... "Moebius" really helped me remember that the Stargate series (both of them) are first and foremost -- space opera. The sheer and utter goofiness of Our Intrepid Heroes sneaking around an ancient Egyptian pyramid circa 3000 B.C. (with all attendant cliches), or the dorky fun of Alt!Sam and Alt!Daniel ... it's not meant to be serious, any of it. Stargate started out as a riff on the "pyramids were built by aliens" conspiracy theory, after all.

There is nothing wrong with keeping the critical-reader part of one's mind open when viewing TV. There's nothing wrong with being upset over certain plotting decisions. Really! But all the meta and criticism and hyper-analysis (from people including yours truly) tends to lose sight of the fact that this is not an uber-realistic franchise. It's a show about a bunch of misfits blowing up evil aliens, for pete's sake.

"Moebius" is goofy as hell and is such a beautiful example of all that this franchise can do RIGHT, when it just lets go of realism and continuity and all those things that we spend so much time nitpicking over.

(And, poor Kowalski! He just can't win in any timeline, can he? I always did like him ...)

Comments

[sp23.livejournal.com]

Funny thing, I really didn't like Moebius when it first aired, and yet, on the second viewing, I completely fell in love with it - especially the Alt!Sam/McKay parts. LMAO!

[sholio]

I think you probably have to be in the right mood for it. I just really needed something light and fun. And boy, did this do it! Poor Sam, trying to escape from lecherous alt-McKay! HEE! And now I'm thinking of all sorts of tags, like alt!Rodney and alt!Sheppard running into each other in this timeline (after SG-1 totally disappears their only puddlejumper!).

[abyssinia4077.livejournal.com]

I'm amused that I just finished watching "Red Sky" (I've only recently discovered SG-1 and I'm just hitting S5) and throwing things at the tv over how very bad Sam's science was and then checked my flist to find this post.

It's good to be reminded sometimes that I'm not supposed to take this seriously and I should just sit back, enjoy my misfits blowing up aliens. And remember that Jack is way more consistently fun to yell at than Sam.

[nonniemous.livejournal.com]

I absolutely loved "Moebius", and Alt!Sam and Alt!Daniel were a large part of it. When they're given the non-disclosure agreements and Daniel questions them and then Sam just *grabs* hers and signs--you can almost see her tongue sticking out when she does it! And then they finally, finally let Jack and Sam make out! *g*

Hmmm...I may have just talked myself into buying Seasons 8 and 9 on DVD.

[sholio]

Hee! They're such a couple of adorable dorkballs!

Oh, and even though I'm not a slasher (and the episode was obviously Sam/Jack shippy), I just had to giggle over Alt!Jack's comment about Daniel ("I always thought he was ... er..."). I just love it when they goof on that.

[sholio]

LOL! Yeah. THE PAIN of the show's science and plots sometimes. And yet, the fun of the goofiness! And the characters! SIgh ... it's really a terrible show to get uber-meta-y about. But a fun one to just enjoy.

Dang ... I need to make myself some SG-1 icons.

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Moebius is amazing, and not only because it explains where the all-saving-from-the-Wraith-Siege ZPM comes from.

AT is fantastic in these eps. She doesn't often get a chance to be funny, which is a shame, because she's an excellent comedic actress. And Alt!Daniel - OMG that wig! Could it have been any worse?

Plus Rodney being a total letch - while wearing a 'Mr Fantastic' t-shirt!

You should get season 8 at least. There's some really good episodes - that you'll want to see again and again.

[abyssinia4077.livejournal.com]

THE PAIN of the show's science and plots sometimes

No kidding. My mom and I have been watching it together and, well, I'm a scientist and she's an anthropologist/archaeologist and so we alternate between getting excited when they get things right and yelling loudly at the tv when they're wrong. And, well, yelling at Jack to watch Star Trek already and think about the Prime Directive just a little. But he makes us laugh enough that we just can't hate him.

But it's still fun. And it has Daniel.

[atlantis-fan.livejournal.com]

I have to admit Mobious confused the hell out of me the first time I watched it ... and I've only seen it once so maybe I need to see it again.

Fact is I still don't understand the ending and it makes me uncomfortable because either:
A) the team we saw at the begining was our SG1 which means they did go back in time and died there and the team we see at the end is a brand new AU that was created and there for whatever follows is with the new AU...

or B) the team we saw in the begining was actually an AU team and they went back in time and died and the team we saw in the end is OUR team - meaning the whole episode had to do with another AU and had nothing to do with our team meaning the episode didn't really need to happen...

Either way leaves me a bit confused and not really all that excited about the episode.... which is probably why for me SG1 ended with Treads and skips Mobious... seasons 9 and 10 with Mitchell have become boring to me so I haven't really been watching any more... *shrug*

[sholio]

Yeah, she's really a lot more versatile than she often gets to be; I think that's one reason why I like her in the eps with McKay, because she often gets to play "funny" opposite him.

I really need to sit down and get caught up on all the SG-1 I missed. This past summer, I tried doing it from the beginning, but there's just too much of it; we watched season 1 and then stalled out, because a lot of the early season episodes we've seen multiple times already. (Although, with SGA now, it's fun to see how all the Ancient stuff was gradually introduced to the series.) I've been watching episodes piecemeal; I'm thinking about picking up with Season 7, since I know that from there to the end of 9 I've only seen an occasional ep every once in a while.

[sholio]

With the alternate history episodes, you kinda just have to shrug and go with it ... kind of like "Before I Sleep" in SGA. In fact, the situation is pretty similar there, because Elizabeth changed history so that our team didn't die, but they still died the first time (and original Elizabeth lived out her life in the past). This is similar -- yes, our team died in the past (twice, in fact) but the current versions are (apparently) identical in all ways except they didn't go back in time.

You just have to grin and bear it. :D

I really disliked Browder in Farscape but I'm liking him as Cam. And I'm also feeling warmer towards him in Pegasus Project now that I'm getting to know the character in SG-1 (and that he's not at all a person who would bully someone).

Even if you're not watching SG-1 anymore, you should watch this week's episode because alt-Rodney is so cute. Billionaire Rodney in glasses! He's like Bruce Wayne!

[sholio]

*laughs* My poor sister is a geneticist; she loves SGA but the science drives her batty!

Luckily I'm a liberal arts major, so while I do notice stuff, mostly I can just grin and ignore it.

I kinda get a kick out of their complete, total disregard for anything resembling the Prime Directive. Jack in particular, Mr. "Earth Cultural References R' Us". They must just leave behind planet after planet of very confused people.

[atlantis-fan.livejournal.com]

With the alternate history episodes, you kinda just have to shrug and go with it ...

Oh yeah I know! :O) It's one of those things where it's best not to think about it to much otherwise you're brain goes boom beause of paradox that was created...

Even if you're not watching SG-1 anymore, you should watch this week's episode because alt-Rodney is so cute. Billionaire Rodney in glasses! He's like Bruce Wayne!

I heard about that! :O) I'll probably wait until it comes back on tv rather than downloading it though. I'm still kind of keeping an eye on SG1 to see what they end up doing but for the most part it's over for me. *shrug*

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's a good way to go. Season 7 onward has got most of the Ancienty (thanks for that word, John) stuff in it.

Have you seen 'Citizen Joe'? I'm guessing 'ye' - as it's on the 'Moebius' disc. That ep scales peaks in its metaness. (If John Sheppard can make up words, I can too) Plus, the scene that they ripped off...erm I mean 'borrowed the premise from' for 'The Game'. I love that ep!

[winter-elf.livejournal.com]

oh, I loved Moebius, and that's one I watch quite regularly :) Yea, I loved the Egypt parts, the whole alt realty versions, the whole screw up/do over was a scream, and yea, aliens and pyramids! :) best exchange EVER was Real Daniel asking Alt crew 'uhm, where am I?', Teal'c's 'I killed you,', Daniels little confused look of 'Why?', Teal'c 'You were a Goa'uld', and Daniel's total 'Oh, good reason'. HA! Moebius IS goofy, and I love it.

Re: pain in the *** alt!McKay and alt!Sheppard, now that would be a scream! :)

[sholio]

Yeah, I love how they had to keep fixing the timeline as they kept screwing it up! The doofs! And oh, there was SO much good dialogue. And my jaw dropped when Daniel got killed. I was totally not expecting that. But I should have known that if somebody's alternate self was gonna die, it would be him!

[kirei-seimei.livejournal.com]

Moebius is probably one of my favourite episodes ever. It has it all: time travel/alt dimensions, alt!Rodney, Sam and Daniel (I love the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between "our" versions and the "alt" versions: twitches, likes and dislikes, hairstyles)... and it even had Battlestar Galactica's Felix Gaeta guest-starring as Katep!

Derry talks about you on her LJ, I can't believe I haven't checked out your LJ before...

[sholio]

Well, hello! :) I think that I do remember you from the discussions on Derry's LJ. As it happens, I'm getting caught up on my LJ-ing tonight and I just went through and unlocked a bunch of locked posts ... I'd been locking all my episode reactions, due to the episodes not being available in the US, but I realized that this was very silly since it's not like they're this big gigantic SECRET ... so, yeah. Unlocking frenzy.

Moebius was awesome. I want to watch it again! As you said, some of the neatest differences were the little things -- Rodney's comment about lemon chicken, for example. Not just cute reminders that we're in a different reality (though that, too) but little bones tossed for quick fans to pick up on.