Quickie post on Tabula Rasa before bed

[sholio]

Must sleep! But first -- that episode was squee! Teyla and Ronon saved the day! And not in their usual "roles" either -- Ronon in particular, who basically saved the day with brains and with heart, two things that he's not in short supply of, but doesn't get to display much either...

We've been getting so much nice team-bonding lately that it actually made a nice change to have an episode that wasn't about the team as a unit, but rather, the characters as individuals. We got to see the characters interacting in lots of combinations -- Sheppard and Ronon, Ronon and Teyla, Teyla and Rodney, Rodney and Sam, Keller and Ronon, Sheppard and Lorne, Zelenka and Rodney and Sam, Rodney and Keller, Rodney and Katie ... it was just a really fantastic episode for the whole cast, even though Rodney got a bit more screen time than the others.

Of course, being me, I'm never going to complain about an episode that has the whole cast (well, most of them) sick and disoriented, plus Lorne hopped up on stimulants. :D And Rodney is a good boyfriend! That made me happy, because it just shows how far he's come as a person; and even though I'm not overly enthusiastic about romance on the show in general, I've thought that Katie was adorable, and she and Rodney were very cute together, since her first appearance in Duet. I honestly thought they'd killed her at the end, though, and I was all braced for poor Rodney to be devastated, but she lived ... and I really wonder where they're going from here, because they're actually serious now as a couple -- he fell asleep at her bedside! and she named a cactus after him! I really do wonder how this is all going to develop, and if it's going to affect the team dynamic at all...

The scenes with Ronon and John, in the jumper and on the mainland, were just fantastic -- Ronon steering around disoriented Sheppard and getting him to fly; the matter-of-fact use of the stunner to keep Sheppard out of trouble (okay, seriously, HOW many times has he shot Sheppard with that gun now?); and using their friendship to get through to amnesiac, ultra-paranoid John .... all together now, awwwwwwwww.

Little bitty squee moments, in no particular order:

Rodney's "Five bucks says you'll start losing your memory first!" to John. Oh, boys.

Zelenka in paranoid-commando mode! He must actually be pretty good at it, since he managed to elude a whole platoon of paranoid, ultra-alert soldiers.

Rodney pestering Keller ... with his tingling knees. Poor Keller. She has no idea what she's getting herself into with these people.

Ronon realizing that he and Teyla are immune to the disease! Seriously, Ronon having medical knowledge is canon now! Another bit of my personal fanon for him clicks into place!

John waking up with the world's worst case of bed-head, all sleepy and disoriented. Oh! And his little freakout when he realized that McKay wasn't with the others. (I also find it cute that he'd expected they'd all be together, and be there when he woke up. All together now, again: Awwwwww! But of course, they knew John would be okay at that point, and plus he had other people to stay with him, while Katie was badly ill, so I don't blame Rodney for being elsewhere.)

Teyla petting Rodney's arm when she's trying to encourage him. Have I "awwww'd" enough for this episode yet?

This isn't a squee moment, really, but I liked the scenes with John and Carter working together as leaders, and especially that moment where he tells her about arming Lorne's men, and she expresses her concerns before acknowledging the necessity of it. I thought that was a really interesting contrast with the way that "Hot Zone" (and similar episodes) played out between John and Elizabeth -- a very stark demonstration of what a different perspective Carter has on the whole matter of Atlantis defense than Elizabeth did. I'm not saying Carter's right and Elizabeth was wrong, or vice versa, but Carter's certainly MUCH more willing to entertain the military solutions that Elizabeth would have resisted. This is another area where I really wonder how things will play out over the remainder of the season.

Other random stuff: When the scene first flashed back from the present to the past, my first thought was "Oh, dammit, not AGAIN!" -- because they've done that before, and I'm NOT fond of the dramatic technique of jumping into the middle of the action and then cutting immediately to a flashback. (If you're going to plunge into the middle of the action right off the bat -- which, actually, I like -- for pete's sake stay there!) But ultimately, I really enjoyed the way they interwove the past and present in this episode, dangling the little mysteries of where each character had gone (I was really curious about Sheppard in particular, since he just seemed to have vanished!) and linking up the various plotlines. And Rodney, all confused and scared but doing his best anyway ...! I just liked how pretty much every character got nice scenes and had their moment in the sun.

I'm not gonna say too much about the disease, because, well ... I've been wanting them to address the whole issue of Pegasus vs. Milky Way microbes ever since the beginning, and while I'm glad they finally did, sort of, I'm not too happy with the way they did it, which made it out to be an isolated incident that required [x] [y] and [z] special condition to happen ... thereby neatly sidestepping all the bajillion real-world problems of isolated populations coming into contact and swapping germs ... But on the other hand, this is one of those things (like the thing with everyone speaking the same language) where you really CAN'T explain it away without having to basically rewrite the last four seasons -- so I'll just be happy that I got an epidemic episode and not worry too much about the HOW of it all.

Okay, aargh, I really have GOT to go to sleep now! But this episode cries out for missing scenes, it really does...

Comments

[spike21.livejournal.com]

*nods*
I also loved the ep for many of these reasons. I thought it was gripping and I was seriously worried for people at several points, especially Katie and Zelenka! But it also made me worry for the expedition as a whole -- it's all so fragile! There are so many places where fanfic could go quite dark with this ep.

Also I heart Rodney/Katie and their sweet and awkward lurve... *g*

[sholio]

Yeah, this could have been very bad! I think I'm just a terrible sucker for epidemic storylines in general. So many story possibilities! And they are so very isolated, and such a small community; there are so many things that could totally wipe them off the map. It's scary to contemplate, but I really enjoy getting episodes that remind us of that.

I find Rodney and Katie quite adorable; I've always had a secret kink for shy, awkward romance, and Rodney and Katie hit it hard. *g*

[annieb1955.livejournal.com]

Is it awful of me to say I wish they'd kill the Rodney/Katie storyline. I don't like the character at all, never have and I actually had hoped Rodney at her bedside would have been because she died. I know that's sounds mean but she's not a character I've ever been able to get to like.

[blade-girl.livejournal.com]

I agree. It's like they put no thought at all into writing the character, gave her next to no personality, then hired the blandest actress with no chemistry with Hewlett at all that they could find.

And I know a lot of people think it's cute that they are so awkward with each other and everything, but I find it kind of weird. They've been seeing each other - even if it's been off-and-on - a really, really long time now! They shouldn't be awkward and shy with one another, they should be familiar and at ease. It's like the writers think, "Well, we've only written them together on camera about three times, so let's forget that *years* have passed with them dating or even just living on the same base, and write this episode like it's only the fourth time they've seen each other!" It's just a little stupid!

[sholio]

Out of curiosity, what is it that you don't like about Katie? Is it a reaction to the actress, or something else? It seems like a lot of the complaints that I've seen about her seem to distill down to the fact that she's shy and sweet -- which just seems really sad to me; it seems like a lot of fans would rather see Rodney in a relationship with a tough, pushy woman (or with John *g*) but I'm happy that he's been paired off with someone who brings out his softer side and isn't likely to break his heart. Of course, my big romance-kink has always been for shy sweet romance as opposed to brash and bickering romance, which means that Rodney and Katie hit that button pretty hard. *g*

[kodiak-bear.livejournal.com]

You know, other than DG, I've been kind of lukewarm but I did enjoy this episode and for all the reasons you mentioned -- except katie brown. Her storyline is just meh for me. But then I'm a jealous brat and would've preferred not to lose screen time at the end to that scene and rather have Rodney with the others. *iz shameless* Though I've got to say, I'm glad they at least gave him a girl who *is* matched to him. They make a cute couple. I'd just rather they keep it 'off screen'.

[sholio]

I find Rodney/Katie very sweet, but I certainly wouldn't want to see them all the time. The show, for me, is about the team, but I appreciate the touches that do imply that they have relationships and hobbies and lives outside the group. (Actually, one of the -- many -- things that really, really sold me on John was that we occasionally see him off by himself, reading. Drop-dead love for the character and the show, right there! Because you don't have to spend every minute with your friends/family, and I like seeing them do their own thing, too.)

Not that I didn't get a twinge of "Dangit, I wish Rodney'd been there when John woke up." I am just that shallow. *g* It makes more sense that he'd be with Katie at this point, since John's not in any danger and Katie is ... but yeah, I got that twinge!

(And Doppelganger was pure delight ... I think it's topped my favorite-episodes list, and that's really saying something!)

[mitchy.livejournal.com]

*reads first line to see if you liked it* Yay! *scrolls down with eyes closed to post comment* Good. I'll be able to watch it later, good to know it's better than last week. :D

[sholio]

Oh yes, I definitely thought so!

[trystings.livejournal.com]

Oh total squee episode. Rodney scribbling clues on his arms with a black marker and leaving himself messages. Awww! And Lorne with his picture. "Lt. Col Sheppard. He is your commanding officer. TRUST HIM!" AWWWWW! And John so amnesic he doesn't recognize the controls of his own puddle jumper. His baby! Ronon had to show him where to sit! AWWWWWWWWWW! Ronon and Teyla were awesome. I loved it that they got to save the day. It's too bad that most of the time they're limited to intimidating people or hanging back and waiting for instructions. Yay. Great episode.

[sholio]

This episode was a squeefest! Rodney's notes all over his arms were simultaneously cool and sad and creepy -- there's just an insane-ward-patient kind of feeling to it. It was interesting how both Teyla and Ronon took essentially the same tactic with Rodney and John, reminding them that deep down they still know how to do what they do -- Rodney to fix the city, John to fly the jumper.

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Very cool episode, and the first time I've not found Katie annoying, though I wish Rodney would just KISS her or something.

There were aspects to this that were very much like a film called "Memento" (a very, very good film - never seen anything like it) so I was desperately hoping that after Ronon compliments John on his idea about the Polaroid that it would be a "yeah, I saw it in this movie" moment. Very good movie - I highly recommend it - and no I've not spoilt the movie for anyone!

I was so happy that Teyla and Ronon were the heroes, and that we got to see Teyla working in sync with Rodney and showing that her covering in "Aurora" wasn't just a fluke, the woman has brains and education - whether on Athos, or that she's been learning since. Ronon - hmm not so much - I thought his realisation about the immunity was common sense, nothing else - sorry. And is it me or does Rachel just get more and more beautiful as time goes on?

Ronon was so chatty! Have we seen him talk so much at one time before? Very cool. I loved his "this never gets old" as he shot John and tied him up (hmm where have we seen that before?) though I think what he was wearing was still alive.

I liked that Carter was not one of the soldier group, and that they made it very clear that while Carter is in charge of the whole expedition, she is not the military commander. Lorne was fantastic - his second pseudo-psycho performance in three episodes, and Dr Z - I love him so much - hitting Marines over the heads with poles!

I'm beginning to like Keller - it takes time for me to warm up to new characters - particularly women, so I'm finally getting there.

And a whole load of canon vs fanon material! Heh.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I think they could have been a little more consistent with the tricks from Memento--why is Lorne the only one with a Polaroid, and why doesn't he have one of Teyla or Ronon?--but on the whole I liked it.

though I think what he was wearing was still alive
:)

[sholio]

I did think of Memento while I was watching this! I'm not sure if it was actually a deliberate nod to the film on the part of the writers or just a coincidence of plot similarity, though. (But I am quite amused that the characters might actually have come up with their tactics for dealing with their amnesia by watching the movie! Hey, it's Sheppard and McKay ... why not?)

Yes, not only Aurora but also in Phantoms we've seen Teyla working with technology. In fact, in Phantoms it was pretty evident that she knew more than just a little. I would LOVE to see a scene where Rodney or Zelenka teaches her something about how to fix broken tech; that would be so nifty!

Ronon's figuring out about the disease was certainly common sense, but wouldn't you need a fairly strong understanding of how disease actually works to realize that? Whether it's a nod to Melena or to the fact that Sateda was fairly developed and he would have been educated there, it's still a nice scene for him.

One thing I did find a bit odd was that Sam wasn't involved at ALL with trying to come up with a solution. She's a scientist too, but that seemed to be completely ignored here; granted, it's a medical problem not a scientific problem per se, but we've had "disease" episodes of SG-1 where she was actively involved with looking for a cure. And she could have helped Rodney with his programming. It just seemed vaguely strange to me. On the other hand, there was so MUCH in this episode that I'm not sure how they could have crammed in more.

And yeah, this episode gave you lots to work with on the canon vs fanon! I'm still enjoying it; I read your latest post, and now I need to hop over there and pick it apart ... after I'm done picking Tabula Rasa apart. *g*

[helen-c.livejournal.com]

Haven't watched S4 yet (though I'm glad to see that so far, aside from last week's ep, it seems to be good).

But on the other hand, this is one of those things (like the thing with everyone speaking the same language) where you really CAN'T explain it away without having to basically rewrite the last four seasons
I think I saw the Gate being used as a universal translator in one of the SG1 novelizations... Maybe it also rematerializes the people without the germs they had been carrying?(though probably not, since that would kill them). Heh.

That's the beauty of Sci-Fi. You can put your brain on hold, and say, "The Ancients took care of it."

But I agree that it would be nice to see this adressed at some point. For all we know, they all have a fish in their ear...

[sholio]

I've seen the "gate as universal translator" used in a lot of fic, because really, it's the only way to sort of vaguely explain it. (Although frankly, I wish nobody would TRY to explain it, because really, when you start picking that apart, it collapses -- why doesn't it work on Earth languages such as Czech? Why does it leave some people with accents but not others? Why does it work on people like Caldwell and the Daedalus crew, who have never been through a gate? Etc...)

And I think I've also seen the gate-as-sterilizer done ... either that or I contemplated using it in a story awhile back; I forget which. *g* But that's another area where the more you try to think about it, the less sense it makes.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Great minds think alike again! I'm kind of glad I posted my review before I read your bit, because I might have gone, "Shoot, mine isn't worth posting now!"

I too thought Katie was dead! (See my review for more details, if you want them.) I see a couple of commenters here don't like them, but I do. For me, Katie stays just this side of saccharine--and their interactions really work for me.

[sholio]

Yes, I think Katie could be cloying, but the way she's done, I actually find her a breath of fresh air in much the same way that Kaylee was on Firefly. So many female characters in sci-fi are stiff and serious, or else bitchy and hard to deal with -- I think I just find myself gravitating towards characters who seem like people that you'd want to invite over to a barbeque. *g*

And I can't get over how adorable it is that she named a cactus after Rodney. Her comment about its little spines just tipped me right over the edge. Some fans complained after Sunday that she doesn't really know him and she'll be disillusioned when she finds out. I think she already knows him quite well!

[tipper-green.livejournal.com]

Oh, we're totally on the same page! So glad you wrote this, because now I don't have to! LOL! My only other personal fanon note, besides Ronon having medical knowledge, was Teyla being the one to distribute it to the city using the program Rodney set up. One took the medical side, and the other the technical side, and...personally fanon happiness mode! LOL!

[sholio]

Ronon and Teyla were so awesome in this! It was really fantastic seeing them hold everyone together and save the day. And this is another occasion when we've seen Teyla helping Rodney with the technical stuff, so yay for personal fanon!

I think just in general, Ronon in this episode was written a lot more ... mature? than he normally acts. I love him with his hair-trigger temper and his Rodney-baiting, but I also really loved seeing that there is another side to him -- no one could survive what he's survived without being smart and cool in a crisis, and it was really wonderful to see that here.

And I'm probably going to be in an extreme minority of fandom, but I like Rodney/Katie; I think they're terribly cute! There is a wee little part of me that really wanted Rodney at Sheppard's bedside too -- but Sheppard isn't in any danger, and Katie is, so it does make more sense that he'd be there. Plus, Teyla and Ronon were there to sit with Sheppard and keep Rodney posted about his condition, but Katie didn't really seem to have anyone else. Like I've said in the past, I like how the main group of characters have independent lives and aren't joined at the hip, and as long as we keep getting episodes like Doppelganger that reassure me they aren't drifting apart, I'm perfectly happy to see that they have lives and ties outside the team.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Finally got to see it and oh! the squee. You hit most of the major points...

Gotta say I loooooved that Radek is the first & best to escape - he manages it even when the soldiers after him are still mostly compos mentis! Heh.

Yays for Teyla being the one to pair off with Rodney, guiding him and reassuring him. And Ronon with Sheppard was <3333

As for the Rodney/Katie stuff, I think they're cute enough, though I dunno...can't really see it lasting? Or getting that serious. (gnine is saying that Katie might die for real, as there's not much else to do with her character. 'Cuz, y'know, Carson wasn't enough to break Rodney into little angst-sized pieces for his team to put back together again.) Ah well, as long as it doesn't take time away from the teaminess, I'll manage.

Lastly, poor Lorne. He's spent a lot of time recently out of his mind!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

--on a moment's reflection, I guess it's not so much that I can't see Rodney/Katie lasting...Katie's character is so underdeveloped that it would be possible to make it work, depending on how she's fleshed out. But...I don't really want to see it. I've got a few couples I slash primarily because I don't want to see them paired off with anyone else, and while the SGA team isn't quite at that point, and I'm not interested in romance within the team, either...I'd just rather that than anything else. It's not that I really mind them having other relationships, so much as I've got no interest in seeing it.

(I also have decided my crack slash pairing du jour is Lorne/Zelenka! Oh yeah. It's McShep Lite!)

In conclusion, before I retire - Rodney was awesome in this ep, no???

[drufan.livejournal.com]

I'll stand up with you on the Rodney/Katie. It is nice to see a different side to McKay. And I like Katie...she a nice contrast to the abbrasive Rodney. Very good girl in naming a cactus after him!

This ep hit a lot of good solid moments. I liked the Momento feel. Whether it's a nod or not, the writer's might let us know, later. Group amnesia has been done on ST:TNG as well. This was another of the we've-seen-this-before type of story done well.

Team yumminess abounded along with the individual stories. I just really liked it. And on a personal kink moment...Shep in scrubs...mmm mmm good.

[sholio]

Hee! I can't help thinking, between this and the last two episodes, that Mallozzi & co. are actively catering to the "Shep whumper" contingent of the fandom -- because this is now the third straight episode with a Sheppard who's hurt, sick, woozy, beaten, etc. Not that I am inclined to complain about this...

As with Doppelganger, I loved seeing the whole city, the whole cast and all of the different interconnections between them. It's such a rich and diverse world that they've created. And hey, we got to see the mainland too!

[naye]

Awwwwwwwwww! XD

Well - um. I agree? With the squee! And with everything else, really. Oh, show! ♥ So happy with the team being team, and so happy with the role all the recurrings got to play this time - Carter and Keller and Zelenka and Lorne all had stuff to do; doing their jobs, running Atlantis, saving the day. And then Ronon is the one to come up with the whole immunity thing! And then Teyla is the one who can suggest a cure! And Ronon recognizes the medical plant! Awww. Really - so happy-making!

Oh, and I like Rodney and Katie. It's so nice to see Rodney smile - and she is adorable, all shy and awkward and naming plants after him. Little bristly cacti, hiding in the bushes. That's just - SO CUTE. ♥ I do kind of worry about where they'll go with the whole thing, but for now I'm just enjoying the adorableness. ^_^

Plus, it really was interesting to see Carter and Sheppard working together on a crisis. Mmm. Another thing I want to see how it will play out this season...

[sholio]

Little bristly cacti, hiding in the bushes. That's just - SO CUTE. ♥

I KNOW! It's such an adorably perfect plant for Rodney, in pretty much every way, that I can almost see Katie deciding she needs to name a plant after him and then spending hours and hours looking for just the right one. ^_^

And, as shy and awkward as he is around her, she really seems to make him happy, which is lovely to see. I'm not sure where this is headed; I have a really bad feeling that there's some sort of major tragedy down the road a ways, but I hope not because the last thing Rodney needs is to have someone else die on him! On the other hand, I don't really want the show to be about the romance, so I hope it stays in the background and just keeps on giving us cute glimpses in various episodes. (I realize that it wasn't exactly in the background in this one, but this was kind of a turning point for them, so ... we'll see.)

[parisntripfan.livejournal.com]

I loved this episode as much as you did - and for pretty much the same reasons. I loved the team feel to the episode and the way they worked together to save the city.

And I too like Rodney and Katie. Normally I am not a fan of cute...but this works. I love that we get to see this other side of Rodney. And it was just perfect that she names a plant after him. Not just any plant but a cactus. A plant is all prickly and pointy on the outside, but only to protect itself. If there ever was a plant to describe Rodney that would be it.

[roving-rez.livejournal.com]

"If there ever was a plant to describe Rodney that would be it"

I couldm't agree more - but did you see when she said the bristles would pierce skin, Rodney look happy/pleased. I got the impression that he liked the comparison.

[derry667.livejournal.com]

Heh. I was gonna squee about this episode, but you've gone and done the job for me. I'm tempted to put a link in my LJ and just label it "What she said" ;-P

Yes, the TEAMNESS of this episode was utterly squeeful! Everybody filling a role and, as you said, not necessarily their "traditional" role on the show. I did particularly love the way hyped-up-on-stims Lorne and comando Zelenka were written and played.

It's interesting that because of your comments on last weeks episode, I actually came into watching this one with a sceptical eye - because "everyone loses their memories" has been done by many shows in the genre. But in this episode, SGA did it really WELL and in a way that was not like the I've seen it done in other shows. So I went from sceptic to squeeful in about 0.5 secs flat.

Actually, I'm surprised by how much I liked Katie Brown in this episode. WhenI first saw her in "Duet", I thought her to be a weak and borderline annoying character who was fine for a one-off character but who definitely should NOT be recurring. Her appearance in the Un-Gero episode was probably lost in my general dissatisfaction for that ep as a whole. But in THIS episode I actually liked Katie and now I have no problem with her remaining a "comfortable background girlfriend" for Rodney in the same way that Laura Cadman was for Carson. I honestly don't think that Rodney/Katie will ever become a Great Love Story, but as background colour, I think it'll be fine by me.

And Teyla! Y'know she's a character that I originally found annoying (a sort of "alien princess Mary Sue", if you will) and in the first half of the first season, I would have been quite happy if she'd been killed off to make way for another more interesting character. Now, I can't fathom how and why I thought that way. In some ways, the most amazing part of her character development has been its subtlety. There weren't huge bells and whistles. She got under my guard without me even realising it! Now, I'm firmly in the "Teyla Rocks!" camp. And while I'm still very take-it-or-leave-it when it comes to romances on any of the shows I watch, I might have thrown something if they'd done canonical John/Teyla in the first season - now, I'm again wait-and-see about it. If done right, it could be okay.

The John and Rodney stuff was just right for a Team ep like this - not too much and not too little. Yes, the "bet you lose your memory first" thing was so utterly them - and slipped in easily while they were both so competently doing their jobs. And John's "Where's McKay" at the end was just perfect for me because "on paper" it says so little and yet the underlying meaning of the words says so very MUCH!. Squee, squee and double SQUEE!!!

I must admit that I had little medical history geekout over the way they wrote the "alien bacteria" problem. It so closely mirrors Edward Jenner's original vaccination experiments that I couldn't help but see it as sort of "tribute" to a pivotal event in (Earth's) medical history. I usually just put on my "ignore medical unreality" goggles when watching my favourite shows, but in this case, my "nod to historical events" trigger went off and without any of the bashing over the head with it or cheese overload that can sometimes be associated with such things.

And Sam? I avoided most of the pre-season griping by fans about her introduction as a regular character, but now after 6 eps I find myself not really sure what I think about it. She HASN'T usurped Rodney's nor John's roles in the way some people predicted. Rodney is still very much THE scientist and John THE military leader of the expedition, but that has left Sam herself with very little to do. As far as I can see, her character is falling into the same trap that Elizabeth's character did. There's no real role for her to make her own. Sure she "fits in" okay, but she doesn't "stand out". If you know what I mean?

[sholio]

LOL! What, us? Sharing a brain again? Never! :p

I'm glad you've come to like Katie; as noted above (I think; I've sort of forgotten a lot of what I wrote!) I've liked Katie since Duet, although at the time I hadn't a clue that she'd be anything more than just a one-off guest star. But I think the comparison to Cadman/Beckett is valid, and yes, that's the role for her that I'd be happiest with: McKay's background girlfriend, occasionally seen, but not playing an especially large role in the storylines. (Heh ... I think at least some of my original fondness for Katie was simply because the fandom as a whole seemed to hate her, which made me look at her and go "WTF are you people going on about? She's not that bad!")

I think John/Teyla would be a verrrrry hard sell for me, though I'm not saying the show couldn't do it. I love Teyla (far more than I ever thought I would) and I love John, of course, but together, in canon? I'm still in the "throwing things at the TV" camp on that one. *g* I think mostly, I'm just deeply concerned about the effect on the team dynamic of introducing a romance between any two of them. But again, I don't want to say "It's going to suck! I'm going to stop watching the show if they do that!" I hope they don't go down that road, but I'm willing to sit back and see what they do.

I second your squee on the "Where's McKay" bit ... although there is a little part of me that really wanted to see Rodney at John's bedside with the others! But Katie was in much worse shape, so it made more sense that he'd be there -- and the moment of worry (as well as that being the very FIRST place where John's brain went, as fuzzy as he still was) said so much.

I think it's funny that I had medical/historical issues with the show this time in an area where you didn't! All well and good, though ... and I suppose there's no point now in writing the "Pegasus contagion on Atlantis!" story that was percolating around in the back of my head, since the show's already gone there! They keep filming my fanfics! On the other hand, if they keep filming them this well, I have absolutely nothing to complain about.

She HASN'T usurped Rodney's nor John's roles in the way some people predicted. Rodney is still very much THE scientist and John THE military leader of the expedition, but that has left Sam herself with very little to do. As far as I can see, her character is falling into the same trap that Elizabeth's character did. There's no real role for her to make her own. Sure she "fits in" okay, but she doesn't "stand out". If you know what I mean?

No, I know exactly what you mean, and this is why, from a character dynamic perspective, I STILL think it would've been better to bring over Daniel or Vala, someone who add something really new to the cast rather than fitting into a role on the show that was already being quite ably filled. Because really, with Sam, there were only two ways they could go -- either she'd usurp or weaken Rodney's or John's position (which was what most people were afraid of) ... or she'd have nothing special to do! And the second route seems to be the one they've gone. I'm really not unhappy with the overall lack of Sam -- not because I hate her, but just because I watch Atlantis for the team, and I agree with Wraithfodder's comments under mine that Sam's already had 10 seasons of character development; I think I might begrudge a very Sam-centric episode because she's already gotten a lot of that, and I'd rather see that screen time go to characters who haven't been given quite as much. But without having her overtake Rodney or John, I can't think of much that they can do with her. It might be nice to see an episode that really plays up her new "leader" role, where she has to negotiate in a crisis -- but that's something that could have been just as easily done with Elizabeth, so what's unique to Sam about that situation? There is simply very little that can be done with her without overlapping on other characters' roles or making her out to be a sort of Elizabeth stand-in ... and I don't know how that can be fixed.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Agreed. This is probably the best episode of the season so far as it was fun, had the team, whump, and no discernible gaping plot holes ;)

I'm okay with not much Sam, only because I don't want to see a lot of Sam. She's supposedly in a support role (so said Mallozzi). I like Sam, but after ten years of her, I'd rather see all the SGA characters (the original ones) blossom. Teyla deserves more time as they've woefully ignored her in the past seasons. And in this episode, she got to shine.

[sholio]

Yeah, as far as being a strong, well-written episode, I think this is the best so far! Doppelganger has a slight edge on my "personal favorites" list, but this one is right up there, and I think we're off to a fantastic start on the season.

And I agree with you on Sam for exactly the reason that you gave. I don't want to see her vilified and I don't want to see her stuck off-camera most of the time, because I like Sam. But in ten years of SG-1, she's had a wonderful amount of screen time and lots of storylines that put her through her paces; I want the SGA team members to get their moments in the sun too (and I'm very happy to see Teyla and Ronon getting some more screen time than they have in the past!).

[alipeeps.livejournal.com]

How did I miss this post of yours before now?!

I agree with pretty much all of what you've written here. Just such a superb episode for all the team - and recurring characters - where everyone actually had a relevant role to play in the story. Nobody was just window-dressing here, the story managed to serve all the characters involved. Loved seeing Ronon and Teyla saved the day, loved the concept of a microbe which would effect only the Earth folks and not the Pegasus galaxy natives (I agree with you that this is a scenario which is long overdue - realistically it would be a major concern). LOVED amnesiac Sheppard and he and Ronon together... awwwww! Ronon actually expressing - in words - the depth of their friendship? *dies*

And the infirmary scene. Oh my, the infirmary scene. First time ever we've actually seen Sheppard in the infirmary and still looking ill/recovering (other than times in Conversion when he was unconscious). Loved him waking up all woozy, LOVED that the cure hit him harder than others, LOVED the team waiting there for him.. oh just so much to love! :lol:

And missing scenes? Oh my yes.... *scurries off to carry on writing* :D