sholio | SGA: Kindred pt 2...

Um. Not so happy here. About one specific thing in the episode, at least.

Okay, so remember how my huge DO NOT WANT for this season was that I did not want a monster baby for Teyla?

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Okay, now that I've got that out of my system...

I totally called the Carson thing! (Edit: Actually,

naye called that one, pretty much. I'd been thinking along the same lines, but she's the one who really laid the theory out in the open, so she ought to have credit.) Except I didn't expect the degeneration. Overall, I was happy that we got a lot of Rodney/Carson interaction -- I also liked the Carson/Keller bits and I loved Ronon's overall awkwardness with the whole situation, right up to the hug at the end, and the sad way he laid his head down on Carson's shoulder? That was pretty much my dose of "awwwwwww" for the episode. Awwwwww!

But aside from that little scene at the beginning where they're outside the isolation room, we really didn't get any reaction scenes with the others discussing and digesting the whole situation, and that left the whole thing feeling kind of flat to me. I think in particular what I wanted was *something* with Rodney getting support from his team, or Sheppard, or even Carter, who's done the whole "He's dead! Oh wait! He's back!" thing too many times to count. Presumably, there would have been scenes like that during the slow times in the middle of the episode -- while Carson and Keller are working at the microscopes, for example. But I wanted to see~! There was lots of stuff with Carson, which was nice, but I didn't really get the sort of emotional impact and teaminess that I wanted from the episode. Maybe I just wanted too much ...?

I did appreciate the fact that Rodney, at least, recognized that a Carson clone with all Carson's memories *is* Carson, for all intents and purposes, which is something that they didn't seem willing to acknowledge with the RepliTeam. I liked Rodney's protectiveness, even to the point of pushing Carson out of the way of bullets and covering him in the field. And ohhh, I hurt for Rodney, having to vicariously relive the deaths of Elizabeth and Original!Carson ... and then losing him AGAIN. And Sheppard, losing Teyla, maybe permanently. I think they (and Ronon ... that sad little hug still breaks me) need to go get really drunk together now.

And they got the Athosians back! Well, most of them! (Er, aside from the dead ones and the really *important* one, of course.) That was pretty neat. Once they get back Teyla AND HER BABY, she'll have somewhere to go.

In conclusion, I'm utterly unspoiled for the season finale and hoping to stay that way (haven't even watched the previews, don't have a clue what to expect other than the title) ... and then we'll be done with the season!

EDIT: Okay, now that I've had time to think and digest the episode a little bit, I'm feeling a lot better about most of what bugged me, emotionally. I think the problem *was* that I had certain sorts of scenes I wanted to see, and we didn't see them, and I was irked by that. But I did like what we got! (Well, except for the Teyla thing. NOT GOING THERE.)

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I think the Teyla thing kind of tainted my enjoyment of the episode -- that, and I kept going through the whole second half, "Okay, someone comfort Rodney already!" Now that I've gotten past that, looking back on it, I'm really liking it more and more all the while. They *did* give us lots of emotional scenes and lots of character interaction, way more than I was expecting. And, oh, Rodney ... he's just changed so much in the last four years, hasn't he? Of course he'd risk his life for Teyla! And he's breaking with everything that's going on with Carson, and he's trying to spend time with him, and protect him ... oh, Rodney!

EDIT: But, hey! They used the stasis pods in a medical emergency! That's done in fanfic all the time, but it never seems to occur to them on the show. So yay for that!

Edited 2008-03-01 19:49 (UTC)

I'm glad it's not so bad in retrospect! Like I said, I really enjoyed it, for a lot of the little moments and looks and Carson, and even though I was going nooooooo~ at Michael getting at Teyla, her baby isn't a monster baby yet.

And, oh, RODNEY! I know! His last words to Carson, his manic refusal to say goodbye, his offers of setting Carson up fishing in the highlands... to be honest, the last scene made me cry. Which SGA almost never does, and I feel like a total wimp, but - but - CARSON! And I loved Rodney being the one to come talk to him, and the way he had to break the news about - well, everything. By the way? You're not Carson. And by the way? Carson is actually dead. And, no, you can't speak to Elizabeth, because she's dead. (I was imagining Carson going "...I think I need to see Heightmeyer now", and Rodney's "..." reply, at which Carson would just stare at him, and Rodney would snap "WHAT? It's been a bad year, okay?")

Yeah, I really *am* liking the episode more and more, the more I think about it! I think I'm realizing that part of the problem, too, is on a very deep emotional level I've kind of "written off" Carson -- he's almost an OC to me at this point, so I kinda had to get back in touch with the part of me that used to really like him and enjoy his interactions with Rodney and everybody. And now I think I need to go watch some of the scenes again, being a little more alert for emotional nuance. And maybe write a tag where Rodney gets a little love, because ... OH RODNEY.

Ohoh oh, totally on board with the you writing Rodney getting a little love tag! Me likes this idea a lot! ^_^

That's interesting! I think - I don't remember exactly, but I think I actually watched Sunday with a person who had very little grasp of my spoiler avoidance, and decided to cheer me up by telling me he was going to come back? Or... I know I found out about his return really soon after watching Sunday - possible even before watching it! So I never did the full detach - I put him on hold for a while, waiting for him to come back... so when he did, I could just switch all my feelings for him back on. And I've missed him! And I like him! So it made me very happy to see him again - and to see him be brave and compassionate and determined and Carson, and to see his interactions with protective Rodney... Oh.

Also? Seconding

gnine's opinions on writing a happy tag (of sorts) for them! ♥

I just realized that I should have totally given *you* credit for the clone-Carson theory -- I mean, it'd been something I'd been thinking about, but YOU were the one who really laid it out with all the details, so I've edited my post above to give you credit for that. :)

Yeah ... with me, I found out that Carson was leaving in the middle of season 3, so I went through a whole emotionally-pulling-back thing up until "Sunday" actually aired, and by that point I'd kinda managed to detach myself from the character (which was helped along by the "best friend" comment at the end, which -- on a purely irrational level -- *really* rubbed me the wrong way! Rodney's "one of the best friends I've ever had" in this episode -- which, OMG, he actually said to his face! -- is how I thought they SHOULD have phrased it back then.)

Anyway, I kinda separated myself from the character as a defense mechanism, so having him come back and getting back into the mode of emotionally connecting to him again was a lot harder than I was expecting!

Awww - thanks! I mean, I thought you were totally right to say you call it, but still - thank you. ♥ (In the end, though, I think it was a theory that was more a product of fangirl hivemind than anything else -

gnine was saying the exact same things about it when I talked to her on the phone about it! XD)

Yeah ... with me, I found out that Carson was leaving in the middle of season 3, so I went through a whole emotionally-pulling-back thing up until "Sunday"...

This is such an interesting example of how spoilers have affected both our viewing the show - and not just for the specific episodes spoiled, either! I think it says a lot about why we're the type to stay away from them - they really get to us, whether we want them to or not.

Rodney's "one of the best friends I've ever had" in this episode -- which, OMG, he actually said to his face!

I noticed that! Both that he said it to his face (oh, Rodney!), and that it was phrased differently than in "Sunday". I approve!

(I was imagining Carson going "...I think I need to see Heightmeyer now", and Rodney's "..." reply, at which Carson would just stare at him, and Rodney would snap "WHAT? It's been a bad year, okay?")

XDDDDDD that's so wrong and so right and so funny either way!

I'm glad you approve! XD

EDIT: But, hey! They used the stasis pods in a medical emergency! That's done in fanfic all the time, but it never seems to occur to them on the show. So yay for that!

SG-1 did it with Jack? But it's true - it hasn't been used on Atlantis! They're being very clever. And now they've got yet another really good motivator to find X and make sure generator Y works without any hitch...

i loved that at the end when they froze carson they all kind of stood around as if to say they really didn't want to have to walk away and leave him....

I cried like a baby at the end...seriously...it killed me :(

SGA: Kindred pt 2...

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I am writing this in my sleep

Re: I am writing this in my sleep

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