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No proper SGU icon, so Atlantis will have to do
We've been on something of a TV binge since the husband got through a big busy time at work (in the interests of giving him some brain down-time before the other end-of-semester busy time really gets rolling) so we've been getting caught up on various shows. I hadn't seen SGU since the mid-season hiatus, so we just marathoned a bunch of that yesterday ...
First of all, 2x17, the one with the civilization composed of their alternate-timeline descendants, was fun! I must admit that I am always a big sucker for civilization-building and for "A Canticle for Liebowitz"-style pseudohistory -- seeing how the seemingly little, commonplace things get spun into big historical events and eventually give rise to myth and legend. Rush as their soul-sucking demon-god .... AHAHAHA, major WIN, especially since they didn't carry it to ridiculous extremes; no bowing down and worshipping him, or running in fear, just a certain amount of ... healthy nervousness. Hey, I would be too. *g*
I don't know if it's in response to criticism or if this is simply the direction they were going anyway, but the writers have definitely been focusing more on the characters' heroic/group-bonding/self-sacrificial sides this season, and there's more humor. And that is, well, good! I still want to kick them occasionally, but not most of the time. But there's still one big thing that's keeping me from really engaging emotionally with the show, which is their lack of follow-through on any character relationship that's not based on sex and romance. It's the same problem as on Lost -- they always pair up characters in different ways from episode to episode, and they go through stuff, and they bond, and then ... they never revisit that relationship again, unless it's a romantic one. This isn't to say that I want them to completely abandon the romance subplots or anything (actually, I'm more or less okay with how they're handling that this season), it's just that you're left with the impression that none of these people are capable of permanently bonding to each other as individuals.
It's frustrating.
So, say, you've got Greer and Camille being trapped in the ruins after the explosion, having to struggle to survive and getting to know each other, having neat little moments with the two of them. Cool! Except ... in the several episodes since then, I don't think they've had one iota of interaction, have they? (Admittedly I've been tuning in and out, doing things on the computer while I watch the show, so I might've missed something.) But there have been ample opportunities to throw us a little bone or two, to show that they might have actually formed the seeds of a friendship in the ruins there -- she might have visited him in the infirmary when he was ill, say, or expressed concern about him. Or there was the whole thing with Greer donating a kidney to whatsisname (actually, Greer's been getting a lot of screentime this season), which might have actually led to them getting to know each other, or, at least, having an actual conversation. Instead, the most that their storylines have crossed since then, I think, is the little side plot in the monster episode where they both fell for the same girl.
Back when I was watching Lost, I assumed at first that they were always pairing up different characters to try out different combinations and see who worked together, so they could keep revisiting those relationships. But, um, no. It's just a sign of where their priorities are ... or aren't. Like with Lost, it's not a deliberate omission, it's just something that the SGU writers don't really seem to think about or care about. There are subgroups of characters who pal around together (like the Eli/Chloe/Scott/Greer group, or the group of second-string scientists that include Park and the guy with the kidney transplant) but I don't get the impression that any of them would stay in touch once they got back to civilization. Like former classmates, they might show up for a reunion every ten years. But friends? Not so much.
And then there's the Langara episode, which ... *shudder*. I think it's kind of bitterly ironic that this is the one that casual viewers and former SGA viewers would probably tune in to see, because of Rodney and Woolsey ... and it's the skeeviest episode since the one where Young smothered that guy. ... Or, okay, quite possibly half the episodes with Young in a major role. (Young + airlock = OTP for me. SORRY.) But it's definitely the skeeviest BY FAR in the back half of the season! Which is not to try to excuse it or anything, because, GOD. WHERE TO BEGIN.
... okay, one thing I will say is that I got the impression by skimming episode reactions that a lot of people had trouble with Young taking Eli's side over Rodney's, to which I say, "feh, get over it." *g* Actually, in a miserable mess of an episode, THAT was possibly my favorite bit -- just the fact that Young has come to trust and rely on Eli to the point where he trusts this kid who doesn't even have a degree over one of the SGC's experts, because it's Eli, and he knows that Eli knows what he's talking about, and he's willing to stand up for him even in the face of that so-called expert. I love Rodney, don't get me wrong, but I thought that was one of Young's (and Eli's!) really cool moments. So c'mon, people. This is Eli's show, not Rodney's; it's right and proper that Eli should be the one to get the last laugh.
Besides, there's more than enough to complain about in this episode otherwise. I have NO WORDS for what they did to Langara. NO WORDS. If I were in the Langaran high command, I would be making a deal with the Lucian Alliance so fast it'd make your head spin, because no matter how bad they are, they can't possibly be worse than Earth.
One thing I did find really interesting about the episode is that Rodney and Woolsey actually seemed to recognize that what they were doing was pretty skeevy, at least to a much greater extent than Young and Scott et al -- I mean, it's not like they didn't push some lines in the Pegasus Galaxy, but they never went that far, and they appeared to be at least somewhat aware of it. (At least that's how I took their overall attitude towards what they were being asked to do, and particularly Woolsey's "Thank you" at the end, though possibly that was more of a "Thank you for not getting us shot" than "Thank you for taking a stand".) But that's really interesting from a meta standpoint, because it leaves me with the idea that the writers actually know that this is wildly messed up, and that the actions of their protagonists (and, by extension, the American government) are supposed to be viewed as highly unethical and sleazy, which ... er, sort of leaves me adrift in figuring out just what exactly they're going for, actually! Because, okay, perhaps this is meant to be a scathing critique of American imperialism, which, well, fine, but in that case, are we supposed to go back to the Destiny and suddenly be on these people's side again, rather than hoping that they trip out a convenient airlock? hahahaha I don't think so. Actually, you can totally see it as a symptom of Young, Scott, et al having so thoroughly "normalized" their use of the stones over the last two years that they simply don't recognize that this kind of body-hijacking is wrong anymore. And yet, they just keep right on using the stones...
Or maybe this episode was written by a lot of monkeys with typewriters.
This entry is also posted at http://friendshipper.dreamwidth.org/339729.html with
comments.
First of all, 2x17, the one with the civilization composed of their alternate-timeline descendants, was fun! I must admit that I am always a big sucker for civilization-building and for "A Canticle for Liebowitz"-style pseudohistory -- seeing how the seemingly little, commonplace things get spun into big historical events and eventually give rise to myth and legend. Rush as their soul-sucking demon-god .... AHAHAHA, major WIN, especially since they didn't carry it to ridiculous extremes; no bowing down and worshipping him, or running in fear, just a certain amount of ... healthy nervousness. Hey, I would be too. *g*
I don't know if it's in response to criticism or if this is simply the direction they were going anyway, but the writers have definitely been focusing more on the characters' heroic/group-bonding/self-sacrificial sides this season, and there's more humor. And that is, well, good! I still want to kick them occasionally, but not most of the time. But there's still one big thing that's keeping me from really engaging emotionally with the show, which is their lack of follow-through on any character relationship that's not based on sex and romance. It's the same problem as on Lost -- they always pair up characters in different ways from episode to episode, and they go through stuff, and they bond, and then ... they never revisit that relationship again, unless it's a romantic one. This isn't to say that I want them to completely abandon the romance subplots or anything (actually, I'm more or less okay with how they're handling that this season), it's just that you're left with the impression that none of these people are capable of permanently bonding to each other as individuals.
It's frustrating.
So, say, you've got Greer and Camille being trapped in the ruins after the explosion, having to struggle to survive and getting to know each other, having neat little moments with the two of them. Cool! Except ... in the several episodes since then, I don't think they've had one iota of interaction, have they? (Admittedly I've been tuning in and out, doing things on the computer while I watch the show, so I might've missed something.) But there have been ample opportunities to throw us a little bone or two, to show that they might have actually formed the seeds of a friendship in the ruins there -- she might have visited him in the infirmary when he was ill, say, or expressed concern about him. Or there was the whole thing with Greer donating a kidney to whatsisname (actually, Greer's been getting a lot of screentime this season), which might have actually led to them getting to know each other, or, at least, having an actual conversation. Instead, the most that their storylines have crossed since then, I think, is the little side plot in the monster episode where they both fell for the same girl.
Back when I was watching Lost, I assumed at first that they were always pairing up different characters to try out different combinations and see who worked together, so they could keep revisiting those relationships. But, um, no. It's just a sign of where their priorities are ... or aren't. Like with Lost, it's not a deliberate omission, it's just something that the SGU writers don't really seem to think about or care about. There are subgroups of characters who pal around together (like the Eli/Chloe/Scott/Greer group, or the group of second-string scientists that include Park and the guy with the kidney transplant) but I don't get the impression that any of them would stay in touch once they got back to civilization. Like former classmates, they might show up for a reunion every ten years. But friends? Not so much.
And then there's the Langara episode, which ... *shudder*. I think it's kind of bitterly ironic that this is the one that casual viewers and former SGA viewers would probably tune in to see, because of Rodney and Woolsey ... and it's the skeeviest episode since the one where Young smothered that guy. ... Or, okay, quite possibly half the episodes with Young in a major role. (Young + airlock = OTP for me. SORRY.) But it's definitely the skeeviest BY FAR in the back half of the season! Which is not to try to excuse it or anything, because, GOD. WHERE TO BEGIN.
... okay, one thing I will say is that I got the impression by skimming episode reactions that a lot of people had trouble with Young taking Eli's side over Rodney's, to which I say, "feh, get over it." *g* Actually, in a miserable mess of an episode, THAT was possibly my favorite bit -- just the fact that Young has come to trust and rely on Eli to the point where he trusts this kid who doesn't even have a degree over one of the SGC's experts, because it's Eli, and he knows that Eli knows what he's talking about, and he's willing to stand up for him even in the face of that so-called expert. I love Rodney, don't get me wrong, but I thought that was one of Young's (and Eli's!) really cool moments. So c'mon, people. This is Eli's show, not Rodney's; it's right and proper that Eli should be the one to get the last laugh.
Besides, there's more than enough to complain about in this episode otherwise. I have NO WORDS for what they did to Langara. NO WORDS. If I were in the Langaran high command, I would be making a deal with the Lucian Alliance so fast it'd make your head spin, because no matter how bad they are, they can't possibly be worse than Earth.
One thing I did find really interesting about the episode is that Rodney and Woolsey actually seemed to recognize that what they were doing was pretty skeevy, at least to a much greater extent than Young and Scott et al -- I mean, it's not like they didn't push some lines in the Pegasus Galaxy, but they never went that far, and they appeared to be at least somewhat aware of it. (At least that's how I took their overall attitude towards what they were being asked to do, and particularly Woolsey's "Thank you" at the end, though possibly that was more of a "Thank you for not getting us shot" than "Thank you for taking a stand".) But that's really interesting from a meta standpoint, because it leaves me with the idea that the writers actually know that this is wildly messed up, and that the actions of their protagonists (and, by extension, the American government) are supposed to be viewed as highly unethical and sleazy, which ... er, sort of leaves me adrift in figuring out just what exactly they're going for, actually! Because, okay, perhaps this is meant to be a scathing critique of American imperialism, which, well, fine, but in that case, are we supposed to go back to the Destiny and suddenly be on these people's side again, rather than hoping that they trip out a convenient airlock? hahahaha I don't think so. Actually, you can totally see it as a symptom of Young, Scott, et al having so thoroughly "normalized" their use of the stones over the last two years that they simply don't recognize that this kind of body-hijacking is wrong anymore. And yet, they just keep right on using the stones...
Or maybe this episode was written by a lot of monkeys with typewriters.
This entry is also posted at http://friendshipper.dreamwidth.org/339729.html with
no subject
Yes, a very skeevy episode; I didn't mind the body-snatching nearly as much as the planet-snatching, though, yk?
Young has no moral compass, really; and Scott's is limited; and they're very inwardly focused... I don't it's so much supposed to be an indictment of USImperialism as of how humans are.
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And the big issue in that episode wasn't the body-swapping so much as the planet-snatching, you're right. Still ... it was a horrifying thing to do, on all kinds of levels -- horrifying that they came up with it, horrifying that the government OK'd it. I think Young has been pretty consistently portrayed as the kind of person who would do something like that -- he's very end-justifies-the-means, and Scott is not much better. But that leaves me right back in the same quandary that I struggled with for many of the characters in the first season: if I don't like these people, and have been shown repeatedly that they're unethical people who lie and cheat to get what they want, why should I care what happens to them?
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That was the only thing I liked about that episode; I was never able to suspend disbelief during it, and if that doesn't happen for an SG episode there are always dozens of things that annoy me.
But that leaves me right back in the same quandary that I struggled with for many of the characters in the first season: if I don't like these people, and have been shown repeatedly that they're unethical people who lie and cheat to get what they want, why should I care what happens to them?
For some reason, I just always have with SGU. Maybe it's akin to why I like being with kids so much - I enjoy tweaking things here and there and watching them adjust and learn and push back against me. Same with the problems I work on at work, come to think... there's nothing heroic about the math, but it is fascinating.
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SGU is much, much better this season. At least, its been a lot better since the hiatus -- since that moment when Rush got to see who would stay with him if he stayed on the boat, and that's all the leads and the little scientist pack (don't ask my why, but I adore all three of the second-string scientists, particularly kidney dude, whose name is Dr. Volker, I think. Speaking of, I recall them using the name Dr. Volker a couple of times on Atlantis -- I'm dying to know if that's continuity or not. I only know that because I used the name in fic as well).
I agree on the stones -- I wish they hadn't stayed in contact with earth, in some ways. Most of the time, when they're back on earth, I'm bored (the Greer/Camille episode being the stand-out exception. I thought that was great; I also agree that its sad that it wasn't followed up on). But it is what it is.
As for the groups, funny thing. Young, Camille and Rush are all alone, each in their own way. Young may have his marines, but they're not his friends. Still, at least they like him. No one like Rush, and I don't think anyone like Camille either, and they're both so, so cold as a result. Camille was great in the episode with Greer, but, while he may have come to dislike her less, I didn't get any sense that they came out friends. So, the kids hang out, and the second-string scientists hang out, but the ones at the "top" are lonely. I'm not sure where to place the medic (Johanssen). She's ostensible alone among the leads, but people like her, and I've seen her laughing with people. I actually like her the best amongst them all, I think. She seems above the pettiness/selfishness all the others suffer from.
Anyway, just thought I'd comment. I agree that's it's better, but I guess I'm not too upset that its ending....I'll just miss the whole genre in general. Maybe they'll reboot it again someday, just like Star Trek!
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I think SGU has the same problem SGA had, where what show, and what relationships, you get is a function of who wrote it.
Young, Camille and Rush are all alone, each in their own way.
Good point. Though I think Camille has greatly improved this season - she conferences with Rush and Young without whining or grandstanding, and we see her chatting with various characters, esp. the women but also Eli.
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I agree about Rush, Young and Camille all being isolated in their own way -- and I like the second-string scientists too! I'm more interested in them than in most of the main characters, actually, perhaps because they're more quirky and interesting, and their stories are less predicable. We don't wallow in their angst; they just wander on and offscreen, clearly leading their lives in the background. I like it. And I do really love all the details of life on the ship, and the interesting things they encounter on the planets -- admittedly, I keep thinking, "If they can do this NOW, why didn't they do this on SGA?" What I wouldn't have given to occasionally see alien wildlife, or weird alien food in the cafeteria, or "making do" baby gifts for Teyla like they did for TJ. SIGH. Well, that's what fanfic is for, I guess ...
I find the show entertaining enough, but I don't think I'm going to miss it when it's gone. It'll be sad to not have Stargate around anymore, though. Actually, there is a real lack of outer-space/future sci-fi on TV right now. I hope something new comes along soon to steal our hearts again. (Well, Highlander has stolen my heart pretty thoroughly at the moment, but it's not really sci-fi ...)
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I also adore the 3 secondary scientists and was particularly pleased to see the girl and Mike Dopud (the Lucian Alliance guy who has the hots for TJ) cast as the leads in a possible new series next year.
I really liked the ep (I think it was last season) where we meet Rush's wife. It explained so much about him. I've also liked most of the eps were we get a peek into the backstory of the characters.
I was a little disappointed in the McKay and Woolsey ep. But my favorite seen was McKay and Eli arguing about...something. They were really impressed with each other and I thought the friendship between David H and David B really shined through. It was just fun.
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My favorite bit in the McKay & Woolsey ep, honestly, was that part I mentioned with Young sticking up for Eli. It was such a neat moment in terms of where the characters started out and where they've gotten to by now. And it's incredibly neat for Eli to be appreciated and respected like that, because he had to fight so hard for respect in the beginning.
It was awfully neat to see Rodney and Woolsey again, too. :D Probably the last time we'll see them, sadly, with the Stargateverse being gone from our screens...
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Yeah... Which makes me really happy we saw then as we did, being the ones who stopped the train wreck.
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