SGA 4x01: Adrift

[sholio]

Okay, first, the confession. I'm actually one of those who watched the leaked episode roughs a couple of weeks back. I just haven't discussed it; I wanted to wait, and watch the finished version with everyone else, and squee along with the rest of fandom.

Having said that ...

THERE IS NOT ENOUGH SQUEE IN THE WORLD FOR THIS EPISODE.

You know, I love SGA, but it's not very often that I finish an episode and think, "Wow, that was a really good episode." Fun, entertaining, and with really good parts, sure. But SGA is not a show like, say, Doctor Who, which knocks my socks off with really well-written episodes on a regular basis.

But that? Was a REALLY GOOD EPISODE.

I just don't know where to start. It was good action/adventure, good sci-fi, and a great character episode. It had real danger, tough decisions, some really thrilling space scenes, conflict, character development ... it had everything!

... and since I can tell I'm going to completely fail at being clear-headed and analytical, I will just leave the rational analysis to other people and squeeeeee instead.

Because ... Radek! Ronon! Rodney! John! Elizabeth! EVERYBODY! SO ADORABLE! We had Ronon being a big stoic puppy, and Radek being a hero, and John and Rodney fighting and making up, and space pilot Rodney (I gasped out loud at that scene where his jumper makes a 90-degree turn and goes straight up), and a really chilling decision made on Elizabeth's behalf, and even a really nice scene with Elizabeth and Teyla -- I love how the last few episodes of Season 3, and now this one, have started actually playing up their friendship, making it evident that they respect and care about each other as leaders and as people. I liked seeing Sam and I loved seeing Bill Lee, for whom I have much more fondness than I ever would have expected a year ago. I loved how they referred back to earlier episodes, with Elizabeth's nanobots and Rodney's near-Ascension becoming plot points. YAY for continuity!

I really loved how we got to see different sides to the characters -- Rodney flying a spaceship, Radek being a Big Space Hero(TM), Ronon being soft and squishy, John trying to be a serious and responsible leader making the hard decisions. In fact, I think a lot of my massive fan-love for this episode came down to that, because they were really pushed, hard, out of their comfort zones and forced to do things that didn't come naturally to them. It wasn't just John killing Wraith and Rodney in the lab saving the day. They were really put through their paces, all of them, and I loved it.

And John and Rodney had their first real, serious fight since Trinity. I liked how that whole thing was developed, because it made sense -- it wasn't just shoehorned in there for the sake of conflict. It was reasonable that John would have made the decision that he did, with the safety of the expedition at stake, even though it would be ripping him apart to have to do it (and the expressions on his face, throughout, were wonderfully subtle and heartbreaking). But it was also perfectly in character for Rodney, with his faith in science and his difficulty obeying orders at the best of times, to go ahead and violate a direct order to save Elizabeth. The thing is, they were both right and they were both wrong, and their showdown was all the more painful because there wasn't a right choice or an easy way out.

But having done that ... then they made up, or at least both took steps towards it, demonstrating in the process how much their friendship has evolved over the past couple of years. I realize that Rodney wasn't kidding, they have to work together and the middle of a crisis isn't the place for pettiness and grudges, but still ...! For Rodney to be wrong, and know he's wrong, and admit it and say he's sorry -- it's really a huge thing for him; I know he did it after Doranda, but that was a lot more oblique, less direct. And with John, similarly, because what Rodney did in this case was probably worse in a lot of ways than his failure on Doranda, as well as being more directly painful to John himself (because now he's faced with a thing that looks like Elizabeth but might not be Elizabeth, and he's the one who'll probably have to kill her if she's not). But still -- even though the hurt and anger isn't gone, he's willing to put it aside and start patching things up.

One of the many things I loved about the episode were the little moments of leadership for both John and Rodney. I've noticed in the past that, when he exercises it, John is actually a really *good* leader -- very deft at knowing when to command and when to step back and let other people do their thing, with either a natural talent or a highly developed ability to inspire other people by refusing NOT to believe that they can do what he's asking of them. The jumper scenes were beautifully demonstrative of that: John with his crew of mostly civilians, making them do it and do it well, because he just wouldn't take "no" for an answer. Loved his overriding Rodney's protests and ordering him out there anyway, because Rodney's his own worst enemy in situations like that, and John knows it. And then letting him know he'd done well at the end ... another good-leader trait.

But Rodney was doing it too: delegating, trusting Chuck to fix whatever Chuck was trying to fix in the beginning, and matter-of-factly relaying Radek's time estimates to John, because if Radek said it'll take 45 minutes then he can depend on that. And sending Radek out to do the hyperdrive repairs, and actually bolstering him before he goes ... yeah, for all his insecurities and bluster, Rodney can be a good leader too, when he has to.

And I haven't even mentioned Rodney calling John by his first name yet! Okay, that's gonna throw me a little when I write dialogue. *g* It actually took me most of Season 3 to notice (and I had to go back and look at transcripts to be sure) that he's not calling him Colonel anymore and hasn't for a while (although in my head, he still does). And now it's to first names -- only took four years! Heh. I think I've so thoroughly trained myself NOT to have him use John's first name that it'll be awhile before I can actually manage to write it into a story, should it come up.

But really, this has gotten way too long, and I want to go read other people's reactions now, so in closing ... squeeeee!

ETA: And I wanted to mention -- please, people who have seen the second leaked episode, do not mention spoilers from that episode in the comments. Thank you! I've seen it, but I do NOT want to discuss it until next week or to spoil other people. Thanks again!

Comments

[zikade.livejournal.com]

oh, this is a great review. I didn't notice, that mckay wasn't calling sheppard john. shame on me. He called him colonel before? Huh.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Hee! Yes, this is the first time in the entire series that he's EVER called Sheppard "John". In the beginning, it was usually his rank; then it graduated over to "Sheppard" for the most part. It's something I've been paying a lot of attention to -- as well as how the other characters address each other, like Ronon first calling Rodney by his first name towards the end of the 3rd season ... I'd like to say it's 'cause I'm trying to be authentic in fic, but mostly it's just because I'm obsessed and pathetic. ^_^

[bbuttercup.livejournal.com]

I loved this episode! I think I may have made sounds only dolphins could hear in a few places :o)

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

This episode was hearts and kittens and puppies and all those things ... with a Replicator on top. :D I loved it!

[sol-se.livejournal.com]

I have so much love for this episode!

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Me too! :)

[sinaida.livejournal.com]

YES, to everything you said. I really, really loved this episode.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was awesomeness. I'm so excited about the season now.

[aelfgyfu_mead]

I didn't like the episode as a whole as much as you did, but yes on the John and Rodney stuff! (I've got my comments up on my own LJ.) And Ronon didn't get a lot of scenes, but the ones he had were very effective. Those three actors were great and had some great character moments. (I think Rodney calls him "John" to get his attention here and express his own deep feelings; I don't know that we're seeing an overall change, at least not yet.)

I love Radek even more now than I did before.

I have not seen the second episode; I'll wait for the final cut, FX and all.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

I might wait to read your comments, because I'm in a happy squee-place and am mostly avoiding negative comments for now. (I'll be more objective later on, I'm sure.) But yes, YAY for Radek being awesome!

I had a different reaction to Rodney's use of Sheppard's first name; to me it didn't seem especially laden with emotional significance -- I mean, yes, it was a rather fraught moment, but it seemed more casual, like something that just slipped out, making me think that he calls him that more often than we see...

[whitelighter]

(I gasped out loud at that scene where his jumper makes a 90-degree turn and goes straight up)

You gasped? I clapped. Ask my mom and dad -- I was squeeing throughout that entire sequence because from what I remember, the last time we've seen Rodney fly a 'jumper was nearly three years ago when Sheppard was giving him lessons on the trip to the satellite!

John looked like he was going to cry when Keller first came out and told him what was wrong with Elizabeth after he had come in to check on Ronon. I felt so bad for him and kept going, "Aww!!"

Not to mention all of the points you already made, because they were excellent.

In my mind, this episode is made of win and topped with awesomesauce. Mmm, yum.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Made of win! Awesomesauce! Yeah!

Rodney has actually flown a jumper a couple of times since then -- in "Sateda" he had to do some pretty tricky flying (landing in a city street while being shot at) and I believe he was the pilot in "Common Ground" when they went to pick up Sheppard, too. So he actually HAS gotten pretty good at it; I just don't think he realizes it.

And I loved John's "trying desperately not to cry" face ... it was basically the same expression he had in "Tao" when Rodney was dying, and it wrenched my heart now as it did then.

[sgatazmy.livejournal.com]

Your thoughts are pretty much mine! I loved the parallels between this ep and Trinity. Though I have to say, Rodney's actions are really serious here. The show probably won't do this, but it more than warrants an investigation.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

I've got a bunch of tabs open right now of episode posts that I want to read, and yours is one. :)

I'm actually more in sympathy with Rodney than with John in that situation. I understand that John was doing the responsible thing, but it was also the ruthless thing. I think it's easier for me to sympathize with Rodney's "save my friend at all costs" than with John's putting the good of the city over Elizabeth's, even though like I said, John's decision was the responsible one (and definitely in character with his behavior in the past, in episodes like "Letters to Pegasus").

But since we didn't really see fallout from John's court-martialable offenses in "Return", I doubt if anything will come of it here. There's always fic, though!

[tabby333.livejournal.com]

Joe Flanigan totally rocked this episode. I loved the transition from awkward leader to being totally in command.

David Hewlett wasn't so bad either. :-) When Sheppard and McKay get into a room together, the chemistry just lights up.

Someone else pointed out to me that John didn't actually give Rodney a direct order not to use the nanites. He offered the out in the way he worded it. He said that the nanites couldn't be used unless McKay could guarantee he could make the 100% danger-free. Rodney fooled himself into thinking he'd done that, but you can tell when John confronts him that he's really not 100% sure of the gentler, softer version of the nanites. I love that furtive eye shift Hewlett does. In the end, what Rodney did he did out of love, not out of ego. That makes this very different from Trinity, I think.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

The acting was just excellent all the way around, though I agree that JF's subtle nuances stole the show (but so did a bunch of other things -- there was just SO much to enjoy!).

I dunno ... I really don't think Sheppard intended his order to allow the wiggle room that it did, as evidence by the fact that when he discovered Rodney had done it anyway, his reaction wasn't, "But did you get it to work?" but rather "You couldn't possibly have made it work!" Rodney's end run around it was sort of like a kid finding the loophole in the parent's rules: "But you only said I couldn't have any candy! This isn't candy, it's *pie*!" Not that I think Rodney really intended it that way, either ... but I'm pretty sure John wasn't meaning to give him an "out".

I also think John is being influenced by his own beliefs about what HE would want done to him in that situation, and projecting onto Elizabeth, while Rodney is doing the exact same thing. Not that this makes either of them automatically wrong. But Rodney probably WOULD want to be kept alive by whatever means possible, while John almost undoubtedly wouldn't want to live as a part-Replicator ... and I think this is heavily influencing their decisions.


In the end, what Rodney did he did out of love, not out of ego.

I agree ... sort of, because I really don't think he was acting out of ego in Trinity, either. It was scientific advancement that was driving him in Trinity, the desire to break the universe down into its component parts and see how it fits together. In both episodes, ego was a factor, because with a scientific problem he's absolutely confident that he'll succeed; it was true in Trinity, and it's equally true here, even though in the first case it was curiosity that was pushing him and in this case it's love. But still, basically the same mistake -- believing that he can control the situation and that he's right where everyone else is wrong.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes! This episode totally *rocked.* With John trying not to cry when Keller was telling him about Elizabeth - Awwww! And Rodney saying 'John'. Cool, so cool. *bounces* And Commander!John. Heee. I could go on and on and on... right, shutting up now. ^_^

Wait, leaked episode? How do I always miss these things? ;)

Right, one last thing - did anyone notice Ronon's *shirt*? I mean, whoa. Okay, so that's a little shallow. The people who were watching the episode with me were like, 'ooh, nice arms.' (Though not me, of course. ^_~ I am very deep and... um... and I do not ogle. Riiiight.)

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm TOTALLY shallow, with the hot half-naked Ronon! How could any girl not notice? *g*

[sobelle.livejournal.com]

I agree... this was a great episode...

one teeny tiny thing you didn't mention that cracked me up was watching Ronon appear behind McShep during their arguing and promptly turning and walking away... loved it!

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Oh, that was awesome! It took me 'til the rewatch to figure out what he was DOING, because the first time around I didn't even notice him, and then I had to think about it until it clicked.

[tipper-green.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Teyla and Elizabeth, on rewatching (because, man, I'm sad beyond belief -- I just can't come off the high the ep gave me), I liked that Teyla put her hand up on the bed, and Elizabeth put her's over Teyla's. That, more than the words they said, spoke of the closeness of their relationship. A subtle but very sweet thing. And I'm glad it was Teyla in that room, and not any of the men. It made a lot more sense because the men are all, well, men.

On using "John" in fanfic when writing Rodney--that's going to take a while. I didn't hear it the first time, so, on rewatching, had to look for it. Such a strange thing to hear from Rodney's mouth! LOL!

If you actually listened to just the names that were used, I got a kick out of listening to when John called Rodney by his first name and when he called him McKay. I think "McKay!" now only comes out when he's angry, or at the end of his tether--meaning, it's always got an exclamation point on it. Oh man. Paying attention to that--that's seriously geeky of me, isn't it? LOL! Alas. I'm a pathetic soul.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Hee! I've been rewatching parts, too ...

I like the Elizabeth/Teyla friendship from the past few episodes. I really wish they'd been giving it to us all along. On the other hand, it's going to be fun to see how all the character interactions gel now that we have Keller and Sam in the mix too.

If you're pathetic then I am too, because I'd been thinking about the McKay/Rodney thing before this episode, and I do agree with you -- "McKay!" is usually an exclamation or something that he says when he's trying to snap Rodney out of a funk, as opposed to calling him Rodney under more relaxed circumstances. I guess we can just be pathetic together...

But having Rodney call him "John" is just WEIRD.

[sp23.livejournal.com]

I loved this episode a lot. And while I really did think that Teyla was shoe-horned in, and she annoyed me a bit, the rest of the characters were great. I really liked Keller and the way Jewel played her. So different from Carson, but still a caring, concerned doctor who will go to great lengths to save her patients. I liked the scenes with Sam and Bill Lee quite a bit. And I adored Ronon's interaction with his doctor. *g* His visit to Elizabeth almost made me tear up.

I like the way they've had John grow into his leadership role. He makes the hard decisions now that he wouldn't have made in Season 1. I think that if Hot Zone were to happen now, while it would chafe him, I think he would stay put until they worked out that gene carriers were immune, and then, he would figure out the answer with Rodney.

And I was thrilled that Rodney called Sheppard 'John', and he said it so naturally that you have to believe that he's been calling him John for awhile now. I wonder if all the questions at the cons about why doesn't McKay call Sheppard 'John' were the reasons the writers put that in. *g* But the evolution of the names has been coming along slowly for the past couple years. Remember that Ronon called Rodney by his first name in Sunday?

I can hardly wait to see next week's episode. The previews make it look like it's going to rock, too!

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Oh, I hadn't thought about John and Hot Zone, but I think you're right! John in the early episodes was more reckless, more of a thrill seeker -- he still takes chances now, but they're calculated chances, or those in which he only puts himself at risk. (For the most part. I was vaguely bothered by his insistence on taking the Daedalus into danger in Sateda. But in that episode, from John's POV, the crew of the Daedalus are all soldiers and Ronon is a brother soldier, so it's ALL of their responsibility to retrieve him.) All of the characters have come a long way, and in John's case, it's the evolution from a loner and drifter, to a team player who is reponsible for the lives of hundreds.

I really love how they've developed, over time, the way that ALL the characters refer to each other, from last names and titles to first names, and this was another neat little step along the way.

[foliogal.livejournal.com]

What a great recap. :) I am having so much fun going around reading all the squees! from this episode. And agreeing with all of them! How great it is that people have to make lists of all the things they loved in this episode, and then they have to keep adding to it because they keep forgetting things! There was that much to love. I picked up a lot of things from the second viewing that I missed the first time around because I was all "oh noes!" when as soon as they got one thing fixed, something else broke. I thought it was well-paced (although the bits with Carter and Lee did slow things down a bit, but I'm thinking we needed that to catch our breath) and I loved the emotional whallop of it all. I'd say more, but you and others have covered it all far better than I could! I'm just totally enjoying the celebration. :)

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Hee! It's a total squee-fest on LJ today, and I am SO HAPPY! Nothing is more squee-killing than going online and finding out that 90% of fandom hated an episode, so I'm delighted to have a bunch of people to squee with. (And, yes! This is one of those episodes, like "Tao" or "Sateda", where I'll start listing the stuff I liked and then find out that it's practically every scene in the episode, and I keep coming up with new ones! *g*)

[live-brave.livejournal.com]

A great review for a great ep!

John and Rodney's fight about Elizabeth was wonderful and angsty and played very well. It's interesting to see how they responded to her imminent demise - John would rather have her die then become someone that neither she or they recognize while Rodney would rather have her alive yet changed. It didn't occur to me at first but their responses were very true to form: John's is that of a soldier (better to die then fall into the enemies hands/trap/control) and Rodney's is that of scientist (if something goes wrong, we can fix it).

Ronon was wonderful...and hot. :D His scene with Elizabeth choked me up. And Dr. Lee is my hero. All in all, a great start to what promises to be an interesting season!

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I really loved the way that the John-Rodney conflict was set up and played out, because it could have been done in a very sensationalistic way, but instead it was handled sensitively with a lot of thought for the motivations of the characters. Just very nicely done.

[naye]

*flails and squees*

Just - YES. Lovely review - so much happy squee to share! I'm on a fangirl HIGH right now, because this episode was fantastic. (And made me go write a 3300+ word reaction post... Um.) And you're catching the same things that made me squee, and then some!

Puppy Ronon and hero Radek - ♥! And I'm so very happy about seeing them all pushed out of their comfort zones - it was on my wishlist, and it came true already! *grin*

You've got a really neat summary of the leadership thing in your notes here - I was thinking mostly about how John really is a good leader when he has to be, and how he and Rodney (and Teyla) were great at assuming command together, but - you're right, Rodney really did good leading, too. I hadn't really reflected over how he delegated tasks and went with everything Radek said, without arguing or even putting any disclaimers into the statements. When it comes down to it, Rodney really does trust his people do do a good job.

And - the fight! Oh. Such a wonderful scene, and - your take on why John is doing what he's doing, and how the decisions he's been forced to make is affecting him is absolutely spot-on. Of course he doesn't want Elizabeth to die, but he doesn't want the entire city to be taken over by replicators and everyone in it killed, either. And he's the one who has to prevent that from happening, even if it means watching one of his closest friends die on him.

Meanwhile, it makes sense that Rodney should trust science to find some way out of it - some way that lets them save Elizabeth and not have the city destroyed by replicators...

You can't really take sides in an argument like that, not when all the decisions they're having to make are so incredibly painful to them, but of course Rodney's being so desperate to save Elizabeth is just - awwww!

Also - "John"! Eeeeeeeeeeeee~! ♥

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Heeeee~! I just discovered your squee-post. Mmmm, screencaps! Flailing to follow, I'm sure. *g*

Another interesting thing that came up in subsequent discussion about the John and Rodney fight -- I think that both of them are projecting their own wishes, if they were ever in a situation like that, onto Elizabeth. I really believe that Rodney is one of those people who would want his intellect, the vital spark of him, kept alive no matter what it took. He'd rather be a brain in a jar than dead. John, on the other hand, would probably rather be dead than less than 100% John Sheppard. Neither one of them is really sure what Elizabeth wants (though John seems to be closer than Rodney) so they are both trying to act on her behalf as they'd want someone else to do for them.

[wneleh.livejournal.com]

But Rodney was doing it too: delegating, trusting Chuck to fix whatever Chuck was trying to fix in the beginning, and matter-of-factly relaying Radek's time estimates to John, because if Radek said it'll take 45 minutes then he can depend on that.

Yeah, I loved all this. Rodney the Real Person, dealing with other people, not just a foil for John!

(because now he's faced with a thing that looks like Elizabeth but might not be Elizabeth, and he's the one who'll probably have to kill her if she's not).

Didn't think of that that way, but, yeah.

ETA: And I wanted to mention -- please, people who have seen the second leaked episode, do not mention spoilers from that episode in the comments. Thank you! I've seen it, but I do NOT want to discuss it until next week or to spoil other people. Thanks again!

I've stayed spoiler-free for S4 (except for Sam's arrival) and I'm really glad I did.

- Helen

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Spoiler-free is better ... I've learned more than I wanted to know (and caved like a house of cards when the leaked episodes came up), but I noticed in S3 that the episodes I enjoyed most were generally those I knew the least about, so I'm trying to avoid all but the most unavoidable, discussed-everywhere spoilers for S4.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

My need for spoilers I see as more of a necessity. I hate being surprised, especially in a negative way. I've had episodes of shows disappoint me so bad I wouldn't stop dwelling on them, and I hate it when I do that. Spoilers help prepare me, and though I know what's going to happen it doesn't lessen the experience since hearing about it is one thing, while seeing it is another. Plus I hate being a season behind in my fics.

That said *happy sigh*. I look forward to when I can see season four but without having to chomp at the bit about it. I've heard nothing but positive (with few negatives) about this episode. Good sign. Season three had so many complaining that, even though I hadn't seen the episodes, it kind of got on my nerves after a while (some were getting down right vicious and I was getting rather fed up with people comparing it to Supernatural). I'm hoping this season will have nothing but squees. Poor SGA needs some positive vibes from its fans.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

It's certainly an individual thing, with the spoilers. For me, the tension of not knowing what's going to happen next is a big part of my enjoyment of a book, movie or TV show, and the times when I've been disappointed are worth it for the "Wow!" moments when something really throws my expectations. (I love surprise twist endings for just that reason.) On a show like SGA, I adore the tension of not knowing if someone's going to get hurt or killed, and when and how. (Unfortunately it's really impossible not to be spoiled about the deaths, but at least there's still the "how".)

And then there's the dark side of spoilers -- all the negativity when people decide that they're going to hate a certain change, without even giving it a chance! My own opinion on season 3 was that it had some of the strongest, most enjoyable episodes in the whole series, and certainly the best team dynamic. But that's just me. *g* I'm really looking forward to seeing how S4 develops.

[archaeodancer.livejournal.com]

Your the first person on my f-list to squee, so I just wanted to join in!

SO, SO GOOD! Oh, your review covered it all, I think. John not!crying, Radek being a hero, Rodney being a person, CHUCK!, Rodney flying, John leading, Keller healing, Ronon talking, Sam floating, Teyla being left in charge, Rodney-John interacting. Everyone interacting, in fact. So much GOOD!

SQUEE!

[archaeodancer.livejournal.com]

"Y.o.u.r spells your!" - I know. I blame the squee.

[scifi-lemon.livejournal.com]

Adrift was one of the best eps I've seen in a while. Like you said, it had everything: character moments, tension, twists and turns...but no one's mentioned the great John/Radek scenes! I haven't seen much interaction between them, but they're really fun togehter. I hope we get to see them together more!

Things that stick out in my mind:

*Rodney not wanting to do everything himself and trusting others to get the job done

*Ronon saying goodbye to Weir and asking what he did wrong. Awww!

*John and Rodney's fight. When Shep found out McKay went ahead and did it, I thought he was gonna sock him in the face! I haven't seen him that angry in a while. And I think Rodney's apology was more for practical reasons that guilt "we need to work together and we can't with this between us so I'll apologize so we can move on."

*John/Radek scene. Squee!

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Oh, I loved the John and Radek scenes! I love them together, but there haven't been very many episodes where we've gotten one-on-one interaction between them (Grace Under Pressure, plus a few scenes in episodes like Duet or Echoes, but not a whole lot). Really wonderful. And yeah, I agree that there was a very strong practical element to Rodney's apology, but I still think the general tone of the scene was such that it didn't seem that was the ONLY reason (but it was certainly a catalyst).

[iamrighthere.livejournal.com]

One of Sheppard's best qualities is his never-ending positive thinking. He really showed this part of his personality with getting so many inexperienced fliers to man the jumpers into the asteroid field. That's why his take on Elizabeth, confronting Rodney and asking for an EMP device to neutralize the nanites seemed a little premature. It's understandable that he'd be angry at McKay (and the entire nanite part really refers back to "Hot Zone," when Elizabeth was angry with Sheppard for disobeying her and ignoring her authority), but he might have waited a bit before sentencing Elizabeth to death.

Either that or his quick decision showed just how terrified he is of the nanites and the threat they may pose.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Well, and I think also, Sheppard was reacting on a knee-jerk level to how HE would feel about having something like that done to him, not so much what is best for Elizabeth. Not knowing her wishes in this matter, I think he's projecting, much like someone who is adamantly opposed to assisted suicide refusing to allow a loved one to have their feeding tube removed even if they've expressed wishes to the contrary. The idea of being anything less than 100% John Sheppard is so repugnant to him that he can't bring himself to offer Elizabeth that option.

... at least that's my take on it. As well as the fact that he's responsible for the safety of the city and is feeling it weighing very heavily on him.

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

wonderful review. I join in your squee! so many, many things in this episode to love...and the cliffhanger ending left me on the edge of my seat! can't wait until next week!

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Heeee! Yes indeed!

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Now I'm thinking about it, it's really really clever how Marty G managed to weave in so many elements from so many other episodes. "Trinty", "Tao", "Progeny/The Real World", "Intruder" even ("you did good, Rodney") "Duet" (Ronon).

Also the mirroring of what was happening to Elizabeth and what was happening to the city. It has very obvious at the beginning, cutting between scenes where McKay and Keller where sayign teh same things, but I think it also mirrors at the end. They save Elizabeth by using Replicators and they'll save themselves by lifting a few of (and I hope it's plural, but most likely won't be) the Replicator's ZPMs. Way cool!

I wonder whether Elizabeth will be able to use her new found dual nature to repair the city?

[parisntripfan.livejournal.com]

I had pretty much the same thought...on the linking of Elizabeth and the city... I just posted that in my thoughts on the episode...

[winter-elf.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed the episode, and enjoy just as much reading all the differing views. Things I hadn't considered, or had but not in the same way.

I would have liked to see them use John more in the Jumper scene, to do something above and beyond everyone else. He's got the skill and the control. Why didn't he fly 'clean up' behind the rest of the pack the whole time? or be the one who stayed closer to the city and targeted ones missed? oh well.

Unlike you, I don't care for Dr. Lee, and really, I could have done without him in this episode.

While I like Zelenka, a lot, Rodney's comment about 'take to long to bring me up to speed' was, I don't know, off. Rodney knows the city like the back of his hand. I'm sure he knows the repair as much as Radek. It was just a silly plot device so that Rodney was there to do the nanite thing. Hmm. I would have rather had Rodney and John doing the space walk.

Ronon was great, liked Teyla and didn't mind Keller.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

While I like Zelenka, a lot, Rodney's comment about 'take to long to bring me up to speed' was, I don't know, off. Rodney knows the city like the back of his hand. I'm sure he knows the repair as much as Radek. It was just a silly plot device so that Rodney was there to do the nanite thing.

You know, actually, I disagree there: unless we accept Rodney as a genius of Mary Sue-ish proportions (which, admittedly, he is sometimes presented as), that scene had the ring of realism to me. I mean, yes, obvious plot device, but it makes perfect sense in real-world terms that if Zelenka's been dealing with the nitty-gritty of the repairs up to this point, that he *would* be more familiar with specifically what needed to be done. Not that Rodney couldn't figure it out or be told, but it would probably be quicker for Radek to do it.

No matter how smart you are or how familiar you are with a project, there's always a little bit of lag when you pick it up from someone else and have to figure out what they did, how and why.

'course, I'm biased. *g* Even though Sheppard/McKay interaction is my favorite thing on the show, I also like seeing both of them have scenes with other people. And there was enough John/Rodney in this one that I really enjoyed getting some significant John/Radek as well.

[leesa_perrie]

This was a great way to start the season! I loved ALL of it (well, no, the bit with the surgery on Elizabeth squicked me a bit, even though we didn't see much!). Radek was great, Rodney was great, John was great...etc! Some wonderful scenes; from Ronon and that doctor, Ronon and Elizabeth, Teyla and Elizabeth, Rodney and John of course...and I really like Keller.

I'm thinking tha Joe Mallozzi might be right in saying this is going to be one of the best seasons yet...but I guess we'll see!

And I'm really excited about Carter joining - especially after reading certain interviews and such like about how her character fits in. And no, I'm not a big SG1 fan and didn't mourn its cancellation though I did think it was a shame. I just like a bit of a change now and then (ducks and runs for cover...) so long as John and Rodney stay, of course!

(I have to admit to being naughty and watching it online on the veoh site, but in my defence I'm in the UK and impatient!! Looking forward to seeing it on a proper screen...SOON!)

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

It really is shaping up to be a great season -- at least a great start! I'm really quite excited about it ... and crossing my fingers for a season 5!

And I like Keller too! She's a nice combination of confident and insecure. I find her easy to empathize with.

[leenys.livejournal.com]

no leakies...haven't seen the episode...

But yes, MAJOR SQUEES for this one! Just loved it, I'm so glad this show is back! Too bad they're playing up the Teyla/Weir friendship only to get rid of Weir. Geez. Now Teyla's gotta start all over again with Sam.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah, I wish they'd give us more Teyla/Elizabeth scenes all along, rather than playing it up at the end, right before she leaves the show. Better late than never, I guess...