sholio | SGA 4x01: Adrift

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episode reactions:sga

SGA 4x01: Adrift

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!

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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.

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

I have so much love for this episode!

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

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.

(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.

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.

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. ^_^

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

Me too! :)

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

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...

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.

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!

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.

Ahhh, of course. I totally forgot about Sateda for some reason... Call me a bad fan though, but I can't even remember what episode Common Ground IS.

But pilot!Rodney is always made of adorkableness, so I will have to find both of these episodes and watch them again.

Dude, he had his "I'm crying on the inside, but darnit if you get to see it" face on in Tao? I... wow. Don't remember that. I remember tons of other awesome things, but not that. *needs to go back and find all the episodes now*

I don't know. John's actions in Return led to something good. If Rodney's actions lead to Elizabeth in Replicator hands with all of her knowledge...I'd say the IOA would investigate that. They won't on the show, but again, fanfiction. Too bad I can't write any.

I do actually sympathize more with Rodney. When he said "I won't do it" I cheered! I also would have loved to see where that led if not interrupted. But John's decision makes a lot of sense and I love that we can see how it pains him.

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.)

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.

The nuances of John's reactions were beautifully developed. You can see him locking down his emotions and trying to be the best leader he can be, even though we know that under other circumstances, he's willing to throw away an awful lot to save a friend. But in this case, he's trying to do the right thing, the responsible thing, and protect the city even to the loss of Elizabeth.

And the showdown between John and Rodney was just awesome. We've gotten a lot of scenes like that in fic, but it was neat to see how it would play out on the show if they ever really, seriously butted heads over something.

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

did anyone notice Ronon's *shirt*?

Are you kidding? I was counting his chest hairs! *g*

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!

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.

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!

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SGA 4x01: Adrift

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