SGA 4x02: Lifeline

[sholio]

Seen it now!

Trying to write this up before work, so it'll be fairly short. Before I get into it, I just wanted to pimp naye's screencappy write-up of Adrift -- I meant to do this before and kept forgetting, but I think it's my favorite of the reviews for that episode that I've run across; it's just nice to bask in, when other episodes don't quite stand up to the squeefulness of Adrift. Like, say, this one.

It wasn't bad; it's just that overall, this episode didn't "wow!" me the way the first half did. (Is there some rule that the second half of a two-parter never stands up to the coolness of the first part?) Quite a few of the episode reactions that I'd read mentioned the character dynamic being a bit off -- the characters being tenser and snappier, McKay being gloomier. Watching with that in mind, I can sort of see it, but I think that within the context of the show, tension and fear is a perfectly reasonable explanation; I think John also might still be a little bit ticked at Rodney, especially at the end.

Basically this was a nice middle-of-the-road, action episode. While I wasn't too happy that Teyla was sidelined, again -- I just watched the Rachel Luttrell profile on the S3 DVDs and I'm struck all over again at what a neat person she seems like in real life, which makes me feel bad for her character not getting to do much of anything -- I really did like that they left her in charge of Atlantis, and it made sense to me. One thing that I would have loved to see, though, would be a cut back to Atlantis in the middle of the action on the Replicator homeworld; I know they only had so much time in the episode to do everything, but still, I think that getting to see the second-stringers plus Teyla dealing with some kind of crisis on Atlantis would have gone a long way towards making them feel less marginalized.

Besides that, my other big niggle with the episode was that I wasn't satisisfied by the Apollo showing up to rescue them in the nick of time. I mean, Rodney was halfway to solving the problem, wasn't he? All he needed was another few seconds to get the ZPM online and then they could have jumped back to Atlantis -- maybe to find the Apollo waiting for them there? I don't know ... the perfect-timing, last-minute save just felt way too easy to me.

There were a lot of problems with their plan on the Replicator planet, but isn't that ALWAYS true of their plans? My husband points out that activating the code to turn the Replicators into obsessed fighting machines is about the stupidest thing they could possibly have done. What if the Replicators decide to destroy the Wraith by removing their food source, i.e. humans? What if they kill all the Wraith and then go looking for other things to kill, and other galaxies to kill it in? Lots of fascinating story possibilities, though...

And if they had to take off Elizabeth, I really liked how they did it. She went out heroically, but, like Ford, she's not really gone and there are many interesting possibilities for having to deal with Elizabeth of Borg in the future. And I also liked (and was very surprised) that the show ended with Carter going back to Earth -- thus giving the audience time to deal with Elizabeth being gone and the shake-ups in the city's power structure without throwing a new leader into the mix. So this means Sheppard's still in charge, I guess -- or, more like the Sheppard-McKay duo running the city, since that's how they seemed to implement it the last time. I really want to write fic dealing with it, but I can't really until seeing how they resolve the power vacuum in the next episode (which I'm completely unspoiled for, yay!).

Loved the scene with Teyla packing up Elizabeth's office, and Ronon comforting her ... awwwwww...

Also, I'm made unreasonably happy that my favorite post-First Strike story from last summer, Anchor and Chain, isn't really jossed at all by the events of these two episodes. Seriously, go read it -- it's adorable and can slot right into actual continuity, what with all the moons on their new world.

Comments

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Thanks for the fic rec! I really like it!

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Oh, you're welcome! I really love that story. They should so totally name one of the moons Gary.

[naye]

Eeee~, you recced my rec! Thank you! *blushes*

It wasn't bad; it's just that overall, this episode didn't "wow!" me the way the first half did.

That's a good summary of the ep, for me. Good, but not as amazing in every single way as Adrift. And I think in most of the commentaries, the writers complain about the first part being all boring set-up...? I think Lifeline suffers, not from being the second half, but rather the third episode in a row dealing with the same crisis.

Watching with that in mind, I can sort of see it, but I think that within the context of the show, tension and fear is a perfectly reasonable explanation; I think John also might still be a little bit ticked at Rodney, especially at the end.

I did read the dynamic as a bit off, yes, but in light of the events going on, it does sort of make sense that they would be more on edge. I had also somehow managed to forget that the conflict John and Rodney had in Adrift wasn't actually solved - they agreed to stop fighting, and Rodney apologized, but the damage can't be unmade. If John is still angry at Rodney... I can't blame him, especially not when he's having to fight so many other strong emotions. Finding an outlet in ragging on Rodney is a lot less harmful than many other things he could say or do. (I just found Rodney's little "Offense taken!" so sad, in a kicked-puppy kind of way!)

One thing that I would have loved to see, though, would be a cut back to Atlantis in the middle of the action on the Replicator homeworld

Oh! That would have made such a huge difference to me - the episode wasn't really slow, but it did feel kind of - thin, maybe? And cutting back to Teyla and the others would have filled it out nicely, as well as given Teyla more screentime, which I agree that she desperately deserves. I guess the writers wanted to keep the focus on Elizabeth, but it's possible to keep the focus on her through what others think and feel about the sacrifice that she is about to make. And they had a story, too - making contact with Apollo! It wouldn't have had to be a complicated story, but the space equivalence of lighting a fire so the rescue ships will see the smoke coming from your deserted island would have fit perfectly, and made the arrival of the Apollo at the Replicator homeworld less annoying.

Because - yes, that annoyed me too. We KNOW Rodney can actually manage the kind of interface-thing he needed to do on the fly. He wasn't even saying it was impossible, just that it would take a little time! Sigh. But if the Apollo appeared at the nick of time because of the actions taken by people back on Atlantis... that would have made it worth something, for everyone, instead of just being a convenient Deus ex Machina.

There were a lot of problems with their plan on the Replicator planet, but isn't that ALWAYS true of their plans? My husband points out that activating the code to turn the Replicators into obsessed fighting machines is about the stupidest thing they could possibly have done.

It is. And I fear your husband might be right... I shudder to think about the damage the Replicators could cause in the galaxy if they set their minds to it. I mean, sure the Ancients screwed up a fair bit, but didn't any of them stop to think that maybe there was a good reason that the particular command line had been switched off...?

Honestly, the Ancients whined about the Wraith being a "dark enemy" with weapons as powerful as their own, but all the Wraith had on the Ancients was numbers! If they hadn't had "run away!" as their main conflict-resolution tactic, they could have managed something, I'm sure. But the Replicators...? They've got Ancient-level tech that they know how to use, and they can't be killed by any regular weapon and they almost instantly adapt to the one known weapon that can actually damage them.

So. Uh. Yeah. I worry!

Other than that - yes, Elizabeth got a great send-off, and the scene with Teyla and Ronon in her office was incredibly sweet. ♥

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Finding an outlet in ragging on Rodney is a lot less harmful than many other things he could say or do. (I just found Rodney's little "Offense taken!" so sad, in a kicked-puppy kind of way!)

Yeah ... there were a few places that kinda made me go "ow!" -- that scene, and also John's "It never ends with you, does it?" to Rodney near the end. But considering that he's just lost one of his closest friends, I can cut the guy some slack. They both need to get drunk together later, though. Or something.

the episode wasn't really slow, but it did feel kind of - thin, maybe?

Yeah, that's not a bad way to describe it; I just felt like it was lacking in those little squee! moments that make me want to watch them over and over again. Or maybe if they'd ended with a team cafeteria scene or something ... It wasn't a bad epi, just not one of the really fantastic ones.

Honestly, the Ancients whined about the Wraith being a "dark enemy" with weapons as powerful as their own, but all the Wraith had on the Ancients was numbers! If they hadn't had "run away!" as their main conflict-resolution tactic, they could have managed something, I'm sure

Heeee! I really love your assessment of the Ancients' battle strategy, because that is so completely, tragically accurate. And yeah, frankly, for a people as supposedly advanced as the Ancients were, the Wraith really shouldn't have been THAT much of a problem! I mean, so far the Earth people have come up with three or four different ways of defeating them; the only thing that's standing in their way is that they don't have the resources to devote to a full-fledged Wraith war, plus that little matter of ethics (which isn't a problem for the Ancients at all! *rimshot*).

But the Replicators ... eeek. Evil nanobots are serious trouble. There's almost nothing they can't do. (Although another thing the husband pointed out when we watched the episode -- you can tell he's been playing shooter video games -- is "Don't the Replicators have any sort of long-range weapons?" Because the anti-Replicator shield around the puddlejumper kept out the foot soldiers, but it's totally visible and if they'd had any kind of cannons or nukes, shouldn't they have been able to just pick it off from a distance at their leisure? Maybe before they attack the Wraith, they ought to invent some guns ...)

[melibabe.livejournal.com]

I also felt that the episode was just kind of... there at moments, though overall I liked the Elizabeth plot and hope the PTB do take advantage of all the bad things that could fall out of the team's decision to change the Replicators' base code.

In part, I think the lack of "wow" was due to sloppy writing. Rather than build actual dramatic tension, they seemed to have fallen back onto the device of having McKay just tell us all the horrible things that could go wrong at any moment. For me, that doesn't work as well as actually having, you know, real crisis going on. Especially by the third time they do it....

Plus, that approach had the added effect of making my man Rodney seem a lot more whiny again and less capable than in the better episodes of past seasons. Boo for that. :-p

Enough with the Carter/Lee vaudeville act, too. I like both characters, I like their interactions in other situations, but that was just so out of place, over and over again.

Hopefully, next week we will start to get a real sense of how the season is likely to shake out, now that the cliffhanger stuff is done.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm really eager for next week. New planet to explore, new power structure to establish -- just generally a lot of cool ideas to play with.

[snarkydame.livejournal.com]

so, Carter went back to Earth? See now, what happens when the DVR doesn't record the last minute or so of the show? I totally missed that. I like that ending much better. It doesn't seem so much like she's just claim jumping.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah, they sent her back at the end. Now I'm doubly curious what the explanation is going to be for having her come back again, though (as we can be quite sure she does).

[iamrighthere.livejournal.com]

Besides that, my other big niggle with the episode was that I wasn't satisisfied by the Apollo showing up to rescue them in the nick of time. I mean, Rodney was halfway to solving the problem, wasn't he? All he needed was another few seconds to get the ZPM online and then they could have jumped back to Atlantis -- maybe to find the Apollo waiting for them there? I don't know ... the perfect-timing, last-minute save just felt way too easy to me.

This is a huge issue that I had with SG-1 in the last two seasons: the team is in danger and then they are beamed up to safety. Or else they're just holograms, so the person aiming the gun at them ends up shooting at nothing.

I call this The Ol' Bait and Switch. No particular heroism was needed, only technology. The Apollo arriving just in time was a huge emotional let-down for me, in part because it would have been nice to see things get even worse for Sheppard et al and then McKay saves the day (and has a mini-nervous breakdown, which is always fun to watch). Then they limp home and are all just about dead...and then the Apollo shows up to bring the jumper in.

There's only so much that can be done with 43 minutes, but, still, I can have my fantasies about what I would have liked to see happen.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

I call this The Ol' Bait and Switch. No particular heroism was needed, only technology.

Bait and switch indeed, although what gets to me isn't really when it's technology saving them -- what gets to me is when it's coincidence saving them! That, or someone else swooping down at the last minute to do the hero-ing so our heroes don't have to. Or both at once. WHY???

There are times when the writers sort of write themselves into a corner by introducing tons of near-godlike technology. The characters have it, so it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't use it. (The Asgard beaming technology + personal transmitters is a good example of that -- as with Star Trek, now they have to keep coming up with excuses why they can't use it in any given situation.) But in this particular case, they didn't even have that excuse; not only did the Apollo not HAVE to be there, but it didn't even really make a whole lot of sense that they WOULD be there! (C'mon, if you're checking quandrants of space for refugees, is the Replicator homeworld a logical place to check at ALL? Wouldn't it be the last place you'd look unless you had some compelling reason to believe they'd be there?)

Oh well. Moving along! I'm definitely looking forward to next week, the first episode of the new season for which I'm completely unspoiled (well, except for one thing, but that just makes me look forward to it more).

[deaka.livejournal.com]

There were a lot of problems with their plan on the Replicator planet, but isn't that ALWAYS true of their plans? My husband points out that activating the code to turn the Replicators into obsessed fighting machines is about the stupidest thing they could possibly have done. What if the Replicators decide to destroy the Wraith by removing their food source, i.e. humans? What if they kill all the Wraith and then go looking for other things to kill, and other galaxies to kill it in? Lots of fascinating story possibilities, though...

That struck me too. Setting off something like that on the spur of the moment without taking the time to think it through doesn't seem very wise, and I didn't buy the old 'have to do it right now or we'll never get another chance' - that plot device is getting a wee bit worn out. But I suppose, like you say, planning isn't always the Atlantis team's strongest point. :p

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

But I suppose, like you say, planning isn't always the Atlantis team's strongest point.

They sort of win by accident and sheer refusal to give up, most of the time. Careful planning doesn't even enter into it. *g*

[trystings.livejournal.com]

Loved Lifeline! and I certainly had enough Wow! moments; especially with Sheppard. His honesty with Weir that he wouldn't hesitate to switch off the nanites if anything went bonkers, was really well done (*screencaps*). And ordering Teyla to stay behind and take charge if they weren't coming back, heck, that was the most well-thought-out decision he has made on the show (*screencaps some more*). I agree with you about the Apollo moment, that was far too easy.

Off to read Anchor and Chain. :)