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SGA 4x04: Doppelganger
Last night's Supernatural was a TON of fun; I should probably write up a reaction post for it, but it's "Doppelganger" that possesses the majority of my squee at the moment.
I do not know where to BEGIN with this one, although at this rate, I'm starting to wonder if it's even remotely useful to write h/c for this show anymore. Not that I'm complaining.
... seriously, I don't know where to begin here. It was pretty much solid squee from Ronon whacking off the flower blossom with his machete/sword and the team banter at the beginning, all the way to the gorgeous (literally as well as emotionally -- I loved the tower lights shimmering on the water!) teaminess at the end. The climactic scene, with Not!Dead!Rodney walking down the stairs in the gateroom, is currently one of my favorite SGA scenes of all time (I'm a sucker for that sort of melodrama *g*) -- but then there's John's brokenness when Rodney "died", and Teyla hugging John for mutual comfort (and his "OMG, my cool stick-fighting buddy just inexplicably turned into a girl and is clinging to me and crying, HELP!" reaction, which was just such a very GUY thing), and incredibly hot evil John, and the team lunch and breakfast ... (Teyla telling Rodney and Ronon about her dreams! And everyone teasing her and John... ! They're killing me with the cute! And I just don't think the family vibe can get any stronger...)
I am falling in fannish love with Keller; I loved her scenes with everybody in this episode, and her "Alien"/Replicator hybrid nightmare hit just the right notes of simultaneously cheesy and chilling -- it was the sort of nightmare that you could imagine for a young woman (steeped in pop culture) having to face bizarre medical emergencies in another galaxy. (And Keller's a geek! I knew it! She dreams "Alien"-inspired dreams; how could she NOT be a geek?)
The nightmares are a whole world of squee to analyze, in fact! I felt horrible for Ronon; his biggest fear is being alone again, and then his fear of being betrayed by a friend crops up too -- a callback to "Reunion" and "Trinity". Teyla's dream interested me because her "worst nightmare" is ... being mistaken for John's girlfriend! But it makes perfect sense to me, because her world is in very precarious balance -- Athos and Atlantis and Earth, all in constant flux as their situations change, and in the middle there's Teyla with her little makeshift family of misfits. Especially given all that she saw in the beginning, how Atlanteans were willing to turn on her at the drop of a hat, perhaps her worst fear really IS rumors and innuendo that would undermine her position on the team, threaten her place in Atlantis, perhaps shame her in the eyes of her people ... and cost her the closeness that she shares with her friends.
(Incidentally, I loved how they did the dreams -- they felt very ... dreamlike! Teyla's really stands out here, because my own dream landscape consists largely of places from my childhood, and it felt very realistic to have her dream take place in an Athosian tent rather than on Atlantis.)
And Heightmeyer! That really, truly shocked me; I had no idea she'd die. In fact, it took me a little while to accept that it had really happened and it wasn't just another dream of Teyla's.
During the first part of the episode, I was convinced that waking-world John was actually evil -- mind-controlled, replaced a la half a dozen episodes of SG-1, or something. It was the hug with Teyla where I finally realized that this was John, and then I had to rearrange all my emotional reactions, which had been geared towards this NOT being John...
And then, of course, post-hug, we launched into my (unsurprisingly) favorite part of the episode, which Tipper actually wrote back in season 1 ... although the canon version has MORE h/c than the fanfic it made me think of! I couldn't believe they actually WENT THERE with the friendship, and then KEPT GOING THERE all the way to the ultimate h/c conclusion! Have I mentioned that I adore "presumed dead" stories? and I believe I've mentioned my fondness for defibrillator scenes with loved ones watching (or, how about breaking into teeny tiny pieces with grief), and then there's the making-tangible of their subconscious fears and Rodney being brave and saving John and just ... guh. I believe this episode hit at least a half-a-dozen of my fan kinks all at once; it not only pressed my fangirl buttons but held 'em down 'til all the monitors redlined ...!
Joe Flanigan's facial expressions were amazing. I think the scene where I noticed it most clearly was when they woke up ... you can plainly see his initial confusion, followed by fear (was the dream real? is Rodney still dead?) dissolving into relief when he sees that Rodney's okay -- playing out on his face everything that's going on in the character's head in a span of about 4 or 5 seconds. And his shell-shock and grief when Rodney died was just wonderfully depicted. The thought occurred to me while chatting about this episode via email (yeah, I was one of those who was weak when the original iTunes snafu occurred, so I've had awhile to ponder) that maybe John's emotions are telegraphed so clearly on his face in that particular scene because it's a dream, so he can't lock it down the way he normally does -- his reaction to Elizabeth's terminal diagnosis was a little more understated, and I wonder if the fact that we're in his head makes any difference. (Of course, he also thinks it's his fault with Rodney, plus there's no crisis distracting him, which probably also makes a lot of difference...)
... and seriously, I just can't believe they WENT there! John tries to save Rodney, fails, watches Rodney die, blames himself, gets saved at the last-minute by a not-so-dead Rodney inside John's head -- it's just such a total fanfic scenario that even after two weeks, I'm STILL wrapping my brain around actually having been GIVEN this by the show's writers. And all without getting overly maudlin (a peeve of mine, yes), or dropping out of character or being anything other than the emotionally repressed and rather messed-up bunch of weirdos that we know and love. A "habit of saving each other's lives", indeed!
In summary, SQUEEEEEEEEE!
I do not know where to BEGIN with this one, although at this rate, I'm starting to wonder if it's even remotely useful to write h/c for this show anymore. Not that I'm complaining.
... seriously, I don't know where to begin here. It was pretty much solid squee from Ronon whacking off the flower blossom with his machete/sword and the team banter at the beginning, all the way to the gorgeous (literally as well as emotionally -- I loved the tower lights shimmering on the water!) teaminess at the end. The climactic scene, with Not!Dead!Rodney walking down the stairs in the gateroom, is currently one of my favorite SGA scenes of all time (I'm a sucker for that sort of melodrama *g*) -- but then there's John's brokenness when Rodney "died", and Teyla hugging John for mutual comfort (and his "OMG, my cool stick-fighting buddy just inexplicably turned into a girl and is clinging to me and crying, HELP!" reaction, which was just such a very GUY thing), and incredibly hot evil John, and the team lunch and breakfast ... (Teyla telling Rodney and Ronon about her dreams! And everyone teasing her and John... ! They're killing me with the cute! And I just don't think the family vibe can get any stronger...)
I am falling in fannish love with Keller; I loved her scenes with everybody in this episode, and her "Alien"/Replicator hybrid nightmare hit just the right notes of simultaneously cheesy and chilling -- it was the sort of nightmare that you could imagine for a young woman (steeped in pop culture) having to face bizarre medical emergencies in another galaxy. (And Keller's a geek! I knew it! She dreams "Alien"-inspired dreams; how could she NOT be a geek?)
The nightmares are a whole world of squee to analyze, in fact! I felt horrible for Ronon; his biggest fear is being alone again, and then his fear of being betrayed by a friend crops up too -- a callback to "Reunion" and "Trinity". Teyla's dream interested me because her "worst nightmare" is ... being mistaken for John's girlfriend! But it makes perfect sense to me, because her world is in very precarious balance -- Athos and Atlantis and Earth, all in constant flux as their situations change, and in the middle there's Teyla with her little makeshift family of misfits. Especially given all that she saw in the beginning, how Atlanteans were willing to turn on her at the drop of a hat, perhaps her worst fear really IS rumors and innuendo that would undermine her position on the team, threaten her place in Atlantis, perhaps shame her in the eyes of her people ... and cost her the closeness that she shares with her friends.
(Incidentally, I loved how they did the dreams -- they felt very ... dreamlike! Teyla's really stands out here, because my own dream landscape consists largely of places from my childhood, and it felt very realistic to have her dream take place in an Athosian tent rather than on Atlantis.)
And Heightmeyer! That really, truly shocked me; I had no idea she'd die. In fact, it took me a little while to accept that it had really happened and it wasn't just another dream of Teyla's.
During the first part of the episode, I was convinced that waking-world John was actually evil -- mind-controlled, replaced a la half a dozen episodes of SG-1, or something. It was the hug with Teyla where I finally realized that this was John, and then I had to rearrange all my emotional reactions, which had been geared towards this NOT being John...
And then, of course, post-hug, we launched into my (unsurprisingly) favorite part of the episode, which Tipper actually wrote back in season 1 ... although the canon version has MORE h/c than the fanfic it made me think of! I couldn't believe they actually WENT THERE with the friendship, and then KEPT GOING THERE all the way to the ultimate h/c conclusion! Have I mentioned that I adore "presumed dead" stories? and I believe I've mentioned my fondness for defibrillator scenes with loved ones watching (or, how about breaking into teeny tiny pieces with grief), and then there's the making-tangible of their subconscious fears and Rodney being brave and saving John and just ... guh. I believe this episode hit at least a half-a-dozen of my fan kinks all at once; it not only pressed my fangirl buttons but held 'em down 'til all the monitors redlined ...!
Joe Flanigan's facial expressions were amazing. I think the scene where I noticed it most clearly was when they woke up ... you can plainly see his initial confusion, followed by fear (was the dream real? is Rodney still dead?) dissolving into relief when he sees that Rodney's okay -- playing out on his face everything that's going on in the character's head in a span of about 4 or 5 seconds. And his shell-shock and grief when Rodney died was just wonderfully depicted. The thought occurred to me while chatting about this episode via email (yeah, I was one of those who was weak when the original iTunes snafu occurred, so I've had awhile to ponder) that maybe John's emotions are telegraphed so clearly on his face in that particular scene because it's a dream, so he can't lock it down the way he normally does -- his reaction to Elizabeth's terminal diagnosis was a little more understated, and I wonder if the fact that we're in his head makes any difference. (Of course, he also thinks it's his fault with Rodney, plus there's no crisis distracting him, which probably also makes a lot of difference...)
... and seriously, I just can't believe they WENT there! John tries to save Rodney, fails, watches Rodney die, blames himself, gets saved at the last-minute by a not-so-dead Rodney inside John's head -- it's just such a total fanfic scenario that even after two weeks, I'm STILL wrapping my brain around actually having been GIVEN this by the show's writers. And all without getting overly maudlin (a peeve of mine, yes), or dropping out of character or being anything other than the emotionally repressed and rather messed-up bunch of weirdos that we know and love. A "habit of saving each other's lives", indeed!
In summary, SQUEEEEEEEEE!
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Plus, the evilness of bad Sheppard....he gloats over the fact that John won't fight anymore, since its obvious that evil!Sheppard will just wear him down.....so pretty damn awful hits John took.
Off the balcony?
Play major bonus on the Ronon and John sparring we didn't see but got the aftermath with Shep's lucky shot complete with threat of a re-match!
And yes the end was perfect love and I liked both Keller and Carter in this. They are playing their roles perfectly as supporting characters.
And I won't comment on all the pysch stuff yet, but they even had John's fear of clowns!
Loved the last parting shot of Rodney....'thought thier would be chics in your dream" or something like that :-P
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Oh, I know! This episode was just so full of little tidbits about how the characters spend their off-time -- it would have been a squee-fest even without hot, evil Sheppard. (And the clown, yes! Hee! Actually, this episode was also full of those sorts of little nods to past eps ... the clown, the whales, the reference to Rodney almost Ascending, Bug-Sheppard from Conversion, etc...)
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Yes! I! Um! Heeee. ♥
I'm still very, very far from being coherent. And it's not... going to happen any time soon, because every time I think about the episode something new jumps at me. Plus - only seen it once, so will need to watch it again. And again. For research purposes, obviously.
But - the dreams, especially Teyla's... yes! That was my very first reaction, too, that OH, this is like my dreams are like! Too often TV-dreams are too... ordered and realistic and taking place in either whacked-out or far too normal locations. Having a mix of childhood/now and memory/future and normal/wrong hits exactly what my dreams tend to feel like.
One moment I just realized I adored, but that was overshadowed by my BURNING LOVE for the rest of the ep was when Rodney's so fascinated by his readings in the beginning that Ronon has to drag him off. It's the way John sort of delegates the Rodney-dragging to Ronon with a little nod, and then we have Ronon pretty much carrying Rodney by the scruff of his neck. Awwwwwww! And heeee! And lots of flailing and squeeing but the stupid bus is going to leave for work without me if I don't leave now. *pout*
...good things we have internet at work! ^____^
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Plus - only seen it once, so will need to watch it again. And again. For research purposes, obviously.
This is definitely an episode that must be researched heavily! Once or twice is just not enough. You can't memorize dialogue that way. *g*
Oh, the Ronon dragging Rodney bit, that was so wonderful! I adore Ronon's role as John's designated Rodney wrangler/protector. And the bits in the cafeteria, when he's teasing Rodney -- INSTANT LOVE! And Teyla's grin while she's watching Ronon tease Rodney -- LOVE!
They're talking about their dreams! And teasing each other about their dreams. In more than one scene! You're right, Cooper should write all the episodes. Cooper and Gero. And Damian Kindler (who did Trinity and Tao) ... he can write a few too. ^_^
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Oh, you bet! Especially since this feels like it really has something to add, to all the characters - I'm always one for getting more character depth, and stuff like this can be applied to the characters no matter when you're writing them... Obviously, they wouldn't have been so open with each other a couple of seasons back, but their fears and childhood experiences were (obviously) still very much a part of them.
That Ronon is the canon Rodney wrangler designated by John makes me squeeful to an absolutely ridiculous extent, but - it's something I swear I was thinking and seeing in fanfic even before it started becoming really obvious on the show, and the way the two of them share the the task is just beautiful. Meanwhile, Teyla takes the back seat and enjoys the show, complete with laughing at them when they're teasing each other! ♥ (Oh, and the "You planet has some very strange rituals" line was so very perfect, both the delivery of it, and that Cooper actually remembers that Teyla's not from Earth, and that Earth is WEIRD.)
Yeah - yesterday I was so overwhelmed by the squee that I decided Cooper should write it ALL! But then I remembered Martin G, and - hey, you really can't have SGA without Marty G, who also tends to bring the squee. And if Damian Kindler wants to write another episode, he's more than welcome to! ♥ Also, Ken... uuuuh, Ken C, the guy most often listed as a consultant, but who wrote Common Ground? Yeah, he can do more! And after Reunion I'm even looking forward to what Mallozzi & Mullie can manage... Notice a pattern here? XD I really do love the way all these writers bring different ideas to the table, and still manage to have such consistent writing of the characters.
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And I *knew* you'd love the dual defibrillators! Cause, damn it, I did! And on this, we totally share a brain! That whole scene left me in a pool of fangirl glee!
Oh, and yes on the fic to canon! You're right, though, I never went anywhere near the *hurt* of this episode (and they were quite different characters back then). To be honest, I actually don't like that much overt hurting--I get uncomfortable with it. I'm more of a slow burn when it comes to hurting characters. That fight was painful to watch! But good. So, so good.
And, I do think that Joe Flanigan is showing so much emotion because it's a dream. What I like the most is that I'm not sure he knows whether McKay showing up at the end is just part of the dream or not. And, in a way, it doesn't matter. Because McKay always saves him, doesn't he? So, either way, it works for Sheppard to help him finish the fight with the entity...
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That was my knee-jerk response. But then I got to thinking about it, and this is not in any way presented as a good thing within the context of the show. This is her nightmare! And she was still very bothered about it when she was talking to Heightmeyer. For friends of opposite genders, combating the perception of being sexually involved (and questioning their own feelings too, in fear of hurting the friendship) is something that almost always comes up at some point -- I've been there with pretty much every guy friend I've had. I just hope the writers actually intend it that way; it's more, shall we say, emotional insight than I usually expect from them on those sorts of matters! (I adore the show, but when it comes to writing women, or man-woman interaction, I sometimes think the writers are not exactly firing on all cylinders.)
And I *knew* you'd love the dual defibrillators!
AND HOW. I don't know if you peeked at those screencaps I posted on my LJ awhile back, taken from the little clip of Rodney getting shocked that was in one of the promos, but after seeing that, I was DYING to know what the context was ... and, then, incredibly gratified that the scene did not disappoint!
To be honest, I actually don't like that much overt hurting--I get uncomfortable with it. I'm more of a slow burn when it comes to hurting characters. That fight was painful to watch!
Oh definitely! I don't like watching characters get hurt like that, over and over again; it makes me squirmy, and not in a good way. On the other hand, they did such a good job with the choreography of the scene ... and two Johns all in black ... guh. My shallow side totally took over! And I liked that they didn't mess him up with bruises and blood; not only did it make the scene less squirm-inducing for me, but it enhanced the "dream" effect. Probably just an excuse not to spend money on makeup though! *g*
Random side note on the uniforms -- I do have definite "guh!" moments at seeing Rodney in the black jacket, but generally, when he's got it zipped up, I don't think it's a very flattering look on him; it reminds me vaguely of Troi's coveralls on Star Trek: Next Generation. And (leaving aside those moments of "guh!") I don't really like the way that all the team's clothing have converged on black. Last week, the scene in Reunion when Ronon's ex-friends and the four team members are all together in the bar, all dressed in black leather, practically made me crack up laughing! They looked like a biker gang! I much prefered it when they were all very different in their clothing styles; for Teyla and Ronon in particular, having them gravitate towards the biker/goth look is ... odd!
What I like the most is that I'm not sure he knows whether McKay showing up at the end is just part of the dream or not. And, in a way, it doesn't matter. Because McKay always saves him, doesn't he?
Oh, honestly, I hadn't thought of that! I'd forgotten that he'd have no way of knowing this is really Rodney (even though that "are you really you" scene at the end should have tipped me off, plus the little "is Rodney alive?" check when they woke up). But yeah, that's a wonderful thought, that it really doesn't matter from his perspective -- Rodney's here to save him, that's what counts! (And I suppose that his subconscious Rodney tried to save him in Progeny, too, wanting to take over at the self-destruct; Sheppard just wouldn't let him.)
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I want to watch to again RIGHT NOW!
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I missed bits of this because I was watching upstairs and the color on that tv sucks (only the really lit scenes can be veiwed with no trouble). But yeah, man, I was surprised they went there too! That scene read like fanfics, I there are so many instances of the dead!Rodney and greiving!John and the suprisedinotdeadgonnarescueyou!Rodney that you have to wonder if the PTB reads fics. We were catered this one.
Keller...can't say enough. I absolutely adore her, and any other actress would not have be able to take on that role. There is something about Jewel herself.
Heightmeyer! I was saying, "oh no they DIDN'T!" and I expected for a while for it to all be a dream sequence inside John's head (which wouldn't explain the conversation between the team when he wasn't around, but hey). I thought something would happen and she wouldn't be dead. Heck, I was shocked that Rodney almost died. Did die. Man, he DIED! And that's canon!
Will have to watch again to see John's expressions, crappy tv. Flanigan's performance this season continues to impress.
And...I think Carter makes a better leader than Weir. Or rather, Amanda pulls it off better. Didn't realize just how much presence she has until she took that series. The chemistry is already there, it works. And while she contributed to the solution, Keller was the one that actually saved the day! Several times! How cool is that???? So we don't have to worry about Sam Carter constantly saving the day. Great team episode!
Kam : ) (oh and SPN? OH. MY. GOD. I think I'm still laughing!)
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I love Keller to bits. I don't really love Carter the way I do the rest of the cast, but I agree that she has a nice presence as a leader. I also like the way she's been somewhat in the background of the episodes, someone for the others to interact off of, but not really being brought to the foreground -- quietly easing her into things before giving her Carter-centric plotlines. I'm glad of that: not that I don't want Amanda to get storylines, but because they're taking the time to integrate her slowly and naturally into the show.
You definitely need to see the show on a non-crappy TV! Flanigan's facial expressions are wonderful!
... and oh, SPN! I think I might have hurt something, I was laughing so hard. Definitely my favorite so far this season, and possibly one of my favorite episodes ever! I need to write up a reaction post for it, because it really felt like a hark back to season 1, before the long-term plots got so heavy, back when John Winchester was this ghostly presence manipulating the boys' lives, unseen but felt (which was how I liked him best, honestly). And I'm cracking up again just thinking about Sam's woebegone expression when his shoe fell down the drain ("I lost my shoe") and Dean's reaction ...
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There is so much in this episode - Ronon 'dragging' Rodney away in the opening scene (LOL!), the nightmares and how they fit each person so well, the fact that when Rodney mentions having nightmares about whales, Ronon realises that he still has them and Rodney admits it! And Rodney shares his nightmare with Ronon, Teyla and Keller...about Sam (and isn't that a sign of his insecurity or what? Promoting Zelenka over him? Lemon chicken?), the line about 'then I was eaten by a whale' still cracks me up! But it's a sign that Rodney is more willing to share things, even if they are on the embarrassing side, with his friends (and clearly Keller is one of them by now, at least that's the vibe I get).
As for Teyla hugging John, and John's reaction - yay and LOL!
Evil Sheppard is just so... evil. And interesting that John is most afraid of... himself! I can totally see that, too. And the expression when he thinks Rodney is dead... the fight... Rodney realising that John's in trouble and going in to help... the I'm not dead bit... the evil Shep holding Rodney against the wall and Rodney's defiance... the line about the chicks... SQUEE x 1000!!
The team scene at the end is great too (and Rodney tries to make out he's just having a snack, but Teyla picks up on the fact he can't sleep like them... so typical of him!) - and that Keller and Sam are part of the team (sort of) is great.
I loved Sam in this episode. I thought Keller was very good and I'm looking forward to seeing more from her. Heightmeyer's death shocked me for a moment and then... well, I've never really liked her so part of me is kinda glad she's gone... though I feel sorry for Teyla, who was obviously her friend.
Oh, and I almost forgot - I loved the scene when Rodney is 'lured' into the rubber room and his realisation of what it means... you can almost hear him thinking 'why me' and 'I should have guessed' etc!
And I love how Sam just rushes out of her office when Sheppard says there must be something that can hook him up to Rodney - that is just so Sam to me, to not say anything and rush off to sort it out (and something Rodney has been known to do occasionally as well, if I remember correctly).
I'm sure I've missed bits of squee...gonna have to watch it yet again...!
Did I say I loved this episode?!! SQUEEEEEEE!!!
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And this episode ... I just can't even really begin to list everything I loved; it would basically be a rundown of every scene in the show. (Well, I didn't love Heightmeyer's death. But I do appreciate that the writers WILL kill off characters when it suits their purpose; it definitely had much more impact than if they'd killed a red-shirt! And now I'm worried all over again for Zelenka and Lorne ... *worries*)
But ... team breakfasts and lunches and late-night snacks; team comforting; team worry! Rodney and John each risking everything to save the other! Oh, show. ♥
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And now I'm worried all over again for Zelenka and Lorne ... *worries*
Don't say such things!!! With Carson gone Zelenka is my favorite non-team char (though Dr. Kaylee is rising fast) and Lorne is love...
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I'll have to re-watch "Doppelganger" again, but I think it might be hovering around the "Echoes" mark. Yee!
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And Heightmeyer's death took me completely by surprise. It was... almost kind of random, the way it happened. I was thinking it was Teyla dreaming again, too, at first.
And the clown. I loved the setup and JF's delivery on "I hate clowns." And how he was so careful with Rodney in that scene, telling him not to listen to evil!Shep. And... I'm rambling, but you get the picture. ;) Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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Heightmeyer's death was a total shock, but a good shock! (Well, inasmuch as losing a long-term character can be good.) One of the problems I had with some of the episodes last season, like "Game" and "Irresponsible" (well, not the ONLY problem I had with "Irresponsible") was the lack of a tangible sense of danger. You didn't really believe that the characters were in jeopardy. Losing Kate was like a sharp knife-blade through the fabric of the episode; I mean, obviously we know John or Rodney isn't going to die, but they don't know that, and it really heightened the tension.
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That was exactly the image I had during that scene.
As for Kate...I love it when shows kill off long time characters. If the person's death is suppose to painful for the other character's it should be someone who we (the viewers) know. I am not sure if I would say Kate H was a beloved character (I often had problems with the role the writers assigned to her) but she was a known character.
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Oh yes, I agree, absolutely! The death of a "red shirt" is kind of cheap. As these sorts of shows go, I think SGA does a good job of humanizing its red shirts and reminding you that they're people (Griffin, Gaul, etc) but it still has so much more impact to kill off a long-term character. Like you say, if we're going to see the characters being affected, then we should be affected too.
I wasn't that fond of Heightmeyer as a character, but I find that I'm really going to miss having her in the cast ... if only because that's one less thing we can do in fic now!
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I thought a second veiwing, watching it live lastnight, would make me like it more, but no. Carter and Keller.. they just sucked the life out of it for me. And.. I got a distinct impression that there will be Carter/Keller Fem slash very soon.. *snerk*
As for John, Rodney, Ronon & Teyla.. I loved everything they did in this episode.. the dreams, er.. nightmares, the resolutions, John-angst and Rodney saving the day. Ronon's dragging McKay out of that planet... all of it.
Still, I'm trying to like Carter.. I just.. for me, she just sucks the life out of that show like a great, big, ginormous sucky sucking sucksalot thing. She makes my back teeth just grate and grind with irritating, fist clentching pain.
Anyway.. Oh, the clown thing in the boat.. that was great. Trying to focus on what I thought WAS good.. but I wished that when good-John was getting his ass kicked by evil-John that there'd been blood, maybe just a little that good-sleeping-John had coughed up at some point.. but no. Damnit.
For the blood, I'm thinking, I'll have to wait for the Travelers ep next week to see it. Oh, and we find out at the end of next week if we get a 5th season of SGA. If so, the campaign to save Weir/bring her back, goes into full swing.
Anyway.. guess there are a few for whom Carter didn't suck the life out of that show for. Even my husband, whom I've not said ONE word to about in regard to my feelings about Carter, looked at me and said, "Would someone SHUT HER UP!" Yes.. I hugged him. :D
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LOL! Agreed! I'm not a slasher by any means and even I can see the femslashy subtext with Keller! I think she's just got chemistry with everybody.
As for the rest, to each their own, I guess ... personally, I was not that fond of Weir (didn't hate her, just didn't really like her either) and I miss her place in the team/group dynamic a lot more than I miss her. So I'm very interested to see how Carter brings a different dynamic to the group, in last week's episode especially. (This one, she was just more in the background, someone for the other characters to play off of, rather than being front-and-center.)
I honestly don't think that I would enjoy the show nearly so much if they always kept everything the same. I like seeing the characters grow and change; I like how the writers are not afraid to kill off cast members or shuffle the cast around. I used to think I'd stop watching if we lost John or Rodney, who really are the heart of the show for me ... but I don't really think so now, because I'd want to see how they handled the show dynamic without them. (I *am* trepidatious about where they're going with the John/Teyla innuendo ... I'm not fond of the idea of the show hooking up two of the main characters, but again, I'm curious to see what they have planned, so ... we'll see.)
And like I commented to someone else above, I was actually glad for the lack of blood in the dream scene -- not just because extended fight scenes squick me slightly, but because it gave the whole thing more of a dreamlike feeling. (No spoilers about next week, now! I'm into the part of the season that I'm mostly unspoiled for, so I'd like to stay that way.)
As for John, Rodney, Ronon & Teyla.. I loved everything they did in this episode.. the dreams, er.. nightmares, the resolutions, John-angst and Rodney saving the day. Ronon's dragging McKay out of that planet... all of it.
The team was just awesome in this. My squee for them knows no bounds.
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Oh, I missed this part! *chews fingernails* I'm almost afraid to know ... hoping desperately for a season 5, but worried about the pall that cancellation would cast over what's shaping up to be a really fantastic season. I guess we can but cross our fingers. *crosses fingers*
You're probably right about the "save Weir" people. Well, again, to each their own! As long as they aren't cruel to the existing cast members, I don't mind what people do. It's a little saddening that no one's started a "save Heightmeyer" campaign, though! Poor Kate, no one loves her. *g*
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Now, after that? I've serious doubts and I'm sure Flanigan will find new doors and windows opened for him. Over the last 3 years of SGA he's not taken on extra, off season work, until this year. I think he's making preparations for either inevitability.
Ah.. if Joe's gone, I'm gone. I'll no longer watch SGA after that as Sheppard is really the only reason I watch.
I think I grew fonder of Torri's character with each passing season. Her dynamic with the group had more compassion and again, her flaws and how she wasn't perfect and Sam just.. has no flaws.. and I still think SG1 has no place in SGA and never wanted any kind of merger. Let them kill of Weir. Fine. But give us a completely new person in charge, someone no one has ever seen before! That would've been ballsy.
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However, I agree with you that if we get a 5th season, it'll probably be the last. The show's ratings have been slipping steadily ever since season 2; the 3rd season ratings were really low. Right now, I'm totally resigned and happy to have the show wrap up in 5 seasons ... but we'll see if I actually feel that way once season 5 rolls around! I seem to recall last season thinking much the same way about season 4.
I had a long-standing opinion, though, that 4 or 5 seasons is about all most shows can achieve before they start to tank. There may be counter-examples, but they're by far the exception, not the rule. If we do get a season 5, that would be a good long run for the show (not SG-1's 10 seasons, by any means, but I don't think there's even a remote expectation that we can expect that) and it would likely end on a high note, rather than going out with a slow shivering whimper like some shows I've loved in the past.
One of the reasons why I'm pessimistic about a season 5 right now, though, is because it seems like all the actors are picking up off-season projects -- which worries me; none of them really seem to be betting on a renewal. I can definitely understand that, but since they've got their finger more on the pulse of Hollywood than I do, it seems like they think the wind is blowing in a "no renewal" direction. Also, based on past experience, I wouldn't be surprised if none of the actors surface again in anything major; this has the look, to me, of one of those shows where 10 years down the road you find yourself wondering, "Hey, whatever happened to so & so?" (with the possible exception of Hewlett, who I think is too dynamic to disappear).
But, again, I could be wrong; I thought the same about Richard Dean Anderson before he landed his role in SG-1.
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I squeed so hard when episode came on! I too watched it early on ITunes, it was just incredible! Y'all have more intelligent things to say about it than I do, but I really enjoyed the episode and it's nice to be able to discuss it with like minded people :)
Court
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In all news, he is incroyable-ly sexy when he's being evil. Yoooow. (I figured that out back when he started mutating into a bug...and wasn't I glad to see that costume back!...
And Rodney diving straight back in, five minutes after his heart had stopped, to return Sheppard's 'life-saving habit' - eeee! (yeah, yeah, I went into this already but it bears repeating. A lot of repeating!)
(okay, I officially need an SGA icon or two. Hmm...so much pretty to choose from!)
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... and while I feel kinda guilty for all those times that I tried to snare you into the SGA fold with the evangelism of the newly converted, I'm happy that you're here to share the squee now!
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I loved the line from Rodney: I am a science team! It's just so Rodney. I was all squishy after the jungle scene in the beginning alone! It really could have been a fanfic! All the stuff you write about xD You mentioned all important things and I couldn't agree more to you. The whole thing was just.. guh..
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There was actually tons of squee worthy stuff in this episode, a lot of which you've already mentioned, but I won't ramble on any more. :)
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Heh, yeah, true! Actually, season 3 pretty much put the lie to that anyway, but I did have similar thoughts ... this episode makes it total, blatant canon that even the nay-sayers couldn't argue with: John doesn't just put up with Rodney, or care about him merely as a co-worker -- the bond between them is very strong, and they're both deeply attached to one another.
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Tomorrow, I rewatch. Oh yeah! And I get me an icon with 2 Sheppards, or a John and Rodney saving each other... SQUEE
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Ooh, so much iconizing potential in this episode!
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Especially your first paragraph. *wraps self up in team-love and purrs happily* :D
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Eeeheeeee! Me too! This episode just makes me want to BASK in the glow of it. I'm loving this season.
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The whole episode was so....
I can't even say it. There was so many great lines and great scenes.
I loved the fact that a lot of the characters got a showing - Teyla, Keller, Ronon, McKay and Sheppard.
Also, a lot of different dynamics were addressed!.
This was an awesome episode!
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I started reading the writeup yesterday, but it was long and I was tired and my brain was fried, so I started reading through it again tonight and got all excited about the ep all over again. I was one who downloaded it from itunes a few weeks ago and I won't even admit how many times I've watched it or venture a guess on how many more times I'll see...suffice it to say my dvd copy will be worn out by the time this season comes out on dvd next fall! LOL!
Thanks for keeping the excitement alive! May it never end!
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I love your take on the hugging scene with John and Teyla. "Help - Teyla's turned into a girl!!!" John is just so uncomfortable when it comes to hugs isn't he. He's almost as bad as Rodney is.
As I said in my review, one of the high points for me was Joe F's acting. It is scary just how good he is at playing the bad guy. His facial expression as NotJohn were perfect...particularly when he was in John's head and telling him how he failed - how Kate's and Rodney's death were his fault. You mention the things you adore - I love seeing good actors getting a chance to play characters completely different then the ones we see week in and week out.
You know, I hadn't thought that John might have been under the "bad guy's" control even after it started going to other people...but looking back I can see why you might wonder. John did seem a bit off...but I guess it had to do with the fact that people were looking at him like he was public enemy number one when he hadn't done anything. And he is right, in that most of the time you can't control it if someone is having a dream about you.
Food Tray and obssessive fans...
Okay, so in the end scene, we see Rodney appear with a tray of food (a 'snack', LOL). Then Ronon sits in the chair to the side of him and he moves the tray... Jayne, my beta/friend-down-south, who pointed it out to me, said she couldn't tell the first time if he was moving it to make space for Ronon ... or not. So, when I was down visiting her recently, we re-watched it (and it was even better on a proper TV screen than on the net!) and...
Ronon isn't that close to Rodney that he needs to move the tray to make room for his team-mate, and as Rodney uses both hands to pull the tray towards him, it very much looks like he's making a 'THIS IS MINE, KEEP YOU HANDS OFF' gesture!!!!
So, does this mean Ronon has been known to pinch food from McKay's tray before? Or is Rodney just afraid that he might decide to do so? (And I wonder who thought to put this into the scene; writer, director, producer, another cast member or David himself?!)
Or are Jayne and I completely wrong???
Re: Food Tray and obssessive fans...