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lunabee34Oh, Elizabeth. Oh, Rodney.
Ghost in the Machine
1. I love the touches of friendship in this episode--the flying monkey discussion, Rodney and Radek arguing.
2. I love the subtle pictorial reminders of Woolsey's ongoing battle with outsider status. He is again cut off on a balcony, seemingly by Atlantis herself (even though we know that's not the case) and must struggle back to the rest of the community.
3. The notion of Elizabeth lost is subspace is a brilliant and haunting one. To think of her in undending discomfort and loneliness is too horrible to contemplate.
4. The actor they got to portray Elizabeth did a superb job. She had Elizabeth's speech patterns down pat. I believed that she was Elizabeth in another form.
5. Rodney feels so guilty. *sniffle*
6. It's such a nice red herring, have Elizabeth seem a little too interested in Torrin. And such a lovely testament to the friendship she and Teyla shared that she can instantly guess Kanaan is his father.
7. I am pleased with the balls Woolsey grows for this episode. His character is such an awesome one. He is an annoying stickler for rules and sort of an ass at times and over and over again we see astonishing and admirable depths to his character.
8. Rodney's Replicator envy amuses me.
9. I feel like Elizabeth deserved better than this. After everything they've been through, seen, six impossible things before every fucking breakfast, John can't believe that this is Elizabeth? He can't believe that her consciousness, that what makes her who she is in every damn way that matters, has survived? "You're the only friends I have left," she says, but apparently not. I cannot believe that John and Rodney would abandon her like that, that they wouldn't fight for her harder. I am so damn proud of Elizabeth for stepping through that Gate, for recognizing that they aren't ready to accept her and resigning herself to what she feels is best for Atlantis, and so angry at Atlantis for betraying her. This is *Elizabeth*. Elizabeth. *shakes head*
The Shrine
1. Before anything else, I have to say that this is an episode about deep and abiding love. Between John and Rodney, between Rodney and Ronon, between Teyla and Rodney, between Jennifer and Rodney, between Rodney and his sister. This is an episode about fraternal love and romantic love and the fierce unwillingness of either to let go in the face of hardship and danger. I think you can interpret John and Rodney's relationship either way (or indeed, even both) in this episode and that to assume that John and Rodney love each other romantically here does not negate Rodney's love for Jennifer. It is indeed possible to love more than one person at once. I cannot watch this episode for more than two minutes at a time without crying because the love and respect and care they all have for each other (even Woolsey; I am beginning to anticipate the wonderfully poignant stories he tells about his life) is so evident in every frame. This is the literalization of all the underpinning of the best Team fic.
2. I love the way this episode was structure, with video of Rodney's rapidly deteriorating memory woven into the present day narrative.
3. Joe Flanigan was amazing in this episode. From the moment he realizes Nichols's team is dead to that fantastic scene on the pier (we knew they did this! We knew it!) to that little smile on his face at the memory, John was nothing short of amazing to watch.
4. The way that Rodney needed John more than any of the rest of them was so heartbreaking. The way he called his name, the way he said yes to anything John asked simply because he's John.
5. The way that Ronon fights for Rodney in this episode, tooth and nail, to give Rodney some hope, some dignity, some kind of *chance*. *chokes up* And every time Rodney says, "Ronon Dex," I sniffle a little more.
6. Jewel Staite is beyond awesome in this episode. She is so guilty, so fiercely protective of Rodney, so dedicated to saving him. When she corrects Jeannie, with tears in her voice, "He's dying, and I'm doing everything I can." Oh, man. *heart in throat* And then, at the end, when we discover what Jennifer's known all long--Rodney's declaration of love--*sobs*
This is one of the best episodes of the entire series in my estimation.
Ghost in the Machine
1. I love the touches of friendship in this episode--the flying monkey discussion, Rodney and Radek arguing.
2. I love the subtle pictorial reminders of Woolsey's ongoing battle with outsider status. He is again cut off on a balcony, seemingly by Atlantis herself (even though we know that's not the case) and must struggle back to the rest of the community.
3. The notion of Elizabeth lost is subspace is a brilliant and haunting one. To think of her in undending discomfort and loneliness is too horrible to contemplate.
4. The actor they got to portray Elizabeth did a superb job. She had Elizabeth's speech patterns down pat. I believed that she was Elizabeth in another form.
5. Rodney feels so guilty. *sniffle*
6. It's such a nice red herring, have Elizabeth seem a little too interested in Torrin. And such a lovely testament to the friendship she and Teyla shared that she can instantly guess Kanaan is his father.
7. I am pleased with the balls Woolsey grows for this episode. His character is such an awesome one. He is an annoying stickler for rules and sort of an ass at times and over and over again we see astonishing and admirable depths to his character.
8. Rodney's Replicator envy amuses me.
9. I feel like Elizabeth deserved better than this. After everything they've been through, seen, six impossible things before every fucking breakfast, John can't believe that this is Elizabeth? He can't believe that her consciousness, that what makes her who she is in every damn way that matters, has survived? "You're the only friends I have left," she says, but apparently not. I cannot believe that John and Rodney would abandon her like that, that they wouldn't fight for her harder. I am so damn proud of Elizabeth for stepping through that Gate, for recognizing that they aren't ready to accept her and resigning herself to what she feels is best for Atlantis, and so angry at Atlantis for betraying her. This is *Elizabeth*. Elizabeth. *shakes head*
The Shrine
1. Before anything else, I have to say that this is an episode about deep and abiding love. Between John and Rodney, between Rodney and Ronon, between Teyla and Rodney, between Jennifer and Rodney, between Rodney and his sister. This is an episode about fraternal love and romantic love and the fierce unwillingness of either to let go in the face of hardship and danger. I think you can interpret John and Rodney's relationship either way (or indeed, even both) in this episode and that to assume that John and Rodney love each other romantically here does not negate Rodney's love for Jennifer. It is indeed possible to love more than one person at once. I cannot watch this episode for more than two minutes at a time without crying because the love and respect and care they all have for each other (even Woolsey; I am beginning to anticipate the wonderfully poignant stories he tells about his life) is so evident in every frame. This is the literalization of all the underpinning of the best Team fic.
2. I love the way this episode was structure, with video of Rodney's rapidly deteriorating memory woven into the present day narrative.
3. Joe Flanigan was amazing in this episode. From the moment he realizes Nichols's team is dead to that fantastic scene on the pier (we knew they did this! We knew it!) to that little smile on his face at the memory, John was nothing short of amazing to watch.
4. The way that Rodney needed John more than any of the rest of them was so heartbreaking. The way he called his name, the way he said yes to anything John asked simply because he's John.
5. The way that Ronon fights for Rodney in this episode, tooth and nail, to give Rodney some hope, some dignity, some kind of *chance*. *chokes up* And every time Rodney says, "Ronon Dex," I sniffle a little more.
6. Jewel Staite is beyond awesome in this episode. She is so guilty, so fiercely protective of Rodney, so dedicated to saving him. When she corrects Jeannie, with tears in her voice, "He's dying, and I'm doing everything I can." Oh, man. *heart in throat* And then, at the end, when we discover what Jennifer's known all long--Rodney's declaration of love--*sobs*
This is one of the best episodes of the entire series in my estimation.
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no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 12:51 am (UTC)wow, way to tempt me back to SGA. I really should get caught up!
no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 01:17 am (UTC)Unless you want to take your time and drag it out, since this is our last season. *wails*
no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 01:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 03:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 08:09 am (UTC)The Shrine was AMAZING. AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING!!!! I LOVED IT. It was basically this fic () in gen made-for-tv version format. I means seriously. This ep was AMAZING. David's performance was amazingly beautiful. I love how he switched from Rodney to McKay during the cave scene in an instant and how angry he was that they brought him back. I could really get on board with that because it occurred to me that most people who go there are old, so they would have had 50 or 60 years and they new that their time was near it's end, so they would understand that the shrine of talus was a gift.
I almost burst out crying when I saw the beginning of the ep with the tape. HOMG so sad.
I don't get the sci-fi channel so I looked up the ep preview/synopsis thing online and I was freaking out that they might be killing Rodney off so I looked up IMDB to see if he was in any future eps and I was relieved to find out he was, so I new he wasn't going to die, and that was the only thing that kept me from crying during all of these scenes.
The scene on the pier/in John's room was awesome. I love that there was absolutely no embarrassment or awkwardness on John's part. I think that Joe did an amazing job when they were on the pier and the amount of emotion I saw him bring out was awesome. It really confirmed for me that he is choosing to play John Sheppard as a guy who keeps his emotions close to the chest as opposed to the fact that he doesn't put anything into John's character/he can't act.
(p.s I love that he had a mini-fridge full of stuff)
Oh! And the scene when they're telling Rodney about the shrine of Talus, John almost loses it and I love that you can see that. I love how his mask is so thin there.
Jewel did a great job in the episode, but I'm kind of annoyed with Jennifer. I felt like she was being selfish when she wanted to keep Rodney from the shrine. I know she didn't want to give up or let him go, but there were a whole 'nother slew of people that needed to be considered.
Now I'm probably just being a slasher, but I didn't like the whole I love you thing. I think that was kind of stupid. It was like this amazing great episode but then the writer's had to go throw in this stupid unbelievable(in the actual sense of the word) scene. I can see Rodney caring deeply for her, but LOVE?! I mean seriously. I would have said that Rodney cares more about Ronon that Keller, based on how 'close' or 'interactive' the two characters are it doesn't make any sense. You can't just have a character hang out with another one a couple of times, mostly platonic times, work with them, and then say Whoop this one loves this one. I mean I could have believed the love thing if they had showed Rodney realizing how much he cared for her, or them interacting more, but I didn't see nearly enough to be believable.
But anyway, I'm not really opposed to Rodney/Jennifer, but the way it was handled wasn't good. It's almost like the epilogue to Harry Potter, it seemed almost thrown in, kind of like trying to get the last word in on how to interpret a story, and that is not cool with me. The greatest thing about these shows is that you can take something that, if you squint, could be there, and you make it happen. If I squint I can see Lorne/Rodney more than I can see Jennifer/Rodney. But that's probably just because I'm harder on girl characters than guys.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 08:09 am (UTC)Anyway, this episode was amazing. Most everything was written amazingly. I think the way the writers handled the situation was great. They had an almost perfect balance of back story, current story, arc, and emotion. The character development/exposition was amazing. Just learning the little things, like about Woolsey and Ronon was a great addition to an otherwise really good episode.
This is definitely one of my favorite episodes, I love that in this scary world/hard business of fighting and making their way in a new galaxy, that these characters can still develop emotions and loyalties that they can express. I love that there are these deep emotions, despite this being a 'work' environment if you will.
I don't know, I'm kind of rambling at this point, but the point is that I love this show, loved this episode and I think it is amazing and just... amazing.
P.S Have you noticed how like all the eps this season have been very team oriented? Or at least show/engage the team very frequently?
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Date: 2008-08-24 03:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 11:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 08:21 am (UTC)http://www.goldenmaze.com/theoryofeverything.htm
;)
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Date: 2008-08-24 03:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 03:21 pm (UTC)Yes, yes yes re: Joe Flanigan. He acted his pants off in this episode. You could tell how fond of Rodney he is and how sad and angry and overwhelmed at his condition and there was no "like a friend loves another friend" crap in this episode. Just love.
I think for me because we see Jennifer/Rodney in the future episode, there's a precedent set there that makes the relationship make sense. Also, unlike Katie Brown, Jennifer is actually in episodes and we see her talking and interacting with Rodney in nearly every episode, even if the interaction isn't explicitly romantic. We'll see what they do with that, especially since this is the last season. They might really rev it up.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 09:55 am (UTC)Yes. Yes it is.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-24 03:15 pm (UTC)So. Very. Happy.