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Nov. 25th, 2005 09:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
annundrielI finally finished rewatching "The Hive." I still am fairly pleased with it. There are several things I'm annoyed about, but whatever. I'd be pretty happy just watching the actors stand around, so it's not that hard to make me happy.
In this post lies a lot of useless babble about the episode, way too much transcribing, a bit of an effort to fit John and Rodney into the world of "Hush" from BtVS, and a lot of slash-related stuff. Yes, I am biased in my watching of the show. There's also a fic idea that I've had since summer in there. Someone either needs to stop me from thinking about it, or force me to at least attempt it.
SGA - "The Hive"
- JF is just *so good*.
- "We call them darts 'cause they're so pointy."
- "I don't even know your name...She didn't even tell me her name." Heh. I like how easily the two Wraith gaurds lift Sheppard. There's a lot of lifting Sheppard off the ground so far.
- Wuh-oh, *two* hive ships.
- CREDITS! SHINY! YEA! I love the theme song. Lots and lots. Except, what, they can't fit "Rodney" on there?
- Good tension between Ford and Ronon.
- DH is just *so good*.
- McKAY: Okay, they definitely should have been back by now. Seriously, am I the only one who thinks that maybe things haven't gone according to plan?
GUARD 1: Yes.
McKAY: Okay. Look, we can't just sit here, we need - we need to do something.
GUARD 1: Like what?
McKAY: Like go get help! Look, we can dial the stargate back to Atlantis where we have a ship, a fast ship with shields. We can fly to the hive and- and rescue them if we need to.
GUARD 1: Can't dial the 'gate, remember? Ford removed the control crystals from the dialing device.
McKAY: Yes, I know that. But here's the good news, you're the ones guarding them. Look, all you have to do is get me the crystals, I can fix the DHD and- and then, look, you just have to walk into Ford's little room back there and get 'em.
GUARD 1: We're not giving you anything.
McKAY: Then I can't dial the 'gate.
GUARD 1: That's what I said.
McKAY: What is this, an Abbott and Costello routine? Look, just give me the damn crystals!
GUARD 1: (in McKay's face, Guard 2 with gun right at McKay's chest) You want the crystals, your gonna have to go through us.
McKAY: (pushes gun away and walks off) Unbelievable.
This Rodney would understand why Sam in "48 Hours" was willing to risk lives to save Teal'c.
- SHEPPARD: Last time we were in one of these ships, McKay was able to open the door by cutting right into the wall.
FORD: You mean like with a knife?
SHEPPARD: You have a knife?
FORD: For them to find and one to keep. Everybody knows that.
SHEPPARD: Right. Forgot all about that rule.
FORD: Well it's a good thing I'm here.
SHEPPARD: Right. Now, just take your time- (Ford throws knife) I said take your time. (Shep facepalms)
WWMD? Didn't we get a What Would McKay Do? moment in last season's second-half opener? And I love the way Sheppard says "I said take your time." It's like, "Sigh, idiots."
I wonder, though, if it will bug Sheppard that he wasn't prepared for something like this.
- SHEPPARD: How many of those things y'got?
RONON: How many do you need?
This moment right here is part of the reason why suddenly I love Ronon completely and want him around. The look on Sheppard's face when Ronon pulls the first knife out is pretty hilarious, too.
- Sneaky McKay!
- McKAY: (talking to self) Okay, you can take 'em out easy. Just a few well-placed karate chops and- and- and down they go. Piece of cake. Let's uh- (goes to open cabinet, chickens out) Are you an idiot? (gathers courage) Desperate times, desperate measures. (grabs biggest bottle of enzyme) That's one hell of a karate chop.
- (Ronon pulls knife out of his hair)
SHEPPARD: You must have a hell of a time going through airports.
- "Lock and load."
- "And that's what happens when you back a brilliant scientist into a corner!"
- McKay got to kick ass! Physically! WOO. Also, I can't help giggling at the slightly flailing at the other guys face before he knocks him down a final time.
- Sometimes Ford is really stupid.
- "Big dose. Big, big dose!" Rodney's dosed up ramblings are fantastic. "Okay, go home."
- I was hoping that Sheppard wasn't going to try and help the people in the cocoons, but then I realized we're talking about Sheppard here. So I sat back and waited for them to get caught.
- McKAY: (comes through 'gate) I know what I need to do!
WEIR: Rodney? What's happened? Where are the rest of-?
McKAY: There's no time, no time! There's a planet...not Ford's, the one the ship's headed towards. We need to get there and we don't have much time. I was barely able to escape myself, but I managed to take out the guards. Oh, you should have seen me, I was amazing! I wish we had it on camera because- that's not the point.
WEIR: Rodney, slow down. Are you alright?
McKAY: Yes, yes. I mean, um, I don't know. I mean, I did take out the guards and they were huge and dumb and stupid and-
WEIR: What guards?
McKAY: Ford's guards! Didn't I mention Ford?
WEIR: No, you didn't. You haven't mentioned Sheppard, Teyla, or Ronon either!
McKAY: Yes! They were there, too. And there were the two guards. They were huge and massive and I had to take 'em out so I had to inject some of the enzyme.
WEIR: You took some of the enzyme?
McKAY: No, no, no, no, no. (Weir faceplams) I didn't take some of the enzyme, I took a lot of the enzyme because I had to 'cause I had to take out the guards which I did! And you should have seen me! I was amazing!
WEIR: Are you insane?
McKAY: Yes, yes. Now that I've taken the enzyme, yes.
WEIR: Rodney, focus. Where is Colonel Sheppard?
McKAY: No, no, no. I had to take the enzyme because- because I had to take out the guards! But that's not the point. The point is we don't have enough time and we need to stop the ship from getting to where the ship is going.
WEIR: Come on, come on. Let's take a walk down to the infirmary alright?
McKAY: W- w- where are we going? What are you doing? No, no, no, no, I don't want to go to the infirmary. I want- I want to go the uh- the um- (faints)
I'm a little miffed that Rodney comes through and Weir runs past him expecting the others to follow him through. And when they don't, she then focuses on Rodney. At first, though, he does seem pretty normal with his "I know what I need to do!" But still, someone needs to hug the man.
Watching it a second time, it's easy to see how confused Rodney is by Weir during this and how frustrated it makes him that she doesn't understand what he's trying to get across. That's got to be a nightmare, especially for someone like Rodney. Imagine how tough it would be for Rodney to completely lose his ability to convey anything to the people around him? (I believe I read a fic like this.)
And, my god, the brilliance of DH here. On a purely shallow level, he looks pretty good coming through the 'gate. (He looks pretty good most of the time.) And then the pace and the delivery and emotion in this scene are just amazing.
- I knew the chick Sheppard was trying to save was no good the minute they were attacked by the Wraith in the corridor. You don't get a lingering look at a guest character's reaction unless something is up.
- Sheppard, for once, fell face down. Proving that, yes, he does have an ass. And then we get him on his back again in the cell and, yes I'm shallow, there's a hint of skin above his waistline. Just making an observation here.
- I like that Sheppard's not all "ooh pretty girl" or something equally Kirkian (?). 'Cause he wouldn't be and having the writers take it there would just demean him. Instead he's all about the job/mission/his people.
- "You got a lot of issues to work out, Ford."
- Caldwell is so secretly Weir's bitch.
- Maybe it's the lighting, but Beckett's looking very pretty.
- I love the looks that Beckett and Weir keep giving each other regarding McKay.
- "With or without the enzyme, we're a team, remember?"
Oh, John.
- McKAY: Don't just stand there, get me more enzyme!
BECKETT: We don't have any.
McKAY: It's in the cave, Ford's cave. He's got a whole cabinet of it. There's- there's dozens of vials.
BECKETT: Do you know the address?
McKAY: No.
BECKETT: I'm sorry, Rodney.
McKAY: Don't just scream at me!
BECKETT: I'm not screaming.
McKAY: Oh, this is fun for you, isn't it? Watching me like this.
BECKETT: I assure you it's not.
McKAY: What is this, payback? You're jealous, huh? Jealous of how vital I am to this mission, vital- vital. Jealous of how I get to go offworld and- and you get stuck in this stupid, pathetic excuse for a hospital.
BECKETT: You know that's not true.
McKAY: Jealous 'cause I get all the women and you don't! (nurses glance over)
BECKETT: 'scuse me?
McKAY: Please just give me a little enzyme, just enough to take the edge off. I'm dying here.
BECKETT: I told you we don't have any.
McKAY: You think I don't know you're lying!
BECKETT: I'm not lying.
McKAY: You are! You think I don't think you are but you are. And don't think I won't forget it!
BECKETT: What?
McKAY: I don't know. God, just kill me.
BECKETT: I wish- It'll pass.
McKAY: Don't shout, I am right here!
BECKETT: Perhaps we should move him to a more secluded area.
McKAY: Why? So you can kill me in private? Stab another knife in my back, huh?
BECKETT: Rodney, no one's trying to kill you.
McKAY: You have no idea of the agony I'm going through.
BECKETT: Oh, I have an inkling.
Again, lots of admiration for DH. And more for PM. Painful scene to watch, though. I've always been a fan of Carson, but in the past he's never worked *completely* for me. Here, he did.
I like that you can really tell here that Beckett and McKay are, despite McKay's prickly personality, friends and care for each other.
What does Beckett mean with "I have an inlking"? He can imagine? He's been there before? Someone else has? Was Beckett once a druggy and his mother had to put him into rehab? Oh, questions.
- Well, there went Kaneyo. Oh well.
- I like Ronon's "One less for you to feed on."
- *Love* the scene of Carson and Elizabeth at Rodney's bed. Again, it's all about the looks they give each other and Rodney. They care.
"Our conversation was of a different sort. I feel not unlike the priest in The Exorcist."
BECKETT: I hate to say this, but stubbornness is probably what sustained him throughout the ordeal.
WEIR: We won't tell him that, though.
BECKETT: Aye, mustn't feed the beast.
WEIR: No.
Ahahaha. It's the *way* she says it that makes it funny. If only they'd let Elizabeth be a little bit funnier.
And, hey, she told Carson nice work! How come no one tells Rodney? Except for that one time with John in the X302, but that wasn't completely serious. Maybe it's because Rodney wouldn't know how to handle a serious compliment/genuine recognition?
- "Aiden." It's very weird hearing them all call each other by their first names. Very weird. And when the hell's McKay going to join the club and call Sheppard "John"?
- I wish the Wraith were scarier. In theory they scare the crap out of me. In practice they completely fall short. I don't even know what could be done to make it better. They're just big mutated bugs who want to eat. And if that's all they are, than they're just like the shark in Jaws or the tyrannosaurus rex in Jurassic Park. They're not evil, they're just doing what they do. And maybe we're supposed to think they're evil because they are technologically advanced and have a spoken and written language, but when it comes down to it, they're still just eating people because they need to eat. And that's, I don't know, less scary.
Why can't they be scary, damn it? I know! Let's bring the Gentleman from "Hush" over to Atlantis. Now *that* would be scary. Imagine Atlantis completely silent, except for the sound of the ocean outside and the beginnings of frantic scrambling when people begin to realize they can't talk. There would have to be a moment in the briefing room with someone (I want to say Rodney) gives the Giles-"speech" with the overhead projector. And John plays the Buffy part and is all "How do we kill them?" but with inappropriate gestures and Rodney stares. In the end they save the day and the accidently inappropriate gesturing and subsequent staring from earlier is enough for Rodney and John to sort of confront each other about things between them which leads to admission of attraction which leads to porn.
Notice how it's all about porn?
And how did me wondering about the non-scariness of the Wraith lead to porn anyway?
- NIRA: How will you get us out of here?
SHEPPARD: Okay, I haven't figured that part our yet, but when I do it's going to be real impressive.
I cannot emphasize enough how much I love that Sheppard's all about the mission and has made any kind of gesture toward the fact that Nira is a woman. It's all about the mission. He's focused. Compare that with McKay who was still focused, but having a hell of a time about it.
- NIRA: You do not fear them?
SHEPPARD: The Wraith? Nah. Now clowns, that's another story. Scare the crap out of me.
HA!
- Rodney! "Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed." Would it kill you, Weir, to at least squeeze his arm? I mean, come on! What I still don't really understand is last season Weir had no problems with McKay. And then this season it's like something happened to damage her respect/liking/trust of/in him and we just didn't get to see it. And I'm talking post-"Trinity." Not long before that, it was like Weir suddenly changed her opinion of McKay just enough to be less, hmmm, friendly with him.
- "It was very strange. The whole time I was under the influence of the enzyme it felt like I was perfectly lucid. I was eloquent, even. I mean it was you who wasn't making any sense or listening to reason. It was very peculiar. I think I kind of understand how Ford must have been feeling this whole time."
- So, y'know, let's not waste any time getting Rodney back to work. Can't picture him sitting still, but Beckett must have argued about him getting back on the horse so soon.
- I love this scene with Ronon and Teyla. Love. Combine this scene with the knife one from earlier and I am sold on Ronon. (Still can't really do the Ronon/Sheppard thing though. Guess I'm more of an OTPer in this fandom than I thought.)
TEYLA: Have you thought of Lt. Ford? If his withdrawal was as severe as Kaneyo's-
RONON: If it distracts you, clear your mind of it. If it fuels your anger, use it.
- Most of the scenes with Sheppard and Nira had me praying that he wasn't going to let something about Atlantis slip. Luckily, John's not stupid.
- NIRA: You have fought the Wraith before?
SHEPPARD: Lots of times. Won some battles, lost some. War's not over by a long shot, but we're managing to hold our own.
NIRA: And the clowns?
SHEPPARD: Clowns? Oh, yeah, the clowns. Well we fight them, too. Entire armies spilling out of Volkswagens. We do our best to fight them off, but they keep sending them in.
HA! Oh, Shep.
- Zelenka! Lorne! Zelenka! And he's in gray! (Although, if I remember correctly, he made it into the gray uniform in "Lost Boys." I'm hoping this means he's safe from being randomly killed off.) I'm, um, really close to slashing Zelenka and Lorne. So close it's scary.
Oh, Zelenka, how I heart you. And to think, when you first showed up all I could do was moan about having to remember yet another character name. How foolish I was.
- You just know Sheppard's thinking, "Ew, girl cooties." He's *so* uncomfortable. Maybe he learned his lesson about trusting women in "Sanctuary" and "Aurora." 'Cause every woman he's run into, besides Teyla, has lied.
- NIRA: Tell me what it looks like.
SHEPPARD: Like every other world I suppose. Trees, water, mountains, Starbucks on every corner.
There's a Starbucks on the corner across from my dorm. I need to go there more often. Mmmm, coffee.
- It creeps me out how she puts her hand flat in the center of his chest as she snuggles into him. I think it worries him a bit as well. And how pretty was this whole scene, anyway? The blue light really suits him.
- What's with the laser light show with the Wraith queen?
- The Wraith try to be sneaky, but Sheppard's too smart for them. And Nira was obviously planted from the beginning.
- I'm so not going to slash McKay and Lorne. I'm not. Lorne and Zelenka. It's Lorne and Zelenka. And any looks between McKay and Lorne have to do with McKay knowing about it and Lorne having Zelenka insist that yes, Rodney is a jerk, but he's not as bad as he seems. Or something.
- "The prophecy of the Great Awakening has come to pass."
Okay, that is creepy. And shouldn't that make Sheppard some sort of religious figure for them since he woke the Wraith up?
- Wraith infighting! Cool, but also nicely convenient.
- Ford! Saving the day. And Sheppard with the weapon. To quote Paris Hilton, "That's hot."
- Oh, hero music. And Ford called him boss. And then John. And it's still kind of weird.
- Ronon's so happy to see Sheppard.
- How'd Sheppard know how to fly the dart without any help from human technology? Can he read Wraith now? Did he pick it up?
- I love that John talks to himself.
- It must be interesting being Lorne. There should be more Lorne. I would actually love to see an episode where we follow a team other than Sheppard's through the 'gate and see what they get up to.
- Oh, the way McKay's face lights up when they realize what Sheppard's doing with the dart and the hive ships. He's thinking "My boyfriend is so SMART. And also ALIVE." And then his face just *drops* when it looks like Sheppard blew up. Oh, Rodney. Woe!
- Weir was totally going to go shed a tear. Maybe throw up.
- Wow, she's really happy to see all of them, isn't she? Glad there wasn't any hugging.
- McKAY: Why aren't you dead?
SHEPPARD: It's good to see you too, Rodney.
McKAY: No, no I mean- You know what I mean. Why aren't you dead?
Aw.
- Teyla's looking really kind of hot.
- "I kind of goosed things along with the queen." Rodney's reaction...Wonder what he's thinking? Rodney actually still seems out of it here. Subdued maybe? He looks a little more lost about Sheppard and the team than he usually does. Tough day for McKay. He needs some lovin'.
- Weir seems very sassy this episode.
- John keeps looking at Rodney and then looking away and then looking back and looking away. I'm going to pretend that this means he and Rodney are going to go have some private time together to talk and make sure they're all okay. Really. That's what happens next.
*
I'm hoping they won't revert McKay back to physical silliness all the time.
All in all, I did really like this episode. Everyone was very good. I know McKay doesn't necessarily need it, but I desperately want someone ::cough::sheppard::cough:: to thank Rodney. To thank him, to acknowledge what he does, to give him a pat on the back, to say "nice work." Whatever. I want acknowledgment for him. And I can see that he's not the type of person to maybe need that kind of acknowledgment to keep going, but, damn it, everyone likes to be told they're appreciated once in awhile. And I could easily see Rodney's arrogance as partly covering up some subconscious feeling of inadequacy.
Over the summer I actually had a fic idea, which I will never actually write, that I told Natasha and Neesha about. They both really liked it, but trying to write anything SGA-related scares the crap out of me. But it's a fic I would love to read. It was sort of like that fairy tale about the Snow Queen who enchants this boy, Kay, who then turns on his best friend Gerda. It's all wonderful for them before hand, but then the Snow Queen comes along and a piece of her mirror gets stuck in Kay's eye and he turns on Gerda and leaves with the Snow Queen and doesn't remember a thing. So Gerda goes on a journey to get him back, but he's frozen and completely the queen's. Gerda weeps for him and then he weeps and the ice comes out of his eye and he remembers who she is but can't remember what has happened.
Basically replace Kay with McKay and Gerda with Sheppard. Except the idea was that they went to some planet, like they do, and the queen/leader-lady was flattering of McKay with a bunch of "only you" and "we need *you*." A whammy was put on him and no one really noticed until they tried to leave but he wouldn't go and she wouldn't let him and it was all angsty. But they figure out what's going on and Sheppard and the team go back and they save McKay and fix it. And McKay's maybe a little appalled by what he's done because of their (the team's) bond/friendship, particularly with Sheppard. But all is good and hopeful in the end.
And reading parts of the fairy tale again I am *so* tempted. But, still, scary.
But I think if an attractive woman flattered McKay's intelligence and self-importance enough, and put some sort of Ancient/some other group of Aliens whammy on him, she could have him eating out of the palm of her hand. And, oh, at first Sheppard would be confused about McKay because maybe before this mission they were starting to move toward each other in a "there might be more between us" kind of way and all of the sudden McKay reverts to extreme "you're all idiots" mode. Which would 'cause Shep to be a bit peeved...
And, yeah, I don't really know.
Anyway, episode?
Wonder if there will be any mention of Rodney's dosing up later on. I doubt it. Unfortunately.
Other than that, I am completely, ridiculously in love with JF and DH. It's quite sad, really.
*
Gonna go watch an episode of The Avengers with Dad.
In this post lies a lot of useless babble about the episode, way too much transcribing, a bit of an effort to fit John and Rodney into the world of "Hush" from BtVS, and a lot of slash-related stuff. Yes, I am biased in my watching of the show. There's also a fic idea that I've had since summer in there. Someone either needs to stop me from thinking about it, or force me to at least attempt it.
SGA - "The Hive"
- JF is just *so good*.
- "We call them darts 'cause they're so pointy."
- "I don't even know your name...She didn't even tell me her name." Heh. I like how easily the two Wraith gaurds lift Sheppard. There's a lot of lifting Sheppard off the ground so far.
- Wuh-oh, *two* hive ships.
- CREDITS! SHINY! YEA! I love the theme song. Lots and lots. Except, what, they can't fit "Rodney" on there?
- Good tension between Ford and Ronon.
- DH is just *so good*.
- McKAY: Okay, they definitely should have been back by now. Seriously, am I the only one who thinks that maybe things haven't gone according to plan?
GUARD 1: Yes.
McKAY: Okay. Look, we can't just sit here, we need - we need to do something.
GUARD 1: Like what?
McKAY: Like go get help! Look, we can dial the stargate back to Atlantis where we have a ship, a fast ship with shields. We can fly to the hive and- and rescue them if we need to.
GUARD 1: Can't dial the 'gate, remember? Ford removed the control crystals from the dialing device.
McKAY: Yes, I know that. But here's the good news, you're the ones guarding them. Look, all you have to do is get me the crystals, I can fix the DHD and- and then, look, you just have to walk into Ford's little room back there and get 'em.
GUARD 1: We're not giving you anything.
McKAY: Then I can't dial the 'gate.
GUARD 1: That's what I said.
McKAY: What is this, an Abbott and Costello routine? Look, just give me the damn crystals!
GUARD 1: (in McKay's face, Guard 2 with gun right at McKay's chest) You want the crystals, your gonna have to go through us.
McKAY: (pushes gun away and walks off) Unbelievable.
This Rodney would understand why Sam in "48 Hours" was willing to risk lives to save Teal'c.
- SHEPPARD: Last time we were in one of these ships, McKay was able to open the door by cutting right into the wall.
FORD: You mean like with a knife?
SHEPPARD: You have a knife?
FORD: For them to find and one to keep. Everybody knows that.
SHEPPARD: Right. Forgot all about that rule.
FORD: Well it's a good thing I'm here.
SHEPPARD: Right. Now, just take your time- (Ford throws knife) I said take your time. (Shep facepalms)
WWMD? Didn't we get a What Would McKay Do? moment in last season's second-half opener? And I love the way Sheppard says "I said take your time." It's like, "Sigh, idiots."
I wonder, though, if it will bug Sheppard that he wasn't prepared for something like this.
- SHEPPARD: How many of those things y'got?
RONON: How many do you need?
This moment right here is part of the reason why suddenly I love Ronon completely and want him around. The look on Sheppard's face when Ronon pulls the first knife out is pretty hilarious, too.
- Sneaky McKay!
- McKAY: (talking to self) Okay, you can take 'em out easy. Just a few well-placed karate chops and- and- and down they go. Piece of cake. Let's uh- (goes to open cabinet, chickens out) Are you an idiot? (gathers courage) Desperate times, desperate measures. (grabs biggest bottle of enzyme) That's one hell of a karate chop.
- (Ronon pulls knife out of his hair)
SHEPPARD: You must have a hell of a time going through airports.
- "Lock and load."
- "And that's what happens when you back a brilliant scientist into a corner!"
- McKay got to kick ass! Physically! WOO. Also, I can't help giggling at the slightly flailing at the other guys face before he knocks him down a final time.
- Sometimes Ford is really stupid.
- "Big dose. Big, big dose!" Rodney's dosed up ramblings are fantastic. "Okay, go home."
- I was hoping that Sheppard wasn't going to try and help the people in the cocoons, but then I realized we're talking about Sheppard here. So I sat back and waited for them to get caught.
- McKAY: (comes through 'gate) I know what I need to do!
WEIR: Rodney? What's happened? Where are the rest of-?
McKAY: There's no time, no time! There's a planet...not Ford's, the one the ship's headed towards. We need to get there and we don't have much time. I was barely able to escape myself, but I managed to take out the guards. Oh, you should have seen me, I was amazing! I wish we had it on camera because- that's not the point.
WEIR: Rodney, slow down. Are you alright?
McKAY: Yes, yes. I mean, um, I don't know. I mean, I did take out the guards and they were huge and dumb and stupid and-
WEIR: What guards?
McKAY: Ford's guards! Didn't I mention Ford?
WEIR: No, you didn't. You haven't mentioned Sheppard, Teyla, or Ronon either!
McKAY: Yes! They were there, too. And there were the two guards. They were huge and massive and I had to take 'em out so I had to inject some of the enzyme.
WEIR: You took some of the enzyme?
McKAY: No, no, no, no, no. (Weir faceplams) I didn't take some of the enzyme, I took a lot of the enzyme because I had to 'cause I had to take out the guards which I did! And you should have seen me! I was amazing!
WEIR: Are you insane?
McKAY: Yes, yes. Now that I've taken the enzyme, yes.
WEIR: Rodney, focus. Where is Colonel Sheppard?
McKAY: No, no, no. I had to take the enzyme because- because I had to take out the guards! But that's not the point. The point is we don't have enough time and we need to stop the ship from getting to where the ship is going.
WEIR: Come on, come on. Let's take a walk down to the infirmary alright?
McKAY: W- w- where are we going? What are you doing? No, no, no, no, I don't want to go to the infirmary. I want- I want to go the uh- the um- (faints)
I'm a little miffed that Rodney comes through and Weir runs past him expecting the others to follow him through. And when they don't, she then focuses on Rodney. At first, though, he does seem pretty normal with his "I know what I need to do!" But still, someone needs to hug the man.
Watching it a second time, it's easy to see how confused Rodney is by Weir during this and how frustrated it makes him that she doesn't understand what he's trying to get across. That's got to be a nightmare, especially for someone like Rodney. Imagine how tough it would be for Rodney to completely lose his ability to convey anything to the people around him? (I believe I read a fic like this.)
And, my god, the brilliance of DH here. On a purely shallow level, he looks pretty good coming through the 'gate. (He looks pretty good most of the time.) And then the pace and the delivery and emotion in this scene are just amazing.
- I knew the chick Sheppard was trying to save was no good the minute they were attacked by the Wraith in the corridor. You don't get a lingering look at a guest character's reaction unless something is up.
- Sheppard, for once, fell face down. Proving that, yes, he does have an ass. And then we get him on his back again in the cell and, yes I'm shallow, there's a hint of skin above his waistline. Just making an observation here.
- I like that Sheppard's not all "ooh pretty girl" or something equally Kirkian (?). 'Cause he wouldn't be and having the writers take it there would just demean him. Instead he's all about the job/mission/his people.
- "You got a lot of issues to work out, Ford."
- Caldwell is so secretly Weir's bitch.
- Maybe it's the lighting, but Beckett's looking very pretty.
- I love the looks that Beckett and Weir keep giving each other regarding McKay.
- "With or without the enzyme, we're a team, remember?"
Oh, John.
- McKAY: Don't just stand there, get me more enzyme!
BECKETT: We don't have any.
McKAY: It's in the cave, Ford's cave. He's got a whole cabinet of it. There's- there's dozens of vials.
BECKETT: Do you know the address?
McKAY: No.
BECKETT: I'm sorry, Rodney.
McKAY: Don't just scream at me!
BECKETT: I'm not screaming.
McKAY: Oh, this is fun for you, isn't it? Watching me like this.
BECKETT: I assure you it's not.
McKAY: What is this, payback? You're jealous, huh? Jealous of how vital I am to this mission, vital- vital. Jealous of how I get to go offworld and- and you get stuck in this stupid, pathetic excuse for a hospital.
BECKETT: You know that's not true.
McKAY: Jealous 'cause I get all the women and you don't! (nurses glance over)
BECKETT: 'scuse me?
McKAY: Please just give me a little enzyme, just enough to take the edge off. I'm dying here.
BECKETT: I told you we don't have any.
McKAY: You think I don't know you're lying!
BECKETT: I'm not lying.
McKAY: You are! You think I don't think you are but you are. And don't think I won't forget it!
BECKETT: What?
McKAY: I don't know. God, just kill me.
BECKETT: I wish- It'll pass.
McKAY: Don't shout, I am right here!
BECKETT: Perhaps we should move him to a more secluded area.
McKAY: Why? So you can kill me in private? Stab another knife in my back, huh?
BECKETT: Rodney, no one's trying to kill you.
McKAY: You have no idea of the agony I'm going through.
BECKETT: Oh, I have an inkling.
Again, lots of admiration for DH. And more for PM. Painful scene to watch, though. I've always been a fan of Carson, but in the past he's never worked *completely* for me. Here, he did.
I like that you can really tell here that Beckett and McKay are, despite McKay's prickly personality, friends and care for each other.
What does Beckett mean with "I have an inlking"? He can imagine? He's been there before? Someone else has? Was Beckett once a druggy and his mother had to put him into rehab? Oh, questions.
- Well, there went Kaneyo. Oh well.
- I like Ronon's "One less for you to feed on."
- *Love* the scene of Carson and Elizabeth at Rodney's bed. Again, it's all about the looks they give each other and Rodney. They care.
"Our conversation was of a different sort. I feel not unlike the priest in The Exorcist."
BECKETT: I hate to say this, but stubbornness is probably what sustained him throughout the ordeal.
WEIR: We won't tell him that, though.
BECKETT: Aye, mustn't feed the beast.
WEIR: No.
Ahahaha. It's the *way* she says it that makes it funny. If only they'd let Elizabeth be a little bit funnier.
And, hey, she told Carson nice work! How come no one tells Rodney? Except for that one time with John in the X302, but that wasn't completely serious. Maybe it's because Rodney wouldn't know how to handle a serious compliment/genuine recognition?
- "Aiden." It's very weird hearing them all call each other by their first names. Very weird. And when the hell's McKay going to join the club and call Sheppard "John"?
- I wish the Wraith were scarier. In theory they scare the crap out of me. In practice they completely fall short. I don't even know what could be done to make it better. They're just big mutated bugs who want to eat. And if that's all they are, than they're just like the shark in Jaws or the tyrannosaurus rex in Jurassic Park. They're not evil, they're just doing what they do. And maybe we're supposed to think they're evil because they are technologically advanced and have a spoken and written language, but when it comes down to it, they're still just eating people because they need to eat. And that's, I don't know, less scary.
Why can't they be scary, damn it? I know! Let's bring the Gentleman from "Hush" over to Atlantis. Now *that* would be scary. Imagine Atlantis completely silent, except for the sound of the ocean outside and the beginnings of frantic scrambling when people begin to realize they can't talk. There would have to be a moment in the briefing room with someone (I want to say Rodney) gives the Giles-"speech" with the overhead projector. And John plays the Buffy part and is all "How do we kill them?" but with inappropriate gestures and Rodney stares. In the end they save the day and the accidently inappropriate gesturing and subsequent staring from earlier is enough for Rodney and John to sort of confront each other about things between them which leads to admission of attraction which leads to porn.
Notice how it's all about porn?
And how did me wondering about the non-scariness of the Wraith lead to porn anyway?
- NIRA: How will you get us out of here?
SHEPPARD: Okay, I haven't figured that part our yet, but when I do it's going to be real impressive.
I cannot emphasize enough how much I love that Sheppard's all about the mission and has made any kind of gesture toward the fact that Nira is a woman. It's all about the mission. He's focused. Compare that with McKay who was still focused, but having a hell of a time about it.
- NIRA: You do not fear them?
SHEPPARD: The Wraith? Nah. Now clowns, that's another story. Scare the crap out of me.
HA!
- Rodney! "Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed." Would it kill you, Weir, to at least squeeze his arm? I mean, come on! What I still don't really understand is last season Weir had no problems with McKay. And then this season it's like something happened to damage her respect/liking/trust of/in him and we just didn't get to see it. And I'm talking post-"Trinity." Not long before that, it was like Weir suddenly changed her opinion of McKay just enough to be less, hmmm, friendly with him.
- "It was very strange. The whole time I was under the influence of the enzyme it felt like I was perfectly lucid. I was eloquent, even. I mean it was you who wasn't making any sense or listening to reason. It was very peculiar. I think I kind of understand how Ford must have been feeling this whole time."
- So, y'know, let's not waste any time getting Rodney back to work. Can't picture him sitting still, but Beckett must have argued about him getting back on the horse so soon.
- I love this scene with Ronon and Teyla. Love. Combine this scene with the knife one from earlier and I am sold on Ronon. (Still can't really do the Ronon/Sheppard thing though. Guess I'm more of an OTPer in this fandom than I thought.)
TEYLA: Have you thought of Lt. Ford? If his withdrawal was as severe as Kaneyo's-
RONON: If it distracts you, clear your mind of it. If it fuels your anger, use it.
- Most of the scenes with Sheppard and Nira had me praying that he wasn't going to let something about Atlantis slip. Luckily, John's not stupid.
- NIRA: You have fought the Wraith before?
SHEPPARD: Lots of times. Won some battles, lost some. War's not over by a long shot, but we're managing to hold our own.
NIRA: And the clowns?
SHEPPARD: Clowns? Oh, yeah, the clowns. Well we fight them, too. Entire armies spilling out of Volkswagens. We do our best to fight them off, but they keep sending them in.
HA! Oh, Shep.
- Zelenka! Lorne! Zelenka! And he's in gray! (Although, if I remember correctly, he made it into the gray uniform in "Lost Boys." I'm hoping this means he's safe from being randomly killed off.) I'm, um, really close to slashing Zelenka and Lorne. So close it's scary.
Oh, Zelenka, how I heart you. And to think, when you first showed up all I could do was moan about having to remember yet another character name. How foolish I was.
- You just know Sheppard's thinking, "Ew, girl cooties." He's *so* uncomfortable. Maybe he learned his lesson about trusting women in "Sanctuary" and "Aurora." 'Cause every woman he's run into, besides Teyla, has lied.
- NIRA: Tell me what it looks like.
SHEPPARD: Like every other world I suppose. Trees, water, mountains, Starbucks on every corner.
There's a Starbucks on the corner across from my dorm. I need to go there more often. Mmmm, coffee.
- It creeps me out how she puts her hand flat in the center of his chest as she snuggles into him. I think it worries him a bit as well. And how pretty was this whole scene, anyway? The blue light really suits him.
- What's with the laser light show with the Wraith queen?
- The Wraith try to be sneaky, but Sheppard's too smart for them. And Nira was obviously planted from the beginning.
- I'm so not going to slash McKay and Lorne. I'm not. Lorne and Zelenka. It's Lorne and Zelenka. And any looks between McKay and Lorne have to do with McKay knowing about it and Lorne having Zelenka insist that yes, Rodney is a jerk, but he's not as bad as he seems. Or something.
- "The prophecy of the Great Awakening has come to pass."
Okay, that is creepy. And shouldn't that make Sheppard some sort of religious figure for them since he woke the Wraith up?
- Wraith infighting! Cool, but also nicely convenient.
- Ford! Saving the day. And Sheppard with the weapon. To quote Paris Hilton, "That's hot."
- Oh, hero music. And Ford called him boss. And then John. And it's still kind of weird.
- Ronon's so happy to see Sheppard.
- How'd Sheppard know how to fly the dart without any help from human technology? Can he read Wraith now? Did he pick it up?
- I love that John talks to himself.
- It must be interesting being Lorne. There should be more Lorne. I would actually love to see an episode where we follow a team other than Sheppard's through the 'gate and see what they get up to.
- Oh, the way McKay's face lights up when they realize what Sheppard's doing with the dart and the hive ships. He's thinking "My boyfriend is so SMART. And also ALIVE." And then his face just *drops* when it looks like Sheppard blew up. Oh, Rodney. Woe!
- Weir was totally going to go shed a tear. Maybe throw up.
- Wow, she's really happy to see all of them, isn't she? Glad there wasn't any hugging.
- McKAY: Why aren't you dead?
SHEPPARD: It's good to see you too, Rodney.
McKAY: No, no I mean- You know what I mean. Why aren't you dead?
Aw.
- Teyla's looking really kind of hot.
- "I kind of goosed things along with the queen." Rodney's reaction...Wonder what he's thinking? Rodney actually still seems out of it here. Subdued maybe? He looks a little more lost about Sheppard and the team than he usually does. Tough day for McKay. He needs some lovin'.
- Weir seems very sassy this episode.
- John keeps looking at Rodney and then looking away and then looking back and looking away. I'm going to pretend that this means he and Rodney are going to go have some private time together to talk and make sure they're all okay. Really. That's what happens next.
*
I'm hoping they won't revert McKay back to physical silliness all the time.
All in all, I did really like this episode. Everyone was very good. I know McKay doesn't necessarily need it, but I desperately want someone ::cough::sheppard::cough:: to thank Rodney. To thank him, to acknowledge what he does, to give him a pat on the back, to say "nice work." Whatever. I want acknowledgment for him. And I can see that he's not the type of person to maybe need that kind of acknowledgment to keep going, but, damn it, everyone likes to be told they're appreciated once in awhile. And I could easily see Rodney's arrogance as partly covering up some subconscious feeling of inadequacy.
Over the summer I actually had a fic idea, which I will never actually write, that I told Natasha and Neesha about. They both really liked it, but trying to write anything SGA-related scares the crap out of me. But it's a fic I would love to read. It was sort of like that fairy tale about the Snow Queen who enchants this boy, Kay, who then turns on his best friend Gerda. It's all wonderful for them before hand, but then the Snow Queen comes along and a piece of her mirror gets stuck in Kay's eye and he turns on Gerda and leaves with the Snow Queen and doesn't remember a thing. So Gerda goes on a journey to get him back, but he's frozen and completely the queen's. Gerda weeps for him and then he weeps and the ice comes out of his eye and he remembers who she is but can't remember what has happened.
Basically replace Kay with McKay and Gerda with Sheppard. Except the idea was that they went to some planet, like they do, and the queen/leader-lady was flattering of McKay with a bunch of "only you" and "we need *you*." A whammy was put on him and no one really noticed until they tried to leave but he wouldn't go and she wouldn't let him and it was all angsty. But they figure out what's going on and Sheppard and the team go back and they save McKay and fix it. And McKay's maybe a little appalled by what he's done because of their (the team's) bond/friendship, particularly with Sheppard. But all is good and hopeful in the end.
And reading parts of the fairy tale again I am *so* tempted. But, still, scary.
But I think if an attractive woman flattered McKay's intelligence and self-importance enough, and put some sort of Ancient/some other group of Aliens whammy on him, she could have him eating out of the palm of her hand. And, oh, at first Sheppard would be confused about McKay because maybe before this mission they were starting to move toward each other in a "there might be more between us" kind of way and all of the sudden McKay reverts to extreme "you're all idiots" mode. Which would 'cause Shep to be a bit peeved...
And, yeah, I don't really know.
Anyway, episode?
Wonder if there will be any mention of Rodney's dosing up later on. I doubt it. Unfortunately.
Other than that, I am completely, ridiculously in love with JF and DH. It's quite sad, really.
*
Gonna go watch an episode of The Avengers with Dad.
