SGA 5x01

[xparrot]

Like we would go without watching it, when it was available...!

New SGA!!!!

The TEAM!!!!!11!1!!!

Teyla giving birth with Rodney catching! (Rodney looks especially nice in hive ship lighting...love when Kanaan meets up with them and is staring past Teyla at her three boys and you can just see him thinking, "Oh, seriously, why are they all hotter than me?")

John staggering around barely mobile To Save My Teammate Or Else!

Ronon with the Teyla-carrying!

Rodney & John both with the baby-holding! (Was it just me or were all the actor-daddies channeling their own fatherhood for their baby scenes? Their excitement and joy were so ridiculously cute!)

FORD! Our collective jaws dropped! (I'm living with gnine aka Spoiler Central, and she hadn't heard that one. If they manage to keep the lid on one appearance, he could return more this season?)

John & Ronon trapped and John does the "leave me" and Ronon does the "like hell" and John does the "No, you must!" and Ronon asks "Would you?" and John says "Yes, I would" and we shrieked with laughter because, really now, oh, John.

I could've done with a little more John-Rodney interaction but there was a lot else going on, and also John's "McKay's alive?" to Keller pretty much made up for it all on its own, with the way his head jerks up and his breath catches and he'd so clearly been desperate to know and hadn't been able to bring himself to ask.

They just blew their computer f/x budget for the whole year. The planetscapes were nice and all but we really enjoyed the hyperspace window being blasted, so flipping cool and pretty!

Saaaaaaam...I'm going to miss her. She was so awesome and commanding and cute with Rodney in this ep. Sigh. But so curious how Atlantis is going to embrace Woolsey. Or really really not...

Questions: So Michael stole the jumper - is he ATA equipped thanks to Beckett's therapy, or does he have a minion with the gene?

Kanaan??? Is where now? Did they stick him in the holding cell? I assume they brought him with them in dart storage; he must have lived somehow, or else Teyla would've named the baby after him (while I kind of wish she'd given acknowledgment to all the team in the name, John is representative, and it cracks me up that John was the only one who wasn't thinking about it, between Ronon's "Good name for a boy or girl" and Rodney's "Yes!")
We want Kanaan to survive to become stay-at-home Dad on Atlantis, though suspect the chances of this are practically nil. Still, that Teyla is keeping her baby is already an astonishment of the first order, so - surprise me, show!

Could've done with less of the implied shippiness at the very beginning (less the scene itself, more that it might be setting a trend for the season, given what Mallozzi has said; otoh if the overwhelming TEAMiness of this ep is also a trend, I'm totally on board), but otherwise my only real problem with the ep was FOUR WEEKS' WAIT until the next one. Ahhhh no~!

Comments

[sholio]

Questions: So Michael stole the jumper - is he ATA equipped thanks to Beckett's therapy, or does he have a minion with the gene?

This came up in the comments to my post, too -- and like I said over there, as amusing as it is to imagine Michael having one of his minions get a Wraith forklift and push the jumper over the edge, it really does make sense that Michael would have the gene now, what with having Carson in his clutches all that time and having spent enough time among the Atlanteans to know what a boon it would be. On the other hand, it *also* wouldn't surprise me if they totally didn't think about it and it's never mentioned again! It's a good thing this show brings the squee ...

I'm also with you on the implied shippiness. Unfortunately, I kinda ruined a lot of the John-Teyla and John-Elizabeth scenes for myself in the first season because of my expectation that TPTB were going to end up playing the romance card with them; I was expecting John/Teyla at first and then started to think they were pushing John/Elizabeth later on -- imagine my (pleasant) surprise when the show turned out to be as unshippy as it is! And now I think I'm doing it again, because I'm fully expecting them to push the John/Teyla angle in season 5, and I get tensed up and frustrated during scenes like the ones at the beginning and at the end of this episode, expecting that it'll end up being a prelude to romance before the season's over. I could be wrong, though. I'm also not sure why some pairings (John/Teyla especially) bother me when others (Rodney/Keller) don't -- I don't mind the characters having love lives as long as it doesn't take over the show, but some of the possible pairing appeal to me far more than others.

I guess this is the problem with male/female friendships on TV, because that possibility is always lurking under the surface, and for someone like me who prefers friendships, it's hard to avoid that knee-jerk "No!" reaction when the man and woman have an intense scene. Maybe that's why the male/female friendships I latch onto tend to be ones where canonical romance is almost as unlikely as in a same-sex friendship -- I have a particular weakness for older guy-teenage girl mentor/father-figure & student relationships (like Harry and Molly in the Dresden books) and maybe some of it has to do with romance being so unlikely in those sorts of situations.

otherwise my only real problem with the ep was FOUR WEEKS' WAIT until the next one. Ahhhh no~!

I knowwwww! And I'm not even going to see the next episode when it airs, because I'll be out of town that week, with no cable OR internet! *snivel* At least I won't have to avoid spoilers until I can get my hands on the episode, since I won't have LJ either...

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Our question is if the gene therapy would work on Michael - since it's not 100% effective anyway, and he's got Wraith DNA. So it's possible he's having a human minion with the gene fly the jumper for him, though we think it's likely he has the gene himself...

The shippiness gets to me mainly because Mallozzi specifically said in an interview (and confirmed in his blog) that this season would have more romance. He didn't say with who, but it makes me DO NOT WANT pretty violently. I don't always mind romance, but I prefer friendship, and I see absolutely no need to stick it in when it's always gotten along fine without.

That being said, I'm the opposite of you at present - John/Teyla doesn't tweak me out the way, say, Sam/Jack did; I guess for me there's a certain level of keeping it in the team, that John loves all his team to such frightening levels that seeing any of those relationships advance doesn't seem too far a stretch. While as Rodney/Keller really, really turns me off, I don't know why, but I'm almost cringing when they have scenes together now...which I really don't want to be doing, as I like Keller well enough, and enjoyed her scenes with Rodney until this romance thing came up (though right now she's mostly been pursuing him which I can't blame her for - I mean, Rodney! excellent taste! - but I don't want to see it returned. This isn't a crazy slasher OTP thing, either, because I still find myself shipping Rodney/Sam when they're on screen. I think part of my problem is if Rodney & Keller did get together, it would pretty much have to be a big deal; unlike Katie Brown, she's going to be working a lot with Rodney, and as a major character will be in many eps, and I just don't want to see that much romance. And they can't do the eternal UST thing as with Sam/Jack, because it makes no sense for them not to get together if they're both interested; there's no rules to divide them.

...all that being said, I still want Ronon/Keller, partly because I think it'd give Ronon more screentime, and they don't have reason to work together as much as Rodney & Keller, so the relationship wouldn't interfere with their professional duties...)

On the topic of male-female friendship, have you seen The Shield? utopiantrunks has been showing it to us, and while it's too dark for me to fan on, there is this wonderful relationship between two of the detectives, an older woman (the awesome CCH Pounder!) and her geeky younger partner. Zero romance but a lot of cuteness.

[sholio]

Oh, Sam/Jack. Talk about a DO NOT WANT there. One of the reasons why I've never gone ahead and watched the seasons of SG-1 that I missed (approximately 7-9) is because I know that was when they really started pushing the Sam/Jack angle, and I really don't think I could stand to watch that. Which is weird, because I like the characters on their own, and I really enjoyed episodes like "Solitudes" that focused on them as teammates and friends. But as a couple ... oh help me, no.

I think right now, I'm more okay with romance on SGA than I would normally be because I've spent the last two years with most of my fannish existence being eaten up with SGA canon and SGA gen -- yes, I've been reading a fair amount of slash, but not *writing* it, and the slash doesn't satisfy my OMGmorecanon urges -- and, surprisingly, I'm slightly maxed out on gennish impulses right now. So SGA having a shippier-than-usual season really could not have come at a better time for me, because I actually *want* to have a smidge of romance for a change. Just a smidge, mind! But SGA is one of the only shows in awhile that I've been truly, deeply fannish about that has had zero canon couples to speak of -- I would never have counted a likeable couple or two as something that I want in canon before now, but then, romance is such a general hum of background noise in almost everything that it's really unusual to get a show like SGA where it's almost completely absent. I still wouldn't consider it central to my love of a show in the same way as strong friendships are, but I'm finding myself feeling its absence, now that I've been living and breathing SGA for so long. Possibly this is the same urge that makes me jump ship from fandoms so often -- the desire for something a little bit different.

... which makes me marvel, again, that SGA has held my interest for so long, and still shows no signs of stopping. It does seem like my urge to write massive gen epics in this fandom has dried up for the time being, but mostly because it's seriously interfering with my ability to write long original gen epics. *g* And my story with naye is currently clocking in at about 60,000 words, so obviously this 'verse still holds a lot of inspiration for me! It's just ... the universe clicks so perfectly with my creative urges, because there's the friendship/character element to explore, and also the universe to explore (which allows me to indulge my anthropologist-geek whenever I want) ... and the fact that there is SO MUCH TO FIX ... if one is so inclined. Plus there is an ongoing canon. Being in one fandom for so long is leading me to all kinds of fascinating mental analyzing of my progression through the fandom, as well as how the fandom itself has changed -- it's an interesting new experience to stay in the same fandom long enough to watch it change! (And, wow, it's pretty weird to be even tangentially involved in SG-1 fandom again, ten years after discovering it the first time! It's really changed a lot. I remember how conflicted and tumultous SG-1 fandom used to be, and look at how mellow it is now, and wonder what SGA fandom is going to look like in 5 or 6 years, and if I might even still be here, which would be absolutely unprecedented for me.)

Oh wow, sorry about the digression. XD I already talked about Ronon/Keller vs Keller/Rodney in one of my discussions with you elsewhere; I really do like them both, and I find Ronon/Keller very appealing because it shows a different side of Ronon than we normally get in his storylines. But Rodney/Keller appeals to me on a visceral level that kinda surprises me. You know, to some extent, I think it's that exact same snarky-geek-love thing that makes me love Sheppard/McKay on a slash level as well as a friendship level. I am an absolutely sucker for dorks in love and for relationships that are based on mental more than physical attraction, and I think Rodney/Keller hits those kinks.

(And hey, do you notice how natural it is to refer to her by her last name and him by his first name, in a reverse of the usual male/female terminology thing? Hmm.)

And I haven't seen The Shield -- it was never even on my "want to see" list, but it does sound good!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Actually I found the Sam/Jack leveled off in later SG-1...I got the feeling the writers were in debate about it, because there was at least one ep ("Grace") that explained it away beautifully (as Sam being attracted to Jack because he was unattainable, because it was a risk-free relationship because she would never dare risk it), and then while it came back, Jack being in the show less meant that Sam still have more relationship time with Daniel and Teal'c (and Cam, with whom she was just adorable, partly because the show implied she'd hooked up with Jack and therefore was completely platonic with Cam. But you saw that stuff, I believe...)

It is amazing, how long SGA has kept your interest - I'm going on 9 months myself and while that's not a record, I'm usually not still *into* a show to this extent after so long. SGA really does have a magic blend, and the fandom is so huge and active and, uh, special that it keeps one entertained! And I can see about wanting more, wanting to see different things...part of my problem is that I have given myself entirely over to the McShep (it's not my fault! they have good fic! and cookies! and really fun attitudes!) which I knew was a mistake, I don't like slash OTPing because it will almost always get screwed over by canon eventually, and that hurts...but I can't help myself.

Rodney/Keller, yeah, sorry *winces* I know I keep raining on your parade, I just wish I could flip the switch that makes me enjoy it! I think part of my problem is actually that I do like the snark - and I see that disappearing if they really get together. Rodney didn't snark with Katie...it's one reason I love Rodney/Sam way too much, because he treats her unlike any other woman he's been attracted to, and I love their spark-flying give-and-take. He's never been as sarcastic with Keller as with Sam or the guys, and the little bit of their alt-timeline selves in "The Last Man" they were so toned-down and sad...if he gets over the awkward flirting stage he was stuck at with Katie, and lets himself be his prickly Rodney self with Keller, I'll enjoy 'em a lot more.

Interesting point about the last name/first name thing...which is in the show, too, because Rodney in TLM switches to using "Jennifer" (though John still uses "Keller")...

I didn't actually think I'd like The Shield as much as I am - it's very dark (these are cops who make Gene Hunt look nice, reasonable, and on-the-level!) but the writing is tight and manages to maintain the balance between corruption and humanity such that you like the chars enough to care what's happening to them, even when they're doing reprehensible things. Vic Mackey is a classic antihero, so many shades of gray you're never sure what you want to happen to him. And Claudette & Dutch's partnership is soso cute (they're the least screwed-up chars on the show, too, so it's okay to root for them...)

[ionaonie.livejournal.com]

Apart from the fact I adore McShep, I don't like John/Teyla because I love the strong friendship between John and Teyla and anything sexual in it ruins it for me. Why do so many shows insist on doing romance (and in SGA's case, badly)?

So, like you, I'm really quite scared about what they are going to be doing in season five with John and Teyla.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Crossing fingers with you here - I love platonic male-female friendship, and yes, I don't want to see what John and Teyla have turning into something else.

[ionaonie.livejournal.com]

I think it's very much a case of if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Silly SGA writers.

[lexii314.livejournal.com]

**John & Ronon trapped and John does the "leave me" and Ronon does the "like hell" and John does the "No, you must!" and Ronon asks "Would you?" and John says "Yes, I would" and we shrieked with laughter because, really now, oh, John.***

This makes me so very HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much for posting!!!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hee, it's a very fun ep indeed! ^^

[trystings.livejournal.com]

Like we would wait indeed! I can't write coherently after watching an episode like this. I’m reduced to a puddle of squee and can only make dolphin noises right now, but you did it for me! How wonderful. Oh, Team. *\0/*

love when Kanaan meets up with them and is staring past Teyla at her three boys and you can just see him thinking, "Oh, seriously, why are they all hotter than me?")

That was such a big brother moment! All three of them glaring at Kanaan with identical “SO YOU'RE THE ASSHAT WHO KNOCKED UP MY BABY SISTER!” expressions. And Sheppard stepping forward like he’s going to throttle him on the spot.

Could've done with less of the implied shippiness at the very beginning

Yes, me too, and I know that Joe Mallozzi implied a bit more romance this season, but I’ll wait and see before I start worrying too much. Looking back there was a fair amount of romance in S4 (Sheppard and Larrin, Rodney and Katie, Ronon and Keller, Rodney getting married to Keller) and with every spoiler and hint I was like 'Nooo, please don't take my show there' and nothing really happened. So. Yeah.

Oh, and I loved the Sam and Rodney scene at the end. I'm so glad they showed Rodney's comfortable with a little teasing from Sam.

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

I agree. Every time Joe M says something about 'romance' its just a tiny, tiny little thing or nothing at all. I think if they do go down that road with Teyla and John that's as otravert as they're gonna get. I think the focus between Teyla and John will be how the kid effects the Team dynamics..she as a mother and John as seeing the child maybe taking his 'team' away? if that makes sense...and there will be the meat of the J/T stuff.


I think their focus will be more on TPTB little 'triangle' they want and again I think we'll only see those buttons pushed in an eppy or two but not an entire season. Funny on the Ronon/Keller side --if Jason M doesn't 'see' the chemistry there and then lol on the writer's forcing it.

Keller and Ronon are cute, even though I think the only connection is the doctor's mentally. We'll see, I'm not at all concerned about it.

This eppy though was a gift and I have loved it!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I hope you're right about the J/T stuff - I like them being platonic and don't want more, though John getting sorta 'jealous' of the kid, that I could see. As long as they don't make it explicitly romance, I'm okay - we already know John loves his team without reservation, so a bit of implied J/T doesn't bother me that much.

I don't like Rodney/Keller myself for a myriad of reasons; there are ways they could make it work, but I don't particularly want to see it. I think Ronon/Keller would be cute, but I'd just as soon have Keller flirt with both of them and then get into a relationship with someone else, or no one at all.

Either way, the ep was great fun! (especially for you Shep-whumpers, I imagine! ^^)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

*squeaks at dolphin pitches with you, and splashes around!*

All three of them glaring at Kanaan with identical “SO YOU'RE THE ASSHAT WHO KNOCKED UP MY BABY SISTER!”

Heee! I usually think of Teyla as the team's big sister, but this is totally their looks, yes!

Good point about Mallozzi, though that he specifically said this season would have romance, sort of implying that last season didn't really...that makes me nervous. Especially since I sorta blame M&M for bringing Sam/Jack into the SG-1 equation (they started writing for the show about the time it started popping up...)

All that being said, I loved the Rodney-Sam scene like THIS *spreads arms wide as a tall-tale-telling fisherman* They've gotten so casual and cute with each other. Am gonna miss Sam muchly *sniff*

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Me thinks that somewhere amongst the hybrids, Michael's got a bunch with ATA genes, or who knows, maybe he only keeps the ones that hold the genes and the rest, well, 'acceptable losses.'

I hope they don't forget about Kanaan. Kill him (oops, the operation was a success but the patient died) or he must go into suspended animation or goes with the AThosians that are left... but I just do NOT want him forgotten. I mean geez, it's not like he's a set of car keys!

Rodney with his "I love kids as long as they don't talk" (greatly paraphrased) was so priceless! I'm really surprsied he did not pass out but, er, um, can understand his whole attitude toward the situation.

The Shep-Ronon macho he-man grunts of 'pleasure' 'same' was great. Guys really don't talk all that much and it's their shorthand (unlike McKay, who can suck the oxygen out of a room in 60 seconds flat ;) ...

As for shippiness...the first scene was like 'oh, this is interesting,' but what I found funny was that what teyla said in his dream was nearly identical to what she said in reality. Hmmm..

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hmm, yes, Michael might breed ATA-enabled hybrids, would make sense. Though I think if he found a way to get the gene himself, he'd go for it, and his DNA's so tangled up anyway, maybe it would work?

I don't think Kanaan will be completely forgotten? I hope not! It'd be awful weird...I don't have spoilers for the next ep and don't want any, but I'm hoping that will be addressed. And yeah, am thinking dead/suspended animation/returns to Michael, but...it'd be so cool if he were stay-at-home dadding!

Heee - Rodney pretty much sounded like exactly what I'd sound like at a birth! Not a big fan of pregnancy or children, though damn that was a cute baby...

And yesss, gnine is convinced John's dream was Teyla contacting him mentally, and her line at the end was confirming it...well, the baby did increase her psychic gifts, and John might have some leftover Iratus DNA...

[berry-hearts.livejournal.com]

Kanaan meets up with them and is staring past Teyla at her three boys and you can just see him thinking, "Oh, seriously, why are they all hotter than me?")

YES! LOLOL:D Good thoughts! And they totally did blow the FX budget, i mean COME ON! they did not have to show where the hive ship was with dramatic zipping past planets. That must have been expensive.

When i saw ford i was like "HOLY SHIT! IT'S FORD!" then i doubted myself because if they couldn't get Torri back, how did they get Rainbow back?
Then I rewound and then was convinced myself I wasn't crazy.

damnit i really shouldn't have watched the premiere. the wait is going to kill me.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I liked the shots of the planet when the dart attacked, but the opening Star-Trek style solar-system zoom-in was a bit unnecessary. And I had the same reaction to Ford, couldn't believe it was him - but it totally was - and obviously not an old shot, either, they brought Rainbow back, so I'm so hoping we'll see him again!

Yeeeeah...the wait is even worse now, I think, having just this taste!

[raiining.livejournal.com]

YES with the baby holding, and WTF? with that whateverhappenedoKanaan moment. I adored the team-ness of it all, and I agree wholeheartedly that the "McKay's alive?" comment was enough to make up for the relative lack of McShep goodness.

Awesome ep!!! A WHOLE MONTH TILL THE NEXT ONE? AIEE!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Aaaaahhh, I don't wanna wait!!! People have to stop reminding me! A month! I can't do it! *holds on* XP

(though there better be some McSheppiness in the next couple eps, to make up for the lack here...although if they want to keep giving us TEAM, I am totally on board there!)

[katikat.livejournal.com]

I love your excitement for this episode :) I hope that you don't mind that I friended you. My flist needs more happy SGA people *nods*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Heee, welcome to the flist, the more the merrier! You can never have too much SGA squee, I feel ^^