SGA 5x19: "Vegas"

[xparrot]

I actually watched the leak of this a couple weeks ago, and haven't had a chance to rewatch it yet, but my el quicko reaction was: Loved it, one of my favorite eps of the season, and season 6 so should've been the Season of AUs, every one being a parody homage to a different TV show/genre. The sleek stylish CSI impersonation was fun and sexxxxxy - Joe Flanigan, you are one damn good-looking man, and David Hewlett was mighty fine in that suit with the cool and the confidence and the gum and OH, yeah, that's the Rodney I love.

Only not really - he was damaged - John was obviously broken, but Rodney was so subdued and bitter, Pegasus has not treated him kindly and John wasn't there to be his friend and help ease that load - and maybe not the rest of the team, either; Rodney said he had a team, but was Teyla or Ronon on it? Or did they not make it to Atlantis, without John? (This better have been how it was, else it was inexcusable that they weren't there in the second to last ep of the entire show...)

Also, heavy metal Wraith, and Todd was channeling the Cylon ship-mind and/or Dalek Caan, and Radek was all slick and Woolsey was FBI and oh, it was much ridiculous fun. Now bring on the tags (because seriously, like it ended there? Pshaw! Don't be silly!)

But really, what made it for me - and all non-McShep OTPers might want to stop reading now, because the tinhat might as well be fitted to my skull with superglue - was how both John and Rodney were broken when they were not together, and how fast and sure they cleaved to one another when they did meet. How disappointed Rodney was, and yet determined to get through to this lesser shadow of a man he'd met but briefly but entirely admired; how distrusting and disbelieving John was, and yet he could not help but remember everything Rodney said, and it was Rodney's theory he had faith in...yeah. That's who and what these boys are to each other, to me.

Comments

[sp23.livejournal.com]

I agree with everything you said except I didn't read Rodney as bitter. But then maybe I was just dazzled by how hot he looked in that suit. *fans self*

But you're right. Even in just a few minutes, our boys clicked, didn't they?

I seriously loved this episode and I'll be watching it again. Soon.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I'm looking forward to watching it again myself! And heh - I think I saw Rodney as bitter mostly because I had a whole angsty backstory for him in my head within about 5 minutes of his appearance...I do tend to project my own fanon onto the show a lot!

[jaekayelle.livejournal.com]

Yes. Exactly. Except I think Rodney was more...disappointed in life than bitter, although I could live with him being bitter. Only I don't want him to be bitter and unhappy and alone, and now he's found John and John did not die in the desert alone. He's still alive and will be reunited with his Rodney and they are meant to be together in every universe and timeline.

*grins stupidly over Vegas and cries over what could have been if only the writers had a collective brain*

*sends them off to see the Wizard*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

There's no way Vegas!John is dead! Well, I guess if it's one of those universes where everything sucks and everyone is either miserable or dead, then yeah, he died - but otherwise I totally think Rodney beamed him up to the Daedalus and saved him!

[katikat.livejournal.com]

I cried like a little kid at the end. The song and John dying all alone in the desert... That was so sad, so incredibly sad, the fact that John had nobody and that nobody cared about what would happen to him :'(

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hee - I just shrieked at the end and made it better in my mind - Rodney beams him up to the Daedalus the moment the screen goes dark! XP

[tex.livejournal.com]

I agree with your read about VegasRodney. He seemed wistful and sad, especially when he was with VegasJohn. Did something happen between Rodney and the other John he met? Something that ended badly and now, he's faced with this broken, distant John and he sees the potential there ("I know everything about you." "I think you have the same strength of character as that other Sheppard.")? Like you, I think that the two of them just slotted into place the minute they met.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

See, I don't know if I like the idea of Vegas!Rodney hooking up with Alt!John, because then Vegas!John might not measure up...I was thinking that when Rodney went to the other universe he saw that 'verse's John & Rodney together, he saw himself happy with John, and was jealous/sad because he didn't have that himself. So when he got back he started looking for his universe's John and then was disappointed...but really he's as broken as Vegas!John, they need each other!

[tex.livejournal.com]

I was thinking that when Rodney went to the other universe he saw that 'verse's John & Rodney together, he saw himself happy with John, and was jealous/sad because he didn't have that himself.

Oooh. I didn't even think of that. Interesting!

[calcitrix.livejournal.com]

Yes yes yes yes... So good, and so sad that something so good came so close to the end. And yes, the only thing that disappointed me was the lack of Ronon and Teyla, but gosh it was so good regardless. I will say I'm glad that they cut the last scene with just enough uncertainty to say, "well, if a car pulled up right then, John might survive..." because obviously there will be fic, yes.

I also love the idea of other Johns and Rodneys meeting other Johns and Rodneys. Um.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yes, the uncertainty at the end was the best part, so much room for more! I look forward to reading all the fics that are already pouring out...

And yes, I love the idea of them meeting in any universe. I may in fact be a little obsessed ^^

[stitcher2ficcer.livejournal.com]

I was falling-asleep-tired when I watched the leak of Vegas, but I thought Rodney told Vegas John that he was from an alternate reality in which he knew another John (i.e., the John we know from Atlantis) that was a hero, and that he hoped/trusted that Vegas John had in him what made his John a hero in; that that was why he shared everything he did with him... so I didn't see Rodney in Vegas as not having John in his own reality. Was I so tired that I entirely misunderstood this ep?... must sneak off to rewatch.

And yes to your thought that the whole season should have been AUs/parodies of other genres, because YES, the writers did a great job with this in spite of Ronon and Teyla's absence.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it was a bit confusing - what Rodney really said was that he had traveled to another universe himself once, and had met another John (and maybe another Rodney?) there. Which seems to be what inspired him to seek & study the John of his own universe, when he got back.

This was one of SGA's better writers so I don't know how they would've pulled off a whole season of genre-parody, but it would've been fun (I'd love to see a show like that, about the same set of chars in different universes...was just pitching it to the sibs, actually! ^^)

[stitcher2ficcer.livejournal.com]

Methinks you need to pitch it to Hollywood and/or Vancouver. I'll watch it if you're a creator/writer. ^__~

Are you thinking in terms of a scenario in which the audience sees the various manifestations of the chars/team but they generally don't encounter each other? Or would this be something along the lines of one manifestation of the team "traveling" or "thrown" into encounters with other manifestations of themselves as we've seen in SGA and other sci-fi shows? Or perhaps the audience would see various individuals from a team thrown into AUs with alternates of the others and having to constantly adapt to the differences while solving the problems of the day in that AU? A sort of Quantum Leap meets SGA AU scenario. Seems to me the audience--at least at first--might connect better with a single team/chars they get to know and love in a "home" setting before they start seeing various AU versions of them, so there's a constant connection between each char, the team, and the audience. Would love to be a fly on the wall to hear your pitch/discussions with the sibs. Sure would be a great show for fic writers--talk about leaving the door wide open for writing settings and scenarios!

[valoryhope.livejournal.com]

I don't have any knowledge of the last episode, but I left Vegas thinking that it must be the first of a two-part episode. The Wraith are coming to Earth, but it's not our Earth, it's an AU Earth, the Earth with the Vegas we just saw. And the rifts in reality that started in that Vegas will lead our own heroes into that world to save it.

And maybe Alt!John, lying in the desert, really will be saved; after all, Alt!Rodney knows where he is. (And maybe the Rodney & Keller we've seen in the promos are really Alt!Rodney and Alt!Jennifer.)

Am I making sense? I haven't seen or read anything about the finale, so maybe I'm way off base. If anybody out there knows, I'd love to be spoiled!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, from what I know of the finale it's got nothing to do with the Vegas!verse except that the Wraith are coming to our Earth thanks to the signal sent in the AU. However that works! So that's the last we'll ever see of Vegas!John or Rodney or anyone else...except in fanfic of course!

[d_odyssey.livejournal.com]

I loved Vegas! The style, the music, the setting, the shooting and the acting, especially Joe Flanigan. Finally a Shep centric episode. I agree with everything you said. I thought Vegas Rodney was pompous, arrogant and manipulative, not necessarily pejorative but rather he had more people skills and used them for his own means. The way he talked to John, leaked the information he wanted him to know to get him to cooperate, he manipulated him to get John to help. Love that John Sheppard is a hero in any universe. That he got a little help from Rodney here, reminding John of his true character.

I thought Vegas showed that John and Rodney needed each other for balance, like the yin and yang. Rodney needs John to soften him, to ground him while John needs Rodney to keep his rash actions in check and to watch out for him. Agree with your McShep assessment - they do need one another and naturally gravitate that way.

Was very bummed that TPTB didn't somehow work Ronon and Teyla in. Hey it was an AU - they could have been playing poker, doing anything. Would have been basically incognito if Jason and Rachel were in their natural hair rather than wigs. I guess that they weren't in it as team members because it was only through Sheppard that they came to Atlantis. John was the only one civil/nice to Teyla and the Athosians likewise it was John who invited Ronon to Atlantis. So without John Sheppard in Atlantis, neither Teyla nor Ronon would be there. Of course, that leads to a myriad of questions as to how Atlantis is even there without John - but that really wasn't the point of the AU.

Anyway, I loved Vegas. Wish they would have though outside of the box earlier - shows the potential that was there. Heck, I would watch this AU as a weekly show. Really hope that Joe Flanigan lands a cop show so we could see him weekly looking all rough and scruffy with the rumpled clothes. Nice!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

The McShep was strong in this ep, yes! They're so balanced, exactly - I think Rodney also needs John to relax him, to play with him, to cheer him up; without John's influence Rodney's pessimism descends into cynicism. And then, without a team to protect and encourage John is purposeless...they need each other! (and found each other, far as I'm concerned Rodney beams John up at the end of this ep and they go back to Pegasus together and hunt up Ronon & Teyla! They're none of them going to be totally happy until they all find each other, in any universe - that's just the way they roll! XP)

[d_odyssey.livejournal.com]

Yes, we need the team together to keep Pegasus safe. And have some team fun. Not nearly enough team fun this year. Heck, not even enough John/Rodney fun this year.

[michelel72.livejournal.com]

Todd was channeling the Cylon ship-mind and/or Dalek Caan

Bwah! Okay, I kind of love you.

Hewlett did disturbing things to me in this. I'm really not interested in the whole Las Vegas/CSI thing, but I could see what they were doing, and once the boys met up it really started clicking for me. I think you're right -- whatever their relationship is (and I'll take McShep or just friends equally ) -- they need each other.

(Now if they just hadn't done that bit with McKay being a jerk to Zelenka, I would have been happy. Cute little moment about the Star Trek Experience, though.)

Sorry for the edit ... stupid TWoP tags ....

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I've never even seen CSI, though fanning on NCIS and a fellow fan clued me in on the most obvious elements. I wouldn't want the whole show like this, but one ep was fun (and other eps in other genres would be even more fun!) But yeah, it was the John/Rodney that did it for me - and they were both so hot in this it was fun to slash them, but really, yeah, I don't care if they're lovers or friends or whatever, as long as the love's there. And it was, here, in its way. Made me happy (Ronon & Teyla being around would've made me even happier, though I do kind of like the idea that they're there because of John, that without him there is no team, and whatever Rodney has is only the palest of reflections...)

[cookiemom6067.livejournal.com]

I loved Vegas second only to The Shrine in this season. I have seen one episode of CSI - the CSI:Miami that JFlan was in - and the style is unmistakable. I thought the writing was VERY clever and the variations in characterization were wonderful.

Cold, cold Rodney did read as damaged to me as well, though not bitter, as such.

Poor John! Poor Rodney! They need each other.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

"Vegas" is definitely one of my favorites of the season (wish there had been more. Wish there would be more - I'm still coming to terms with our show being over! I don't want it to be done...)

John & Rodney will always need each other, though, anywhere, any 'verse - it was nice to see that confirmed!

[raiining.livejournal.com]

Yes - yes totally that.

They were so broken apart and so wonderful when finally together, and fic! needs more fic!

*scurries to internets*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

I haven't read many tags (haven't been reading much SGA) but I know there's lots out there!