SGA 3.15: The Game

[trinityofone]

I was about to start this off the way I usually do, by apologizing for having nothing intelligent or coherent to say, but then I realized: when do I ever have anything intelligent or coherent to say about these things? So let's just dispense with that from now on...

It would be hard for me to love an episode as much as I loved 'Tao of Rodney,' by this made me much more gleeful, say, than the transition from 'Grace Under Pressure' to 'The Tower.' Rodney and John are such boys. I love that they've been playing this game together for two years, if for nothing else than it totally, totally confirms that they hang out together all the time. I myself have doubted that sometimes, that they're really as pal-y as some fic makes them out to be. But it's canon now! Ha.

I may have done a tiny dance of continuity joy when in the flashbacks they did show Rodney in the khaki uniform and blue shirts of yore. *dork*

Heightmeyer would probably have a field day with the disparate ways Rodney and John controlled their universes. I'm not really sure what kind of deep psychological probing I'm capable of doing, but...

Well, Rodney's world is the more obviously interesting. Besides plastering his face everywhere, which is typically both self-important and insecure (and c'mon, admit it—some of you were also thinking that you'd be happy to get your hands on some of the less ugly Rodney paintings!), there's some interesting stuff being hinted at here to do with how Rodney views women. This is something that people have debated, because on the one side, there's the way he treated Sam (and people mostly reference '48 Hours' here—the dumb blonde comment is by far the most aggressive thing he ever says, and from there on out, he's actually kind of pathetically devoted to her), and on the other...well, the way he's treated all the other women on the show. Which has mostly been either a) exactly like he treats the men, or b) like he's totally enthralled. It's totally fitting that the leader of his country is a woman. And that it's named after a woman. Because I think for Rodney...well, the thing that he values the most is intelligence. Give him an intelligent woman and he's just...floored. On your knees, boy.

(Yes, this entire line of "reasoning" was just a way to further my theory that Rodney gives great head.)

[Unfortunately, though, none of this really helps me on my quest to figure out how to write convincing Rodney/Teyla fic.]

ANYWAY. John is, on the surface, much simpler...and so of course he's really much more complicated. I mean, I think it's pretty clear that he was probably taking the game much less seriously than Rodney (when it was still a game, that is), but I really wish they'd told us more about his society besides "it has a really big army." Like, for example, what sweaty bondage club of John's youth did he steal the idea for those outfits from?

Okay, other stuff. Um. Well, Teyla and Ronon, as usual, did not have enough to do. Beckett wasn't actually in this episode, and I didn't realize until just now. (Ooops.) Elizabeth...man, they could have totally let her use her mad diplomatic skillz in this episode, but did they? Nope. I kinda feel like they owe her an apology. Still, though, I liked when she laid the smack down on Zelenka and Lorne. And dude! Zelenka and Lorne! (LORNE! For more than three seconds!) Who wants to bet that there's suddenly a huge upsurge of Zelenka/Lorne fic now?

Important questions:

1. Does this push back the date at which Rodney and John were plausibly doing it? I mean, does this imply that they may have started doing it EARLIER? When? Please provide details of where they were doing it, and with what frequency. Diagrams are also acceptable.

2. Wouldn't it have been much easier to facilitate peace between the two warring nations if their respective oracles had made out in full view of everyone?

3. Is sending crates of citrus the pigtail-pulling of the Pegasus Galaxy?

4. After he got over being miffed about it, how hot do you think it made Rodney that John can beat him at chess?

And, seemingly in contrast to the previous questions: If you were Nola, wouldn't you have totally done Rodney one of those nights you were staying on Atlantis? I mean, sure, you'd be bitter and disenchanted, but you'd basically be fucking (who you'd thought was) God. That's awesome. But then, I'm a perverse bitch.

Comments

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

I mean, I think it's pretty clear that he was probably taking the game much less seriously than Rodney

I'm not so sure about that--his main 'character' was a big sexy macho guy dressed in leather and...Rodney's was a very beautiful woman. I think that says a lot about both of them. Or, at least, their fantasy life.

I thought this ep was fabulous. *g* They play together! In their free time! They spend all night 'playing'! And John tugged Rodney by his vest. That was so damn cute.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I was trying to give John the benefit of the doubt about not being so transparently gay. Obviously, this was a mistake. *g*

When was the vest-tugging? Must re-watch in a non-eye-strainy size!

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

As soon as John showed up with his guy (who I thought was tremendously hot), I started giggling. Oh John, you're not even trying anymore.

The vest-tugging was right after Rodney got beamed up to the Daedalus. It was brief, but very cute.

And I think you were very right when you said that making out in front of the warring factions would have been a step in the right direction. Make love, not war.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

John's guy even had an accent! Of some sort. (What was that?)

Y'know, I actually kind of wanted John's guy and Rodney's gal to hook up. It would be symbolic of John & Rodney's love! *g*

I think you were very right when you said that making out in front of the warring factions would have been a step in the right direction. Make love, not war.

The planet can forge a new identity as a hippie planet! Awesome.

[spinozauk.livejournal.com]

"John's guy even had an accent! Of some sort. (What was that?)": I can't remember the actor's name and there are no details about him at IMDB or GateWorld, but I've definitely seen him on TV in Britain, playing cops or crims or both. He's either a Londoner or from somewhere else in Southeastern England - not a Cockney (think Bob Hoskins), but something close (think Gary Oldman, when he's not doing the kind of exotic accents that he makes up as he goes along).
And there you have the single most important aspect of the episode sorted out: John is into British leather queens!

[miscellanny.livejournal.com]

Sounded like a sort of Estuary English to me, which is pretty much London but also infects Southampton where I'm from. (It's pronounced more like Saaaaaarfampton, around here. XD) You get it in varying degrees - the stronger the accent, the less they tend to move their mouths.

*helpful*

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

The only way to explain their choice of main characters as *other* than "John is extremely gay and Ronon is his type, or at least the type he's comfortable fantasizing about" is to say, "John has a lower libido and/or is more sexually repressed or immature than Rodney."

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

Or, that he actually wanted to win the game, and Rodney gets easily sidetracked, or thinks about sex all the time. Or likes to tease John with the pretty blondes, which is the reason why John sent over the citrus.

So many fun places to go with this!

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

All of the above?

Well, maybe not the lower libido part...

[justabi.livejournal.com]

Or maybe John likes to fantasize that he is a big, manly ... leather guy with his heart on his chest and his bulging biceps showing. I got nothing. Gay, gay, gay, gay, gay. Clearly he thinks that Celine Dion is overrated because she isn't one of the Village People.

[kuwdora.livejournal.com]

I may have done a tiny dance of continuity joy when in the flashbacks they did show Rodney in the khaki uniform and blue shirts of yore. *dork*

OMG Yes! I was wriggling in my seat when I saw that and oh, it made my heart flutter!

And I am totally down with Zelenka/Lorne. I was down with Zelenka/Lorne back when Lorne was piloting the Orion with Zelenka at hand.

Hooray! Yay SGA!

And I had flashbacks to my youth when I would sit and play Civilization II on my playstation for 18 hours straight, wanting desperately to beat the Egyptians and Greeks and Chinese neighbors. I always beat those bitches to outerspace, yessiree.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I want to be totally down with Zelenka/Lorne, because I like them both so much and it would be funny. But Zelenka pings as annoyingly straight to me. *growl*

Continuity is so sexy.

[kuwdora.livejournal.com]

I'm quite a fan of Zelenka/Weir and Lorne/Weir. Since I'm such the pairing slut equal opporturnity OTPer, I can see Lorne/Zelenka no matter how straight or gay they ping on MY radar. Hey. Why not make it an OT3? Spread the OT3 goodness around.. Mmm.

And I iddn't mention this in my last comment, but I, too, was disappointed in the lack of Elizabeth's diplomacy in this episode (and others). I wish they would, you know, let her do her thing that she's suppose to be so sooper dooper awesome at, yanno? They like to tease us so, put us on the cusp of seeing Elizabeth make peace with agitated folk and then it's a complete let down as she throws up her arms and says "it's not working! Boys, you do it!"

[justabi.livejournal.com]

You know, he pings pretty straight for me, too, what with his cutie-pie crush on Elizabeth and all, but on the other hand? I totally think he's like Rodney in the doesn't-turn-down-any-sex-offered camp. Plus, he has super cute chemistry with lots of boys like Rodney and John and LORNEOMGYAY! *giggles*

[mir8lle.livejournal.com]

My god, yes! I was totally thinking of Civilizations all the way through this episode. No matter how much John grumbles about Rodney cheating, you know he always ended up enabling cheat mode on CivII so he could build the spaceship faster.

[logovo.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, no Beckett. I truly didn't notice.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Should we be ashamed?

[liviapenn.livejournal.com]

You know, I was actually debating the relative levels of fanon in rodney and john's relationship once, and I was like "dude, the part where they hang out and watch movies together is *fanon*, you know-- canonically, they never actually have just 'hung out'!"

And now they do! Theirfreetimeissoretconned. ;)

I mostly think it's funny that john has a canon petty streak when it comes to winning. (See: his discussion about racing with Ronon in Conversion: "Hey, I don't act like a jerk when you win!" "....Yeah ya do.")

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

As much as it saddened me, I didn't think that they really hung out much either—I never really believed it when in various fics they think of or call each other "my best friend." Where was the evidence of that? Well, here, apparently. I'm...flabbergasted, frankly. The writers are feeding our delusions now! ;-)

John and Rodney are both remarkably petty; John's just better at hiding it, I guess (like everything else). I really felt for Elizabeth in parts of this; she was kind of reduced to doing the Dorothy Lamour thing and looking back and forth between them, and she looked about three seconds away from exploding with, "Christ! Am I your mother?"

Sometimes I really can't believe that either of them is in charge of anything.

[liviapenn.livejournal.com]

Season three is TOTALLY the season of The Writers Feeding Our Delusions. I literally cannot tell you how many times this season I have seen something happen onscreen THAT I DIDN'T BELIEVE when it happened in fic! "What??! Oh man! I have to be way less skeptical now."

And it's like, clearly it worked, since it helped John learn all kinds of things about Rodney (like the girl he stalked in college, etc.)

And although I think the chess thing is cute, I think it's even cuter the way that John's, like, *original* roster for Bonding With His Team was "sparring, running, video games." He's such a kid. (And now I wonder what his bonding activity with Ford was. Or maybe they didn't need one, since they were both military. Aw.)

[amireal.livejournal.com]

Well I do agree that in seasons 1 and 2 the evidence was sparce but by season 3 there was enough call backs to conversations we'd never seen and knowledge of things about each other we did not know as well as "In the grand scheme, we're good right?" that really makes me beleive in retroactive hang out. *nods sagely* I think they glomped to each other in ways they didn't fully understand and now I think there needs to be fic. *eyes you*

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

*stares at you fixedly in return*

[cesperanza.livejournal.com]

Obviously also with Teyla, with the upping of his kills.

Oh, John.

[mckays-girl.livejournal.com]

I liked when she laid the smack down on Zelenka and Lorne.
Elizabeth was totally the mom of this episode and Lorne and Zelenka are little boys who don't listen when mommy says don't touch. Oh course, Lorne is totally the older brother, goading Zelenka into "helping" those people

4. After he got over being miffed about it, how hot do you think it made Rodney that John can beat him at chess?
I was just discussing with a friend the probability that Rodney had a raging hard-on under the table after John beat him in chess.

[floridapeaches.livejournal.com]

I adore the fact that Rodney said "fine, best out of ten" which means John beat him REPEATEDLY. *happy sigh*

[mckays-girl.livejournal.com]

I know! It was adorable watching Rodney get all flustered. I'd like to think that John will make it up to him later ;)

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I was just discussing with a friend the probability that Rodney had a raging hard-on under the table after John beat him in chess.

cesperanza says he came in his pants. I concur.

[mckays-girl.livejournal.com]

cesperanza says he came in his pants. I concur.

I'd have to agree with you both on that one ;)

[seikaitsukimizu.livejournal.com]

Because I think for Rodney...well, the thing that he values the most is intelligence. Give him an intelligent woman and he's just...floored.
I think it might have something to do with his sister. Remember her brilliance, and then she became a mother ("with an ENGLISH MAJOR!!!"). I'm willing to bet that has something to do with his women issues (because prior to then, he and Jeannie were good--assuming, of course, his mother wasn't at fault in some way/shape/form).

I mean, I think it's pretty clear that he was probably taking the game much less seriously than Rodney...Like, for example, what sweaty bondage club of John's youth did he steal the idea for those outfits from?
I think he initially thought it was fun, but then it became an issue of pride, because there was no way he was going to let Rodney beat him. They are, as you said, "boys". As for the leather bondage outfits...inspiration from Ronon, or a psychological projection of his repressed desires.

3. Is sending crates of citrus the pigtail-pulling of the Pegasus Galaxy?
YES! The whole time I saw those two, all I could think was "Oh my God! It's John and Rodney, in hetero form!" I give 'em a year before a screaming match ends up with them having sex in one of the Oracle rooms--or maybe Atlantis' conference room (which will end up highly humiliating for some people, and open eyes for others).

4. After he got over being miffed about it, how hot do you think it made Rodney that John can beat him at chess?
That wasn't hot. John beating him 7 out of 10 games will be hot to Rodney--ending in hot, sweaty, victory!sex in John's room (he did win, after all).

(LORNE! For more than three seconds!)
YES! We need more Lorne! He's so cute, and funny, and I SO hope he becomes more like Zelenka in appearing in the show for the rest of the season/next season.

[aurora]

GLEE!

2. Wouldn't it have been much easier to facilitate peace between the two warring nations if their respective oracles had made out in full view of everyone?
Dude, I would have settled for Rodney's girl and John's guy making out and/or getting married to restore peace. Symbolism, baby.

Re: 4: HELL YES.

I thought I had more coherent thoughts. :D

[aurora]

My 'hell yes' was actually referring to Nola making out with Rodney, but it works for #4 as well. :D

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Dude, I would have settled for Rodney's girl and John's guy making out and/or getting married to restore peace. Symbolism, baby.

Yes! Looky looky (http://trinityofone.livejournal.com/109279.html?thread=4254943#t4254943), I said that too!

We? Are GENIUSES.

[aurora]

*headdesk* (Note to self: read comments first).

Still: *highfives you*

I was actually a bit disappointed they didn't go there. Cause I was waiting for it from the moment they all gathered in Rodney's Village of Awesome and John tried to negociate. There were looks between them, dammit. :D

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Definite looks! Hmm. Someone will just have to write fic about it, won't they? *eg*

[perfica.livejournal.com]

Who wants to bet that there's suddenly a huge upsurge of Zelenka/Lorne fic now?

And I for one am glad. Bring it on!

It's interesting that Rodney stipulated that they play the game ...at night, in between missions so people can so "Oh that's what they've been doing when they disappear for hours after dinner! They're playing!"

Way to cover your boyfriend, Rodney.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Oooh, good cover story—I like. So yeah, they go play the game for like an hour or so (while simultaneously playing footsie under the table) and whoever comes out "ahead" for that space of time gets the first blowjob. PERFECT.

[miscellanny.livejournal.com]

*cracks the hell up*

Genius.

[aphelant.livejournal.com]

OH GOD I MISSED SGA???? I WAS MISINFORMED!! MISINFORMED!!!!!!!!

*runs to torrent* *is a bad, bad Canadian fan*

You've got questions; I've got answers.

[cesperanza.livejournal.com]

Q: Does this push back the date at which Rodney and John were plausibly doing it? I mean, does this imply that they may have started doing it EARLIER? When? Please provide details of where they were doing it, and with what frequency. Diagrams are also acceptable.

A: They are so doing it and, based on their ability to keep this game a secret from Ronon and Teyla, the sky's the limit on when. (Actually, they're such geeks, I bet they use sex as the excuse to play the game. "Well!" John says loudly, looking around, "Guess we'll go have sex now" "Yeah!" Rodney replies. "Good idea!" and then, out of the corner of his mouth, "Gaming lab, five minutes." "Sure I'll bring the lube!" John shouts back, and takes off.

Q. Wouldn't it have been much easier to facilitate peace between the two warring nations if their respective oracles had made out in full view of everyone?

Honestly, at one point I thought they might try to marry off John and Rodney's avatars to make peace, and I told Lim--they do that, I'm hanging up my fanfiction writing hat and going home. *g* But of course, yes, there's nothing like a wedding to make peace--clearly there ought to have been a glitzy John and Rodney wedding if they're read enough "Aliens Make Them Do It." Also as clearly, the wedding would feature MUCH Celine Dion.

Q. Is sending crates of citrus the pigtail-pulling of the Pegasus Galaxy?

A: It is the equiv. of the tennis ball scene in Henry V. *g*

Q. After he got over being miffed about it, how hot do you think it made Rodney that John can beat him at chess?

A: I think he came in his pants. I'm not even joking. I think John ties Rodney up and then beats him at chess, like a lot.

Q: If you were Nola, wouldn't you have totally done Rodney one of those nights you were staying on Atlantis?

A: More to the point why didn't RODNEY make a pass at Nola, who has to be his perfect woman? Answer: John Sheppard. QED.

Re: You've got questions; I've got answers.

[porntestpilot.livejournal.com]

You continue to win at all forms of logic, so answer me this:

When John mocked Canadian football, did the writers miss the fact that John's football hero once played Canadian football or once it a bizarre multi-layered joke?

Also, is the show starting to make jokes that imply that J&R have many injokes we've never seen? That could be both awesome and confusing.

Re: You've got questions; I've got answers.

[cesperanza.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I don't think they remember a single thing about their own canon at ALL from week to week! I think they have a hard time remembering that Sheppard is the one with the hair *g*

Also, I think the characters just PRETEND to have in jokes rather than reveal that they have amnesia or are robots *g*!!! They say things that make no sense and nudge each other. It'll all keep working as long as EVERYBODY PLAYS ALONG!! *g*

Re: You've got questions; I've got answers.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Rarely have I had my questions answered so thoroughly and so well!

Honestly, at one point I thought they might try to marry off John and Rodney's avatars to make peace, and I told Lim--they do that, I'm hanging up my fanfiction writing hat and going home.

I though that, too! There was a definite...heat between them. I bet it only takes a couple months before they shack up. Maybe less. And then the Atlantean contingent gets invited back for the wedding and John and Rodney are a bit weirded out by the symbolism (Rodney is not a fan of symbolism in general or anything else that has to do with English majors) so they get very, very drunk and John starts muttering about "always the bridesmaid and never the bride" until Rodney takes him away and has his wicked way with him.

Also as clearly, the wedding would feature MUCH Celine Dion.

May I just rewind for a moment and mention how INCREDIBLY WEIRD it is that John said Celine Dion was overrated, as opposed to what every other straight male on Earth would say, that she SUCKS? Oh, John.

I think he came in his pants.

That's pretty much what I thought too, only I was too polite to say it. ;-)

Re: You've got questions; I've got answers.

[cesperanza.livejournal.com]

I though that, too! There was a definite...heat between them. I bet it only takes a couple months before they shack up. Maybe less. And then the Atlantean contingent gets invited back for the wedding and John and Rodney are a bit weirded out by the symbolism (Rodney is not a fan of symbolism in general or anything else that has to do with English majors) so they get very, very drunk and John starts muttering about "always the bridesmaid and never the bride" until Rodney takes him away and has his wicked way with him.

I am officially now WAITING for this story! My god, of COURSE.

I've got answers to your answers

[ifylla.livejournal.com]

I think John ties Rodney up and then beats him at chess

Which, as a tribute to how far gone I am in this fandom, I actually imagined quite visible. DAMNIT i need to write that.

[porntestpilot.livejournal.com]

1) I always thought they were doing it after 1X03

2) Three times a week, John likes face to face, and I'm make diagrams at work tomorrow.

3) Yes, as is all of John's other behavior ever.

4)IT MADE ME HOT SO LOTS AND LOTS!

bonus question: Of course.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

1) I can see that. Although you know they must be both freaking out by now over what it means that they've been able to maintain a relationship this long. Trust John to have a big gay freak out three years into the relationship. *g*

2) DIAGRAMS! Please note that I do have "stick figure porn" in my interests list.

3) So true.

4) John: world's laziest chess genius. AWESOME. HOT.

[porntestpilot.livejournal.com]

1) Of course

2) http://artpad.art.com/?jaqxgx88s9c

3) //nods//

4) He'd beat that fucking computer.

[miscellanny.livejournal.com]

I was particularly interested by the thoughts on Rodney's treatment of women, thank you for that. Also the mental image of Rodney on his knees, because let's face it, that's always welcome.

XD