*hums* I think this one...

[trinityofone]

...is mostly filler.

Allow me to elaborate:

1. Okay, so nothing, pretty much NOTHING could possible compare to 'Grace Under Pressure'--I think it would have actually had to be the "Sheppard and McKay declare their true feelings for each other, have exorbitant amounts of sex, then join the rest of the gang for a musical EXTRAVAGANZA wherein Zelenka has a solo in which he slides across the dance floor on his knees to run his hand up Elizabeth's thigh and glitter rains down from the ceiling and coats everyone's eyelashes and we freeze-frame on a long, slow kiss and possibly there are tap-dancing penguins" episode for it to even come close. *breath* And since it wasn't I'm glad it also wasn't actually all that good so I don't have to feel unfairly disgruntled toward it.

2. That said: blah blah blah whatever, this was totally just an excuse to refresh their supply of drones, wasn't it? Those drones are going to show up later and we're all supposed to go, "Ooh! Continuity! Those are the drones they got in 'The Tower'!" Except the episode served no other purpose at all, so no, no continuity kudos for you. *neener*

3. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY LEFT MCKAY TRAPPED. I mean, obviously, he's fine, but could we please conclude things a little more thoroughly? One episode in three with a thorough conclusion--it isn't much. A semi-thorough conclusion. One shot of Shep giving Rodney a manly hand up out of the hole, okay? Seriously: that's all I ask.

4. Okay, I lied. I ask this: can we stop with Sheppard being just randomly slutty? You're giving the Shep!Whore fanon credence, and it's irritating. This incidence seemed especially gratuitous: I understood (and am actually still rather intrigued by) Chaya, and even the woman from the Village of the Bland in 'Epiphany' made some sort of sense--dude, that place looked so boring, I might have slept with her, just to break up the monotony. (Plus, that Chosen One stuff is always a good line.) But this chick? Obviously no sort of connection at all, and my God, such an airhead--the McKay in me is most bothered by that, I think. And slashy stuff aside, it just felt so out-of-character to me that Sheppard would just bang some random alien floozie: he works so hard to keep people at a distance, and I can't see him wanting to let anyone that close, even for casual sex. I'd much rather have him be "mysteriously drawn" to a billion more semi-Ascended women, 'cause that at least makes sense. But then maybe I'm just proving once and for all that I'm not a guy: is any sex good sex? Really? *spreads estrogen everywhere*

5. The title of this episode is cool. I went into it wishing that it would have something to do with the Tarot card meaning(s) of the Tower--it's the freakiest card in the deck, symbolizing false structures, false institutions and false beliefs coming crashing down: suddenly, violently, and all at once. [Watch me paraphrase.] And while there may have been some of that for the people of Not!Vancouver, none of that cool, violent disruption had any impact or significance for our people. There was no character development for any of them at all, and I think that's what bothers me most about this episode. It could have been about a team of any four (then five) people on an alien planet--that's how nonexistent the character development was. How disappointing, especially after last week--guh.

Still, it will all be (nearly) worth it if icons appear of either a) 'And then they made me their chief' Sheppard or b) Teyla in one of those omnipresent (well, in Berkeley) Che Guevara shirts. Or maybe just Teyla in a beret. That'd be cool.

Also, someone needs to write fic to explain why Sheppard is suddenly SUCH A HO. Psychoanalyze him, baby! I'd love a trip through his crazy-beautiful mind.

Comments

[smittywing.livejournal.com]

I keep reading these things without having seen the episode (yet!) so I really have nothing intelligent to add. (SO procrastinating from fic.)

But! I read a fic once, and I have no idea what it was, who wrote it, or where I'd find it again, but there was a line about, "John was a slutty drunk, like his mother, and a mean drunk, like his father," and I totally fell in love with that line. Because I had this total image of an older father who married a much younger woman and had John later in his life and so he was fairly advanced in rank when John was young and away all the time, and his lonely wife drank a lot and fucked the young captains who came by the house all the time and maybe the sergeants assigned to a security detail if there was concern about that because Cold War and all, and especially if they were stationed in Germany or someplace. *pauses for breath* Which doesn't explain anything because John's not drunk and um, I totally am not going to write it because I have...y'know, STUFF to write and...and...anyway. *slinks away*

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Yay procrastination! I went out today and, like, actually DID STUFF, and it totally threw off the rhythm of my fic writing. ;-)

But you're right: that is an incredibly awesome line. It sounds familiar to me, too, but I can't remember what it's from. But that is some John backstory I'd believe...and yet I equally believe your version from "The Best Things in Life Are Free." (In fact, my intense love for your version of John's dad is one of the things that I think threw me while writing "Horses"--I kept wanting him to be like TBTILAF!dad, instead of the total ass he was supposed to be for that story. Damn you! *g*)

Anyway, I'm still convinced that John is hiding something huge. Other than his big gay love for Rodney.

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

I read a fic once, and I have no idea what it was, who wrote it, or where I'd find it again, but there was a line about, "John was a slutty drunk, like his mother, and a mean drunk, like his father"

That's justabi's Flower Girl (livejournal.com/users/justabi/121860.html), which I was reading yesterday, and that's one of my favorite lines in it, too.

[amireal.livejournal.com]

I was going to post about this more in detail later, and I probably still will.

I have a problem with the casualization of sex that's happening on Atlantis. That's not to say I think you should save yourself for your wedding day and only sleep with your one twu wuv. No. I'm not.

I just think that Sheppard having sex with that girl (and I don't say girl lightly) was the height of bad security. First of all it's the Basic Instinct Principle and I can't beleive that Sheppard who's pretty smart and has gotten a very good idea of what runs this fuedal society isn't wary of anyone attempting to get near his *cough* genetic material in the name of sex. Sex? Can be pretty darned distracting.

Second it's just NOT A GOOD IDEA TO SLEEP WITH THE NATIVES YOU JUST MET ESPECIALLY THE ONES RELATED TO AN ARGUMENT ABOUT THE ROYAL BLOODLINE. I hate that the SG writers just throw caution to the wind when sex gets involved. I've *met* men who *can* say no. It's possible. Even with the naked woman throwing herself at you. Which again, Sheppard, it really should have set off some alarms, and not that one with the slow disco beat and the deep masculine voice that sounds a lot like shaft. Also? He's gotten laid recently, I don't buy the "omg haven't had sex in forever, must hunmp now!" theory either.

There just some very disturbing undertones about sex, sexuality and the how if it's pretty, it's obvously not dangerous. Now they made up for it a litttle because Sheppard totally got screwed by her later. Though I can buy him going back for her, she expressed some ideas he found attractive in terms of a human being and in the orignal scenario laid out for him, she was in a lot of danger.

Also yes, OMG ENDINGS, I crave endings! Is that so wrong? Has there been some new break through in story telling that's decided conclusively that the more the audience has to pretend happened the happier the audience is? Becuase there's leaving it to the imagination and then there's leaving a character in a situation WITH NO CLEAR MEANS OF ESCAPE, just a few possibilities that are... very slim at best.

*rereads* So yeah, I'll be taking most of this and throwing in my LJ too. *sheepish*

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

YES! I think you've hit on it--it wasn't even the sluttiness so much that bothered me as the fact that Sheppard having sex with that girl, at that time, in that place was SO INCREDIBLY STUPID. I mean, he didn't fall for Nira's shit in 'The Hive,' and I cheered and jumped and snoopy-danced for joy. But this chick was just as blatantly trying to use him, and I KNOW YOU'RE SMARTER THAN THAT, JOHN! Last week you were the MAN with the PLAN! This Kirk-y stuff really is crap.

And yeah, again with the endings. Even one line of exposition to Elizabeth--"Is McKay still complaining about having to be hauled out of there with a rope made from Ronon's hair?"--would have done it. Sheesh.

No need to feel sheepish at all. Get your rant on--and spread it! We are irritable fangirls. *nods*

[birdsflying]

I think it needed more bunnies. And wacky musical numbers. Because frankly? if I hear another 'medieval' theme that doesn't involve Bill Bailey and porn, I am not going to be happy.

In short - word. So much potential and so little done with it. Le sigh.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Heh, yes. I kept looking around--"Is there a minstrel following John everywhere? Doesn't that get annoying? Can't he give the guy a tip and get him to go away?"

If there were ever a SGA musical--or even an SGA musical number that didn't involve Teyla in a Very Bad Dress--I might die of joy. Mmm.

[inthekeyofd.livejournal.com]

So you think he had sex with her too, because I really think that he did, I mean, they cut away and then it was the next morning so I put two and two together and thought, yep, he did. I swear this season he's getting a lot of action.

And I really just want an icon of that look on his face when the other one pinched his ass.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

The ass-pinching was priceless.

As for the issue of "Did they really do it?" well...I have to assume that TPTB intended us to think that they did. And I really don't want to become too denial-prone--"If it interferes with my OTP, it doesn't exist!"--so I'm going to have to say yes, they did...right up until the moment when someone writes really good fic that convinces me otherwise. ;-)

[coreopsis.livejournal.com]

I would pay good money to see #1. No, I mean really obscene amounts of money.

You're giving the Shep!Whore fanon credence, and it's irritating.
That actually pisses me off because I've hated that fanon SO HARD for over a year now. So, my theory is that since we never actually see the sex, he always pulls away and breaks it off right after the fade to black. Whether he sasy s"Oh sorry, I can't because my boyfriend will kill me" or just "oh sorry, I can't because I don't know you and I have massive intimacy and abandonment issues already." I don't care why he doesn't do it, I just don't think he does it. But if the writers want to prove me wrong by having him lying in bed naked and smoking a cigarette saying "Wow, that hot dirty sex I just had was awesome!" then they are more than welcome to try.

[coreopsis.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, sorry about my insane typing. I hope it's still readable. :)

[sweetvalleyslut.livejournal.com]

I think John is just hypnotized by breasts. It's the only explanation that makes sense! Especially for an episode this ridiculous.

But yeah, that was dumb and bizarre, and I'm going to go with "he didn't sleep with her" despite the stupid fade to black, because I really can't imagine him doing something like that. Still, the whole Chaya thing does provide a precedent for him acting like a moron when a woman likes him. It's just...eh. Whatever. Rodney in a tight t-shirt! Teyla's ponytail! Not thinking about it!

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Chaya made so much more sense than this, though. This girl was just such an airhead. John, I thought you had better taste!

I'm really looking forward to the fanwanks on this one. Now if only I could come up with an explanation that satisfies me...

[ladyflowdi.livejournal.com]

Whoever was the one who came up with the "alien space clap" knew exactly what they were talking about.

"Okay, I lied. I ask this: can we stop with Sheppard being just randomly slutty? You're giving the Shep!Whore fanon credence, and it's irritating."

::chokedeadgiggling:: That alone deserves comment!fic.


“Rodney–“

“Oh, don’t you ‘Rodney’ me, you son of a bitch,” Rodney snapped. “You, you with your libidinous libido and your three pounds of hair and your smirky, slutty mouth. You need to check your dick at the ‘Gate, because it seems every time we step through it you once again expose it to the dangers of intergalactic penis disease. My God, did no one ever show you pictures?!”

“Rodney, look, it isn’t my fault.”

“It never is! Did you fall down and– whoops! It slipped in?! No. Don’t talk to me. You’re an intergalactic gigolo, and I don’t like you anymore. All those times. All those times I blamed those women for being tramps, and it was always you, with your big green eyes and your rakish hair and your uncontrollable penis!”

John felt a flush crawling onto his cheeks. “That’s enough talk about my penis, okay?”

“No, it’s not. It keeps getting us into trouble! I move to make it the fifth member of the team. We could name it Bitch Magnet. Or... Gerald, the Product of an Overactive Gland.”

“Look, she needed my genes! They’re healthy genes, you know.”

“They’re the genes of the intergalactic gigolo.”

“They’re the genes of the Ancients.”

“Wipe the smirk off your face, or I’m going to blacken your other eye.”

“You didn’t blacken it so much as yellow it.”

“You’ll have a racoon eye come morning, with my name written all over it. Be glad I was trapped so long my muscles began to cramp, cause I was going to kick your skinny ass. I can barely move as it is,” Rodney snapped.

Elizabeth cleared her throat lightly from the front of the briefing room, and ten pairs of eyes met hers. “Ah... let’s start at the beginning, shall we?”

“Colonel Space Slut,” Rodney muttered, and crossed his arms.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

AHHHH! I love you! Alliterative!Rodney! Intergalactic penis disease! GERALD!!!!

You rock so hard. And I feel so much better about this episode now--thank you!

[aurora]

*hums* I think this one...is mostly filler.
Ha, and now I'm stuck with the OMWFeeling soundtrack in my head. Currently playing: I've Got A Theory. But yes, I would so kill for a SGA musical. A guest-directed Joss episode, that's all I ask.

I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY LEFT MCKAY TRAPPED.
ME TOO. I hate this stupid 'no resolution' policy they've been using lately. It's really not that hard to wrap things up, people! Really, you can cut a few seconds here and there and not try to 'resolve' everything in the last 5 minutes. *slightly frustrated*

You're giving the Shep!Whore fanon credence, and it's irritating.
This is starting to bug me as well. That girl was such a groupie. *shudders* When they were having dinner and she started making conversation, I was thinking: they're trying to set John up with THAT??
Heh, maybe the writers are planning to give John an alien STD or something. XD

The title of this episode is cool. I went into it wishing that it would have something to do with the Tarot card meaning(s) of the Tower.
Ooh, ditto. I really had the Tarot image in mind.

Also, it's so weird being unspoiled. I mean, I know a few things for upcoming eps (it's my innate spoiler ho), but nothing huge qua storyline and/or character development. Obviously I trust the writers (and this after I seriously got burned in my previous fandom). Let's hope they'll live up to it.

And now I'm done rambling. :D I really like your episode analyses.

[lamardeuse.livejournal.com]

I adored John's line: "Wow. I never see this coming." Which implies it happens to him A LOT. And the face when he was goosed was the best. Face. Ever.

But this ep was worth it for him being all hot in the sunglasses during the averted whipping scene. His line delivery was GUH.

Hm. Can you tell I'm all about the shallow? (And dude, BLACKADDER reference. What's not to love?)

tower

[laceymcbain.livejournal.com]

even the woman from the Village of the Bland in 'Epiphany' made some sort of sense--dude, that place looked so boring, I might have slept with her, just to break up the monotony.

*snicker* My download's still downloading, but I had to sneak a peek at your thoughts. And you're right, everything's pretty much going to be a letdown after last week's episode. And there really can't be anything too wrong with more Slutty!Sheppard stories, but I guess I'll have to see the episode to see how it plays out. Also, I second the need for more continuity. Yes, I'm from the Smallville fandom where the word continuity is only mentioned in hushed and reverent whispers--much like the Holy Grail--but still ... I want a little more closure (emotional!!) than I've been getting lately. No leaving McKay trapped or addicted or waving at hallucinations without at least a word from John.

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

I think I'm going to choose to believe that the 'turned her down' at the end refers to him kicking Alien Barbie out when he realised what she was after ;-)

In fact, after reading your comments and realising (because I was too busy giggling earlier) just how silly it would have been, that may not just be denial. Hmmmmm.

[siria]

*has just finished watching this second, after wrestling with laptop for ages, because wow did it ever not like that file* That line you chose from Once More With Feeling to describe it to me? Perfect.

Rodney still hot though. *nods vigorously*

[notpoetry.livejournal.com]

The Sheppard-is-a-whore thing was just so horrible and lame, so I chose to focus on the other characters in the ep.

For instance... damn, Beckett has a serious vindictive streak, doesn't he? Locking that guy in the cell with only a, "Sorry, wee man." And wasn't it not even that guy's fault, entirely, he was just a prick? So why with the locking him in a cell IN A PLACE THAT IS CRUMBLING AND COLLAPSING AND FALLING DOWN AROUND YOUR EARS OH MY GOD CARSON WHAT HAPPENED TO FIRST DO NO HARM?

Aie yi yi.

Also, on a more superficial note, I watched this with my dad, who is military-for-life. And the entire ep, all I heard was, "He's a military man? Why is he slouching? Sit up straight, boy!" Oh, Shep.

[anashi.livejournal.com]

Omg, I know, I was think the same thing about Carson. And also, he really needs to stop bringing any kind of dangerous medicine to other worlds, only bad things come of it.

takes a stab at the fanon characterization of Shep

[somedaybitch.livejournal.com]

Also, someone needs to write fic to explain why Sheppard is suddenly SUCH A HO.

just for the sake of argument, let's say that whatever the glowy thing was with Chaya *actually* constitutes sex. and then, while not *shown*, let's say that he knocked it out with both the girl from Epiphany and this one. (solid arguments could be made, i think, for either position but let's just go with they did.)

that makes three times total. 3 times in how long have they been on Atlantis? almost 2 years?

that makes Sheppard a whore?

it could just be me, but that strikes me as some wacky math.

Re: takes a stab at the fanon characterization of Shep

[somedaybitch.livejournal.com]

stupid computer touchpad. sorry.

i think that where the characterization is coming from is McKay. he's the one constantly calling Sheppard a whore with the Kirk comments, and that actually speaks to me of having nothing to do with what's true and everything to do with Rodney characterization as to how he perceives himself and others through that self-perception....witness Grace Under Pressure.


wow. that's more meta than i usually engage in so i'm just gonna lie down until the feeling goes away.

hope you don't mind the crash visit.

[wychwood]

Word!
*flails at you inarticulately*
The suck, it was strong with this one.

And either we have to kind of re-write that discussion we had about Kinsey statuses, or come up with theories that are going to sound totally tin-hat. But I still can't believe he did anything that stupid. I mean, last week we had Rodney with concussion, hypothermia and threats of imminent death, trapped with the woman he is most attracted to of anyone, and he still had more sense than John did here! I seriously have no words.

[kalikahuntress.livejournal.com]

This ep was almost enough to get me to stop watching the show altogethor. I couldn't believe they made Shep make such a stupid decision, the only thing stopping me from actually going through with not watching it is that i refuse to believe he would do something so stupid. Sometimes I feel like certain writers din't respect the character.

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

I've long thought that the only kind of intimacy Sheppard would allow is physical in nature. So he'll sleep with women in a series of one-night stands or even longer-term sexual relationships but they never learn *anything* about what lies below the surface charm. And he leaves them whenever he must - to Afghanistan, to Atlantis, to save the galaxy again.

[porntestpilot.livejournal.com]

Okay, I haven't watched it yet, or maybe at all, still debating it out, but why the hell is he sleeping with people that I would run screaming from?

Chaya, maybe, okay, cause at first it would be all slutty priestess,ooh, and you could talk about Babylon.

But I've saved myself for you, and I've seen your face, or I NNED YOUR SPERM? Dude, I'd be out the door in five seconds.

This doesn't really hurt my OTP because I don't actually see them getting together for a few more years, but it makes me respect John less, and I don't like that. Which is sad, normally I respect the whoreness of people, but in this case it's just odd and stupid. He said he read the mission reports for SGC right?

John's a player for show. *shakes head*

Not Kirk

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

Haven't seen the ep yet, but being a spoiler ho I drove by, and as a Star Trek TOS fan I have to say --

Kirk doesn't just sleep with women, he *seduces* women. Never in a million years would James T. "Tomcat" Kirk say, "I didn't see that coming". Sometimes it's just for pleasure, but often it's for tactical or strategic advantage. If Kirk was on a planet with a royal house in conflict, he might well seduce the princess -- but it would very likely be for some Enterprising purpose. If the woman was an airhead, it would be pretty clear by the end of the ep that when she thought she was using him, he was really using her.

So far, Sheppard is no Kirk, and I've never seen him look at a woman in the patented Kirk way, with the gleam of conquest. The Kirk comparison is all in Rodney's head, though it may also be in the writers'.

Re: Not Kirk

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I actually really appreciate your clarifying that, 'cause I have to hang my head in SHAME and admit that I haven't really seen any Star Trek.

*promises to never use that fanon cliché again*

*except to mock it*

Re: Sheppard and Mara

[zincpiccalilli.livejournal.com]

Actually, my second thought (my first being that, gee, Sheppard seems OOC) was that there was an aphrodisiac involved.

I, um, already posted on this over at the GW forums and am too lazy to retype when I can copy and paste, so... ^^;;

My understanding of the court intrigue is that Otho was plotting with both Tavius and Mara. Otho doesn't have the Ancient gene and so can't operate the chair himself, but I think he was setting himself up as the power behind the throne. As Mara's betrothed, Otho would also gain prestige were she to rule, and from his position as consort, he could manipulate the easily influenced Mara to do whatever he wanted. The question was how to bump Mara up the line of succession.

First, he had to get rid of the Lord Protector. So he supplied Tavius with the poison that let the foolish boy go through with his plan to kill his father and inherit the throne.

Or so Otho allowed Tavius to think, playing the simpering chamberlain.

Maybe not immediately afterwards—two royal deaths, one after another, would be a little too suspicious—but certainly later, Otho would do away with Tavius as Tavius did away with his father, and Mara would rightfully take her place as regent, Otho at her right hand.

This was the plan Otho had in motion before Sheppard arrived, and it was not without its risks. It would be so much better if the Lord Protector would abdicate the throne to Mara directly. Tavius wouldn't be able to overturn his father's decision, and if he made trouble, Otho could have him killed then. The question, though, was how to strengthen Mara's claim over that of Tavius.

Enter Sheppard's magic gene.

And, suddenly, there was the very real possibility that if Mara could bear children with a stronger ATA gene, she would win the favor of her father and be proclaimed heir over her brother. Then Otho could have Sheppard, a stranger, killed and claim the child as his own.

The revised plan was for Mara to seduce Sheppard and steal his genes. Now, Otho had already provided Tavius with poison. What if, to assure Mara would be successful, he brewed her an aphrodisiac? To be slipped in Sheppard's food or drink.

MUWAHAHAHAHAHA...! :D

Where Otho's plan hit a snag is that Mara genuinely, if not loved, then liked and was attracted to Sheppard. Because, seriously, who (or what) wouldn't be? :p

Crack? Yeah. No more than the rest of the episode, right?

Oh. Here via sga_newsletter.

Re: Sheppard and Mara

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Excellent theory! (Which I appreciate even more because you seem to be the only person--myself included!--who knows everybody's name. Now I can stop referring to Mara as "that dumb chick." *g*)

I don't have anything to intelligent to add, but I think an aphrodisiac of some sort is totally within the realm of possibility--it was canon for the episode that there was funky stuff in the food. And I far prefer a little bit of drugged Aliens Made Them Do It (it's a classic!) over "Yeah, Sheppard was just ridiculously OOC."

[not-sally.livejournal.com]

Thank you!
This chapter had a lot of cool little fanish things (I mean, handholding for gods sake!!), but I was so disappointed from watching "Grace Under Pressure" followed by this.
Really, did the writers spend so much time coming up with "Grace..." that they just took the first plot they could find out of ff.net and pasted it on the storyline?
*is disgruntled, yet oddly appreciates Rodney's local bitch-boy*

Now you know how Joan of Arc felt...

[ilgattopardo.livejournal.com]

I didn't read the post (fannish stuff for a television programme I've never seen? Skip!), but, Sweetness, I just had to point out that I was only joking when I said by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed...

Also, I'll try to e-mail you sometime today. I'll try your old one... if it bounces, I'll need to get a new address from you (trinity@tcd.ie?) :-)

[taelonmahal.livejournal.com]

I think it would have actually had to be the "Sheppard and McKay declare their true feelings for each other, have exorbitant amounts of sex, then join the rest of the gang for a musical EXTRAVAGANZA wherein Zelenka has a solo in which he slides across the dance floor on his knees to run his hand up Elizabeth's thigh and glitter rains down from the ceiling and coats everyone's eyelashes and we freeze-frame on a long, slow kiss and possibly there are tap-dancing penguins" episode for it to even come close. *breath*

I want to see that!