Parting is such sweet sorrow *snicker*

[trinityofone]

YAY CALDWELL! I am so very very glad to have him back. Although would it have killed them to explain how he got all Goa’ulded in the first place? One line of exposition, guys: “It really sucked when those NID peeps beat me over the head with wiffle bats and dragged me into an alley,” or, “I should never have gone into the bathroom at Popeye’s.”* But whatevers: he owned this episode. *is proud of own decision to put him in We Have Lingered* *resumes sekritly shipping him with Elizabeth* *when not shipping Elizabeth with Zelenka* *or Ronon* *or Lorne*

Other than that...meh? And I feel an almost instant need to disclaim that: I’m not negative about everything! Really! SGA is my favorite favoritest show! But that’s why I want it to be as good as it can be, and when it’s weird and nonsensical, I want to talk about it. Endlessly.

Still with me? Okay. I think the biggest problem with this episode was that I’m sure the writers were thinking, “Yay! We can do our cursory Elizabeth episode!” (And seriously: why do the cursory Elizabeth episodes always involve old people? What’s up with that? And what’s planned for S3: Elizabeth visits an Ancient retirement home?) Only--this wasn’t an Elizabeth episode. It was an Elizabeth’s body episode--a Torri episode, sure--but Elizabeth herself was out of the picture for most of it. The only character development for Elizabeth we got was: 1) still feels guilty about the events of ‘Critical Mass’ (duh); 2) will most likely feel guilty about shooting Ronon (duh); 3) is willing to flirt vaguely with Caldwell (after showing such a fab, take-charge attitude, who can blame her?). That’s nothing. We get more interesting teases about John. Or maybe we don’t, but at least with Shep I have a feeling--I am positively convinced, whether by writing hints or just Joe Flanigan’s pretty, moody eyes--that there is loads going on beneath the surface. With Elizabeth, the only hints I’m getting are repeated assurances that she’s boring.

SHE SHOULDN’T BE. She doesn’t have to be. This is so frustrating, and sometimes I just feel like writing loads and loads of Elizabeth gen because, sheesh. Give us something to work with, guys! No wonder I’m a slasher now.

Speaking of shippy stuff, the John/Teyla really kicked the John/Elizabeth’s ass in this, didn’t it? I mean, the latter had a kiss--a full-fledged kiss!--but neither of the bodies was occupied by its actual...occupant, and it was a sneaky hate kiss at that. Caldwell’s line at the end and J & E’s reactions could I guess be twisted in a shippy light, but to me the reaction seemed much closer to everyone at the end of ‘Duet,’ where John is Carson, Elizabeth is Rodney, and Caldwell is John, jealous jealous jealous. ;-) And then for John/Teyla there is one line, and it blows everything else out of the water. If my tastes ran that way, I would have been doing cartwheels at that point.

Also, did anyone else notice that after not!John’s “He cares for you more than you know,” there’s a completely pointless cut to Rodney working away at his computer? He shudders, shakes himself. Then back to Teyla.

These editors, man. Do they know something I don’t? *g*

I also have to admit that I completely misread not!Elizabeth’s line to Caldwell--“Oh, please: even Weir thinks you’re hopeless”--as “Oh, please: even Weir thinks you’re hopelessly in love with her.” No, seriously: I thought he was being called on his blatantly obvious crush. I still like my reading better. *pouts*

As for the other folks...hm. Well, Teyla was pretty cool in this ep, although again, we didn’t really learn anything new: her reactions in the “To shoot or not to shoot?” scene were pretty much exactly what I would have expected. Ronon...well, that was a little more interesting. It was pretty stupid of him to trust Sheppard, but it also seemed in character: Dex loves his leader, doesn’t he? Now, though, the show has to follow through with it, show Ronon as less trusting in the future, as less willing to follow blindly. He could use a lesson or two from Skinner Caldwell: Trust no one, Mr. Dex!

John, like Elizabeth, wasn’t actually there for most of the episode. When he was, I liked his reluctance to play host--although he can be scary persuasive a lot of the time, I can definitely see him as occasionally unable to launch a better argument than “don’t wanna.” And to go back to the “he cares for you more than you know” comment: hell yes, he does. He cares for everyone in Atlantis, more than he’ll ever tell them, more than he’ll ever show them outside of risking his life for theirs. It terrifies him how much he cares for them. *sniff* Oh, John. *snuggles him*

As for my boyfriend Rodney...this just wasn’t a very interesting episode for him? Not that I mind watching him bitch and complain, then make woobie eyes, then save his boyfriend John at the last minute, but in case it isn’t clear by now, I am a WHORE for character development. And there wasn’t much here. The one interesting thing was the contrast between how Rodney reacted under Caldwell’s leadership and how he usually reacts under Elizabeth and John’s. I don’t think Rodney has anything against Caldwell, or was even that concerned about the recent Goa’uld thing, but he clearly doesn’t respect him (yet) the way he does Elizabeth and John. Rodney doles out respect in small, precious doses, and it says a lot about the people on the receiving end if they’ve earned it. Probably the only reason I’m able to take Elizabeth seriously as a leader is because Rodney does. So it was interesting to see the inverse of that.

And yeah, I liked the Jeopardy! conversation, mostly because of everything kalpurna says here, but also because I’m now picturing Rodney mocking Alex Trebek. Okay, Rodney and Darrell Hammond’s Sean Connery mocking Alex Trebek. Sometimes it’s fun inside my head.

In conclusion, I think I said it best at the beginning: Caldwell owns. YAY CALDWELL. The end.


*True story:

trinityofone and family are in Washington, D.C., near the Ford Theater.

trinityofone: *spots Popeye’s Chicken* I need to use the bathroom.
Trinity’s Mom: Not in there! You’ll prick yourself on a needle and get AIDS!

Not her finest parenting moment. ;-) But a funny one!

Comments

[lamardeuse.livejournal.com]

Yes, what you said: Yay Caldwell! I adored his sexy little I-know-something-you-don't-know smile in his scenes with the real Elizabeth. And yeah, I can't decide who I want to pair her with, but I'd really love to see them have hot, angry sex against the wall. (She'd be on top, of course).

Also, did anyone else notice that after not!John’s “He cares for you more than you know,” there’s a completely pointless cut to Rodney working away at his computer? He shudders, shakes himself. Then back to Teyla.

These editors, man. Do they know something I don’t? *g*

Yes, yes, yes! What was up with that? Fabulous moment. And watch Rodney's eyes when he's reacting to the kiss. The eyes look destroyed. Very strange.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Yeah! Caldwell was like Smirky McSmirkster in this episode! It was hot. He and Elizabeth should definitely have sex up against a wall. I'm still waiting for some lovely, sly Caldweir. ;-)

Rodney's reaction to the kiss just struck me as weird. I need to... *rewatches*

Okay, well Caldwell's reaction is the most clearly, "Oh, bugger." And Rodney's is...still weird. He does look kind of destroyed, and then his mouth quirks up and it turns into this odd little smile-laugh, like he's forcing himself to be okay with it... Oh, Rodney, you brave little toaster, you!

Seriously, though: about that cut away. What are they trying to say, if not what we want them to be saying?

[slodwick.livejournal.com]

Seriously, though: about that cut away. What are they trying to say, if not what we want them to be saying?

*refrains from mentioning the part where they have to plan for commercial breaks, and according to the commentary on S1, they don't like to leave and come back on teh same scene*

*instead, ships the hell out of her boys*

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Was that a commercial break? I'm so spoiled with all this ad-free downloading that I've almost forgotten what commercials are!

Are you sure it was an ad break, though? It seems like an oddly placed one...

Well, if it was: yay for juxtaposition!

[slodwick.livejournal.com]

Well, Faux!lizabeth says "Kill him!", then there's cuts to Teyla and John's faces, intense looks all around, and the music... and then they cut to Rodney. I think, if that were on-air, it would be a commercial break, because you'd have to wait three minutes to see if Teyla does it. It's more "suspenseful". *g*

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I just thought that there was less of a pause there. *is too lazy to go back and watch it again* You are probably right. My mind, it is its own wacky little editor!

I'm going to be sad when I have to go back to watching ads for beer and toilet cleaner in the middle of my "suspense."

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I just watched it again (jarsy's fault. No, REALLY). And ooh! ooh! There are two cuts to Rodney, and the second one is like you say--back from the commercial break. But the first is TOTALLY SUPERFLUOUS, right after the "cares about you line" and Rodney's all "Hey! He's MY boyfriend!"

jarsy corrects me and says that it's not superfluous: it is just fluous enough to send thousands of fangirls into paroxysms of glee. *g*

[slodwick.livejournal.com]

Hee! I'll just take your word for it... I like that version better. *g*


*paroxysms of glee*

[smittywing.livejournal.com]

And watch Rodney's eyes when he's reacting to the kiss. The eyes look destroyed. Very strange.

You know, that wasn't my initial reaction at all. (Or even the second one.) I sort of saw them as:

Carson: "Oops, private, not looking now, thanks!"

Caldwell: "Hey, that's Eliza- *ahem* totally not looking because Sheppard has more hair than me and that's not fair."

Rodney: "Huh. My boyfriend's kissing Elizabeth. Damn, that's hot."

Because I expected him to look destroyed and that's not what I saw. Now I want to go watch it again and I won't be home for another six hours at least.

*off to find caps*

[anitac588.livejournal.com]

LOLOL!!! I love these captions. *g*

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Hee, I love Caldwell's, especially re: Sheppard's hair.

But yeah, Rodney's reaction was just...weird. I don't think it's either "destroyed" or "that's hot." It's...

I don't know! Dammit, Rodney--since when are you hard to read?

[kalpurna.livejournal.com]

You know, I've read a lot of interpretations of that moment, and all of them seem to be different. It's kind of a hard one to pin down.

The way I saw Rodney during this whole first part was as someone who's in denial about his huge ridiculous crush. He was a little too gung ho about the whole thing, I think; to me, it read as "Well, obviously I don't have a problem with this. And it definitely doesn't bother me to see Sheppard kissing someone else. At all. NOT AT ALL." Normally he would have been all "Doesn't anyone else see that this is an unbelievably stupid plan?!" and not tossing off lines like "Have fun!" when Sheppard's about to be possessed by an alien.

And his reaction to the kiss, on rewatching, had two parts – at first, he looks kind of whumped, and then he starts to give a little smile and "huh" type noise right before they cut away. Maybe he's pleasantly surprised by the total lack of sexual chemistry? Maybe he is hiding his ANGSTY PAIN? Maybe he's trying to avoid another embarrassing Chaya-style jealous temper tantrum?

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I definitely see the denial angle. This:

Maybe he's pleasantly surprised by the total lack of sexual chemistry?

is also an excellent theory. *eg* "Oh, well. Nothing to worry about there. *cute smile*"

And aww, I liked Rodney's Chaya-induced tantrum. He was full of righteous, righteous fury! ;-)

[coreopsis.livejournal.com]

Maybe he's pleasantly surprised by the total lack of sexual chemistry?

is also an excellent theory. *eg* "Oh, well. Nothing to worry about there. *cute smile*"
And suddenly I like that scene a whole lot more. *g*

[smittywing.livejournal.com]

It's totally weird. After due consideration (well, dinner) I have decided that you're right that it's not "that's hot" because we've seen "that's hot" and it involved a lot more drooling and his chin somewhere around his ankles.

But dude, he's the only one who doesn't look away. That's just weird.

[smittywing.livejournal.com]

Dude, the reaction shot being on Rodney? Completely out in left field. The thing is, I like the idea of John/Teyla, but Teyla as an actual character interests me so little that I can't get fully behind the pairing. Maybe if I only looked at it from John's POV. Or maybe if I wrote it from Teyla's POV in order to get a different twist on John. But sadly, no. Although I have to say, it was really more a Teyla episode than anyone else. Ok, maybe a Caldwell episode.

Rodney got character development...kinda. He was the hopelessest romantic IN the place. He totally let Phoebus use his boyfriend to have her last moment! "Have fun!" was totally followed by the unspoken, "See you when you GET BACK. TO ME."

The thing about the Teyla line which could also be applied to the bit where Thelan is taunting a bleeding Ronon with, "he's screaming in my head like you wouldn't believe" is that Sheppard hangs back and plays cool and looks over everyone like he's too cool for them, but I really believe he's just terribly, platonically in love with his entire team, and also a little with Elizabeth and Carson and to a degree, Zelenka. Atlantis made him whole again and they're all a part of that. He doesn't have a family or anyone he really can relate with like normal people relate to other normal people, so he secretly adores and would die for the people he loves and he never ever tells them. That's my canon reading anyway. In my heart, he's told Rodney, in his weird guy way, and Rodney knows what he really means.

[trialia]

Always felt to me like Rodney was in love with Elizabeth but didn't expect anything to ever happen. I haven't seen that episode yet, and won't for another week or two, but I love what I have managed to find of it.

Of course, I'm a diehard Torri devotee, so... But Elizabeth's lovely, and I love how Torri plays her and Phoebus so differently that you can tell it's not Elizabeth even from still captures.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

'Letters from Pegasus' could almost sell me on the John/Teyla ship. (Well, that and the intense hotness of 'Conversion'--yow!) When John says, "I would be saving everyone in the damn galaxy if I could!" and Teyla just looks at him like, "You are not that man I thought you were"--ooh. I would definitely like to see a relationship built out of the wreckage of that. But the show's almost completely failed to follow up on it, and besides, who does that leave my boyfriend to have sex with? Well, lots of people, but I still prefer him with John. *g*

"he's screaming in my head like you wouldn't believe" is that Sheppard hangs back and plays cool and looks over everyone like he's too cool for them, but I really believe he's just terribly, platonically in love with his entire team, and also a little with Elizabeth and Carson and to a degree, Zelenka

Ooh, yes. Thank you for reminding me of that line, and for suggesting that it could be applied to Sheppard all the time. He keeps his inner voices very quiet, doesn't he? *wants to write something about this* *or wants you to*

[lydiabell.livejournal.com]

I really believe he's just terribly, platonically in love with his entire team, and also a little with Elizabeth and Carson and to a degree, Zelenka. Atlantis made him whole again and they're all a part of that. He doesn't have a family or anyone he really can relate with like normal people relate to other normal people, so he secretly adores and would die for the people he loves and he never ever tells them. That's my canon reading anyway. In my heart, he's told Rodney, in his weird guy way, and Rodney knows what he really means.

Awwwwww. That just melted me.

[slashygood.livejournal.com]

Trust no one, Mr. Dex!
I said the same thing to him! :D Then much (poor) quoting of 'it's not paranoia if they're really out to get you'. Good times. :)

During the episode I kept getting my own little Rodney shudders, because I kept thinking 'hey, haven't I read that before?' ^_^ The neglect of poor Elizabeth's character aside, is there ever going to be an actual kiss on the show that doesn't involve alien interference somehow? Woe.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

SGA: Aliens Made Them Do It Because They Were Incapable of Doing It Their Own Damn Selves.

You're quite right. Seriously, have they all taken a vow of chastity? Are there secretly some really strict non-fraternization rules that we just don't know about? Can we at least see Beckett and Cadman make out (when they're in their own bodies!), so we know it's allowed? Or some extras, maybe? Chuck the Canadian Tech? Somebody!

Maybe there's something in the water.

[seekergeek.livejournal.com]

SGA: Aliens Made Them Do It Because They Were Incapable of Doing It Their Own Damn Selves.

Bwahahahahahaha! Word!

[iamtheenemy.livejournal.com]

I thought that Caldwell was great too, but I did have problem with the way he dealt with Teyla in the climax. "I'm not going to tell you what to do." Umm, what? Isn't that, like, your only job? I mean, ok, obviously I didn't want Teyla to shoot John. The whole episode Caldwell had been so awesome telling people where to go and coming up with a strategy, but that was the only time he had to make a real leadership decision, and he begged off and made it Teyla's decision to potentially save or kill 3/4ths of the expedition. That really seemed wishy-washy and unlike his character from the rest of the episode.

I also loved the quick cut to Rodney looking all sad and hurt after fake!John told Teyla that real!John cares for her more than she knows. Additionally, when fake!Weir tells Teyla to kill John, Rodney turns around and gives Caldwell his patented "OMG! John's gonna die (again!)" look.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

I thought Caldwell's "I'm not going to tell you what to do" was the right move. Because he couldn't do anything, and she would probably react badly to being told, "You don't know me all that well, but I would like you to shoot your team leader and friend now." Instead he showed trust in her to make the right decision, which was the best leadership choice, and the most human one, IMO.

Rodney is the king of the angsty reaction shot. *snuggles him*

[iamtheenemy.livejournal.com]

I don't agree, because when it's that many people's lives at stake, it becomes more than not wanting to pressure Teyla into hurting her friend. He's putting Teyla in charge of the lives of those expedition members, and they're not even her people. Teyla's a very empathetic and moral person who probably has a lot of affection and respect for the people in the expedition. Regardless, I think the outcome of that confrontation would have gone differently if Elizabeth had managed to endanger the Athosians instead of the Atlanteans.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

Actually, that would have been interesting, 'cause I don't for a second believe that Teyla would have reacted all that differently. HOWEVER, if she still hesitated for John's sake when the Athosians were at risk, that would at least have said something interesting about her character and its progression. I think the Atlanteans (especially her teammates, yes, but all of them) have come to mean more and more to her, and that just as Atlantis is becoming more of a home to, say, John or Rodney, than Earth was, so too is it becoming a home to Teyla. She is Atlantean just as much or more than she is Athosian. The Atlanteans ARE her people.

*resolutely does not think about her breasts*

[iamtheenemy.livejournal.com]

*resolutely does not think about her breasts*

But they're such NICE breasts, and she works so hard to show them off. :)

[marici.livejournal.com]

I kinda felt the only right reaction is to let him free (really, not to have used zip strips in the first place), because if they were powerless to kill him Whatsherkidney wouldn't bother to gas the hostages. Of course, that strategy only works if Phoebus doesn't hear you plot it, so he may have been hoping Teyla would leap to it or by inaction do it herself.

[some-stars.livejournal.com]

He cares for everyone in Atlantis, more than he’ll ever tell them, more than he’ll ever show them outside of risking his life for theirs. It terrifies him how much he cares for them.

I just love this more than life. it's so perfect and true and yes, yes, JOHN. *siiiiiigh*

[emhen.livejournal.com]

Also, did anyone else notice that after not!John’s “He cares for you more than you know,” there’s a completely pointless cut to Rodney working away at his computer? He shudders, shakes himself. Then back to Teyla.

I may have squealed. There were no witnesses.

Also, I think my favorite snippet of real!John in this was when fake!John told Ronon, "...but he's screaming in here like you wouldn't believe." It just gave me this flash of the absolute hell John must be going through, totally incapacitated, totally silenced. Doing terrible things and unable to stop himself. Seriously, that seemed like a perfect definition of John's worst nightmare - and then at the end of the episode, he actually called it a nightmare. He made it seem like a throwaway, just something you say, but it struck me as sneakily honest. Oh, the angst of John. *pets him*

[not-sally.livejournal.com]

And what’s planned for S3: Elizabeth visits an Ancient retirement home?

*is so, so dead*
You own my brain, and my soul and anything else you might want, I LOVE YOU.

[coreopsis.livejournal.com]

Also, did anyone else notice that after not!John’s “He cares for you more than you know,” there’s a completely pointless cut to Rodney working away at his computer? He shudders, shakes himself. Then back to Teyla.
I even pointed that out to my husband--which I wouldn't have done had I already seen it but I just sort of blurted it out because OMG What are they saying?? and that was probably one of the best bits of the whole episode--besides John's new haircut and Teyla's...everything. *g*

[wychwood]

I really missed Rodney in this episode. So not enough screen-time

I also have to admit that I completely misread not!Elizabeth’s line to Caldwell--“Oh, please: even Weir thinks you’re hopeless”--as “Oh, please: even Weir thinks you’re hopelessly in love with her.” No, seriously: I thought he was being called on his blatantly obvious crush. I still like my reading better. *pouts*

But did you see his response? That stung, man. This episode was the first time I've felt that *canonically* Caldwell has a crush on Weir.

(also? Write Elizabeth gen! I love her!)