Chicken Coup*
Jan. 10th, 2006 04:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trinityofoneOkay, let's just get my two major annoyances out of the way, shall we?
1. The ZPM. OF COURSE IT WAS DEPLETED. HONESTLY. And you can't seriously expect me to believe that no one thought to check for that, that MCKAY didn't think to check for that. I mean, I know he was distracted by all the shiny weaponry, but to me that's still a continuity flaw on the level of him sitting down to a nice meal of lemon chicken with a refreshing glass of lemonade and a big piece of lemon cake for dessert. SERVED ON A TABLE SHINY WITH LEMON LYSOL AND SPRINKLED WITH CONFETTI MADE FROM LEMON ZEST. Sheesh.
2. 1 + 1 = ? By which I mean: there are two odd things happening at around the same time. NO ONE thought to say, "Hmm, do ya think these two might be related?" There are a lot of veeeeeeery smart people in Atlantis. Not ONE of them?
Y'know, in the past I've reflected sadly on how I could never go to Atlantis because, well, it's not real, but also and more importantly because I have no useful skills. But book me passage on the Daedalus, baby, 'cause it turns out they need me after all. TO POINT OUT THE BLEEDING OBVIOUS. Sheesh x 10 million.
But, uh, other than those two headdesk moments? I actually kind of enjoyed it. I was nervous for Lorne even after I saw Kavan Smith's name in the credits and even though "identified the body by the dog tags" is as likely to mean dead as a bludgeoning or a bullet or a bit of poison is likely to signify the end for Rasputin. But the fear, the fear was good. As was the snarking with Sheppard in the prison cell, because now I am cemented in my loveLorne state (please, direct the tomatoes this way) and I want many more scenes with him, especially with him and Shep or (pleasepleasePLEASE) him and McKay. And I can still write the two Lorne fics I had ideas for, yay.
Also yay to 1) Elizabeth getting to do something, sort of, well it was better than 'The Long Goodbye' anyway; 2) Teyla and Ronon playing Good Cop/Bad Cop; and 3) Rodney and John, John and Rodney, RodneyandJohn. Allow me to surprise positively no one and say, I LOVE THEM. I love my adorable, dorky boys. I loved the visit to the Genii homeworld, I loved John helping Rodney wake up in the prison cell, I loved Rodney's "It might be rigged to blow up in your face!" and John subsequently looking really nervous, I loved the "Have I joined a rock band or am I welding something?" glasses, but more than anything else, I loved the expression on their faces when Cowen reveals that EVERYONE knows that Atlantis is still around. "Shit! Does this mean we're also this transparent about the fact that we're sleeping together?"
Yes. Yes, it does. And also: yes, you so, so are.
One other little--quibble? question? moment-of-wha? Rodney and guns. It's not that I mind, exactly, when he's inept with or about them: it's cute, it's (mostly) in character, and hey, it's only the second season--give him time. But...I am confused. Because his level of skill seems to be all over the place. Maybe I'm leaning too heavily on 'The Defiant One' as an example, but he did pretty damn well for himself there. Have I let my glee at kickass!McKay get in the way? Is that episode the inconsistency, and does the rest of canon pretty much support: Rodney = bad with firearms? Somebody please explain.
Also, if the above is true, we totally need more stories about Rodney struggling with this. I adore![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
laceymcbain's Care in the Holding, and yes, yes--we need more of that. Because I think--I KNOW--that Rodney must have a really hard time accepting that there are things he's not instantly good at, not to mention things he's not good at AT ALL, not even with practice. I mean...actually, I wrote this, this was part of one of my many stories that died a Sad, Unfortunate Death, but here, this part was good, this part is what I mean:
***
The problem with being a genius was that it messed with your expectations. If you’re speaking in complete sentences when everyone else in the sandbox is still struggling with “mama” and “dada,” it’s bound to throw your worldview--and your self-image--a little out of whack. Rodney knew how to read by he time he was three; after that, when something didn’t come easily, naturally, didn’t come right away, it never failed to rock him like a slap to the face.
The physical stuff was the worst. His brain did everything he asked of it, and quite a bit more; that his body refused to be equally accommodating was a source of continual surprise and frustration for him. In the classroom he could outthink everyone, including the teacher; on the playground he was left panting, knees speckled with gravel, mouth filled with the taste of dust or ice shavings, arms red from the smack of the dodgeball against delicate skin.
So he learned, early on, that there were two ways he could deal with his potential inadequacies: he could continue to feel each failure like the scrape of knuckles against his jaw, or he could treat those activities that fell outside the realm of his natural gifts with the contempt they so obviously deserved.
So. Contempt it was, then.
***
There. Expand on that, someone. *g*
*Ha! I couldn't resist making a bad pun, and it doesn't even make sense! Well, it sort of does. BUT WHATEVER. At least I know to check if the ZPM is depleted, hmm?
1. The ZPM. OF COURSE IT WAS DEPLETED. HONESTLY. And you can't seriously expect me to believe that no one thought to check for that, that MCKAY didn't think to check for that. I mean, I know he was distracted by all the shiny weaponry, but to me that's still a continuity flaw on the level of him sitting down to a nice meal of lemon chicken with a refreshing glass of lemonade and a big piece of lemon cake for dessert. SERVED ON A TABLE SHINY WITH LEMON LYSOL AND SPRINKLED WITH CONFETTI MADE FROM LEMON ZEST. Sheesh.
2. 1 + 1 = ? By which I mean: there are two odd things happening at around the same time. NO ONE thought to say, "Hmm, do ya think these two might be related?" There are a lot of veeeeeeery smart people in Atlantis. Not ONE of them?
Y'know, in the past I've reflected sadly on how I could never go to Atlantis because, well, it's not real, but also and more importantly because I have no useful skills. But book me passage on the Daedalus, baby, 'cause it turns out they need me after all. TO POINT OUT THE BLEEDING OBVIOUS. Sheesh x 10 million.
But, uh, other than those two headdesk moments? I actually kind of enjoyed it. I was nervous for Lorne even after I saw Kavan Smith's name in the credits and even though "identified the body by the dog tags" is as likely to mean dead as a bludgeoning or a bullet or a bit of poison is likely to signify the end for Rasputin. But the fear, the fear was good. As was the snarking with Sheppard in the prison cell, because now I am cemented in my loveLorne state (please, direct the tomatoes this way) and I want many more scenes with him, especially with him and Shep or (pleasepleasePLEASE) him and McKay. And I can still write the two Lorne fics I had ideas for, yay.
Also yay to 1) Elizabeth getting to do something, sort of, well it was better than 'The Long Goodbye' anyway; 2) Teyla and Ronon playing Good Cop/Bad Cop; and 3) Rodney and John, John and Rodney, RodneyandJohn. Allow me to surprise positively no one and say, I LOVE THEM. I love my adorable, dorky boys. I loved the visit to the Genii homeworld, I loved John helping Rodney wake up in the prison cell, I loved Rodney's "It might be rigged to blow up in your face!" and John subsequently looking really nervous, I loved the "Have I joined a rock band or am I welding something?" glasses, but more than anything else, I loved the expression on their faces when Cowen reveals that EVERYONE knows that Atlantis is still around. "Shit! Does this mean we're also this transparent about the fact that we're sleeping together?"
Yes. Yes, it does. And also: yes, you so, so are.
One other little--quibble? question? moment-of-wha? Rodney and guns. It's not that I mind, exactly, when he's inept with or about them: it's cute, it's (mostly) in character, and hey, it's only the second season--give him time. But...I am confused. Because his level of skill seems to be all over the place. Maybe I'm leaning too heavily on 'The Defiant One' as an example, but he did pretty damn well for himself there. Have I let my glee at kickass!McKay get in the way? Is that episode the inconsistency, and does the rest of canon pretty much support: Rodney = bad with firearms? Somebody please explain.
Also, if the above is true, we totally need more stories about Rodney struggling with this. I adore
laceymcbain's Care in the Holding, and yes, yes--we need more of that. Because I think--I KNOW--that Rodney must have a really hard time accepting that there are things he's not instantly good at, not to mention things he's not good at AT ALL, not even with practice. I mean...actually, I wrote this, this was part of one of my many stories that died a Sad, Unfortunate Death, but here, this part was good, this part is what I mean:***
The problem with being a genius was that it messed with your expectations. If you’re speaking in complete sentences when everyone else in the sandbox is still struggling with “mama” and “dada,” it’s bound to throw your worldview--and your self-image--a little out of whack. Rodney knew how to read by he time he was three; after that, when something didn’t come easily, naturally, didn’t come right away, it never failed to rock him like a slap to the face.
The physical stuff was the worst. His brain did everything he asked of it, and quite a bit more; that his body refused to be equally accommodating was a source of continual surprise and frustration for him. In the classroom he could outthink everyone, including the teacher; on the playground he was left panting, knees speckled with gravel, mouth filled with the taste of dust or ice shavings, arms red from the smack of the dodgeball against delicate skin.
So he learned, early on, that there were two ways he could deal with his potential inadequacies: he could continue to feel each failure like the scrape of knuckles against his jaw, or he could treat those activities that fell outside the realm of his natural gifts with the contempt they so obviously deserved.
So. Contempt it was, then.
***
There. Expand on that, someone. *g*
*Ha! I couldn't resist making a bad pun, and it doesn't even make sense! Well, it sort of does. BUT WHATEVER. At least I know to check if the ZPM is depleted, hmm?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-11 11:22 am (UTC)Also from a more pragmatic perspective, in that same episode the Wraith wasn't focused on him when he shot it the first time. When it did finally turn and see Rodney, there was enough time for John to talk him through what to do. The other times we've seen him shoot (Siege III, Aurora, The Long Good Bye and this episode spring to mind) were during chaotic combat situations with either an immediate threat to himself or lots of noise and action to make him nervous. I think he can only shoot well when he has enough time to focus and aim.
Personally, though, I prefer the first option.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-11 11:23 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-11 01:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-01-12 07:03 am (UTC)I mean, here, I'm thinking of the Defiant One and Hid And Seek, which both had Rodney going off and doing a fairly heroic thing on his own, but both were circumstances where he could assess the risks and knew he had a better chance of surviving if he acted.