This season SGA so far.

[castalia]

I'm watching and mostly enjoying but right now am having a hard time drumming up any enthusiasm about it all. The premier was good - lots of Radek, which was nice. Doc Keller is fine, though she seems a bit young to be any sort of head physician.

I liked what they tried to do with the whole Elizabeth plotline, but honestly, when it came time for Sheppard to be all sad and upset over her? I laughed. Flanigan's lack of any acting chops at all and the stupid face he pulled was so completely and utterly bad that it threw me right out of the story and all I could do was yell at the screen for him to "Emote! Emote, damn you!". And of course he didn't. I weep.

As for "Lifelines", last night's ep was okay but dude, didn't we already see this episode on SG-1? They cribbed so much from "Reckoning" it wasn't even funny. From the Weir vs. Ober-whatshisface mental standoff mirroring the Daniel vs Replicarter scenes, to all the Replicators freezing so the mission can get completed in time. Damn, guys, you're even stealing from yourselves now. Stop it.

The dialogue was massively clunky in this ep, and I still don't know why we had to have so much technobabble thrown in when the plot is all "Hurry, it's urgent, we're all going to die if we don't shut up and get this done!" and yet they don't shut up and get things done. They argue. They technobabble. They gripe about how much shit they're in - shit they wouldn't have been in if they had just be happy with the smaller victory and got the hell out of Dodge when they had the chance.

Also, SG writers? Stop using Bill as your butt monkey for all the geek jokes you want to make. Seriously, you don't have to make Carter the only competent scientist the SGC has on staff. We know they have all of the "best and brightest" and it undermines that when you try and make them look stupid or have the other characters belittle them just for a crappy moment of "humor". We all love Bill and his Twilight Bark references and his World of Warcraft playing and how he looks exactly like a lot of real scientists you might find in a lab somewhere. Be nice to Bill, damn it.

I did like Teyla being the one left in charge, though please, give her more to do this season!! Please! I also like Colonel Ellis and I really hope we can keep him and give him more to do. So far Sam is just there, not in charge, but I suppose that will change soon. It might actually be nice to have a scientist in charge, b/c at least that way she won't need stuff explained to her all the time. I in no way think this will cut down on the exposition, b/c Sam is the technobabble exposition Queen, but still, perhaps it will help. And she'll snark at Rodney and be funny again, and that is always of the good.

Comments

Wow, I got all wordy about this ...

[gritkitty.livejournal.com]

I agree with a lot of this.

• Yeah, I think Keller is good (tough), yet too young. Most of the population of Atlantis is too young -- the background types, at any rate. Wish they'd cast extras who aren't all young, female, pretty. The assortment they presented last episode (the scientists-play-Asteroids-in-jumpers) is closer to a more belivable mix.
• I'm getting sick of replicators, too. Though, notice how it seems the writers factored out everything nicely by having the replicators attack the Wraith. Gearing up for a new bad guy?
• The dialogue SUCKED OMG so freaking clunky -- I am so with you! I kept saying "shut up! shut up! shut up!" and "...and that concludes the exposition for this five minutes of airtime."
• Tonight's episode is a paticularly spectacular example of how they screw up the humor. I enjoy the humor -- when it's done well. But it rings so *stupid* when this is one of *the* most dire situations they've ever been in. They're lost in space; running out of fuel; their leader is incapacitated ... yet there's still those lame jokes. One could argue the tension isn't nearly as bad for Sam and SGC, but jeez! Atlantis is *missing* -- things should be *serious*. (An aside -- yeah, more of the background and non-speaking parts should go to guys who look like Bill.)

Where we part opinions -- I do like Joe Flannagan as Sheppard (which I'm happy to agree to disagree there). I don't like Ellis, though I can't tell you why. Maybe he'll grow on me. The jury (well, me) is still out on Sam. She seems interesting enough, but I find I'm ... unmoved by her, at least so far. And though Elizabeth's issue with the nanites was, for me, one of the strongest points of the plot, I'm still bummed she's gone.

Of the good? Yes, Teyla! Yes, Ronon -- except for some of that crappy dialogue. Super-yay for Zelenka (with, of course, issues of dialogue and poor use of humor)!! I think Oberoth makes a great bad guy, and the actor makes most anything he says sound good, kudos to him for that. And oh, my, isn't Atlantis pretty?

I've said it before: the show has so much potential. It's frustrating to see it limp along. On the other hand, I kind of like yelling at the screen, too. That's a kind of entertainment. It's not like I'm *not* setting my DVR to watch it every week! ; )

Re: Wow, I got all wordy about this ...

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

The assortment they presented last episode (the scientists-play-Asteroids-in-jumpers)

I LOVED that. I wish we could see all of those scientists again, b/c the mix was terrific. Especially the more heavy-set black lady scientist. I want to know who she is, what she does!

So far I can tell they're assuming they won't have to introduce Sam for the SGA audience. And of course, 10 years of character history can't just be shoe-horned into an intro, so that's fine. But it feels weird for her to be there when over in the SG-1 universe they were still facing the armies of the Ori and we've got two movies coming up. The timeline makes my head hurt just thinking about it.

I know most of the people on my flist are seriously going to disagree with me about Sheppard. And McShep. I shall just gripe to shanola22 about it and avoid confrontation, lest either of our squees be harshed :)

I do agree, Oberoth is a decent bad guy, but I've always enjoyed David Ogden Stiers, so I'm happy to have him on the show. And as much as I might gripe about the show, I know I'll keep watching b/c I'm devoted to my 'gates like that. You're right, yelling at the screen is kind of fun. *g*

Re: Wow, I got all wordy about this ...

[wishfulaces.livejournal.com]

But it feels weird for her to be there when over in the SG-1 universe they were still facing the armies of the Ori and we've got two movies coming up. The timeline makes my head hurt just thinking about it.

Yeah, um, what the hell? When is this supposed to take place in relation to "Unending"? (Which, okay, due to the plot of *that* story is not necessarily easy to say, but since the plot of that story was all undone anyway it doesn't matter. Um. Quite. Did you get all that?) Suddenly Sam's out in space with long hair not working with SG-1 anymore and Cameron didn't have anything to say about this?? I am really, really confused.

When Bill made the Warcraft reference and Sam just looked at him, I was all, "Oh, shut up, Sam, you're a scientist; you should be used to geeks." Hell, I'll bet she kicked ass at D&D back in college.

Re: Wow, I got all wordy about this ...

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

I suppose b/c of her hair it has to be after Unending, but does that mean it's before the movies happen? And if so, how is she going to disappear during Atlantis to go do the SG-1 stuff? Like you said, has the team talked about this? I'd kind of like to see the hissy fit Daniel might pitch when Sam says she gets to be in Atlantis permanently while he only got his brief little visit ;)

Heh, sometimes I think Sam will always be more of a soldier than a geek. I wish she were a little geekier, b/c most of the time those references that she should get seem to fly right over her head.

Re: Wow, I got all wordy about this ...

[wishfulaces.livejournal.com]

Oh man. Yeah, how *is* Daniel going to react to that? Other than trying to stow away in Sam's luggage?

I really wish Sam were geekier sometimes. Have some fun with it, Sam! You named your cat Schroedinger, do a little more!

Re: Wow, I got all wordy about this ...

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

Heh, I'll bet he'll throw another fit about it all, making Mitchell's life hell and then calling up Jack just to gripe to him about it as well.

I wish we'd seen more of Sam's hobbies and stuff at all. It's been ages since we saw that motorcycle she and Siler were working on. They introduce stuff and then just drop it.

[gritkitty.livejournal.com]

But it feels weird for her to be there when over in the SG-1 universe they were still facing the armies of the Ori and we've got two movies coming up. The timeline makes my head hurt just thinking about it.

Yeah, and aren't there a couple SG1 movies in the works?

Hey, don't worry about what you wanna say about Sheppard and McKay/Sheppard on *my* part. I like different opinions.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

*points to where it says "we've got two movies coming up"* ;) Yup, they're using at least one film to tie up the Ori storyline, and the other sounds like time travel stuff mostly. But Sam is certainly in them, so I really want to know how all this is going to play out. If she's going to leave her team, I kind of want to see that on screen and the impacts of it.

At least we agree on Zelenka? *g*

[gritkitty.livejournal.com]

*points to where it says "we've got two movies coming up"* ;)


Duh! That's me, so observant. Not.

And do you think Zelenka is awesome? Because if you think he's anything less than awesome, well! I'll have to make sure to convince you that he's WAY awesome!! ; )

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

I think Zelenka is totally and utterly awesome. But you can convince me anyway, especially if it involves pretty pics of David Nykl. *g*

[gritkitty.livejournal.com]

Oo, oo, he updated his blog! Zelenka and Carter -- How freaking cute is *that*???
http://bp0.blogger.com/_rKUtWS1j__w/RwX7kQxogmI/AAAAAAAAAI8/X5tpDvo3wUg/s1600-h/october+025.jpg

And his recent photoshoot, of course (the entire gallery; might take a minute to load):

http://www.fabricegroverphoto.com/clients/davidnyklroughselection/

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

Dude, I must not have gotten an email for this comment. Bad LJ for not alerting me to the pretty pictures!

The one of Zelenka and Carter is too cute for words. Ooh, I want to have more scenes of them interacting!

I can't get the other one to load at all, though. D:

[gritkitty.livejournal.com]

Okay, so this is months and months late, but at last I come through. If you haven't already seen them (and by now you very well could have!), I give you the pictures of David Nykl from his recent(ish) photoshoot:

http://pics.livejournal.com/gritkitty/gallery/0000eb8k

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I had not seen these! Very nice, especially that last one. I wish the SGA makeup and wardrobe people would let him look so pretty on the show. Yum.

[windrose.livejournal.com]

Seriously, you don't have to make Carter the only competent scientist the SGC has on staff.

It's going to be interesting to see how they handle the McKay/Carter dynamic in that sense. McKay has always been the go-to guy for Atlantis, and if they suddenly have him playing the arrogant fool just to make Carter look better, it will alienate the SGA fanbase.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

*nod* In the past McKay would always be wrong on SG-1, but lately they've done a bit better with that when they've had Tapping guest star on SGA. I'm really hoping they'll work together and let both be right about things, yet still keep that snark. And they'll have to stop having Rodney hitting on her so much. At this point, they simply can't go back to the 48 Hours McKay, b/c he's changed so drastically since then.

[lauraspeak.livejournal.com]

Amanda Tapping does frighten me from Atlantis a bit. I feel like she is almost overdone. I don't not like her or her character, but I feel like... well, she is overdone. I did actually start to like her more when I read in an interview a few years ago that she was never overly fond of Carter, either, at least in the beginning. Basically, I fear for all the things you have mentioned about her in the comments here - about the timeline, the competency issue...

Actually, I've been kind of lackluster about watching Stargate lately, which is kind of disappointing.

[castalianspring.livejournal.com]

*nod* I'm not as excited about Atlantis as I used to be. If it weren't for Hewlett I'm not sure I'd still be watching so much. But it's hard to give up my gates.