{ Atlantis, 3x04, Sateda; the whole episode }

[delga]

OK, so first off? The slow-motion was completely unnecessary. Secondly, was it just me or were the flashbacks unconvincing? That's Sateda? Really? And that was Ronon's wife/girlfriend? Really? And Ronon was...well, like that? I guess the point is, Ronon was a regular army guy who got caught up in the war and the running made him the way he is now. Well. OK. So, I like him better now? I really liked the idea that he felt grief over bringing the wraith to that village and that he was willing to kill himself to let John and Teyla go but again, giving him all that dialogue (actual words! Not just grunts!) seem to take me away from his character. It's not that I don't want the guy to have dialogue, just that the delivery was off somewhat.

That said, I did like the flashbacks between hospitals past and present, not because the flashbacks were anymore convincing but because the flashforwards were made more emotionally investing because of them. Which I guess what the point. So. Yay. Also, Momoa was much stronger in the scenes when he was blowing shit up and yelling about the burning medicines than when he was staring at the nurse/wife/girlfriend. He just sold the image a lot better. (The window smash'n'kill? SCARY and horrifying. So I guess I don't really know where I sit with this episode because I'm not entirely certain it made me more invested in Ronon than I already am. I like the ideas in the story. I mean, I liked the ending in theory: Ronon getting revenge for himself and everyone else made sense. That weird rugby-dance ritual roaring bending whatever-thing was just plain bizarre. But then...the run, jump, stab? SO AWESOME. So I don't know).

As I said before, Rachel Lutrell did a marvellous job and I really liked her "ohnoes" face that she threw in Ronon's direction. Her best scenes were the ones in which she was trying to convince Ronon that all the bad mojo was not his fault. I'm not saying that as someone who's been watching the gradual buidling of a canon ship, I say that as someone who now likes Teyla. This is one of the times when her empathy and sympathy really rang true for me. One thing, though: we're back to making people aware that yes, Teyla has breasts! Lolz, that top made me smile. V-necks. Sigh.

"The point is, I don't really have good, uh..."
"Social skills."

LOLZ. And since when? That was obviously written for the laugh but probably would have come off better from Rodney.

"You should know, I do't have any..."
"Friends?"

Again: lolz. But I guess this ends all the post-Letters discussion about whether John has any family or whether he's just estranged from them. And as awkward and daft as that scene was, I also liked how it played out. Because when Flanigan said "I'd do anything" he completely nailed that delivery, and every line he had in the rest of that scene. I completely believed him. Which is new, by the way. Normally I take that as a given character trait from fanon but I like how it was put into canon, too. That said, I still don't really get the weird hand-pat, awkward thing he had going on in this scene because I always figured if he was going to say something, he would just say it and not make a deal out of it. Be off-hand. Or say it and then walk off real quick. Which he did, but still. It's the kind of revelatory distance we normally get with Rodney, mostly because that way we remember that he's something sad of a character whilst with John... I don't know. Still. "I'd do anything." I'm sold. (AND THE SCENE WHEN HE GRABS RONON AND PULLS HIM UP? YES, ALSO SOLD).

"And Ronon appears to be quite angry." Man, Teyla is the queen of understatement. Love it. (Love is: Teyla always having to say "Ronon!" because that never fails to make me giggle).

Rodney was mildly amusing and thereafter I didn't much care. I also wasn't the greatest fan of them making Caldwell be the 'other' guy again because I thought we'd been done with that story line since The Long Goodbye. Apparently not. Carson was delightfully Carson-ish (and hearing him say "I've never seen a bigger baby" with his accent on made me grin. Oh, Carson/Rodney fans, I'm thinking the end of that scene with Carson's 'knowing smile' is worth a note? And Carson trying to play hero? AND THE FUCKING ENDING? WITH ALL THE GRINNING? AND THE HUG, WTF?!) Elizabeth's hair is still really pretty and is enough to distract me from what is going on in a scene. I know, I'm pathetic. Also, leather jackets, wtf (I'll also take this moment to once again bring up Teyla's v-neck, sleeveless top because in no way was that obvious, right)? And again, am I the only one who thinks Ronon's attire didn't seem to fit his surroundings? I care about these things, dammit!

In conclusion: I STILL DON'T KNOW. Because by the very end I was back on board with the whole thing but I still think about the rest of the episode and wonder if it wasn't too much of a mish-mash. SO I DON'T KNOW.

Hey, you know that Magnificent 7 episode where Eli comes for Vin Tanner and Chris ends up shooting him instead and then there's tension? Yeah. That's what I thought. Except not so much.

Comments

[daygloparker.livejournal.com]

The flashbacks made me laugh. That was probably NOT their intention?

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

I find that laughing at inappropriate moments merely confirms that you're watching Atlantis.

[daygloparker.livejournal.com]

LOL SO TRUE

[muldy.livejournal.com]

Yeah omg the whole hand patting thing in the 'Sheyla' scene was weird...but...I liked the scene. Cos yeah as you said omg the whole "I'd do anything" had me. Wow newsflash: Joe Flanigan has acting skills ;) now if he'd just use them more often...

I know Teyla's top was kinda....showing stuff but hey at least her stomach was hidden for once!! LOL cover up one part but expose another *rolls eyes*

*still loves this episode though*

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

I've come to the conclusion that yes, I did like the episode because it wasn't Michael and I thought it did a good job all-in-all of giving us drama and laughs. So yay? lolz.

[powerof3.livejournal.com]

Are we sure that Melina(?) was his wife/girlfriend and not his sister? Because I didn't get any romantical tendencies from that relationship. It felt more like they were siblings to me. Hm.

I loved this ep, but then, I'm a Ronon fangirl, so, y'know. ;)

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

That's a good point, actually. Hmm. No, I wasn't getting any chemistry from them.

I'm a Ronon fangirl. Hee :) No, I've decided that I did like the episode. So yay!

[delgaserasca.livejournal.com]

I have no idea why I chose that icon. I was looking for this one. Radek does not want to keeeeel you, I promise.


:)

[powerof3.livejournal.com]

I loved it. Dunno if you read my fangirl squee review, but between him and Teyla, damn. Just, damn. Hehehhee.

And it's okay. I'm pretty sure I could subdue Radek before he tried to keeeeel me. I've got a way about me. *g*