A reminder to all that our book club reconvenes this Monday (April 7th) for a discussion on our April BOTMC pick: Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer.
You can always check this blog’s right sidebar for info on our upcoming Book of the Month club reads (including our May selection: The Rich and the Dead by Liv Spector).
Last night marked the resumption of our Stargate: Atlantis rewatch or, in my girlfriend Akemi’s case, First Watch. Her thoughts on the season premiere: Search and Rescue…
First and foremost, she was mightily impressed by the visual effects that, in her estimation, have come a long way since the show’s first season. Plenty of oohs and aahs during the space battle, and also plenty of praise for the design and construction of the hive ship interior.
Speaking of the wraith, she missed them in this episode: “I’m kind of missing old-fashioned wraith, both good hair and bad hair wraith.” I assured her that we’d be seeing them – and their memorable locks – real soon.
One of the reasons she so looked forward to the show’s fifth season was to check out Robert Picardo in action who she has gotten to know over the course of his occasional Vancouver visits. When he appeared in the opening credits: “Nice to see Bob.”. Then, halfway through the Woolsey-less episode: “Where’s Bob?”. And then, after his late appearance in the episode’s closing scene: Yay Bob!”.
Even though she only got to know Carter over the course of this one episode, Akemi quite liked her and was sorry to see her go.
When the episode opened and we saw Sheppard and Ronon trapped in the rubble, she predicted Sheppard would die and that Ronon (“He’s is so handsome!”) would take over as team leader. When that didn’t happen, she was genuinely disappointed. Nevertheless, it looks like Sheppard may be growing on her. Sort of: “I don’t hate Sheppard as much as I used to. But hard to say after only one episode.”
She called bullshit on Sheppard’s ability to walk around so soon after his injury and then, when Sheppard disobeys Carter’s order in order to take part in the rescue op: “Don’t be so arrogant. Follow boss’s orders!”.
As usual, McKay was a highlight, especially the birth scene with Teyla that actually had her laughing out loud at times. “He is typical nervous father,”she said.
All in all, an episode with plenty of highlights and surprisingly no lowlights so far as Akemi was concerned: “I’m very excited to see Jewel. Very excited to see Bob. And handsome big guy.”
Glad she liked S&R. 🙂 Although I’m beginning to think we have absolutely nothing in common TV character wise! How could anybody hate Sheppard, my favorite character ever in the history of television?! LOL 🙂
PS – I guess I think she will like Season 5 better, because by then McKay had kind of taken over as the lead character. I like McKay a lot but it was a definite change.
Handsome big guy, indeed! 🙂
Sheppard is a lot like Mitchell, Ronan and other strong SG characters, even while injured, you’ll never keep them down.
Anyway episode content aside, the high point of Search and Rescue for me was Robert Picardo joining, if anything I’ve always considered him to be a fantastic actor and its just a shame he never got to be leader for multiple seasons, I think he could have easily done it.
Wait, McKay is the father of Teyla’s baby? I kinda had my suspicions. Chicks dig the self-centred, egotistical geniuses.
I think it was about this time I started looking in to your blob because I was trying to find out what happened to Amanda. By listening to the commentary I found out she was leaving the show but no reason was given. As I was listening to the commentary to gather some insight, I chuckled at Martin’s slight “dis” to you as he was to write the season opener. He came to you for some thought and your response was basically don’t know you figure it out. I thought you writers collaborated together.
The opening pull back from the rubble was cool. Andy did a great job with filming the small space holding Sheppard and Ronan. Leena really brightened up the seen in the gate room despite not having any lines. I did not quite believe she could bring down the Dart by the way she held the gun, but hey she look good doing it. The battle with the wraith cruiser was more dynamic, a bit more like a dog fight. Andy and Martin talked about how the interior of the cruiser was redesigned. My favorite line was “Mr. Marks, please make that ship go away.” Unfortunately it meant the end for Tayla’s baby daddy. Akemi had not comment about him?
It was interesting how Martin was trying to set all the main cast members to have a one on one with Carter but not try to give away the idea that this was her last show on SGA. I didn’t know until Andy mentioned it but the gate room at the time was being disassembled and he couldn’t get the shots he hoped for. But typical bureaucratic form Carter gets the news of her reassignment as a cold and calculated flip of the switch. Another kick to McKay’s ego by being passed over again. I am sure there were a lot of audience responces of NO! It was interesting how Martin incorporated actual conversations he had with others to bring them into the script like it is happening too fast.
Wait until she meets Todd! 😀
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The baby scene has got to go down as a classic in sci-fi history! It was so hilarious, and I wish there had been some behind-the-scenes footage.
I kind of wish Akemi would have stuck with the other seasons. I think the show and characters would have grown on her. Especially those episodes with McKay, and Sheppard.
I’m again trying to catch up on the blog. And I guess you must be in “development hell”. I’ve often heard of projects getting swallowed into a black hole, and intentionally bogged down, so they are off the market while a studio develops their own similar project. I hope the folks you’ve been working with have been at least sincere about their interest.
If nothing gets going, are you still considering Kickstarter for any projects?
I’ve been struggling with medical issues, again. I found out I have a torn rotator cuff in my left shoulder, and have to get surgery by this time next year or I risk losing mobility in my shoulder that I’ll never completely get back. Strange, because I really don’t have much pain or disability with it. I also just got an MRI on my lower back, which is even in worse shape, as in “awful” per my physical therapist. Don’t have much pain with that either though.
Then I have to get a DatScan to find out if I have Parkinson’s, again. I had one two years ago, and it confirmed I have essential tremor. Whatever it is, it’s now throughout my body, even into my face, although the tremors so far are fairly mild, and it wouldn’t be obvious to anyone who saw me. But that’s happened in the last six months and it’s scary as hell. Most neurologists believe it’s essential tremor, so weirdly I’m hoping for that.
It’s really frustrating, because I’m not an old, old person. I’m a young old person, dang it! The friends I have that are my age are still bopping through life without any real issues.
Anyway, by the end of May, I should have seen all the doctors I need to see, and then that’s it. After three years of trying to get diagnosed for all my different issues, I’m sick of doctors, half of which contradict the other half. Screw ’em! I’ll figure out what I want to to do, then I’m hitting the road to Colorado!
In the birth scene the Baby is spectacular. And his eyes in the other scenes he is seen are awesome. Impresive for a 47 days boy. How many times in other series the new borns are 8 moths boys.
McKay is the father of Teyla’s baby? 😛 During the series the relationship Teyla/sheppard was not be believable to me.
Akemi has to see Duet!
I dig Big Handsome Guy too.
Been offroading, down to the primitive north edge of the Grand Canyon. No viewing platform, no guardrails, just walk right up to the edge… then look straight down. Well, almost to the edge, I am a bit chicken. Hubby had one foot over at one time, show off.
Haha! Handsome big guy. He’s not so big if you ask me. He’s tall. But Allie’s fiancé could probably crush him. He’s got a slight build. 😉
Bob is fun to watch and McKay is, of course, loads of fun!
@Paloosa I’m so sorry to hear about your health issues. That must be very scary. Ugh. I hope for the best for you.
~~Trish
I agree with Kabra. It’s too bad Akemi didn’t see Runner, the intoduction of the extremely gorgeous and handsome big guy and then Duet, which we get to know more about Ronon, but is also a hilariously funny episode with McKay and Beckett.
@ Paloosa – Putting you in my prayers.
wow !! again Akemi and sky are in perfect tune.. guess what i recorded yesterday and watched today.. yayy!! 1st episode of series 5.. !! lol
got to say, Akemi’s comments make a lot of sense to me ! i love it that you guys resumed watching the episodes !! hourray !!….. BUT!! WAIT A SECOND RIGHT THERE YOU TWO!!???? did i read that right? Akemi has never seen Sam Carter before…???!!! so.. she still has the entire 10 seasons of SG1 to discover and comment on?? man!! can”t wait for that !!
hugs and have a super Sunday night xo
I can understand why Akemi wants to watch the SGA’s with her friends. I would.
We are in the city of Starkville, MS. Not much here but my son’s new school. Orientation is tomorrow and he’s excited! Hubby needs a drink but we are in the heart of Dixie on a Sunday. It depends on liqueor laws here. Wish us luck!
Have a good evening All!
I always thought John and Teyla had great chemistry together, as friends or as something more. If McShep could never be, and I realize it would never have become canon, I’d definitely endorse a John and Teyla relationship.
I wasn’t a part of the shipper wars back in the day, but it sure did bring some passionate feelings to the fandom. 🙂
I honestly didn’t come to love John until after I started reading SGA fan fic. The writers saw depths in him that I hadn’t — the tragically repressed, taciturn hero. Then once I saw him in that light, I enjoyed the actual episodes a lot more. That’s happened for me for a few characters in TV. Send Akemi over to http://www.archiveofourown.org — she might learn to love John Sheppard 🙂
Speaking of the big guy, has anybody seen The Red Road with Jason in it. It’s on my DVR, but I haven’t seen it yet. When he was on “Katie” promoting it, I was sad that among his credits when introducing him she didn’t mention Stargate. Sci-fi gets no love.