SGA Incidents & Occurrences of Note - 4x3 & 4x4

[zelempa]

Evidently my recapping spirit is still in full force. Here I use a bullet point format to concentrate only on the items I want to discuss, something between my last Stargate review and a full recap.

Particularly McSheppy things in red.

4x3 Reunion

• We open with Teyla and Ronon off missioning alone, which is kind of nice. It's cute that Ronon scares away the native who's interesting in fixing up Teyla with husband by stomping toward him menacingly, but if the guy's so marriage-minded, why didn't he assume Ronon was her husband?
  
  
• Teyla can hold herself against infinite men, but when another warrior woman comes out, all bets are off. Ronon rescues her and the attackers turn out to be old friends. Ronon is no longer the only Satedan survivor!
  
  
• Rodney winks at Zelenka.
  
  
• Sam has conversation with Teal'c in which they don't so much talk about SG-1 the team as SG-1 the show.
  
  
• Rodney wants to give Sam a fruit basket, but John says that's lame and suggests flowers instead. Rodney immediately takes his advice to heart and, as a testament to his ridiculous power on Atlantis, hands the fruit basket off to a random underling and bids him "Take this. And go!"
  
  
• Just before Sam gates onto Atlantis, John and Rodney share a narratively-unnecessary glance. I love such indulgences. I call it the "Things aren't going to change between us, right? Right!" glance.
  
  
• Rodney comes to Sam's quarters with flowers only to discover she has recieved the fruit basket from John. He mutters, "Son of a...!" Since there is negative tension between Sam and John, I'm going to have to assume that was a move purely designed to piss off Rodney.
  
  
• In the middle of an unrelated conversation with Sam, Rodney and blurts out "I'm seeing someone!"--twice--while Sam blinks and doesn't want to know. Rodney explains, "I just don't want things to be awkward between the two of us... (long pause)... kind of like they are now..." in typical adorkable David Hewlett fashion. Not only is there no reason to believe he is talking about anybody other than John, but a newcomer to the show would have to believe that, as John's the only other person he really interacts with from here on out.
  
  
• Ronon and Sam get off to a bad start as Ronon wants to bring his friends to Atlantis and Sam won't budge on the new security measures. "Weir never would have doubted me." Maybe there is something in this Dex/Weir stuff.
  
  
• Ronon's Satedan friend tries to convince him not to "commit" to Atlantis. How did they know I love relationship metaphors?!
  
  
• Teyla hits Ronon with sticks until he opens up emotionally. So that's what it takes. Ronon is considering leaving Atlantis. Teyla finally gives her reasons for going with the Atlantis crew instead of staying with her own people, which I've been wondering (complaining) about for years. It seems to come down to Atlantis's superior resources for making large-scale impact with the Wraith.
  
  
• John gives Ronon a parental lecture: "I'm not going to say anything. You already know what I'm going to say..."
  
  
• More commitment talk as the Satedans outline a plan, asking for minimal help from Atlantis, to which John objects, "If we commit, we're all in."
  
  
• Rodney gets into an argument with a Satedan and John, driving the jumper, says "If we can't play nice together, then let's not!" He stops just short of adding "Do I have to turn this jumper around?"
  
  
• Oh, John said "Rodney, get that door open!" Not "honey."
  
  
• Honey gets the door open. "I did it!" he cries, looking to John for validation. John looks over and promptly gets shot. Rodney: look of abject horror. Beautiful. By comparison, he didn't seem to care all that much when Teyla was shot. (And this is what happens when you lose your tank.)
  
  
• As Rodney is dragged out of the Wraith jail cell they are now in, Teyla calls, "Stay strong, Rodney!" I can't tell if that's a sweet show of solidarity or a sugar-coated reference to Rodney's likelihood to crack under interrogation.
  
  
• So Ronon's friends are doublecrossing vampires. That should make his decision easier. I kind of wish the Satedans had acted more like Ronon this entire episode--they're insufficiently laconic--but I guess everyone is an individual, even on Sateda. Anyway, there is a hand-to-hand Satedan-on-Satedan fight sequence, and then Ronon gets rise, River Tam-like, darkly-lit and blood-covered, from the bodies of his fallen comrades. It's pretty badass.
  
  
• Ha ha ha. Rodney apparently scavenged Ronon's room while he was gone and took only this very SGA fanart-looking painting. Why? Rodney, you are an enigma wrapped in a jumpsuit wrapped in John. Apparently.

4x4 Doppelganger

• Zelenka as mischief-maker gets some canon support as John surmises "somebody in a warm cozy room typing into a computer sent us here for his own amusement." "You don't really think Zelenka would do that," says Rodney, and Ronon mutters, "If he did, he's gonna be sorry."
  
  
• Ronon gets a punchline!
  
  John: "It looks like one of those toys you play with as a kid."
  
  Rodney: "Commodore 64?"
  
  Ronon: "Double-barrel shotgun?"
  
  
• Keller: "No more touching strange things."
  
  (pause while John bites back a dozen zings on Rodney)
  
  John (lamely, and he knows it): "Thanks, that's... good advice."
  
  
• After John claps Teyla on the back, leaving behind a glowy handprint for the benefit of us viewers, Teyla has a dream where John is creepy. Er. Teyla's contact with Dr. Keller leads to a Keller dream where she's powerless to help Teyla, who has an Alien-creature ripping out of her abdomen. Prophetic? Keller fixes up Ronon and then it's his turn; he dreams that John buries him alive. How much do I love that this is a social disease?
  
  
• Real John-- the one not in people's dreams-- has been acting somewhat unnerving; I think it's the infectiously cheery way he says his pleasantries. "Good morning!" "Good night!"
  
  
• As Keller nervously watches Real!John leave her lab after her dream, Ronon says, "...You know, I don't think he's seeing anyone..." Liar. Keller cuts him off, "Oh, oh no, that's quite all right!"
  
  
• Even though Rodney's supposed fear of whales contradicts the Sam the Whale episode, it's kind of cute.
  
  Keller: "Don't you think it's strange that each of us has had incredibly vivid nightmares with Colonel Sheppard being somehow an integral part?"
  
  Teyla: "Acting most unlike Colonel Sheppard." [Ed. note: Meh...]
  
  Rodney (beaming): "Not me!" [I like how pleased he is about that.]
  
  Keller: "Have you had any nightmares recently?"
  
  Rodney (proudly): "Not a night goes by! Last night, I dreamed that Colonel Carter invited me to her quarters for dinner--"
  
  Teyla: "Maybe you shouldn't be telling us this, Rodney."
  
  Keller: "Yeah, I said 'nightmare,' not 'delusional male fantasy.'"
  
  Rodney: "Wait and listen! Turns out she was serving lemon chicken! I mean, lemon! And the only reason she invited me to dinner was to tell me she was promoting Zelenka over me."
  
  Ronon: "And that's it?"
  
  Rodney: "And then I was eaten by a whale. And that's how that happened."
  
  
• Note to self: barefoot and holding a gun to John is a good look for Lorne.
  
  
• Heightmeyer: "Based on what's been described to, the personification of Colonel Sheppard in everyone's dreams is behaving much like a sociopath." Honestly? It's not just the personification.
  
  
• Heightmeyer DIES!! Giving us the vital information, "If you die in the dream, you die in real life," which I can't believe that wasn't communicated via redshirt. A named character! Whoa! And she was such a useful device in fic too. "Heightmeyer orders John to explore his feelings about Rodney through song and dance!"
  
  
• A nice and unexpected moment between Keller and Carter after Carter gives an announcement about Heightmeyer's death and the accompanying threat.
  
  Keller: "That was good. I mean, horrible, obviously; terrifying and horrible. But I just meant--you sounded strong."
  
  Kel-ler loves Car-ter!
  
  
• Teyla hugs John and John has no fucking clue how to hug her back.
  
  
• Yes, saving the best for last! John sounds wrecked as he whispers, "It's in Rodney?"
  
  
• John wants to insert himself in Rodney's dreams. In his dreams!
  
  
• John: "I think I'm about to see a side of McKay I never wanted to see."
  
  Teyla: "It does not have to be you."
  
  Oh, of course it does, Teyla. Step off.
  
  
• Rodney: "Are you sure about this?"
  
  John: "No, not really."
  
  Rodney (nervously): "I'm pretty screwed up."
  
  John: "You're telling me."
  
  Rodney: "...Thanks!" (oh, my heart melts)
  
  John (annoyed): "I haven't done anything yet."
  
  Rodney: "For trying. And don't say I didn't warn you."
  
  In other words--disregard anything... untoward... you may see yourself wearing in there.
  
  
• Rodney's Dream
  
  (I didn't intend to make it a practice to transcribe long sections, but this has the potential to be so psychologically telling that I couldn't resist.)
  
  Rodney is rowing a boat in the rain. His sweater and hair are plastered to him. Atlantis is far in the distance. Nearby, a whale's fine surfaces.
  
  Rodney: "Nice whale... nice whale, you're my friend! You don't want to eat me!"
  
  John appears in the...bow?... dry, smirking, pointiest-haired, and in black uniform.
  
  John: "Give up! You'll never make it."
  
  Rodney: (looks betrayed)
  
  John: "You're too weak."
  
  Rodney: "Thank you! Thanks for the encouragement. Way to help out."
  
  John: "Why would I want to help you?"
  
  Rodney: "Because, I thought you... !"
  
  John appears behind Rodney, his hair wet and chaotic, in black civvies.
  
  John: "It's not me, Rodney! Don't listen to him!"
  
  John: "You're pathetic. You might as well jump in!"
  
  Rodney, confused, chin quivering slightly, turns back to the nicer John.
  
  John (intensely, looking super hot): "Don't be afraid."
  
  Rodney: "I have to get back. I have to get back. This is my only chance." (To what? Oh... well, I guess there aren't a lot of chances you get with two wet Johns.)
  
  John (cheerily): "You're gonna die out here!"
  
  John: "SHUT UP! Don't listen to him, Rodney!"
  
  Rodney: "That's easy for you to say! Why don't you help me row?"
  
  A flash, and then the nice John is sitting next to Rodney, helping him row.
  
  John: "You know, this really isn't as strange as you led me to believe."
  
  Rodney: "Oh, yeah? What about that?"
  
  A clown now occupies the place where John used to sit.
  
  John: "I hate clowns!"
  
  John: "You can paddle all you want. You're not going anywhere."
  
  Rodney: "He's right, I'm gonna die out here!"
  
  John: "He wants you to be afraid. Don't give him what he wants! He can't really hurt you."
  
  John: "That's where you're wrong."
  
  A whale eats the boat, and John wakes up to find Rodney is dead.
  
  
• You guessed it-- "Rodney is dead" is John's worst nightmare.
  
  
• This is my favorite show ever.
  
  
• John hand-to-hands with himself in his dream. Oh, just make out already.
  
  
• In the real world, the scientists are trying to figure out how to save John, and McKay intenses, "Hook me up to him again." Awww, yeah.
  
  
• In John's dream, bad John stands over good John's prone body, taunting, "It's your fault McKay is dead," and then Rodney's voice cries "I'm not dead!" and we see him coming down the stairs to heroic music. Bad John stalks over and shoves Rodney against a wall. Rodney gets a grim and intense look on his face. Oh, JUST MAKE OUT ALREADY.
  
  
• After an electric shock to John's body in real life neutralized the entity and John hurls it through his mental Stargate, we stay on John and Rodney in John's brain just a little too awkwardly long, which is wonderful.
  
  Rodney: "Which one are you?"
  
  John: "Me."
  
  Rodney: "Good you or bad you?"
  
  John: "Me, me! Is that you you?"
  
  Rodney: "I think so."
  
  John: "...Thanks."
  
  Rodney: (nods)
  
  (awkward pause)
  
  Rodney (glancing around the darkened gateroom of John's mind): "Okay, this is really weird."
  
  John: "You're telling me."
  
  Rodney: "I'd've thought there'd be more hot girls."
  
  John (unconvincingly): "Yeah."
  
  Rodney: "Huh."
  
  
• John and Rodney each wake up and look over at each other's bed. Rodney makes a brief, instinctive, and ultimately aborted movement of his hand toward John.
  
  
• We end with a sweet scene of everyone--John, Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, Keller and Carter--gathering around the table for a midnight snack.