Bits Tits and Babble - My impressions of SciFi Friday

[gategrrl]

Part One: Stargate SG-1

Surprisingly, while I watched Gemini Redux er...Nipples NO, RIPPLES damnit! I was fairly amused, and appreciated Tapping's comedic timing and looser acting, and let the show give me a ride through parallel AR SG-1 teams. But it was tiresome, oh so tiresome, to hear Sam Carter babble, double-babble, technobabble through explanations the audience didn't give a shit about to begin with. It also didn't help that just about every scene with Carter the SuperWonderHorse National Treasure in it just had to reference her sad, sad, sexlife/romantic life. There was, of course, the obligatory shot of one of the AR Sams wearing one of those odious tank tops from past seasons, thrusting her chest out for view. Talk about cattle call. This was in the scene with multiple Sams babbling along, all getting along (cuz there's no way that Sam wouldn't get along with herself, it just wouldn't happen, she's wonderful and perfect and beyond petty bickering everyone else is prone to).

Where, pray tell, were the scenes of multiple Daniels, whom we have NEVER met before in any AR/AU episode of Stargate before? I guess National Treasure Bits Tits and Babble was worth the FX budget, because, you know, we ALL love to more of the blond ingenue bombshell on our screens. As I said, Tapping was amusing enough, and, considering the job she had in this corker of an episode, was pretty darn on top of things. But the writers once again show her character trusting a double (Gemini, anyone?) who isn't necessarily as nicey-nice as Lt Col Carter. She must think the sun shines out her own ass.

It was embarrasing to see Daniel do double takes about Sam's romantic life, when told about it by the AR Black Mitchell. I mean, WTF should it surprise him so much? Hadn't he seen Sam engaged to Jack in another reality years ago? Hadn't they all met yet *another* Sam Carter who was a Jack widow? Frankly, it would have been a huge laugh if Mitchell had said she was married to Bill Lee (see the Atlantis episode following this SG-1 one), and much more worth the romance ship shit shoveled on in this episode.

So. TPTB of Stargate have reduced this female character to her vulva, her babble, and her tits, just like Tapping said they weren't going to, just like the writers said they weren't going to, and you have to wonder, what is the point of this character, if, in an episode where she's the focus, all they have to talk about is who she is or is not banging in another universe, when all that science is all around her?

Part Two - Atlantis

Atlantis was much more engaging on a plot level, with scenes taking place on Atlantis, the Daedalus, the SGC, with a deadline for everything to work or else it would all blow up. I'm surprised the producers didn't have a timer clock in the lower left corner of the screen, ticking the time away. I already knew who the culprit was going to be - but that didn't matter to me, since I'm much more entertained by HOW the story is told, rather than how it ends up (usually). That's why spoilers usually don't bother me or upset me.

I did have a problem with Weir's treatment of Kavanaugh, and frankly, if the writers want me to hate this guy simply because Sheppard and everyone hates his guts, well, it ain't working. I like him. He tells his views like it is, and honestly, he is right about Weir and her synchophantic way of running Atlantis. I'm surprised Kavanaugh didn't bring up the way Weir had Sheppard's rank raised so he could stay in command of the troops on Atlantis. I'm surprised he didn't mention how the gossip on the Daedalus is saying how they think Sheppard is banging Weir in order to KEEP his position, since he's a relatively lousy commander with minimal presence who relies on his mistress to keep him in power. Mentioning something that extreme may indeed have made Kavaugh less sympathetic, but again, grain of truth there. They haven't shown much head-banging between Sheppard and Caldwell, mostly to set up some fakey antagonistic relationship between Weir and Caldwell, wherein she pulls out the cat claws, and he looks at her like she grew another head and Wraith fangs.

I have no problem with Ronan (although my Guy fails to see his attraction or purpose on the show). It's a little worrying how he didn't hesitate to volunteer to torture Kavanaugh for the information. Even worse, the Atlantis team, led by the Wonderful Weir, had no reservations to get hers back at Kavanaugh by having the shit beaten out of the guy - mostly, one thinks, because Kavanaugh doesn't think the sun rises and sets at her doorway.

Other than that thread of wavering ethics (I think ALL the characters on Atlantis are ethically challenged, which is why I think Sam Carter would fit right in, if she was moved to this show) the pace was tight, the many threads were woven well, with just enough time given to each one.

The Teyla thread through the episode didn't feel too out of place to me, although it didn't outwardly seem to fit in with the rest of the show. As one fan of the show has said, if her voice hadn't been so obviously run through a studio set-up and echoed, it would have been more believable and effective. And unless there was a time restraint for the ceremony, I have no idea why Teyla was compelled to hold this ceremony while the city was under attack. After all, the dead are dead, and promises like that can be held off for a little later. I have a feeling her grandmother-figure, who I liked very much, would not have been pleased to see Teyla risk her life and the others' lives for her death ceremony.

Speaking of the death of the elder -- I was relieved that Carson didn't fight the old woman's desire to die a natural death, instead of prolonging her life through methods which might have resulted in her dying a Wraith inflicted death. Carson may have his own ethically challenged problems, but on the whole, he's a good guy, who doesn't need to be ordered by the base's CO to do what he should do (hello, Janet Fraiser - do you hear this?) and takes Teyla's word for it that she agrees reluctantly, with her grandmother-figure and respects her decision.

Zelenka wasn't in the episode much, except for a cameo at the beginning and the ending, both of which were hilarious, and wonderful round of continuity from the previous season. That's nice to see in a Stargate show. Stargate SG-1 doesn't seem to believe in continuity much, if at all.

Rodney was back to his season one self, which was great. There wasn't TOO much Weir with Sheppard, and I have to admit, I didn't notice how much or how little time Sheppard spent in Rodney's company. Ship on this show is off my radar, unless it's banged over my head, as in the episode Sheppard is turned into a Wraith bug, and the only person who can have access to him is Weir. I wonder if Sheppard is being more careful about that now, knowing that Weir turns into a possessive bitch whenever he goes and injures himself and keeps his other friends and work-mates away.

I'll have to write about BSG on another post. But it ROCKED. I love this show more and more, even when it relies on plot machinations that are just a leeeeeeetle too pat (like the letter Baltar opens at the end, soon after he's decided to Do Right). I so adore the President and Adama and their relationship, which is just a *touch* shippy, but not really, because they are equals and there's NO WAY they could end up together due to political problems, etc and so forth. I hope it does not become an overriding plot point, but, if it does, man, this is one writing/production team that could carry off a middle-aged romance (unlike the writers of SG-1, for comparison) and make it work.

Comments

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

I want to change my mind about Kavanaugh knowing about the promotion thing. hehe Actually, if Sheppard was deep selected and it was considered unfair, other officers may have gossiped about it. While they might not know the reason Sheppard was promoted, Kavanaugh is smart enough to have guessed. OTOH, he said he didn't like working with the military, so maybe he wouldn't be friendly with any military officers back at the SGC.

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

The trip to Pegasus is three weeks (groans...even on Star Trek they couldn't travel to other galaxies, how can a 20th century military do it? Bah). As weird as Kavanaugh is, he's not stupid, and knows how to hear with his ears, and may even ask about discretely for the scuttlebutt. Hiccup-scientist wasn't too familiar with him, but she knew him by sight in any case.

I have no idea how likely military is going to gossip around the civilians travelling with them as supercargo, but after a week or so, I'd imagine there'd be some talk going about. After all, none of these folks knew who he was, really.

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

hehe Knowing what I know of military officers personally, I'd say there'd definitely be gossip. I could tell you so many stories... LOL And I know some wives of Navy officers, too, and it's exactly the same in that service as well. Anyone who's promoted ahead of everyone else (unfairly) or gets a promotion in a way that's perceived unfair--there's lots of gossip about it. I think they'd gossip with civilians as well, if they were even vaguely friendly with them. They wouldn't gossip about missions or anything top secret, but about unfair promotions? Yes! lol

Well, that's my experience anyway.