Okay! Atlantis does Memento! I'm taking some points off for being a little too obvious in their "homage" (as the writers like to call their rip-offs), but they win most of them back for some good character scenes--and for avoiding the terrible pessimism of Memento (hope I'm not spoiling the movie for anyone, but from the opening sequence you know that is not going to be a happy movie.)

Brief synopsis of my review before spoilers: I have some quibbles, but on the whole, the episode hit the right notes for me. Nice job by Alan McCullough (see what bringing new writers onboard can do? I know, he's not that new anymore, but he's newer than everyone else!). Great Rodney scenes, good Ronon, a few nice Teyla moments. And a bit of Lorne not being bland, of which I thoroughly approve.



Total spoilers, including final scene! Read at your own peril!

Okay, the points come off not only for obvious Memento rip-offs but for not following them to their logical conclusion. Rodney should have been writing on his body earlier (although a very rattled Rodney might well trust too much to a data pad, forgetting all the things that can go wrong: malfunction, losing the pad, forgetting how to use it). Big question: if Sheppard was smart enough to make sure Lorne had a picture of him, why the heck didn't he give Lorne, and himself, pictures of Ronon and Teyla--the only two people who wouldn't lose their memories? Because Lorne recognizing Sheppard as his commanding officer would have done no frelling good if John had not trusted Ronon at that moment!

I'm also taking away points for Sam dressed the way I dress to go to campus on my non-teaching days. She's military, whether we want Atlantis to have a military leader or not; she should dress appropriately. (That big thunk you heard last night at 10:04 was thousands of Air Force and ex-AF personnel slamming their heads into the nearest available furniture.)

I am not convinced aerosolizing is the best solution when nearly everyone is confined to a small area anyway; dispersing it through the air surely means a lot goes to waste! At least they mentioned Carson's work (but they should have mentioned his work on aerosol weapons specifically, although I hate the way they wrote his role in the whole collaboration-with-the-Wraith trilogy of episodes; a rant for another day). By my count, this is only the second explicit mention of Carson since "Sunday." (Why, yes, I do have to mention Carson every week. If I have my way, he'll be back for s5. I'm not dumb enough to hold my breath, though.)

Ah, but the good things! As Drew Carey says, the points are made up, and they don't mean anything anyway.

Kudos for bringing back Katie Brown! Yes, she is awfully darned cute--but not stupid, and the sort of person one could imagine actually tolerating Rodney to the extent she does. She also clearly brings out the best in him. She has a sense of humor! "Those spines tear skin." Yes! Name the prickliest thing you've found in the galaxy after your boyfriend! I love you, Katie!

At the end of the ep, when Sheppard said, "Where's McKay?" I totally freaked! I yelled, "They killed Katie!" Once I'd seen I was wrong and had calmed down a little, I said, "It's a good thing they didn't kill Katie; I'd have gone up there with an automatic weapon."

Brilliant Husband replied, "I'd have bought you a plane ticket."

Poor Rodney! His best friend dies, then his therapist dies. They had better not hurt Katie too much! But she recognized him. All together now: "Awww!" Yes, I frequently inveigh against excessive sappiness, but I say this was necessary sap.

Of course I loved Rodney fighting his panic and trying to think without having much memory. I loved seeing him and Sam working together without any of that silly subtext: I hope he's over his crush, and that she's prepared to recognize how good he is at what he does (remember how she automatically assumed in "Adrift" he'd made a mistake?).

John trying to play off his memory losses worked for me. The military contingent also worked for me: they can only remember about two things. 1) Take stims; 2) confine everyone but themselves to the mess. We get to see Lorne in default mode (made worse by stims): paranoid military! It jibes with his sleepwalking in "Doppelganger." (I'm increasingly thinking the general blandness of his character is a writing problem, not an acting one. He's around often but rarely gets to do much.)

Ronon having to persuade Sheppard to believe him worked well; John's default is not simply paranoia, although that's part of it. He's a smart guy. Ronon reduced the issue to its basics; he's good at that.

As for Teyla: it's too bad the pregnancy is already so obvious; my first thought when she went down from the stunner was, "That had better be a stuntwoman!" Costuming has also gotten really weird. But she got to talk Rodney down (had a lot of practice at that, hasn't she?), try to reason with Lorne--and provide the solution! Teyla saves the day, from recommending the cure for the disease to getting Rodney to do the necessary work.

And bonus points for our beloved Radek, the revolutionary! Evading the military, getting a weapon, retrieving the data pad even when he's not sure what to do with it--way to go, Dr. Z! "Little guy with glasses" indeed.

ETA: And a huge thanks to Brilliant Husband, who stayed up to watch the episode with me despite having to get up early this morning! It's nowhere near as much fun watching without him, so I was going to wait until today if he didn't stay up.
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