SGA: "Trio" and one news update

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Another fun episode, brought to us courtesy of David Hewlett, Amanda Tapping, Jewel Staite, and Special Guest Star: Low Expecations. Yes, folks, once again my certainty that there would be bloopholes I could drive a Jumper through allowed me to overlook said bloopholes and just enjoy the episode.

I'll skip the many little problems and the larger bloopholes; I'm sure others have covered them. I was mildly annoyed at a few things. Feel free to point them out in comments.

The whole set-up is just that: a set-up to put three characters together in a confined space under pressure. I already loved two of the three characters, and my big fear was that Jennifer Keller was going to be a wash. I haven't been impressed with the writing for her, nor, frankly, with the acting, which was a huge disappointment to me after seeing Jewel in Firefly and Wonderfalls. Yes, if you like Jewel, you must see Wonderfalls through Netflix or whatever means you have at your disposal. She doesn't show up until the last few episodes, but her character is mentioned from the start (which is already a spoiler, but you need to know to watch from the beginning). Watch. You'll thank me later.

Last night I got a Keller I can believe: fearful but game and willing to try, smart but not in the same way as Rodney or Sam, able to beat up on Rodney with Sam (yes, it's a team sport sometimes, and Rodney deserved it). My only complaint was that the woman who lamented a few episodes ago her social life was a mess and she missed prom and everything important while she was growing up then demonstrated how to win a beer bet. Brilliant Husband, however, points out that Keller would be too young to drink in college and the start of med school and probably spent those years as designated driver, winning all the beer bets because she was still sober. Sadly, she couldn't collect (which is why she wants Rodney to buy her a beer, darn it! She can finally drink it! Assuming they have beer on Atlantis).

I got the Sam I love from SG-1: a confident problem-solver who puts the others first. She's in charge, and she's going to climb on that crate, darn it, even if it kills her. She's only going to take so much nonsense from Rodney ("Drop it! It's not going to happen!"--and telling him he was never going to get to choose between Sam and Jennifer). At the same time, she has learned from Daniel (and Jack) that ordering civilians doesn't work well, so for the most part she doesn't give Rodney orders (though I'd have taken the grappling hook from him at least one try sooner, but then we wouldn't have known about the gas, so that was plot necessity).

We got women who talked to each other! Yes, they talked mostly about men, but that was partly to get Rodney's goat. When I was in grad school, a prof pointed out that women don't talk to each other in Chaucer. They just don't, with maybe two exceptions (I can't remember if that's counting the female bird who talks to Canacee in The Franklin's Tale or in addition). I started noticing that on SF tv, women just don't talk to each other much. I can expand if you need me to. At least SG-1 gave us some Sam and Janet, and later some Sam and Vala, but a lot more of those conversations have been in fanfic than in canon.

Sam and Jennifer already have a good working relationship and maybe a bit of a friendship. They're comfortable with each other. They can mock Rodney together (that never gets old, does it?), even as they both respect and, though they might not admit it a lot, like him.

To cap it all off, we got classic Rodney: whiny, arrogant, but now aware of his own fallibility. Having his error pointed out to him, he doesn't say, "Crap! I've got to tell Katie that wasn't what I meant!"; he says, "She deserves someone who would have known" that what he said signaled a break-up. And Jennifer, bless her heart, tells him she deserves a nice guy: Rodney. Rodney's not nice men, but he's working on it. (Good of her to insist on a drink with him. "You're really not very good at this, are you?" Nope. Just hope Ronon doesn't get jealous and pound Rodney. :-) I really don't want Keller and Ronon paired off. I don't want anyone paired off now.)

Rodney's too good to tie knots in the rope, and too insecure to play the game at first, but, as always, he comes through when needed. And he takes Jon Stewart over Steve Carrell and Stephen Colbert. That's my boy. He'll whine, he'll say he can't do it, but he will hold the rope and get his companions to safety. It's when his own life is on the line that he decides he needs a rest, which naturally requires a soliloquy (or it would be if his friends didn't keep interrupting). Our not-quite action hero helps save the day--and shows real concern for Sam. He seems to be over his crush (I was afraid the disaster with Katie would cause a relapse), but not over the juvenile desire to watch either or both woman flash him (oh, and the kids). (Do guys ever get over that, anyway?)

I had a lot of fun. Yay for all three characters (and their actors)!

OKAY, SKIP THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS, FIRST FROM NEXT WEEK'S PREVIEW AND ACCOMPANYING PROMOS, SECOND A NEW TIDBIT ABOUT S5 CASTING

Next week: they offer us an excuse for a Teal'c-Ronon smackdown. My money's on Teal'c. He may be getting up there in years ("Teal'c! What's with the hair?"), but he has patience, guile, and strategy. Ronon's mostly brawn. But do I even want to see a Teal'c-Ronon smackdown? Honestly: not really.
Bigger worry! Bill Lee was in the previews! Bill Lee with Wraith! If they hurt my boy Bill, I'm taking my rubber band gun and going after the writers!

One last bit of s5 news: stolen from Mallozzi's 8 Feb Entry:
I thought it best to inform Weir fans of recent developments. Last year, after we shot that final surprise scene in BAMSR, I stopped by Torri’s trailer to congratulate her on a job well done and, also, to assure her that the door was left wide open for Weir‘s possible return (in some form, be it repli-Weir or other) the following season. Torri was excited by the prospect and, in particular, had great things to say about her new leather outfit (props to Val). As season four wrapped, Carl and Paul got to spinning and came up with a terrific storyline that picked up where that last scene of BAMSR left off. We had a story in place for one episode, the starting point of a potentially bigger arc. The script was written and we eventually contacted Torri who, after much consideration, turned down the offer to reprise the role of Elizabeth Weir for the episode. We are, of course, disappointed, but nevertheless respect Torri’s decision and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Well, crud. I was still hoping for more Elizabeth! I meant to say so in my recent comment on casting on his blog but simply forgot; I will blame it on the darned virus. I hope this isn't just because of how they treated Torri (Joe M. says at least they fired her face to face and not via a phone message to her agent, but shoot, some companies have security walk employees to get their stuff and out the door; just because you didn't do it the worst possible way doesn't mean you did it right). I hope she's doing well professionally. Her IMDb entry shows two movies now in post-production, which has to be a good sign! I am disappointed, though, and will tell Mallozzi so.