sgareview - common ground, s3e7 - the anti-squee

Well, some anti-squee, some clarification, some thinky stuff. To avoid fannish buzz-loss, all packaged in it's own neat area here.

Also, for the record--John is still perfect, still my favorite ep ever.



It's easier to number my annoyances, unlike my incoherence on Friday. Huh. In no particular order:

Carson:

1.) Okay, I'm in. Let the Carson-irritation free. Right here. This is freaking Seven of Nine of Voyager all over again, but at least I could *write* my way into zen with that one. Is this *happening*? Why is he in every episode, taking up premium screentime doing *nothing*?

I do not care what kind of wonderful rapport the actors have off-screen--it is not translating on-screen at all. I cannot believe I'm saying this--I am *not* of the wallflower wilting Rodney needs hugs and puppies constantly school of thought--but, Carson, back the fuck *off*. He's *field*. If he wants to order Marines and shoot mice? You smile and let him. He's combat experienced and he's faced a *shitload* more in a month than you do in a year, okay? Pardon my dramatic rendition here, but what the *hell* was that? Marines can mock Rodney--frankly, I'm of the opinion that Marines can mock anyone they damn well please, they are *scary* and they carry a lot of weapons, and they're Marines--and they *didn't*, cause hello? That's a field team member who is hysterical about his friend being tortured by the Wraith and they can totally get that. You, my friend, are not a Marine. Shut up.

What are the writers *thinking*? Are they reading this out loud and seeing how it *sounds*? I can take it on a textual or metatextual level, and either way, someone needs to take away the keyboard and say, hey, stop making Carson look like an asshole.

2.) Why is he on strike-team missions? I hate using Rodney constantly as a barometer, but he's the only other civilian and so he's the comparison--again, Rodney's *field-trained* and that's his team leader and friend. Him going along isn't mindbogglingly freaky. Carson going along as a medic--okay. But why, why, why is he with a scary strike team here? Medic in jumper. God, this is Sateda all over again, where I can't figure out why in the name of God they're pushing Carson so hard at us so badly.

I mean, I get there are logical reasons behind this that can and have been made, and I'm not arguing with that. But my kneejerk is that it feels forced and just--too much. In every ep so far he's been way too front and center compared to, oh, the last two seasons, and in comparison to his actal role. I do get that the writers are trying to show sga expedition love and etc and okay, if this is what I have to deal with to get the characters having character moments, I'll live. But if he's going to be shoved into this, at lesat, minimum, give him a practical reason to be there.

Genii:

3.) I have serious reservations about Layden. a.) I still can't quite figure out or remember how to spell his name and b.) He's officially admitted he's a backstabber. Which we already knew from Cowen, but none of us liked Cowen anyway. I kind of like Kolya. On a purely illogical level, I really wanted Elizabeth to make that trade, cause John being tortured hurts and makes me wince and makes me want to break things. But a tiny part of me--and for that matter, a part of every person dealing with Layden--knows he's going to fuck Atlantis over when he's got a good opportunity. This guy is not just not trustworthy--he's not trustworthy and he's--slimey. It's like dealing with a serpent. You come away feeling faintly sick and need a serious shower. Kolya's a soldier--he's passionate and vicious and I'm thinking lately a little around the bend mentally, but he's a soldier--he might fuck you over, but he'll do it to your face. Torturing John he never gets my forgiveness for, but it was never personal, he never enjoyed it, never didn't acknowledge what he was reduced to doing, what it cost him, what he *knew* he was giving up in humanity in doing it. It was in his face and his body, the acknowledgement of those things. He let revenge be everything and anything. He tortured a man with the Pegasus galaxy's living nightmare for the sake of revenge, but he didn't like it.

Layden would have done that, for less reason, and liked it. And that's this gut reaction to every smooth word Layden poured out and I was more and more convinced that while dealing with terrorist Genii Kolya might be a mistake--Layden's leadership of the Genii would be moreso. Elizabeth could not make that trade without a better--or more politically aware--reason than saving John. But she wanted to, and I suspect it's for that same gut feeling.

Ronon

4.) I love, love, love Ronon's single-minded determination to get his favoritest commander ever back. I do. I really do. But seriously, tone it down. I'm sorry, but you officially lost your free pass on being caveman stupid when we got to see Sateda and you were nailing a doctor. I love when you are grrr and scary and omgmustsavesheppard! Trust me on this--you get so many free passes for that you have no idea--but my God, one notch is all I'm asking here.

Also, your stripperesque gear? Let's take that back a notch so it's all ooh hot newness again, and less, wow, where do you shop, Frederick's of Hollywood? Every. Week. We all get he is alien and muscular and omghot. But it gets boring if that's all we get to see.

I'm--wow, done. Carson was pretty much the bulk; he's just too noticeable doing nothing and standing around. Gah. OTOH? God. *John*. Still in the paper bag mode.



God I love this icon. I need to get a whole plethora of icons with John looking various stages of omghot and omgdangerous and omggoofy and--well, John like. Happy place.

Comments

1 of 2

[djinanna.livejournal.com]

Carson Becket...

... can die! Seriously. Or get shipped back to Earth. I lost most of my remaining liking and sympathy for the character during the Wraith experimentation arc; his behavior this season (or maybe the PTB's reinterpretation of his behavior) has pretty much slammed the last nail in the coffin. Though I will admit (forcing myself to be fair/impartial/objective *argh*) that my feelings wouldn't be quite so, er, final if I weren't a big ol' Rodney fangirl.

Though ... I have read speculations about *why* the radical change in Carson's behavior in terms of the larger story arc. Perhaps Michael has fucked with his head with far more long-reaching consequences than anyone realized. Perhaps these post-Progency episodes are *all* Replicator nightmares. Perhaps after behind helpless with the humanized Wraith on that planet at season opener gave Carson a conveniently off-screen epiphany of martial inspiration. And maybe Carson's just having a freaky funky nervous breakdown. Or *handflail* whatever.

::would trade "new & improved" Carson Beckett for used'n'bruised Aidan Ford in a heartbeat::

I just don't trust the PTB of *any* show these days when this kind of radical retcon pops up. Too many times over the years when I've held firm to the "they know what they're doing, it'll pay off in the longer story/show arc" only to be left a broken bitter fangirl when the "it was just a whim on our part, we had no plan, we didn't even notice we'd changed our characters'/universe's rules" truth is revealed. If my cynical uncertainty is proved wrong, if there is a plan behind the madness, I'll cheer happily - I just can't find faith before the fact anymore.

The Genii...

First, I couldn't resist looking up that pesky character name spelling (because sometimes I'm anal like that). According to both the IMDB and Gateworld, his name is Ladon Radim.

But seriously, my reactions to the characters of Kolya and Ladon are completely opposite yours (and most of the commenters here). I see Kolya as the sadistic, untrustworthy, *slimey* one ... the one who, after an encounter with him, leaves me feeling more-than-vaguely unclean ... the one who enjoys his revenge and causing pain just too much and wants/craves power (over others!) way too much. That's actually the impression I've had of the character since his first appearance, sparring with Sora in "The Storm". (And oh, how I adore Robert Davi!!! He was the trustworthy true-blue Bailey! On Profiler!)

Conversely, I see Ladon as the one who will do the distasteful thing because the burdens and obligations of leadership demand it. The one who sardonically calls himself "a backstabber" because of course that's the view of the power-mad fanatics like Cowan and Kolya, who were in it for their own glory until he "backstabbed" them to save his people from their craziness. And yes, he's a scientist, he can be detached from his emotions and objective, he will make the hard choices and betray his allies - but not for personal glory (like Cowan, like Kolya), but instead in service to his people. And yes, if his choice is between the survival and wellbeing of the Genii or honoring his agreements with Atlantis, he will chose his people and screw Atlantis over every time - but as the leader of his people, that's as it should be, his personal honor is nothing compared to the survival of his people (especially in the harsh playing field of the Pegasus galaxy). But he's already proven himself a much more trustworthy ally to Atlantis than Atlantis has shown itself to be to pretty much anybody they've allied themselves with. I was utterly stunned when both John and Elizabeth kept to their bargans with the Wraith-guy and Ladon/the Genii. *stunned!!!*

Which, wow! is a way more impassioned "defense/apologia" of Ladon than I ever expected from me. *blinks* But then, I am one of those freaky Kavanagh fans....