episode review: sga 4.5 Travellers

PONY! PONY! PONY WITH A BRIDLE AND A PUPPY ON ITS BACK!

Yes. God. Yes.



Note: John squee. This cannot be new to anyone who has ever been at this lj.

Oh. I mean--this is slightly differnet from the sudden shocking climactic--yeah, okay, now I'm making myself uncomfortable, but really. I just--this is why I love John.

God, I loved this.

I will express my love in rambles. Basically because it's easy and I like easy. We will frame my love in the musical stylings of Cher.

My Squee Is Loud and Proud:

Anytime John is kidnapped, I feel sure life gets better. This was nice. It just is. I like him with Rodney, et al, but he's quirky when they get him on his own, and we just don't see enough of that. All that sarcasm and acting like he barely has any idea what a spaceship is and you know, completely making them stare in horror and wonder what kind of humans are letting this guy out on his own. And I love how no one has in the history of this show other than his team has caught on to that. It just kills me.

I love the fact that half the time he drifts through the ship acting like he has the brains of a celebutante. I love the fact that Lyran knows he's just fucking with them because he can and she still can't quite reconcile what she knows to how he acts for most of the damn show. I love that he's reckless because he's that absolutely sure he can pull it off.

John and Ship:

I love they told him to fly and he's such an asshole he had to spend a second to explain how extremely stupid they were not to ask about inertial dampeners before he played with the pretty new ship. (I swear to God Rodney in his lab had this miniorgasm when that happened and still has no idea why.)

Actually. Watching John feel up Ancient tech never stops being incredibly hot. I loved the fact that he took some time and turned Morse code, knowing of course Rodney was looking for him. I seriously giggled my way through watching John sprawl across the brig looking bored out of his mind while they stare at him and wonder if he's nuts. Because he is. And because she's just picking up that what you see is not what you get, she sends them up to find out what the hell he did besides remind them of a few laws of physics.

Interesting note: this is the first time we've had so much canonical confirmation of the amount of control someone has of an Ancient ship using the interfaces from a single place (conclusions can be extrapolated to Atlantis). He locked her in teh chair room and then disabled all power fairly quickly when she started getting feisty from auxilary without all that much visible effort. And for that matter, that he figured out so quickly how to do it.

John and the Chair:

I cannot express how a show called The Chair and John would be my favorite episode of all time. Jesus. Then he jumps up and fixes it. I--think I blacked out or something. God. Damn. Yes.

John and Lyran:

I'm taking a deeply unpopular stance. I liked them. I liked her. I mean, yes, she kidnapped him and beat him up and blackmailed him and I still just--okay, one, I could sort of squint and see where she was coming from in terms of desperation and limited supplies. It's also this: they're a lot alike. They're soldiers, working to protect their people, doing what's necessary for survival and preservation. Except for this one place that John came to a skidding stop pre-Atlantis when he balances his people's lives against it. She's willing to sacrifice her own people for this ship, and in the same position, John wouldn't. It makes an interesting contrast, and the first time he actually looked uncomfortable when he mentioned that he didn't anticipate her willing to kill her two men just to stop him. She's not Wraith or Genii; he could see himself (his people) in her and it was a little moment of dissonance he filed away.

But I did like her. They were alike; reckless, a little desperate, willing to play astronomical odds because they were actually that sure they could win, and that they both had reasons for it and for that matter, damn good reasons.

I like he's attracted to her for reasons that makes sense to his character, unlike God help us all Chaya. I love that she took the stunner and he wasn't even surprised, just so damned annoyed. And I love that because he's John, he always tries to make an alliance when he finds one.

She won the ship eventually, but only after she stopped trying to judge him by what she *thought* he was and started paying attention to who he was, and it's still funny it took her most of the show to figure that out. And also took a fleet of her own ships along with her to be sure. And I liked the fact that she wanted him to stay, and that she respected the fact he couldn't and let him go.

And I found them very, very, very hot.

I have totally lost my slash cred, haven't I?

Randomly

1.) John fixing the intership communications. Fixing the chair. Getting communications to send a signal. Looking them in the eye and saying he has no idea what reverse engineering means. That just--I love him. So. Much.

2.) Her point about shooting too early. I am easy. That will never stop being funny.

3.) He did that flippy thing with the gun. HE HAS WAITED HIS WHOLE LIFE TO USE THAT MOVE. SQUEE!

4.) The fact he's having the time of his life with this shiny warship and fucking with them. He is. There's this part of me that suspects John realized very early in his life that being underestimated and then screwing with people later is possibly the most fun a person can have in their lives. In another life, he's an FBI agent undercover as a former male model or something and destroying drug czars while he nods, wide-eyed and innocent while destroying their bases one by one and no one has caught on. His superiors cry every time they read his reports of cleaning Columbia through the power of sarcasm one base at a time. And they still have no idea how to explain to the president how this is happening.

Once, this guy blew his cover? John took a nap with his cat and his copies of Golf Digest. Everyone came in to stare at him with their guns, and John yawned and no one could believe it. He laughs about that a lot.

Other

Rodney was adorable with his WE WILL NEVER FIND HIM which we all know actually means, I will sneak into the infirmary, steal some uppers, and track his ass across the galaxy and hey, we need a lojack on his ass.

Ronon's we will find him, period, stop, is always fun. Because this is Ronon and let's all face it; who really, really has the nerve to contradict that? Fleets of Wraith ships, Ronon does not see the problem.

Lorne: you have officially earned undying love. Right now. I even forgive you for trying to frag him becaue that was fucking *funny*.

Note to Rodney: yes, it was a woman, and she was very, very hot. But. I'm pretty sure I can guess who taught John how to rewire a chair, hotwire a communications array, mock his captors with his superior intelligence, and wait patiently knowing he'll be found.

*happy*

I love my show so much. God. I cannot, cannot lve this show more.



ETA: Okay, after being stunned by seeing lj reactions, note. Squee post. Lots of squee. Pages of squee. Please do not snap at my squee.

Comments

[celli]

I never say this to anyone's postep review, but I AGREE WITH EVERY WORD YOU'VE JUST SAID.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

I JUST GLANCED AT MY FLIST AND GOT HUGELY DEPRESSED!

*clings to you* Thank you. I was boggling.

[svmadelyn.livejournal.com]

Yes, the celli-madelyn household was best pleased with this ep. Although you do need to see Prometheus Unbound from SG-1, because omg, adorable and good similar dynamics.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*breathes* Okay. I just--I just skimmed my flist in utter shock.

*clings*

[omglawdork.livejournal.com]

I'm taking a deeply unpopular stance. I liked them. I liked her.

ME TOO.

I loved her, and I loved them together, because she could actually keep up with John, when she wasn't actually beating him at his own game. They were fun together, and this episode was fun, and I loved it. All of it. You're not alone. Yay show - ILU!

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Yes! I love that it was traded equally--he had teh upper hand, then she did, then he did, then she did. That was *awesome*. I loved that trade-off and it just--God. He's just having so much fun!

*bouncy*

She was a one-time with *personality* and a real mission of her own and goals that *made sense*. It just--I cannot see how we could have gotten better than this one. It worked.

*smiles at you* I knew I liked you for many, many reasons.

[barely-bean.livejournal.com]

I actually loved her. She's better at being him than he is. I loved that she was willing flood the bridge with radiation and also, wasn't going to let his smirkyness keep her from her goals. I liked that she didn't become a stupid girl in front of him. And would be fine if they wanted to fight crime together.

Also, fixing the chair was hot like a hot thing. See, he's been paying attention to what his boyfriend does.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*mulls* Yes.

I mean--and this is just me--I liked the fact that the power traded so constnatly, that they both had to work for it, that he underestimated her, she underestimated him, and it was just--fun to watch that. I love that it challenged them both and made the ep interesting to see how they'd work it this time.

I *want* them to fight crime together. That would be--yes. *happy*

[amireal.livejournal.com]

What you said. Yes.

Plus:

THROWPILLOWS? OH JOHN. And And. SPA. Yes. John Sheppard + Hot chick = weirdly gay.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD YES.

I can't get over him lounging in the cell like he's about to nap. That just kills me.

[crysothemis.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this. I was getting all grumpy reading friendsfriends, but you have made my world all happy and sunny again. :D

I adored John in this. I loved the fact that Larin (or however you spell her name) gave as good as she got. And John doing the gun-flip made me laugh out loud. I generally don't ask for more from an episode than that.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Yes! It was balanced wonderfully through the ep while they played one-up. I seriously just--and yes! The gun flip! MADE OF WIN!

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

Ah! Thank you! I enjoyed this ep, too. You said it all much better than I did. Especially:

but he's quirky when they get him on his own, and we just don't see enough of that.

Yes. I was trying to put my finger on that. John in an unknown situation is a thing of beauty. He'll be a smart-ass, then act dumb, then get the upper hand and still be a total dork while being very smart and it's all so very hot. I really loved John in this ep.

And I liked Lyran/Larrin? I was fearing the worst, considering Chaya and the woman from "Epiphany". I was pleasantly surprised by her. And the chemistry between them. And the fact that she kissed him and then took the stunner and stunned him. I had been afraid she had gone all girly for a moment there. *g*

[seperis.livejournal.com]

John in an unknown situation is a thing of beauty. He'll be a smart-ass, then act dumb, then get the upper hand and still be a total dork while being very smart and it's all so very hot. I really loved John in this ep.

Yes. Exactly. Even with close friends he holds back and this is just this pure unfiltered glee going on. He's having *fun*. He's doing what he's good at and getting a kick out of it all.

And I liked Lyran/Larrin? I was fearing the worst, considering Chaya and the woman from "Epiphany". I was pleasantly surprised by her. And the chemistry between them. And the fact that she kissed him and then took the stunner and stunned him. I had been afraid she had gone all girly for a moment there. *g*

I was utterly surprised how much I liked her; I am so glad I wasn't spoiled, because she just--I mean, she worked for me. And yes, there was chemistry. They're *alike*. It was fantastic.

*glee*

[liamar13.livejournal.com]

oh thank god! I havent seen it yet but im so looking foward to it after i saw the preview. it looked really good plus john looked hot but then everyone was all negative and dissapointed. i was getting depressed but now that i know not everone hated it i can be happy again :D lol *waits impatiently for down load*

[seperis.livejournal.com]

It is *awesome*. I just--this is one I'll watch againa nd again because it's just so much *fun*. It's excellent and its an hour of John being dorky and funny and competent and I just--cannot get over it. *happy* Yes, watch watch watch! And I mean, if you dont' like it, cool too. BUT IF YOU DO COME BACK TO SQUEE.

[that_mireille]

This episode made me seriously fucking happy.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*squees with you*

[clarkangel.livejournal.com]

OMG! GET OUT OF MY BRAIN! Wait...no...I think I'm in your brain. Whatever. Love this post. Love your squee. What you said? All of it...just WORD! Exactly. I love this ep so much and I love sheppard so much it almost hurts. In a good way. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[seperis.livejournal.com]

YES YES YES! LET US DO THE DANCE OF JOHN MADE OF WIN!

*heee*

[cpt-untouchable.livejournal.com]

I've expressed my problems with the ep elsewhere, and I am ALL FOR SQUEE wherever it occurs. So: John discusses a)the spa b)throw pillows c)interior decorating in a single ep. There are no words. RODNEY and his little face, all alarmed and determined. The Sprawl of Win. John and Larrin having a full-on silent war in the closet, complete with biting. And did you see John use Ronon's twirly gun move? He's totally been practicing that in his spare time. And the last scene in the mess made me clap my hands like a three year old.

I swear to God Rodney in his lab had this miniorgasm when that happened and still has no idea why.

I may never stop laughing over this.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

I love John sprawling in the brig. All he needed was some chewing gum to show how very bored he was with everyone.

...Rodney *did*. Just--that was *totally* something he learned from Rodney.

[paperbinned.livejournal.com]

I could watch a thousand episodes of John Sheppard being John Sheppard.

He's just so - god, he's such a prick and it's great. Plus he kept putting GUNS IN HIS PANTS.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Hell. Yes. I just loved watching him so unfiltered. It was *amazing*.

OMG YES THE GUNS GOD YES.

[fan-eunice.livejournal.com]

People didn't like it? I am confused. But mostly glad I don't actually have to make a post now 'cause I can just point up and say 'what you said'

Is it wrong that pretty much the only time I actually believe John is attracted to a woman is when he's getting beat up by one?

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*bites lip hard* I...think that was part of the attraction. *begins to giggle hysterically*

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

In another life, he's an FBI agent undercover as a former male model or something and destroying drug czars while he nods, wide-eyed and innocent while destroying their bases one by one and no one has caught on. His superiors cry every time they read his reports of cleaning Columbia through the power of sarcasm one base at a time. And they still have no idea how to explain to the president how this is happening.

You are writing this, yes? *puppy eyes*

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*mulls*

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

I liked it too! Because it was fun and twisty, and John got to be all competent and snarky, and Lyran was a good opponent.

And I was extra-special glad because M&M wrote it, and after Reunion I'm wary of anything they write, but this one made me happy.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Yes! It was all actiony and stuff happening and this huge game of one-upsmanship all the way. I just--I can't believe I got an episode of John!

[eretria.livejournal.com]

There were negative reactions? I mean, I had my problems with certain aspects of the episode, but, come ON! There was an overabundance of smart, snarky, sexy John. I forgive the writers their lapses on the other fronts. Small lapses don't spoil the squee. And the squee was strong.
Plus, hey: Strong female character.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

She was awesome. This is the first one-off I've liked this much. She was *good*.

[lovelokest.livejournal.com]

Yes! I liked her too! This ep was full of happy and joy *contented sigh*

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*purring with you*

[lillian13.livejournal.com]

My first thought on seeing John in the Chair was that a Certain Person What Lives in My Town was making noises only dolphins could hear....

They tested him for the ATA gene! They wanted him for his DNA! He told a Wraith to fuck off and it did! John is bugfuck crazy and so is she! He got to kiss a non-Ascended woman!

For the record, I adored her. I can hardly wait for her to show back up with a bunch of Ancient cruisers, looking for trouble.

...and Teyla's expression at the end had me spitting water all over the floor. It was priceless.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

Poor Teyla. Every once in a while, she wonders why there can't be another woman on the team.

And yes. I seriously *liked* her. I want her to come back. She--I mean, if I had to choose a het ship, she'd be *it*. Loved.

They wanted him for his DNA! He told a Wraith to fuck off and it did! John is bugfuck crazy and so is she! He got to kiss a non-Ascended woman!

A MILLION TIMES YES.

The dolphin sound? All through the show. *nods* I was just--in a universe of squee.

[cold-poet.livejournal.com]

I think I fell in love from John and the "low-social inhibitions on the tropical planet" and just kept on falling.

YES.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

*giggles* That was just made of win.

[merryish.livejournal.com]

But. I'm pretty sure I can guess who taught John how to rewire a chair, hotwire a communications array, mock his captors with his superior intelligence, and wait patiently knowing he'll be found.

I KNOW!

I mean, it's not like they can have sex ALL the time. There's such a thing as a refractory period! And in it, Rodney tells John how to fix stuff, just in case Rodney is accidentally killed (which he is certain is going to happen at any minute. all the time.)

I'm with you on this ep, all the way. *hearts*!

[seperis.livejournal.com]

I mean, it's not like they can have sex ALL the time. There's such a thing as a refractory period! And in it, Rodney tells John how to fix stuff, just in case Rodney is accidentally killed (which he is certain is going to happen at any minute. all the time.)

Exactly. I'm convinced this is how John got Rodney to work out regulary with Ronon; Rodney gets him five hours a week and makes him learn stuff. And he's been trying desperately to hide how much fun it is.

And they *need* the downtime. They're not teens. They coudl sprain something!

[drkquail.livejournal.com]

I tried to escape The Weekend of Many Birthday/Halloween Parties in time to catch this episode and failed. With so many negative reactions floating around, I'm happy to see at least a few people liked it. Maybe I will download it before Monday after all.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

It was *fun*. Madcap adventure and snark and gah. Just. No words. Except the ones above! Which are a lot, yes.

[elenlilta.livejournal.com]

Oh, gosh, THANK YOU. I was actually getting a little grumpy at all the negative, because, seriously, I loved this episode so much. For all the reasons listed here, and a few more (hee, southern accent! I love).

I even re-watched it trying to be a little more critical and, just...really? Because all I saw was John and a woman who matched him step-for-step, being awesome together and separate.

And John's flippy thing with the gun? Apparently JFlan and Momoa are doing more than practicing guitar together, which is AWESOME. Also, John shutting off systems in the chair room while she was trying to get out of the chair room? Awesome and kinda petulant, and oh, John. ILU.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

I was actually getting a little grumpy at all the negative, because, seriously, I loved this episode so much.

Me too! I had to stop reading my flist, I got so frustrated!

I even re-watched it trying to be a little more critical and, just...really? Because all I saw was John and a woman who matched him step-for-step, being awesome together and separate.

Yes! She was fun! And she had *good* reasons for what she was doing. I could see where she was coming from.

AND OMG THE GUNFLIP. MADE OF WIN. YES.

That just--awesome.

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

I don't think I could have squee'd more if she'd tied him to that bed in the cage & ripped his clothes off to teach him a lesson...

Okay, yeah; I'd have squee'd more if that had happened. But I still squee'd quite a lot given that it's a family show.

John fixing the intership communications. Fixing the chair. Getting communications to send a signal.

Yes: I have this theory! On Atlantis in that first year, there were very few people, no replacements, and you never knew who was going to be offed next, thus depriving the colony of much needed skills, so everybody had to study up on everybody else's specialty, just in case the worst happened! Lots of cross-training! They have periodic visits by Earth ships these days, but the tradition continues. Ronon says, "I gotta learn some science", and we see in Doppelganger that he's very closely listening to Carter giving her technobabble explanation. On SG1, you'd always get Jack or Landry or even the usually-gentlemanly Hammond getting pissed off at some scientist's long-winded explanation. They'd want the scientist to get to the damned point! On SGA, scientists rule and they have been shown to dominate meetings with their techobabble, the military patiently listening to the whole explanation until the scientist chooses to wind down.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

...tied to bed.

*takes a moment*

Yeah. That...

I need more than a moment.

[ceteramisto.livejournal.com]

I finally got the chance to watch this episode and the only thing I didn't like was some of the musical scoring which I noticed a little too much in certain scenes. This episode easily joins the group of episodes that could be named my fifth favorite episode depending on my mood. As for Laren the two thoughts I have about her are that she is the anti-Chaya which is a good thing and that as a potential recurring character she is way better than Lucius from last season.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

OH hell yes. *So* much better than Lucius.

*hopeful* I do hope she comes back.

[emrinalexander.livejournal.com]

My squee came when ... he, obviously channeling his inner Rodney McKay, sent them flying without engaging the inertial dampeners. That was a snark of beauty.

And then, when the chair malfunctioned and John just hopped out, ripped the back panel off, and proceeded to FIX IT...I mean, there is now CANON for the fact that Rodney (it had to be Rodney) teaching him how the crystals work and how to fix things (with some help from the City, I'm sure, but still RODNEY AND JOHN MANIPULATING THINGS WITH THEIR HANDS!)

And then John flopping around the brig like he's a pissed off ten year old who just had his skateboard confiscated - a site to love love love.

Rodney sitting there at the end of the ep, arms tightly crossed, just that slight edge to his voice, as he covers his jealousy up with the comment about it being typical that John gets captured by the sexy alien...and John kind of growling when he says she beat him up and threatened to kill him.

Yeh, I wish they'd stop their unsuccessful attempts to show us that Shep is a straight guy; but, on the other hand, every time they do, it just makes him that much more overtly GAY, so maybe they should keep that up.

[seperis.livejournal.com]

And then John flopping around the brig like he's a pissed off ten year old who just had his skateboard confiscated - a site to love love love.

That was beautiful. that second, he wished he had gum so he could emphasize how annoying they are through chewing.