SGA - 4.02 - Lifeline

[tielan]

Another good episode, although most of what I'm posting now is issues and pet hates.

I'd forgotten how much I hate the way everyone (particularly Rodney and John) stands around jawing in this series. It's like reading a story where the author can't resist infodumping and infodumping and infodumping. "Look! Look how clever we are! We have all this planned as backstory and you are idiots so we must educate you!"

Yes, John, the replicators have stopped. Kindly move your ass and GTFO of there!

Pet hatred #1: Rodney always stopping what he's doing to say "I need more time!" You're wasting time, boyo. Honestly, if he's such a genius, why the fuck can't he talk at the same time as he's doing what he has to do?

Pet hatred #2: What they're doing with Elizabeth in this episode, they could actually have done with Teyla and the Wraith if they'd thought about it a little more and actually, you know, used the Wraith and Teyla's Wraithgene.

Nice exit-stage-left for Elizabeth and some cool storyline. Nice scene between John and Sam at the end. The touch about Teyla being left behind to lead the Lanteans out if things went bad was a neat way of freeing up RL's time for other shooting, and thumbing the nose at the people who are still "Teyla's not really useful or respected in the city". Although I still would have preferred to have her on the mission. Or, you know, actually used.

Old story, that.

Comments

[windmiran.livejournal.com]

I used to remember Rodney actually working on things while he bitched people out and predicted doom. Or, you know, shutting people down so he could work in relative peace. Maybe I have rose-colored memory, but it seems like this season ALL they do is stand around and talk about how screwed they are, without anyone working on it.
They will never, ever manage to use Teyla in an intelligent and worthy manner in my opinion, which is so terrible. Are any of the writers even women? I think that's the main problem, and it just destroys me every time.

[tielan]

Are any of the writers even women?

No. And the problem isn't that they're not women. The problem is that they seem to have a difficulty with posting up a list of what Teyla has been shown to do in the past and then using her ability when it comes to the crunch.

eg. Adrift: she could work on some of the systems - maybe not the really compelx ones, but she could take some stuff over from Rodney since she's already shown some aptitude with computers (in Phantoms).

In Reunion, they missed an opportunity for her to be used against the Wraith with her Wraithgene. Sure, the Wraith aren't as big a problem anymore, but that's no reason to completely drop her ability.

There's no continuity about Teyla's abilities. They don't ever seem to go back through their character notes and say, "Hey, Teyla's adept at meditation, maybe she should sit down and take Rodney through meditation techniques?"

It's sloppy writing - or, at least, sloppy character writing and it frustrates the heck out of me.

[windmiran.livejournal.com]

I used to remember Rodney actually working on things while he bitched people out and predicted doom. Or, you know, shutting people down so he could work in relative peace. Maybe I have rose-colored memory, but it seems like this season ALL they do is stand around and talk about how screwed they are, without anyone working on it.
They will never, ever manage to use Teyla in an intelligent and worthy manner in my opinion, which is so terrible. Are any of the writers even women? I think that's the main problem, and it just destroys me every time.

[tielan]

Are any of the writers even women?

No. And the problem isn't that they're not women. The problem is that they seem to have a difficulty with posting up a list of what Teyla has been shown to do in the past and then using her ability when it comes to the crunch.

eg. Adrift: she could work on some of the systems - maybe not the really compelx ones, but she could take some stuff over from Rodney since she's already shown some aptitude with computers (in Phantoms).

In Reunion, they missed an opportunity for her to be used against the Wraith with her Wraithgene. Sure, the Wraith aren't as big a problem anymore, but that's no reason to completely drop her ability.

There's no continuity about Teyla's abilities. They don't ever seem to go back through their character notes and say, "Hey, Teyla's adept at meditation, maybe she should sit down and take Rodney through meditation techniques?"

It's sloppy writing - or, at least, sloppy character writing and it frustrates the heck out of me.