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Coup D'etat (217)

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    A really enjoyed the episode, although I thought it was a bit weird that they just assumed the ZPM would have power, since they have come across so many that are dead or close to dead. Seeing cheif O'Brien is always a pleasure but I am glad his character is gone he can sometimes drive me nuts.
    At the moment it is Phobos (though time is limited; it is suppose to crash into Mars in the next 100 million years )

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      I'm not sure they assumed that, but since the ZPM is such a resource, they knew they had to try just in case it still was powered.
      Calculus and Alcohol don't mix. Never drink and derive.

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        I didn't like the episode until the part when you see that Lorne and his team aren't dead as Lorne is my favorite character and I was really upset when I thought that they had killed him.

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          From Joe Mallozzi's Blog:
          http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...st-coup-detat/

          COUP D’ETAT (217)

          It’s funny. Working on the show, we’d take in so many versions of an episode (from spinning the story to breaking it to commenting on the outline to reading the various drafts to watching the dailies and director’s cut and producer’s cuts and various mixes) that, by the time a completed version was available, time constraints would already have us moving on to the next episode. I mean, sure, by the time we got to that Day 2 mix, the episode would be all but done – minus a few finished visual effects that would be approved as shots or sequences at a later date – but it was rare we would sit down to watch a finished episode for pleasure. I remember thinking Coup D’Etat a good episode back in the day, but I didn’t realize quite how good until I reviewed it for this trip down memory lane. I likes me some political intrigue and this episode had it in spades, with some surprising little twists and turns. I mean, sure, we all knew Major Lorne wasn’t really dead, but did you see the Cowan double-cross coming? How about the Ladon triple-cross?

          Another solid episode made all that much better by some fantastic guest stars. The story was originally conceived with the character of Kolya pulling the strings but, with Robert Davi unavailable, it was rewritten for the character of Ladon. Ryan Robbins was terrific and Colm Meaney equally great in his final appearance as Cowan.

          My only bump in this episode was seeing McKay on point when they storm the facility. I mean, sure, it makes sense for him to be on the op since they’re looking to retrieve a ZPM, but it doesn’t make sense for him to be leading the attack.

          In retrospect, one of my favorite episodes of Atlantis’s second season.
          sigpic

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            Good episode

            Shep: "Sounds like your having a party"

            Tomorrow, we turn a Wraith into a Human.
            sigpic

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              I really enjoyed this episode, the Genii episodes have been pretty entertaining, they are such a devious, untrustworthy bunch!

              I was really surprised by Ladon's 'betrayal', he played the earnest revolutionary so well. Then the great twist in that he really was instigating his coup but used the Atlantis team quite cleverly. He's a much more likable Genii and good in that he sees a friendship with the people of Atlantis would be more beneficial to his people in the long run.

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                Of all the Genii eps. I think this one is the worst.

                Still a decent ep though. The ep was full of betrayal and double crossing. Very clever work from Ladon.

                Pity Kolya was killed off, off screen.
                sigpic

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                  Midweek, another ep of Atlantis...

                  1. Well, well well, who'd have thought that Genii technician would go on to lead a coup?

                  2. The Genii hostages seemed more obviously sick this time.

                  3. Can't imagine Kolya in the Laden role now.

                  Stil, very cool ep.
                  I SURF FOR THE FREEDOM!

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                    Originally posted by Lieutenant Sparrow View Post
                    Pity Kolya was killed off, off screen.
                    Or so we thought!

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                      Originally posted by garhkal View Post
                      Or so we thought!
                      Now that you mention it.
                      sigpic

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                        Coup D'etat

                        Stargate has always been known for it's epic two-parters, you know the ones that start off awesome and then progresses it's energy into a second episode which satisfies everybody watching? Well I doubt anybody could take the energy of a two-parter and put it into a standalone episode, I mean how can they take something and cram it into one episode? Well they did it...

                        The amount of stuff they have packed in this episode is incredible; 15 minutes in and we're introduced to a mystery, a coup, a ZPM trade, a sense of epicness and even a buildup that's serves to pay off in a massive way. You cannot believe the way they cram this in yet still manage to be consistent, every scene naturally leads up to the next and every part is essential to every future part; there are no missing scenes or gaps in between, everything that's required for the episode to work is there which means that you will understand everything that is going on. The characters are in top-notch form; even though this is just one episode, they really understand the stakes and deliver performances that really justify their skill. Weir does a natural job as the leader and she shows her concern and perception as well as she did in the other two-parters, there is a bit of pep to her this time around but that's to be expected... Sheppard's lines are as funny as they are focused with everything being said having some sort of memorability to them and some form a seriousness to them and Rodney, well let's just say he's better then usual. I'm not saying all two-parters bring out the best in characters but when they do, boy it's an experience and in this one, it's really brought out.


                        Tons o' stuff...

                        There's a mystery surrounding this episode, one which invites everybody to follow the clues and try to figure out who's really behind it and this mystery is a really good one. It plays well into the doubts of the people being introduced, people such as the defecting Genii who wants weapons, the Genii leader himself and the ever so convenient civilization in the middle... All these people play a part and we're just doubting ourselves as we look into their faces, analyze their voices, just try to think whether their motives are good or not and we feel as those people on Atlantis, not knowing anything but still willing to peruse this further... The past moments involving the Genii are used well here as past doubts and events are used to further the mystery; their society is something that's still questionable in SGA, how it works is a mystery, how they operate is still a mystery and their focus just makes this mystery really engaging as we converse with the Genii and try to put together the pieces. Though there are some times where it feels like CSI: Atlantis, it's still enjoyable to be engaged in the mystery and it's even more engaging to see these people solve the mystery as well; the clues that are show, the various hints throughout, how it all connects in the end, it seems like they truly provided you with a mystery that's worth solving.

                        Then there's the coup which is the centerpiece of the episode; the way it's presented provides for a ton of the conflict of this episode and allows the episode to explore relationships between colonies. The potential for war, the fear of offending a potential group, the olive branch thing, it just seems like the stuff that makes up Stargate and it shows the political side that separates Stargate from every sci-fi franchise out there. It is just interesting to think about this potential coop while also thinking about relations of the Genii and the way it unfolds... it's thought provoking, works in fueling multiple sectors of the plot and it brings something to both the Genii leader and Weir. And we can't forget about the action these two-parters are known for... Though it mainly appears at the end; it's tense, beautifully choreographed, finely shot, finely placed and it gives our heroes a chance to shine, these people truly know how to shoot and maneuver around any situation and to see them infiltrate a building rather then hunt someone down is something different; they're in charge now, they're calling the shots and it's just a nice reversal from previous episodes of this nature. The action scenes are often considered on the best parts of the two-parters and this is no exception.


                        Coup in progress.

                        This episode has the makings of a two-parter with it's stake raising moments and it's focus on Genii treatment and it almost seems like a two-parter but here's the twist... this episode is one big set-up for a clever methodology that exists in this script. Yup, they reference the coop almost as a big thing and they build it up until they decide to pull the rug out from under you and go in a different way. I have to admit, it's somewhat clever the way the did it; keeping us engaged, putting us in moments that make us expect one thing but actually are another but I have a feeling the writer got too caught up in his cleverness. There isn't much in the episode that builds up to the clever methodology, sure they play the coop as if it were big but this just feels like "The Storm" or "The Siege, Part 1" without much of an instance or even hinting of plot point that would tie-together later on... Sure the episode builds up but it's just building up to the ending, not building up to something that would be the pinnacle of that writer's career. It felt like I was just waiting for something to happen but I guess it never truly came.

                        Regardless, this is still a good episode. I have to admire them for fitting a two-parter into a single episode, the action is good, the mystery is good, the characters are top notch and it even has some of that energy of a two-parter; plus it provides some good exploration on the Genii. The only major fault I can find is that it gets too caught up in it's cleverness to truly provide something substantial, seeming more like a writer's example then a TV episode at times. Still, good episode and certainly an experience worth watching.

                        8.0/10
                        Last edited by ZRFTS; 31 July 2012, 01:10 PM.
                        Back from the grave.

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                          Thier is a love hate relationship with this episode. The story as now is interesting. I found it a good Geni story. Just to show them how they were going to trick the Atlantians. Thier were some interesting things. I knew Lorne wasn't really dead and I of course knew the Genii were going to betray us. It was some of the minor stuff I found interesting like how bad the Genii radiation shielding was and the motive by the Genii's latest scheme. I knew the Genii were up to something but I did not think the Ancient gene was their motive behind the whole. The Genii tricking us was no surprise but I for one was surprised that Ladin did a double trick to fool Cowen. That was an interesting shocker. But that shocker also had a downside. The Genii stories got really boring after this episode. They had no purpose with the exception of Kolya
                          Originally posted by aretood2
                          Jelgate is right

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                            Originally posted by Lieutenant Sparrow View Post
                            Pity Kolya was killed off, off screen.
                            Originally posted by garhkal View Post
                            Or so we thought!
                            Originally posted by Lieutenant Sparrow View Post
                            Now that you mention it.
                            I knew that was too good to be true!

                            My LiveJournal post
                            Bye bye, Cowen.
                            Still no new ZPM.
                            "Thanks to denial, I'm immortal."
                            "A big 'Hello' to all intelligent life out there, and for everyone else, the secret is to bang the rocks together, guys!"
                            "Excuse me, barmaid? You seem to have brought me the wrong offspring. I ordered an extra large boy with beefy arms, extra guts and glory on the side. This here, this is a talking fishbone!"
                            "I'm Jack. It means... what's in the box?"

                            sigpic
                            >-- Czechs Rock! >--

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                              The start of this episode was kinda sad. Although a military man, Major Lorne was a likable character. He had something human in him, and still being both military and male, he never spoke nonsense or jokes. And then the team discovers his death.

                              I kinda wonder when did the Genii and the Humans agreed on common "channels" and video encoding standard on the "VHF band". Hell, not even Europe and America could do that. That dialogue was just as memorable as Dr Weir's downloading to a "non-networked firewalled computer". The layperson must no doubt see how inferior the Genii are, for they haven't mastered UHF yet. Another decent NEC monitor there. Evidently, the Genii have skipped past 4:3 and adopted the widescreen standard already.

                              Overall, a great episode. Although I had enough deception and backstabbing for entire year with this one.

                              Teyla was most attractive in this dark outfit and boots. And McKay is really came through as wanting the Zed-PM badly. His eyes all lit up the moment he heard about it.
                              Last edited by j7n; 21 March 2014, 09:58 PM.

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                                Originally posted by Krisz View Post
                                I really enjoyed this episode, the Genii episodes have been pretty entertaining, they are such a devious, untrustworthy bunch!

                                I was really surprised by Ladon's 'betrayal', he played the earnest revolutionary so well. Then the great twist in that he really was instigating his coup but used the Atlantis team quite cleverly. He's a much more likable Genii and good in that he sees a friendship with the people of Atlantis would be more beneficial to his people in the long run.
                                I thought the twist was played. I ended up liking Ladon a lot
                                sigpic

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