'The Shrine' (506) General Discussion

[the fifth man]

That was a really great scene between those two.

[Lythisrose]

Joe Mallozzi's Blog entry:

THE SHRINE (506)
Three hanky alert! Executive Producer Brad Wright delivers one of the most talked-about episodes of the show’s fifth and final season. Described as a “reverse Flowers for Algernon”, it charts the emotional and intellectual erosion of the brilliant Rodney McKay after he is infected with a seemingly incurable disease. It’s an episode highlighted by terrific performances, touching scenes, and a surprisingly gruesome surgery scene.

During the episode’s prep, one of the fan sites reported that its title had undergone a couple of changes. It had initially been called “amort” before being changed to “The Shrine of Talus” before, ultimately, settling on “The Shrine”. Amort? The fan site based this assumption on the fact that, under the heading of episode title in one of the art department hand-outs, was the word “amort”. Oh! Amort! Usually, when sets are built for a given episode, their cost comes out of that episode’s budget. However, in cases where large sets are built that are used more than once (say, the village set or the Daedalus set or even a cave set that is used multiple times a season), their cost is amortized over the course of several episodes. Amort! Short for amortized!

Still, there was a slight alteration after the original episode title, The Shrine of Talus, didn’t clear. Why didn’t clear? No idea. Presumably, the name was already taken. Somewhere out there a Mr. Shrine Talus continues to live in relative obscurity.

Photos:
The submerged gate sequence made use of a piece of the gate, the green screen, and a water tank to convey that “we’re flooded!” feel (Photo @MGM Television)

EP and episode writer Brad Wright on set (Photo @MGM Television)

More green screen to convey the size and scope of the surrounding city of Atlantis (Photo @MGM Television)


It’s the little things that made the show special – like the work that went into designing these rock formations for the grotto surgery.


Ancient carved tablet – detail. “The ancient lettering should be chipped, worn and faded to the point that it is not readable.”

The grotto. A mix of construction, set dec, greens, SFX mist and VFX green screen.


Gruesome stuff. Rodney undergoes cranial surgery. (Photo @MGM Television)


The surgery and parasite escape – prosthetics and visual effects

[Falcon Horus]

Too bad it was about Rodney again... would have liked to see someone else in peril or in the spotlights.

[Cluas]

Good to see Jeannie, other that that it was average.
The funny moment: "Thank you Arthur"

[Baron Of Hell]

Really liked this episode. Fine bit of acting all around. I would have liked to see someone else in trouble though. I do like Mckay but I don't need to see him in every episode.

[mrscopterdoc]

This episode has my favorite scene in the entire series - the Beer on the Pier scene with John and Rodney. Incredibly touching.

Great episode (I always turn it off before the ending scene - that does not exist in my world. )

I totally agree

Keller was annoying. It felt like she made it more about herself. Not so much about McKay.

I thought the same thing.

[jelgate]

Honestly Keller's reaction to me seems similar the previous Stargate doctors

[Night Maiden]

The part with Jeannie's reaction when she left Rodney alone in the viewing room, and had a tearful breakdown, was heart wrenching!

[garhkal]

Showed some great acting, just like the reactions the team had with Daniel in Meridian.

[Night Maiden]

I liked the waterfall.

[garhkal]

Rethinking about this ep, one thing i wished they explained a bit more was WHERE Mccay picked up that bug, and why he was the only one who had it.

[j7n]

I was sure at the very beginning that Dr McKay would get healed. We've been there on the Tao of Rodney. This story seemed more real to me though. Acting was all around good. Dr Keller finally became the mean power hungry doctor that the profession requires.

Spoiler:

Ronan is right. The Humans don't die with honor. I feel that making a sick person undress semi naked to the "hospital wear", which opens up on the back, and restricting their freedom of movement is a horrible thing to do. This happens over and over again on TV, and presumably in reality in many cases. Dr Keller was treating the patient as her property. Among other things, when they were filming the video, the doctor said that she would help him if only he were to continue his speech. The purpose of it was not to help him, but to create a medical case for her future reference. And they used a freaking drill!

You don't use a horrible drill or a circular saw on a "machine" that god has made more complicated than a replicator, as the characters have asserted on several occasions.

On TV, we all return to "perfect health" eventually, but in practice the patient would have a permanent ugly hole on him and some internal damage sustained from the "parasite" getting out and the drill going in.