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@Luciana: duh... No Carson but Keller... I couldn't stand the entire season >_<
» Yeah. I HATED season four, and it's not just lack of Carson. Season four had so many holes in it that you want to serve it on rye with a side of slaw. (My favourite analogy.) I only saw Adrift, Lifeline, Miller's Crossing, This Mortal Coil, Spoils of War, Harmony, Kindred I and Kindred II. I only saw parts of (this could be pretty much fastforwarding the entire thing to falling asleep, turning it off etc) Reunion, GangleDopper, Travellers, Tabula Rasa, Missing, Seer, BAMSR, and Q. The rest I didn't see and honestly I don't care to see them.
» I can name more good things about "irresistable" than the entire season four. Okay, I didn't see the whole thing, so I shouldn't judge, but S4 still stinks like my sock.
But there's one thing that really broke my heart.
It's what Rodney says in "This Mortal Coil".
Spoiler:
McKAY: Now, this is Carson all over again and I'm just not ready to deal. Not yet.
» That really gets to me to ... It's one of the single most depressing scenes of S4. And now I feel like dissecting it, because even though Carson is not even in this episode, there is so much Carson loveliness and angst in this scene.
RODNEY'S LAB. Rodney and Radek are working on computers. The two men have their backs to each other. Rodney has the core drive on his desk. Radek takes his glasses off and rubs his eyes, exhausted.
ZELENKA: Shall we take a break?
McKAY (without looking round at him): You go ahead.
ZELENKA (turning to him): Oh, Rodney, we've been working for five hours straight. We should take a break.
McKAY: Yeah, I will – when I'm finished.
»Rodney not making any eye contact with Zelenka is a key aspect in this scene that I really love, and it starts right from the beginning. I think the lack of eye contact shows that Rodney is indeed burying himself inside his work - putting his mind on something else, because grief is just not something he deals with very well. I'm very similar in this aspect, and drawing from my own experience, Rodney may have been on the verge of tears if he turned around to face Radek. I think it's a natural instinct to turn away when faced with an uncomfortable situation, as Rodney tactfully avoids in this situation.
ZELENKA: I know what you're trying to do.
McKAY: Yeah, what's that?
ZELENKA: Lose yourself in your work to avoid thinking about Elizabeth.
(Rodney looks up from his computer but still doesn't turn around.)
ZELENKA: You must realise it's only a temporary distraction.
» Again, Rodney doesn't turn around, yet a small lift of his head is enough to show the audience that Radek is right on key with Rodney's thoughts. I really enjoy Rodney and Radek's interactions in this scene, and even though Radek is respectful of giving Rodney space he does take into consideration that Rodney might need help realising he can't stay buried in his work forever.
McKAY (his voice full of pain): That's one of the perks of the job. Something terrible happens, you don't have enough time to dwell on it ‘cause you're too busy trying to stop the next terrible thing from happening. Seriously, if it wasn't for the Replicators and their plan to wipe out every human in the galaxy, I'd be in pretty bad shape right now.
» For a part*, Rodney's reasoning is valid. And, like the transcript says, I think his voice truly is full of sorrow when he speaks in this scene. When you're caught up in your work, you tend to forget things - which, is why even in a passive moment such as this, Rodney continues (tries?) to keep working and avoid focusing on the things that really matter, such as Carson and Elizabeth. The fact that he's always so busy as the head scientist has probably prevented much of that emotion inside from bubbling up. (But who knows, I personally like to speculate that he cries over it every nght.)
»*To be a bit off-topic from my scenesection, one thing I hated about season four is the lack of grieving taking place. Perhaps Rodney's arguement that "they are too busy", is valid - but we've seen that they've had plenty of off-time after Sunday and Lifeline to be able to do that. And I wished they showed them growing closer together, instead of forcing certain characters down my throat in a vain effort for me to enjoy them.
(Radek looks at him sympathetically.)
McKAY: Now, this is Carson all over again and I'm just not ready to deal. Not yet.
(He gets back to work.)
»I think this demonstrates that Rodney still dwells on Carson's death, and on Elizabeth's supposed death that just doubles the burden he carries. He wasn't ready to talk about Carson, and now he has that double burden inside. He wasn't ready to talk about it, and he still isn't; if anything, the events in this episode makes it all the more worse.
ZELENKA (gently): You're not the only one who misses him, Rodney. I don't suppose you want to talk about it.
McKAY: Eventually, but not now.
» Radek is such a good friend. <3 I like Rodney's confirmation of "eventually" - this also demonstrates that Rodney can confide enough in Radek to at least say he will eventually. It's not soon, but it's not exactly "never" either.
ZELENKA (sighing): OK. (He stands up.) Oh, shall I get you anything?
McKAY: No.
(Radek turns and starts to leave.)
McKAY: Radek.
(Radek stops and turns back to him. Rodney turns his head towards him but still doesn't meet his eyes.)
McKAY: Thank you.
ZELENKA: You're welcome, Rodney.
» I think this last segment of the scene really brings Rodney down-to-Earth and not the arrogant snarky scientist he is usually portrayed as. In fact, this is my favourite kind of Rodney, and one I would have liked to see much more in season four. Rodney's very simple gesture of telling Radek "thank you" for his offered condolences and help really humbles down Rodney. The "Thank You" is simple, yet Rodney's humility surely does shine in this scene.
» Again, he's not making eye contact, which I argue that one of the single things that makes this scene so powerful is the absence of eye contact. I think it's an excellent choice on part of David Hewlett and/or the director. The camera angle - facing Rodney working, with Radek in the background - is also a great aspect, in that you're seeing Rodney "from the inside". You see the pain on his face, his discomfort; unlike if you variated or showed the scene from Radek's point of view, you wouldn't be able to see Rodney's inner pain.
» I think I may have enjoyed season four more if it was littered with emotion-evoking scnes like this. To me, the lack of them shows lack of respect to the characters we lost and also the characters that have survived.
You making me cry.
As Rodney says: ...this is Carson all over again...
I wasn't able to continue watching it. Needed a break first.
That's why I said there are scenes I can hardly face.
That's the best Rodney scene I've ever seen.
You did a great job. Love the way you wrote it.
And you're so right. And now Iw anna watch that scene again. *sighs*
You making me cry.
As Rodney says: ...this is Carson all over again...
I wasn't able to continue watching it. Needed a break first.
That's why I said there are scenes I can hardly face.
That's the best Rodney scene I've ever seen.
You did a great job. Love the way you wrote it.
And you're so right. And now Iw anna watch that scene again. *sighs*
And that really made me cry.
» Aww, thank you. It's one of my favourite S4 scenes.
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