Elizabeth Weir/John Sheppard Appreciation/Ship/Discussion Thread

[Luciana]

*sneaks in*



*sneaks out*

[Anuna]

*sneaks in*



*sneaks out*

Come back, come back!!!!! So pretty!!!!

[sofie]

Congrats Anuna!!!!!
*gives pretty pic*



Lovely wallpaper Luciana!!!!!!

[Eri13]

sparkies!!!! I've Got A New Job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YAYYYY! OMG I ENVY YOU! CONGRATS! *throws confetti*

And as a special treat...YOU GET "THE HUG!!" (Dedicated especially to Anuna for her new job. )

Siege, Part III

On the way to my tennis match yesterday, I had the privilege of watching "Siege, Part III" on my video iPod. I have been doing most of these summaries from memory, but re-watching that episode so reinforces why I loved S1-3 of this show.

We begin, of course, with the belief John's about to head to his death--a belief Atlantis carries longer than we do. We, of course, have heard the voice of the supremely awesome Mitch Pileggi, which, if you're a former X-Phile like me, sent you into shocked, joyous raptures.

But for Elizabeth and the rest of Atlantis, John's gone. I love you get the reactions of so many people--shows how important he is to everyone. But the person who it goes back to is Elizabeth--and subsequently, it is she who gets the best reaction at the revelation he's alive. The look on her face is priceless.




Ah, the relief!


LOVE TEH MITCH!

So, once John is saved, the action (and emotion *squee!*) goes into overdrive. So many people doing so much at once might seem confusing, but as with the previous two episodes, it isn't. Going back through these synopsis made me realize just how well done the Siege series is--never a dull moment, wonderful character development, high emotion, and a TON of action, yet you're never so overwhelmed you feel irritated.

One of the best moments in the three-parter for me are the appearances of Novak and Hermiod. I actually was not familiar with Novak, so she's new to me, but I fell in love with her and the rapport between her and Hermiod instantly. It was such a good humor element, especially when so much angst was going on around them:





I love Rodney gets a humor moment, too--poor Rodney. I guess he can't save everything--he has to have his goofy moment, too.



Can I just point out, by the way, that direction for this series is wonderful? I was reminded of that as I watched it. Even subtle scenes have beautiful angle shots:


Look at the framing of the gate behind Elizabeth...

Siege III feels a little like *bam* *bam* *bam* *bam* with it's back and forth moments--saved, danger, saved, danger. The hive ship is destroyed, so we get a wonderful smile from Elizabeth and Zelenka...



Only to have it revealed, moments later, that Atlantis is in danger again. Here we get to one of my all-time favorite Sparky moments. I almost list this up against 'the hug', particularly because of John's role in it. Subtle moments like the fact that John's the one who pinpoints the danger first are often lost in the grand scheme of the show, but it's nice to be reminded of them. And the fantastic, snappy dialogue--the conversation between Rodney and Elizabeth in particular here is both extreme and humorous--flows so well.


Love Rodney's dialogue here: "SNAP!"

But this moment belongs to John, in particular because of the way he reacts, not being able to see what's going on. He's treated to the flip side of the situation Elizabeth was in just a few moments ago--he doesn't know if she's alive or dead. I think it's a very personal moment for him, in particular because he reveals those emotions with an entire ship and city watching. Yes, obviously, he's concerned about all of Atlantis--but the way he calls out Elizabeth's name just makes my heart pound in squee. And how relieved he sounds when she answers--the way he says it and what he says--it's so Sparky!

Elizabeth: We're here, that's our status.
John: Don't scare me like that!

A snarky moment between Teyla and Rodney--I love the whole ZPM/shield interaction. I really enjoy seeing Teyla be sarcastic, particularly because of the way her dialogue is written with the Athosian grammar placement:


Should I just inform the rest of the Wraith on the base that you are unavailable to fight?

And then...what most of us list as one of our all-time top Sparky moments. I often wonder if the dialogue in the beginning was changed. John says "Well, I'm home", but the play on words would have sounded much better as the famous line "Honey, I'm home". I almost wonder if they didn't change that line to try and keep the sparkiness to a minimum, because it was certainly something he could have said, even off-handedly and not in direct reference to her.

I watched the hug a number of times yesterday (VIDEO IPODS RULE!) and one of the cute things is the expression on John's face before she grabs him. He sorta licks his lips as though wondering what he should say or do, but the expression on his face is obviously very glad to see her.

Kudos to Joe and Torri for how realistic this scene felt. The expression on his face is adorable when she grabs him, and I love that Torri just jumps upon her toes and wraps her arms around him in a bear hug. Though it may have been more satisfying for us to have him close his eyes or embrace her more tightly, I think his expression, which is a cross between awkward and overwhelmed, fits with John's character.

That moment, for Elizabeth, goes back to that part of her character that IS very human and not robotically leaderlike. Though she is tough and strong most of the time, no one is surprised by her actions so to speak--it's not out of character for her. It's just sweet.











I love how John is so awkward, and yet at the same time he's not. While he's perhaps a little uncomfortable with the close personal contact, he does make it known that he was as scared for her as she was for him. And even as they get back to business, that bond between them just...shines:



Part 2 of 3 coming up...

[justhere1971]

Beautiful review as usual Eri, but I'd like to say - in slow mo -- John does close his eyes & repeatedly lick his lips during the hug scene.

Not that I've been that anal.

[Eri13]

Ah! Thanks for the slo-mo POV! *LOL*

Onto business--though it was hard for me to concentrate after all the Sparkiness!

Quick note--I enjoyed the nice moment between John and Everett. Everett met a rather nasty end, but it was a really good final scene for him, and for John too. Again, I am absolutely impressed with how much the man grew on you for the short period of time he was on--do you realize his involvement was only about 45 minutes total? And yet somehow I remember him fondly as one of my favorite visiting characters of all time.



And now for those incoming the hive ships:






Seems like these poor people never get a breather, eh?

I'm not sure how I felt about the Daedalus offensive--was it too much for the episode? I guess not...it fits in and doesn't make the episode feel stinted. And we get to see the awesomeness of "The Mitch" at work as the aggressively commanding Colonel Stephen Caldwell. But I don't know if it was a necessary plot point, other than showing John's ability to think strategically even in desperate situations.

What was an important plot point was Aiden Ford's storyline. I heard Rainbow Sun Franks really enjoyed sinking his teeth into this character development. Though it meant the downsizing of his character, it gave him something meaty to do with the role, and he handles it pretty well.


Love the female bonding moment here--though it's not a 'personal' moment, it is still good, comfortable interaction between Elizabeth and Teyla. Waiting for the boys to come home.





Ford's 'change' was creepy and well-played. 'Dual nature' roles can be very difficult for an actor to portray because you have to make both sides believable. I thought Rainbow did a good job with this--particularly in the scene where he attacks Beckett in Elizabeth's office. The Ford sequence sorta fell apart for me after this--I'm not sure about the end, I'll address that in part 3--but here, initially, it was really well done by everyone.

I also thought Torri chose a really great way to portray Elizabeth during this sequence. She's human, so she is affected by how Ford looks and acts. But she's responsible for him, so she never loses her cool around him--she is commanding to the end. Though the nice touch is Teyla, talking him out of his rage. Fitting, as she's one of his teammates and has connected with him.




This scene will also be a good comparison to how much more emotionally involved she is when John faces the same sort of transformation in "Conversion".




What was up with the glasses? Rodney also sports a pair later on--was it some kind of product placement?

And now...the denouement. The Hive ships arrive, and we get the last pulse-pounding moment for Atlantis. Again, the special effects shine in this episode as well, though it still doesn't compare to the battle sequence of "Siege II" (very little does!)







How to take them out? As has been done throughout the story, we don't have many loopholes to gripe about--people do address the fact that they'll keep coming, that this war is similar to the Ancient's war, etc, etc. But this IS Stargate, so naturally, the Earth people figure out the proper course of action.

I do have to say that the final plan had a great round table scene. I particularly liked that everyone found a way to contribute--and the dialogue was good. Even Teyla had an important role to play, and through her Beckett--plus we get the Rodney/Zelenka banter again.




Love Elizabeth's line of 'I love this plan. I really, really do. But...'



On to Part 3...

[Anuna]

Ah! We got to the hug!!!! Eri, you know what, you really know how to kick my lazy butt into action!

The hug is such high emotion moment, because of everything what lead to it, and to me, it's just the culmination of everything. I remember seeing it the first time - the rest of the episode faded somehow, because one storyline was tied together there, and in what way!

John and Elizabeth have gone a full circle from The Rising to The Siege trilogy. From being strangers, getting to know each other, seeing each other through some terrible moments, going through a big personal and professional disagreement; and after that settling into a completely different relationship of mutual support, trust and understanding.

We've been on a roller coaster together with them - and in the Siege 1, 2 and 3 the ride reaches its peak. It's the finest moment of Stargate Atlantis I believe, everyone is at his or hers best

The hug is a circle, we can think about it as some kind of eternity symbol - when two people close their arms around each other, it looks like the symbol of eternal, it holds two people together and the energy inside it stays there. Forgive me for going all poetic

I love how the whole scene looks like. John's just been through emotional grinder, in one moment he was preparing himself to die, in the next moment the Daedalus was there, fishing him out of the claws of certain death. I love the scene where he simply stands on the bridge of Daedalus, watching the mighty ship in action. Mitch is WAY beyond cool! (Yes I'm and XF fan too!) Then, the moment when they don't know if Atlantis has been destroyed or not - oh John. How desperate he was in that little moment, you could just hear it in his voice - so full of panic. Then, when Elizabeth responds a heavy burden is lifted from his chest - even Caldwell notices it.

I love the fact they sent him home so quickly. John was itching to be back there and that scene when he is beamed down - his face, his voice - he can't believe it everything is still in one piece, including him, living and breathing to see it - and then Elizabeth walks down the stairs, looking like an angel.


He is there and he doesn't quite believe his eyes.



Here she comes, looking like an angel. He thinks he is in heaven, and in a way it is a heaven for him - he finally has a home. And after all, home is where your heart is.


She is completely ecstatic to see him alive. Her smile simply shines, like huge sun, and John is still lost, still doesn't feel all of this is real.



This is the last thing he expected. he is terrible when dealing with emotions - he is desperately trying to suppress all that he feels right now and get a grip on the roller coaster he is riding right now, and then Elizabeth ruins all of his attempts to gain some sort of emotional control over his own reactions. And above all, he doesn't really believe he deserves all of this.



And then he is realizing, all of this is real. She's grounding him in a new reality, where he had done something good, where he saved the people entrusted in his care - just think how much of a redemption that is for him - he just found himself in a world where John Sheppard, the outcast, has a home and people who care about him and his well being just as he cares about them.


Then, you can see on his face how he accepts it, and he returns the hug. I love the fact that he holds her so gently. *melts* Like he could break her. Oh, John. You do deserve all of it, and you deserve her.


[SIZE="1"]Now she has to check if its really real. Yes it is. He is home and safe.


You can see how shaken she was.


John is a little bit lost, all of his defenses are dangerously low, she managed to get through them so suddenly and quickly and he needs to joke his way out to loosen this tension.


She accepts it - she needs it too, and after all she knows him well enough to be tuned just right into his needs and reactions. *hearts them*





Guess where John is staring while licking his lips.




Back to safety! They slip into their usual roles and you can see how the tension goes away - yeah, being professional is whole lot safer! Those were some high wired emotions, but note how they refuse to stand too far apart. Personal space anyone?? Not when it comes to sparky

[YappiChick]

*entering into thread*

Hey y'all...I've got a little something to share with you guys.

Anyone who has seen my LJ can tell you, I've been on a pic fic kick for a while now. Anyway, I posted one with John/Elizabeth here. I wouldn't call it Sparky, but hopefully it will give you a chuckle or two.

[Anuna]

*entering into thread*

Hey y'all...I've got a little something to share with you guys.

Anyone who has seen my LJ can tell you, I've been on a pic fic kick for a while now. Anyway, I posted one with John/Elizabeth here. I wouldn't call it Sparky, but hopefully it will give you a chuckle or two.

That made me laugh - thank you Yappi! Nice to see you again

[Southern Red]

Hello all, enjoying the discussion but not much to add. I did however, with my nimble fingers manage to cap this. Proof.

[Anuna]

Hello all, enjoying the discussion but not much to add. I did however, with my nimble fingers manage to cap this. Proof.

He looks like he's in heaven Thank you SR.

[justhere1971]

Hello all, enjoying the discussion but not much to add. I did however, with my nimble fingers manage to cap this. Proof.

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...eyesclosed.jpg

Just call her "fast fingers" SR.


Awesome catch.

[Southern Red]

Just call her "fast fingers" SR.


Awesome catch.

I tried to get him licking his lips and looking at her mouth, but he's just too fast for me. LOL. Oh wait. I have an idea. Back maybe. Wish me luck.

[Anuna]

Let's see who is quicker?! *goes to screencap*

[Eri13]

Finally...the detonation of the nuclear bomb, the cloaking idea, and the disappearance of Ford.

The cloaking idea really was ingenious and solidly developed. The only minor plot gripe I have is whether the Wraith really would have left so quickly--or so readily believed Teyla, who was 'jumping in' to their consciousness, not being sought out by them. But, Atlantis must go on, so I suppose we can overlook it.




McKAY (whispering): I don't think they've detected us.
WEIR (whispering): Why are you whispering?
McKAY (whispering): I dunno – it just seems like the right thing to do. *snickers*

As I mentioned earlier, I was a little baffled at the sudden decision of John to run after Ford--couldn't he have waited, at least until they were sure Atlantis was safe? I agreed with Elizabeth--'now's not the right time!'

We know he cares a lot about his team members, but this seemed a touch contrived--obviously put there to get to the highly-tense, highly-emotional final sequence, where their lives were put in jeopardy by Ford's actions and we have a mini-cliffhanger to contend with as well.





And yet, a small part of me believes that this could have been a really, really great second episode, where they are just getting off their feet after the 'fake out', Wraith ships are scouting the damage, perhaps, and Ford runs out on them at the end, just as he does here. Just as exciting but with more time devoted to Aiden's problem.

But then we wouldn't get Intruder so quickly, so...

The effect of Ford opening the gate, though, lends to one final emotional set of moments between Elizabeth and John, and I like the interplay.

Elizabeth is both angry and terrified that his actions have destroyed the ruse--and I really like how Torri walks over to look down on John, and they shout to each other:

SHEPPARD: Where the hell is he goin'?
WEIR: It won't matter if the Wraith can detect the Gate activity through the cloak.

I like her tone isn't aggravated with him. I give this one to Torri, who must have believed in playing Elizabeth both tense and yet sympathetic to John's feelings. She could have just shouted at him and played angry, but she doesn't.





And then...we get that final Sparky moment, a really great cap off to an excellent series.

Rodney confirms for Elizabeth that the danger's past.





Once she hears it, what is the first thing she does?





Head down to the floor to comfort John.

What I love about this moment is it isn't really necessary. We've had some great John/Elizabeth moments throughout the Siege series, but this final little bit isn't something Elizabeth necessarily needed to be there for. You could have had the ending be John staring at the gate Ford went through, struggling with his emotions, and Elizabeth staying up top with Rodney. It would have made sense.

But I think it goes to that sense that something like that wouldn't have been right with Elizabeth's character. At this point, Elizabeth's development, in particular her connection with John, have led her here. She needs to be alongside him to end this spectacular three-parter. She also needs to be the one to comfort him. At this point, I think she's one of the few, if not the only one, who could. I could see Rodney trying, or perhaps Teyla, but they don't have that intimate, deep connection with him Elizabeth does. She reminds him, gently, that even though they lost Ford, they won the battle.




LOVE her expression. She's so worried...mostly about him.

This isn't just about patting him on the shoulder and telling him 'it'll be alright'. This is about the unspoken as much as the spoken. She's there for him, no matter what happens. She will be there for him to help him find Ford. And thanks to him, she, and all of Atlantis, will be there for him in the future.

And he understands. That final look between them speaks volumes. He understands--probably more than he's willing to admit. John's reaction is fitting--he needs to walk away. But I believe that, for him, what's she's said and done, being there beside him, is comfort enough.


So gentle--and he gets it, too.

Wonderful scene between Torri and Joe. And a great job done by all. One of the most spectacular series of episodes in any series, and I don't believe anything in Atlantis's run has topped it in terms of the total blend of battles, character moments, plot strength and special effects.