Before I Sleep (115)

[Lythisrose]

Joe Mallozzi's memories:
http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...e-brotherhood/

BEFORE I SLEEP (115)

Carl Binder makes his impressive Atlantis debut with an episode that hits all the right notes. It’s possessed of humour, wonder, surprises, great character moments, and a bittersweetness that stays with you long after other episodes have been forgotten. In the opening scene, Sheppard’s birthday gift to Weir goes a long way toward strengthening the (recently frayed) bond between the two while simultaneously endearing John to the audience. Yes, he’s a guy who killed some 60 enemy combatants, challenged Elizabeth’s authority, and showed suspect judgment in his romantic pursuit of an outsider but, on the flip side, he’s someone who thinks enough of his friends to: a) take the time to find out their birth day and b) go through the trouble of getting them a present. It’s a small gesture but an incredibly meaningful one. McKay, meanwhile, is back to his old self as he oversees the search of unexplored sections of Atlantis, seeking fresh scientific discoveries – and a room with a nicer view.

Time travel episodes are great – provided they make sense. And this one does, jumping back between two timelines – past, present, and future – to tell the tale of an Atlantis expedition that was and, subsequently, never was. We’re offered an alternate view of the pilot, a glimpse at the Ancients, and, best of all, confirmation that, when the chips are down, Rodney IS a hero at heart.

[Krisz]

One of the SGA episodes I've actually rewatched a few times. I like time travel stories so it was a must on the watch list really!

A great episode for finding out more about Atlantis.. Not only do they discover another lab with a stasis unit we get a glimpse back in time to see some of the Ancients and meet Janus the time machine builder, added bonus with the time ship we saw in SG-1. The time travelling trail of Janus was nicely pulled together here.

Torri Higginson is the star here with a great performance as her old self and young self interacting really well together. Great idea about the current expedition surviving only because Weir had barely escaped with her life and was able to get a failsafe put in place and change the future.

This is my 2nd favourite SGA episode after 'Vegas'.

[NowIWillDestroyAbydos]

This was a great episode. I guess Carl's first episode was his best (don't know how that's possible).

So this episode originally aired 2 weeks after It's Good To Be King. And we already knew about the timeship.

Glad we survived this time.

Tomorrow, the first planet we visit from the ZPM list.

[gatechick]

Here is the only thing that confuses me. And it confused me with SG-1 Moebius as well. if Elizabeth (or SG-1 in Moebius) went back in time, why would Elizabeth be her young self here. Shouldn't the fact that she went back in time, mean that she would not be reborn centuries later? It was a question I have always asked myself, especially after seeing this and the SG-1 time travel episodes. I don't pretend to understand the science behind the shows, but I enjoy watching it.

[hlndncr]

Here is the only thing that confuses me. And it confused me with SG-1 Moebius as well. if Elizabeth (or SG-1 in Moebius) went back in time, why would Elizabeth be her young self here. Shouldn't the fact that she went back in time, mean that she would not be reborn centuries later? It was a question I have always asked myself, especially after seeing this and the SG-1 time travel episodes. I don't pretend to understand the science behind the shows, but I enjoy watching it.

The natural consequence of time travel stories is unexplained paradoxes. You just have to roll with it.

[hlndncr]

This is probably my favorite episode of Season 1. It is so clever and entertaining.

It gets bonus points from me right off just because I love time travel stories.

Then it comes up with a completely brilliant premise that makes you re-examine everything that came before by going back to the pilot and showing us an alternative history.

We also get to see an Atlantis occupied by the Ancients and the end of their society in the Pegasus galaxy.

And my favorite part of the episode is Janus. What a great character. We hear about him again, but unfortunately we never see him again. This is something that shouldn't have been totally outside the realm of possibility because he did dabble in time travel. He and Weir had such a great chemistry too.

So with 10,000 in Atlantis all to herself do you think Alt!Weir did a little exploring before going back into the stasis chamber? I know I would.

[gatechick]

The natural consequence of time travel stories is unexplained paradoxes. You just have to roll with it.

That is why I said at the end of my comment, I don't always understand the science behind the show but I like watching it.

I was really just hopin someone might have noticed if they ever explained it in the show, I was thinking maybe I missed something.

[Jae'a]

My LiveJournal post

Wow, what a bombshell! I never would have guessed there was another version of their arrival!
Poor Weir...

[Lieutenant Sparrow]

An alright ep. A bit better than some previous ep's.

Pretty cool getting a look at an alternate rising. And also seeing the Ancients when they still inhabited Atlantis.

Finding out who created the time jumper was cool as well. Nice little connection to SG-1.

And this sets off the search for the ZPM's

[Matt G]

Midweek, another ep of SG1.

1. The gateroom flooding...still a great scene.

2. Hologram lady was Ganos Lai/MOrgan Le Fey. Melia was someone else entirely.

3. Oh yeah, Janus would have gotten an earful.

Solid ep.

[ZRFTS]

Before I Sleep

"Atlantis", the ancients; these are two of the things that makes SGA more then just an SG1 spinoff. There have been episodes where some ancient stuff is introduced but never has there been an episode which dives deep; so when the Atlantis crew just ever so happens to encounter an older version of Weir, we gain the opportunity to learn more about Atlantis, the ancients and the bits and pieces that ever so lie in between.

Now the people knew that to have an episode revolve around this they'd have to make her something special and they do quite well; the Old Weir is quite a nice person, ever so humble, ever so sweet and ever so determined, her winkles show her age but the words that the says, the actions that she does and the state of her health make her more then a gimmick; so much in fact that the people will be drawn to her as she tells her story, which is essential because much of the episode relies around her. They effectively use her as a bridge between the present and the future (kind of like a wraparound), some of the SGA team gets to shine as they talk about time travel and alternate realities and even some of the non-plot actions they do help to break up the monotony; they manage to make us care about her declining age to the end of the episode and with that declining age comes something meaningful, something moralistic yet important at the same time, that is the fragility of life and how every moment is important; something that truly leads to some pretty powerful stuff.

Old Weir... Pretty cute.

The story that the Old Weir tells is exceptionally good; it has tons of that Ancient interaction that people have been clamoring for while still having an emotional grip that holds you throughout the story. It's really nice to see an alternate version of the events that have happened in the pilot, both the small differences and the major differences; it satisfies the imagination who wonders what would of happened had the city not risen. I liked seeing these people be heroic (especially Rodney, in the past...) but I couldn't help but wonder if these scenes went on for too long; sure it's nice but it ate up valuable time that could of been used for the ancient part of the story, there are just too many unnecessary parts that served to give those faithful fans a few minutes of fanservice; fanservice is nice but do you know what's nicer? the story. The part of the story where the old Weir meets the ancients is nice, it gives us a brief glimpse into what the city is like with Ancients and their hectic time where they had to submerge the city in order to protect themselves from the Wraith; the Ancients shown here are the same as they've ever been and though there are a few of them, they still satisfy the inner need that SGA has had since the beginning.

There is a feeling that more could of been done; I mean these ancients are just standing around, doing the same things that the Atlantis crew would of done. We do get some Ancient-related behavior but there's an unnerving feeling that these ancients are being underutilized. Writers, Dr. Weir has been sent back to a time where there's a working Atlantis; don't you think that warrants some more exploration to satisfy their fanbase? Regardless what we get is good and I liked Weir as she showed desire to get back to her time; it's understandable, she didn't belong in this time and there is just a bunch of knowledge that she would like to share with them, from the past I mean. The desire to help out and prevent what has happened drives Weir's character in a good point, she's desperate, she's willing to give out a compassionate speech in order to change the council's mind and she doesn't give up; no matter how much the odds are against her. This episode shows more about Dr. Weir then any episode before it and it makes her even more important then she was back then.

Weir. Truly getting her chance to shine.

The interaction with Jonas was really really good, I was afraid that it wouldn't turn out as well but his character seemed to be the perfect fit to a story that's about Weir. Stargate fans will be surprised to know that he's the inventor or something shown earlier in SG1 but for the rest of us, that doesn't matter; what does matter is his performance as a character which he does admirably well as he shows off his determination and idealism. His invention plays a nice part in the plot, creating the conflict between himself and the ancients and allowing much of his character to come out; it allows for some sci-fi elements to sneak their way into the story, providing metaphorical stuff about the fabricy of time and the causality of it; but here's the catch, that metaphorical stuff isn't included to make the episode more science-fictiony, it's there to enhance the conflict and allow the character to define himself, his way of thinking and his memorable behavior will entrance people and it will make you sad once he eventually leaves Weir alone.

I liked the subtle romance between the two and surprise, surprise; I thought it was a better romance then the one shown in the previous episode. I think the fact that it isn't overly obvious makes it ring a bit truer; it initially just seems like two people helping each other out but you have a feeling that they have a connection, that they're falling for each other and the more the episode goes on the more charming and sweet it becomes. This right here shows that the Stargate people really know how to handle their romance if done in the right light; it's sweet, it's cute and it's even romantically engaging. There are also some appreciable things done in regards to Atlantis; even though the pilot didn't have any questions that needed answering, it's nice that they included things that connect to the first episode of the series in a clever way; it just makes the story that much deeper and seeing Weir move around and interacting in the city is nice and beautiful, almost serving as a defining point of the episode.

Good pair...

"Before I Sleep" is one of the best episodes of SGA; it's close to a masterpiece but there are certain things that hold it back from claiming the coveted "10/10" rating, regardless; it's still a must see. This episode gives Dr. Weir a chance to shine, placing her in a story that's as powerful as it is engaging, the interaction with Ancients fulfills one of the series self-promising missions and though it doesn't utilize the situation enough to make it truly worthwhile, it's still satisfying nonetheless. This is essential SGA for good reason but regardless, if you're going in expecting a masterpiece, you'll be disappointed. Still a must see though.

9.0/10

[jelgate]

I have started reading the book series,Wheel of Time and this episode reminds me of the chapter, What Might Have Been from The Great Hunt. Above all else I loved seeing the alternate timeline of this episode. It was fun seeing the Atlantis crew all try to save the city and die in the attempt. It was a different tone from previous episodes and a nice change. It also brought some insight into the Ancient politics. We have seen the Ancients technology and power but their society structure is largely a mystery. I have to wonder why that Ancient ship didn't just hyperspace jump to the planet on the other side of the Wraith siege. We have seen hyperspace windows work in planet's atomspheres before

[albatross]

There was a blooper in this episode. When SG-1 traveled back in time with the TIme-Jumper, they never transported into another location. How did Sheppard made it into space?(By the way, I call Rodney's Hyperspace Jumper Hyper-Jumper.

Nobody replied to this and I just watched the ep. I don't think it was a blooper... They didn't travel in space, but they did travel several thousand years back in time. It's probable that the planet wouldn't be occupying exactly the same space as it was when they left it, hence them being in space above the planet even though they hadn't physically moved.

[garhkal]

Yup. They activated it while in the ship's hanger bay, but since time shifts where evrything is at, who's to say they would not have been elsewhere when they came out?

[lolol111]

I have a question I was wondering could someone help me with. The Weir who travels back in time gives Atlantis 5 gate addresses which supposedly have ZPMs. The team already have been to one of the planets (childhood's end) and they visit another planet to try and get the ZPM there (Brotherhood).
But then so far as I can tell there is no mention of the other gate addresses... why is this? Have I missed something? Do they know those addresses aren't viable or something? I would have though they would have gone to every address ASAP, particularly with the Wraith attack