Letters From Pegasus (117)

[gwangung]

I think it's more that Weir is supposed to be cool, calm and collected, and on occasions Torri comes across as expressionless. I thought she was really good in LFP compared to, say, how stiff she was in 38 Minutes.

Well, in acting school, they tell you to do that to make the emotional breaks come off bigger....

[Shep'sSocks]

Actually, it's analog, but since that's now (sigh) such an archaic term...

Actually, it depends on what country people are from. In mine, it's analogue.

They weren't HER people, they were just a people she'd dealt with in the past. Yeah, she considers them "family" but she considers everyone she's ever MET to be family and hasn't pulled this diva act before.

Also, who is SHE to decide that this friend of hers is more worthy than other families? She gets all high and mighty about Shep callously deciding things for everyone, but she is no different. She chose THIS family over everyone else and if everything had stuck to plan, that's all she would have taken. Very much a "pot, meet kettle" situation, if you ask me.

That's precisely what annoyed me. She was the one who was bringing them down to the level of the Wraith. She was deciding who lived and who died.

[Draco_Astreus]

Very good ep. Almost my fav. ep of Atlantis. Hell I'm not sure why it's not my favorite.... it's really good, but we've had some good ones previously aswell. Very good chracter development for everyone, I'm liking Ford more now. He's cool. Hope we'll see plenty more of him.
On the Teyla thing, I'm not sure where I stand but I'll say that I don't think she was out of character. She may have been a bit annoying at several points and she definately has a lot to learn about what's important in these kinds of situations... however I think Shep can also take advice from her. I think it's just a bit of good development for both of them, maybe in the future Teyla will think more about the bigger picture and Shep will be a bit more aware of the people side of things.
(I must admit when Teyla said "Too much, I fear" that was going a bit far..)

Oh also, Teyla mensioned she had never seen a culling that took so many. I didn't make anything of this at first but then I got to thinking... maybe the rest of them know about Earth now? So maybe they are like, 'skrew everyone here, we just want to get to Earth,' so they cull as many people as they want, not caring about future 'crops.' Scary thought....

[LoneStar1836]

This was a beautiful episode visually. The SFX of the hive ships coming out of hyperspace and then contrasted against the planet. Stunning attention paid to details. Then the shot from the PJ looking out at the village with the darts, the beam, and the moon on the horizon looked pretty darn real to me, and it all probably looks way better when not viewed on my crappy little 13in TV with not the sharpest cable reception. And here I thought clip shows were supposed to be money savers. Not that I’m complaining. These guys know their stuff. Atlantis had been impressive when it comes to the visual effects.

This had to be the best clip show ever in the history of Stargate. Didn’t even really feel like a clip show. It actually had a very compelling storyline. Very emotional. Great humor mixed in as well. And Ford got to do something, and he had some great lines, too.

Poor Rodney had a dog that ran away. Gotta love a man who loves animals even if they only come when you shake the box. My cats usually do the same thing. Loved every moment of McKay in this one.

Great character development for Weir. I really want her character to be successful. We need a strong woman on the show. We obviously are not going to get that from Teyla. The other writers need to get tips from this writer on how to help develop and write for Weir. I hope she has a greater presence next season, i.e. go off-world once in a while.

You know that still has to eat at Shep that he had to kill Sumner. Only appropriate for him to send that message. Maybe a little release for him. I hate that he is a loner. There has got to be somebody back on Earth he is connected to. At least McKay has his sister and his cat.

I’m not going to go into detail about Teyla because it’s pretty much been said in above posts why I didn’t particularly care for her attitude toward Sheppard. (Maybe she should just stick to being a mute a** kicker cause opening her mouth didn’t help her character much in this one.) The man already feels the burden of holding peoples’ lives in his hands. If he could save them all he would. He doesn’t need a lecture from Teyla. Leaders aren’t always liked for the decisions they make, and it may not be apparent that they made the right choice until sometime later. Protecting Atlantis ultimately has to come first if there is going to be any remote chance of eventually defeating the wraith for the eventual betterment of everyone in the galaxy, even if they have to snag that ZPM from the planet full of kids as a choice of last resort.

Overall, a great episode. I’m not so sure about next week’s.

[LoneStar1836]

Oh also, Teyla mensioned she had never seen a culling that took so many. I didn't make anything of this at first but then I got to thinking... maybe the rest of them know about Earth now? So maybe they are like, 'skrew everyone here, we just want to get to Earth,' so they cull as many people as they want, not caring about future 'crops.' Scary thought....

That could be a possibility.

I think she’s never seen a culling so large before because many of the wraith were in hibernation during her lifetime, and most of the culling was just to feed the ones who watched over them. Here you got the entire ship awake and everybody is feeding in preparation for the big fight so they take everyone on the planets in their path to Atlantis in hopes of taking care of this threat. The other ships out there (not going to Atlantis) might be a little more selective in how many they take in order to preserve for the future. Though I’m sure they have their sites set on our galaxy, but they are going to want to hold on to Pegasus as well. That would be my guess.

[macktheknife]

Teyla needs to die. Get someone who knows the score regarding military stuff, and not have the baggage of "omg the wraith stole my father!!!oneone!!!, we must save these people, they are like family!!one!!!" Wooden as Jack's cabin. Plus this new guy apparently coming in does not like he will raise the intelligence of the show very much.

[AlphaBlu]

I'd once again like to reiterate my undying love for this episode. It's probably the best episode of Atlantis' first Season, which is a big call given how amazing Eye/Storm, Before I Sleep, The Brotherhood and Siege 1/Siege2 are. Even more amazing is the fact that this was Season 1's "clips episode", yet the clips totaled about 2 minutes of screentime, and most of that was done with new voiceovers, rather than a simple "CUT TO".

This episode hit all the right notes from start to finish. The continuing sensation of dread (that reaches its ultimate peak as several flares are launched at the begining of the battle in Siege 2) manages to build and build, started ever so brilliently at the end of The Brotherhood.

All the character notes (except for Ford, unsurprisingly), are there. We get Kavanaugh again, a plot line I'm glad they didn't drop, we get Weir being a leader and giving a speech about the fallen that rivals anything Bra'tac's ever said in SG-1 (and he usually gets the best speeches). We get Ford talking to Sumner's family, if he has one, that really tugs at the heartstrings. We get Bates and his sense of loss. We get Beckett and his sense of homesickness (even if it is through comedic means). We get Zelenka's innocence and continued sense of wonder (faced with death he descibes the rising of the city, that shows a lot about how he works). And yes, Teyla was extremely arrogant and annoying in this episode, but I think that's the point. The snarky stuff between her and Sheppard was great.

And then there's McKay... I've said it before but David Hewlitt is at the top of his game in this episode. He absolutely steals the show and turns what would otherwise be quite a harrowing and gloomy episode (given how scary the full-scale culling is with the screams and everything and the sheer hopelessness of Atlantis' situation) into something that goes from serious, to sad, to scary, to side-tearingly hilarious all in a few scenes. Atlantis is worth watching already, but McKay sweetens the deal.

I wonder if we ever will hear his thoughts on leadership?

So, yes, this is probably the best episode of Season 1. Don't think that it gets worse from hereon in, it doesn't, it just levels out really. Nothing after this ep is better, but nothing is worse either.

BYE

[Elinor]

What's the general consensus of what that blue beam was? If you want to stick with the theme of the Wraith feeding on lifeforce, and the belief among many here that the Wraith ships are bio-tech, is it possible that one of the ships was actually feeding on the "life" of the planet for its fuel rather than a conventional powersource?

I'm not certain on this, but I think Shep gives a one sentence explanation of what the beam is in "The Gift". It's a "blink and you'll miss it" moment So look out for it!

[thorshammer]

Can anybody explain the ending. Did the SGC get the messeges?

[ShadowMaat]

Can anybody explain the ending. Did the SGC get the messeges?

Yes. See? Sometimes McKay IS as brilliant as he claims.

[alz0rz]

Yes, I agree even though I think this was supposed to be a clip show - it was an excellent one at that. But the clips didnt even amount to more than 7-8min so that was great.

Minor end of SG1 S8 Spoilers.

Spoiler:

Sadly though these ramifications from this episode see to take place after Moebius P2, since they never mention it in any of the final SG1 Episodes

Al

[Thek]

Yes, I agree even though I think this was supposed to be a clip show - it was an excellent one at that. But the clips didnt even amount to more than 7-8min so that was great.

Minor end of SG1 S8 Spoilers.

Spoiler:

Sadly though these ramifications from this episode see to take place after Moebius P2, since they never mention it in any of the final SG1 Episodes

Al

Moebius

Spoiler:

No, the entire reason they go back in time is to get the ZPM so they can send help to the Pegasus Galaxy.

The real question is when Sam recieves the message? Before or after Threads?

I haven't seen Threads yet, so I don't know if its ever mentioned.

[IMForeman]

Yes, I agree even though I think this was supposed to be a clip show - it was an excellent one at that. But the clips didnt even amount to more than 7-8min so that was great.

Minor end of SG1 S8 Spoilers.

Spoiler:

Sadly though these ramifications from this episode see to take place after Moebius P2, since they never mention it in any of the final SG1 Episodes

Al

Spoiler:

They never make direct reference, no... however, Carter does calll the Time Ship 'the Jumper" at one point in part one. It's either a remarkable coincidence, or the Atlantis expidition referenced the Jumpers as such.

-IMF

[tekguy2]

Zelenka's bit was great! Although I was a bit unhappy with the unlrealistic part about how all their info takes up .3 of the stream, but then we don't have a show. Our compression methods today aren't superb, but that's unreal. Otherwise, I felt this was a very good episode, especially with the Wraith fleet.

[Major Fischer]

Although I was a bit unhappy with the unlrealistic part about how all their info takes up .3 of the stream, but then we don't have a show. Our compression methods today aren't superb, but that's unreal.

As unreal as traveling by artificial wormhole instantly? Or as unreal as modern archeology and anthropology missing not one but two ancient alien civilizations on this planet in the archeological record?

It's a science fiction television show.