Epiphany (212)

[Shep'sSocks]

I liked the idea of being stuck somewhere but I found the cave scenes - that quiet desperation - far more satisfying than the Monster of the Week episode we ended up with. Isolation is far more terrifying to the psyche.

[AGateFan]

I did like the ok monster either I am going to eat you or you are going to eat me line kind of funny... (something like that anyway) but other then that the monster was kind of useless.

[Shep'sSocks]

It did give us lots of Shep flying through the air shots but I can get people flying through the air thing on Farscape.

[FoolishPleasure]

I did like the ok monster either I am going to eat you or you are going to eat me line kind of funny... (something like that anyway) but other then that the monster was kind of useless.

They never did say why they were afraid of the beast. Had it killed people before (wouldn't be much of a santuary if it had), or had it just injured them? Or did its fierce roar make them shake in their booties? Apparently some spent their whole lives there - grew up, got married, and some never even had a choice in what they wanted to do in life (Teer said she had been born there). Last - they must not have been very fit, as all they seemed to do was meditate, and eat.

[entil2001]

Coming on the heels of an “SG-1” episode that just missed the mark because of a too-familiar premise with little or no original variation, I was worried that the same would be true. After all, this “time dilation” thing has been done again and again. So how would the writers make it unique? The answer is simple: ground it in the mythology of the series itself, center on a character with enormous depth, and use the situation to let the rest of the cast shine.

Granted, this episode wasn’t perfect. It was a little predictable in places, and while I understand and appreciate what the writers were going for, the resolution would have worked better in a prose short story than a more visual medium. (I felt something similar to the concern I felt when the “Babylon 5” episode “Into the Fire” hit its climax: satisfaction with the concept, but worry over how the execution would be perceived.)

But the fact is that Sheppard is a huge reason why I love this series, and this episode reminded me of why. It’s the fact that he’s not just a wise-cracking smartass; he has a human side that comes out at just the right moment. The fact that Joe Flanigan helped to write the script probably had something to do with it. An actor brings a lot to a character, because the actor must know how the character is thinking from scene to scene.

It also affords the actor a chance to invest more of himself into the character and make the performance more real. That was the difference between the “SG-1” episode (9.12) and this one: the character development and exploration was a lot more organic. It built upon what was already known about the character and took it in a believable direction. Just as importantly, the rest of the cast acted exactly in keeping with their established relationship to Sheppard.

I was most impressed with the subtle continuity with McKay’s character. While I have been critical of McKay’s character arc thus far (or rather, the fact that it’s inconsistent), I liked the fact that he was so passionate about saving Sheppard. Would he have done that for someone else? Maybe, but I look back at “Trinity” and can’t help but see the connection. There was also Weir’s insistence on going through the portal for John, which is in keeping with the dynamic between them.

I also couldn’t help but notice that Teyla demonstrated something like intelligence and thought in this episode, which has unfortunately been a rare commodity this season. She’s still a bit too close to Ronon for my tastes, since it’s too easy and disturbing a relationship to contemplate, but both of them took action as their established characterizations would dictate, and I appreciated that immensely.

I also thought that the idea of the enclave itself, even if the Beast was a concept that didn’t quite pay off as well as the writers intended. I found myself buying into the character of Teira and her ability, and what it meant for her and Sheppard. If this had been a book or short story, I could have seen her character being a lot more prominent. It was just another example of how well this episode worked, and why this was one of the better episodes of the second season.

[prion]

They never did say why they were afraid of the beast. Had it killed people before (wouldn't be much of a santuary if it had), or had it just injured them? Or did its fierce roar make them shake in their booties? Apparently some spent their whole lives there - grew up, got married, and some never even had a choice in what they wanted to do in life (Teer said she had been born there). Last - they must not have been very fit, as all they seemed to do was meditate, and eat.

Unsure if any of them married. Hetta and Avrid and Teer were siblings. Their parents ascended but the kids were okay with that.

As for the Beast, they might have been scared witless of it just from seeing it. Sort of frightening. It's like having the IRS lingering outside your door.... I dont' believe it's killed or injured anybody until poor Shep wandered into their woods.

[nccjones]

As for the Beast, they might have been scared witless of it just from seeing it. Sort of frightening. It's like having the IRS lingering outside your door.... I dont' believe it's killed or injured anybody until poor Shep wandered into their woods.

This is just an assumption, but I believe the beast wasn't there to hurt the village but more to protect it even though the villagers were scared of it. Once Sheppard showed up, it realized the village may be threatened which is why the beast came to the village. Remember, in the beginning the beast was only chasing Avrid, it never harmed him...even when it was face to face with Avrid.

At the end, the villagers realized that the beast was made by their people, it's never mentioned when and then they were able to destroy the beast. So in away I do believe it was their to protect them and keep them from wondering off.

[SGalisa]

I *really* must vow to myself to:
stop listening to all the negative commentaries showing up in these episode topics (which seem to run into other topics). I made that mistake with reading portions of SG1, Season 8, and later regretted it when I saw the repeat season cycles and mini-marathons. 2nd time viewing cycle around, previously thought *bad* eps with the weight of everyone else's skewed POVs in mind ended up far better than when first encountered. Even the weird looking aliens had a reason and purpose to and for their stories.

Seriously, if I did continue listening to even now more *seasoned* voices going on in negative tones on GW, I'd give up on watching Stargate altogether. Seriously! Stargate is one of the few programs I make a special effort to watch, because it's so different from the mundane. BSG is too military and war focused for me; so I need to watch something enlightening now and then. (TV News and radio affects me the same way.)

Epiphany: Written by Brad Wright. Original concept by Joe Flanigan (Sheppard!)
It wasn't as bad as all the negative remarks have been on previous pages of this same topic. Sure, Brad could have made it better in spots, but overall, end product seemed above average (definitely above *medicore*).

I didn't see it as *bad* as claimed (even by "seasoned") POVs on here. Maybe it was the way some things were written by previous viewer POVs that I got a completely unlikable impression of what a particular scene would be like... When I actually saw the scenes in question, I saw them completely different than foretold.

...and experiencing certain (cute) little details made the scenes funnier than read on these forums.
after hours of getting frustrated from waiting alone in the cave,
Shep: (with anticipation for a reply)
......."Can you hear me now??"

I once caught myself saying that to someone on a cell phone, and only realized after I said it how much the Verizon commercial has influenced my way of saying things...

I did wonder if Teer was just using her *gift* as an excuse in front of Shep, just to provoke him into being more *intimate* with her... His reaction wasn't the issue, either. How she approached him was. I did like McKay's reactive comment in the end much better than his previous "Kirk" reference accusations in Sanctuary:

McKay: "What *is* it with you and *ascended* women??!"

Shep: (seemingly wondering the same thing himself)
......."I don't know."

EDIT* (not sure if Mckay said "ancient" or "ascended")

On the constructive issues of what might be lacking in any (SG) story...
Maybe what TPTB and writers need is while tossing their ideas into the arena of development, they need to bring in trusted sources to psycho analyze an idea (being very vague and general about an actual item), in order to improve upon or discover any weaknesses in their writing. For example, in Epiphany:

* if the invisible monster was a creature of the living ancients own doing, how or what caused it into existence?
* why did the creature actually physically hurt Sheppard, but only frighten the villagers?

According to Teer, the creature was a creation of the villagers own making. But...
* how could the creature be a manifestation of the entire village? It was as if someone had the power of telekinesis, which manifested the core of that power into a *thing* confined as a single energy, and the creature was really a source of...??
1) (someone's) sick minded (torture) entertainment
2) an outlet for unleashing their anger upon anyone getting to close to it
3) the forces for ascension wrapped up under an invisible entity

Also, whether Shep was *really* mad at his own rescue team taking *six* months to find him, either his frustration got him sidetracked, or Teer was too distracting: Sheppard never looked beyond the food sent by finding Teyla's note or her watch regarding the rescue efforts taking place, unless that scene got cut from final viewing. When his rescue team finally showed up, Shep said he didn't understand what took so long. Teyla's note and watch should have been self explanatory in that sense. Therefore, he apparently never looked at the watch or read her note.

[Dannygirl]

I also got the impression the beast hadn't killed anyone since it always seemed to leave just after injuring Shep. It made sense to me that the villagers would be afraid of it since it was a manifestation of their fears. I also think they knew this at some level but unable to accept and let go of it until Shep forced them to evaluate their fear of facing the thing and what they would be giving up in their quest for ascension. His words gave them the courage to let it go, nothing more.

As for the relationship, I agree with Starfox as to why he ended up in bed with her.

These weren't the race descended from the Ancients. These were regular people the Ancients created, just like Teyla's people. 10,000 years for us is bound to be...what, millions of years for them. Lord only knows when the first peoples arrived there. They weren't as advanced as the Ancients but they were in the middle of developing. I liked that.

I enjoyed the villagers. But for me, it's an environment and goal that would be appealing to me. I saw a contentment and peace there. A quiet excitement due to being on the verge of greater adventure.

100 Days didn't advance SG-1's storyline either, it was just there for the sake of being a good story. I didn't think this was any different. We do know though that Shep is close to ascension. Come to think of it, did the SGC ever do a brain scan of the guy? We have no idea just how evolved he is.

[Amanda Eros]

I liked this episode for the most part except for the whole, Sheppard having sex with that girl. It just made me rolled my eyes. Plus, if that girl had visions on how they learned to assend then she could have just done it with the group a long time before Sheppard even came on the scene. Of course that would have created a split in the time line.

Oh, and it reminded me of a DS9 episode that I saw a long time ago. Once a year a evil beast thing would come and the leader of the village would have to retell a story to make it go away. Though the beast was actually created by the villager's fears.

[SGalisa]

Originally posted by Buzz Lightyear:
This episode still reminded me too much of season 3 SG-1's "A Hundred Days" in which O'Neill was stranded on a planet with no hope of rescue and fell in love with a woman in a village.

faintly, sort of... but not totally, especially in individual (female) characterizations.

Shep was stranded -no way back. He was told so. So, in that sense, Shep's stuck situation faintly echoed a combination of "Brief Candle" with the aging factor and Jack being stranded in "100 Days".

Difference with SG-1's "100 Days" was Shep's not really attached to anyone just yet... Jack had inklings of something new with Sam, not to also mention potentially resolving his estranged relationship with his former wife, Sarah. Jack hated Sam when he first met her, but softened waaaaayyyyyy up in his "Solitudes" ep. Then in the "100 Days" ep, he got stuck with that *evil* scheming woman, who wanted Jack all to herself and probably got what she was *really* after (a baby).

hmmm, Laira = similar to selfish Meggie of "Thorn Birds" having her *precious* Dane child; but even Meggie was far more tragic in her life's story and 100 million times more likable than Laira (IMO).

Teer's life was different. She was semi-likable and spiritually meditated on ascension, besides being sort of super-simple minded. And Shep seemed to be instigated into kissing her, because she used her "visionary" gift as an excuse for doing it. However, (*if*) because Teer knew she would soon ascend, her motive to be with Shep wasn't for getting pregnant by him. I do think she believed in changing the future was a possibility, because her visionary thing wasn't strong enough to see Shep not ascending with her and the others. ahah! a weakness in her ESP *gift*...

[SmallTimePerson]

Doesn't Atlantis already have ZPM?

to put it in mckay's words
"2 is better than 1 and 3 is better than 2"

[cindyz]

[QUOTE=nccjones] Once Mitchell showed up, it realized the village may be threatened which is why the beast came to the village. /QUOTE]

Dude , it was Sheppard!

[AGateFan]

[QUOTE=cindyz]

Once Mitchell showed up, it realized the village may be threatened which is why the beast came to the village. /QUOTE]

Dude , it was Sheppard!

Mitchell, Sheppeard.... like theres a difference.

Seriously, I kept trying to type something up about Mitchell the other day and I kept inserting Sheppard... or was that the other way around... i eventually just gave up.

[SophieTucker]

Star Trek Voyager meets The Forbidden Planet

How strange that both SG's plots tonight were such ST:Voyager clones. This episode was very similar to the VOY ep "Blink of an Eye" which envolves a planet in an alternate timefield. And I thought Forbidden Planet the minute I saw "the Beast".

I can understand Sheppard wondering if he'd been abandoned but it seems he would have at least entertained the idea that something had happened to his team or that the doorway was beyond their ability to solve.

However, McKay did manage to make it an entertaining ep "Conan and Xena" -lol and I think McKay is actually braver than Beckett.