Epiphany (212)

[FireCat]

Wasn't this the episode that was supposed to give us information on Sheppard? Did I blink and miss a scene?

"Mary Sue" stories don't work for me. Weakest episode of the season so far.

Next time one of the actors wants to write, forget it, with the exception of Chris Judge.

[gambit]

Next time one of the actors wants to write, forget it, with the exception of Chris Judge.

To be fair, JF only wrote the idea, but the staff writers wrote took what he wrote, ripped it apart and wrote the screenplay.

[TOA]

From their point of view, he was only gone for a couple hours. He was sounding so angry through-out the whole episode. He's all into the 'don't leave anyone behind' and poor guy thought they abandoned him


The episode wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't that bad. It kind of has the same A Hundred Days feeling to me, but with more humor from the rescue side.

I'd rate the episode as being somewhere between... The Brotherhood (pretty good), Childhood's End (okay), and Sanctuary (didn't like).

I am a little disappointed with the lack of character development, and character background.

They so better go into the Beckett thing from The Hive. I'll be very disappointed if they don't, and if the whole implication was just a lead on

Your right Shep was angry throughout the whole episode. So much so he was being a bit of an a-- to hot sister and the others.

It was especially clear even at the end when he was all brushing off the sisters offering to join them. (ascend)

[caty]

Your right Shep was angry throughout the whole episode. So much so he was being a bit of an a-- to hot sister and the others.

It was especially clear even at the end when he was all brushing off the sisters offering to join them. (ascend)

Honestly, I thought he reacted very calm, considering the fact that he had been left alone by them. I mean, they let him stand against the beast all alone and he just wanted to help them.
And the explanation at the end was more than thin. She acted like they knew all along that the beast was of their own creation and funny, it didn't hurt her at all, only Sheppard. It's like they purposely let that thing hurt him just because they were to afraid to face their own fears. Now how selfish is that?

I would be pissed!

[AutumnDream]

I think the continuity and relentless onslaught of new and cool information in Season 1 has spoiled me. I kind of expected some sort of really interesting culture or civilization in there. Something really mysterious and cool. I expected the "demi-ancients" to be a lot more advanced, way different than just the same old simple farm village people we've seen in, what... ten billion episodes of Stargate? They're smart, like ancients, they have cool mental abilities... and in 2,500,000 years or whatever it was, they couldn't build a more advanced society than that? Didn't the real ancients populate two or more entire galaxies in less than that time?

I didn't think the beast was necessary. There could have been a really eloquent and dark representation of their embodied negativity. It could have been done in a really original and far more suitable way.

Sheppard could have gone through more. I think he could have if half the episode wasn't spent before he went to the village. It would have worked much better if someone from the society of ancients came to meet him at the portal when he came through, told him he couldn't go back, and had him come back to their city. (At least, it would have been cooler if it was a city.) Then he wouldn't have lingered in there, using up all the valuable episode time. I was hoping there'd be some revelation about Sheppard late in the episode, explaining his obviously intimate connection to all things and people ancient.

Actually, I was hoping for any revelation at all. There was supposed to be something to do with getting ZPMs. Sure, there was mention of "McKay Grand Theft ZPM" (Tm), but I also expected something more than that about the glowy little things.

It sounds like I hated it, but I could never really dislike an Atlantis episode. I was entertained by it, and love watching the character every week so much that the obvious plot shortcomings don't really damage my image of the show. I know everything is in there somewhere... just not in this one.

Oh yeah! Anyone notice Teyla's intonation is changing? That's really cool. It's like if you're Canadian and you spend enough time living in Britain, you'll eventually start getting hints of that accent in your words. I'm pretty sure Teyla voice is becoming closer to ours.

Now, I wonder when she'll start using contractions!

[Yeade]

I haven't gotten around to watching the ep yet (and I'm sure to have more detailed thoughts then), but from everyone's comments it sounds like "Epiphany" has the same sort of character moments vs. plot issues that "The Hive" does. Which is to say, massive squee over our lovable heroes being their lovable selves and blinding migraines when trying to logic out what the hell actually happened and the supporting characters.

So. Is there anything specific on Sheppard's backstory? Or is it all just more fuel to the fire? I'm getting the impression that it's the latter. The abandonment issues (I'm totally digging Sheppard having been shot down in enemy territory with no hope of rescue) and more of his borderline suicidal heroic tendencies. TPTB are having a lot of fun dragging this out, aren't they? That or they're not sure what Sheppard's backstory is going to be either.

Of course, I'll still drool over teh pretty and laugh myself silly. SGA is always entertaining. ^^;;

[xfkirsten]

No, still nothing concrete on his backstory, even after we were promised it in this one. I think what we really got out of it was more a sense that he has pre-existing abandonment issues, maybe related to what happened in Afghanistan.

[Jonzey]

So anyone else getting tired of the ''Oh look, ancients and cool technology and stuff'' which is then all gone by the end of the episode. How many times have they met ancients or found cool technology and yet ended the episode with nothing?

[AutumnDream]

I haven't gotten around to watching the ep yet (and I'm sure to have more detailed thoughts then), but from everyone's comments it sounds like "Epiphany" has the same sort of character moments vs. plot issues that "The Hive" does. Which is to say, massive squee over our lovable heroes being their lovable selves and blinding migraines when trying to logic out what the hell actually happened and the supporting characters.

So. Is there anything specific on Sheppard's backstory? Or is it all just more fuel to the fire? I'm getting the impression that it's the latter. The abandonment issues (I'm totally digging Sheppard having been shot down in enemy territory with no hope of rescue) and more of his borderline suicidal heroic tendencies. TPTB are having a lot of fun dragging this out, aren't they? That or they're not sure what Sheppard's backstory is going to be either.

Of course, I'll still drool over teh pretty and laugh myself silly. SGA is always entertaining. ^^;;

The story was actually pretty simplistic unfortunately, but it left open some pretty interesting stuff. For one, the special little ascension sanctuary remained intact. I can't see how this could possibly NOT be revisted later.

Sheppard actually said in the episode, "I'm seriously starting to feel some abandonment issues!". But he was just joking then. The funny thing is, his reaction to his friends not coming to help him when he was in the cave actually did show some real abandonment issues. Very interesting.

...and for those who are saying we were "promised" Sheppard backstory, you should read the interviews more carefully. There's one with JF on about.com where he specifically mentions that they wouldn't be going into his backstory in the episode he wrote.

[AutumnDream]

So anyone else getting tired of the ''Oh look, ancients and cool technology and stuff'' which is then all gone by the end of the episode. How many times have they met ancients or found cool technology and yet ended the episode with nothing?

Three times.

The Brotherhood: Lost a ZPM.

Trinity: Lost a power generator that wouldn't have worked anyway.

Aurora: Lost a bunch of old men/women and a wrecked ship. Joseph Mallozzi said that we were seeing ancients at various points along their physiological and cultural evolution. The people on Aurora probably weren't THAT much more advanced than we are. They sure didn't seem like it. I don't think there was too huge a loss of techie stuff there.

The cool ancient technology from this episode is still there. McKay will probably study the time dilation field from outside. They might be able to load a ZPM (for extended power consumtion inside the field) on a real MALP and study the field generator. The people who ascended at the end didn't know anything about ancient technology that would be useful to "us" anyway.

[caty]

I just remembered another scene that cracked me up and I don't think it has been mentioned..

Shep (taking a peek under his blanket after he woke up): Which one of you guys got me out of my clothes and into these?
Teera: I did. Is that alright?
Shep: Yeah, I just like to meet women before they see me naked.

The way he said it, I LMAO!!

[alfirin_kirinki]

Okay - they've confiscated Flanigan's pen, now, right?

[Yeade]

Ah. Okay then. Thanks, xfkirsten, AutumnDream. That's pretty much the feeling I got. More questions than questions answered. I was under the impression that this ep had spoilers about Afghanistan flashbacks. I suppose maybe that wasn't meant literally and in a more 'similar situation' kind of way... or I'm remembering some interview or other wrong, lol.

From the sounds of it, though, Sheppard's got some serious abandonment issues.

He's usually pretty sharp about any sort of wrongness in his environment (see "Home"), but it seems like he was so caught up on the fact that the others weren't coming for him that he couldn't think through the why of it. Is he really doubting that his team, Weir, Beckett, et al. care for him? He seems aware he has issues with being left like this, but this self-knowledge doesn't keep him from feeling the way he does.

What's more, I find Sheppard's penchant to fly off and die for just about anyone really fascinating in light of the abandonment issues. I mean, wow, talk about being selectively blind. Sheppard clearly has problems leaving people behind or being left himself, but he doesn't realize he's doing just that when he, say, takes it upon himself to get in a jumper and make a suicide bombing run on a hive ship. Sure, that was for a good cause, but it's striking that it never occurs to him that he doesn't (even shouldn't because of his military responsibilities) have to make the run himself. Nor does he stop to consider how his decision might hurt others.

(How many times have we seen poor Rodney, the woobie, make that face, his Siege II face, because he thinks John's up and gotten killed before he could save the stupid, self-sacrificing idiot? Teyla knows, too, that the man is his own worst enemy sometimes. Talk about high maintenance!)

Between his dissociative approach to violence and personal relationships, the occasional crazy! moments, the abandonment issues, and suicidal tendencies, Sheppard's turning out to be a real headcase.

Regarding the Ancient stuff, I don't really have any expectations that the expedition will manage to find and keep anything, besides Atlantis, for a good, long time. I whine and whine and whine about the lack of information about the Wraith, Sheppard, and the Ancients, I know, but I can understand that SGA is only in its second season and all mysteries have to be dragged out. Most of the time.

[Easter Lily]

I don't think it's as bad as it's made out to be but like people have said, it could've been better. The potential to pack much more of an emotional punch was there. But I think the main problem is that most people expected much more eg. Sheppard backstory but it didn't deliver... Wonder what happen to that... I suspect that this episode didn't really know what it wanted to be... it tried to be all things to all men...

Years and years ago, I remember watching, what I would consider one of the best Star Trek:TNG episodes called "Inner Light" which falls along similar lines. To me it is probably the best take on this time dilation issue. It played the emotional angle much better and featured a tour de force performance by Patrick Stewart.

[majortrip]

...and for those who are saying we were "promised" Sheppard backstory, you should read the interviews more carefully. There's one with JF on about.com where he specifically mentions that they wouldn't be going into his backstory in the episode he wrote.

The JF interview here on GW has a bit about that; JF said that there would be flashbacks about what happened to him in Afghanistan. This obviously didn't pan out.