The Real World (306)

[Ironic]

I dunno, there's a very fine, subjective line between a slow burn ep and a dull one. A well written and executed drama/internal conflict ep can be just as gripping as an ep with guns and space battles ("I do not understand why everything in this script must inevitably explode" ). I just don't feel like RW had enough there to keep my interest, and the whole explanation or lack thereof of the nanites was very poorly handled.

As is largely the case for any Stargate episode, you have to overlook the glarring errors and appreciate what they get right. The one thing I think TPTB rarely falter in is their characters. I love every damn one of them. When TPTB put in the effort, they really know how to make them shine. Sloppy writing can diminish the overall effect of the episode, but I still walk away loving it - if only because of the cast/characters.

I loved No Man's land for Weir. I loved Misbegotton for Carson's performance. I loved Sateda for Ronon (and Shep). I thought Irresistable sucked, but I couldn't argue against the fact that everybody in the main cast was hilarious in their performances. "Progeny" was a great team episode, and I think the thing I walked away from the most was the subtle Weir/Teyla interaction. I've been craving that for years, so now I get all drooly when I see even a morsel of it.

Each episode had it's weaknesses. I'm sure several people here could list them in detail. But the characters - the characters made it shine. TRW was no different - in fact, it was better than regular.

I'm hoping next week, Sheppard gets to dig his teeth into some good material!

[Reichiru]

The first 30 minutes of this episode were fantastic. Torri did an amazing job and I applaud her. It was nice to see a totally different side of Weir. Usually she holds everything in and sometimes you feel almost as if she's cold in her need to show she is a strong leader. To see her vulnerable and scared and heck! even cry was so refreshing and made me like her character soo much more. It was nice to see her doing some fighting and getting whumped too.

The last half wasn't as great and felt pretty rushed in my opinion. It felt like they were just trying to hurry up and make up a solution.

And the whole Sheppard part made me want to gag. I know he's the lead and all, but they might as well have just put up cardboard cutouts of everyone else. I really think it should have been a group effort to try and get her out of the coma.

But all in all I really enjoyed this episode. Yay for Torri!

[smushybird]

There were some Shep/Weir romantic hints, but I like those two together, and it wasn't so "in your face" to irritate the noromo crowd.

Eh. It was pretty in-your-face. It put me off, anyway.

[Mitchell82]

I absolutly loved this episode. So great to see Tori showcase her talents. I thought the story was good and I was not confused. I think this show is getting better and better.

[NotAscended]

I'm surprised no one else felt like they were revisiting the similar "psych ward in your head" plot from Buffy.

Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the episode and didn't realize exactly why until I read this comment:

The transition from Elizabeth sleeping in her hospital room to the first time we see her in quarantine was very well done. I think I like this director; we should keep him around. I also loved how the visions ended up being John, but she was afraid at first and took her meds. The scene where the team was begging her to fight being juxtaposed with Elizabeth throwing her pills into the toilet? Beautifully done. Again, I'm feeling the director love.

It is really a beautifully directed and edited episode. Little details like the lighting on the actors and the seamless transitions really made a less than original plotline still leave me pleased with the episode.

And when Elizabeth sums it up at the end that these nanites are more insidious than she ever imagined, I agreed with her sense of horror. By the end of the episode, I was seeing the characters in her mental world as personifications of the nanites in their attempt to attack her and survive, making them a much more scary enemy than just the Asurans in their human form.

[aAnubiSs]

2nd worst ep ever of Atlantis, bested only by a certain Irresistible.

[RoryJ]

I dunno, there's a very fine, subjective line between a slow burn ep and a dull one.

And you're on one side of the line and I'm on the other. Though I can agree that two scenes (the one with Weir's mom and the one at her house talking to Jack) were a bit long-ish. But I liked the pace and the intercutting overall.

And even though I may like ship, I still wish we could've seen a little more reaction from everyone. Ronon did a good job of looking like he was feeling the gravity of the situation - for some reason I found myself noticing his face when they were all looking. I wanted more from Teyla, though. I thought Paul did a good job of showing carson's frustration.

[FerCryinOutLoud!]

The beginning of this episode was rather slow and dragged on, but later it picked up. It seemed like a waste for Richard Dean Anderson to be in the episode because we didn't get his wise cracking, snarky acting self. I suppose him acting more serious was the point but StarGate didn't become the show it was by having RDA act all serious all the time. That was what Kurt Russle's job in the StarGate film was.

[xfkirsten]

Absolutely loved this episode! Torri did a fantastic job - it was wonderful to finally have an episode that she could really sink her acting teeth into! I think part of what made it so interesting for me, too, was the little character bits we got - that she wanted to be an astronaut when she was younger, getting to see her mother, her home. It's the little things like that that make characters feel so much more real to me.

[memnarch]

I was a little bored with this episode to be honest. Not a lot happened. You could tell it was all not real, but to be fair, is it ever all just something the character just dreamed up? No. That being said, I liked the Dr. Weir development and Torri did a great job. I also liked Alan Ruck, I'm a fan of his from Spin City (geeze, with Richard Kind on earlier you'd think they'd get Michael J. Fox on in a few episodes!). I thought he gave a nice cover story for what was going on, despite the audience's knowledge to the contrary. Once again, not much from Teyla or Ronon, though Beckett and McKay had some nice snappy reparte. And of course Sheppard saves the day/helps someone else save the day despite the fact that no one thinks he can do it. Next week should be interesting, especially given the lack of current info on it. No photos even!

Anyway, 2/4 average episode with some good character stuff for Weir

[seizard]

I'm delurking to put in my two-cents worth.

Everyone seemed to have Loved the episode or they were bored (probably from the lack of explosions). I enjoyed watching an excellent actress stretch her wings a bit and it was lovely.

Well done, Torri.

Also, I'd like to address the ending, which most people seem to think was the writers taking the easy way out regarding

Spoiler:

Elizabeth defeating the nanites through willpower. I thought that was addressed early on when Carson mentioned her white blood cells.

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure you will) but didn't Carson state that Elizabeth's white blood cells destroyed the nanites in the petri dish, but that the nanites had somehow convinced her body that they were not a threat?

All John had to do was get Elizabeth to recognize the threat and start fighting back. Then her brain/body would recognize the danger and send in the white blood cells.

Right?

[birdieey]

I don't know what shocks me more how much I hated this episode or how many people seemed to really like it. Granted the show has kinda been all over the map over the last 2 and a half seasons but I don't think I've seen an episode so uninspired, contrived or rehashed as this. Progeny may have been a "reworking" of Unnatural Selection but this was a ripoff of like 10 different shows, movies and day time soaps combined, AND it wasn't even done well.

I'm all for more character development and giving Torri a chance to show off her "skills" but not like this. Pure cheese... the idea of nanites being transferred from Niam is a good one but Beckett furring his brow, sighing deeply and proclaiming "We're losing her" more than once in an episode is unnacceptable. And Sheppard.... good grief..."Like hell we are?" (or something to that effect) Ronan should have shot him (on stun) for his stupidity. The nanites should have been able to smell the wraith on his breath and jumped ship, or at least realized they were fighting a losing battle and transferred to him to try and save themselves.

I'm ranting, I know, but I really hated this episode, hated it!!!

Vaberella stick with your initial reaction, it was the right one.

[bluealien]

Mind numbingly boring!!


Not just boring but rediculous, bad science and meaningless.

If Weir was infected when Niam touched her, then why wasn't Teyla and Ronan. They both tried to pull Niam off her.

Then Sheppard is also conveniently not infected when he goes in and touches her. Now I don't really get this bit - he just has to tell her to fight and that is enough to get rid of the of all the nanites.


I really don't mind character eps if done well but this had no substance to it at all and even RDA came across as flat.

Terrible. 2/10

[macktheknife]

Bit of a mindtrip episode. Sorta like "The Sting" on Futurama. Except not as good. Unsuprising, considering The Sting is pretty much my favourite episode of Futurama.

It would have been better if they kept in weirs head the whole time, until she "wins", and have her solving problems or doing things that each of the rest of the group (maybe she has a science problem that relates to something mckay is saying, she realises the guy from spin city is lying when beckett says something).

[Easter Lily]

It would have been better if they kept in weirs head the whole time, until she "wins", and have her solving problems or doing things that each of the rest of the group (maybe she has a science problem that relates to something mckay is saying, she realises the guy from spin city is lying when beckett says something).

I think I agree with you there...
But I still enjoyed the episode for what it was... a character piece for Weir.