Sunday (317)

[Ruined_puzzle]

I'm done with this show. DONE. Thank god there are other better written shows out there. Heroes, BSG. Bye, bye SGA.

[Blower'sGate]

I forgot to add in my preview thoughts how actually I loved that episode. And you're right one of the best death of a main character on a tv show

But with things to come I won't follow the show the way I used to which means I'll expect less.

[Satertek]

The last few minutes ruined this episode in so many ways I can barely recall most of the episode. First off, this episode (the last 10 minutes anyway) COMPLETELY ripped off an episode of Grey's Anatomy (It's the End of the World, Episode 2x25-26), stealing away any emotion from the ending scenes. The only difference was that it was an explosive tumor instead of an explosive rocket shell. I was just left with a cheated feeling at the end, expecting some type of deus ex machina that never arrived.

Maybe this episode was enjoyable if you hadn't seen that episode of Grey's Anatomy, but it completely killed it for me.

Now I'm used to watching shows where characters are frequently and unexpectedly killed off (eg. any Joss Whedon's show), but this didn't feel right and didn't hit me in any way emotionally (other than anger at the writers for being unoriginal) as it was intended to.

[ToasterOnFire]

I thought it was a good episode, though not as strong as I was hoping. All of the little character moments made this episode poignant but I thought the circumstances of Carson's death weren't written well.


Good:

-Great character moments. Shep and Ronon golfing (water hazard, ha!) and Ronon opening a bit about Sateda, Shep and Teyla in the infirmary, and Ronon and Rodney talking in the end. And tons of little bits of character info, from Shep's earlier marriage to Lorne's painting to Zelenka whipping everyone at chess.

-Reaction to Carson's death wasn't cheesy or cliched, it felt real.

Bad:

-Wow, exploding tumors of DEATH. Really, what a crappy way to write off Beckett. I'm having flashbacks of the flaming helicopter of DOOM from ER... Besides being medically and scientifically impossible (genetically imprinting radiation? wha?), the whole ending with Beckett locking out everyone and deciding to carry the tumor out himself felt so overly heroic as to be ridiculous. And damn straight Shep could have ordered Beckett around considering the tumors were a security risk.
It would have been so better to have Michael come back and kill Carson in an act of vengeance. This just didn't have the impact it could have.

-Moving back and forth in time that often in an episode didn't work for me. IMO, it would have been better to have one timeline and cut back and forth between the characters. The way it was done felt overly jarring.

-I was rather meh toward Weir's date. The Rodney and Katie scene was quite cute, but I find a relationship between them to be rather bland.

-The moments between Carson and Rodney would have been so much more poignant if TPTB had actually written in the friendship over the three seasons. Since it was neglected the final scene wasn't nearly as powerful as it could have been.

-I was hoping for more of an Elizabeth/Teyla scene than "Hey, I've got a hot date, can we cancel? kthxbye!"


Also, I've seen some comments about how Jewel Strait is one of the pallbearers in the end, but isn't that the doctor who was earlier complaining about a migraine? I can't tell for sure.

[sgeureka]

...I still can't wrap my head around the exploding tumours, lol. Can such a tiny piece of organic material REALLY blow up like that? Like being in that organ box and then *whoa, 5 meter radius fireball*?

Well, I know one tiny bit of ZPM material in "Zero Hour" blew up real good, so I guess if you add a little scifi twist like nuclear fusion in biological cells (LOL) it works perfectly.

On another note, I noticed on second viewing that Watson asked Beckett to take a look at his chest earlier on. Had Beckett done it, it's likely the tumour would have been noticed and no one would have died. Obviously, I think Beckett's refusal was perfectly reasonable and he couldn't have known what would happen or that Watson would not go see the other doctor after all (so I assume).

Good one. I'll pay attention to that scene.

Completely off-topic, but I want to say it none the less:

I disagree with your point of view , the tone you're employing would suggest that Sheppard is a sexual perverse only interested in female teenagers . In my opinion that's completely out of character .

I must say that I already found totally unfair for Sheppard to be "accused "of having a kirking attitude . I'm french and at first I didn't understand the meaning of this expression, by deduction I understood that it was because in some episodes he had been attracted by pretty young ladies and apparently certain people are shocked . But why a handsome single man in his late thirties would not be attracted by pretty ladies ? Do you know men who never rise the eyes when they see a pretty girl?
It doesn't mean that it's a lack of respect for them and it doesn't mean that he have sex with them all the time .

I guess it's a cultural thing. My sister has been living and working in France for the past two years, and she told me on Christmas (which she spent at home here) that she finds it surprising that no German men ever try to flirt with her, which she feels is odd (because seemingly French guys do that all the time). I just replied that I'd hate the idea of icky old guys flirting with me continuously, and the only way to stop them is to go to every guy and ask them to please-stop-invading-my-privacy-I-don't-want-to-be-part-of-your-sexual-fantasies. () Just the idea makes me really uncomfortable.

[expendable_crewman]

As if we don't get plenty of opportunities to learn those lessons in real life. Killing off Carson mostly teaches me that TPTB can't be trusted and I really shouldn't bother with their show any more.

That's an interesting point. IMO, the viewer has the greater balance of the power by way of THE remote. Said power may not impact the show in question (or any show, for that matter) but it grants the remote-wielder 100% control over his or her viewing experience and one doesn't even have to get off the couch.

Me, I'm glad to have seen this ep. I thought it was well done.

I almost wish I didn't know Carson was going to die. The knowledge made me nitpicky. I figured if he was going to die, the character should go in style, so I watched the first time looking for that, and that only.

On second viewing, I followed the story as it was given to me and I found the characterizations rich, the story's style engaging, and the build-up to Carson's death poignant.

I didn't cry when he died because, like I said, I knew it was coming. I cried watching the characters react to it: Rodney and Ronon in Carson's room, Sheppard in the gate room, Teyla's "I feel a great sadness," Weir's eulogy, and the scene on the pier.

The death itself occurring as Carson was doing what he always does when he has a patient, I'm not sure how I feel about that. That's a good thing, btw, because it means I'll be thinking about the ep for some while.

Rodney on the pier with Carson, that clicked for me. Can't say why. Liked it. Loved it. Won't forget it.

[Pegasus_SGA]

I thought it was a good episode, though not as strong as I was hoping.
Bad:

-Wow, exploding tumors of DEATH. Really, what a crappy way to write off Beckett. I'm having flashbacks of the flaming helicopter of DOOM from ER... Besides being medically and scientifically impossible (genetically imprinting radiation? wha?), the whole ending with Beckett locking out everyone and deciding to carry the tumor out himself felt so overly heroic as to be ridiculous. And damn straight Shep could have ordered Beckett around considering the tumors were a security risk.
It would have been so better to have Michael come back and kill Carson in an act of vengeance. This just didn't have the impact it could have.

-Moving back and forth in time that often in an episode didn't work for me. IMO, it would have been better to have one timeline and cut back and forth between the characters. The way it was done felt overly jarring.

Also, I've seen some comments about how Jewel Strait is one of the pallbearers in the end, but isn't that the doctor who was earlier complaining about a migraine? I can't tell for sure.

I agree with those points you made, I really need to watch it again, without analyzing it to death (again no pun intended) and just watch it as I see it, but I agree the whole exploding tumours was a tad...bizarre. I also found the witching back and forth very annoying, i kept forgetting what was going on when and it did distract me. Would have been much better if it was just played out straight.

I'll have to check the credits on that cos i'm not sure

[Ella]

I guess it's a cultural thing. My sister has been living and working in France for the past two years, and she told me on Christmas (which she spent at home here) that she finds it surprising that no German men ever try to flirt with her, which she feels is odd (because seemingly French guys do that all the time). I just replied that I'd hate the idea of icky old guys flirting with me continuously, and the only way to stop them is to go to every guy and ask them to please-stop-invading-my-privacy-I-don't-want-to-be-part-of-your-sexual-fantasies. () Just the idea makes me really uncomfortable.

I don't think it is a cultural thing. I'm American. I even live in rural highly religious America. The idea that a single man sleeping with one women in three years after knowing her for months and flirting with two others makes him a man-whore kind of appalls me.

[duckedtapedemon]

I thought it was great, and very well done. Almost seemed to me to be Scrubs meets Atlantis (minus the narration) with the 3 or 4 different viewpoints and being told backwards. (The medical situation helped a lot too.) The ghost bit at the end was also a nice touch.

I'm not saying make every episode (or another one really, want to make this one special) in this style by any means, but it was a great way to say goodbye to Beckett.

[silence]

Very good episode. Too bad they used it for what they did.
Many nice points.. lots of Weir, some Teyla, even Ronon.

I liked it a lot.

But i can't distance this from all i read and that is bringing this ep down....
I wish they ended it in any other way then one they did.

[Alipeeps]

Also, I've seen some comments about how Jewel Strait is one of the pallbearers in the end, but isn't that the doctor who was earlier complaining about a migraine? I can't tell for sure.

The comments made were suggesting that the dr with the migraine (who was indeed one of the pallbearers at the end) was the character that will be played by Jewel Staite next season.. the suggestion being that TPTB were very heartlessly introducing the character already, before Carson was even cold in his grave!, and that she would return next season, being played by a different actress (the aforementioned Ms Staite).

However, seeing as the doctor on call (which this character was) was referred to earlier in the episode as being a Dr Cole and Jewel's character is to be called Dr Keller, I don't think this is actually the case. I think this is a case of surmise on behalf of one or two viewers.

[Fifer]

I'm not an emotional guy but thats me just watched the memorial scene for the 3rd time and i still find it incredibly difficult to sit through. I don't know if its a Scottish thing but hearing the piper and seeing the saltire draped over a coffin is unbelievably powerful and really, really tugs at the heart strings.

When watching the memorial i can't help but be reminded of the funerals of some of the Scottish soldiers in the British Army. In the earlier days of that war you would see the piper piping the coffin out of the church with assorted military uniforms not too far from sight, just like in that episode. Very, very uncomfortable viewing and i think in that respect Martin Gero has done a wonderful job.

It was still a needless death though, just like those soldiers in that war.

[Ruined_puzzle]

Consider this: Vancouver legalizes the use of marijuana in 2004. This is around the same time that major and rather odd decisions were being made about Stargate. The trend continues today. Coincidence? I think not.

LOL. OMG I think your right.

[gebtkd]

You know I haven't seen Sunday yet and I am really anxious to do so. However, I have been reading a lot of the comments and although I agree and I am sad that Beckett is gone, I agree that unfortunately it's part of life, we all had moments in our lives when we say I should have done this or that. Think about it this way, what if Carson would have gone fishing either with Rodney, John or Ronan. How many would have died because he wasn't there to operate on this guy, to do his job. Would he be saying, I wish I wouldn't have gone fishing, maybe I could of save so many lifes, so if people don't see him as a hero in this episode, I just don't get it. I also think a lot of people forget about Phantoms, the hardship that Carson went through when he realized he had never noticed that Barasso had died. I believe Carson was very affected by that incident and even said at the end of the episode that it was the most disturbing experience he ever had. I also feel that Phantoms was a good Carson/Rodney friendship episode, Rodney was truly concerned about his friend.
I believe that we will see Carson again, I don't know how or when but he will be back. I personally feel bad for all the SGA actors, knowing this would be happening, they are a tight group, especially Paul & David.

[prion]

I was going to post my long-winded synopsis/review but it won't fit, so anybody who wants to read it, it's on my live journal at

http://wraithfodder.livejournal.com/44494.html

complete with some transcripts of key dialogue (well to me) and some photos snerched from Franklyn (with full credit give, hope you don't mind, I can't cap and you did a great job!!!)

• Meanwhile, sixth pallbearer was Biro, I'm pretty sure of that.
• SHeppard's not a letch or a pedophile or whatever. I regrettably know lots of divorced folks and infidelity/cheating had nothing to do with it. People just grow apart.
• Don't know if it ripped off a Grey's Anatomy as I refuse to watch that show.
• I think the actors all did a great job with their dialogue/scenes, like what we got in tidbits. A lot was said in just facial expressions.
• Still thinking offing Beckett is akin to shoving Lassie off a cliff. Just as stupid too.

Rest is in my LJ entry.