Sunday (317)

[PG15]

Eh, unpopular or not, I loved it too. Definitely an unique Stargate episode.

[MmmmMcKAy]

Awwww, I loved this episode too.

Interesting structure with the 3 hours earlier, 5 hours earlier etc method.

Poor Carson just couldn't get his fishing trip off the ground.

Also liked seeing Atlantis on a day off, seeing people's hobbies/loves.

I actually like Katie here. I thought her and Rodney were sweet together. I never thought I'd say that.

The final scene really got to me. I cried like a baby. David Hewlett does a fine job.

[garhkal]

I wonder if Carson went to the Jack oneil school for days off... what with their love of fishing.

[Pharaoh Hamenthotep]

If only O'Neill had been there....

A great but terrible episode, great storytelling - all the little moments between characters, lots of character development, but terrible in that one of my favourite characters died! Never cried so much while watching Stargate!

[Tith]

I've recently gotten my sister into Stargate, she's watched SG1 on DVD, then started on Atlantis.

And just watched Sunday. For once I contained myself and said nothing about it. SHe actually cried. My sister is a tough cookie, total tom-boy. But the loss of Carson like that did her in. She's full of speculation about how he comes back.
As am I.

[Trek_Girl42]

If only O'Neill had been there....

A great but terrible episode, great storytelling - all the little moments between characters, lots of character development, but terrible in that one of my favourite characters died! Never cried so much while watching Stargate!

Me too- and I thought I'd cried a lot during the SG-1 series finale.

Poor Carson- Jack would have gone fishing with him in an instant, throughout the entire ep I kept yelling at the screen to all of the characters- make time to go with him!

Oh, and I love that Lorne paints. That was nice.

[garhkal]

If only O'Neill had been there....

Yea, why has oneil not done anything with carson?? They both share a favortie passtime (fishing)... iirc he has only spent time with wier and shep.

[GeneralO'Neil]

I loved this espode to see everyone on R & R. But, it was sad to see carson passing it way. it was a intersting ending where rodney was out there looking and carson's spirt was there talking to him. It is a truely a unquie and class eposide of atlantis. I'll be missing carson after I saw this eposide.

[Jill_Ion]

Since I was lurking about here when this ep first aired, there was no way to avoid the spoiler of Carson dying. But I kept it to myself, and never even hinted to my hubby so when we watched the ep on DVD or syndication, it would be a surprise for him. (Not a great surprise, but at least not spoiled.)

I thought this was a very interesting episode. Paul was absolutely wonderful in this ep. Great acting job!!!

I really liked the character development and seeing sides and situations we're not used to - the Team relaxing...being human...people off of work!

I read the first five or six pages of this thread - damn, we fans had a lot to say, eh? - so got the gist of the original viewers. I also went to the main GW page and looked at the fan ratings. This ep evoked a lot of strong emotions in the fans - which I believe was the intention. Maybe the fans for whom Sunday made SGA jump the shark was not the full intention of TPTB, but it was a wake-up call. Life is beautiful. And it sucks. We can kick some alien ass. And people die.

I think Carson's death was not a waste. He saved his patient, a fellow doctor, and their surgery by taking the "bomb" out of the room. Yeah, I know. Things can be replaced. But if someone needed the surgery before the equipment was replaced, then that patient would die. I'm sure Carson didn't think he would be caught in the explosion once he handed it off to the bomb expert, but what he did was very, very brave. And I felt sad for the bomb expert dying, and the other people too. We shouldn't assume they weren't given a proper sendoff, just because it wasn't shown.

My hub was even affected by Carson's death. He feels sad when a character dies, but it seemed to me this one hit him harder than most fictional deaths on TV. (Good job again, Paul!) I had tears during the funeral and McKay's "talk" with Beckett at the end. Beautiful!

The shippy/fun moments in the ep were very nice. I enjoyed seeing some character development! I don't ship any character set, so I'm not putting anyone together, except who I saw on screen. The actor who played Mike looked like a brunet/brown-eyed Matthew McConaughey. Nice! Seeing Shep in dress blues was amazing - and a wish of mine - but I wish again it was under better circumstances!!!

And about Shep being previously married? What's the big deal? People get married/divorced for lots of reasons. If you dislike Shep, you'll use it as an excuse to bash him - as seen in this thread. But I am not laying any blame anywhere until we get the details (S4!).

I thought it was sweet that Ronon isn't ready to move on yet. That man has levels. And a beautiful smile.

[Trek_Girl42]

Since I was lurking about here when this ep first aired, there was no way to avoid the spoiler of Carson dying. But I kept it to myself, and never even hinted to my hubby so when we watched the ep on DVD or syndication, it would be a surprise for him. (Not a great surprise, but at least not spoiled.)

I thought this was a very interesting episode. Paul was absolutely wonderful in this ep. Great acting job!!!

I really liked the character development and seeing sides and situations we're not used to - the Team relaxing...being human...people off of work!

I read the first five or six pages of this thread - damn, we fans had a lot to say, eh? - so got the gist of the original viewers. I also went to the main GW page and looked at the fan ratings. This ep evoked a lot of strong emotions in the fans - which I believe was the intention. Maybe the fans for whom Sunday made SGA jump the shark was not the full intention of TPTB, but it was a wake-up call. Life is beautiful. And it sucks. We can kick some alien ass. And people die.

I think Carson's death was not a waste. He saved his patient, a fellow doctor, and their surgery by taking the "bomb" out of the room. Yeah, I know. Things can be replaced. But if someone needed the surgery before the equipment was replaced, then that patient would die. I'm sure Carson didn't think he would be caught in the explosion once he handed it off to the bomb expert, but what he did was very, very brave. And I felt sad for the bomb expert dying, and the other people too. We shouldn't assume they weren't given a proper sendoff, just because it wasn't shown.

My hub was even affected by Carson's death. He feels sad when a character dies, but it seemed to me this one hit him harder than most fictional deaths on TV. (Good job again, Paul!) I had tears during the funeral and McKay's "talk" with Beckett at the end. Beautiful!

The shippy/fun moments in the ep were very nice. I enjoyed seeing some character development! I don't ship any character set, so I'm not putting anyone together, except who I saw on screen. The actor who played Mike looked like a brunet/brown-eyed Matthew McConaughey. Nice! Seeing Shep in dress blues was amazing - and a wish of mine - but I wish again it was under better circumstances!!!

And about Shep being previously married? What's the big deal? People get married/divorced for lots of reasons. If you dislike Shep, you'll use it as an excuse to bash him - as seen in this thread. But I am not laying any blame anywhere until we get the details (S4!).

I thought it was sweet that Ronon isn't ready to move on yet. That man has levels. And a beautiful smile.

Beautifully put. I envy your husband in not knowing what would happen ahead of time!

Mckay's talk at the end devastated me- even the second time, I saw this ep for the second time the other day, and it broke me at the end, again.

It is so beautifully done- it really is a shame that the news of Paul's departure was leaked so early on, because the level of impact that this episode has is amazing, and it would have added just that much more if we hadn't known.....

[Jill_Ion]

Beautifully put. I envy your husband in not knowing what would happen ahead of time!

Mckay's talk at the end devastated me- even the second time, I saw this ep for the second time the other day, and it broke me at the end, again.

It is so beautifully done- it really is a shame that the news of Paul's departure was leaked so early on, because the level of impact that this episode has is amazing, and it would have added just that much more if we hadn't known.....

I agree. I wish I hadn't known. I think DH's acting when packing Beckett's stuff, as well as at the end, was excellent. You could see McKay's pain, without going over the top. I thought that about the others too.

And they had to play bagpipes? Well, of course, but bagpipes at funerals always get me bawling.

[Trek_Girl42]

I agree. I wish I hadn't known. I think DH's acting when packing Beckett's stuff, as well as at the end, was excellent. You could see McKay's pain, without going over the top. I thought that about the others too.

And they had to play bagpipes? Well, of course, but bagpipes at funerals always get me bawling.

Bagpipes at a funeral haven't been so beautiful since Wrath of Khan.....

I know what you mean on the acting, it was just wrenchingly good. Sunday I think is certainly the best episode of the season, perhaps the whole series, just amazing. Martin Gero is my hero.

[ShadowMaat]

It's a shame that all of Atlantis can't be more like Sunday. Not in the death, loss, and horror aspect () but just in terms of characterization. I'm all for a great story, but to have real, three-dimensional characters that live and breathe like real people (inasmuch as reality is possible) would be amazing. Unfortunately character development is a casualty of the rock 'em sock 'em action-adventure plots and you can't have ALL of it in one show. Not on Atlantis, anyway.

I still love Sunday and I still think- despite its disjointedness- that it's one of the better stories Gero has given us. I remain thankful for it.

[randomguy]

that episode could have been soooo much better, but instead it was a mediocre episode, mainly the jumping around in the timeline was very tiring. Also when rodney was talking to carson at the end and rodney mentions that at the funeral the church was packed carson replies "oh thats good", this just doesnt sound like something he would say.

edit: and trek_girl, the bagpiper wasnt very good, just for the record

[Yay4CarsonBeckett]

I was lucky (or unlucky) to have not known the fate of Carson.

I'm from Australia and have had to watch season three online. It's out now on DVD and of course, I have it...but here in Australia we have just finished Season 2 (yeah I know).

I was totally enthralled in the more personal aspects of the team. I felt sorry that no one wanted to go fishing with Carson... and then when the blast occurred leaving him dead.. I was in shock!

What? Killing off Carson? How could they?

I just watched it again on disc and still cry at the end. Hewlett did an AWESOME job of mourning. It looked real (probably helped by knowing his best mate was leaving the show) and I so felt for Hewlett and McKay.

Disgusted and gobsmacked that the producers thought this a good idea. I think now they know how wrong they were.