Tao of Rodney (314)

[xfkirsten]

Loved this one! I really loved that all of the team pulled together to help Rodney through it. I think one of my favorite segments was when Rodney went around to each person and did something kind for them (healing Ronon's scars, writing the book supporting Elizabeth's actions, having tea with Teyla) - it was so wonderful to see again that he really is a very caring person, as much as he hides it under his snarky exterior. And the last scene where he insists that Elizabeth loves him was just adorable! I'm not a McWeir shipper at all, but even I gotta admit I saw something there, as one-way as it may have been.

[Iambob]

uh how does this relate to The Tow of Rodney?????

[FallenAngelII]

uh how does this relate to The Tow of Rodney?????

Did you watch the episode?

That's not what you said.

He can find them stupid, but he can sleep with them anyway. Besides, he's gained a bit more insight into Ancients and Ascension since he was with Teer. He might not have been gung ho for ascending himself in Epiphany, but he seemed to genuinely like Teer. Now his views against ascension are even stronger, and I'm sure that colors his perceptions of her. I honestly don't think Shep would bag a babe he dissagreed so strongly with, though I might joke about it.

ETA: As for the McShep, I can't wait to see this ep. All the slashers I know are quite squeefull over the episode.

Every single episode in the 2nd half of season 3 has been full of Squee. They're doing it on purpose!

They even threw in a special "No! We're not sleeping together! Not!"-line that's so "Oh, they're so doing it" XD.

I mean, the 2nd half is McShep heaven. The McShep Lovetap in "The Return (part II)", the fact that Rodney doesn't even have to do a farewell-thing with John even though he did it with everyone else in "Tao" (along with other things like that one line).

[Luz]

And I said: What, you don't think John can think attractive people are stupid?

Besides, this episode had lot of McShep hints, as usual (all of the new ones do!). He could've said it to make Rodney jealous . He probably thought she was attractive, was horny, had sex with her but afterwards realized she was a pansy wannabe (and stupid to boot).

Projecting much?, I thought he liked her okay, at least enough to sleep with her. As for him thinking she was stupid, I didn't see any of it *on the show*.
This episode had hints for a lot of pairings, McKay everyone practically, McKay/Ronon, McKay/Teyla, McKay/Weir, and there was Sheppard/Weir too (but there has always been a lot of it ).
And I'm sure people who like other pairings saw hints for theirs too. Sometimes it seems the writers are trying to please everyone.

[silence]

Again the writers made a big mistake. Those people weren't Ancients. At least they shouldn't have been.

The Ancients already knew how to Ascend normally. Yet they needed to use the Sanctuary even though they could evacuate through the Gate? Also, it took them "generations" to figure it out?

They'd also been in there for "generations". A generation inside of the field is a few years. They'd to have been in there for 2,500,000 years to make up for the 10,000 years between when the Ancients left and 'til now.

John also said all of the Ancients he'd met were arrogant and condescending. Those "Ancients" in "Epiphany" were stupid and helpless.

Bottom line is: Most people agree they were just random people who wandered in there; not Ancients.

yap... i agree.... i was "WTF???" when i heard that part.
it was clear they werent Ancients in that ep.
(at least to me)

[FallenAngelII]

Projecting much?, I thought he liked her okay, at least enough to sleep with her. As for him thinking she was stupid, I didn't see any of it *on the show*.
This episode had hints for a lot of pairings McKay everyone practically, McKay/Ronon, McKay/Teyla, McKay/Weir, and there was Sheppard/Weir too (but there has always been a lot of it ).
And I'm sure people who like other pairings saw hints for theirs too. Sometimes it seems the writers are trying to please everyone.

Yes, because John's shown sooooo much restraint against sleeping with women who throw themselves at him. The writers wrote "The Tower" to leave it up to the viewers to determine whether he slept with Princess Sluttina or not.

Yes, the McNon hugs were funny. And very gay . Of course, they're rationalizing it as "Manly Hugging". There wasn't much McTeyla, though. All he did was have some weird tea ceremony with her to honor her dead father. It's not shipping material. McWeir, though. But that's obvious shipping material.

The McShep was very subtle, as usual. In fact, it was so "subtle" this time it was overly obvious. John acted the way a lover would act if thier lover was about to die (or a reaaaaally close friend).

And the whole "The way a friend loves another friend"-line was so slashy.

[Arlessiar]

I totally didn't catch it before, but there's this great little moment in the cafeteria, right after Rodney overhears everyone talking about him, when he telekinetically moves his tablet to his hand without noticing.HAH!

Hehe, I also didn't notice that the first time I watched the ep, I noticed it when I made caps and watched the ep again for that.

Other things I noticed or thought about:

- They have new beds in the infirmary. They still have the old ones too, but now they also have larger ones that look like real hospital beds and not just like a better gurney.
- Ronon drinks Evian!
- Rodney's hair looks funny in this ep, so... uncombed. Not that I don't like that. Wonder if they did that because David always complains about his receeding hairline. *g*
- Rodney eats a lot of funny stuff. Someone on the RM thread explained that the cup on the table in lab with the japanese writing on the lid contained something with mango
- Why does Weir wear an analogue watch when the days on Atlantis have more than 24 hours? Maybe it's possible to set the digital watches most of them wear to Atlantis Standard time somehow, but surely not an analogue watch.
- I want to met these people who wrote all these equations on the whiteboard for this ep.
- In the RM thread we sometimes discussed if Rodney/David is ambidextrous or not. Judging from the scene in the lab it seems Rodney is ambidextrous in this ep. Maybe it's just because Rodney's brain activity increases so much, but maybe it means that at least DH is ambidextrous.


Are there already translations somewhere for the sentences Radek says in Czech?


Bye, A.

[ata_beckett]

From the GW Transcription of Epiphany:

WEIR: OK, I think I've got it. (She turns away from the inscribed wall that she has been studying.) I am interpreting a bit, but it seems the field was designed as a sanctuary from the Wraith, but a place the last of the Ancients could travel to and hopefully ascend without fear of attack.

Then she goes on to say...

WEIR (turning back to the wall): This writing here -- this serves as a sort of welcome, as well as a warning for any of the humans under their protection looking for sanctuary; but I think it was left there for anyone who wanted to seek the path to ascension on their own.

I dunno, I kinda feel like it could go either way in terms of whether or not they were Ancients. The whole deal with them not ascending for so long was that Mr. Inviso-beast was the last burden that they had to bare before Ascension (Beast of Burden, get it?).

[xfkirsten]

- Why does Weir wear an analogue watch when the days on Atlantis have more than 24 hours? Maybe it's possible to set the digital watches most of them wear to Atlantis Standard time somehow, but surely not an analogue watch.

I remember that question coming up a few times in the Weir threads when the series began, as well. We never got an answer to that.

[ata_beckett]

- Rodney eats a lot of funny stuff. Someone on the RM thread explained that the cup on the table in lab with the japanese writing on the lid contained something with mango

I was writing an episode recap, and I noticed all of the random stuff on his tray too. I swear, it looks like he just started picking at his food and somehow got the wrappers mixed in.

[caty]

I just watched the episode again, and I couldn't believe it when I saw that they screwed up again regarding the German flag uniform patch! They already did that wrong in another epsiode in season three, the patch was upside down the whole time then. It was a soldier in that ep who wore the patch the wrong way, now it was a scientist, right in the very first scene.

We actually laughed about the flag mistake with Paul McGillion at a German con a few weeks ago. He, who has nothing to do with that of course, was actually a bit embarrassed that something like that had happened.
And now the costume department made that wrong again. How hard can it be? It's 'black red gold', not the other way round.

Bye, A.

It's starting to annoy the heck outta me.. I didn't really mind the first time, but making that mistake a second time is so thoughtless.. Do these people get paid?? Two mistakes like that is really unexcusable. And that's just the German flag (which I notice, of course ) Who knows how many other flags they have upside down sometimes

On the ep: I liked it.. More than I thought I would considering that it is a McKay ep. David was wonderful and Rodney can be so sweet if he wants to...
The apology to Zelenka and him just staring back with his mouth wide open - gave me the goosebumps...
I absolutely loved the first Shep-Weir scene when they were talking about the Ancients. Joe did a great job here, acting like a little boy Although I do find it odd that he'd call Chaya "condescending and arrogant"...

[caty]

I don't think Shep meant Teer... He said 'a bunch of pansy wannabes' which doesn't neccessarily have to be everybody in town.
Teer was the only one brave enough to stand up for him when the "big scary monster" came to town, so I don't think he thinks that Teer is a pansy wannabe.
Everybody else - yes, but Teer - no...

[Alipeeps]

Just finished watching it and I really enjoyed it - lots of great team moments, lots of humour (I laughed out loud - a lot!), but also some great drama and some seriously touching scenes. The ending... well, the whole Rodney dying/saving Rodney scene was wonderful and really touching (and how lovely to have the team actually verbalise their feelings and tell Rodney they love him) and I *adored* Ronon's big hug of Rodney after he's revived... and the closing lines... Sheppard pestering Weir to let him use the machine to turn himself into a superhero? Soooo funny! *dies*

I kinda feel like this ep was McKay's Sateda... as much as Sateda was about Ronon and Tao was about Rodney, both of them were so much more than just their stories and along the way told us so much about the team and their friendships.

There were so many little moments that I loved and so many wonderful interactions...

Random thoughts:

• Seeing Weir actually get to contribute, using her knowledge of Ancient language and culture
• Exploring the city! Yay! Finding new rooms and new technology! Yay!
• Rodney in the chair totally reminded me of Barclay in The Nth Degree
• Continuity! Mention of Halling - see the Athosians still exist!! Actual references to previous events in the show - Sheppard turning into a bug, Sheppard spending time with Ancients! Yay!
• Lots of Zelenka and he was great too - Rodney's apology to him was perfect and really moving
• Sheppard trying to teach Rodney how to medidate -
• Sooo... who was the cute scientist thinking was hot?
• Rodney having the entire conversation all by himself, responding to everyone else's points before they make them!
• Rodney facing up to himself and making amends/bidding farewell to everyone
• Rodney and Ronon's hug - couldn't decide whether to laugh or to cry.. or both
• The team bidding farewell in the infirmary... I was tearing up...
• The sudden drama at the end - I was on the egde of my seat!

All in all, this was a thoroughly good ep. I really enjoyed it.

[caty]

You lazy little thing, Ali! You just did the copy&paste for the first part of your post

[Alipeeps]

And the big reset button at the end I didn't like, too: Rodney's recovered, and the first thing he does when he wakes up is to snark at his friends immediately, as always. I surely don't want a softspoken, docile McKay on the show, no, but wouldn't he be at least a bit confused or shaken after such a life-changing moment and not in full snark mode as soons as he opens his eyes?

I actually thought his reaction immediately on reviving was very in character - it reminded me very much of Hot Zone where he was convinced he was going to die, was waiting to die and then didn't and his reaction was just happiness, giddiness, excited, "I'm not dead!" and this felt the same.

Tao Of Rodney is episode 3x15. Episode 14 was skipped over for some reason. Presumably, the out of order airing is just a programming oversight.

It's unlikely they would accidentally air the wrong episode.. it's more likely the airing order of the show has been altered and episodes swapper... exactly as they did with Sateda and Irresistible earlier this season.

Actually, no. Beckett is supposed to disappear in the episode Sunday, hence it would not make sense to run Sunday this week and have Beckett disappear, and have Beckett show up again, and then just disappear again. Sunday is going to show (if that's the episode he disappears in) right before Vengeance, after the Ark. The next episode is probably going to be Submersion and then the Game after the holidays. Then The Ark, then Sunday, then Vengeance, then, First Strike.

We don't actually know in which episode Carson "disappears". There have been lots of rumours but nothing definite that I've seen... all we know is that it happens towards the end of Season 3 and we know that he is definitely in The Ark. It may not even be Sunday in which we lose Carson and it may simply have been swapped with Tao of Rodney in the airing order. Guess we'll just have to wait till next week to find out...

You lazy little thing, Ali! You just did the copy&paste for the first part of your post

Well, hey.. it summed up my feelings pretty well so I figured why reinvent the wheel?