'Whispers' (507) General Discussion

[jds1982]

Was anyone else reminded of the creatures from The Descent with the monsters from this episode? They're blind and hunt by sound, and can crawl on walls and such. Maybe it was just the bald one we saw first, but that's what I thought of when I saw them.

[Oka]

What an awful episode. Hands down one of the worst of Stargate ever. Shameful, shouldn't even be allowed to be called Stargate.

I'll just quote this guy because he pretty much nailed it:

This episode was terrible, the only Stargate that was more painful to watch was the first episode of Infinity (I didn't watch the rest)

Stargate fails at horror, big time, so this episode had nothing. I wasn't scared, I was impressed by the story, they were no nice character moments, there was no humour. This episode fell flat on so many levels.

Oh, and Dusty..... KILL HER
Never, in all my time of watching Stargate have I found a character more annoying, more one-dimensional or more clichéd than she was. I was willing for her to be killed the whole time. If she's part of the "best of the best" then I seriously worry about the US military.

[Jumper_One]

I thought it was a great ep but certainly wasn't as much of a horror ep as I had expected it to be. however Michael's lab, the stasis pods and everything else were kinda creepy. I'm not a big fan of the female team, it's just a little unrealistic. I also didn't buy the explanation. Teldy simply picked the brightest? yeah right...
Dusty didn't strike me as being one of the smart guys during her conversation with Carson and Porter. I mean, come on why would she knock on the stasis pods? that's just stupid imo. so naturally I assumed that she'd be the first victim. though I did like her in the rest of the ep, Dusty may not be brilliant but certainly knows how to handle a gun.
the catacombs reminded me of Vengeance and also Poisoning the Well. anyway not much to say about the guy in the village. he wasn't really important, his only reason for being there was to provide some intel. LOL at the Carson/Porter conversation and Dusty's remarks: I just read something funny. And really obvious. [...] Ok I'm gonna go check the perimeter. Be back in 20. Unless there's a sock on the doorknob.
I did NOT expect Vega to die since Joe said she'd be a recurring character. that was a nice surprise, well done! I did however expect Carson to leave Porter and go look for Dusty, that was pretty predictable imo. and yes of course he gets lost, one of the creatures attacks and someone rescues him. cool scene though. it makes sense that they're following their instincts since it's an early version of a hybrid.
moving on, Shep finds Porter and we're supposed to believe that Teldy's dead. I kinda expected them to help the villagers so the guy's death was kinda surprising. but hey it's his fault, Carson told him to shut up. the scene where they signal Teldy and it's actually a hybrid was another one of those obvious parts, classic horror movie stuff. then we find out that Teldy's alive and Carson's gone. dun dun dun. LOL suuure he might be dead
anyway I'd also like to say how much I loved Shep in this ep. there's a female team, Carson, one the villagers, Michael's creatures and Shep's in command. awesome! especially this conversation: You take up positions, you sit tight and wait for the signal. You don't move, you don't make a noise until the well blows. I think I've made myself clear Sarge. hehe Shep's in charge
there were some cool scenes at the end with the well blowing and everybody firing in that direction. also of course in the catacombs when Shep finds the other stasis pods. Rodney's reaction back in Atlantis was so funny when they talk about Allison, Who's Porter? and then the door closes which kinda reminded me of Woolsey in The Seed.
all in all a great ep, cool guest appearances (I especially liked Porter) and it's always great to see Carson. can't wait to finally see The Queen

[ToasterOnFire]

I was also wondering about the explanation given for the woman team and was disappointed with the answer. I like the idea that they had gotten together to deal with some planet or virus or hostile that only incapacitated/killed men and then stuck together after that.

Also, word on Shep not knowing his subordinates. Duh?

And word again on whoever said that the final bit with Rodney and Carson was so similar to the beginning that it had a groundhog day/all in your head feel. It wasn't put together all that well.

[Rich]

Out of all the episodes I've seen of Season Five, so far, I'd have to say that, without doubt, this is the most... umm... recent episode I've seen.

It was OK. Just OK. The worst episode of the season so far has been episode five with the cop-out Weir return, uh, plot thing. If you can call it a plot. Last week's was outstanding. This week's is just OK.

The mock-tension horror in the episode was off-putting; forest sets, zombies, shadowy figures skulking behind our heroes. It was all very by-the-horror-book and as such nothing special. It was nice to see Carson back, but it was odder than odd that Rodney, Tayla and Ronon were left back at Atlantis while Beckett and Shep went on a merry wood jaunt with the red shirts of the week. No reasons, nothing. I'm all for bringing in new blood into the 'Season of Change' but make it logical, for God's sake. Of course, I know the reason; bringing the main cast along for a pick-them-off 'horror' story means there will little suspense as we know they'll all survive. Still, doesn't excuse the pathetic excuses, and non-excuses, by deBour and Beckett for wandering away from the cabin. 'Hey! Is that Elvis? I'm gonna go check it out!'

Anyway, we'll hardly see any of the surviving girl-team again, especially Nicole deBour. She was a wasted talent and I swear I'd seen that Major somewhere before. Oh yeah, in SG-1, season five The Sentinel. So another reused actor playing what turned out to be pretty much the same role.

Over all: inconsistent, weak and, frankly, an insult to SGA fans first, TV fans second. And why was Shep wearing a turtle neck top. He hiding a hickie or something?

I tell you, if this is the standard we can expect for the rest of the season, I think i'll ask for my lemons back from MGM. It's like the writing staff have just given up.

Writer 1: "We need a plot"
Writer 2: "Um... A Parallel universe, uh, Ronon..."
Writer 1: "Ooh, nice. But no. We can leave that one for later in the season when we really run out of ideas"
Writer 2: "Ok. How about an old replicator turns up"
Writer 1: "Nah"
Writer 2: "Well that just leaves number 3; another Michael lab found somewhere"
Writer 1: "Great. But it needs a hook. Let's insult the whole horror genre and rip off Cabin Fever, or something"
Writer 2: "Fantastic. You're a genius"
Writer 1: "No. You're a genius"

[fuchsia]

Writer 1: "We need a plot"
Writer 2: "Um... A Parallel universe, uh, Ronon..."
Writer 1: "Ooh, nice. But no. We can leave that one for later in the season when we really run out of ideas"
Writer 2: "Ok. How about an old replicator turns up"
Writer 1: "Nah"
Writer 2: "Well that just leaves number 3; another Michael lab found somewhere"
Writer 1: "Great. But it needs a hook. Let's rip off Resident Evil, etc"
Writer 2: "Fantastic. But not nearly as well as the third movie did it"
Writer 1: "Oh, of course. Goes without saying"

You read my mind... I was thinking that too.

[fuchsia]

I was also wondering about the explanation given for the woman team and was disappointed with the answer. I like the idea that they had gotten together to deal with some planet or virus or hostile that only incapacitated/killed men and then stuck together after that.

Also, word on Shep not knowing his subordinates. Duh?

And word again on whoever said that the final bit with Rodney and Carson was so similar to the beginning that it had a groundhog day/all in your head feel. It wasn't put together all that well.

I only watched it once but I thought the last scene felt really off, almost like it was part of the story - time loop or something - cos they were dressed exactly the same, standing exactly the same - shep in the turtle neck, Beckett in the same shirt etc.
Obviously they shot the two scenes at the same time... but they should have changed outfits so it wasn't so obvious.

[prion]

This episode was terrible, the only Stargate that was more painful to watch was the first episode of Infinity (I didn't watch the rest)

Stargate fails at horror, big time, so this episode had nothing. I wasn't scared, I was impressed by the story, they were no nice character moments, there was no humour. This episode fell flat on so many levels.

Oh, and Dusty..... KILL HER
Never, in all my time of watching Stargate have I found a character more annoying, more one-dimensional or more clichéd than she was. I was willing for her to be killed the whole time. If she's part of the "best of the best" then I seriously worry about the US military.

Alas, Dusty was the epitomy of the wise-cracking soldier which has been used since WW II movies were first made, although they were usually the wise-ass from the Bronx. Alas, she didn't throw herself on a hand grenade like those characters are prone to do. * cough*

I guess that's one good thing about the cancellation; she won't be made a regular character.

[Jedi_Master_Bra'tac]

Alas, Dusty was the epitomy of the wise-cracking soldier which has been used since WW II movies were first made, although they were usually the wise-ass from the Bronx. Alas, she didn't throw herself on a hand grenade like those characters are prone to do. * cough*

I guess that's one good thing about the cancellation; she won't be made a regular character.

I seriously hope they don't bring her back for SGU.

[Jackie]

I was also wondering about the explanation given for the woman team and was disappointed with the answer. I like the idea that they had gotten together to deal with some planet or virus or hostile that only incapacitated/killed men and then stuck together after that.

Also, word on Shep not knowing his subordinates. Duh?

And word again on whoever said that the final bit with Rodney and Carson was so similar to the beginning that it had a groundhog day/all in your head feel. It wasn't put together all that well.

I would have bought it if the female team was from another planet, another civilization where women dominated the men. But then, we would have reversed sexism and the writers would screw that up too.

There is no real possible reason for the female team...unless it was a result of an experiment or more along SGA lines...a bet made between Tedly and Sheppard as to how well a all female team would last.

I would also buy it as a bet between the two commanders. Something that had a reasoning behind it.

The episode is just an insult to all women in the military today and past women who had fight to be seen as equals.

It reduced the girls to a plot device with no real reasoning.

JM: Next time you get an idea for correcting a gender balance look up these groups first:

Women's Air Service Program - WASP
Women's Aux Ferrying Detachment - WAFD
Women's Flying Training Detachment - WFTD
Women's Air Force Service - WAFS
Woman's Army Corps - WAC/WAAC
Women's Reserve of the US Navy Service - WAVES
Army Nurse Corps - ANC
Navy Nurse Corps - NNC
Women's Reserve of the Coast Guard - SPARS
United States Marine Corps Woman's Reserve - USMCWR

note from military women's first: http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/firsts.html

Military commissions for women doctors were nonexistent prior to WWII. In 1940, American Medical Women's Association petitioned the AMA for support in changing the law excluding women from the military reserves. Previously the AMA supported the military rank of women nurses but declined to lend support for women physicians. It wasn't until 1943, when the physician supply could not keep up with the demand as the Army increased by thirtyfold, that the AMA and the Army and Navy Surgeon General withdrew their objections. The law was signed on April 16, 1943, and the first woman to be commissioned into the Army Medical Corps, Dr. Margaret D. Craighill, was given the rank of major

[prion]

Oh yeah i forgot about the high five...I was like WTF when they done that....What was the point in that...You don't see the women high fiving when it's an all male team!

I can only fathom that the writers were channeling themselves into the characters, as we've never seen sheppard nor Beckett exhibit that kind of behavior before. And hey, those are subordinates to Sheppard, so, fraternization, nope.

[Rich]

I've got it! Whispers was written by the work experience kid. The rest of the writing team are either on holiday or working too hard on SGU.

EDIT:

Also, the all-woman team was only a small plot device to give Shep something to be a little awkward about. It's something Stargate hasn't done before and since the Air Force is an equal opportunities employer it's really nothing special. If anything, it's another pointless plot point in an episode riddled with poor creative choices.

[Jedi_Master_Bra'tac]

I've got it! Whispers was written by the work experience kid. The rest of the writing team are either on holiday or working too hard on SGU.

Unfortunately it was written by Joe and Paul... the show runners

[fuchsia]

Unfortunately it was written by Joe and Paul... the show runners

I may be mis-remembering this, but wasn't JM going on and on about this episode on his blog? I was thinking 'wow this sounds good, it looks like they put a lot of time and effort into it...'

He was saying I think how it was hard to get the fog right.

[Rich]

The fog didn't look right.