Coup D'etat (217)

[Domesticated Equine]

Wow, that was actually a good episode.

Pros:

- Unlike in the last episode, this time the Atlantis team tried to be cautious and use their brains. For example they didn't answer Lleyton before they realised he knew Atlantis survived, they didn't just let him into the city without checking him out first and they sent a MALP through first when they went to meet him.

- I liked the plot, it was quite believable and I didn't see the final twist coming.

- The Geni leader is more effective as a bad guy then all the wraith put together as he actually does something else than hiss and drool. I cared enough about him as a character to dislike him and be happy when he was blown out.

- I really liked Beckett's scene with Lleyton's sister. Mcgillion was nice in this one and I really got that Beckett's first priority is to save lives and leave politics to others. This was a nice line:
- "Why? Why would you help us?
- "Because I'm a doctor, that's what I do."
In summary, that was a nice character scene which are worth more to me than a thousand space battles.

- Just wanted to mention a line I thought was funny and not out of place. This was when McKay woke up in the prison cell:
-"Are we in some sort of trouble?"
-"Was it the gas or the prison cell that was your first clue?"

- It was nice to get an episode that wasn't just a one-off. Continuity is greatly appreciated and it will interesting to see how the Geni storyline will play out in the future.


Cons:

- I'm still unimpressed by Luttrell's and Momoa's acting and their subplot left me a bit cold. I was happy to see the plot lines converge, however.

- I wouldn't have trusted the Geni myself but I can see how the Atlantian expedition would want to believe in their good side and hope to get another ally.

- Weir's "Go get us a ZPM." felt too cheerful. She was giving the go-ahead to a morally ambiguous and potentially dangerous mission, I would have preferred a more serious tone.

- What was McKay doing in the strike team? Could no one else have used the life-sign detector?

- The weakest point of the plot was how easily the strike force was overcome by the Geni. Was everyone in the gas room and was no one guarding the stunned Geni soldiers? Anyway, this is something I can overlook, maybe the Geni soldiers that gated in later overpowered the rest.


All in all, this was a good episode and my favourite from the second half of the season. I'd still need more character development and emotional impact to label this as a great episode, but if Atlantis stays at this level I'll be quite happy.

***½ / *****

[LurkerLa]

I know this has been mentioned before but this

Weir: Good thinking.
Sheppard: Coulda been Mensa.

just tickled me pink 'cause I love that his whole Mensa thing wasn't just forgotten. Yay!

Also, I really liked Ladon's sister, but I'm not quite sure why... I mean, not that there was a reason to dislike her, just that I don't know why she's standing out to me so much.

Yeah, pointless post.

[Yeade]

What was McKay doing in the strike team? Could no one else have used the life-sign detector?

I haven't watched the episode yet but wanted to give this one a crack. Hope you don't mind.

McKay goes with the strike force because he's on Sheppard's team and him being a scientist doesn't matter. This traces all the way back to "Suspicion," at the end of which McKay voluntarily joins the attempt to capture a Wraith prisoner even though he's pretty damn scared. Sheppard will refuse to take McKay on dangerous missions if he doesn't have much support (e.g. "The Defiant One," "Instinct") but otherwise he encourages McKay to get out in the field. In fact, McKay had probably never handled a weapon before coming to Atlantis--thus his occasional fumbles under fire--and I bet Sheppard taught him how.

This may not make much sense to us, but I think it's a reflection of just how dangerous it can get in Pegasus.

Atlantis is still a predominately civilian mission in S2, with at most maybe an undersized battalion of Marines to protect more than 200 scientists. In S1, there was even less of a military presence--an undersized company, perhaps, of 50 or so.

What this means is that the scientists are going to be out on the front lines, and the military will not always be able to protect or save them if it comes to violence. The civilians can't afford to think like they're civilians.

I suspect the entire expedition has been given at least basic weapons training--both Gaul and Abrams were armed, though neither would be winning any marksmanship awards if they were still alive; Beckett has done his stints as a makeshift soldier; scientists were being armed in Siege II--and the most enterprising among them, the ones that go routinely off-world, would probably be dragged on other missions for training whether they want to go or not. McKay--the brave little toaster!--wants to go. <3

Of course, all this is fairly standard practice with lead characters, but I was trying to stick to in-universe explanations.

[Jeffer]

i really enjoyed that ep Rodney was funny when he was talking to shep

Rodney: Sheepard did you see that i almost shot that guy like if he was standing a foot to the left i would have shot him
Shep: no i was a little busy

Not and exact quote but close enough

[LoveYouBaby]

I can't believe the Major is dead

Lorne is gone.. I liked that character!

[Jeffer]

Your info is wrong hes not dead just missing

and i also like Ronon when he found out he wasn't on the list

Ronon: who doesn't think i'm a threat give me a few min with them i'll change there mind.

and then wanted to take on the whole Gneii force

[LoveYouBaby]

Yeah, just found out LOL

I really should watch the entire episode first...

[Domesticated Equine]

I can't believe the Major is dead

Lorne is gone.. I liked that character!

He looked somewhat alive by the end of the episode to me. Good thing they didn't kill him off.

[caty]

I can't believe the Major is dead

Lorne is gone.. I liked that character!

You haven't watched the episode, have you?

[Quinn Mallory]

Great episode.

Love how they put Lorne in that ambiguous spot of being possibly dead. Had it been one of the main characters (or even Zelenka), then we wouldn't have believed it at all.

The overall plot was quite good, although I would have to agree with another post earlier that I would've expected more of a conflict within Weir for doing something this morally ambiguous such as sending in the strike team. McKay also had no business of being on the strike team as well as the coincidence that most of the strike team happened to possess the gene (however, this do sort of make sense in that the Atlantis expedition would consist of the scientists who are there more because of their skills then genes...although they may had gone with another doctor had Beckett not had the gene; while the military types are more likely to be selected because they had the gene or successful gene therapy). This also post the question of what percentage of the current Atlantis expedition has the gene. I would have expected many more photos then those in the bag but I guess the Genii intelligence hasn't got the chance to figure out all the gene possesser. Additionally, the Atlantis team would have valued all their members equally, not just those with the gene, but I guess the Genii don't quite think that way.

Still, this was a suspenseful episode. I'm sad to see that Colm Meaney will likely be gone from the SGA universe, however. Finally, what's the with the look that Weir gave to Sheppard at the end?

[Yeade]

For reference: Aithine's List of SGA Earth Personnel.

I would have expected many more photos then those in the bag but I guess the Genii intelligence hasn't got the chance to figure out all the gene possesser.

Again, I haven't seen the episode, but I would expect the Genii to know more of the military gene carriers. There may be many scientists who also have the gene, but unless all these people are going off-world and flying jumpers or otherwise using identifiable Ancient tech, the Genii would have no way to know.

[LoveYouBaby]

You haven't watched the episode, have you?

Near the end of the episode now.

[LoveYouBaby]

Well this episode was pretty cool, hopefully the Genii are not going to hinder Atlantis' future efforts and Weir looks totally hot in that new black jacket of hers - of course, of course, good to see the Major alive and well, the entire team and yeah, that's it.

IMO, worths a 7/8

[the dancer of spaz]

Near the end of the episode now.

OMG! That guy was pretty cool (and cute)! If he's really dead, then TPTB are gonna hear an earful from the Love Lorne peeps. I miss him already... Is he really dead? And, btw, thanks for the summaries, guys. I'm a spoiler whore.

Oh, and one question for those who saw the ep:

On a scale of 1 to 10, how isolated would you say Team TR were from the others?

I'm not so much a fan of their team being split up into the Sheppard/McKay Comedy Troupe and The Hot Aliens - Are They or Aren't They? Coupling. That's kind of a bummer, imo.

[GatetheWay]

Lorne's alive! Yet, still doesn't have a first name.

[OrangeSwirl]

found a cute recap on Coup.. clickie linkie for funniness...
http://www.livejournal.com/users/msp...680315#t680315

[GatetheWay]

I cannot believe Elizabeth forgot about Lorne till Sheppard reminded her to send a team to investigate.

I wonder if TPTB ever had an intent to kill Lorne.

[rexpop]

A great episode that has restored my faith that the SGA writers can construct a n episode with character, compelling plot, action and humor that fits nicely into 42 minutes. Well done.

Nice to see Wier getting a new jacket. Looks much better than the usual uniform and makes her stand out among the other non military types.

Speaking of military types. Did anybody else notice that on of the soldiers in the gateroom had a British flag patch on. I guess the security team on Atlantis is now also multi-national rather than just USAF and Marines.

[starfox]

Raise your hand if you didn't actually believe Lorne was dead.
The bodies were a nice touch by the Genii, though.

Props to Ryan Robbins. He did a good job as Ladon, and I loved the moment where he was just sitting in the middle of the room, eating his fruit.
And tossing the knife away! "Feel safer now?" Great moment.

There was a battle of the bad-asses between Cowan and Laydon. Cowan was in the lead with his "I don't care" in reference to his people, but Ladon won with the nuke. Shield up, hear the impact, brief look, keep walking? So perfect.

Random Cowan moment. "I just don't know how I'll be able to live with myself." He's so evil.

Kind of disappointed that Weir didn't immediately realize that the Genii had sent out the wanted posters. After all, how many other races knew about the ATA gene?

Minor problem with "Lieutenant Colonel errand boy to you." Which means nothing to Ladon. Yeah, we can't have them calling him by the wrong rank, but still, it grated a bit.

Loved Carson in this ep.

I didn't see the depleted ZPM coming, that was a good move.

Loved Teyla's shirt & hair when she was interrogating the villagers. She looked very cute.

Ronon putting his arm around the barkeep, the physical intimidation? Oh, I loved that so much.

"You're just saying that to be nice." One of the greatest Shep-lines ever. *Gives JF cyber-hug for great delivery* I also love how Joe went from friendly-face to business-face; it worked well.

How did Weir not mention to Shep that the dead in the infirmary weren't his men? He said he thought Lorne and his men were dead in the end, but Weir, Teyla, and Ronon all knew that the charred bodies were fakes about 11 minutes into the ep.


Loved the Shep-Lorne reunion.
"Way to be alive."
"Thanks, sir. So, uh, you come to rescue us?"
"Until about a moment ago I thought you were dead, but now that I see you speaking and breathing, yeah, I'm thinkin' about it."
"Good. Lemme know if there's anything we can do to help."

I love Lorne so much. His tone right there was so perfect. It just said, "Yep. That's my CO."

"You forget I'm the chief scientist. I made it." And Sheppard starts watching McKay a little more closely.

I kept on thinking about Russian history when watching this ep. I need to go back and read up on the Revolution.

The shots of the nuclear blast were well done.

Oh Weir, condoning coups and working with new revolutionary governments. Where oh where is your character going to be by the end of this season?


ETA: *tackle-hugs Martin Gero for writing this ep* Martin, you're my favorite.

[OrangeSwirl]

I cannot believe Elizabeth forgot about Lorne till Sheppard reminded her to send a rescue team.

I wonder if TPTB ever had an intent to kill Lorne.

What? how can u simply forget the prettines that is Lorne...