The Game (315)

[GateWorld]

STARGATE ATLANTIS - SEASON THREE

THE GAME

EPISODE NUMBER - 315

Sheppard and McKay discover that their competitive video game has been controlling a planet of real people, who now stand on the brink of war.

VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >>

[kiwigater]

Seek and ye shall find....
Let's hear all about the new ep - aired in Canada first.

[IWKYZerocool]

I doubt we will get any info on this epsiode until much later as the people who have seen this epsiode are still asleep or just getting up.

[Merlin7]

I really liked it. Much better than Tao, which was a huge disappointment for me.

ROdney and Shep were funny. Lorne and Zelenka cracked me up. Just watching Shep and Rodney's reactions and realizations was awesome. And you can see how far they've come as friends. I mean..they hang out playing war games. And Chess. And Shep kicked Rodney's butt at Chess. Very awesome.

Can't wait to get home from work to watch again.

[sgeureka]

The beginning was very funny. I even had to laugh out loud when Sheppard and McKay continued to bicker about how the game worked. And it was also good that this ep made it obvious very fast (within five or seven minutes) that the game was connected to those two [real] civilizations, so it didn't drag like "Michael" for those of us who had read the synopsis.

The farther we got into the episode, the less funny it became. Admittedly, there were still very funny scenes later on, like Lorne and Zelenka (I'll just say it: I LOVE Zelenka) became another Sheppard vs. McKay, and when they got interrupted by Weir, they looked so oops-hand-in-the-cookie-jar. Yes, quite addictive, those computer games.

Other random notes:
- The topic of this ep hasn't really been explored yet in Stargate, although it later felt like "The Other Side".
- Since when are mission video conversations (Lorne) in widescreen?
- McKay and his preference for blondes
- The end: very surprising to me, although that was the fastest twist to reset everything without having to leave the people for death. I just didn't see it coming.
- McKay and Sheppard will have their wars on chess boards from now on.

[travis]

OOoh it sounds soooo good cant wait to see it

[Starxgate]

Not bad at all the best part for me was probably seeing Lorne and Zelenka yelling at each others throats. Theres alot of vey funny WTF face expressions in this episode

[Willow'sCat]

This was...hmm... a slight eppy. It was nice but nothing special it was much better then I thought it would be, I had horrible thoughts of War Game or something, but it wasn't too far fetched *well yeah OK it was* I could still believe in the PG that the Ancients would frak about with people's lives just for the hell of it *oh sorry, I mean make a social experiment to learn* Jeez the Ancients are a bundle of laughs aren't they.

So did McKay say he had dinner with Katie Brown again? Interesting. And yet McKay still has this weird thing for Sam like females... that also wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, at least he didn't drool. Sheppard annoyed me or more to the point, seeing him as just a military man annoyed me, he has a brain but he still went with built up the weapons?

It doesn't seem he was thinking much at all there, has he learnt nothing from recent events? I guess most of this happened before the whole Wraith thing really got out of control but still, he seems to have left his brain behind if that was his only response to what McKay was doing.

I liked Weir in this *I know* but she said and did the right things for a change and it made sense so I liked it.

Nice to see Zelenka/Lorne and not just for two seconds, it was funny and they are kind of the under-studies for McKay/Sheppard.

Sadly no great presence in this ep for Teyla and Ronon, yes they were there but very much in the shadows of McKay/Sheppard.

The solution or resolution was a little too easy, a little hard to swallow but this is Stargate.

I loved the ending, now that to me is team or friendship building not the other crap from M&MM or ToR. I was so, so very happy to see them playing chess.

[sgeureka]

[snip] Sheppard annoyed me or more to the point, seeing him as just a military man annoyed me, he has a brain but he still went with built up the weapons?

It doesn't seem he was thinking much at all there, has he learnt nothing from recent events? I guess most of this happened before the whole Wraith thing really got out of control but still, he seems to have left his brain behind if that was his only response to what McKay was doing.

You're talking about his computer game strategy here, not his attitute to the people while he was there, yes? Because I think he made it clear that he wanted to stop the real-life war as fast as possible.

I don't know how you're playing your computer strategy games, but my acknowledgement of recent events do not change my game strategies. I'm of a rather pacifist nature, but in Civilization II/III (which is what The Game was most similar to) I'm the make scientific progress progress progress kind, then invent superior weapons and sweep over all other civilizations who are still protecting themselves with medieval technology. Evil, but that's how I know I'll win. The rest doesn't matter.

[Linzi]

You're talking about his computer game strategy here, not his attitute to the people while he was there, yes? Because I think he made it clear that he wanted to stop the real-life war as fast as possible.

I don't know how you're playing your computer strategy games, but my acknowledgement of recent events do not change my game strategies. I'm of a rather pacifist nature, but in Civilization II/III (which is what The Game was most similar to) I'm the make scientific progress progress progress kind, then invent superior weapons and sweep over all other civilizations who are still protecting themselves with medieval technology. Evil, but that's how I know I'll win. The rest doesn't matter.

I agree.
Sheppard and McKay were playing a game, and their strategies were those of two guys playing a game, not how you'd react, or the decisions you'd make for that matter either, in a real life situation. This was proven later when Sheppard desperately tried to get Baden (sp?) to stand down, as indeed McKay tried to talk Nola to step back and not be aggressive.
Rodney cheated and really caused the war in the first place by giving advanced technology he wasn't supposed to to his 'people' and by ordering them to drill a tunnel to steal coal from Sheppard's peoples land. So, he wasn't exactly using his brain either, as that would obviously have caused a serious dispute. Trespassing on your neighbours land and stealing their resources isn't exactly peace loving or overly intelligent either. So he was just as bad as Sheppard here. Since when is giving advanced technology to undeveloped societies intelligent either? As was proven by this story, there is a reason why it shouldn't be done!
Bottom line - the two guys were playing a game, and the ramifications didn't need to be thought about as they thought it was just that. Each just wanted to out do the other.
Anyway, I enjoyed this episode. It was a little 'clunky' in places, and a little lacking in tension too, for my taste.
I liked the resolution. Who thought of that? Oh yes, it was Sheppard, not bad for a military grunt, eh?. He saved the day, with the help of the Daedalus, so obviously he isn't all about agression and war mongering after all
I liked that Zelenka and Lorne got carried away with their own game. It illustrates plainly how easy it is to abuse power, and I thought the inclusion of that scene was very important, as well as very entertaining.
As usual, I loved the Sheppard/McKay interaction. They bicker like best friends do, and that is a joy to watch.
I must admit the closing scene was fantastic. Sheppard beat McKay at chess. Rodney's spluttering was classic! So, Shep can outthink the great genius! Classic stuff!

[Buzz Lightyear]

Episode summary for "The Game":

While investigating a space gate above an unexplored planet, Major Lorne’s team notices small satellites in geosynchronous orbit. Upon checking out one of the villages, they discover what seems to be a pre-industrial culture, obviously incapable of launching satellites. Even more of a mystery is the village flag bearing Dr. McKay’s face.

It seems that a few months after the expedition first arrived in Atlantis, McKay and Sheppard found a room with computer consoles that McKay concluded was for playing the Ancients’ version of simulation/strategy games like Civilization and SimCity. In the database, they found two societies separated by a river. They decided to play the game in their spare time, with each assuming control over one of the societies.

Dr. Weir sends Sheppard and his team to the planet in question to find out what is really going on . As it turns out, these societies are very real and part of social experiments conducted by the Ancients. Information entered in Atlantis is transmitted via satellites to display consoles in the two countries. Unbeknownst to them, McKay and Sheppard have been acting as their respective villages’ “oracles”, guiding their civilization and development over the past two years. While McKay encouraged his country of Geldar to concentrate on advancements in the fields of science and technology, Sheppard had his country of Hallona focusing on improving military strength to maintain safety and security.

When the team meets the leaders of Geldar and Hallona, they find the two sides near the brink of war with each other over philosophical differences essentially introduced by Sheppard and McKay during their two year-old “game”. The leaders are brought back to Atlantis where the truth of the “oracles” is revealed to them. Despite this revelation, their antagonism toward each other does not change. Even Dr. Weir is unable to broker peace and hostilities eventually break out.

Before the situation can deteriorate further, the team, with some help from the Daedalus, is able to show both Geldar and Hallona what a real war would be like if they do not settle their disagreements peacefully.

[Starxgate]

Since when is giving advanced technology to undeveloped societies intelligent either? As was proven by this story, there is a reason why it shouldn't be done!!

Remember the early seasons of SG-1 ? Most of SG-1s "allies" refused to give them technology becaused they knew what would eventually happen. This episode prooves it

[Buba uognarf]

Episode summary for "The Game":

While investigating a space gate above an unexplored planet, Major Lorne’s team notices small satellites in geosynchronous orbit. Upon checking out one of the villages, they discover what seems to be a pre-industrial culture, obviously incapable of launching satellites. Even more of a mystery is the village flag bearing Dr. McKay’s face.

It seems that a few months after the expedition first arrived in Atlantis, McKay and Sheppard found a room with computer consoles that McKay concluded was for playing the Ancients’ version of simulation/strategy games like Civilization and SimCity. In the database, they found two societies separated by a river. They decided to play the game in their spare time, with each assuming control over one of the societies.

Dr. Weir sends Sheppard and his team to the planet in question to find out what is really going on . As it turns out, these societies are very real and part of social experiments conducted by the Ancients. Information entered in Atlantis is transmitted via satellites to display consoles in the two countries. Unbeknownst to them, McKay and Sheppard have been acting as their respective villages’ “oracles”, guiding their civilization and development over the past two years. While McKay encouraged his country of Geldar to concentrate on advancements in the fields of science and technology, Sheppard had his country of Hallona focusing on improving military strength to maintain safety and security.

When the team meets the leaders of Geldar and Hallona, they find the two sides near the brink of war with each other over philosophical differences essentially introduced by Sheppard and McKay during their two year-old “game”. The leaders are brought back to Atlantis where the truth of the “oracles” is revealed to them. Despite this revelation, their antagonism toward each other does not change. Even Dr. Weir is unable to broker peace and hostilities eventually break out.

Before the situation can deteriorate further, the team, with some help from the Daedalus, is able to show both Geldar and Hallona what a real war would be like if they do not settle their disagreements peacefully.

you may want to put that in spoilers, some people may not want the entire episode completely spoiled

[Linzi]

Remember the early seasons of SG-1 ? Most of SG-1s "allies" refused to give them technology becaused they knew what would eventually happen. This episode prooves it

Agreed. Good point!

[IWKYZerocool]

you may want to put that in spoilers, some people may not want the entire episode completely spoiled

Yes but this forum is just for The Game so no spoilers are required.