SGA 2.05 - Condemned

[eretria]

This'll be a backwards-forwards-in-the-middle kind of commentary.

• First of all: That ending. That's ... That's just ... I don't know if I should be pleased that they didn't go for a happy ending or absolutely shocked and appalled for the choice they made. They sentenced everyone on that planet - or at least a vast majority - to death. On the other had, if they had kept the prisoners where they were, they would have sentenced them to death. Yes, you could argue that the next Wraith culling wouldn't have stopped at the colony anymore at any rate, but ... this was a conscious decision. How many more of those can Sheppard make until he breaks? Sumner was one thing, Sumner was mercy, but this ... this was ruthless retaliation. Or maybe, no, retaliation isn't exactly the right word, but it felt like payback. The: "See what you did to your own people for so long, now take a sip of your own medicine" kind of thing.
  Rodney's always accused of being righteous? By god, what kind of a righteous decision did Sheppard make?
  And what's worse? It's not that I blame him. This isn't real life, obviously, so I'm stuck wondering how this will affect him, personally. And Elizabeth, too, because by default, she's in this.

• The Wraith will know now that Atlantis is still there, right? I mean, the Jumper was hardly to be mistaken, and especially the Drone. On the other hand, again - what else should they have done? It's so fucked up that either step they take is wrong - it's a no-win situation. Either they stay and they die, or they defend themselves and run and give away Atlantis. Shit, shit, shit.

• The Wraith are coming for dinner. No, really.
  Uh, seriously, guys. That's about as believable as my cat suddenly going vegetarian. Yes, they tried to give an explanation, but in all honesty - those Wraith who do the whole life-energy-sucking-thing ... wouldn't they have been an evolution of the "lower" Wraith who still ingest normal food? And in that case, wouldn't they have the physical specifics to show for it? No more stomach, for one. No taste buds? No way of digesting the food? Yes, the idea was nice, and it made for a creepy scene, but overall? None too believable from an even vaguely scientific point of view.
  Apart from that - that Wraith reminded me a lot of a Cardassian, manner-and-behaviour-wise.

• Shallow comment of the day: When sitting down tied up, even dear Shep has a wee belly. That's all kinds of adorable. So were all his pop-culture references.

• And more with the shallow: JF should be made to run  and slouch and crouch and duck and run and fight more. Because ... yum. The way that black shirt stretches over him? Very much yum.
  Uhm, here's a thought, though - why have we never seen Shep in a short-sleeved shirt like Rodney? Are they afraid that Rodney would win the forearm-contest hands down? Because, duh. He so would.

• How much do I love Sheppard speaking McKay-code? He looks through him so perfectly. Even though, how he knew that Rodney wasn't entirely honest is beyond me, because it pretty much looked shot, that Jumper.

• Seriously, that black shirt is so distracting.

• Ow, knee! Oh, ow, ow, OW.

• Elizabeth. ELIZABETH. (Sorry, really couldn't help the caps here.) That's just ... Never again tell me that that woman doesn't know what she wants. Or that she's weak. And if I see one more fic about her breaking down crying over some minor thing like in a bad romance-novel I may seriously puke. There, watch that episode. Watch her. Watch that enjoyment of the power she has wash over her features. And then I dare you describe her as weak again. That woman is anything but.
  I loved how the progression of the leader of the pack was shown - she was concerned at first, not entirely sure what had happened and maybe a little insecure about that. But as soon as she was on familiar ground - dealing with a politician - she was thriving. This is the first time we've seen her off-world apart from the Genii stint, right? So, despite her team being in danger and her becoming the lioness out there to protect her children, she was probably also thriving on the fact that she finally got out of Atlantis for a change.
  And I'm starting to really, really like her. I may start to develop a girl-crush on Dr. Weir.

• That black shirt is still very distracting.

• With the shallow again, but how much do I love it that they're all so nicely dirty? Especially Rodney?

• Interesting to see how much Ronon listens to Teyla. How he looks to her for approval or understanding. How he - despite knowing that she can handle herself - takes extra-care to cut her lose. So different from the "suck it up" to Rodney. Which - you know, was in its very own league of double-meaning.

• Interesting thing during the fight: Teyla doesn't hit those two men from behind. She makes sure they know she's there before she takes them out. Nice.

• Also, fight-thought (or rather, exclamation): Prison!guy: smacks his fist in Shep's face. Eretria: Not the face, you idiot! Not the face!

• I can't decide whether I find Sheppard's constant commentary about "making friends" annoying or if it stabs me in the heart. It could just be an annoying habit. But, then again, it could be the deep-rooted wish to finally find people who won't kill them, hunt them, shoot at them etc. To actually make new friends.

• Scene at the capital, talk with Elizabeth about the "minor moral hiccup": I think this might be the first time (at least as far as I remember) that Shep grinned (full-out, fondly grinned instead of the eye-roll-grin) at one of Rodney's jokes. Sweet.

• A big round of applause for the capital punishment barb. Seriously. Thank you.

• The body-language in those scenes with the creepy leader-guy is interesting: McKay's crossed arms, Sheppard's hand on his P90 and the weapon in front of him like a shield, Teyla's shoulder toward the creepy!guy and her hand on the P90 as well and Ronon's hands on his hips ... Interesting show of strength

• Margaret Thatcher commentary? Aiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! Oh, Rodney, I do love you.

• Welcoming scene in the planet's capitol: Oh, heavens. Why do I only notice this on the third viewing? John is checking out Merin's (she of the skirt that is too tight to walk in normal steps) arse in that dress so blatantly and for so long that it's a wonder Rodney didn't whack him upside the head.

• That black shirt is still distracting.

• Even tied up, Rodney's hands are never entirely still. I love that.
  However ... wouldn't they have had a good chance to get out of these ropes if they had just found a away to remove the ... sticks (for the lack if a better word) from under their arms? A little pushing in the right direction should have worked wonders.

• Hewlett portraying fear is too amazing to watch. You can almost feel him shaking.

• Angry!John is ... uh, yeah. I'll just ... be in my bunk.

• Interesting, too, that Ronon is so easily placated by having given an order. And how easily he puts himself under John's command. John's surprise at that is ... endearing.

• And still ... that black shirt is so distracting.

• I wonder whom Rodney would have chosen if it had been for real. If he really would have been forced to choose who of his team dies first. Of course, Ronon would have been the first to go because he hasn't bonded with him yet, but ... what about the next one. How would he have chosen between Sheppard and Teyla? And even if he didn't have to choose this time - how will it affect him, personally, that he thought about it?

So, yes. I liked the episode far better than I thought I would, even though it's quite a Sci-Fi stereotype, especially with the prison colony.
But still the twists this show takes make up for the old concept.
And the overwhelming darkness at the end of the episode still makes it hard to breathe. I want to see some kind of nod toward the psychological effects of this choice in upcoming episodes.