Stargate Atlantis: Episode 306 The Real World (very brief thoughts)
Gosh I like this show. I love that the characters are so darned lovable. I enjoyed this episode - although it's the second 'trapped in psychiatric hospital when not mentally ill" story I've seen in two days. :P
Using my John/Elizabeth icon for this post :)
This episode was a follow-up to "Progeny." Elizabeth Weir wakes up in a sanitarium near Washington, DC. Her psychiatrist, Dr Fletcher tells her that she was involved in a car accident that killed her boyfriend Simon. According to him, the incident affected her deeply and resulted in a psychotic episode several weeks later. She is told that she has been in a catatonic state for several days and that Atlantis, the expedition and the Stargate programme all part of her imagination. Very slowly, Elizabeth begins to be able to distinguish reality from illusion.
Eventually, we learn that it's all a sham. Elizabeth is actually in a coma, that Niam the Replicator-like humanoid who almost strangled her to death at the end of 'Progeny' infected her with Nanites prior to being kicked out into space... On Atlantis, the team are standing watch over Elizabeth as the Replicator nanites take over her body and mind. All appears hopeless and only Sheppard seems to have faith that Elizabeth can save herself and make it back to 'the real world.'
Although the episode is ostensibly about Replicator nanites taking over Elizabeth's body and the episode is intended to set up a new villain to supplement the Wraith threat, for me this episode was all about John and Elizabeth. Maybe not necessarily shippy, but it was definitely about the bond that they have.
We already knew it but we see again how much John worries and cares about Elizabeth. They all care about each other, but as usual it's John whose prepared to do whatever it takes to keep those he loves safe.
Also, I notice that only John seems to be able to penetrate Elizabeth's comatose state and 'reach' her. I'm not sure if this is because John was the only one who bothered talking to her, or whether for some metaphysical reason, only John was capable of 'reaching' Elizabeth. whatever the explanation, there's clearly a very unique and special bond between these two.
John watching anxiously over poor Elizabeth:
Both Ronon and John looking very worried:
It's John who first realises that Elizabeth is fighting and can keep fighting. He has an unshakeable faith in Elizabeth's abilities. He asks Carson if he thinks that Elizabeth knows that they're there. Rodney says: "How can she? She's unconscious." Nonetheless, both Carson and John are of the view that it's possible that Elizabeth can still be reached despite her comatose state.
I love the moment where John's by Elizabeth's side saying: "If Carson's right, I suppose I should say something profound... " Then he kind of pauses and goes: "Okay, I'm not so good at profound ..." He's so funny, and such a dork :) I love that he's trying so hard to reach her that somehow - he does. The medical science makes no sense, but it's just lovely :)
Carson says that Elizabeth's on her own. John doesn't agree .....
Yet again, he risks infection and his own life. Interesting that Rodney's the only one that exclaims in horror when John goes in there. I would have expected Carson to exclaim more loudly. No doubt it's Sheppard/McKay fans dissolved into ecstasy at that moment of touching concern from McKay for his platonic friend whom he is not shagging because of course, he's secretly in love with Elizabeth. Ahem. :)
I have no idea how he does it, but there he is in Elizabeth's head - urging her on and encouraging her. Telling her to fight it.
Elizabeth wakes up:
It's the gang sans John (who's in quarantine). I love their grins - look at Ronon leaning to the side a bit to get a better look! :) Look at them all. They're adorable. They're like ... the Scooby Gang or the Peanuts Gang - probably the latter because they're all so damned lovable. Carson's beaming madly.
Then the final scene. These two are really so wonderful together. They never manage to say anything, but you just know.
What's also lovely about this scene is that Elizabeth's all angsty and stressy about the Replicators and how powerful they are. John says: "Let's just take it as a win right now." He's just so relieved that Elizabeth is alive that he clearly doesn't care about how powerful the threat is.
They'll deal with that later.
Then when Elizabeth says that she can't believe that she was only gone for five hours, John says: "It felt longer." It could be a question, but I suspect he's talking about himself. What's the bet he didn't leave Elizabeth's side during the entire 5 hours ...
John's such a dork though. He says: "Well it's good to have you back in the real world." He means it, he wants to say something serious, but he's not good at that sort of thing, so he has to turn it into a joke.
"Least I think it's the real world, I could be infected right now which makes me the one ...."
Elizabeth doesn't feel like kidding around so she stops him with a: "John - don't." Look at the look on her face. Look at his. He looks like such a little boy :)
He apologises, leaves and Elizabeth watches him go like she always does and you wonder what's on her mind.
Then she looks down at her father's watch.
That's where the episode ends.
I don't think it should end there. :P
My ending to the episode :)
Elizabeth glances over to where John's walking down the stairs. As he walks past, he stops for a moment and looks up at her. His face is very serious. He doesn't say a word, but just watches her.
"John?"
"Yeah?"
She doesn't care that the other personnel in the control room can hear them.
"Thank you," she says quietly.
John smiles and pretends to look baffled. "For what. It was all you. You just needed a bit of a kick to remind you to keep fighting."
Elizabeth shakes her head in amused exasperation and watches him leave.
***
Later that night, Elizabeth is getting ready for bed. She eyes the bed with a sigh. It's not the place of serenity and comfort it should be. Her mouth quirks into a wry smile. She's had a steady stream of visitors tonight. Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, Carson - all stopping by to check on how she is. Their anxious concern has been heart-warming.
Dimming the lights, she slides into bed and lies there staring at the ceiling. She knows she won't sleep.
"Let me in?" John's voice can be heard through the door. Elizabeth frowns and sits up in bed as the door slides open.
"No need to get up. Just thought I'd wait for all your other visitors to leave first," John tells her.
"I'm sleeping, John."
"No you're not."
"Trying to sleep," she says witheringly.
He walks over and sits on the edge of the bed.
"I'm fine," She lies calmly.
"Sure you are," he says and gives her a gentle shove so that her head is back on the pillow.
"This is not how you make someone sleep," she points out.
"You told us a lot of what happened. There's a lot you didn't say."
Forcible medication, physically restrained from escaping. He has a pretty good idea what went on.
Elizabeth sighs and John touches her cheek lightly. "Everything's goin' to be just fine. Close your eyes."
Elizabeth laughs and closes her eyes.
To her surprise. John starts talking again. "Once upon a time ...."
"John this really isn't ..."
"There was a naval aviator - call sign Maverick ..."
"Oh god no ..."
"Top Gun is a classic!" Sheppard sounds very offended.
"Let's just skip to the beach volleyball scene?"
"Stop interrupting. Maverick's best friend and RIO was Goose ...."
Elizabeth closes her eyes.
Later that night, she shudders awake with a gasp, staring with terrified panic into the blackness but a firm hand gripped hers.
"It's all right, Elizabeth. I'm here. I may never forgive you for falling asleep during Goose's death, but I'm here ..."
Her choked laugh becomes a sob. "Now get some rest," he tells her seriously. "Take it from me, no microscopic robots are going to attack you again on my watch!" he tells her.
Elizabeth rolls her eyes. John Sheppard never changes.
She hopes he never does.
Using my John/Elizabeth icon for this post :)
This episode was a follow-up to "Progeny." Elizabeth Weir wakes up in a sanitarium near Washington, DC. Her psychiatrist, Dr Fletcher tells her that she was involved in a car accident that killed her boyfriend Simon. According to him, the incident affected her deeply and resulted in a psychotic episode several weeks later. She is told that she has been in a catatonic state for several days and that Atlantis, the expedition and the Stargate programme all part of her imagination. Very slowly, Elizabeth begins to be able to distinguish reality from illusion.
Eventually, we learn that it's all a sham. Elizabeth is actually in a coma, that Niam the Replicator-like humanoid who almost strangled her to death at the end of 'Progeny' infected her with Nanites prior to being kicked out into space... On Atlantis, the team are standing watch over Elizabeth as the Replicator nanites take over her body and mind. All appears hopeless and only Sheppard seems to have faith that Elizabeth can save herself and make it back to 'the real world.'
Although the episode is ostensibly about Replicator nanites taking over Elizabeth's body and the episode is intended to set up a new villain to supplement the Wraith threat, for me this episode was all about John and Elizabeth. Maybe not necessarily shippy, but it was definitely about the bond that they have.
We already knew it but we see again how much John worries and cares about Elizabeth. They all care about each other, but as usual it's John whose prepared to do whatever it takes to keep those he loves safe.
Also, I notice that only John seems to be able to penetrate Elizabeth's comatose state and 'reach' her. I'm not sure if this is because John was the only one who bothered talking to her, or whether for some metaphysical reason, only John was capable of 'reaching' Elizabeth. whatever the explanation, there's clearly a very unique and special bond between these two.
John watching anxiously over poor Elizabeth:
Both Ronon and John looking very worried:
It's John who first realises that Elizabeth is fighting and can keep fighting. He has an unshakeable faith in Elizabeth's abilities. He asks Carson if he thinks that Elizabeth knows that they're there. Rodney says: "How can she? She's unconscious." Nonetheless, both Carson and John are of the view that it's possible that Elizabeth can still be reached despite her comatose state.
I love the moment where John's by Elizabeth's side saying: "If Carson's right, I suppose I should say something profound... " Then he kind of pauses and goes: "Okay, I'm not so good at profound ..." He's so funny, and such a dork :) I love that he's trying so hard to reach her that somehow - he does. The medical science makes no sense, but it's just lovely :)
Carson says that Elizabeth's on her own. John doesn't agree .....
Yet again, he risks infection and his own life. Interesting that Rodney's the only one that exclaims in horror when John goes in there. I would have expected Carson to exclaim more loudly. No doubt it's Sheppard/McKay fans dissolved into ecstasy at that moment of touching concern from McKay for his platonic friend whom he is not shagging because of course, he's secretly in love with Elizabeth. Ahem. :)
I have no idea how he does it, but there he is in Elizabeth's head - urging her on and encouraging her. Telling her to fight it.
Elizabeth wakes up:
It's the gang sans John (who's in quarantine). I love their grins - look at Ronon leaning to the side a bit to get a better look! :) Look at them all. They're adorable. They're like ... the Scooby Gang or the Peanuts Gang - probably the latter because they're all so damned lovable. Carson's beaming madly.
Then the final scene. These two are really so wonderful together. They never manage to say anything, but you just know.
What's also lovely about this scene is that Elizabeth's all angsty and stressy about the Replicators and how powerful they are. John says: "Let's just take it as a win right now." He's just so relieved that Elizabeth is alive that he clearly doesn't care about how powerful the threat is.
They'll deal with that later.
Then when Elizabeth says that she can't believe that she was only gone for five hours, John says: "It felt longer." It could be a question, but I suspect he's talking about himself. What's the bet he didn't leave Elizabeth's side during the entire 5 hours ...
John's such a dork though. He says: "Well it's good to have you back in the real world." He means it, he wants to say something serious, but he's not good at that sort of thing, so he has to turn it into a joke.
"Least I think it's the real world, I could be infected right now which makes me the one ...."
Elizabeth doesn't feel like kidding around so she stops him with a: "John - don't." Look at the look on her face. Look at his. He looks like such a little boy :)
He apologises, leaves and Elizabeth watches him go like she always does and you wonder what's on her mind.
Then she looks down at her father's watch.
That's where the episode ends.
I don't think it should end there. :P
My ending to the episode :)
Elizabeth glances over to where John's walking down the stairs. As he walks past, he stops for a moment and looks up at her. His face is very serious. He doesn't say a word, but just watches her.
"John?"
"Yeah?"
She doesn't care that the other personnel in the control room can hear them.
"Thank you," she says quietly.
John smiles and pretends to look baffled. "For what. It was all you. You just needed a bit of a kick to remind you to keep fighting."
Elizabeth shakes her head in amused exasperation and watches him leave.
***
Later that night, Elizabeth is getting ready for bed. She eyes the bed with a sigh. It's not the place of serenity and comfort it should be. Her mouth quirks into a wry smile. She's had a steady stream of visitors tonight. Teyla, Rodney, Ronon, Carson - all stopping by to check on how she is. Their anxious concern has been heart-warming.
Dimming the lights, she slides into bed and lies there staring at the ceiling. She knows she won't sleep.
"Let me in?" John's voice can be heard through the door. Elizabeth frowns and sits up in bed as the door slides open.
"No need to get up. Just thought I'd wait for all your other visitors to leave first," John tells her.
"I'm sleeping, John."
"No you're not."
"Trying to sleep," she says witheringly.
He walks over and sits on the edge of the bed.
"I'm fine," She lies calmly.
"Sure you are," he says and gives her a gentle shove so that her head is back on the pillow.
"This is not how you make someone sleep," she points out.
"You told us a lot of what happened. There's a lot you didn't say."
Forcible medication, physically restrained from escaping. He has a pretty good idea what went on.
Elizabeth sighs and John touches her cheek lightly. "Everything's goin' to be just fine. Close your eyes."
Elizabeth laughs and closes her eyes.
To her surprise. John starts talking again. "Once upon a time ...."
"John this really isn't ..."
"There was a naval aviator - call sign Maverick ..."
"Oh god no ..."
"Top Gun is a classic!" Sheppard sounds very offended.
"Let's just skip to the beach volleyball scene?"
"Stop interrupting. Maverick's best friend and RIO was Goose ...."
Elizabeth closes her eyes.
Later that night, she shudders awake with a gasp, staring with terrified panic into the blackness but a firm hand gripped hers.
"It's all right, Elizabeth. I'm here. I may never forgive you for falling asleep during Goose's death, but I'm here ..."
Her choked laugh becomes a sob. "Now get some rest," he tells her seriously. "Take it from me, no microscopic robots are going to attack you again on my watch!" he tells her.
Elizabeth rolls her eyes. John Sheppard never changes.
She hopes he never does.