SGA 4x20 The Last Man
I loved it. So much.
I had seen the pics of Old!Rodney, so I thought he'd been fed on by the Wraith. I'd also seen sketches of Atlantis in a desert, so I figured that'd be the "How do we get out of here" cliffhanger. And between the various comments the last week, I knew there'd be a Jennifer/Rodney kiss. So I feared, they'd have a heat of the moment jump in their relationship.
Wrong on all accounts.
I was so, so, so happy when we learned that it's the future, because then I started hoping that the Jennifer/Rodney thing was just an alternate timeline. I can live with that.
And better yet, from a John/Rodney shippers point of view, it happens after John is gone, forever.
Loved how proud Rodney was of Sam. Loved that Ronon finally could put his training as military officer to use and create his own little army. And fighting and dying side by side with a Wraith. That was so, so amazing. And that little thing with Zelenka bringing him coffee. So beautifully done.
And yes, I can see Rodney and Jennifer. Brought together by being the only ones left. He said as much. It will be different with John.
He worked 25 years to bring John back. amireal said she interpreted Jennifer's last wish as her knowing that Rodney was in love with John. And I think it's possible. She'll definitely know how much John means to him, even if neither Rodney nor she would put that particular label on it.
He doesn't honor her last wish. I'm not sure what that says about their relationship. He believes he can fix it and he does, even if it takes all his life and that's just... this made me really love Rodney. Teaching at a community college to have a lot of time. This episode is such excellent fanfic fodder.
I'm actually still kind of incoherent.
I love that John wonders if they should change this timeline. Rodney got to live and got the girl. And even with everything else that's happened, he doesn't question Rodney's right to his own happiness. That's love.
And the teasing about the hair. See, this way it's cute, because it will be a lovely surprise, when he can look into the mirror year, after year, John sneaking up behind him in the mornings, looking over his shoulder and going "it looks a little thinner, huh?" every now and then to tease his husband, and seeing he still has it. Until he realizes it's there to stay. [Although realistically the way his hair is going, it's likely this was fictional, but TPTB have the power to make such things canon at least for McKay if not David ;)]
Also, it just occurred to me that when Rodney says they weren't just colleagues anymore after their trip back, that makes it canon that they are just colleagues now and that nothing came of that Trio thing. *phew* Another bullet dodged.
So what have we got:
Rodney working his whole life to bring John back. John rescued. Both of them blissfully single.
And I think we can safely assume that they didn't die when that house crashed. (They better not kill Lorne!)
It will be a great summer of fic writing. And I think I'll really want to write the post-S4 prompt for sgabigbang.