McShep-ish review of 5x01 - 5x03
My Big Bang fic has been submitted \o/ Since it's a post season 4 fic, I've purposely waited to watch season 5 episodes and have only caught up today. Here are some general impressions by episode and then the John/Rodney stuff :)
General impressions
Well, we're off to a not so great start in my opinion, both in terms of John/Rodney and in general, although things are looking up with 5x03. After last year's McShep show, it seems that John and Rodney are either not present at all or not together. The latter doesn't have to be a problem for me. I have greatly enjoyed episodes like "Letters from Pegasus" in which John and Rodney are only together in one scene, but here we've had three in a row and two of those didn't completely make up for the lack of John and Rodney.
5x01 Search and Rescue
Ever since The Last Man I've been bracing myself for Rodney/Jennifer and instead the episode opens with John and Teyla having a candle light dinner. After the first WTF (okay, actually the very first thought was "Hmm. John in a white shirt. Nice.") I concluded it has to be a dream/nightmare and yes. I'm still not sure how to interpret this.
I think John's been reading too many romance novels in his youth (or maybe he still does?!), because that whole set up was so over the top. I think what we saw here was John subconsciously putting himself in the role of the old-fashioned hero that he wants to be for Teyla (or anyone else), only to have reality intrude both when he excuses himself and of course when he can't remember rescuing her.
I loved to see Ford there! Totally didn't expect it and it was very fitting. We know John beats himself up about these things. I wonder how often he has nightmares about Sumner or Elizabeth.
Then follows predictable blood on the white shirt, cut to the actual wound and Ronon being cool.
Frankly I don't remember much from when they were down there trapped. I liked the moment John and Ronon did the "Been a pleasure [serving with you]" thing. The best part however of the whole trapped scenes was Lorne being all sarcastic to Rodney. I loved that so much!
Sam got to be all competent in her last episode as commander and yes, that was nice, but this one certainly didn't grip me the way Adrift did.
The pull back and zoom in shot with the strange bit of fairy tale music... I liked it, but it was too long and I'm not sure what they wanted to accomplish here.
I liked John hell-bent on saving Teyla even though he was in no condition to do it and his scene with Carter.
Rodney delivering the baby was just... so very predictable. Teyla really was a saint there. The "So, how are you doing?" "The pain is very great." exchange was funny.
Shooting the hyperdrive was just plain cool. I liked seeing Caldwell and Marks there (has he been re-assigned to the Daedalus?).
And Teyla names the baby after her father (Torren... my Big Bang fic is thwarted, calling him Tagan... or is Tagan her father's last name?) and John.
I didn't hate the episode or anything, but it was all very much what I would have expected as the episode went on.
One big happy-making exception was the sight of John with the baby. That was entirely heart-warming and melt-worthy and deserving of all the fangirl squee and flailing in the world!
5x02 The Seed
This episode just felt off to me. I couldn't put my finger on it and I'm still not sure, but maybe it's because it centered so much on secondary characters. Keller has just annoyed me in Search and Rescue and the fact that I knew she wouldn't die here robbed her plight of any excitement for me.
Clone Carson was so eager but boring and I just don't think the introduction to Woolsey worked for me (they did a much better job in "Broken Ties"). I love Robert Picardo and I've always liked Woolsey as a man who's stuck in his world of rules, but who's really decent and only wants to do the right thing. This was addressed here, but for some reason that last scene with John was sooooo awkward to me. Okay, I just rewatched that scene and it seems better now. Hmm. Maybe I'm just too tired? Rewatching the whole last scene, it might be the stuff with Carson and Jennifer that's actually so awkward that it carries over.
The thing is, this episode had so many cool things. My sister chief medical officer is a ship! Tentacles! Radek! John (and everyone) being all self-sacrificing! Woolsey meets reality!
Somehow it just didn't add up for me. I feels like a first draft that needs to be polished. I'll probably have to rewatch to really analyze what didn't work. (And boy, is this the lamest review ever...)
5x03 Broken Ties
Finally we're getting somewhere! Awesome episode where Ronon meets his darkest nightmares. I do hope (really, really) that they won't just completely forget about this experience. How difficult must it be for Ronon to have been turned by his mortal enemy, to not have been strong enough to resist, to turn into what he abhors most? I thought the ending with John giving him the sword and leaving him alone with it was very fitting. Ronon has to come to terms with this. I think it would be too much to ask for to actually see this as a gradual thing over the next episodes, but at the very least I'd like to see them recall this when appropriate.
I really liked Tyre's arc here. I cared about him much more than about Jennifer in the last episode. The parallel montage of him in withdrawal and Ronon getting addicted was chilling. He looked so broken in the beginning and I'm glad he found his redemption in the end, finally a Satedan again.
Jason's acting was amazing. He sometimes seems flat to me when he's in the background, but maybe that's deliberate, maybe that's how Ronon is, not letting things get to him, until he cracks.
And then there was the delightful subplot with Teyla. I thought it was beautifully done on all accounts, Woolsey being sympathetic even though he's never been in the position and John's mixed feelings. Only Kanaan seemed a bit too good to be true to me. When they first introduced him in absentia Teyla told us that he has great leadership potential, but is unwilling to accept it. In this episode I didn't really see any kind of personality; he was just the supporting father, designed to make it easier for Teyla to re-join the team (which thank GOD!). I loved how hard it was for her and when she was captured on the very first mission after the baby's birth I could see her questioning herself (although I almost expected her to just yell "Shut up, Rodney!" any moment; I certainly thought it ;)
Woolsey's introduction here worked much better for me, maybe because it wasn't so central and handled with humor. He's divorced and loved his dog. He feels comfortable in a suit (which was a wonderful moment), listens to music and drinks wine in his downtime. He really felt like a person this time and not just the new guy who has a lot to learn about the Pegasus Galaxy. And I'm glad that Teyla appreciated him. And Woolsey and Torren is not as cute as John with a baby (because nothing can beat that), but it's still cute and funny.
Overall a very satisfying episode, certainly my favorite so far this season.
John/Rodney
Slightly off topic: As I mentioned earlier, I've been bracing myself for them to jump headlong into Rodney/Jennifer (because they don't know better). They didn't. I'm not sure how much this still influences my viewing, because I was really annoyed with Keller in the first episode and thought she was incredibly stupid in the second (although we were probably meant to believe that it was the organism making her not say anything and just wash off the substance instead of acting sane). I felt no sympathy at all for her (and a tiny part of me wanted John to shoot her). She was never a favorite of mine (even before Trio), but I didn't actively dislike her like this. And I like her enough in my fic, so maybe it really is how she was portrayed here (I didn't mind her in "Broken Ties").
Getting on topic: They had to bring up the Rodney/Jennifer thing from The Last Man of course. John didn't tell Rodney about it. I'm not sure what I would have expected him to do as the heterosexual, not-pining-for-him friend that he's supposed to be on the show. I just know that it fits a jealous John perfectly.
And it wasn't just in that scene in "The Seed". When he was in the infirmary with her in "Search and Rescue" he couldn't look at her at all in the beginning. I know there are other ways to interpret it, but I just love to see it as John being awkward around her. It's part jealousy and part guilt (for not telling them about what he learned) and part shared grief (except that it is neither shared nor grief).
Apart from that recall, there was a lot less Rodney/Jennifer than I would have expected. In fact it all pinged me as strictly friendship and in some cases actively going against the notion he might be harboring feelings for her. When she wanted to take care of him in "Search and Rescue" he more of less pushed her away and in the jumper he seemed really annoyed with her. Then in "The Seed" when Teyla asked him to break into Jennifer's room, he didn't want to do it and was completely uninterested in the prospect of finding her there naked. They could have played that scene in so many ways easing us into Rodney/Jennifer, but they didn't. Maybe there's hope yet (and no I'm not spoiled and intend to stay so).
What else did we have in terms of McShep? Not very much, but there were some really nice moments.
In "Search and Rescue":
- Rodney was worried about John and obviously relieved when it turned out that he and Ronon were the two survivors.
- Rodney suggesting that they can do this without John. The way he glances over to him is so cute. He knows what John is going to answer, but he still has to offer it.
- "Follow me. Or you." I wonder what that was about. Does John always take point? In any case, it's nice to see that they apparently have a routine that Rodney will immediately defer to.
- "You did good, Rodney." after he delivered the baby. Now I want to read MPreg or baby fic.
- Squabbling like a married couple about the jumper.
In "The Seed":
- Rodney's worry, when John is cured.
In "Broken Ties":
- Exchanging glances when Teyla is doubtful about her return to the team. I love how they do that, looking at each other and sharing a moment.
- John handling Rodney in the cell.
- The hand on Rodney's arm as John goes :)
Let's get to two more highlights in these episodes.
First, John and Rodney bathing together. Or at least talking about it, which is good enough for me really.
When Rodney first mentions bathing, John is intrigued or let's say slightly curious.
Rodney losing track of time is canon now. I love that he turns to John when he's drawing a complete blank and needs ideas. That's kind of sweet.
And then John's "I'm not taking a bath with you." He's joking of course (although one has to wonder why he even comes up with this ;) But you can even take it straight (so to speak) and as he says it, it doesn't sound as unconditional rejection of the idea. More of a now is not the time thing. They have to rescue Ronon after all and let's be honest, if John did take that bath with him, there wouldn't be a lot of thinking about Ronon's whereabouts going on in his mind.
Rodney doesn't react to it all, which is telling in itself ;)
Does this mean no more shower sex?
Saving the best for last, here is the John/Rodney moment in the first three episodes from "Search and Rescue":
John is lying in the infirmary, unable to look at Keller for more than a second, trying to remain calm and talk about what happened without getting emotional.
When Jennifer says he's going to live to fight another day, he's not answering her, instead he's talking about what happened. I think he's trying to prepare himself what he believes to be true: that he lost Rodney. He doesn't want to ask directly, because asking would mean hope and he's trying to accept it, trying to be able to handle it, because he needs to be able to handle it.
And then Jennifer mentions Rodney and it's as if a switch is turned.
"McKay is alive?"
That look and the way his head moves a tiny bit and how he can finally look at Keller. And not just that. He suddenly wants to jump out of bed and is ready to go on a rescue mission, to force Keller to let him go.
Rodney's survival didn't change any of the facts (Teyla being on board the ship), but the difference in John is utterly remarkable.
It's as if he's suddenly himself again. Now that he doesn't have to deal with the impossible task of coming to terms with Rodney's death and not letting it show he can concentrate on what matters.
There are no words really for what that says about John's feelings for Rodney. It's the kind of thing I'd do in fic and then have John at a later point mull over, because he shouldn't be that affected by Rodney's fate, but he is. It's undeniable.
I'm continually floored by how the show instead of challenging my belief that John is in love with Rodney supports it.
General impressions
Well, we're off to a not so great start in my opinion, both in terms of John/Rodney and in general, although things are looking up with 5x03. After last year's McShep show, it seems that John and Rodney are either not present at all or not together. The latter doesn't have to be a problem for me. I have greatly enjoyed episodes like "Letters from Pegasus" in which John and Rodney are only together in one scene, but here we've had three in a row and two of those didn't completely make up for the lack of John and Rodney.
5x01 Search and Rescue
Ever since The Last Man I've been bracing myself for Rodney/Jennifer and instead the episode opens with John and Teyla having a candle light dinner. After the first WTF (okay, actually the very first thought was "Hmm. John in a white shirt. Nice.") I concluded it has to be a dream/nightmare and yes. I'm still not sure how to interpret this.
I think John's been reading too many romance novels in his youth (or maybe he still does?!), because that whole set up was so over the top. I think what we saw here was John subconsciously putting himself in the role of the old-fashioned hero that he wants to be for Teyla (or anyone else), only to have reality intrude both when he excuses himself and of course when he can't remember rescuing her.
I loved to see Ford there! Totally didn't expect it and it was very fitting. We know John beats himself up about these things. I wonder how often he has nightmares about Sumner or Elizabeth.
Then follows predictable blood on the white shirt, cut to the actual wound and Ronon being cool.
Frankly I don't remember much from when they were down there trapped. I liked the moment John and Ronon did the "Been a pleasure [serving with you]" thing. The best part however of the whole trapped scenes was Lorne being all sarcastic to Rodney. I loved that so much!
Sam got to be all competent in her last episode as commander and yes, that was nice, but this one certainly didn't grip me the way Adrift did.
The pull back and zoom in shot with the strange bit of fairy tale music... I liked it, but it was too long and I'm not sure what they wanted to accomplish here.
I liked John hell-bent on saving Teyla even though he was in no condition to do it and his scene with Carter.
Rodney delivering the baby was just... so very predictable. Teyla really was a saint there. The "So, how are you doing?" "The pain is very great." exchange was funny.
Shooting the hyperdrive was just plain cool. I liked seeing Caldwell and Marks there (has he been re-assigned to the Daedalus?).
And Teyla names the baby after her father (Torren... my Big Bang fic is thwarted, calling him Tagan... or is Tagan her father's last name?) and John.
I didn't hate the episode or anything, but it was all very much what I would have expected as the episode went on.
One big happy-making exception was the sight of John with the baby. That was entirely heart-warming and melt-worthy and deserving of all the fangirl squee and flailing in the world!
5x02 The Seed
This episode just felt off to me. I couldn't put my finger on it and I'm still not sure, but maybe it's because it centered so much on secondary characters. Keller has just annoyed me in Search and Rescue and the fact that I knew she wouldn't die here robbed her plight of any excitement for me.
Clone Carson was so eager but boring and I just don't think the introduction to Woolsey worked for me (they did a much better job in "Broken Ties"). I love Robert Picardo and I've always liked Woolsey as a man who's stuck in his world of rules, but who's really decent and only wants to do the right thing. This was addressed here, but for some reason that last scene with John was sooooo awkward to me. Okay, I just rewatched that scene and it seems better now. Hmm. Maybe I'm just too tired? Rewatching the whole last scene, it might be the stuff with Carson and Jennifer that's actually so awkward that it carries over.
The thing is, this episode had so many cool things. My sister chief medical officer is a ship! Tentacles! Radek! John (and everyone) being all self-sacrificing! Woolsey meets reality!
Somehow it just didn't add up for me. I feels like a first draft that needs to be polished. I'll probably have to rewatch to really analyze what didn't work. (And boy, is this the lamest review ever...)
5x03 Broken Ties
Finally we're getting somewhere! Awesome episode where Ronon meets his darkest nightmares. I do hope (really, really) that they won't just completely forget about this experience. How difficult must it be for Ronon to have been turned by his mortal enemy, to not have been strong enough to resist, to turn into what he abhors most? I thought the ending with John giving him the sword and leaving him alone with it was very fitting. Ronon has to come to terms with this. I think it would be too much to ask for to actually see this as a gradual thing over the next episodes, but at the very least I'd like to see them recall this when appropriate.
I really liked Tyre's arc here. I cared about him much more than about Jennifer in the last episode. The parallel montage of him in withdrawal and Ronon getting addicted was chilling. He looked so broken in the beginning and I'm glad he found his redemption in the end, finally a Satedan again.
Jason's acting was amazing. He sometimes seems flat to me when he's in the background, but maybe that's deliberate, maybe that's how Ronon is, not letting things get to him, until he cracks.
And then there was the delightful subplot with Teyla. I thought it was beautifully done on all accounts, Woolsey being sympathetic even though he's never been in the position and John's mixed feelings. Only Kanaan seemed a bit too good to be true to me. When they first introduced him in absentia Teyla told us that he has great leadership potential, but is unwilling to accept it. In this episode I didn't really see any kind of personality; he was just the supporting father, designed to make it easier for Teyla to re-join the team (which thank GOD!). I loved how hard it was for her and when she was captured on the very first mission after the baby's birth I could see her questioning herself (although I almost expected her to just yell "Shut up, Rodney!" any moment; I certainly thought it ;)
Woolsey's introduction here worked much better for me, maybe because it wasn't so central and handled with humor. He's divorced and loved his dog. He feels comfortable in a suit (which was a wonderful moment), listens to music and drinks wine in his downtime. He really felt like a person this time and not just the new guy who has a lot to learn about the Pegasus Galaxy. And I'm glad that Teyla appreciated him. And Woolsey and Torren is not as cute as John with a baby (because nothing can beat that), but it's still cute and funny.
Overall a very satisfying episode, certainly my favorite so far this season.
John/Rodney
Slightly off topic: As I mentioned earlier, I've been bracing myself for them to jump headlong into Rodney/Jennifer (because they don't know better). They didn't. I'm not sure how much this still influences my viewing, because I was really annoyed with Keller in the first episode and thought she was incredibly stupid in the second (although we were probably meant to believe that it was the organism making her not say anything and just wash off the substance instead of acting sane). I felt no sympathy at all for her (and a tiny part of me wanted John to shoot her). She was never a favorite of mine (even before Trio), but I didn't actively dislike her like this. And I like her enough in my fic, so maybe it really is how she was portrayed here (I didn't mind her in "Broken Ties").
Getting on topic: They had to bring up the Rodney/Jennifer thing from The Last Man of course. John didn't tell Rodney about it. I'm not sure what I would have expected him to do as the heterosexual, not-pining-for-him friend that he's supposed to be on the show. I just know that it fits a jealous John perfectly.
And it wasn't just in that scene in "The Seed". When he was in the infirmary with her in "Search and Rescue" he couldn't look at her at all in the beginning. I know there are other ways to interpret it, but I just love to see it as John being awkward around her. It's part jealousy and part guilt (for not telling them about what he learned) and part shared grief (except that it is neither shared nor grief).
Apart from that recall, there was a lot less Rodney/Jennifer than I would have expected. In fact it all pinged me as strictly friendship and in some cases actively going against the notion he might be harboring feelings for her. When she wanted to take care of him in "Search and Rescue" he more of less pushed her away and in the jumper he seemed really annoyed with her. Then in "The Seed" when Teyla asked him to break into Jennifer's room, he didn't want to do it and was completely uninterested in the prospect of finding her there naked. They could have played that scene in so many ways easing us into Rodney/Jennifer, but they didn't. Maybe there's hope yet (and no I'm not spoiled and intend to stay so).
What else did we have in terms of McShep? Not very much, but there were some really nice moments.
In "Search and Rescue":
- Rodney was worried about John and obviously relieved when it turned out that he and Ronon were the two survivors.
- Rodney suggesting that they can do this without John. The way he glances over to him is so cute. He knows what John is going to answer, but he still has to offer it.
- "Follow me. Or you." I wonder what that was about. Does John always take point? In any case, it's nice to see that they apparently have a routine that Rodney will immediately defer to.
- "You did good, Rodney." after he delivered the baby. Now I want to read MPreg or baby fic.
- Squabbling like a married couple about the jumper.
In "The Seed":
- Rodney's worry, when John is cured.
In "Broken Ties":
- Exchanging glances when Teyla is doubtful about her return to the team. I love how they do that, looking at each other and sharing a moment.
- John handling Rodney in the cell.
- The hand on Rodney's arm as John goes :)
Let's get to two more highlights in these episodes.
First, John and Rodney bathing together. Or at least talking about it, which is good enough for me really.
When Rodney first mentions bathing, John is intrigued or let's say slightly curious.
Rodney losing track of time is canon now. I love that he turns to John when he's drawing a complete blank and needs ideas. That's kind of sweet.
And then John's "I'm not taking a bath with you." He's joking of course (although one has to wonder why he even comes up with this ;) But you can even take it straight (so to speak) and as he says it, it doesn't sound as unconditional rejection of the idea. More of a now is not the time thing. They have to rescue Ronon after all and let's be honest, if John did take that bath with him, there wouldn't be a lot of thinking about Ronon's whereabouts going on in his mind.
Rodney doesn't react to it all, which is telling in itself ;)
Does this mean no more shower sex?
Saving the best for last, here is the John/Rodney moment in the first three episodes from "Search and Rescue":
John is lying in the infirmary, unable to look at Keller for more than a second, trying to remain calm and talk about what happened without getting emotional.
When Jennifer says he's going to live to fight another day, he's not answering her, instead he's talking about what happened. I think he's trying to prepare himself what he believes to be true: that he lost Rodney. He doesn't want to ask directly, because asking would mean hope and he's trying to accept it, trying to be able to handle it, because he needs to be able to handle it.
And then Jennifer mentions Rodney and it's as if a switch is turned.
"McKay is alive?"
That look and the way his head moves a tiny bit and how he can finally look at Keller. And not just that. He suddenly wants to jump out of bed and is ready to go on a rescue mission, to force Keller to let him go.
Rodney's survival didn't change any of the facts (Teyla being on board the ship), but the difference in John is utterly remarkable.
It's as if he's suddenly himself again. Now that he doesn't have to deal with the impossible task of coming to terms with Rodney's death and not letting it show he can concentrate on what matters.
There are no words really for what that says about John's feelings for Rodney. It's the kind of thing I'd do in fic and then have John at a later point mull over, because he shouldn't be that affected by Rodney's fate, but he is. It's undeniable.
I'm continually floored by how the show instead of challenging my belief that John is in love with Rodney supports it.