Comments | sga_squee: Rewatch: The Kindred: Part II

twinsarein in sga_squee

Rewatch: The Kindred: Part II

Nov 30, 2012 21:52

Slowly, everyone on Atlantis comes to terms with the sudden re-appearance of Dr. Carson Beckett who, he claims, has been Michael's prisoner for some two years. He tells them what he was doing in Michael's laboratory and they set off to find the kidnapped Teyla. Dr. Keller figures out just how he's come to there at all. Sheppard meanwhile has been ( Read more... )

rewatch, s4x19

Comments 8

Comment 1 helenkacan December 1 2012, 04:09:13 UTC

Ick. Another episode I didn't want to watch more than once, even though there were some very powerful Rodney & Carson moments. So I'm just going to touch on a few aspects and then get to doing some moralizing. But, first, I have to acknowledge the lovely soundtrack, with its wistful echoes of deep friendship, anguish and loss. I also didn't remember noting (hee - play on words) the first time I saw the episode, but the music in the closing scene set in the stasis room included faint church bells. Um ... yeah, as if we weren't reminded enough that TPTB were basically killing Carson off a second time. Talk about a dirty trick to play on the fans, who'd fought to have Carson returned to the show for good, and not just as a walk-on bit character ( ... )

Re: Comment 1 twinsarein December 8 2012, 03:10:45 UTC

How could Carson give in to Michael? This does seem surprising, and not in character for Carson at all, but as we learn at the end of the episode, it was probably that bond thing that kept Carson from killing Michael. But Michael, in his lovely, sadistic way, was trying to put more of the burden of guilt on Carson, by making it seem like it was his decision, even if he was blackmailed into it. Or, maybe Michael just didn't want Carson to realize he was a clone, for some reason.

Well, it leads me to wonder why nobody had implemented a watch on each Stargate. This is a very good point. I wonder if many of the people have a fatalistic attitude about life. Maybe that would explain it.

I loved, loved, loved Rodney's reaction to Carson being back. It's horrible that it was for such a short time

Re: Comment 1 helenkacan December 9 2012, 12:28:35 UTC

I think later on Michael definitely toyed with Carson's brain regarding the dichotomy of obeying Michael in his barbaric orders vs Carson's sometimes mushy soft-hearted nature. But, in the beginning, I think that Michael took extra pleasure out of presenting Carson with a huge moral dilemma without interfering. I also think that Michael was having fun distorting the human/Lantean self-perception of being do-gooders.

Comment 2 helenkacan December 1 2012, 04:17:49 UTC

Whether he's a security risk or a sleeper plant of Michael's, Carson gets to go through the gate with the team. It doesn't end up being a walk in the park, as they encounter a hostile bartender and are shot at by someone wielding a P90. Someone who ends up being Nabel (the bad guy whom we last saw in Missing).

When Carson tries to help Jennifer out in saving Nabel's life, he ends up collapsing. Uh-oh. This doesn't look good.

Sam's also grilling the team about a possible double-cross by Carson but she's interrupted by Jennifer's call about Carson.

The team hears about Carson's condition first, and then so does Carson. So ... were TPTB being supportive or silly by including the name of David H's movie as a part of Carson's dialogue. Because, really, feeling like “a dog's breakfast”? For a true fan, it seems totally inappropriate because - duh - we notice these things and knowFinally we all get a clue as to why Carson's been deteriorating. It's those weekly injections that Michael had been giving him and he's several days late in ( ... )

Comment 3A helenkacan December 1 2012, 05:35:16 UTC

Time for me to go yuck again, as Teyla's with creepy, obsessive Michael who's conducting an ultrasound on Teyla over her clothing and without gel (but I guess uncovering her abdomen - or even using a body double for the scene - would have squicked the childish PTB). Cue rolling of the eyes again. I was really surprised by Teyla's naiveté in her plea to Michael. Surely she has to be way beyond the simple hope that Michael would overlook whatever had gone on between them (I'm presuming she's speaking on behalf of Atlantis) and not harm her child. The dialogue is just not believable ( ... )

Re: Comment 3A twinsarein December 8 2012, 03:13:10 UTC

As two of the young children were played by two of Joe F''s boys, instead of paying attention to Halling and the Athosians as they were escaping, they kept looking excitedly at “Daddy”. Oops! Cool!!! I hadn't known that. I'm going to have to go back and rewatch that scene again, now.

Comment 3B helenkacan December 1 2012, 05:43:42 UTC

At least Carson's doing something good as he mows down the two men taking Teyla to the ship. But Carson can't convince Teyla to leave without Kanaan. [There was a big discussion about this on the GW forum: whether Teyla should have thought about saving her son, if not her own life, and left without Kanaan.]

It's too late as Michael intercepts them. Though it's weird to hear him talk about letting feelings get in the way. As Teyla urges Carson to shoot Michael, Michael regains control of Carson's mind so he's powerless to pull the trigger, no matter how much he'd like to. And he won't let Teyla grab the gun. Uh, Teyla, why didn't YOU try to grab the gun earlier? You've always been so independent, but now you're hoping for someone else to pull the trigger. I know, I know. If she'd done that, we'd have no cliffhanger. I also figured she'd stopped making an attempt when Michael aimed his stunner at her. So NOW she's worried about her unborn child? I also have to wonder at Carson's emotional and psychological reactions. Surely it's not ( ... )

Closing thoughts helenkacan December 1 2012, 17:58:54 UTC

I have a real problem with the issue of cloning. Michael's using 10,000 year old technology that was used to create an army of drones (based on a few genetic offspring from a Queen). Though, realistically, that's not much of an achievement, considering what we've seen of these creatures, semi-mindless but angrily violent at maturation. Yet now he knows how to clone Carson right down to all of his memories and fussy foibles. Since when is Michael supposed to be such a Wraith genius? Or had access to these particular procedures? But, if he's such a genius scientist (I can see Rodney scoffing at the "scientist" designation), then why does he need somebody like Carson whose extraterrestrial experiments have been a failure? Does. Not. Compute.

Or is this either folly or vanity on Michael's part - to have a human (even though a clone) doing his bidding. If so, then Michael hasn't exactly perfected the obedience aspect to his mind control. We see it slipping from Kanaan when Teyla manages to get through to his innate compassion ... until ( ... )