Grade SG-A – Ghost in the Machine - (SPOILERS)
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, Torri!).
Above Average.
It was nice to see FRAN again- even if she wasn't FRAN. The ending was a touch predictable with one Rep trying to break free, but Weir/FRAN admitting that she and her compatriots were a threat saved the episode. Dumping them into space, I admit, it not a good long term solution. But there seemed to be little that they could do in a pinch. Weir went through first and the others hesitated till they received a signal from her that it was safe. But this does pretty much means we'll see them again. Woosley started out pretty weak in this episode and he really didn't seem fit for command. But he redeemed himself with his showdown with the Reps. A lot of nerve there.
It was nice to see FRAN again- even if she wasn't FRAN. The ending was a touch predictable with one Rep trying to break free, but Weir/FRAN admitting that she and her compatriots were a threat saved the episode. Dumping them into space, I admit, it not a good long term solution. But there seemed to be little that they could do in a pinch. Weir went through first and the others hesitated till they received a signal from her that it was safe. But this does pretty much means we'll see them again. Woosley started out pretty weak in this episode and he really didn't seem fit for command. But he redeemed himself with his showdown with the Reps. A lot of nerve there.
Re: Grade SG-A – Ghost in the Machine - (SPOILERS)
Another set of quick thoughts.
I have no doubt in my mind those replicators will be found again. I think all they did was just shut themselves off and didn't really die. After all, who wants to float in space forever?
They gave some character potential to McKay since he seemed obligated to Weir and felt bad about what he did. This could be explored in further episodes. I suspect it probably won't, but a good writer would take some time to explore it.
The replicators gave them a huge advantage over the the Wraith giving Atlantis the technical specs to their ships. I hope the show will eventually explore this and possibly lead to the defeat of the Wraith. However, I suspect it will not. And again, a good writer would explore this as well.
Another set of quick thoughts.
I have no doubt in my mind those replicators will be found again. I think all they did was just shut themselves off and didn't really die. After all, who wants to float in space forever?
They gave some character potential to McKay since he seemed obligated to Weir and felt bad about what he did. This could be explored in further episodes. I suspect it probably won't, but a good writer would take some time to explore it.
The replicators gave them a huge advantage over the the Wraith giving Atlantis the technical specs to their ships. I hope the show will eventually explore this and possibly lead to the defeat of the Wraith. However, I suspect it will not. And again, a good writer would explore this as well.
Yep your way is the only way
I would think the Rep information will be used again and I can't wait to see.
They've been there from day one, it's just the first time we've seen them correct a gate's position, something I rather liked seeing as it explains how these gates have remained in what looks like low orbit for millennia. I do wonder where they draw their power from though, probably the gate itself but I have to wonder how long a gate can retain a charge from an incoming connection. We know that since the Earth gate had been inactive so long that it needed power to dial out and I'm assuming the outgoing gate provides power for both ends of the connection, so if a space gate hasn't had a connection in a while, would the RCS pods loose power and the gate fall out of orbit? It'd be interesting if at some point they find a gate that's either fallen out of orbit or propelled into an area of space even the ancients never visited...
It was above average until the ending twist which took me by surprise. I'm still unsure if Weir knew ahead of time what would happen when she stepped through the gate. I like to think she didn't and just realized what was happening when she was floating in space.
Woolsey had some great moments in this episode and he's quickly becoming the most interesting character. The characters' guilt at the end was well acted and directed but I doubt we'll see anything so daring as a follow up on that.
However, there was one dissapointment. I was hoping that this episode would set up some sort of ongoing story because this show desperately needs that. Currently, it has no drive, we're just floating along. This leaves the writers with, apparently, only two options: either create standalones (worked with The Daedalus Variation but certainly did not with The Seed) or just mine previous stories for a one off (did not work with Broken Ties but worked with this one).
That is not really this episode's fault and I won't harm it grade wise for that. It was a good one by the usually reliable Carl Binder.
As for the preview for next week's? It looks great. Oh, wait, no it doesn't.
Woolsey had some great moments in this episode and he's quickly becoming the most interesting character. The characters' guilt at the end was well acted and directed but I doubt we'll see anything so daring as a follow up on that.
However, there was one dissapointment. I was hoping that this episode would set up some sort of ongoing story because this show desperately needs that. Currently, it has no drive, we're just floating along. This leaves the writers with, apparently, only two options: either create standalones (worked with The Daedalus Variation but certainly did not with The Seed) or just mine previous stories for a one off (did not work with Broken Ties but worked with this one).
That is not really this episode's fault and I won't harm it grade wise for that. It was a good one by the usually reliable Carl Binder.
As for the preview for next week's? It looks great. Oh, wait, no it doesn't.
I think Weir did know because she signaled them that it was okay for the rest of them to come. That's why Rodney said when Elizabeth told them it was okay, there was no doubt that it was really her.
So after this, dya think the Atlantis crew will finally realize "we should blindly do whatever Ronan says"? 
How many times has he been right, and ignored, with disastrous results? Are any of these people even keeping track?
Urk. I find it impossible to connect emotionally with Weir stories where Tori Higginson doesn't appear (not even her voice!) For the ending to work, we'd need to remember Shep's connection with Weir and he doesn't have it with that girl who they have playing the role now, so the whole thing falls flat.
And this was such character assassination that I'm still not convinced that was Weir, anyway. She admitted that her energy form is unstable and dangerous, yet endangered her former friends in the shuttle and on Atlantis anyway. She's responsible for the death of that redshirt, and she could have killed everyone. And was sinking Atlantis part of her plan, because she sure didn't fess up about her connection with the others when it happened. Shouldn't that have been a big hint that she couldn't trust her friends?
Just to top off this whole disaster, they use the hoary old Stargate ending that allows the villain characters to be resurrected at some future time. Yeah I'm sure they'll be floating in space forever...
Don't bother, McKay.
Showing an ounce of originality would help. How about firing all the writers and producers and hiring good ones. If you want to see what a well written show looks like, try BSG or Lost for current sf/f; Dexter, Mad Men, Damages and Breaking Bad for current non-sf/f; and Deadwood on DVD.
How many times has he been right, and ignored, with disastrous results? Are any of these people even keeping track?Urk. I find it impossible to connect emotionally with Weir stories where Tori Higginson doesn't appear (not even her voice!) For the ending to work, we'd need to remember Shep's connection with Weir and he doesn't have it with that girl who they have playing the role now, so the whole thing falls flat.
And this was such character assassination that I'm still not convinced that was Weir, anyway. She admitted that her energy form is unstable and dangerous, yet endangered her former friends in the shuttle and on Atlantis anyway. She's responsible for the death of that redshirt, and she could have killed everyone. And was sinking Atlantis part of her plan, because she sure didn't fess up about her connection with the others when it happened. Shouldn't that have been a big hint that she couldn't trust her friends?
Just to top off this whole disaster, they use the hoary old Stargate ending that allows the villain characters to be resurrected at some future time. Yeah I'm sure they'll be floating in space forever...
Don't bother, McKay.
Did she turn down the episode after reading the script? If so, she must have recognized what a hideous disservice it was doing to her character. It would have been better if there'd been some confirmation that it wasn't Weir after all (but then the whole thing becomes all the more pointless).
Showing an ounce of originality would help. How about firing all the writers and producers and hiring good ones. If you want to see what a well written show looks like, try BSG or Lost for current sf/f; Dexter, Mad Men, Damages and Breaking Bad for current non-sf/f; and Deadwood on DVD.
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I am damned pissed off at how callouly the Asurans get treated by the Atlantis-humans - even the ones who have peaceful intentions!
It's infuriatingly narrow-minded, and reeks of constant betrayal - even back to the time when Weir herself used Niam's more pacifist nature agaisnt him back in 'Progeny'.
Ugh.
It's infuriatingly narrow-minded, and reeks of constant betrayal - even back to the time when Weir herself used Niam's more pacifist nature agaisnt him back in 'Progeny'.
Ugh.
^^You are not alone in that regard...
My emotions on this one are mixed. On one hand it was a well paced episode, with some good moments for everyone. Warm and fuzzy Woolsey took a break, and allowed hard as nails Woolsey to come out of his shell. On the other, it made me miss Weir-and Tori Higginson all the more. And worst of all, with Carter gone too, the leadership roles on the show are overwhelmingly male dominated.
I think I've finally figured out what's been bothering me about this...This bunch of Replicators-members of the secret faction that desired an end to the hatred of their creators, and wished to ascend. This faction helped stop Oberof's plan to destroy Atlantis, and their [leader] Neame was forcibly taken over against his will and attacked Elizabeth before being ejected into space above Lantea. This group did nothing to harm anyone after the destruction of Asura. All they now wanted was to create human bodies and become mortal, flesh and blood beings, in the hopes of one day ascending. All but one followed every security rule and procedure laid down...and how are they rewarded? Scorn, derision, and finally, frozen incapacitation. What was the danger in letting them become human? Where was the peril at allowing them to give up being virtually immortal superbeings coming from? As humans, they would've become vulnerable . So why the abject scorn directed at them, why assume they would be a threat after downloading into human bodies? This doesn't make sense, and it's been gnawing at me all day.
This was no different than the Gouald and the Tokra. The same species, split into 2 opposing ideological societies. And yet, after realizing that the Tokra were separate in nature to the Gouald, our SGC heroes never thought of exterminating them, while fighting their evil brethren...Oh, and let's wipe out all the Geni too while we're at it, for the crimes of a handful of their leaders...In their technological form they were potentially dangerous (emphasis..were...will the timeship Relativity warp in and arrest them for crimes they may commit in the future?), but as flesh and blood people, where was the thinking coming from that they'd be as morally corrupt as the group from which they broke away from? And needed to be neutralized?
Was this action the result of prejudice..that a technological originated life form, isn't in fact, a lifeform, and not deserving of the the same treatment human troublemakers are given?
My emotions on this one are mixed. On one hand it was a well paced episode, with some good moments for everyone. Warm and fuzzy Woolsey took a break, and allowed hard as nails Woolsey to come out of his shell. On the other, it made me miss Weir-and Tori Higginson all the more. And worst of all, with Carter gone too, the leadership roles on the show are overwhelmingly male dominated.
I think I've finally figured out what's been bothering me about this...This bunch of Replicators-members of the secret faction that desired an end to the hatred of their creators, and wished to ascend. This faction helped stop Oberof's plan to destroy Atlantis, and their [leader] Neame was forcibly taken over against his will and attacked Elizabeth before being ejected into space above Lantea. This group did nothing to harm anyone after the destruction of Asura. All they now wanted was to create human bodies and become mortal, flesh and blood beings, in the hopes of one day ascending. All but one followed every security rule and procedure laid down...and how are they rewarded? Scorn, derision, and finally, frozen incapacitation. What was the danger in letting them become human? Where was the peril at allowing them to give up being virtually immortal superbeings coming from? As humans, they would've become vulnerable . So why the abject scorn directed at them, why assume they would be a threat after downloading into human bodies? This doesn't make sense, and it's been gnawing at me all day.
This was no different than the Gouald and the Tokra. The same species, split into 2 opposing ideological societies. And yet, after realizing that the Tokra were separate in nature to the Gouald, our SGC heroes never thought of exterminating them, while fighting their evil brethren...Oh, and let's wipe out all the Geni too while we're at it, for the crimes of a handful of their leaders...In their technological form they were potentially dangerous (emphasis..were...will the timeship Relativity warp in and arrest them for crimes they may commit in the future?), but as flesh and blood people, where was the thinking coming from that they'd be as morally corrupt as the group from which they broke away from? And needed to be neutralized?
Was this action the result of prejudice..that a technological originated life form, isn't in fact, a lifeform, and not deserving of the the same treatment human troublemakers are given?
Ugh. I'm not looking forward to this one on DVD. Distrust and betrayal have been the operating procedure of the Atlantis crew since "Michael," which not only makes them unlikeable, but it's completely without motivation, too. Wraith, Genii, Replicator, Renaissance Fair of the week--the story is always the same. No wonder the writers turned Michael into a totally genocidal maniac in season four--they had to make our "heroes" more sympathetic than the villain somehow.
Me too....
I have just watched the episode and I had similar thoughts.
It fits with what we have seen in SGA before, like the treatment of Michael before he became the villain he is now.
It is an excellent story and it deals with the Weir story very well. This could be the end of it but the door is open for more, something I welcome.
I have just watched the episode and I had similar thoughts.
It fits with what we have seen in SGA before, like the treatment of Michael before he became the villain he is now.
It is an excellent story and it deals with the Weir story very well. This could be the end of it but the door is open for more, something I welcome.
The news was posted here a while ago. I think the fact that she was unceremoniously dumped from the show even though she had a 5 year contract (which I still maintain was a GOOD thing for the show at the time) pissed her off enough that she really didn't want anything to do with the show or the producers. And fair enough.
They should have taken that as a hint and left it at that.
This is almost like the whole DS9 thing where they pissed off Farrell to the point where they couldn't even use any Jadzia Dax footage for the montage in the last episode (even though she left voluntarily). Oh look at all those fond memories of Ezri that we had over the last... year. Yeah.
With Farell (and, over at Babylon 5, Claudia Christian) I can at least chalk it up to greed on the actor's part. That's not a three-dimensional portrayal of those situations, of course, but over on the Atlantis side there's little that I can fault Higginson for. She was unceremoniously dropped, and her replacement didn't even work out. I'd be a little pissed if I were her.
Well, I don't want to get into DS9 history here but when faced with the choice of staying on a show that's ending or going to a network sitcom with one of the biggest TV stars in the American industry, what are you going to choose?
And anyway, she was more angry with the fact that the producers went out of the way to kill her character more than anything else.
As for this situation, I totally agree that Higginson has every right to feel turned off. I think it was extremely callous for the producers to proceed with this story and I figure that this pretty much ends any relationship Higginson might have with the franchise in the future.
And anyway, she was more angry with the fact that the producers went out of the way to kill her character more than anything else.
As for this situation, I totally agree that Higginson has every right to feel turned off. I think it was extremely callous for the producers to proceed with this story and I figure that this pretty much ends any relationship Higginson might have with the franchise in the future.
How about not betraying them? The rest of the Replicators were quite correct when they said that, had they wanted to break out and kill people, they wouldn't have been quietly standing in the powerless room after what's-his-face broke out. And if they had been allowed to continue their work in the lab, they no longer would have been über-powered replicators, just mortal humans. Sure it would have been a slightly higher initial risk, but Repli-Weir showed how easy it was to for her to stop a rampaging replicator, and that she was clearly on the base's side in trying to keep the others from harming anyone.
Which is still stupid and cruel, especially given how easlity the one who escaped was stopped. All the other safeguards McKay had put in place were still there; this was betryal for betrayal's sake, and doens't reflect well on the Atlantis team; they routinely take out, neutralize or betray any group of potenial allies who show the slightest sign of becoming a threat. And for what? We've already seen several times on the show how that comes back to bite them in the ass, but nobody on the base ever seems to learn.
Re: Grade SG-A – Ghost in the Machine - (SPOILERS)
Excuse me, it may have been cruel, but these are replicators we're talking about.
They are simply too dangerous to allow to lexist period. Friendships just don't matter.
But I doubt they're dead. I firmly believe we will see them again and they will be pissed off.
Excuse me, it may have been cruel, but these are replicators we're talking about.
They are simply too dangerous to allow to lexist period. Friendships just don't matter.
But I doubt they're dead. I firmly believe we will see them again and they will be pissed off.
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