SG-A – Brain Storm (5x16) – (Discuss – Grade | SPOILERS!)

[Jax]

Good episode very silly and McKay/Keller carried the episdoe well plus love the scenes with Neil Tyson from "The Universe" tv show. Keller/McKay relationship is written so sweetly and not dragged on like O Neill/Carter, its too funny not to like them.

At the end you dog McKay finally the geeks that aren't carter gets some loving. AND WALTER we miss you

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Re: SG-A – Brain Storm (5x16) – (Discuss – Grade | SPOILERS!)

Is Bill Nye actually like some science guy? I mean, I know he had that show but I never thought of him as some intellectual heavyweight.

 

[Brent]

Re: SG-A – Brain Storm (5x16) – (Discuss – Grade | SPOILERS!)

Hey guys, sorry I missed this last night! Was spending time with family and missed the chance to get this thread up, also missed the episode, will have to watch it later.

 

[steveman]

I think the concept of this episode was good. It addressed something that's been rather overlooked throughout the runs of both SG-1 and Atlantis -- characters like Rodney McKay and Samantha Carter work in a field where you're only as good as your last discovery or breakthrough. It's a field where accomplishment drives prestige. If you don't do anything, you're forgotten about.

And McKay and Carter are in positions where they can't talk about anything they do. They've both done things that have far outclassed anything their peers have done... but because of where they work, they're sworn to secrecy. As Rodney states, his peers consider him to be a recluse. Obviously, we all know why this is.

If this episode had dedicated itself to exploring that territory, how a person like Rodney deals with the fact that, despite all the marvelous things he's done, nobody can ever really know about it, it would have been a great episode.

Rodney really is out there on an island by himself. The only people who appreciate what he does are people who don't even understand what he does. And even though I'm sure Rodney -- indeed, every character on Stargate -- appreciates the job they have about 99% of the time, there always has to be that 1% where they ask themselves:

Is it really worth it?

This episode would have been that 1%. And it's a shame that that's not the episode we got.

 

[TK421]

Probably one of the best episodes they've ever done. I'm still chuckling.

 

[MNM]

Good episode, really funny, interesting enough story. I dont normally like Keller, but she was fine today.

 

[Captain Shaw]

It was a good episode but the call to Walter bothered me if someone rang a secret number to the SGC and then the line went dead don't you think they would look in to it?

 

[Bob The Skutter]

It was a good episode but the call to Walter bothered me if someone rang a secret number to the SGC and then the line went dead don't you think they would look in to it?

Maybe he did? I mean it's not like they're just gonna show up within 10 minutes, is it?

 

[USS Kongo]

Geez, this sucked. It was bad enough they had another earth-bound episode, but then it was filled with wall-to-wall techno-babble. Not even Jewel in a slinky black dress could save this one for me. Ick!

Sean

 

[Hartzilla2007]

I forgot to ask did anybody else notice the TNG computer sound at the beginning of the episode.

 

[Gertch]

I forgot to ask did anybody else notice the TNG computer sound at the beginning of the episode.

Wasn't that in a commercial?

 

[Hartzilla2007]

I forgot to ask did anybody else notice the TNG computer sound at the beginning of the episode.

Wasn't that in a commercial?

No when Tunney was doing whatever he was doing to the spacetime-bridge controls at the beginning when he finished it make the TNG computer sound.

 

[Quo Vadimus]

Re: SG-A – Brain Storm (5x16) – (Discuss – Grade | SPOILERS!)

Yeah, it made it a couple of times. I thought it was a funny shout-out. I mean, they already made a firefly reference, why not Star Trek? I was really hoping for either a News Radio reference or Maura Tierney to show up at some point. Oh well.

 

[PurpleBuddha]

Geez, this sucked. It was bad enough they had another earth-bound episode, but then it was filled with wall-to-wall techno-babble. Not even Jewel in a slinky black dress could save this one for me. Ick!

Sean

Yikes. I think you missed the point.


This episode was fun. The story and back drop had little relevance, more along the lines of how they made Buffy episodes.

 

[hxclespaulplayer]

I've seen this episode before - it was called "Bounty" on SG1.

The only positive points of this episode were it being earth-based, and seeing Keller in a cocktail dress. The writers have pretty much pissed the last half of the season up the proverbial wall. I look forward to "Vegas" and "EatG" and that's it. Farewell, Atlantis, if only you had scripts in this half of the same caliber as "ghost in the machine", the one where Rodney gets Alzheimers, and "First Contact". ./gomer pyle mode on] shame, shame, shame ./gomer pyle mode off]

 

[hxclespaulplayer]

3 ZPMS!!
FINALLY! Rodney makes a move! Will he follow through? I'll believe it if they wake up in bed together (and neither is hung over!!).

As kpnuts, or whoever that guy is, would say... "a freaking kiss gives an episode the highest possible rank? WTF????"

 

[MNM]

I've seen this episode before - it was called "Bounty" on SG1.

Nonsense. Bounty and Brain Storm are nothing alike.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Below average, eh. How does this even qualify as an SG:A episode? Rodney's science career interests me not one little bit. With just a handful of episodes left, you'd think they'd actually stick to the relevant plotlines. Once they set up the technobabble threat, it was just a waiting game till we get to the technobabble save. Dull.

Not really buyin' McKay and Keller. She can do a lot better than some pudgy dweeb. I have to question both her taste and sanity that she's not chasing Shep instead.

Bill Nye was surprisingly good, but Tyson was stiff. "No offense, Larry" was the funniest part.

 

[Barbados Slim]

Gross. Those two are gross together. They have zero chemistry. She appeared to hate Rodney's personality for the majority of the episode like she absolutely finds no enjoyment from being around him...so a confession of love was so unearned that you basically see the writer jumping out of the screen because none of it rings true. Their kiss was passionless and the end on the Learjet (why the fuck was she still wet?) was just...ick.

"I love you." To writers everywhere because the writers of "Heroes" has to learn this. "I love you" is a powerfully earnest thing to say to someone. You can tell someone you're attracted to them or you like being with them but people generally don't hand out "I love you's" until there's been some courtship and an emotional bond is organically formed. If your character says that before the PDAs, the late night talks about hopes & dreams, the lovemaking, the spending all-day Sunday laying in bed, the disclosure of personal secrets, the fight because of a breakdown in burgeoning near-telepathic communication, then your character is either a liar, a teenager, or emotionally retarded.

These writers are sabotaging Keller and have been from the beginning. She's supposed to be a young, competent hotshot and every single episode that's featured her she's a damsel. She had one job in this episode. One Job! Call SGC on a cell phone. And she managed to fuck that up and almost die in the process.

I liked the science fair guys ripping on each other and I liked the fact that the problem was a callback to a previous episode. The episode might've been stronger if Jeannie went with Rodney instead of cramming Keller-love down our throats. Also, the freeze lightning was fun. I wish the entire room could've worked as a team to solve it. Rodney singlehandedly saving the day on Atlantis makes sense but if the people he's trapped with are similiarly smart, some teamwork would've been fun to see.

Overall about this episode. Ronon said it best in his only line of the night. "Who cares?"

 

[Temis the Vorta]

And even though I'm sure Rodney -- indeed, every character on Stargate -- appreciates the job they have about 99% of the time, there always has to be that 1% where they ask themselves:

Is it really worth it?

You're absolutely right that that is what much better episode could be built around. The problem is, this show has never answered, what IT is. Atlantis does not seem to be doing anything of vital importance to Earth's security, and the Pegasans are indifferent or hostile to their efforts on their behalf.

Unless this series had actually focused on giving us a good definition for IT, exploring whether it's worthwhile would be a non-starter.

Their kiss was passionless and the end on the Learjet (why the fuck was she still wet?) was just...ick.

Aaaawwwwkkkwaaard....

"I love you." To writers everywhere because the writers of "Heroes" has to learn this. "I love you" is a powerfully earnest thing to say to someone. You can tell someone you're attracted to them or you like being with them but people generally don't hand out "I love you's" until there's been some courtship and an emotional bond is organically formed.

Or it can be a matter of instantaneous personal chemistry, where two people are attracted to each other immediately. I could buy that, too, but the actors have to sell it, or maybe they just have to have it inherently, to enough of a degree that the audience can see it, so that it's more a question of the right casting than good acting.

Instant-attraction relationships can easily run right off a cliff. They can be catastrophic and unhealthy (and here I'm thinking specifically of a new relationship just introduced on Heroes, of a very, err, electric variety) but who cares? That's just more drama and fun for the audience, even if not for the characters. The important thing is that we have to buy the idea that it would happen at all.