Stargate Atlantis: "Brain Storm" spoiler ridden, complaint-ridden review

[wraithfodder]

Gah! Here are my comments on "Brain Storm," one of the last Stargate Atlantis episodes to air, and damn, what a waste of an hour...

Where do I begin?

Okay, at the beginning. The Shep and Ronon going off camping/surfing - why could we have NOT seen that plot instead? Anyway, once they're out of frame, it goes downhill.

First, I don't mind McKeller - if it's done well, but this episode looked like it was written by someone in high school, and that is to say, ti's Marty Sue fanfic. I can only envision that Gero lives vicariously through McKay to get the girl.

The medicine, or lack thereof, in this episode sucked. First a guy is half flash-frozen. Oh, he's in bad shape, declares Keller, who promptly spends the rest of the episode not doing a damned thing for the guy, who, at best, has severe frostbite. Revoke her license (no, revoke the writer's license!, no, his paycheck!). Secondly, Keller is hypothermic, then Rodney finds her in frigid water, ohmygod, not breathing, no pulse, let's do chest compressions, which in the time-honored tradition of bad TV writing, snaps her out of it immediately and despite the fact she's hypothermic, she's not shivering, she seems fine, and in fact, is so fine she smiles and kisses McKay.

Why could the security guards not rescue Keller? Why did McKay have to? (Wait, Marty Sue to the rescue!)

Why were McKay and Keller flown back in private jet in wet clothes? Did Tunny not have any spare clothing anywhere? That, I can't believe since if you'r ein such an isolated facility, you keep spare stuff around. And after hypothermia, chest compressions, Jennifer's frisky enough to suggest sex???

Rodney signs a 200 page document without reading it, even skimming it? To another scientist whom he doesn't like? Puh-lease. Rodney, you've signed away your first born, a kidney, the rights to your life in a movie and all future patents. Tsk ;)

I like Stargate Atlantis because it is in outer space. WHen they go back to Earth, it loses something, and in this case, it fell into a sinkhole.

I sooooooooo hope there will be some fanfic of Shep and Ronon out camping (not slash, but gen, preferably whump) to make up for this episode.


Wraithfodder

Comments

[d_odyssey.livejournal.com]

I absolutely hated this episode - worst one ever. I hate McKeller for precisely the reasons you stated, besides the fact I see no chemistry whatsoever between the characters, it is Mary Sue and Marty Sue. The writers didn't take the time to subtly build up and make it believable. Instead we get brain addled Rodney declaring his love before they even date, then at the first date, which she spends nagging at him, she comes back from the dead to declare her love and then kisses him. The kiss was passionless with the actors appearing to rather not be there. The whole ep was predictable and all fixed for Rodney to save the damsel in distress once again. Gag! So tired and trite. Creepy and pathetic is right. Plus the question the other geeks should have been asking was not if it was his sister but rather his daughter. So many things wrong. Once again goes back to the lack of imagination and laziness of the writers. Plus, how did M&M allow Gero to live out his fantasies on screen through his alter ego McKay? Why are there no checks and balances? Why can't we find out why Shep tortures himself? Sigh, that is a question for another day. Anyway excellent post, I agree with everything except that I don't like McKeller at all.

[ewokmonster.livejournal.com]

Plus the question the other geeks should have been asking was not if it was his sister but rather his daughter.

Well, to be fair, there is only 14 years difference in the actor's ages. It's not that big of a spread. I don't know what the character ages are supposed to be though.

I can admit to being a huge fan of McKay. And I like McKay and Keller together. So I enjoyed this one. Plus I laughed. Which is about all I need to be entertained.

The kissing did seem a little awkward. Not as bad as some I've seen, but I have seen better.

[d_odyssey.livejournal.com]

If you are a McKeller fan, this was your episode. I'm not, so it was the last thing I wanted to see. I just don't see the chemistry between them to make me believe they love each other when they'be never dated/first date. But to each his own. Also, I want to see the team's adventures not soap opera romance. I saw her nagging at him to change who he is. I just don't get it. I didn't see any humor. Again, we're seeing it from two different perspectives with opposite expectations and directions so our opinions are bound to be different. My favorite part was Sheppard and Ronon talking about surfing. Sheppard is my favorite and in my opinion, hasn't seen any kind of character development this year, so that also colors my thoughts.

[astrumporta.livejournal.com]

Word to all of this. From a character perspective, Rodney was brutalized! And yeah, Marty Stu indeed.

If you've seen Gero's YPF movie, 6th grade is about the level of romance he writes.

I think DH especially did great with what he was given, but yeah, I was creeped out, not charmed.

[d_odyssey.livejournal.com]

Did not see YPF, but I will certainly take your word for it after the dreck that was shown tonight. DH does a great job and seemed to be thrilled to work with the real geniuses rather than because of the ship angle. Yeah, that script tonight had me scratching my head it was so awful. So many, many things wrong with the characterizations.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

If YPF is anything like this episode, it's off my list, not that it was ever on my list of films to watch anyway...