Stargate Atlantis #519 - "Vegas" - *SPOILERS*

[wraithfodder]

Okay, spoiler-ridden comments on "Vegas," the second-to-last Stargate Atlantis episode. Sniffle.

VEGAS

I have no doubt that this is gonna be a very love it or hate it episode in fandom. I took a peek at Gateworld's thread and you should dress in Nomex before entering the thread ;) I do think Shep fans are going to love it a lot more than other fans, cuz we get so much Shep, and angst and blood (well, maybe it'll just appeal to Shep whumpers?) ;)

Whoa. Good episode! Okay, I must admit I fell asleep almost during "Identity" - didn't help it was a long day at work and I laid down on the couch, but well... *cough* anyway. 9:00pm rolled around and I was awake and this was a good episode. I am a fan of the CSI franchise, so can see all the homage/tribute/ripoff, whatever. It's not like everybody else hasn't done it for the last several years anyway, although this is the first with a Wraith (yet there was that movie THE HIDDEN).

Cinematography was good. Only time it seemed wonky was when George (I think I'll call the Wraith 'George') was going up the escalator and he wobbled in that sorta fast-motion shot, which just seemed too weird. For me the slowest part of the episode was the Sopranos guys gambling, and had the press not made such a big deal in a few 'what's on tv tonight' mentions, I wouldn't have known that pair from a hole i the wall. Mobster shows just don't entertain me so I skipped The Soporanos entirely.

Music: I like Johnny Cash, and yeah, guess it makes sense a Wraith would listen to Maryln Manson. I keep wondering how much they spent on securing the music rights for all these songs...

And George, the Wraith, was very cool. I mean where else but Vegas (and okay, parts of NYC and LA) could a Wraith walk around like that and nobody really goes "ohmygawd" - probably just think he's a goth fan or something...

And there's the AU Rodney, Zelenka and Woolsey. Woolsey is the same in every universe, me thinks ;) and wow, Zelenka, woof, combed hair and a suit! And Rodney... he's STILL the same Rodney (hence the snark-fight with Zelenka) but he's more contained, and wow, he cleans up nice (as in this Rodney actually has a fashion sense, which in itself screams "alternate universe!" I mean, remember what he wore when Jeannie got kidnapped?? Aieeeee.

But, the best... Sheppard. Talk about a broken man. And from listening to what Rodney said, it all went down the dumper when the field medic with whom Sheppard had been involved with died in Afghanistan (and I distinctly heard Rodney say "her"). Yeah, that one instance, much worse in this AU, shattered poor Shep's life. In 'our' reality, I think only a couple died? And it was Holland, his buddy, he was going off to save.

Anyway, Shep just looked so busted up all the time (except for the few seconds with the nurse, whom, yeah, he'll never call, which was as obvious as a neon sign in Vegas). I'm assuming the cut on his cheek probably came from one of Mikey's goons roughing him up for what Shep owes.

And then we get poor Shep, dying alone, in the desert. Sniffle.



But, while we fans weep for poor AU Sheppard. kristen999has penned a wonderful tag to the end of the episode! Check out Sympathy for the Devil.

So, I thought this episode was very neat, despite the CSI *cough* homage. Just seeing the AU Shep and McKay was fun!

Shep and his Camaro made me think of Dan Tanna (Robert Urich) from the old show Vegas.

Woolsey knowing that the Star Trek exhibit in Vegas was shut was funny.

UPDATE: Another short tag at Sheafrotherdon's LJ, plus some lovely picspam!

Comments

[saltyd.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed it :) I loved all the Shep but hated the dying at the end :( I kept wondering why Rodney didn't send backup when he lost contact with Sheppard.
I kept trying to figure out if any of the people were "our" SGA peeps. For a moment I thought Rodney was our Rodney but he was too smooth and self confident. And Zelenka cleans up nice!!!

Need I say Shep was hawt!!! More whump would have been nice. Again, crossing over to the dark side and seeing those pics of Shep in the desert made me annoyed that was all the whump there was.

Oh, and I didn't watch previews for next week!

[quiet-december.livejournal.com]

I was one of the people who loved this ep, even though it kinda broke my heart. I saved kristen999's tag, and I'll read it later--I know it will be great--but I have an idea for a tag, too, and I want to make sure that my take on it comes from my own brain. :)

Wow, your screencap made me wonder--was he shot twice? We only saw him get shot in the shoulder, but there's blood on both sides of his shirt. Wow. Poor Detective Sheppard.

[d_odyssey.livejournal.com]

I loved Vegas. The CSI feel, the energy, the music, the setting, the action, SHEPPARD - all were great. Joe Flanigan was awesome - this Sheppard was so different, so alone, full of despair, desolation and was shown through his actions and the music rather than dialog. This is what Atlantis could have been all along, enjoyed the different look and feel. The music was perfect, but definitely had to put a dent in the budget. How ironic that we find out more about this Sheppard in two minutes than we know about ours in 5 years. The ending was just heartbreaking. Kept yelling for Rodney to go save him. Second your recommendation for kristen999's story.

[linziday.livejournal.com]

All hail kristin999! That's how the ep should have ended. No way Rodney (any Rodney) would have left Sheppard in the desert alone, even if he thought he was already dead.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

The ending almost made me cry *wibbles*. Poor broken Sheppard *hugs him*. I so wanted Rodney to have someone go find him and save him. Thank goodness for Kristen999's tag or I'd still be feeling a tad depressed.

Oh Joe F. you must be on a detective show, you must. Your hotness must continue... in broken detective form. The man can act, and half the time doesn't even need to say anything to do so! Come on, you TV writers, hire him!

[negolith2.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, I loved this episode. The guitar theme for Sheppard (though almost a little too spaghetti western at some points) was just awesome, and "Solitary Man". My heart broke for this AU Shep, that's for sure.

And yes, kristen999 wrote the perfect tag. I'm doing a short one, but she pretty much summed up how I NEEDED this episode to really end.

Gyah, is it just me, or does anyone else feel like a family member is dying? 'Toopid execs....

[linziday.livejournal.com]

Say, does anyone know who the younger, clean shaven guy is in the poker game scene? He looks familiar. One of the writers? A stunt man?

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Well, the previews for next week didn't give away that much ;)

Yeah, the ending was *gah*, which is why I'm so glad that tag came out immediately afterwards!

Ha, that could NOT be our Rodney. This Rodney has a lot more civility and confidence in social situations ;)

Yeah, think we're going to have to whump Shep in fanfic since somehow I don't think they'll do anything dire in the last episode.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

I was wondering that too. Did spot RCC and Brad Wright at one poker table the Wraith passed, and Charlie Cohen, MGM exec, was at the table with Shep.

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Ah, spaghetti western, that's it! The music reminded me of *something* but couldn't place it. But otherwise, it all fit in just fine. Oh, can't wait to read your tag as well.

Yeah, watching Shep die there.Sniffle.

[linziday.livejournal.com]

Which one was Cohen?

[the-other-sandy.livejournal.com]

You can tally me in the 'hate it' column. I hate the entire CSI franchise and didn't really need to see it wasting one of the two remaining episodes of the series. Being a Shep fan didn't even help because this wasn't Sheppard, it was a stranger with his name and face.

This episode might have worked if it had been done tongue-in-cheek, but it took itself way too seriously for an episode that had to hide how teeny tiny the plot was by adding endless music montages and CSI "tributes." I'm so disappointed.

[these-dark-ages.livejournal.com]

I liked this episode because, but for the grace of God and all that, this Sheppard could have been the Sheppard that we've come to know. I still wish that Ronon and Teyla would have been given something to do (because seriously, they had Todd, Woolsey and Keller --- and two gangsters I don't care about).

I kept waiting for them to help Sheppard out, in fact, right after that screen cap you showed, I expected some kind of twist. Like, right when's about to lay down and die, you see him beamed out (hopefully up to the Daedalus's infirmary), cue credits to Solitary Man.

[ga-unicorn.livejournal.com]

George would have never been noticed, even if he went au naturel, in San Francisco.

I loved this episode. I loved the interaction between this Sheppard and McKay and the little touches that made it clear that - if things had been just a little different - they could have been "our" Sheppard and McKay.

And I'm with you - the Soprano guys (and I've never watched an episode - I thought I was the only one!) were boring. TPTB could have used that time when they were talking about a severed finger and shown us how Sheppard got that owie under his eye instead.

I agree with you that kristen999 wrote a wonderful tag. That's how I wanted the story to end. Gawd! I wanted Sheppard to sit down in The Chair so badly!

[justhere1971.livejournal.com]

This episode was wonderful! Why couldn't we have more of these in S4? Maybe then we'd get a S6??!! Dang it!!

I am so going to miss this show, and Shep!

[negolith2.livejournal.com]

I have a feeling there are going to be a LOT of great tags for this episode.

[djlmarks.livejournal.com]

Being the aloof, loner, "man in black", hero in the end, suits Mr Shephard...plus: WHAT A KILLER ASS, 70'S STYLE, STARSKY & HUTCH SLIDE ACROSS THE HOOD OF THE CAMARO!!!

and FINALLY some seriously great tunes to soundtrack the show!!

Now, I did feel like Flanigan's episode on CSI Miami may have influenced him because I saw shades of David Caruso, but thankfully, he never paused, pulled down his glasses and looked at the camera to make a point.

So if the writers can do something so off the cuff as this, maybe their is hope for this Stargate Atlantis movie.
Maybe.

[autumn2525.livejournal.com]

I'm really back and forth on this eppy. I get why we were showed the AU, although it seemed like a long way round to finding out how "our" Wraith could find Earth. (On a side note, I thought the Wraith already knew the location of Earth, but they don't have any means to get there? They don't have the intergalactic hyperdrives, and only Todd's group know where Atlantis is, so they can't use that gate to reach Earth.) Anyway, I liked the glimpse into the AU, but felt very disconnected from everything. The beginning was almost annoying... I don't remember being annoyed by CSI, then again, I haven't watched it in a while. Regardless, I think after another viewing or two I may come around. I have to admit though, I had to rewind the DVR TWICE to be sure Rodney said "her" when talking about the field medic. I just kept thinking of Holland and I was like "OMG!! This Sheppard is gay!!! Rodney, KISS HIM!!!" LOL
And yeah, that dying along in the desert crap chapped me... but Kristen999 made it all better.

[mercury973.livejournal.com]

I loved this one. It was either a "hate it" or "adore it" and it totally was adore. Now I'm sad about the show ending, because this is how good it could be

[delphia2000.livejournal.com]

I like it but then again, I like CSI. I was going to put the closed captions on to watch again, but since everyone is saying that Rodney says 'her' at the critical point, I won't bother. In my mind, it was a 'he' tho LOL! (Heck, it was an AU...the least they could have done was thrown the slashers a bone!)

BTW, your link to the fic is broke, but I found it anyway.

[(Anonymous)]

from Tavabean I absolutely LOVED this episode. So beautiful, so angsty, so everything. I don't have words. JF was brilliant, I actually cried at the end. (Kristen makes it better though). The music, the mood, the backstory we finally kind of get on John, the Wraith make-up scene, crazy Todd, John wearing a cross, redeaming himself from complete desolation. Everything about this ep i love, even the crazy CSI shots. Thought it was pretty X-filey too. I honestly cannot express how incredibly happy I am that this ep was made. I feel like they gave me a great New Years day present as the series takes it's final bow. And I did see EatG and this one is the one I will take with me as the brillliance that Stargate can be when it wants.

[berry-hearts.livejournal.com]

my second favorite part was the little dig on keller. lol.

ARE THEY MOVING ATLANTIS TO EARTH?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?

[mackenziesmomma.livejournal.com]

OMG, I *blinks* crap. Wow. I was surprised how much I liked the episode.

See for me Mr. Gangster was AKA "Ben's Dad" from that show 'secret life of the american teenager' from ABC family this summer and "Gangster boss" from the movie 'see spot run'. Never ever made the Sopranos connection(one must wonder how much they spent on guest stars as well *g*)

I think the *worst* part for me was the fact that I was sitting watching with my mom at the exact same time and she kept asking me STUPID questions('so why's he on earth?', 'whats the weird bad alien's called' and so on) I finally got to the point that I just looked at her and was all "Uh, I've been sitting here NEXT TO YOU why do you think I know more than you?!" *shakes head*

[star-climber.livejournal.com]

Loved the episode,
like a short movie,amazing!:)

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know how you feel. watching Shep die was not fun :( but I could go 'he was AU, he went out doing what was right, and seconds later, Kristen999 posted her fic so all is right with the world' ;)

Not my screencap (snerched from, oh, darn, can't recall!) but anyway, I'm thinking could have been hit by a ricochet or just wiped a bloody hand, but I'm thinking the former as tere is blood on both hands.