SGA 3x05 Progeny
Aug. 14th, 2006 04:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ivyficSGA, I forgive you. Though the part of your writers' brains occupied with generating novel plot ideas has obviously atrophied, the part responsible for snark is still fully functional.
I hate the replicators. I've always hated the replicators. It took SG-1 what -- seven seasons to get rid of them? I was never happier to see a villain go. SGA, don't make me go through that again.
The reason I hate the replicators is because fighting them has always been technobabble. It's an insurmountable problem until Sam cogitates enough, then comes out with some complicated-sounding solution that "should" work, then the team goes somewhere to look for something or runs around and builds something and poof! It works. It's about as interesting as watching them fight a bed-bug infestation. I might as well be watching an episode of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers -- that's as complicated as their plots ever got.
So, yeah. Why, dear writers, did you feel the need to bring them back? And if you were going to bring back AI's that you call "replicators" that are constructed the same way SG-1's replicators were, have the same flaws SG-1's replicator's did, pose the same threat SG-1's replicators did and even do mind-probes the exact same frelling way that SG-1's replicators did, could you not just say that some of the replicators from SG-1 must have escaped to Pegasus? Why do you have to say that there was a parallel replicator evolution? We already know where the replicators came from -- Reese -- in a fantastic season 5 episode of SG-1 that worked because it actually had a moral dilemma. Don't give me some bull-crap other evolution of replicators.
But of course, the Ancients had to have built these ones, cause god forbid we use SG-1's mythology.
This leads me to the reason I forgive SGA. Though they may have stolen from themselves, this episode did the most brilliant ret-con ever to the first season episode "The Hot Zone." So brilliant I had to stop the tape and examine the explanation from all angles and conclude that yes, it explained everything.
The Ancients made the nano-virus. And since they made them essentially 3 laws safe, people with the ATA gene were immune to it. Makes absolutely perfect sense. It was not designed to kill humans, as they hypothesized in "The Hot Zone," but instead designed not to kill Ancients -- the fact that it targeted humans would be a completely unforeseen side effect, since humans didn't exist at the time. It was probably meant to kill Wraith.
I also forgive SGA because (in addition to the pinch/slap exchange) there was some brilliant snark between Rodney and Sheppard. Their whole argument about arbitrary numbers was brilliant -- not only because it showed how the two of them could get into it and everyone else would just roll their eyes and let them until they were needed, but because it made fun of the genre convention of scientists giving very specific (and ultimately accurate) time-frames for things they couldn't possibly know. I felt vindicated for every time a doctor on an sf show (including SGA and SG-1) looked at a patient with a disease he'd never seen before and confidently said they only had two hours to live.
At least Rodney knows it's arbitrary.
I also liked seeing David Ogden Stiers, though he was woefully under-utilised. (I've been watching Dead Zone lately and believe me, that guy can act.)
So if SGA doesn't bring back the replicators every few episodes for the next five years and they don't eventually just turn the replicators on the Wraith and let them fight it out (which is how SG-1 defeated the Goa-uld), I don't mind so much.
Was anybody else in the last shot waiting for that guy to say (a la Jubal Early), "Well. Here I am"?
I hate the replicators. I've always hated the replicators. It took SG-1 what -- seven seasons to get rid of them? I was never happier to see a villain go. SGA, don't make me go through that again.
The reason I hate the replicators is because fighting them has always been technobabble. It's an insurmountable problem until Sam cogitates enough, then comes out with some complicated-sounding solution that "should" work, then the team goes somewhere to look for something or runs around and builds something and poof! It works. It's about as interesting as watching them fight a bed-bug infestation. I might as well be watching an episode of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers -- that's as complicated as their plots ever got.
So, yeah. Why, dear writers, did you feel the need to bring them back? And if you were going to bring back AI's that you call "replicators" that are constructed the same way SG-1's replicators were, have the same flaws SG-1's replicator's did, pose the same threat SG-1's replicators did and even do mind-probes the exact same frelling way that SG-1's replicators did, could you not just say that some of the replicators from SG-1 must have escaped to Pegasus? Why do you have to say that there was a parallel replicator evolution? We already know where the replicators came from -- Reese -- in a fantastic season 5 episode of SG-1 that worked because it actually had a moral dilemma. Don't give me some bull-crap other evolution of replicators.
But of course, the Ancients had to have built these ones, cause god forbid we use SG-1's mythology.
This leads me to the reason I forgive SGA. Though they may have stolen from themselves, this episode did the most brilliant ret-con ever to the first season episode "The Hot Zone." So brilliant I had to stop the tape and examine the explanation from all angles and conclude that yes, it explained everything.
The Ancients made the nano-virus. And since they made them essentially 3 laws safe, people with the ATA gene were immune to it. Makes absolutely perfect sense. It was not designed to kill humans, as they hypothesized in "The Hot Zone," but instead designed not to kill Ancients -- the fact that it targeted humans would be a completely unforeseen side effect, since humans didn't exist at the time. It was probably meant to kill Wraith.
I also forgive SGA because (in addition to the pinch/slap exchange) there was some brilliant snark between Rodney and Sheppard. Their whole argument about arbitrary numbers was brilliant -- not only because it showed how the two of them could get into it and everyone else would just roll their eyes and let them until they were needed, but because it made fun of the genre convention of scientists giving very specific (and ultimately accurate) time-frames for things they couldn't possibly know. I felt vindicated for every time a doctor on an sf show (including SGA and SG-1) looked at a patient with a disease he'd never seen before and confidently said they only had two hours to live.
At least Rodney knows it's arbitrary.
I also liked seeing David Ogden Stiers, though he was woefully under-utilised. (I've been watching Dead Zone lately and believe me, that guy can act.)
So if SGA doesn't bring back the replicators every few episodes for the next five years and they don't eventually just turn the replicators on the Wraith and let them fight it out (which is how SG-1 defeated the Goa-uld), I don't mind so much.
Was anybody else in the last shot waiting for that guy to say (a la Jubal Early), "Well. Here I am"?
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no subject
Date: 2006-08-15 06:26 pm (UTC)Also, I had to shake my head (again) at Elizabeth just ordering the death/destruction of that many beings. No moment of doubt or hestitation. How many were like the 'nice' replicator guy? Wasn't there another solution that would give Rodney the time to figure out how to reprogram them all? Another splended tool to use against the Wraith gone in a puff of smoke.
Another writing stumble. Early on, Rodney's told that there are 'more than enough' ZPM's. At the end, there's only three so of course he can't take one with him. Where the hell were the rest of them? Someone could have at least asked, even if they wouldn't have had the time to go and grab one.
Just mho....
no subject
Date: 2006-08-22 05:42 pm (UTC)Rodney's told that there are 'more than enough' ZPM's
I noticed that too, but explain it like this: the city as a whole has more than enough ZPMs, but the flying Atlantis-like spaceship part only has the three. Therefore the writers were actually being consistent. Really.
The replicators bug (har har) me because they're way too convenient a plot device. You can defeat them in as many episodes as you want and always end with just one left and "it's over...or is it?" sting. dun dun DUN! This just gets boring to me after a while. And if this weeks episode is any indication, they're going to be jerking us around with this for a while.
Another splended tool to use against the Wraith gone in a puff of smoke.
Yup. But setting the two against each other would be intelligent of Weir, so can't have that. Also, as I pointed out, it would be just like SG1 using the replicators to eliminate the Go'auld. I'd like a slightly more original plot than that.
My one question about all this, though -- these replicators are designed not to hurt Ancients. If what we saw in "Hot Zone" was accurate, that extends to humans with the ATA gene. So why do they have no problem attacking the ATA carrying Atlanteans? Weir would be susceptible, but they shouldn't be able to attack John or Rodney.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-22 05:46 pm (UTC)Well, John at least, I could see where they wouldn't recognize the 'artifical gene' carriers.
Can I just say it's so nice to have someone intelligent to discuss this with? Yeah, there are some really great people in the fandom, but I'm a little sick of 'wasn't his hair nice this episode?' Know what I mean?
no subject
Date: 2006-08-22 05:55 pm (UTC)I wish I could turn off my brain and just watch the hair, but sadly, it just doesn't work that way. I multi-task. Bask in the hotness, glare at the plot.