Rewatch: The Last Man

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

[Poll #1883659]

Comments

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

I've been looking forward to this episode. I love scenes that focus on John and Rodney, and now we have an episode that is mainly them. It feels like way too long since we've had this sort of pleasure.

Another cool thing about this episode, is that we learn about another alternative universe - basically one without John in it. What a difference his lack of presence made. So, that's a third awesome thing - learning how essential John is to a smooth running universe *g*

It's sad to hear everyone else's fates though - I hate finding out that they weren't in time to save Teyla, and that Michael got the baby. Sam went out in a blaze of glory, taking so many enemies with her, but I didn't like that she had to die.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Ronon's story was amazing, too. It seemed very in character for him, and I really enjoyed his interaction with Todd. Loved that they almost stabbed each other, but they both stopped just shy of it. Of course, he had to die too.

It seemed like Woolsey back slid. He seemed cooler by the time he ended his temporary stint before. I guess with things going so badly though, people fall back on what's familiar and comfortable to them.

The idea of Rodney teaching at a community college - lordy.

Loved the teamwork between John and holograph Rodney. They just mesh so well.

John gets back, they arrange to get Teyla, but she isn't where she's supposed to be; they're too early. That's crappy. Of course that little thing can't go right for our team. And then, a building falls on them.

Cliffhanger endings. Gotta love them.

Comment 1A

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Okay, okay, I'd intended to watch this oodles of times, but watched it only twice, first on my computer and then on my TV. If I knew how to vid and could just distill it to ALL of the Rodney and John moments, I'd watch it all day long, I'm sure.

First of all, this is much better than I usually expect from M&M (though, don't worry, I'll tear a strip off of them later for sexism and other inconsistencies).

Did anyone else notice that John didn't even talk to Atlantis or transmit his GDO. He just walked through the active wormhole. Unless Evan had just been speaking to the control room seconds ago, this seems like a ridiculous plot chasm (not just a hole).

Giving credit where credit is due, I loved the way the gateroom looked with the intense orange-gold light changing simply everything. But, oh, John. You think this is a practical joke?

The view from the balcony is stunning. I love the way that sands in the desert are frozen into those hypnotic waves. Usually gorgeous, but not when you're expecting an ocean. Just to emphasize the difference, we get the opening credits with the spires of Atlantis jutting out and piercing through the ocean's surface. Excellent timing.

Back to the show and John who's still considering this is a practical joke. Oh, sure, John. While you were gone, Rodney invented a holographic projector and buried the city in pretend desert. Suuuuuuure he did.

Luckily, when John activates his radio, there's some static and finally Rodney's voice. That was some good hit-and-miss overlapping of voices.

We're not used to seeing our people running through the city without using transporters, so it was a curious experience.

And, then, John activates the hologram projector. Oh, Rodney, you're an old man, but you look so warm-hearted. I have to quibble though that the makeup people really went to town on ageing Rodney. He shouldn't have looked THAT old, if he's only supposed to be 65-67. They added at least 10 years of really hard wear and tear (which is also unreasonable IMO as he wasn't working outdoors at hard labour). And they gave him the look of dentures. Hello??? Has anyone heard of implants and similar modern dental advances?

Comment 1B

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Oh, I nearly cried when a usually touch-aversive John reached out (voluntarily) to touch Rodney, but his hand sank through Rodney's chest.

Aww, the adorable moment is over very quickly when John gets kind of irritated when he hears how far into the future he's travelled. Which he's so NOT cool about.

But there's an another adorable moment when Rodney calls John “young man”. ::swoons::

Oh, John, you're not being logical. Why would Rodney create a hologram that didn't look like him. Would you accept the word of an unfamiliar avatar?

::giggles:: Aww, Rodney, you mean you didn't go to all this trouble just so you could have a lovely chat with John?

It was also a terrific little touch to have the lights in the corridor come on and then turn off as soon as they've passed.

John gets more perturbed when he hears that Rodney's intending to put him in stasis for up to another thousand years. As if 48,000 weren't bad enough. So Rodney needs to 'splain it all for him.

It's time for the flashbacks to begin. I'm still complaining that TPTB never articulated exactly WHAT Michael intended to do with Teyla's baby. Just HOW was he going to have such an influence on perfecting the hybrids. And I have a real issue with all of the things that point to Michael's sexism. Note that his army of hybrids is ALL male and I'm presuming they have physically functioning male parts as well. What do (apparently all straight) men do when there are no women around? No, fellow/sister slashers, I don't mean that! They sublimate their sexual urges into aggression. Which is what Michael's counting on, I guess.

More flashbacks reveal a hopeless picture where Jennifer and the other medical personnel can't cope with all the dying people who've been infected with the Hoffan drug.

Um ... does it make any sense for Rodney to add “literally” when Michael's forced a Queen down onto her knees? That's bad writing. Yes, Michael. Wah-wah-wah. It's ALL about you. Oh, well, off with her head. Would anyone like to explain to me how black hair inside the tent became red hair when Michael displays the head to his followers?

Also, the really awful CGI of the extra crowds was mentioned when the episode first aired.

Anyway, Rodney concludes his history by saying that Michael took the hardiest survivors from the afflicted worlds and turned them into hybrids. Strange nobody's mentioned they were ALL men.

Comment 2

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

John and Rodney encounter a blocked-off passage due to drifting sand. That's a problem. I liked the fact that Rodney blinked out to use his sensors to check out the situation and then blinked back.

Despite the grim situation, the dialogue is cute. John's all over Rodney for not anticipating this situation and programming for it. And John testily reminds Rodney that he HAS been in a sandstorm.

Poor John. He's hungry and there's no food. I don't think there are any 48,000 year old bottles of water around either.

Time for more flashbacks, this time about Sam and the Phoenix. I normally don't like to see Radek get slammed, but I thought it was cute to have holo-Rodney say “Zelenka might have been there as well” just as Radek places coffee at Rodney's elbow. Anyway, it was sweet to see Sam thanking and hugging Rodney for all of his help.

Several people on the GateWorld forum thought it was really ridiculous that the Phoenix could be disabled so quickly leaving Sam with no other option but to stay on the bridge and sacrifice the ship and herself. Anyway, Sam did her duty to the end with military dignity and honour.

Back to the present with John getting ready to walk outside. Rodney's taken the time to find out what happened on the planet. So, John goes into stasis but, the moment he comes out, he'll die? I don't think he likes that. It's a really good thing he's Mensa-smart and can nudge Rodney (even holo-Rodney) to think of a way around that. Yup, solar panels will increase the shielding and protect the atmosphere inside the city.

Time for a getting-hungrier-by-the-minute John to cover as much of his face as possible with his (designer) sunglasses and tied-on scarf. Gee, it was awfully convenient for him to have it in his vest. And out he goes.

While he's struggling to walk in a straight line, John asks what happened to Ronon. Now this is one flashback that I appreciated, because it had Todd in it and the two of them both went out in a mutual blaze of glory. And wit.

Re: Comment 1B

[tavabean.livejournal.com]

Just a thought about Michael - Wraith society is pretty much all drones and males with a few queens here and there leading hives. Michael, without a queen, may just be replicating what he knows.

I do like this episode a great deal, the McSheppiness in particular. :)

Comment 3A

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Finally John makes it through the sandstorm to the other side. As he stumbles through the door, he also crashes through holo-Rodney. It's considered to be impolite to do something like that with a ghost, so I guess it's the same principle with a hologram, though in this case it was inadvertent.

There's a huge problem that has holo-Rodney worried and that is that John's biosignature is very weak.

Finally, John regains consciousness. As he rolls over, I'm rolling my eyes. Seriously, PTB, a man who's been out in a sandstorm does not emerge with his (designer) sunglasses all shiny and not scratched up!!!!!

Well, they finally make it to the stasis room. But John's curious to know what happened to Rodney, though holo-Rodney isn't keen to talk about it. But he does.

In this flashback, we see Richard Woolsey be his irritating, micro-managing self. Um ... inconsistency time again. Why did there have to be a ship in orbit for defencive purposes? Why not just fly Atlantis somewhere else? Although is that why Sam was telling Rodney to concentrate on improving the shields? Questions, nothing but unanswered questions.

At least Richard has the semi-decency to sound caring after he's finished his speech about cutting back and refocusing.

So first Jennifer quits and then Rodney does as well. This is a different Rodney than the one who first came to Atlantis. This one has integrity and is willing to sacrifice his scientific curiosity (and quest for a Nobel).

I wasn't very convinced about the colleagues turning into romantic partners, mostly because it seemed as if they were both feeling a lot of pressure. I also thought TPTB used the romance as a hook on which to hang more of their sexist idiocy. Don't know what I mean? Just keep reading. But, fuzzy-haired Rodney looked cute as he kissed Jennifer.

Comment 3B

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Time for the incredulity factor: that Jennifer was stricken by exposure to the Hoffan drug. Seriously, people, that is just TOO convenient. OTOH, it did provide a catalyst for the “Aha!” moment Rodney had in the corridor, that he could change everything.

But Jennifer doesn't want him to. REPEAT: Jennifer doesn't want him to. On her deathbed, she's trying to control what he's going to do with his life. This is where I feel like screaming at TPTB: that not only did they make her character manipulative (as if that's what men expect all women to be) but they also highlighted that, as “smart” as she was, she really was no genius. She didn't get the bigger picture. ::grimaces:: And she was trying to get Rodney to promise her as she lay on her deathbed. Ugh. Morbid guilt trip, anyone?

Um ... why is there this thing about teaching physics at a community college? Is physics even a course offered there? But I guess it's always easy to fall back on to show how irrelevant academic glory was to Rodney as he focused on his increasingly obsessive project. OTOH, I can't believe that Rodney was doing this for the money. I figure it was just so that he would have access to new research, labs, etc. But it's still a jarring note.

It was lovely, though, to see Jeanie be a part of her brother's life – and scientific research – until even she stopped coming by. And Rodney grew old. But the technology was fabulous, especially that transparent screen and his magic glove.

And then he finally has his solution. Just one problem: how is he going to get to Atlantis? Hey, let's pay “General” Lorne a visit. At least they didn't age him as much as Rodney. I'm glad Rodney was able to convince him that his plan was worth a try, that the galaxy was a mess (that we're supposed to guess at, too).

Of course, I want to know HOW Rodney got to Atlantis and all the other good stuff. ::pouts::

Comment 3C

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Back to the present – uh future Atlantis. It's time for John to get into the stasis pod. It was cute seeing how he thought he might take advantage of some sports championship games, but Rodney said he hadn't paid any attention. Is it any wonder?

Can I cry now? Because seeing even a holo-Rodney wave a sad goodbye to John and then flicker out of existence breaks my heart. Yep ... tears in my eyes just as I'm typing this. [I'm so predictable.]

Well, it's time to get back to present-present Atlantis. I love the way John just about skidded through the gate and is met with armed guards. But at least he did call a surprised Rodney a genius! Though, when Rodney investigates, he recalls there were a number of glitches in gate activity. For which he'll be chastising Radek. Most likely a convenient scapegoat. Again.

Finally, it's time to mount a rescue mission. But Rodney has just one more question: does he still have hair? Oh, that dirty lying liar, John. He looks away and says “No”. John, you're SO bad.

The team enters this enormous building that has smokestack-like projectiles surrounding it. Is it the jackpot? Well, though Teyla's not there, Rodney's happy he's found a terminal with supposedly ALL of Michael's secrets. Uh-oh. Just one thing. Rodney seems to have activated a self-destruct. Meanwhile, John and Ronon have found the grotesque parody of a maternity ward on another level. Oh, gee, look at the grisly knife. ::shudders::

And, finally, it's time for the cliffhanger, as the building collapses on top of our intrepid heroes. Will they survive? Actually, based on the way the building disintegrated with the toppling projectiles adding yet more weight, NOBODY should have been able to survive that. But, then again, this is TV, so we'll see who's back in the season 5 opener.

Closing thoughts

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

1* Michael's aggression and hatred of women are really evident in this episode. I don't know wheher this is meant to be a metaphor for one school of philosophy that proposes, since men cannot bring forth life and are therefore filled with such deep envy and rage, they turn around and excel at eradicating it. Well ... it's a thought. And there's the whole megalomaniac Ruler of the Galaxy thing as well. Yuck.

2* I have to say it, but it's a good thing that Jennifer died. Seriously, considering that she was trying to get Rodney to do what SHE wanted after she was dead, even if she'd been healthy (and there was no similar “Aha!” moment), I think we get a pretty good idea that she would not have been a supportive wife. Rodney would have become a pale facsimile of his authentic self, bombast and all. So, once again, I have to wonder at what kind of message TPTB were trying to get across, about men and women in relationships, about women taming men's instincts, even if in this case it was something of a galaxy-saving significance. ::shrugs:: I guess TPTB feel that women just don't see the big picture. As I've said before, the lack of any women in the writers' room had a definite negative impact on the quality of the show.

3* Gee, Rodney must have put John in the special stasis pod, the one that freshens your uniform and gets rid of all the sand while you don't feel a thing, lol!

4* Remember me pointing out Rodney's comment from a couple episodes ago where he's remarking to John that it's been six months since Teyla's people had been missing, and perhaps it was time for her to let go and move on. And, yet, this is the same man who spent 25 years of his life working on a revolutionary plan even though he didn't know whether it would succeed. Imagine it: FIFTY times longer than Teyla had been searching. I will never stop loving THIS Rodney because he really did find his heart and moral compass in the Pegasus galaxy. [Besides, I've been writing a fic with alternate timelines and I include details of the agony of John starving to death in the future simply because Rodney (even holo-Rodney) wasn't there to save him.]

Re: Comment 1B

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

But, from a scientific standpoint, cloning = lack of genetic diversity = weakness when compared to biological reproduction as the norm. If Michael were truly a scientist, he would not have disregarded that principle. But, as I've emphasized repeatedly, he was trying to rid himself of the need of any Queen's presence. It could have been a short-term solution but it was his ultimate goal.