Rewatch: The Siege - Part 1

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Teyla has found out the Wraith armada will pass the lagrangian point satellite, the Ancient weapons platform. McKay and Zelenka think it can be repaired and powered up by using a single naquadah generator. McKay, Grodin and pilot Miller take a puddle jumper to fix it. Meanwhile Sheppard's away team is ordered to find an alternate evacuation site. Sergeant Bates has a problem with Teyla. He constantly tries to convince people it's not a good idea to take her along. He fears she will give away the location to the Wraith. A while after a heated argument between him and Teyla, Bates is found unconscious. Zelenka, meanwhile, makes a unpleasant discovery. He tells Weir the city's self destruction plan is not good enough. He's convinced that the Wraith will be able to construct an intergalactic ship with information from the remains of the Ancient database.  [Poll #1785041]

Comments

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Ooo, cool effect as the Wraith ships went into hyperspace, or whatever its called - the clouds kind of looked like Earth continents.

Wow! Big meeting. Sounds like they have a plan to me. Awww, John doesn't get to go on the adventure with Rodney. And no, Elizabeth, that isn't undo pressure. Yeeks!

Love the conversation between Rodney and Radek. The quick switch between their argument and their handshake was amazing. I really liked their real respect for each other shining through. It was a great moment.

Who is that guy talking to John? Sargent Bates? I can never remember his name, but he brings up really good points about Teyla. I don't understand why John isn't willing to listen to him at all.

Eeps, a bit of excitement with John's team. A t-rex, huh? Awesome.

I love Rodney in the huge, bulky suit. It's especially comical next to the pilot, who's in just the regular outfit.

Ooo, confrontation time. Teyla is pissed, but so is Bates. Heh, I love John separating them. What he says sounds a lot like what I have to say to my Kindergartener students - 'Keep away from each other!' Cutting Teyla off before she could 'tattle.' Intense scene, but I found it amusing, too.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Okay, recap of trouble brewing, aka Wraith. Eek.

Does anybody else love those display screens as much as I do? Neat. I want a few for my room. Too bad the Propworx auctions were months ago (and that I couldn't afford any of the big stuff anyway). ::longs for a MALP-of-my-own::

It's Rodney-in-lecture-mode time. Oh, hai, Radek: "If we are right about what's wrong with it." Said with appropriate finger wagging back and forth action.

More talk. And Rodney's extra-yummy crossed bare arms. ::stops to admire::

Sure, Elizabeth. Don't remind Rodney of the pressure, with the satellite as "the only thing" between the Wraith and Atlantis. No biggy. And John walks out with an echoing "No undue pressure". Nice touch of growling, growing music buildup, leading to opening credits.

Teyla looks cute in her pj-like scrubs. And she says she's "fine".

Awwww, lovely bit of bickering between Rodney and Radek who's volunteered to go out to the satellite because Rodney knows more about the city. And, then, Rodney entrusts the city into Radek's care, and Radek wishes him "good luck".

::giggles:: Strategy session time. Yes, John, The Wraith are "a pain in the ass". Elizabeth agrees. ::giggles more:: Sure, John, ask Bates about his "spidey sense tingling".

More misgivings from Bates on having Teyla be on the Alpha-site-hunting mission. Yay, John. He's giving the "integral part of my team. Period. End of story" line. For someone who has a hard time accepting orders, it's lovely to see how loyal he is on a lateral level with his team. Background detail: the lovely Frank Lloyd Wright inspired windows of the Gate Room.

Oh, great. Nightmare-inducing time for Liz because Radek is showing her a simulation of how the self-destruct will work. Uh-oh. Radek says it's "not enough". If the Wraith are resourceful, they can reverse engineer stuff. But, wait, that's not all (sounds like an infomercial). Radek's terrified the Wraith will recover the Ancient database. And that would be baaaaaaad. So, now, Radek is told to find a way to wipe the database.

But that's not enough, 'cuz John's coming in hot. Of course, Bates thinks it's Wraith and All. Teyla's. Fault. Until John sets him straight. It's Jurassic Park world. Yeah, all lush and stuff. And John just confirms that if Rodney doesn't have the satellite fixed, they're all "screwed".

Oh, hai, Rodney's being a brave little toaster going EVA.

And John interrupts a Teyla-Bates difference of opinion 'cuz it's still all about Teyla supposedly being all cozy with the Wraith to him.

Oh, neat creepy but spacey music, as Rodney enters the satellite. Rodney's not enjoying his suited adventure, what with the heavy breathing and claustrophobia. See Miller and Grodin roll their eyes. And Rodney floats down to the floor. I've always wanted to float in space. ::pouts::

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

And Rodney's extra-yummy crossed bare arms. ::stops to admire:: They are worth admiring. Yum. I love bare arms, especially on men who usually cover them up.

I've always wanted to float in space. Being able to float would be the coolest thing about going to space. I've always wanted to try it too.

I love your icon, btw.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Intrigue, with Halling visiting Liz. And he's heard about the plan to destroy Atlantis. Um ... Halling, "the greatest race ever to inhabit the stars" is going to make Atlantis be safe because of the religious faith of the Athosians? Once again, we have a battle between pragmatism and religious dogma. Just a thought. Would it not have made sense for Halling to know that Chaya had visited and that the Ancients are forbidden to interfere with mundane, human concerns, even their old dwelling place? But, wow, would that have ever ruined an entire religious belief system.

Well, Liz has other concerns. So Radek has created "a plain old computer virus". Yay. Oooh. Radek's being wily and I love the sly touch to his voice when he says it might even affect Wraith systems if they try to access it. But, aww, they can only back up 7-8%. That's some honking huge database.

Back on the satellite, the generator is turned on and we have power, with a lovely bit of exploratory music. Then Peter does something foolish and Rodney FALLS, 'cuz they've got gravity now. Poor Rodney. Weak excuse from Peter. Sure, 'cuz isn't there a dimmer-switch-like gizmo allowing for a gradual return.

All the systems are back online, well, except for the weapon. Just a small detail. See Rodney grouching about his new aches and pains.

Back on Atlantis, interrupting a session where Aiden wants to rename XXX XXX as "Planet Waterfall", we have a mystery 'cuz someone's attacked Bates. Do we have any idea who that could be? Well, it'll take a while to question the victim, 'cuz Bates is in a medically induced coma.

At the space station, they're all trying to find out why no power to the weapon when the buffer is near maximum capacity.

John and Aiden are ... uh ... interviewing Teyla to see where she was when Bates was attacked. She says she's sure she didn't leave her quarters.

In the meantime, there's a sad conversation between Liz and Radek. When she bemoans what might be lost because she can choose to save only a fraction of the database, Radek knows what he's talking about when he says that, when in war, there are "casualties".

Oooh, Rodney's sniping at Peter. Who finds out the circuits they need to repair are ... outside? Eek. More EVA? Rodney draws the short straw ... er, broken pencil. Lucky. NOT!

Meanwhile, John, Aiden and Liz are discussing whether Teyla could have attacked Bates while under the influence. So it's a good thing (or not) that Carson interrupts to tell them there's a Wraith on the city. Eek, again. Whoa. See the look of doom on their faces. And the music builds.

Mini conference time. With the Wraith on the city, presumably having beamed in before the Dart exploded, it's no wonder Teyla was having all those nightmares.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Once again, we have a battle between pragmatism and religious dogma. This was a difficult situation all the way around. I felt bad for Elizabeth, because there wasn't anything she could say without entirely destroying his beliefs. Besides, it would have taken more time than she would had to try an convince him that the Atlantians wouldn't/couldn't do anything. This is certainly a show that doesn't shy away from religious issues.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Oof, not fun - having to navigate around in zero gravity and in a suit like that. Life support? Shouldn't his first priority be other systems? Or, maybe more people can be around to help do the work...

Yikes - They can only save 7%? And after all the amazement we all felt at how much information they fit into Rodney's 1.3 seconds a few episodes ago.

The poor Athosians. They must feel like a yo-yo. They seem to get evacuated every other episode. Ouch, how to you tell someone that their equivalent of gods are not going to be around anymore?

Bates has some serious wounds. Of course they suspect Teyla. That makes sense, but why don't they check her for injuries? She would at least have gotten some bruising from hitting him.

Rodney not having fun at the array. Gravity can suck. That was an ouch. I love the Rock-Paper-Scissors with three. Funny stuff. Of course Rodney was going to have to go - he should have known that before they even pulled those pencil pieces.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Rodney's back in his clautrophobic suit, ready to EVA. Nothing to it, just "one small step". Hey, I think that's a famous line. ::snorfles:: What an impressive view ... and I want to go floating off in space more than ever. Well, that's until Rodney says "one giant leap" and goes THUNK against the hull – which, as we all know, doesn't go thunk, because there's no sound in space.

Oh, that's a cool transition. Rodney says, "Let's take a look at this panel" and Radek's showing off something on a console, one that's designed for biometric sensing. Now isn't that ... convenient. But, look, it works! And they can track in real time.

OTOH, Rodney's not feeling so confident. He says "it's bad" and he doesn't think he can fix it, but Peter's trying to reassure him, that he "can fix anything". See, a huge reputation can get one in lots of trouble. Rodney shouldn't have blown his own horn so much, I guess.

So, "a quadruple bypass", Rodney?

Meanwhile, we're back to hunting the Wraith. Uh-oh, that ambush didn't exactly work out as planned. "Cuz here's Mr. Wraith!

Back in the cold heart of space, Rodney has fixed the problem. Heavy breathing and all.

But John's in a pretty scary condition. Mr. Wraith is just getting ready to slam his feeding hand into John's chest, but the cavalry arrives. Just in time. Whew!

Oh, I loved that 'jumper docking sequence. Isn't it amazing when things Just. Fit. Together? Except they didn't this time.

Uh-oh. I think I'm going to start crying soon. "Cuz Peter's sacrificing himself. There are so many heroic people involved in this expedition. And to think that they were the expendable ones!

"After it's done, then", that's when they'll pick Peter up. Heroic words meant to convey hope.

Now there's a comforting sight: the Wraith inside the holding cell and everyone else outside it. John's complaining about the usual "pins and needles". Well, Bob doesn't seem to be very chatty. He prefers to sniff disdainfully.

Okay, extra scary sight, with the Wraith armada flying closer and closer. But Peter says the weapon will fire in 60 seconds.

And here's Teyla offering to connect with Bob to see what he really knows.

Peter's just switched to automatic firing mode and there's this SURGE of power. In the meantime, there's this urgently beating music for dramatic tension.

Wow, didja see that? Wraith ship now cut in half! And it blowed up reeeeeeal good. "We have a kill" and everybody in the control room cheers and applauds. Nice bit of Radek clapping slowly with his hands ending up in a prayer-like position.

Uh-oh. Bob's not co-operating. Instead, Teyla's in trouble. A couple of shots manage to disconnect the wrong-way bond.

Now there's more trouble. There are sparks inside the satellite. Peter says there's a problem. He says "I'm sorry" and then whole satellite goes boom before Rodney can get back to him.

John's pumping more lead into Bob. I don't understand what this is all about, Aiden saying John's gone far enough, John saying he's not.

Then comes the bad news, courtesy of Rodney. They've lost the satellite. Two ships are still on their way. And then the most crushing news, that Peter was on board at the time. It's really touching to see how Radek is affected by this news. Meanwhile, Liz – as the leader - is showing a much more stoic face. Rodney reassures her that Peter bought them some more time.

Sad music as Liz goes city-wide with the message. Bob sneers as he hears the message, too. And the virus is put into standby mode. The sad music continues while it morphs into the Atlantis theme.

There's a nasty parting message from Bob after which John shoots him some more. Gee, Bob looks dead to me.

And then comes that dreaded to be continued sign and closing credits.

Okay, so that's a wrap. I've decided to rewatch with the audio commentary, only because one of the commenters is "David Martin Hewlett" who says he's never watched The Siege. Should be interesting and I'll comment separately. Later. I need to uncramp my left leg. Ouch!

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Aiden saying John's gone far enough, John saying he's not. I might be completely off base, but Aiden might still be operating up the rules of Earth and the Geneva Convention. John, however, knows that they are operating completely out of that purview. He's adapted to their new circumstances, but Aiden hasn't, not completely. My two cents.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Smart, Elizabeth asking Ford what he thinks about Teyla and Bates. She's seeing the John isn't exactly being unbiased. But then we don't get to really hear all his thoughts - there is a Wraith in Atlantis! Shocking, and it's been there for weeks? Why hasn't Teyla picked it up? Still Radek has a good plan for finding him. Although, I'm not sure why he hasn't gotten everything he needs in all the time he was on Atlantis.

Brave Rodney. Stepping out into empty space like that. Scary stuff. Peter's reassurances are sweet.

Yikes! A Wraith got John. How did that happen? Holy smokes. Oooh, but Teyla and Ford arrive in time. Phew. And captured the Wraith. Yay!

Oh no. Poor Peter. He has to say behind. That's awful. And Rodney has to leave him behind. Hard choices. At least Peter's looking on the bright side. He can help with the station, though, so that's good.

Hee! Bob. Gotta love John's penchant for naming things. The Wraith is scary just standing there. Ooo, Teyla's trying to see what he knows. Whoa, look at John get serious. Yikes. The Wraith now has a lot of holes in him.

Woo hoo! The satellite took out a Wraith hive ship. There is still two left, but hopefully it can get them too...Ah, no. That doesn't sound good. It can't fire again. This is when Star Trek's transporters would come in handy.

Oh no! I liked Peter. He had a real wry sense of humor, and he was so nice. That was hard. Most of the people who've died aren't ones we've gotten to know too well, if at all. Rodney and the other guy (Miller?) aren't taking it well. I want to pet them. And then Rodney has to tell Elizabeth and the rest of the crew in the room with her. What hard news to deliver all the way around.

And the Wraith can't do the smart thing and keep his mouth shut after Elizabeth's speech. So, now he has even more holes, and - oh look- he's dead. You go, John! Only trouble is, we still don't know what he did to the station. Not good. Still, I doubt he would have spilled any beans.

I kind of wish I could watch the rest of it tonight, but I know I'd never last. This was a very intense episode. I look back at my comments and see many reaction words - oh no, yikes, ooh, etc. I'll look forward to next week (of course, I always do).

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Still Radek has a good plan for finding him. Although, I'm not sure why he hasn't gotten everything he needs in all the time he was on Atlantis.

Well, I guess we can blame TPTB (instead of Radek) for that oversight because, after all, they had the console that Chaya initialized to show other life forms. ::sighs:: It's not as if they would have Shut. It. Off. after she left. In fact, they would have know how invaluable it was. But, in that case, we wouldn't have had a plot, because Mr. Wraith would not have gone unnoticed for a couple of weeks. ::sighs again::

Audio Commentary Part I

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

[Note: I'm breaking these up to match my original comments, approximately 14 minutes apart.]

So, audio commentary with Martin Wood, Martin Gero, and David "Martin" Hewlett (hee).

Okay, I'm not going to be able to distinguish between M1 and M2, but one of them just said that David was "on morphine" during this episode. Huh??? Apparently he was very sick and they thought it would be a good idea to Stick. Him. In. A. Spacesuit (so that, if he threw up, nobody else would get it). Poor David.

The Martins are talking about this room as a War Room, rather than a mere conference room (and it's neat to see all those computers).

Oh, wow. Joe Flanigan just walked in around the 3:40 mark. Yay.

The Martins are talking about this episode as being their opportunity to show off much more of Atlantis. Well, one would hope so, as it's the 19th epi of the season!

Oh ... interesting. The "pain in the ass" comment was only in the director's cut. No wonder I didn't remember seeing it on TV.

Then there's some weird stuff about the Athosians being the "great unwashed musical people"?!?

So, now we learn that second unit directors were in charge of certain scenes, like Teyla in the infirmary and now Bates and John arguing.

::giggles:: Just as Radek is showing Elizabeth the self-destruct simulation, Joe F tells them to shut up 'cuz he's trying to watch the show!

The Martins say that that scene was helped enormously by Joel's score. And it turns out the simulation was a deleted scene from an earlier episode.

And they changed the screen savers in the background for this epi. They say 7 people noticed.

Joe starts to drink a glass of water.

They mention that David Nykl was forced to play his character "down" and this was the first episode we learned Zelenka's first name is Radek. Isn't it lazy for TPTB to have neglected so many naming-things?

When John comes in hot, the Martins were actually hoping to have a T-Rex come in after them, until they learned it would cost 70-80 grand for 2-3 shots. So, nope. ::giggles:: Then David speaks up and says they "couldn't afford to have T-Rexes and Joe in the same episode". I think I hear Joe F's braying laugh in the background.

It turns out they were short on length for the flying to the satellite scenes, so they patched in a whole bunch of bits and pieces from earlier epis. And the cranberry flight suits are called "early egress suits". I just learned something.

Now they're all talking about how "great" Teyla's hit was on Bates. I'm not sure if that's David's voice in the background saying, "Go for it, girlfriend"?

They mention that they did two "cheap" shows, Letters from Pegasus and The Gift, just so they could spend more money on this one.

As we see David entering the satellite, Joe F say's he's "jealous" that David got to do that (yeah, even though it's just make believe). David snarks back, "Get over it". Hee!

They inserted a stunt double at the beginning of the drop. And then the Martins are musing, "How can we hurt David this week" in all those "impossible situations" they imagine.

The naquadah generator was all CG so it could look extra floaty. David interjects, "I float naturally without CG."

Eek. The spacesuit weighs 68 lbs. David said it felt like "680 lbs." while he was balancing on one leg standing on what they call a parallelogram. Sounds very comfy, right? Remember, the guy's still sick, in a spacesuit, and they're making him wobble on one leg as they slowly tilt the p-gram up and down to simulate weightlessness. Hey, it turns MY stomach and I'm merely reading about it!

Re: Audio Commentary Part I

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

I was so surprised to see these. When I saw your regular posts, I didn't think there was commentary for the ep, or maybe that it was just lousy people doing it.

It sounds like there was a ton of interesting stuff in this one. I'm sorry that David was sick, but I find that kind of thing fascinating - especially since he acted so well, I couldn't tell. I wonder if I rewatched with that knowledge, if I'd see signs...

It was also cool to learn that they did a couple of cheap episodes, so they'd have more for this one, but they still couldn't afford the t-rex (darn it).

Audio Commentary Part II

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Still with the special effects, David says that, whenever he's told this is going to look fantastic, he knows it's "going to be incredibly painful". And they all laugh.

We learn that Chris H had flown in from Japan 4 hours earlier to do his scene with Torri, then had to fly back to Japan. Then they tell a tall tale that Chris is actually a Kabuki star in Japan. Yeah, they admit it's a lie.

They think that the scene between Liz and Halling may have gone on a bit long, but David says he can't tell because he can't watch over all the talking. I think Joe F added "I don't even know what's going on". More laughter, 'cuz they say he didn't read that part, 'cuz he wasn't in it. Then David comes back and says he himself just counts his lines. "My line ... my line."

The Martins are talking about the SFX to have the scrolling numbers reflect off Liz's face, but only because she was so close to the display unit.

Okay, so when Peter turns on the gravity, they say David H did his own stunts (I guess there must have been a couple of mattresses underneath), and that was his own "girlish" scream when he landed. David jokes he was "much shorter from this scene on". Hee! I think I hear Joe F chuckling again in the background.

Then the Martins said to David, "That's not all. Wait till Season 2."

Now the Martins reveal why they put them in red (or cranberry). It's the old red-shirt syndrome from Star Trek. You're "expendable" and not going to make it. With all of them in red-shirts, they were trying to increase the suspense as to who would die. Joe mentions he's going to have to listen to the Audio Commentaries, 'cuz he's actually learning stuff.

When they're talking about Ford wanting to call it "Planet Waterfall", they mention they really wanted to name "Planet Kid-Kill". Yeah, guys. Really hilarious. NOT. Joe says he has plenty to say about that episode.

Okay, unpleasant revelations while we're looking at Bates unconscious in the infirmary. One of the Martins says it's important for them "to hurt and destroy major characters". Yeah, right. Ugh. Then they admit a lot of people were upset that they killed off Peter's character. And they keep laughing about it. And the "mortal jeopardy" bit that they seem to stick Joe into each week. I think it's David that says it keeps actors fearful about whether they'll be back next week. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Then talk about the rock-paper-scissors. When they used the pencil (obviously with a pre-broken pencil), they said it took an hour to film. 'Cuz David kept pulling the wrong one. David called it "self-preservation".

Re: Audio Commentary Part II

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Hee! I'm loving all these tidbits, but my favorite is the bit about the rock-paper-scissors scene.

Audio Commentary Part III

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Back in the EVA suit, David's saying that's "real sweat", "feverish sweat". Yuck. David adds, "Look at that pasty sickness". Not acting, but for realz.

So, it turns out David clanged into the hull 3-4 times and actually cracked a helmet.

Then Joe reveals those bits on the biometrics console are just bits of plastic. Okay, the Martins admit they're using the machine from "Sanctuary" – and yet didn't acknowledge until now. ::scratches head at the illogic::

And then there's joking that, in the third Season, they're going to "negotiate with gravity". And "the time-space continuum problem".

Okay, cool trick. When John was stunned, they used a "small flash charge on a fishing rod". Okay, David gets back at Joe, saying that what makes it is that "girly fall".

Then there's the whole thing about Wraith giving "a speech before they kill you". I guess it's because they're such drama queens, right?

David asks if he "looks fat" in the EVA suit. Aww, David.

Then there's talk about how hard it was to film in the Wraith cell. And a comparison how SGA is a much darker show than SG-1, what with starving, etc. Though it seems as if SG-1 borrowed the starving, so Joe F says, "They're stealing our sadism".

They said that, when Rachel did the ... uh ... mind-meld thingy, "she stole this right out of a Yoga class she took". David adds that Rachel "and Jane have been doing the Ashtanga, whatever it is, Yoga".

While Teyla's connected, they're talking about making a new kind of tattoo for the Wraith that are coming. And they reveal that they're trying to differentiate between Wraith from one Hive to another. Which will all be revealed in Seasons 3 and 4.

Okay, so satellite just went all 'splody and they say that, on the internets, there are fans saying that a big chunk of the satellite was intact and that Grodin survived. But they confirm he's dead, "vaporized".

They mention that Joe's shooting the Wraith scene was some of his best work. He replies, "And I like shooting guns." They add, "Great score."

There's admiration for the way Torri does the "Winston Churchill speech", according to David. They mention that Torri also does a big speech in Seige II and the (different) writers had to keep checking in with each other to make sure they weren't using the same words. And there was a lot of an I-wrote-it-first attitude.

And the Martins admit they goofed because putting the virus on standby ALSO required two people (so it's not just the self-destruct). Though it was lovely to watch David Nykl's fingers moving so gracefully over the keys.

Joe said he felt "It was rude to interrupt him" so let Bob give his dying declaration of finding and taking Earth, before filling him with lead.

They mention how good it looked to have Joe taking that step forward while he was shooting.

Major silliness with "I know that guy", "I met him ... and him", as the credits began to roll.

Final Comments:
So, even though it was an all-boys commentary, it was thankfully without the seriously stupid sexist crap from the previous episode.

David and Joe provided some fun lines and we actually learned useful stuff.

But I'm still bitter about all the laughter and joking about killing major characters on the show. Gee, if it was SO necessary, then how come you didn't kill more people off on SG-1. Sure, Daniel died, but he ascended and came back. Jack was frozen in Antarctica (now that's cryogenics for you) ... okay, he was in stasis, but it's the thought that counts. And he was fixed up. So, they died and then came back. Because it's bloody science fiction where people can come back. But, I guess, on SGA, they were tired of people coming back. /rant.

Okay, I think it's out of my system, well ... at least for this week. I still find it rather stupid to kill off major characters in the very first season. Oops. I'm revving up again, so I'll stop. And I haven't had my dinner yet, so I'll go do that. Until next week, ciao, everybody.

Re: Audio Commentary Part III

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Such awesome stuff. Out of all of it, I think my favorite thing is the hints that they have plans far in advance of where they are. I think it makes for great character development/story line consistency when there is long-range planning. . Thank you so much for sharing all the wonderful trivia.