Rewatch: This Mortal Coil
Sep. 28th, 2012 09:59 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sga_squeeWhen an undetected satellite crash lands into the city, it's confirmed that it's Replicator technology. Sheppard's immediate concern is that he and the others may have been infected with nano technology. Dr. Keller's scans and blood tests however show no infection. It's all an imaginary from Elizabeth Weir's memories world created by a renegade group of Replicators. When the fake Atlantis is destroyed, the lookalikes contact their real counterpoints to give them information they can use against the Replicators.Written by garykmcd
Unfortunately, I can't add a poll. I've tried a few different things to get to it, but LJ isn't opening it.
Unfortunately, I can't add a poll. I've tried a few different things to get to it, but LJ isn't opening it.
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Comment 1A
Date: 2012-09-29 02:21 am (UTC)I absolutely loved this episode, even though it was flawed, both in philosophy and silly niggling details. As I can't mention the specific scenes, I also wanted to state – for the record – that the music was up to Joel's consistently eloquent standards, conveying a range of emotions from paranoia to heroism.
Okay, back to the show.
There seems to be a major technical oops, as the gate isn't working and Rodney/Radek can't get it working again. Naturally, John blames Rodney.
Then there's the sound of a distant impact. The female tech (who is just one of many strangers presumably working in the city this week) says it didn't show up on the sensors. What??? Also stupid reply to Rodney's question about the sensors: "I don't know. It came in so fast." I'm already rolling my eyes.
Time for R/R and John as well as a bunch of interchangeable soldiers to check it out. Oh, look. It came in through the roof of the – hey, just who's in charge of naming things – the reading library, so no injuries except to some books. Right?
John leaves R/R and meets with Evan. Evan seems to display far more authority in relation to John that I haven't seen before. He opposes John's plan to have both R/R figuring out who sent the probe because of the malfunctioning gate. Evan thinks that Radek should work on the probe while Rodney returns to fixing the gate which has been down for a week. At least John has a practical reason for rejecting his reason: "Major, not being able to use the Gate is an inconvenience. The possibility that someone may have pinpointed our location is a threat. The threat gets the priority." Okay, time to identify a flaw. Where is Sam ... again? Her absence is really glaring.
The probe is now in Rodney's lab between two laptops. Rodney's noisily eating a sandwich as he works on one keyboard with Radek at the second one. Radek's trying to dissuade Rodney from continuing his diagnostics, but Rodney won't listen. He soldiers on. He believes he's onto something but Radek types on his keyboard. Moments later, everything disappears. Uh ... really? It can't be recovered from the computers? Well, not if Radek really sabotaged them. Also, please note that Radek's hair is ... combed. Curioser and curioser.
Still, Rodney had a chance to recognize nanite code before all the data was lost. That's bad. And it's time to cue the opening credits.
When we return, Rodney's telling John the bad news, even though Radek's being more cautious about Rodney's conclusions. He tells John he saw ... nothing. Then there's another explosion back in Rodney's lab which is a mess. I love John's explanation that it was either Rodney's sandwich exploding or a self-destruct in the "mystery drone".
Rodney's natural suspicious nature (and often paranoia) is aroused. He wants John to keep his eyes open. Now John's suspicious, too.
Comment 1B
Date: 2012-09-29 02:26 am (UTC)Ronon manages to clip John across the eyebrow, drawing blood. John holds a towel and goes to the Infirmary, as Ronon believes he'll need stitches. The only problem is that Jennifer informs John he's not bleeding. Huh? As John thinks he may have been infected by nanites from the probe, he insists Jennifer do a scan of his body. Neither he nor we can see the screen, but Jennifer insists he's "clean". So John wants a blood test run, thinking he may be having a relapse from the Iratus retrovirus.
Curioser and curioser, Evan is talking with Jennifer. What kind of conspiracy is going on? BTW, this Jennifer has her hair in a professional-looking and practical bun. [Hey, that's a constant irritant for me.] Getting back to a possible conspiracy, it seems that Jennifer is the boss of Atlantis, along with Evan and Radek. And just where is Sam?
Jennifer shows John a tablet with his supposed results that show he's "100% bug free". Then she tries to explain away the blood in a very awkward, amateurish way. John's definitely not buying it. Now he's really becoming suspicious. So ... flaw time. Whatever Jennifer's trying to hide, she's not doing it well. For crying out loud, could she not have painted on a scar and covered it with a bandage. Or at least done something.
It's nighttime when Rodney walks into his fixed-up lab (the screen was too dark so I can't confirm it, but the transcript says so) only to find his teammates there already. He wants to know what's going on. Hold still, Rodney. They'll show you. With a very SHARP knife. Yuck. Did they have to cut so deeply? Rodney sees the truth for himself when the cut and blood disappear. Then they start comparing notes about the weird behaviour of everyone else on Atlantis. Rodney hacks into the Infirmary's database from his lab. Surprise! There's no record of any blood test or full body scan. But they won't know for sure unless they can get to the Infirmary without anyone seeing them. Hee – Trust. No. One! Good thing Rodney has a plan.
Comment 2A
Date: 2012-09-29 02:33 am (UTC)Back to the creepy factor, as Evan and Radek join Jennifer on a balcony. So ... a problem? You think?
John and Teyla have made it to the Infirmary. ::groans:: Another flaw: a completely deserted Infirmary without any doctors or nurses. As if. Anyway, John lies down on the bed while Teyla runs the scanner.
At the same time, Rodney's discovered another supposedly real life sign at the edge of the city. Does anybody else find that too conveniently suspicious?
John joins Teyla at the scanner screen. He's angry and horrified to see evidence of thousands of nanites in his body.
Rodney and Ronon find a hidden room. Ronon checks it out first. When Rodney enters, the lights come on. There's a woman lying on a table. It's ... Elizabeth. They get her to sit up. She's confused and can't answer their questions. But guess who? Jennifer can, as she's just shown up with a couple of guards. She tells them this is where they made Elizabeth and them all.
Teyla and John have just figured out what's going on and are going to find the others. Just one obstacle: Evan and a couple of guards in the doorway. Well, John's not going to come peacefully. He shoots Evan in the thigh. The wound heals instantly.
Rodney finally says what everyone's been thinking. Jennifer and the others are Replicators. Yup. And, until Rodney changed the code, they couldn't assume the form of any living human (Ha! Doesn't that sound like the dilemma of The First in BtVS?). But ... now.... Jennifer demonstrates, doing a Terminator morphing. Rodney says they couldn't have replaced everyone on Atlantis. And here's the crunch: That's because this is NOT the real Atlantis and Rodney isn't the real Dr. McKay. Uh-oh.
Teyla and John are getting a replicator lecture from Evan. They and we learn that they are flesh and blood, the only difference is that they were "manufactured from the inside out by nanites". And their thoughts – everything – were taken from the real team when their minds were probed, a year ago.
In the other room, Rodney accuses Jennifer of lying because a year ago Carson was the head doc, not Jennifer. That's explained away, that they updated the info from Elizabeth when she was captured.
Oh, here's the Brig again where our team plus Liz are hanging out. She wants to know for herself, and cuts her own palm. Rodney's being very VERY squeamish, especially as her cut was the most delicate of all.
Then more details are revealed why this may not be the real Atlantis. The gate's not working. Teyla wonders why Rodney couldn't tell by looking at the stars. Uh ... Teyla, you're in the city, too. Are you telling me, you went to bed before dark every night or kept your curtains closed completely? Another writing flaw. ::sighs:: In any case, Rodney coulodn't have looked at the stars because it's been overcast for over a week. Now that is majorly weird for Atlantis, as the weather's invariably lovely. So ... another writing flaw. Why did nobody try to take a 'jumper out through the roof? Well, I guess it's because our team were newly activated ... uh ... created.
no subject
Date: 2012-09-29 02:39 am (UTC)Something crashes through a ceiling, into the reading library. 'Ouch,' on Rodney's comment about it being a good thing it can through into this room, or someone might have been hurt. I wouldn't think that someone who loves knowledge as much as Rodney does would dis the reading space.
Also, what's up with Lorne and John. Lorne brings up a worthwhile point, but John has equally valid reasons for sticking with his original plan. Lorne give John such an interesting look though. I feel I missed something, but have no idea what.
Comment 2B
Date: 2012-09-29 02:42 am (UTC)Then there's a bit of a philosophical speech on why this splinter group did this. Liz figures it out: these replicators are emulating their creators to the extent that they want to ascend but can't.
Back in the Brig, John's trying to motivate the others to focus on escaping. Just one wrinkle, as Rodney points out. Just where are they going to go? It's not as if they could go to the real Atlantis to resume lives that don't belong to them. Teyla is the most philosophical about the validity of their existence, no matter what their origins were. So ... escape.
In the conference room that has never looked this creepy (just awkward and clunky), the conversation continues. Jwnnifer believes Niam's breakaway group that wasn't reabsorbed can discover how to acquire a soul by studying the human replicators. Okay, chilling time. The reason Jennifer's mentioned this to Liz is so that she can avoid the same mistakes the next time. What next time?
Having been returned to the Brig, Liz tells our team that their memories will be wiped and they'll start all over again on another planet. Why do they have to move? Well, it turns out the probe was real and sent by Oberoth.
Jennifer comes into the Brig. She's sorry she has to do this. And this is wonderful: it's a variation of the famous Captain Kirk speech why humans make lousy intergalactic slaves, because they're too stubborn and won't give in. Liz and John both make points in that direction.
Then Liz brings out the heavy guns: "You want to understand what it means to be human, right? You wanna know what qualities might eventually lead to ascension? You can start with compassion." Bravo! Just one problem. A replicator warship is firing down upon the city. Jennifer says that, as Oberoth couldn't break through mentally, he's going to destroy them. [Do you have any idea of how much I loathe that – that – creature? Ugh.]
Liz is begging Jennifer to let them out. Here it looks weird to see Jennifer being meek, weak and scared ... that Oberoth is too powerful. Luckily, Liz manages to persuade her. Yay for diplomacy under unusual circumstances.
While the city is being demolished, Jennifer hands a core drive to John. With it, the Lanteans will be able to know what any of Oberoth's large vessels are doing and where they're going in Pegasus. Liz entreats Jennifer to join them, but Jennifer declines. She feels she'll be the weak link allowing Oberoth to capture them.
The city is falling into ruins, supposedly the same as in the Seer's vision. It didn't look the same to me. The towers just seemed to break off and fall. There weren't the same flames and explosions that had been very vivid in the prophecy.
So, our repliTeam is in a 'jumper. How are they going to get away? Well, John intends for them to hitch a ride (Millennium Falcon style, again) and go through hyperspace. John demonstrates, as we watch stuff happening on the HUD.
Hmm. This appears to be a long ride in hyperspace. Rodney's asleep, snoring, so Ronon kicks his seat. Elizabeth is talking to John. She feels lucky in that at least she's the ONLY Elizabeth out there. So ... anyone up for a flight to New Athos?
no subject
Date: 2012-09-29 02:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-09-29 03:03 am (UTC)I have to admit, though, I enjoyed the fight between John and Ronon. John looks as though he's improving, even holding his own for a few seconds.
Oooo, so something is up with Keller and Lorne. They are meeting in secret. The next day, she tries to convince John that he wasn't really hurt. She has to be a replicator. Only someone who'd never felt real pain could fail to understand that a person knows when they've been hurt. At lease, that severely.
Ouch! John sliced Rodney's hand open, with Teyla and Ronon in the room. He heals instantly. So, definitely replicators, then. It begs the question - are Lorne and Keller two of the people that have been switched out for duplicates, or are our team on the Replicator homeworld somehow?
Damn it! My video won't buffer. Jeez. I keep trying to get it to play, but Amazon just says that the signal isn't available and to try later. So frustrating. I miss it being on Netflix.
Comment 3A
Date: 2012-09-29 01:42 pm (UTC)Back on what is presumably the real Atlantis, the gate's been activated. A Major Jordan reports in with video. He says there's someone who wants to talk to them. Then Liz walks into view. Both John and Rodney are understandably shocked. But Liz doesn't beat around the bush. She tells them she's a copy and says "We have some information". Of course, John picks up on the "we" right away.
Liz leads the real team into a tent where RepliTeam is waiting. I found seeing the two quartets facing each other quite fascinating, studying their reactions and body language.
The two Ronons are immediately distrustful of each other. RepliRodney admires Rodney's leather jacket and they end up saying the same words simultaneously.
There's a bit of dialogue that's meant to warm many McSheppers' hearts. RepliJohn calls for "McKay". Both Rodneys look at him and he clarifies, "No, my McKay," emphasis on "my" and all. Yay!
So RepliRodney hands over the core drive with an explanation. I love the ease with which both Rodneys are able to accept each other's existence. They love the idea that they can communicate with someone of equal intelligence. With bonus hubris. The Johns look sick. The two Rodneys working together is also delightful because it's in stark contrast to the jealousy Rodney felt at Rod's presence in Atlantis. Because Rod was cooler, sat at the popular kids' table and made fun of ... him. But, in this case, there's no jealousy because RepliRodney IS Rodney from about a year ago. And possibly because Rodney isn't threatened by RepliRodney's not-quite human status. I know ... a slight undercurrent of repliphobia but – at the same time – Rodney's love of science conquers any potential hesitation or questionning.
[This is basically where I stopped last night. I just couldn't finish, especially when I realized I still had one-third of an episode to go. That's one of the major problems with this episode: it had to load and explain the premise in the first two-thirds, leaving very little time for the action, not to mention interaction between the two teams.]
There's bad news exchanged off-screen, with our team learning that Elizabeth I died. John's all turned upside-down, first thinking she's still alive, only to have his hopes crushed.
Both sets of Ronon and Teyla are walking in the forest. Naturally, Ronon I doesn't like his copy. RepliRonon admits it took seeing himself to accept that he wasn't the real thing. RepliTeyla had been hoping as well. RepliRonon's already planning to go his own way. Then the two sets come across each other. Eek – you can really see how fake Ronon I's wig looks. The two sets go in different directions.
John I is talking with Liz. He's hoping they could make her nanites inactive as they did Liz I's. But Liz isn't buying it. She knows that everyone would treat her as a lesser being. John's protest is cut off as they notice a deep humming above them. Uh ... just how does an enormous ship like that HOVER in the admosphere – or was that totally unrealistic? In any case, no time for discussion, it's time to ... RUN as the ship fires drones down, but misses them. 'Cuz the bad guys can never shoot effectively, lol.
Comment 3B
Date: 2012-09-29 01:54 pm (UTC)Back at the gate, a second replicator ship is hovering. No, please, someone tell me how they're doing that. Anti-grav units? The 'jumper flies into view, so the warship turns to chase it. Isn't that like an elephant chasing a fly? Make that TWO elephants.
As the 'jumper flies away, the gate is activated, presumably by the 'jumper's DHD. The 'jumper though is hit a couple of times and crashes in the forest. Yuck seeing the seemingly mindless cookie-cutter repliguards that find and enter the downed 'jumper. Liz and the team appear to be unconscious or dead. One guard pulls John into a sitting position. John's facial cuts heal. The guard is startled and backs away. RepliJohn admits they tricked the rest of the replicators but, hey, they'd almost convinced themselves, too. The guard fires.
Back in Atlantis, Major Jordan's and John's teams run through the gate. John's yelling for the gate to be shut down. Poor John, having to say that "no one else is coming".
Back in Rodney's lab, we see a scene that could be a bookend to the beginning. Rodney and Radek are working on computers, their backs to each other. Radek is exhausted. They've been working for five hours straight and he feels they should take a break. Rodney won't stop; he'll take a break when he's finished. Radek is very perceptive, understanding that Rodney's trying to distract himself so he doesn't think about Elizabeth. This is a bit of excellent blocking of the actors' movements by the director, as Rodney responds to Radek without turning around to face him. Rodney's voice and face are full of pain. Oh, Rodney, you've already shown us you've become a real boy, but it's still startling to get a reinforcement that you do have the ability to feel grief deeply. In any case, for Rodney, this is like losing Carson all over again. Radek – bless him – empathizes with Rodney and offers him a willing ear. Rodney, amazingly, is amenable, but just not now. When Radek stands to leave, Rodney calls his name. Radek stops and turns around. This was perfectly (I hate to say the word) acted, so I'll say portrayed, by David H. He tilts his head in Radek's direction, but doesn't turn around, so he's still mostly facing the camera. And says "thank you". I'm just blown away at this heartbreaking scene between colleagues and, yes, friends.
It's obviously even later than before, but Rodney's still working on the core drive when John comes in, suggesting that Rodney call it a night. He also tells Rodney quietly that he'll approve the removal of Elizabeth's personal effects tomorrow, have it all shipped back to Earth. Another huge writing fail. Hello!!! Isn't that Sam's call to make? John could have resisted and the dialogue could have reflected that, as in "I've already told Sam to ship it all back. I won't fight it." Gah ... the frustration makes me grind my teeth.
John pats Rodney's shoulder (aww) and turns to leave. Just then, Rodney's computer beeps. How ... convenient. [I know, like always.] So ... six beeps indicating six ships isn't so bad. Then there are eight more beeps and dots on the screen. Then fifteen. [I'm not counting: the transcript is telling me.] John and Rodney stare in horror. The scene fades to black. And then we hear eleven more beeps and a perfect response from Rodney: "Oh, crap!"
Closing thoughts
Date: 2012-09-29 02:45 pm (UTC)Yet ... considering the replicators had probed their minds (and, let's remember, they'd also accessed Richard Woolsey's and Jack O'Neill's thoughts, the best they could come up with was Jennifer Keller ... and an OOC uppity Evan Lorne??? It would have made so much more sense to have had a revisit by Steven Caldwell to take temporary command of the fake Atlantis, while the RepliTeam and RepliLiz were in a quarantine situation, with limited access to the rest of Atlantis. Where Ronon and John couldn't spar and get hurt. ::tears hair out:: Where the replicators could have studied them for far longer without them becoming suspicious. That would have been far more believable. It seems that perhaps this was meant to be a two-parter where everything simply got stuffed into the top of the episode, no matter how little it made sense. [And I've found that my love of this episode has been dulled a little by having to indicate every time I encountered stupid writing. ::sighs::]
Back to the renegade replicators and their longing to have the full human experience that includes Ascension. Poor deluded, naïve creatures. You can't get a soul simply by studying about it. And isn't it short-sighted to think that it's ONLY the bits of flesh and blood that make someone human?
Then, just to put in some grotesque juxtaposition, these replicators show that they still don't get it ... that they intend to wipe the team's memories and begin again. I think they'd end up doing this forever – all the time wondering why they're not getting the results they're seeking. Uh ... maybe because you simply don't have the ability to comprehend what you want, even if you can identify its name. It's that cold-blooded, simple-minded focus on the experiment we've seen before in human history, where people were considered subhuman test subjects, where consent was irrelevant and where horrible things were done to them. I've read enough about what happened in Canada in the last century that is really sickening, even into the 1960s AFAIK.
But, then, it was heartening to hear John and Liz make the argument for letting them go so they could try to make a difference – to actually live in the real world. And they did.
But poor Jennifer and the other renegades. It was interesting to see her revert to a natural state of timidity (as someone who'd originally been under Oberoth's thumb). With her and the fake Atlantis destroyed, one can assume that there will never again be any replicators to dare challenge Oberoth. What a despicable legacy to retain from the Ancients. Not to forget about the wholesale genocide of human-populated worlds. Talk about a tyrannical psychopath, though I'd prefer not to.
But let's end this on an heroic note. The human-repliTeam sacrificed themselves so that the original team could escape. And they did it willingly, for those who were Not. Their. Kind. Completely reversed from Oberoth's need for self-preservation. By their sacrifice, they did achieve humanity. However, one cannot forget that they were using the minds of people who were already heroes. So ... they weren't necessarily acting out of free will, but following a template. Still, it was a magnificent gesture on their parts. Besides, they knew they had no chance for an independent life, now that they knew they were copies.
Finally, this was a Brad Wright and M&M story. Now that we know how much JM loathes writing about heroic people and magnificent gestures, he must have hated every minute of it. ::laughs in his face:: I'm bitterly amused to think that something he had a hand in creating ended up demonstrating more humanity and compassion than he has the capacity to. Yeah, yeah, it's an old chorus.
Okay, I think I'm done. Until the next time.