SGA 519 - Vegas ...
Jan. 5th, 2009 06:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
patk...pretty much blew me away. Oh *wow*, just ... *WOW*, because ...
I don't know where to start - I could write page after page about the layers and implications this episode carries and it's entirely possible that I'll actually do that but for now I just want to talk about one thing:
The almost awestruck way Rodney talks about the wonders of space travel, other dimensions in space and time, alternate versions of John and himself out there, playing out events in ways John can't possibly imagine. This Rodney is dedicated to the wonders of his profession but - more important - it's plain to see that this Rodney desperately wants a John in his life.
This Rodney wants to reach this John so much, wants so very much to get through to him. He tries to crack John's shell by challenging him, by dressing him down in order to get a reaction out of him, to make him furious and talk back. And when this fails, because nothing Rodney says can hurt John even more than he has already hurt himself, Rodney changes directions and starts to be honest with him despite not being allowed to do so because he believes in John's basic character traits, believes in the good man and the hero that *has* to be buried somewhere in this version - the version of Rodney's reality - of John. And Rodney *wants* this man, wants to bring out this buried version and wants to have him in his life.
It's not only the intense way he approaches John over the whole conversation they have, he practically *says* so when he sees him off and John can't believe he's allowed to go (and what says *this* about John's former experiences with branches of his own government?).
John asks "That is? You're just gonna let me go?"
Rodney answers by using the example of John's failed rescue mission to point out that "Things just don't always go the way we plan". So, basically, John asks "why do you let me go" and Rodney answers "Because things don't always go as planned" which means, he aimed for John to stay. On board, in contact, whatever. It's obvious that Rodney hoped John would want to stay (and in doing so give him a chance to bring this John into his live). And at the end of this conversation, Rodney makes a last attempt: he tells John that he believes in him, his strength of character, that he's a good man and I think Rodney does this because he thinks John deserves to know that he believes in him but also because Rodney hopes that John will come back and that's why he answers "What, *now*? Nothing" when John asks what Rodney wants him to say. Yes, now - nothing. But later?
(For the record: yes, I think John did actually ponder if not pursue this possibility when he resigned and drove away. I think if things had go down different, he would have tried to get in contact with Rodney again, tried to become a part of the program. I saw people say that John was about to run away but changed opinion mid-stride when he got an idea about the location of the Wraith and it's a valid opinion, but I have a different idea. I actually think John resigned because he wanted to be free to join Rodney and the "thing" Rodney talked about.)
But back to what started this entry. It's apparent that Rodney wants John in his life. He has seen other realities, knows about other realities, he has visited a reality where John was his team leader and a hero (and no, I don't think this was "our" reality because this isn't "Rod". Rod's John was a Mensa-member on the Atlantis expedition) and he wants to have something like this, he desires a piece of this and since this John is "his" John he wants to reach him, get through to him and have him in his life.
Because - why trying to explain so much, why so obviously trying to convince John of the truth, going to the length to even show him a Wraith and the darts if not for wanting him on board? Wanting him with him? Their Atlantis-expedition got by for the last five years without John. We don't know how well they do, what form it took without John (Sumner survived as the military leader? I guess Teyla never joined Atlantis, neither did Ronon) and how successful they are, but they apparently still exist, so, Rodney doesn't *need* John for Atlantis though he does his very best to appeal to John, to what he thinks is buried in John: the protector, the fighter, the man who wouldn't want to stand aside and watch things goes to hell as long as he can do something about it.
Because he knows John will be an asset? Yes, this much is likely by the facts.
Because he *wants* John to be a part of this, to have him by his side? Yes, this much is clear by the way he approaches John after threats failed to work and he decides to settle on honesty.
Because he personally wants John in his life? Yes, it's plain to see by the way he talks about all the other "hims" and "Johns" out there. "You and I" are his words. He *wants* John.
As a friend - for all the genners out there.
And for all the slashers out there this is *gold* anyway, no need to go into details on that, right? *g*
Okay. *slash-goggles on, tin hat firmly in place*
It gives me an additional facet to my theory from month ago about Rodney and the "real" love-triangle. If the basic character traits of alternate versions are as similar as they're portrayed here and if Vegas-Rodney wants a John in his life so much, it stands to reason that something similar would apply for "our" Rodney as well.
But - contrary to Vegas-John - with "our" John DADT is a problematic issue, has always been and will continue to be. Breaking it could be the end for John on Atlantis. And with people like Kavanaugh around and John most likely also stepping on a few marines' toes as the commander now and then, plus Atlantis being a tiny microcosm of a village with all the gossip that comes with the territory...
So, Rodney early on decides he can't reasonably expect anything from John that breaks this rules and finally decides to settle for second best option which finally resulted in Katie Brown and everything after that.
Yes, I know, we don't need Vegas for this but seeing Vegas-Rodney so passionate about trying to bring this John on board and thus into his life while at the same time willing to let him "go" - let decide John on his own - drives the point home. It's like the whole "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was"-thing. (And I already said that I think John was on his way to Rodney at the end of Vegas, right? *g*)
Vegas-Rodney makes me *see* Rodney still wanting John under all that settling for Keller because he thinks it's apparent that he can't have him. :-)
Yes, I love you, show! I really do. *G*
I don't know where to start - I could write page after page about the layers and implications this episode carries and it's entirely possible that I'll actually do that but for now I just want to talk about one thing:
The almost awestruck way Rodney talks about the wonders of space travel, other dimensions in space and time, alternate versions of John and himself out there, playing out events in ways John can't possibly imagine. This Rodney is dedicated to the wonders of his profession but - more important - it's plain to see that this Rodney desperately wants a John in his life.
This Rodney wants to reach this John so much, wants so very much to get through to him. He tries to crack John's shell by challenging him, by dressing him down in order to get a reaction out of him, to make him furious and talk back. And when this fails, because nothing Rodney says can hurt John even more than he has already hurt himself, Rodney changes directions and starts to be honest with him despite not being allowed to do so because he believes in John's basic character traits, believes in the good man and the hero that *has* to be buried somewhere in this version - the version of Rodney's reality - of John. And Rodney *wants* this man, wants to bring out this buried version and wants to have him in his life.
It's not only the intense way he approaches John over the whole conversation they have, he practically *says* so when he sees him off and John can't believe he's allowed to go (and what says *this* about John's former experiences with branches of his own government?).
John asks "That is? You're just gonna let me go?"
Rodney answers by using the example of John's failed rescue mission to point out that "Things just don't always go the way we plan". So, basically, John asks "why do you let me go" and Rodney answers "Because things don't always go as planned" which means, he aimed for John to stay. On board, in contact, whatever. It's obvious that Rodney hoped John would want to stay (and in doing so give him a chance to bring this John into his live). And at the end of this conversation, Rodney makes a last attempt: he tells John that he believes in him, his strength of character, that he's a good man and I think Rodney does this because he thinks John deserves to know that he believes in him but also because Rodney hopes that John will come back and that's why he answers "What, *now*? Nothing" when John asks what Rodney wants him to say. Yes, now - nothing. But later?
(For the record: yes, I think John did actually ponder if not pursue this possibility when he resigned and drove away. I think if things had go down different, he would have tried to get in contact with Rodney again, tried to become a part of the program. I saw people say that John was about to run away but changed opinion mid-stride when he got an idea about the location of the Wraith and it's a valid opinion, but I have a different idea. I actually think John resigned because he wanted to be free to join Rodney and the "thing" Rodney talked about.)
But back to what started this entry. It's apparent that Rodney wants John in his life. He has seen other realities, knows about other realities, he has visited a reality where John was his team leader and a hero (and no, I don't think this was "our" reality because this isn't "Rod". Rod's John was a Mensa-member on the Atlantis expedition) and he wants to have something like this, he desires a piece of this and since this John is "his" John he wants to reach him, get through to him and have him in his life.
Because - why trying to explain so much, why so obviously trying to convince John of the truth, going to the length to even show him a Wraith and the darts if not for wanting him on board? Wanting him with him? Their Atlantis-expedition got by for the last five years without John. We don't know how well they do, what form it took without John (Sumner survived as the military leader? I guess Teyla never joined Atlantis, neither did Ronon) and how successful they are, but they apparently still exist, so, Rodney doesn't *need* John for Atlantis though he does his very best to appeal to John, to what he thinks is buried in John: the protector, the fighter, the man who wouldn't want to stand aside and watch things goes to hell as long as he can do something about it.
Because he knows John will be an asset? Yes, this much is likely by the facts.
Because he *wants* John to be a part of this, to have him by his side? Yes, this much is clear by the way he approaches John after threats failed to work and he decides to settle on honesty.
Because he personally wants John in his life? Yes, it's plain to see by the way he talks about all the other "hims" and "Johns" out there. "You and I" are his words. He *wants* John.
As a friend - for all the genners out there.
And for all the slashers out there this is *gold* anyway, no need to go into details on that, right? *g*
Okay. *slash-goggles on, tin hat firmly in place*
It gives me an additional facet to my theory from month ago about Rodney and the "real" love-triangle. If the basic character traits of alternate versions are as similar as they're portrayed here and if Vegas-Rodney wants a John in his life so much, it stands to reason that something similar would apply for "our" Rodney as well.
But - contrary to Vegas-John - with "our" John DADT is a problematic issue, has always been and will continue to be. Breaking it could be the end for John on Atlantis. And with people like Kavanaugh around and John most likely also stepping on a few marines' toes as the commander now and then, plus Atlantis being a tiny microcosm of a village with all the gossip that comes with the territory...
So, Rodney early on decides he can't reasonably expect anything from John that breaks this rules and finally decides to settle for second best option which finally resulted in Katie Brown and everything after that.
Yes, I know, we don't need Vegas for this but seeing Vegas-Rodney so passionate about trying to bring this John on board and thus into his life while at the same time willing to let him "go" - let decide John on his own - drives the point home. It's like the whole "If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was"-thing. (And I already said that I think John was on his way to Rodney at the end of Vegas, right? *g*)
Vegas-Rodney makes me *see* Rodney still wanting John under all that settling for Keller because he thinks it's apparent that he can't have him. :-)
Yes, I love you, show! I really do. *G*
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no subject
Date: 2009-01-05 09:21 pm (UTC)And I think that Rodney with the suit and the tie looked great, but so did Zelenka! *g*
no subject
Date: 2009-01-05 09:57 pm (UTC)Aber ja, auf jeden Fall sieht Rodney mehr in Sheppard, als der in sich selbst sieht. Vegas-John ist viel zu tief in seinen eigenen Schuldgefühlen verstrickt um sich selbst noch richtig erkennen zu können.
Rodney im Anzug? Hat eine tolle Figur gemacht. Und gerade der Kontrast zwischen John und Rodney hier hat die Sache richtig prickeln lassen. *G* Eine wirklich tolle Folge.
no subject
Date: 2009-01-06 07:47 am (UTC)Da ich gerade schon mal am schwärmen bin, schwärme ich noch etwas weiter: ich fand es toll, wie sowohl Hewlett als auch Flanigan einen Charakter spielen konnten, der ihrem so ähnlich war, dass man ihn ohne Probleme erkennen konnte - und doch immer auch einen Hauch anders war (John desillusionierter, Rodney selbstsicherer), dass man gleich wußte, das sind nicht "unsere".
no subject
Date: 2009-01-06 09:25 am (UTC)Absolut. Er hat ihn mit einer Selbstverständlichkeit und Selbstsicherheit getragen, die zeigte, dass er sich in dieser Art Kleidung zu Hause fühlt. Was an sich schon eine recht aussagekräftige Sache ist, in Bezug auf seine Position und Lebensart.
>>Und dann die Beleuchtung dazu, das warme, fast organgfarbene Licht
Das war genial. Es hat auch seinem Blick etwas sehr Intensives verliehen, das sogar noch in den Fotos rüberkommt und wirkt.
Was DHs und JFs Fähigkeiten als Darsteller angeht - JA! Und ich glaube, dass man schon eine recht gute Vorstellung vom Charakter der eigenen Figur haben muss, um sie glaubwürdig abwandeln zu können, ohne ihr grundlegenden Charakteristika zu verlieren. Klar, der Text kommt von den Schreiberlingen, somit ist der Rahmen gesteckt, aber all die Dinge, die eine Darstellung glaubwürdig machen, von der Mimik und Gestik bis zur Betonung der Worte, *das* kommt von den Darstellern und da denke ich halt, müssen sie schon recht klare Vorstellungen von ihrer Figur haben, um das glaubwürdig hinzukriegen.
Und Vegas war diesbezüglich eine Glanzleistung! Nicht nur, dass beide hervorragend gespielt haben, so *wie* sie es gespielt haben, wie sie miteinander agiert haben, aufeinander reagiert haben, hat es die jeweils andere Leistung noch zusätzlich unterstrichen, anstatt von ihr abzulenken. Einfach ganz, ganz fantastisch. :-)