Really enjoyed how you used the paragraph format to examine what took place in the episode, Adrift. This my first time reading one of your articles.

This paragraph is the most interesting.

“And here we come to more exposition. How do you make exposition interesting? By having a character step in for the audience as the role of the asker…This time they cleverly disguise it outright with John first warning Rodney that he needs to stop making decisions without first consulting him (this scene having the dual purpose of reminding us that, since Elizabeth is out of commission, John’s in charge).”

In my opinion, and Dr. E. Weir has made this point several times to several military leaders that this is a civilian expedition. If this is a civilian expedition, Rodney, as the Chief of Science, is the next in charge, since in one episode, he had to do all of the scientist evaluations, even the soft science people. I do not believe Elizabeth even has support staff. Weir is the laision between the military and the scientists needs. She makes sure its a good working relationship, since she is representing all the stakeholders, the nations of the world, and their committment of scientists and military personnel for this international civilian expedition.

I believe when its a military matter John is in charge, remember the nanovirus episode, John went against quarantine procedure to get to Rodney and prevent the other scientist from entering the main Tower area. In this episode, John got his hands slapped figuratively for not following orders.

I believe the writer was lazy. If the camera followed Rodney around it would have allowed the reader to know and understand what is happening. A meeting with the scientists sub-heads would have been more interesting. A picture is worth a thousand words. Instead of making John in your words, a whiny brat who feels left out, when it clearly a scientific/engineering matter.

Just a minor point, Radek, speciality is Mechanical Engineering, whose speciality is back engineering new technology. Remember he oversees the care and maintenance of the puddlejumpers. Rodney has a degree in Theoretical and Engineering, thus far, he often proposes theoretical bandaid solutions that surprises him when they work.

Just a wish from someone who actually suffers from math anxiety. I would like to see an episode, show the magic of math and how Rodney perceives the Universe using it.

My comments about “smacking” are an exaggeration. or rather, I think of it along the lines of when Sheppard smacks McKay in the back of the head — not meant to be nasty, just expressing annoyance.

*nods* okay I see that now. I think I had a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to it because like I said I’ve dealt with far to many others who say it and really do hate the characters. I just need to remember not to take it literally – because I DO like what you have to say so I’d hate to let this (admittedly small) issue stop me from reading your reviews. (Speaking of which, would you mind if I liked to your post from my blog (which no one knows about at the moment really)?

As for my saying John was whining, yes, you have a point. It’s just that John’s vocal quality literally sounded like a whine to me! LOL I guess it’s just Flanigan’s drawl.

You know what? I’m going to have to put this one down to me being hard of hearing and not actually HEARING him correctly! *snicker* My mother actually complained about a noise she can hear in some episodes that I don’t (something about the way their feet sound when they go up and down the steps in Atlantis – to her it sounds like wood but those steps shouldn’t be wood). So yeah okay I can see where there are things that I’m just not hearing, but really are there and are apparently influencing how people are reacting to things!

And you’re right about Rodney having no real way of knowing what will go wrong in the future. And yeah as much as John hated the idea of Rodney having done it, he doesn’t know anything about what will go wrong either. And I’m thinking about it and yeah maybe John should have apologized too because like someone said over on the Dgeek site – it’s best when both parties own up to their part in the argument – and no John didn’t have to yell quite so much. Again I had a bit of a knee-jerk reaction in defense of John (I’ve got to knock that off because clearly you like John too!)

But if I were a person *there*, in the situation with them, rather than an audience person listening to the story? I would have only been annoyed.

Fair point – but like I said I’m too aware that it’s a tv show and he’s a function of the plot. *shrug* This has of course gotten me into trouble before – people will complain about something that is clearly (to me at least) a function of it being a tv show and I’m going – “it’s a tv show people, they can’t always make it perfect, let it go already…” – which no one want’s to hear…

Plus I thought McKay’s anology about the pipes was a very clever one, not “too dumbed down” at all — I love a good analogy! ^^ Or maybe I’m just as dumb as John felt the anology was aiming for.

That by itself was fine but he kept going with it didn’t he? He started out talking about the pipes and that was fine but then he took it a step farther and said something else to dumb it down more which John reacted to… or at least I thought he did. Of course this is another spot where everyone is going to have different interpretations of it I think.

Okay enough from me I think. :O) Anyway again very awesome article and I do like what you had to say! I’ll defintly be looking for your comments about “Lifeline”

And I do think Rodney’s choice will turn out to have been a bad idea, at least somewhat — I just think that with the evidence presented to him, he had no reason to *think* such was the case. I don’t think he’s yet encountered whatever could cause the situation to go wrong.

And yeah, I know what you mean about it being John’s function — that was why I said at the begnning that when I complain about something, it doesn’t mean I actually don’t *like* it. It was a very good storytelling device! But if I were a person *there*, in the situation with them, rather than an audience person listening to the story? I would have only been annoyed. Plus I thought McKay’s anology about the pipes was a very clever one, not “too dumbed down” at all — I love a good analogy! ^^ Or maybe I’m just as dumb as John felt the anology was aiming for.

Anyway I really do love your analysis of everyhing. There are a lot of good things here that I agree with (just getting a little hung up on the Sheppard stuff).

After re-reading through the stuff about why Rodney was right to try the nanities I have a better understanding of that pov at least. I think I’m just seeing more of what’s going to end up happening and what COULD happen to really be able to say that it was a the right thing to do. I mean yeah on a NORMAL day it probably would have worked without any reprocussions but the thing is with the way the show is, there’s no way it isn’t going to end up biting them in the ass at some point.

I don’t know maybe I just watch shows the wrong way? I honestly don’t know. I just have this tendency to always be thinking that it’s a tv show so of course things are going to happen so that the plot moves forward or that the story can continue. If they hadn’t turned on the nanites and Wier had died than probably the next episode wouldn’t work. I’m betting they need her to help with the hist on the Replicator homeworld somehow.

Or like how you were talking about how Rodney’s explaitions of what was going on had to happen and you said John sounded like he was whining about not being included and shouldn’t have gotten upset about the info being dumbed down. I CAN’T get upset with John BECAUSE he’s being used as a function of the plot. It’s not really the character’s fault, it’s the way the writing was done so that the information could be given.

Okay you’ve made some good points here that make a lot of sense about John and his reactions. Okay fine they were over the top in places any maybe not the best. However, to me John’s actions and words are not so horrible they worrent him being smacked for it, when when their up against Rodney’s personality.

The part in the begining where he wanted to know what was going on I totally understood and didn’t think he was “whining” – he NEEDED to know what was happening so if something did come up he could help. For example once they knew they had to go try to fix the conduits he sent some of his guys with Rodney’s guys.

He got upset with Rodney for dumbing it down because he started dumbing it down TO far.

He got pissed with Rodney for turing on the nanites becuse it WAS the wrong thing to do and he was right in that Elizabeth wouldn’t have wanted it. Rodney does NOT know 100% that they can’t communicate with the nanites. He thinks they can’t bue he doesn’t know it for sure.

Honestly I have to say that that people are getting far to upset with John and it just seems like their doing it because John isn’t being super nice to their favorite character, while totally ignoring Rodney’s participation in the events that cause John to react as he did. Rodney isn’t the innocent victem here.

Also I’ve never liked it when people talk about wanting to smack characters – even when they claim that the character really is their favorite. It just seems to be an overreaction. Not only that but I’ve seen far to many people who actually DO hate the characters to believe it right away when they claim they don’t.

Hell maybe I’m the one overreacting but that’s just how I see it. Either that or I’m taking the “smack” thing to litterally and it’s more of an exaggerated way of saying you’re annoyed with the character?