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SGA Countdown: The Team Interaction
The new episodes are now so close!! I envy those of you who are able to watch them on TV – us poor Aussies have to wait until Saturday our time, and rely on peoples’ amazing generosity to be able to see the episodes (which means pretty please post any spoilers behind a cut!!). Anyway, here is the final instalment of my SGA countdown posts!
Friday: The fifth reason for my love of SGA – The Team Interaction:
Team interaction is something that Stargate has always done really well. I love the way that the team joke and tease, but they obviously also care a lot about each others’ safety.
In SGA, I think that most of the great team interaction is based around Sheppard, who has really great chemistry with every member, and I actually believe that Sheppard is the "glue" that keeps them together. As I mentioned in detail yesterday, there are many great moments between Rodney and John. Ford and Ronon are (or were) both military, so it was expected that they would both bond well with Sheppard, and John and Teyla connected well from their first acquaintance.
Since they are both ‘aliens’, it makes sense that Teyla and Ronon would bond well. However, I think that a strong connection was less likely between McKay and the others, or between Ford and Teyla. But with Sheppard as the "glue", the team have a really wonderful chemistry.
Even in the first episode, there were great scenes of the team interaction:
Ford: Gateship One ready to go.
Sheppard: Gateship One? A little puddle jumper like this?!
Ford: It’s a ship, it goes through the gate. Gateship One.
Sheppard: Oh no, no, no, that’s all wrong.
Ford: Dr. McKay thought it was cool.
Sheppard: Oh, okay. Well, it’s official. You don’t get to name anything. Ever. Flight, this is... Puddle Jumper. We’re go for launch.
McKay: This is Flight. I thought we were going with Gateship?
Sheppard: Negative, Flight.
McKay: Stand by. (looks at Weir) It’s a ship, it goes through the gate... fine. Puddle Jumper, you are clear for launch.
Ford was just like a big kid – I miss him.
Ford: Anyone else call shotgun?
Sheppard: Just going to drive around the planet, check it out.
Ford: Oh, you're just checking out the planet. Never mind, then, that's cool. I mean, I've got better things to be doing than cruising around the planet in a space ship.
Sheppard: You're like a kid, you know that?
Ford: Yes, sir. I brought along something to eat on the ride.
Sheppard: What's that?
Ford: How about a nice turkey sandwich?
Sheppard: Let's go.
The team in "38 Minutes"
I also love the way they tease each other - I actually believe that the "real-life" side of characters is very important – even though the exploration of other planets is exciting on it’s own, I don’t think that we can really bond to the characters (and therefore care when they’re in peril) unless we see a little bit of them being "human" – doing things like laughing and teasing each other.
That ‘real-life’ interaction is also necessary to make it believable that the characters care about each other. If we only saw their ‘professional’ side, then I don’t think it would seem as realistic for the characters to be incredibly upset when the life of one of them is threatened.
In "38 Minutes", only a few episodes into the first season, there is a chance that Sheppard will die – and the others are obviously upset about it. We remember Sheppard’s "invulnerable" moment with McKay and his 'Ferris Wheels introduction' moment with Teyla and it already makes it believable that he’s not just a military leader to them – he’s a friend.
So anyway, my point is, the team interaction is really great in Atlantis! And it helps that they’re all so darn pretty!
The team ready to go through the gate in "Suspicion"
I also really liked that moment in “The Brotherhood” where they’re explaining to (completely clueless) Rodney that Alina is interested in him:
McKay: “I’m heading to bed.”
Sheppard: “Which bed might that be?”
McKay: “hmm..what?”
Ford: “We think Alina might have a little crush on you doc.”
McKay: “What? She does?”
Teyla: “It is very clear to us all.”
McKay: “It is?”
Sheppard: “Well to everyone but you apparently.”
The team looking defensive in "Childhood’s End" - John's look is so cute!
After Ford left, I really wasn’t sure if the "new guy" would live up to expectations, but by the end of Duet, I was convinced that Ronon would be a good addition to the team.
The new team – with Ronon
"Condemned" had some really great moments – what could be better for team morale than almost dying, followed by some nice bondage!! There was the moment when Ronon tried the food from the pot by their campsite:
McKay: What are you ... oh my God, he's tasting it! You don't know what that is – that could be their laundry!
Ronon: It’s very good!
McKay: Oh yes, good idea! And when you're finished with their porridge, why don't we try their beds, hmm?
Ronon: Want some?
McKay: How good is it?
Sheppard: Leave it be, Goldilocks.
The team in “Condemned” -
Another moment from "Condemned" – I love Ronon’s pose here!
I also adore the times when McKay and Sheppard try to explain "Earth things" to Teyla and Ronon. There was the discussion about capital punishment in "Condemned":
Sheppard: There *is*, however, the minor moral hiccup of their form of capital punishment.
Weir: I'm sorry?
McKay: They have an island. It's their own version of Alcatraz where they send their worst criminals.
Sheppard: And the Gate is on the island, so ...
WeirR: ... so the Wraith feed on the prisoners.
Sheppard: Yep.
Weir: Talk about cruel and unusual punishment.
McKay: I prefer lethal injection, although I do have a fondness for the electric chair. Call me romantic.
(John smiles.)
Ronon: The Wraith get what they want, the Olesians get left alone. Surprised it works. Sheppard: He *did*, however, say that only the most violent criminals get sent there, and that it has been this way for hundreds of years.
Teyla: Do you kill all *your* violent criminals on Earth?
McKay: Certain countries, yes.
Sheppard: Do we need to get into this right now?
And then I was laughing out loud at the bit in "The Long Goodbye" when they were trying to explain television:
Ronon: So people just sit and watch this box for hours at a time?
Sheppard: Yeah, people do.
Teyla: Is it *that* engaging?
Sheppard: Depends what's on it. There are lots of programmes on dozens of channels, every day, all day.
McKay: Most of which are fictional representations of ridiculously attractive people in absurd situations.
Sheppard: There are educational programmes, all sorts of documentaries. Not many people watch `em but, uh, well, they're on.
Ronon: And that's what everybody on your planet does for entertainment? Watch a box?
McKay: *Not* everyone – although I will confess to the occasional half hour of "Jeopardy".
Ronon: Jeopardy?
McKay: It's the name of the show – "Jeopardy".
Ronon: Sounds dangerous.
Sheppard: Double jeopardy – that's twice as dangerous.
Its so hard to choose my favourite "team" moment, but I think that it would have to be the one about the MALP on a stick – McKay is just so snarktastic!
MALP on a stick!!
McKAY: I would just like to be able to explain these readings better before we step through. [He clicks his fingers] Get me a branch. [To John] You got tape? … Because [He reaches into his jacket] I got a camera! [Ronon hands him a branch] I didn't ask for a log! [He glares to Ronon. Teyla gives him a better sized branch] Thank you! OK, so ... tape it to the stick ... we extend the camera through, record for a few minutes, pull it back, play the recorder.
SHEPPARD: Yeah! MALP on a stick!
[McKay gives him a ‘look’]
McKay: Yes, MALP on a stick! *Very* clever. Are we done?
Then there are a few great moments between McKay, Ronon and Teyla – I loved the bit in “The Tower” where they share a meal with the villagers, and Ronon and McKay look incredibly uncomfortable at having to hold hands during the prayer!
And I really liked the part in “Conversion” when Ronon, Teyla and McKay were sitting around outside Sheppard’s bed in the infirmary, and they thought there was no way to save Shep. They just looked so sad…
Anyway, those are just a few of my favourite team interaction moments. I’m sure that I’ve forgotten many great moments, so let me know your favourite team moment!
By the way, for those of you who voted in the poll, the top reasons for people’s love of SGA were Rodney McKay and The Humour. Both had 40 responses, with 76.9% of people choosing these reasons. The complete list is below:
1. Rodney McKay (40 votes) (76.9%)
2. The Humour (40 votes) (76.9%)
3. The John and Rodney Show (37 votes) (71.2%)
4. Team Interaction (33 votes) (63.5%)
5. John Sheppard (28 votes) (53.8%)
6. The Accessories (26 votes) (50%)
7. The “Human-ness” of the characters (22 votes) (42.3%)
8. Carson Beckett (15 votes) (28.8%)
9. The Exploration (14 votes) (26.9%)
10. Ronon Dex (12 votes) (23.1%)
(I just did a “time conversion” to work out what time it’ll be here when it starts – Atlantis starts at 11:30am Saturday Adelaide time, so hopefully I'll have it in less than 24 hours!! *big squeee* )
And whilst I have your attention, check out the new SPOILER-IFIC promo shots at scifi.com!! :D
And even better, the new wallpapers from scifi.com!! Oh my god Joe and David look good! David in the black top is enough to make me happy forever! The Link
Friday: The fifth reason for my love of SGA – The Team Interaction:
Team interaction is something that Stargate has always done really well. I love the way that the team joke and tease, but they obviously also care a lot about each others’ safety.
In SGA, I think that most of the great team interaction is based around Sheppard, who has really great chemistry with every member, and I actually believe that Sheppard is the "glue" that keeps them together. As I mentioned in detail yesterday, there are many great moments between Rodney and John. Ford and Ronon are (or were) both military, so it was expected that they would both bond well with Sheppard, and John and Teyla connected well from their first acquaintance.
Since they are both ‘aliens’, it makes sense that Teyla and Ronon would bond well. However, I think that a strong connection was less likely between McKay and the others, or between Ford and Teyla. But with Sheppard as the "glue", the team have a really wonderful chemistry.
Even in the first episode, there were great scenes of the team interaction:
Ford: Gateship One ready to go.
Sheppard: Gateship One? A little puddle jumper like this?!
Ford: It’s a ship, it goes through the gate. Gateship One.
Sheppard: Oh no, no, no, that’s all wrong.
Ford: Dr. McKay thought it was cool.
Sheppard: Oh, okay. Well, it’s official. You don’t get to name anything. Ever. Flight, this is... Puddle Jumper. We’re go for launch.
McKay: This is Flight. I thought we were going with Gateship?
Sheppard: Negative, Flight.
McKay: Stand by. (looks at Weir) It’s a ship, it goes through the gate... fine. Puddle Jumper, you are clear for launch.
Ford was just like a big kid – I miss him.
Ford: Anyone else call shotgun?
Sheppard: Just going to drive around the planet, check it out.
Ford: Oh, you're just checking out the planet. Never mind, then, that's cool. I mean, I've got better things to be doing than cruising around the planet in a space ship.
Sheppard: You're like a kid, you know that?
Ford: Yes, sir. I brought along something to eat on the ride.
Sheppard: What's that?
Ford: How about a nice turkey sandwich?
Sheppard: Let's go.
The team in "38 Minutes"
I also love the way they tease each other - I actually believe that the "real-life" side of characters is very important – even though the exploration of other planets is exciting on it’s own, I don’t think that we can really bond to the characters (and therefore care when they’re in peril) unless we see a little bit of them being "human" – doing things like laughing and teasing each other.
That ‘real-life’ interaction is also necessary to make it believable that the characters care about each other. If we only saw their ‘professional’ side, then I don’t think it would seem as realistic for the characters to be incredibly upset when the life of one of them is threatened.
In "38 Minutes", only a few episodes into the first season, there is a chance that Sheppard will die – and the others are obviously upset about it. We remember Sheppard’s "invulnerable" moment with McKay and his 'Ferris Wheels introduction' moment with Teyla and it already makes it believable that he’s not just a military leader to them – he’s a friend.
So anyway, my point is, the team interaction is really great in Atlantis! And it helps that they’re all so darn pretty!
The team ready to go through the gate in "Suspicion"
I also really liked that moment in “The Brotherhood” where they’re explaining to (completely clueless) Rodney that Alina is interested in him:
McKay: “I’m heading to bed.”
Sheppard: “Which bed might that be?”
McKay: “hmm..what?”
Ford: “We think Alina might have a little crush on you doc.”
McKay: “What? She does?”
Teyla: “It is very clear to us all.”
McKay: “It is?”
Sheppard: “Well to everyone but you apparently.”
The team looking defensive in "Childhood’s End" - John's look is so cute!
After Ford left, I really wasn’t sure if the "new guy" would live up to expectations, but by the end of Duet, I was convinced that Ronon would be a good addition to the team.
The new team – with Ronon
"Condemned" had some really great moments – what could be better for team morale than almost dying, followed by some nice bondage!! There was the moment when Ronon tried the food from the pot by their campsite:
McKay: What are you ... oh my God, he's tasting it! You don't know what that is – that could be their laundry!
Ronon: It’s very good!
McKay: Oh yes, good idea! And when you're finished with their porridge, why don't we try their beds, hmm?
Ronon: Want some?
McKay: How good is it?
Sheppard: Leave it be, Goldilocks.
The team in “Condemned” -
Another moment from "Condemned" – I love Ronon’s pose here!
I also adore the times when McKay and Sheppard try to explain "Earth things" to Teyla and Ronon. There was the discussion about capital punishment in "Condemned":
Sheppard: There *is*, however, the minor moral hiccup of their form of capital punishment.
Weir: I'm sorry?
McKay: They have an island. It's their own version of Alcatraz where they send their worst criminals.
Sheppard: And the Gate is on the island, so ...
WeirR: ... so the Wraith feed on the prisoners.
Sheppard: Yep.
Weir: Talk about cruel and unusual punishment.
McKay: I prefer lethal injection, although I do have a fondness for the electric chair. Call me romantic.
(John smiles.)
Ronon: The Wraith get what they want, the Olesians get left alone. Surprised it works. Sheppard: He *did*, however, say that only the most violent criminals get sent there, and that it has been this way for hundreds of years.
Teyla: Do you kill all *your* violent criminals on Earth?
McKay: Certain countries, yes.
Sheppard: Do we need to get into this right now?
And then I was laughing out loud at the bit in "The Long Goodbye" when they were trying to explain television:
Ronon: So people just sit and watch this box for hours at a time?
Sheppard: Yeah, people do.
Teyla: Is it *that* engaging?
Sheppard: Depends what's on it. There are lots of programmes on dozens of channels, every day, all day.
McKay: Most of which are fictional representations of ridiculously attractive people in absurd situations.
Sheppard: There are educational programmes, all sorts of documentaries. Not many people watch `em but, uh, well, they're on.
Ronon: And that's what everybody on your planet does for entertainment? Watch a box?
McKay: *Not* everyone – although I will confess to the occasional half hour of "Jeopardy".
Ronon: Jeopardy?
McKay: It's the name of the show – "Jeopardy".
Ronon: Sounds dangerous.
Sheppard: Double jeopardy – that's twice as dangerous.
Its so hard to choose my favourite "team" moment, but I think that it would have to be the one about the MALP on a stick – McKay is just so snarktastic!
MALP on a stick!!
McKAY: I would just like to be able to explain these readings better before we step through. [He clicks his fingers] Get me a branch. [To John] You got tape? … Because [He reaches into his jacket] I got a camera! [Ronon hands him a branch] I didn't ask for a log! [He glares to Ronon. Teyla gives him a better sized branch] Thank you! OK, so ... tape it to the stick ... we extend the camera through, record for a few minutes, pull it back, play the recorder.
SHEPPARD: Yeah! MALP on a stick!
[McKay gives him a ‘look’]
McKay: Yes, MALP on a stick! *Very* clever. Are we done?
Then there are a few great moments between McKay, Ronon and Teyla – I loved the bit in “The Tower” where they share a meal with the villagers, and Ronon and McKay look incredibly uncomfortable at having to hold hands during the prayer!
And I really liked the part in “Conversion” when Ronon, Teyla and McKay were sitting around outside Sheppard’s bed in the infirmary, and they thought there was no way to save Shep. They just looked so sad…
Anyway, those are just a few of my favourite team interaction moments. I’m sure that I’ve forgotten many great moments, so let me know your favourite team moment!
By the way, for those of you who voted in the poll, the top reasons for people’s love of SGA were Rodney McKay and The Humour. Both had 40 responses, with 76.9% of people choosing these reasons. The complete list is below:
1. Rodney McKay (40 votes) (76.9%)
2. The Humour (40 votes) (76.9%)
3. The John and Rodney Show (37 votes) (71.2%)
4. Team Interaction (33 votes) (63.5%)
5. John Sheppard (28 votes) (53.8%)
6. The Accessories (26 votes) (50%)
7. The “Human-ness” of the characters (22 votes) (42.3%)
8. Carson Beckett (15 votes) (28.8%)
9. The Exploration (14 votes) (26.9%)
10. Ronon Dex (12 votes) (23.1%)
(I just did a “time conversion” to work out what time it’ll be here when it starts – Atlantis starts at 11:30am Saturday Adelaide time, so hopefully I'll have it in less than 24 hours!! *big squeee* )
And whilst I have your attention, check out the new SPOILER-IFIC promo shots at scifi.com!! :D
And even better, the new wallpapers from scifi.com!! Oh my god Joe and David look good! David in the black top is enough to make me happy forever! The Link
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I agree, I think it's hilarious when John or Rodney try to explain an Earth-thing to the Pegasus natives. It's just so fun to poke fun at ourselves that way!
I friended you the other day, so I wanted to make sure that I at least poked my nose in and said hey. Hey.
Thanks for taking the time to post these!
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I noticed that you friended me, and I added you back - it's always great to have more SGA fans on my list! :)
*nods* The parts where characters try to explain "Earth-things" are definitely some of the funniest! :)
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On another note, all of your talk of "bones" has me very interested - but I've never watched the show. Do you know if there's a community that would have the first ep??
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I'm glad Rodney gets so much love.
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Rodney needs lots of love - so much so that I had a whole post dedicated to my love of Rodney McKay! (and I could have written a lot more than I did!)
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(New SGA now!! YAY!!) :D
Yippy it's Stargate night!!! :O)
Re: Yippy it's Stargate night!!! :O)
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Thanks for all your cool posts this week.
And did you know
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And Stargate do that very well. SG1 too - Daniel, Jack, Te'alc and Sam were always like a family in my mind.
Glad you enjoyed the posts! :D
And thanks for the reminder about
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And it seems like all the teams have kind of bonded. At least, it looks like that with Lorne, they seem to have a bond going too. It's pretty cool that they're all willing to trust their lives with each other.
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They really do seem to genuinely like each other, which I just love! And I agree that Lorne seems to have that bond going too. I hope to see lots of Lorne in season 3. :D
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My favorite moment from Epiphany (and one of my favorites from the show) was right after the bit you quoted:
McKAY: Just, um, back out if you encounter anything problematic.
(John stops and looks back at him.)
SHEPPARD: Problematic?
McKAY: Yeah, like poisonous atmosphere, acid atmosphere, *no* atmosphere. Hey, (he points to the camera) it's a MALP on a stick; only shows you so much.
(excerpt courtesy of twiztv.com (www.twiztv.com))
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*grins* Yep, I love that moments too! The whole "MALP on a stick" thing was hilarious.
*huggles by entire show* :D