We Seek the Grrrrrail!

[thedeadlyhook]

Update on SG-1, As We Watch: Quoth Toys, "If I'm ever in charge of a long-running sci-fi franchise, I'm never going to embark on a multi-episode saga that invites unflattering comparisons to Monty Python."

Commericals: Obviously, Flyboys should really have been shot in 3-D. The trailer alone has about five things flying into your face. And Eureka is doing the robo-house story?!? Man, out of ideas already.

I still don't know who the mystery caller was from the other day.

Comments

[toysdream.livejournal.com]

...and then, after arriving at the Gorge of Eternal Peril, our heroes are confronted by a godawful fake-ass CG dragon straight out of the Sci-Fi Originals stock image library. Unfortunately the last line of the episode is Claudia Black gamely announcing that it "looks pretty real to me," and I really don't think a mid-season finale is supposed to leave the viewer doubled over in fits of helpless laughter.

Atlantis, though, is a real cliffhanger. And I don't just mean the invasion of the Duplicators, but the real loose end that's going to have me on the edge of my seat all winter long: Who the hell is going to feed Beckett's turtles?!

[asta77.livejournal.com]

Having seen 'Spamalot' on stage I can say their sets looked more realistic.

That was one disappointing mid-season finale. I predicted every single supposed plot twist. With the exception of Claudia and Cliff Simon, everyone was rather lackluster in the performance department. Sadly, the show is making it easier each week to accept it's cancellation.

Maybe Landry can send Wallace to feed the turtles? ;)

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

Them was some pretty bad sets. I mean really, what's with all these medieval planets anyway? There's nothing Aurthurian about just showing up in a town, and the local shepherd and local barmaid and everyong you meet can tell you all about the Grail, and those who have come to seek it. That's a video game, dammit. They're ripping off Final Fantasy or something. Argh! (bangs head)

Damn, that episode was baaaad. And why, why, why the underuse of Teal'c? I just don't get it.

Poor Wallace! Busted down to turtle-feeder. Hee.

[asta77.livejournal.com]

I nearly started laughing when that townsperson announces they were the second group in a week to come in search of the Grail or whatever they were calling the red glowy thing. It was like 'Oh, great, more tourists.' :p

I think we should start a Save Chris Judge campaign. I've seen day players on BSG get better material than he's been getting.

[toysdream.livejournal.com]

It was like 'Oh, great, more tourists.'

Next thing you know, they'll be opening a Holy Grail concession stand selling funny little trinkets and pewter replicas of that amazing CG dragon. "I sought the Grail and all I got was this lousy doublet."

[wickedgillie.livejournal.com]

I sought the Grail and all I got was this lousy doublet."

You made me snarf my coffee, damnit!

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

"Duplicators" as in Duplicate Replicators, right? I vote for that to be the official name now.

Poor turtles. And how funky was it the Weir immediately went off the deep end and into crazy hermit mode? Maybe that's what the insane asylum ep was supposed to be telling us. Foreshadowing, man, foreshadowing.

[toysdream.livejournal.com]

"Duplicators" as in Duplicate Replicators, right? I vote for that to be the official name now.

I'm hoping that if I keep using it, it'll eventually catch on. :-)

And yeah, I'm starting to think that Weir has an inherent tendency to wig out and become a crazy recluse. It's sort of like that running joke about how Cameron Mitchell keeps losing his pants, if one substitutes "sanity" for "pants."

I'm going with Asta's theory about the turtle feeding. Otherwise that one's going to have me fretting all winter.

[wickedgillie.livejournal.com]

I think we need Toys over here to do his MPFC impressions during SG-1 since it would be so much more interesting. Honestly, how bloody long did that maze scene go on? I wanted to spork out my eyeballs. Although a good thing I didn't since we finally got to the good stuff: Baal :)

(man, I need to find a good Baal icon!)

I love me some SG-1. I really do. But even Vala and Baal can't really save it for me now. I am finally starting to be ok with it wrapping up.

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

I guess it's not every show that gets to its tenth season before it hits a really major slump, but still... sigh. And I just can't figure out why the team dynamics have been wonky - it's not like they're even particularly pandering to Farscape fans by putting Browder and Black together. It's like the all-Vala-and-Daniel show.

I almost liked the maze thing because the frozen people were a neat visual, but yeah, tooo looong.

I think we need Toys over here to do his MPFC impressions during SG-1

Hee. Someday maybe he'll do parties. And make those balloon animals. : )

[wickedgillie.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if I ever shared my theory on the team dynamic with you and why it's not working now. RDA was the glue. Everyone had a defined relationship to him and their characters worked based on that dynamic. Teal'c and O'Neil = brothers in arms. Daniel and Jack = snarky friends and two different styles of problem solving. Carter and Sir = UST and the smart versus stoopid jokes. Hammond and Jack = father figure and disrespectful, disobedient, but much loved son who can get away with murder.

This is why things still worked (for the most part) with Jonas(since his peg was shoved into Daniel's er, hole), but not so much now despite a huge amount of talent. The show was written (and the characters drawn) through the lens that was Jack O'Neil. Despite a decade together, none of the other original cast have as well defined dynamics with each other. And without that glue? It all falls apart.

[thedeadlyhook.livejournal.com]

I think you're absolutely right. It amazes me, when I see those earlier episodes, how powerful a figure Jack is, and Richard Dean Anderson underplays him so much that it feels subtle, but it's really not. He's the one holding it all together. And I think Hammond being missing is a big loss too.

In the new team, there virtually are no relationships yet - there's been some nice Teal'c-Cam, and Daniel-Cam, and Daniel-Vala, but that's about it - and I don't know if the writers even realize they're writing around empty space. If they knew it, we'd be getting some good drama about how fractured the team is, but... sigh...

I miss Hammond. The only episode to make me even faintly appreciate Landry is that one where he feels like the thing to do during a major crisis is take the whole team on an offsite to his cabin. That was kinda funny.