SG-1/SGA - first thoughts
Just a few of the things I was thinking about watching these episodes, so I don't forget them after I collapse into a well-earned coma sleep.
In the S2 DVD extra that's floating around the interweb, David Hewlett talks about the difference between playing McKay as a regular on SGA versus playing him as a guest star on SG-1. The difference was really clear, watching tonight's episode -- as SG-1 McKay, he's there to be a foil for Sam, rather than a lead, and as a result, some of the jokes felt a little cringe-worthy, or lame (I did like the "was I naked?" conversation, though). Still, I have to admit "Don't shoot me, you know I can't help myself" is quite possibly in my top 5 McKay lines ever -- arrogant and self-deprecating all at once, and perfectly delivered.
As to the storyline, I forget who theorized that SGA wasn't actually sci-fi, but actually a more of a fantasy story, but I was thinking of that theory tonight, because SG-1 really *is* a sci-fi show, for good or for ill. I do like the shades of grey they're giving the Ancients with the non-interference policy, and I like Vala, full stop.
Watching SGA, I was thinking of cesperanza's recent post about Flanigan as a light-comic actor stuck with a leading man's face, because the whole episode felt like proof of that theory. I loved his scenes with Richard Kind, I loved the whole conversation without words that he had with McKay at the end of the Catwoman discussion (*insert flailing love for Catwoman discussion in its entirety >here<*). I loved how kvetchy he was at the start of the ep and how gleefully he gave everyone grief about what had happened and the end of it. The episode was a lark, a goof, and everyone else got to step out of their character's comfort zone a bit (OMG happy baby-faced Ronon *dies*) -- Flanigan was just Sheppard, but he got a lot of things to do with that.
In the S2 DVD extra that's floating around the interweb, David Hewlett talks about the difference between playing McKay as a regular on SGA versus playing him as a guest star on SG-1. The difference was really clear, watching tonight's episode -- as SG-1 McKay, he's there to be a foil for Sam, rather than a lead, and as a result, some of the jokes felt a little cringe-worthy, or lame (I did like the "was I naked?" conversation, though). Still, I have to admit "Don't shoot me, you know I can't help myself" is quite possibly in my top 5 McKay lines ever -- arrogant and self-deprecating all at once, and perfectly delivered.
As to the storyline, I forget who theorized that SGA wasn't actually sci-fi, but actually a more of a fantasy story, but I was thinking of that theory tonight, because SG-1 really *is* a sci-fi show, for good or for ill. I do like the shades of grey they're giving the Ancients with the non-interference policy, and I like Vala, full stop.
Watching SGA, I was thinking of cesperanza's recent post about Flanigan as a light-comic actor stuck with a leading man's face, because the whole episode felt like proof of that theory. I loved his scenes with Richard Kind, I loved the whole conversation without words that he had with McKay at the end of the Catwoman discussion (*insert flailing love for Catwoman discussion in its entirety >here<*). I loved how kvetchy he was at the start of the ep and how gleefully he gave everyone grief about what had happened and the end of it. The episode was a lark, a goof, and everyone else got to step out of their character's comfort zone a bit (OMG happy baby-faced Ronon *dies*) -- Flanigan was just Sheppard, but he got a lot of things to do with that.