Standard Rant: The writers wouldn't know a 101 science text if it came up and introduced itself. Even my physics-challenged brain was wibbling about conservation of mass when a pinch of meatloaf turned into a roiling mass of bugs busting out of the containment unit. But..these are ori bugs so maybe this is the fantasy part where the tech is sufficiently advanced to seem magic. When these bugs, hunting the people by echolocation, twice ignoring the tasty Teal'c and Cam sandwich wandering the forest, I got the feeling the writers thought the bugs' echolocation was like the T Rex's vision in Jurassic Park: if Cam and Teal'c just stayed reeeeally still, they'd be ok. They don't even know what echolocation is. *sigh* I wasn't really certain why the concussive force of the weapons would repel the bugs but the vibrations of the transmitter would attract them...but I can squint and go, "uh, okay," because it wouldn't do to rescue the team until they're surrounded.

Now that my bitching is out of the way -- TEAM! LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF TEAM! Holy Hannah - what beautiful team. *skips around in delight and glee*

They worked together to solve the problem. An OFFWORLD problem. An offworld problem that somehow involved the Stargate. How terribly cool is that? They even have team film night. It's canon now. Thank you, writers. That's been fanon forever and it's nice to see the team as friends who share a special bond that only people who have saved your ass from flying goa'uld parasites, carnivorous echolocating bugs, and certain death on a ha'tak can have. There was a distinct lack of "SG-Me" -- more of a "SG-We" -- and that's not only more believable but it's just...right.

Speaking of interpersonal relationships, Cam is nursing a huge man-crush on Master Teal'c of Chulak. Why isn't there more slash for these two?!? Had this been Jack questioning Daniel about where he lived and insisting on "moving him offbase," and offering to help him out, just how many fics would I be reading about Jack being anxious to get Daniel away from the prying lenses of the SGC security cameras? Cam is so doing that mother hen routine. I think Teal'c is toying with him. It started with the smirk at the beginning of the season in response to Cam's, "bullets bounce!" and they're like two big cocks, fluffing feathers, and circling each other. It's hysterical to me -- and very, very hot. Of course, I thought the Ripple Effect Teal'c was having fun beating up on our Cam because his Cam was putting the moves on Daniel. I seem to have developed slash-vision.

One last complaint -- the Chinese rep's tripping on her high heeled shoes. Can I just say, "GAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!" No, I'm afraid I can't just say it and go on. I really do have to rant.

Remember in 2001 when Joe Faxon went offworld in inappropriate footwear? Remember how everyone noticed? Remember how it was a JOKE? Insert long-winded and ill-tempered rant here about a woman doing the exact same thing but nobody seems to think it's worth noticing that a woman would consider going offworld in heels. The Chinese abandoned footbinding and I wish writers for visual media (tv, movies) would stop doing it, too.

Because I hate to end a positive episode with a bitch, I will add a happy note: I was pleasantly surprised that the French dude lived. He had all the makings of a classic, "victim." Hiking at a walking pace for a couple of hours was enough to wind him and declare he couldn't go on? When being hunted by carnivorous bugs and on a hike to send a signal so that the SGC didn't poison them all? It's not like they were jogging through the forest, they were practically strolling. This, of course, was on top of being a one-dimensional complaining idiot who was obviously written to antagonize. So yeah, I figured we were supposed to cheer when he fell behind and was overcome by bugs. I said during an ad, "I'll respect them more if the twit doesn't die." He survived and I give them props for avoiding the obvious.

~~**~~

jalabert has pointed out to me that the SGA storyline of the Genii is a very interesting one - our heroes make enemies of those who should have been our allies -- but this storyline has never caught my fancy. I'm not certain why, it has the deeper plot I like and it has Colm Meany, whom I adore, but I just zone out during Genii episodes. I dislike so many of the characters that I hope the Genii do kill a bunch of them, but I know that isn't a possibility. I've tried several times but I invariably drift off to another world while waiting for the episode to end. *shrug* From what I did see, it looked as if the characters weren't as irretrievably stupid as they were last week. Sadly, Caldwell didn't take over operations after the alien possession crapisode.

~~**~~

I'm still pondering the BSG episode. So much here to chew on.

I didn't enjoy the Starbuck/Apollo storyline this time around. Apollo is becoming a mush of emotional unheaval and what I'm getting from him is that he's got a stunted emotional life. He seems too immature to be at the level he's filling. Maybe that's intentional but the shitty-captain-of-the-week was so poorly drawn, so obviously wrong, that Apollo's inability to see it troubles me. I was hoping that his relationship with Dee would help put his own emotional house in order and go back to being friendly with Kara. Apparently, not. Don't know where, exactly, his anger over her having shot him came from -- it wasn't purposeful and it was part of a botched rescue attempt. Maybe it was his guilt over not using his gun when he had a chance or maybe it just gave another reason to tear apart an "OTP" but it feels manufactured to me and it's one of the things I hate about upping UST. I prefer it more subtle.

To be honest, I expect that level of poorly written, stereotypical character of the Pegasus's captain in Stargate but I kept waiting to be surprised in BSG. I thought, "ok, it's going to turn out that there really is a distressed group and the ship's timely arrival will save the day." It would be cool to explore the difference between an inspired leader making a "wtf?" move that seems prescient in hindsight and a prejudiced asshole only seeming to be a leader because he's lucky. If, indeed, there is any difference. His last minute heroics, dying to save the ship after he got them in trouble had me yawning. I guess if you're an actor, that's a good walk-on role because heaven knows how many times you've played exactly that character.

I'm not certain that Admiral Adama elevating his own son to captain of The Beast was such a brilliant move. Lee's got some real emotional handicaps that affect his ability to lead and I don't see how simmering tension between the crews is going to be effectively addressed by the nepotism. I think Cain had a better idea in intermixing the crews, even though she had ulterior motives. Two promotions in one episode? Lee is climbing awful fast. While I understand that's more likely in war I see at as far more likely to result in backlash.

Can we please go back to Cylon stories now? I prefer watching people unite in the face of the Cylon onslaught to bickering amongst ourselves and doing the Cylons' work for them.

Speaking of which, the Baltar/Six/Roslin storyline was exactly the stuff I love. Very interesting fallout from her increasing religiosity. She's taking an increasingly "big picture" look at humanity without much care for the individuals that will live within it. An interesting return to the concept of what makes us worthy of saving -- and what roles violence, death, and respect for others play within it.

It's not such a large step from declaring abortion illegal because humanity needs babies to survive to "The Farm" where Cylons have imprisoned women and impregnated them. Women as forced incubators to serve someone else's agenda. *shudder* The danger inherent in declaring humanity's right to person's body is the loss of rights to one's own body. Chilling. I wonder what they'll do if/when Kara turns out to have been impregnated at the Cylon farm? What takes precedence? Her rights or humanity's? And if humanity's, which of its needs wins? Its need for protection from Cylon raiders? Its need for babies? Its need for those hybrid stem cells that can miraculously cure cancer? Do we start impregnating Cylon females to harvest those cells? I hope they go down some of these murky alleys because I'd love to see these issues played out.

The fact that my favorite character made the edict and that my favorite villain opposed it (after steering her towards it)** leaves me in an interesting quandry. Where is Roslin going with her thinking? I like that she was swayed less by the demands of her intolerant supporters than by the noble thought of wanting to save humanity, but I think she lost her way here. I really want to know Six's agenda. After almost 2 years, I'm still not 100% clear -- and I like that. She's multi-layered and I'm enjoying the slow discovery of her character. It's obvious she wants Gaius back in power but what is she hoping to get from his position? I love that the human!Cylons are just as murky as real people.

The idea that humanity's two main contenders for leader are each driven by a religious mania of different stripes but both of which threaten the continuation of a free people is stark. There's an analogy here to our own situation in the real world that my brain is trying to devise but isn't coming up with. The willingness to sign away our rights, to yield to fanatical demands of people using a crisis to impose their own ways of life on everyone, is all too familiar.

**ETA: I realized on re-watching again last night that it was Admiral Adama rather than Baltar who steered Roslin.