My Love For Aurora (SGA S2.E09), Let Me Show You It

[thegrrrl2002]

I caught "Aurora" on Scifi this morning during their SGA mini-marathon. Oh, the love! It's one of my favorite episodes, full of teamy goodness, snarky Rodney, dorktastic John, adorable John/Rodney bickering, sly Teyla and a goofily implausible plot. Oh, and ridiculous costumes. And an exasperated Caldwell. It has everything I want in an SGA ep.



John's face lighting up at the thought of an ancient warship. Or, a dinner date with Rodney. I'm not sure which.


Elizabeth: How long before it gets here?
Rodney: Well, given that it's at the edge of the Pegasus galaxy, let me see ... carry the four ...


Forty-two million years. Should we go wait on the porch?


And then Elizabeth convinces Caldwell to take her flagship team on the mission. (Otherwise known as "Team Dork"). I just get the feeling they're having a heck of a lot of fun filming this ep.

Another reason to love this ep:




John is unconscionably pretty in it.


Maybe Rodney is bringing out that special glow?


I think so. Because if any look says "I can't believe I let you do that to me in bed last night", this one does.


And then there's the bickering over who is going to go into the VR environment...




John brings out the Determined Face.


Then Teyla helps out: Between the two of you, if something were to go wrong, which would be the greater loss?
Rodney: Well, I've never thought of it that way but ... (he looks at John) she's right. You should go.


Oh, John.

And then:

Rodney:Now, I should be able to monitor your EEG patterns, so in the highly unlikely event that something anomalous should present itself, I should be able to, uh, disconnect you manually.
John: Good.
Rodney: ... without permanent brain damage.
John: Rodney?
Rodney: Well, the opportunity to speak to a living Ancient is worth the risk, hmm? Now, when I close the lid, the pod system should activate. Ready?
John: I was!
Rodney: Good!

They could do this for an entire episode and I'd be a happy happy fangirl.


Did I mention John being unconscionably pretty?


And dorky?


And pretty?

But, oh John,

Trying to work the Sheppard charm on second-in-command-secret-wraith girl maybe was not your best move.


Secret Wraith Chick: You seem sincere.
John: Yes, I am. Uh, very sincere. I would be very, very grateful.

Um, grateful enough to do what? Really John, we want to know.


And then, John's in trouble! Because...he's John! When is he not being stunned unconscious?


And Rodney goes in to save him. Why? Because: "You see, the thing is, Colonel Sheppard and I have sort of gotten into this habit of saving each other's lives, and it's my turn."


Obligatory Stunned John pic.


Rodney: I came to help you.
John: I feel better already!


Meanwhile, Teyla and Ronon stall for time, explaining how Rodney had to check the biometrics receiver and reconfirm the frequencies of the neural feedback loop.
Because Team Dork sticks together!


So. Cute.


With the bickering:
Rodney: The communiqué's been erased.
John: Why would the Wraith do that?
Rodney: Well, it says right here: “I, the Wraith, delete this important information to keep you from seeing it”!




John: There are Wraith ships on the way?!
Rodney: I'm-I'm sure I mentioned that.
John: No, you didn't.
Rodney: Well, it ... it-it-it threw me when she was so hot!











And, at the end, a rather touching moment as they honor the crew of the Aurora.

Aside from the John/Rodney goodness, I really did love everything about this ep, the storyline, the pacing, the humor and how it made me genuinely feel for the captain of the ship when he found out what was actually going on. Season Two probably isn't my favorite season overall, but this ep still makes me downright gleeful.

More selected caps (about 130 of them) can be downloaded here, if anyone else is feeling gleeful!

Comments

[amberlynne.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeeee! BOYS!

[chrissie-m.livejournal.com]

I so wish we had more eps like this one in Season 5. And (totally shallow now) that we had more eps set in a virtual reality instead of in dark dank Wraith ships; the blue lighting is so much more flattering for both the guys.

I miss Team Dork.

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

I know! So pretty! Like your icon!

::smooches Rodney::

[reginagiraffe]

They never did anything with that plot, did they? The fact that the wraith ships have a secret weakness. Important...? Naaaahhh, let's just fuck around with their genetics again instead, 'cause that worked so well the last time.

[feather-autant.livejournal.com]

I'm watching too, and I canNOT think of a better way to spend a cold, rainy Friday. :D

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

I HATE those wraith ships! I can't get a decent screencap out of any of those eps. The bright blue lighting really was very flattering, too. Rodney positively glows.

There's such lovely chemistry when all members of Team Dork are on-screen together, like here or in the beginning of "Epiphany". I've missed that in S5, too.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Yeah, as you outlined, it was one of the best eps of them all.

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it would have been interesting to have that go somewhere. The gene therapy stuff got tedious. TPTB really needed to move on from that.

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

I know, it warms the soul, doesn't it? *g*

[beeej.livejournal.com]

SO PRETTY! You do the bestest caps, ever!

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

Definitely a high point for them! Why couldn't all eps be like this?

[winter-elf.livejournal.com]

I had to go to work! *pouts* I caught 'Grace Under Pressure' when I was setting the VCR for tonight and had to FORCE myself to turn the TV off and go to work. *sigh*

Thank you for the lovely, lovely, lovely pic spam of glee - and downloadable caps (snatches!)

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! They're so pretty, it's easy to make good caps! (Especially when they're not on a dark, dim wraith ship).

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome! Aw, pretty pretty Rodney in Grace Under Pressure! I didn't catch that one, but I just might have to watch the DVDs now.

[unadrift.livejournal.com]

They could do this for an entire episode and I'd be a happy happy fangirl.
Yes! God, yes!! This episode is still one of my absolute favorites. I love the story, the images, the bickering. This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IVYSuHRcco) much. Aurora has some of the very best John/Rodney moments of the show, and it also officially establishes the "We take turns in saving each others' lives" routine, which is very important in my book. You captured all the great parts of the episode so well here.
*laughs, then sighs*
This. I'd have wanted more of this in season five.

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

Eee! Icon love! *g*

This. I'd have wanted more of this in season five.

Yes, yes! Exactly. Saving each other's lives--it's always the show's finest moments when that happens. And there's such wonderful chemistry between all of them, even with Caldwell. It's like the best of everything SGA has to offer.

[dogeared.livejournal.com]

OH AURORA. My internet is all ice-storm slow and so the pictures aren't even loading and yet I KNOW that the boys are fabulous and dorky and blue-lit and taking turns saving each other's lives while Teyla comes up with crafty fibs that impress Ronon and poor Caldwell is long-suffering, because that's just how awesome Aurora is. :D

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

YES!

It's exactly like that. All in pretty blue lighting.

(BTW, at first I read your comment as "my internet is all ice-cream slow" and was very intrigued...

[unadrift.livejournal.com]

Eee! Icon love! *g*
Well, you too! *g*

And there's such wonderful chemistry between all of them, even with Caldwell. It's like the best of everything SGA has to offer.
Exactly. It rarely happens that I like all characters and their interactions in an episode, that everyone who appears has got something to contribute to the plot, and that it makes sense. It just fits all so well here.

Thank you for this great reminder! \o/

[lysambre.livejournal.com]

The pretties in this episode is fantastic.

And the team in this episode is fantastic.

And the plot in this episode is fantastic.

:D Thanks for reminding me why it's also one of my favorite episode :D !!!

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

Oh oh, I missed that link, thank you for bringing it to my attention. That was a lovely vid, very touching, made me feel for the captain even more! Aw! Really beautifully done.

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

Yes to everything what you said! *g*

[unadrift.livejournal.com]

Thank you! (There's nothing quite like shamelessly pimping yourself, is there? *grins sheepishly*)

[aurora]

*NOSTALGIC*

I heart that ep so much, and your caps-review is awesome. <3<3

[reedfem.livejournal.com]

John was having a very good hair day, wasn't he?