#10x13 The Road Not Taken

[stargatelov3r]

The universe in The Road Not Taking is kinda like the mirror universe in star trek isn’t it?

[zavuya]

[stargatecaps]

[stargate365]

[SG-1] 10.13: The Road Not Taken

Sam doing the Science thing is cute!

Oh dear… Poor Cam… Sorry.

“Didn’t you see my sign?” [pointing to the sign, very much not on the door:] “You mean this sign?”

;w; Where is my Daniel. Poor Vala must feel as miserable as I do about this.

That’s so creepy. Sam disappearing… oh fuck, that noise cannot be good.

Did… did Sam just get sucked into nothingness??

Well that doesn’t look good, how’d she get there?

Major?? LORNE?? What the – Who is Bennet?? WHAT THE HELL??

Leader of SG1?? Lorne??

Sam… what did you do?

New rule: Sam is not allowed to play with science unsupervised.

So… Other!Carter isn’t there…

Other!Carter was trying to build a ZPM??

This hurts my head… but what happened to Other!Carter?

Well hell, this other world is seriously screwed over…

Lee looks terrified that he’s going to be fired.

Sam doing the disappearing trick is always fun.

???

Other!Sam was married to McKay?? I can’t even.

He must never know. I love him, but nobody can tell him. Ever.

???

They moved the White House under Cheyenne Mountain??

General Landry?? Wha— President?

Landry is lucky he’s underground. Can you imagine the teenagers being told their iPads are going to run out of charge?

Uhoh… big ships are big. Sam… I don’t want to rush you…

Make it Spin!!

Pfft. The Ori are probs confused af.

…she’s gonna kill Landry.

It’s election year, isn’t it.

What the actual fuck Landry?

*is suspicious* I’m trusting Sam rn. I know nothing here, but if she’s concerned, I am too.

McKay! …is wearing glasses?

Oh thanks Bill, now he’s never going to let her go.

Oh Landry… you shouldn’t have done that. Sam is incredibly clever and has the potential to be very vicious. She fought in wars dammit, she’s not some sweet little ornament you can push around.

Oh dear… Sam… you’ve been talking to an empty TV for… at least a minute.

Sam getting up in the President’s face.

Pfft. And on the other side of the multiverse, Bill is skulking around Sam’s Lab with a sound dish.

“You were in jail.” “Oh not again.”

They… talked to an empty room… for two weeks. :D

I love this squad.

[whateverisbeautiful]

Reveling In Richonne

#168: What If They Didn’t Save Me? (10x13)

As I mentioned in that last post, to me, there are four questions asked in these dark “what if” scenarios. With Andrea the question is “what if I hadn’t saved her?” And then in this next part the question becomes, “What if they (TF) didn’t save me?”

And we get that question posed through a Clear throwback! It is too fitting to get a Clear throwback in Michonne’s final episode cuz this is a fantastic classic episode, and also was truly instrumental in establishing Michonne as a great character, great woman, and a great Grimes.

The Richonne seed had been firmly planted in 3.12 and there was no going back. Amen. 🙌🏽

@michonnegrimes

But in this bleak timeline, Michonne isn’t in that signature car, riding with her future husband and son to get weapons to defeat the Governor. No instead, she’s the one wearing the iconic orange backpack.

 I thought this was a really cool interesting choice to see Michonne imagining if it had been her that was the stranger they ignored on the road.

Again, it goes to show the way in which Michonne feels a sense of responsibility to save people so she feels for and remembers this guy they left. Michonne yells for help and the car gets stopped, just like it did in reality, but it’s Daryl who gets out and hears her screams of desperation and basically tells Rick to keep going.

(And my extra self saw this detail of it being Daryl on the trip and recalled the line in 3.11 when Rick is talking about going on this very trip and Daryl offers to go , but Rick feels Daryl should stay at the prison and keep a eye on Merle. So Daryl really would have been on this gun run had Michonne not been there)

What’s deep about Michonne being in the place of the orange backpack guy is this idea that maybe if backpack guy had been taken in by the group he would’ve been instrumental to them just as Michonne ended up being when she was taken in. But the flip side is he could’ve been a Joycelyn or Dante so you just never know.

@spacecarols

With leaving Andrea, the question of “what if I hadn’t saved her?” is given the answer that Michonne would have ended up on a street pleading for any car passing by to help her. Which goes to show that whatever would’ve happened in between abandoning Andrea and having this orange backpack would not have been great.

Plus , it almost speaks to this notion that “what you give is what you get”. In reality Michonne brought Andrea in. And then TF brought her in. But in this dark timeline she abandons Andrea’s cries for help and then her own cries for help are abandoned.

And then in this “Clear” scene, the question of “what if they didn’t save me?” makes me think about What if Rick and Michonne forever remained strangers and never got to learn they were soul mates? Ugh the whole world would’ve suffered had they just drove past each other that day.

It’s a sad thing to see Michonne be left behind here and speaks to what I think is Michonne’s deepest fear and that’s being alone, especially being alone because she couldn’t save everyone.

She knew what that deafening loneliness was like before finding Andrea and has expressed how difficult and harmful that loneliness was, so this particular part of the sequence was heartbreaking because it would imply that she would have spent even more time feeling abandoned and alone.

But then the next question regarding “saving” becomes “What if I’d been saved by the wrong kind of people?”. And ain’t nobody more “the wrong kind of people” than Negan and the Saviors. 😑

@hughxjackman

Seeing Michinne be approached by Negan and them was wild. It made me think about what Judith said in 10.10 to Gamma when she was locked up. Gamma was explaining to Judith how Alpha messed her up and Judith notes how Gamma might not be bad she just met the wrong people and she says “if you had met my mom and dad you wouldn’t have ended up in that cell”.

It’s a good point about how who you meet in this world greatly impacts “what you become”. And a straggler really would hit the jackpot meeting Rick and Michonne in this world (so long as you don’t try them or their family) because they’re one of the few leaders in this world who care about their people as family and not just subordinates. (Side note: I could listen to Michonne and Rick be referred to as “mom and dad” all day. ☺️)

But since this trip is the Bad Place, Michonne does meet the wrong people and it does affect who she becomes. In this trippy exchange with Negan, Michonne takes a swing on him and Negan knocks her to the ground. Then naturally, Negan has his usual banter and jokes telling Michonne she shouldn’t have swung on him.

And I absolutely love the way Michonne says, “or I probably shouldn’t have missed”. I laugh every time. 😂 Even outnumbered like that, Michonne ain’t scared of no Negans. Y’all see the snarl. Sis ain’t playing.

@hughxjackman

And of course Negan is impressed by Michonne because who wouldn’t be. And so he wants to take her in and make her a top tier savior.

And y’all Michonne as a savior is the craziest thing to witness. I’ve always had the mindset that whichever side has Michonne has the advantage. And truly the Saviors would’ve lasted a lot longer if Michonne was on their team, especially because then Rick wouldn’t have Michonne to stand by his side and encourage him to fight back.

Now, I got to thinking about this whole notion of Michonne joining the Saviours and wondering, hmm if Michonne had actually been found by Negan would she ever have gone along with him and his rules enough to become a committed savior? I mean this is the woman who showed up to Woodbury and knew from the jump that the Governor was playing everyone like a fiddle and was not having it. So would she ever succumb to Negan’s awful ways? My gut says no.

Michonne has always had a great eye for good character in others and I feel she’d see right through Negan’s corruption and be outta the Sanctuary pronto. But what comes into play here is that, anyone can be made desperate enough to call any community home, even when that community is toxic.

And this alternate reality suggests Michonne spent a lot longer being alone and deteriorating so who knows what choices could be made in that state.

So it’s interesting to think how Michonne attests to Rick and Carl bringing her back to life, but what if it had been Negan that “brought her back”. Thank goodness we didn’t have to see that happen in the true reality. Cuz according to what happens next, it would have been a brutal turn of events for not just Michonne, but for many of our beloved TF members. 😬

@hughxjackman

[acecroft]

Stargate SG-1 | 10x13 The Road Not Taken

[egyptiandiver]

I just watched Stargate SG-1 10x13 "The Road Not Taken"

[meredith-rodney-mckay]

i always love those alternative realities. sam married to mckay... ;)

[zavuya]

[stargatecaps]

[zavuya]

[zavuya]

[stargatecaps]

[whateverisbeautiful]

Reveling in Richonne

#175: The “Who Are You?” (10x13)

Of all the things that happened in this last episode, it was this final moment that really hit me and gave me much to assess and appreciate. Honestly I put off analyzing these last moments in Michonne’s episode cuz I’m just not ready for our time with her to be over. But the great news is, based on the way she exited...it ain’t over. 🙌🏽

There’s a high chance we’ll see her again. Thank goodness. So until then, let’s get into part one of the the many meaningful things to discuss about Michonne’s final series moment.

@michonnegrimes​

Now, I’ll admit I got a little disoriented in terms of time frame and location at this point of the episode. Cuz she was on that boat with the people and then she was on this road without them. So I wasn’t sure how long this had been or where she was headed. But what I did love was seeing her pack Rick’s boots into her satchel. This is a woman on a mission, y’all.

And as determined and efficient as we’ve known Michonne to be, you just know nothing will stop her from finding her man. And, considering the way we’ve seen Michonne cherish and garner strength from the items of her loved ones time and time again, I love that she’ll have Rick’s iconic boots with her on her travels.

And then it’s really cool to see another nod to early-day Michonne when she hacks off the mouths and arms of those two walkers and puts them on chains. Which is such a signature visual from Michonne. Baddest to ever do it. Plus walkers-on-chains always seemed to be the most effective “walker protection” method if I do say so myself.

What I appreciated was that, in contrast to Michonne’s first on-screen appearance, this time her face isn’t cloaked. We get to see the woman we’ve come to know and love and how much she has changed and grown since that first day in the woods. She’s not running from closeness like in the beginning. She’s on a determined search to find the man she’s closest too. Symbolically, her face not being cloaked also feels like it speaks to how this is a Michonne with a far more open and unclouded spirit than when she first came along.

@hilariesjeffrey

As she walks, two people in some interesting attire walk towards her asking for help. And y’all I don’t know about you but in the midst of being wrapped up in this emotional final moment I had to pause for a moment and be like...is that King Bach???

That little cameo def threw me for a loop lol.

But my favorite part of this scene is when they ask her for help and she looks over to them and we get a flashback to the iconic TWD moment when Rick and Michonne met at the fence. Y’all it is too great. 🙌🏽

To date, that fence introduction is the most powerful introduction of two TF characters on this show imo. And there is no denying that the day these two met is the day that changed everything.

It changed everything for the story, for TF, and especially for the Grimes Family. Michonne’s arrival into Rick’s life was the best win Rick received cuz it’s her presence and impact that would make all of their lives so much better.

@michonnegrimes

The fence scene was a cosmic and magnetic meeting of soulmates. The way R&M look at each other with both this immense intrigue and almost inexplicable familiarity. It was the day that Rick and Michonne met their match and the rest is history. So, if you can’t tell, I adore that they included this scene in Michonne’s final episode lol. 😋

It felt like the show was acknowledging just how important that day at the prison was for Rick and TF and for Michonne. Everything that had been taken from Michonne prior, would all be replenished because of her decision to bring some formula to a prison. Won’t He Do It!

@michonnegrimes

This s3 fence scene has always felt important for Richonne and for the show. And the way it’s utilized in this specific scene has layers of importance. Cuz of course it’s a great nod to the start of Richonne and Michonne’s game-changing initiation into TF. But it’s also significant because it ties into this episodes theme of “the power of decisions”.

This ep was all about how the little decisions we make can truly change our lives. During the Virgil-induced trip, Michonne was forced to reflect on a life where she could’ve made harmful decisions and lived in hell. But like I said before, what that trip most emphasized is how in real life Michonne made good and honorable decisions and was rewarded with family and the love of her life. Against all odds, she made heaven on earth with the beautiful Grimes Family she led as the matriarch.

So for her to now be in her right mind and get to reflect on not just a good decision she made, but the best decision she made, that day at the prison was so nice. She didn’t have to live in that dark and lonely dimension because of this decision.

And I always love seeing this fence scene or hearing it referenced like Michonne fondly did at the fair in season nine, because Rick and Michonne have no idea just how much they will mean to each other at that prison gate, no idea that they’ll fall in love and that they’ll bring a child into this world. But they soon learn, and all I can say is What. A. Beautiful. Journey. 🤩 Richonne stayed keeping us fed and I’m here for it.

And then we hear Rick ask Michonne, “Who Are You?”. And man do I love this. Of course when he asks it in season three, he wants to know this enchanting stranger’s name but it’s so much deeper. Both in that scene and again in this s10 scene. It just felt like Rick was saying who are you (and where have you been all my life lol) like he knew she was someone special. And Homeboy was correct.

And here in s10 the question is so deep because again a theme of this episode was, as the title suggests, “What We Become”. And what we become has a lot to do with who we are. In the trip, we saw a version of Michonne that became lost and villainous, but that’s not her reality because that isn’t who she is.

Who she is, is loving, wise, gracious, strong, smart, caring, unforgettable. That’s who Michonne is and that’s who we’ve watched her be all these seasons. So this question being posed here serves as a reminder to Michonne of who she really is. Who is she? She’s everything good in this world.

And we also get Carl in this flashback too which is just so emotional because you can’t talk about this Grimes family and Richonne without discussing Carl. It’s so sweet to hear his little voice say “Should we help her?”. And helping her that day ended up helping Carl in more ways than he could’ve ever imagined. It was the beginning of their best friend bond. I love this family y’all. 😭

So many memories were made from the scenes the Grimes family gave us.

And then the other reason that this “who are you” question is also deep is cuz it’s a question Michonne has been confronted with throughout her journey on this series. Aaron conversed with her about this in the season ten premiere. Glenn and Michonne discuss who they are in the great Richonne episode “The Distance” (5.11). And Carl asks Rick and Michonne “who are we” in the season 4 finale. And what a beautiful answer Michonne found to that question through the life she lived. Each time that question came up, Michonne seems to know and trust that who they are is good. And, as always, she’s right.

I really appreciated that, despite the traumatic clips during that trip, the final reflection of the past is a real one and an extremely positive and game changing one. Michonne didn’t find hate like the trippy dimension, she found love cuz she found Rick and her family. It was always meant to be cuz good prevails and Michonne gave good to others, she stayed good even when it seemed impossible, and she made good out of even the lowest of lows. And through her beautiful family she got good in return.

A scene highlighting the beginning of her and the Grimes becoming family is the right note to land on for her journey, cuz it speaks so accurately to everything she represents. And then in her final act she’ll answer that “who are you” question beautifully. 👌🏽😌

@michonnegrimes

[egyptiandiver]

I'm watching Stargate SG-1 10x13 "The Road Not Taken"