#Iratus bugs

[gatesnladders]

So here's a fun thing.

Did you know that Iratus bugs aren't insects? Also not bugs, except in colloquial use, because bugs are insects with piercing, sucking mouthparts. And while they have the mouthparts, they are not insects, so also not bugs.

See, insects specifically have six legs and antennae, as well as a body divided into three segments. Iratus bugs have the body, but no antennas and only two pairs of legs. Which makes them arthropods, but not insects.

Given their particular feeding habits and bite, I'd say they're probably a specialized chelicerate. As a sub- order of arthropods, chelicerates are signified by the moving mouthparts, the chelicerae, and tend to use enzymes for feeding, to turn their prey into slurry.

Given the Wraith enzyme being a feeding aid, it makes sense. At least somewhat.

This would make the Iratus bugs, and by association also the Wraith, closer related to spiders and horseshoe crabs than to insects.

Or, you know, the designers just messed up and didn't realise that their design wasn't an insect. Also entirely possible, given that the Iratus bugs do appear to have elytra, which are not present in chelicerates.

[autistic-crypt1d]

Just thought of the best defence against iratus bugs

CHAINMAIL

You can't tell ms John wouldn't consider this after "the incident"

(and honestly could help with the wraith too cuz they can't just feed through your clothes or rip them away like usual, it'd buy you a little more time at least)

[sga-mcshep-4ever]

"Major, we're cut off from the jumper!" "Negative. I see one at your 3:00, I drew the other two this way." "They're all around us. Where'd they come from?" "Lieutenant, you know how they can make you see things that aren't there. The path in front of you is clear. Now move!"

[lightthewaybackhome]

Conversion (S2: E8)

In which Sheppard's absolute loathing of the Iratus Bug is fully confirmed in every way.

In which Sheppard recognizes he's a danger and relies on his team. Trust building after trust erosion.

Each time I see it, the kiss with Teyla gets more uncomfortable because it's so out of character for Sheppard. (Some soul ripping there.)

I love Lorne: Sheppard would do this for any of us, so we're doing it for him.

I love that Sheppard doesn't freak out with superpowers, but when he starts losing his self-control. That's when he puts himself in lockdown. Then he doubles his detail. He is acutely aware of the fact that he's the biggest danger to his people because he's turning into a monster, a powerful monster.

(On some level, it's like he never quite loses this image of himself.)

My favorite, though, is McKay, Ronon, and Teyla sitting together when they think he's dying and asking permission to stay when he starts to heal.

[hooded-and-cloaked]

If John "I never see this coming" Sheppard is not asexual, why'd they make it look like the Iratus bug DNA in Conversion made caused him to feel sexual attraction for the first time ever?

"That was... interesting..." Is not the way I personally would have responded to kissing Teyla, but you go Bug!Shep.

[dr-futbol-blog]

The Defiant One, Pt. 1

I've thought about where I would have placed 38 Minutes (S01E04) that seemed to fit ill so early in the season, and I think it would have made the most sense between the mid-season two-parter and The Defiant One (S01E12), discussed here.

The Genii siege visibly changes something between Sheppard and McKay, and we get to resolve that a little too fast in this episode that follows directly after. 38 Minutes has that strange almost-confession to Weir,* which would have made more sense here as Weir and Sheppard seem to grow closer at the end of The Eye (S01E11) although, I argue, it is precisely because Sheppard needed to create distance between himself and McKay that they did. He was using Weir to create distance, in effect hiding behind her, because Kolya figured out after like a minute of talking to Sheppard that McKay was the best way of getting to him. Sheppard was reminded of the fact that being important to him put McKay in mortal danger.

In 38 Minutes, we also have Sheppard's own near death experience and everyone working so very hard to save him, McKay worrying so much about him, the way that they look at each other, that something unspoken lingering between them, McKay's agitation over what ever Sheppard wanted to tell Weir; all of that would have made sense between these two episodes. The Iratus bug could have symbolized Sheppard's internal anguish: the way he's in agony at first and then the pain gets so bad that he gets numb and loses all feeling. It all would have made so much sense.

But regardless, we start the episode with a driving flying lesson (which, incidentally, also would have made the most sense following the events where both Sheppard and the other designated pilot were incapacitated at the same time). McKay received the ATA gene therapy and Sheppard is teaching him how to fly the puddle jumper. Where the previous episode ended with Sheppard very clearly wanting to create distance between them, here they are all cozy with each other again. Or s it seems.

Clearly, this is important. As mentioned previously, they need more pilots since there are few people with the ATA gene (two that we know have the real gene, a few others through gene therapy), and only a fraction of them know how to fly. It's important not only for the mission and taking the pressure off the commander having to do transport flights, it's also important for the team to have another person capable of doing it. And apparently neither Teyla nor Ford are able to do it (toward the end of the episode, they have a random soldier having to fly them over) which makes McKay not only the best choice but also the only one.

So whether he wanted to or not, what ever he was feeling inside, teaching Rodney how to fly the jumper was something that needed to be done. And here we are.

What Sheppard says is very interesting.

Granted, we don't know anything about his background at this point, often the way people talk to others reveals a lot about how they've been talked to in the past. It indicates that when ever he did something wrong as a child, he was corrected by snapping at him. My guy, you're in space. What could possibly happen if he lets go of the controls? You're going to veer off and crash into some more space?

It's also notable that he uses 'parents' instead of 'dad' or 'father' (both being that he is a guy and as dads are much more likely to be the one teaching kids how to drive; also, he himself was clearly taught by a driving instructor but teaching your kids how to drive is actually pretty common, it's a loving thing to do, and parents are supposed to be teaching their kids even in the case that they have an instructor, as kids learn by watching their parents whether they want it or not). So, you know. He has a mysterious past and a sad childhood, looks like.

Granted, McKay also seems to have had a pretty crappy childhood and, what's worse, seems to think it was all completely normal. We hear him reveal all manner of child abuse casually, here and there. It seems that they both were lonely and sad but for different reasons. McKay's immediate gut response "Snapping doesn't help!" is likewise telling, indicates that there was a lot of pressure put on him from a very young age.

Sheppard's use of the word 'parent' also creates distance between him and one or both of his parents. This man has been court-martialed, he has clearly been traumatized by something. He does not think he has anyone waiting for him back on earth. We know at this point that several people he served with have died, and that he blames himself for every one of these deaths. And he's not good at dealing with emotions, especially difficult ones. He says as much in Sateda (S03E04):

Sheppard: Look, Teyla. I'm not really good at, uh... Actually, I'm... I'm terrible at expressing... I don't know what you'd call it, uh... Teyla: Feelings? Sheppard: Yeah, sure,

He is terrible at expressing feelings. He especially has trouble verbalizing them.

When he is feeling difficult emotions, he uses self-soothing techniques (see the lip thing). One of these self-soothing techniques is creating distance between himself and the object of his emotion. So, instead of father he says parent (mom+dad) because he essentially uses the less significant, less painful thing (mom) to conceal the more significant, more painful thing (dad). Using the less significant object to create distance to the more difficult object forms like a barrier between him and an emotion he does not want to or can't face or deal with just then. Just like, in the previous episode, he used "Weir and McKay" instead of McKay. He was using the less significant, less important thing to mask the more significant, more important thing. It lessens the impact of the emotion attached to it. We see him do this a lot especially in connection to Rodney ("Even Rodney"). Again and again and again.

You can see him do the self-soothing lip thing before engaging McKay (like he's not sure he should say anything, like he wants to not have to say anything; he just can't help himself when it comes to this man):

Here, he is creating distance between himself and one or even both of his parents (and let's face it, it's probably the dad) but he's also, at the same time, creating distance between himself and McKay both by using the passive voice and lumping McKay into the category of kids. See previous episode as to why he desperately needs this distance between them.

But what he is actually saying here is that he is emotionally too close to McKay to be able to be an effective instructor to him. That's what he is saying. He's emotionally compromised. Now, whether you think his feelings are fatherly (he does not look at McKay the way a father looks at a son), friendly (he does not look at McKay the way a friend looks at a friend), collegial (he does not look at McKay the way he looks at Ford and Teyla), or whether you believe he thinks of himself as McKay's second uncle third removed, this is what he's saying in the scene. That he's too close to McKay to be able to teach him. He feels that he is too close to McKay.

It's possible that the whole reason as to why he's teaching McKay how to navigate the jumper is that it would allow him not to have to accompany him on these kinds of missions, harmless and scientific. If McKay knows how to fly a jumper, they would be able to spend less time together. Spending less time together would mean less emotion, would mean less pain, less of a chance for him to get McKay hurt or killed. This is foolish to think, of course, since absence has a tendency of making the heart grow fonder, as the saying goes. But we saw him start creating this distance between them at the end of The Eye (S1E10) and this is on par, is a logical continuation of that.

Humour, as it turns out, is another way of creating distance and coping with difficult emotions.

We are again reminded of the fact that McKay does not know not to keep it straight. Sheppard can do it in the air but not on land.

So, the thing is. As much as Sheppard wants to create distance between them, Mckay wants the opposite. He wants to connect with the Major. He's not making it easy for Sheppard. In this, he is defying him.

McKay tells Sheppard that he's touched by his sentiment. Keeps glancing at him. He refers to the puddle jumper, for all intents and purposes Sheppard's puddle jumper, as baby. He wants to see what this baby can do. Baby is a term of affection used most often by men to indicate that they see something or someone as soft and beautiful and needing to be taken care of in a gentle way. There is definitely something flirty in McKay using this term for Sheppard's puddle jumper.

But then Sheppard picks this up from McKay and also calls the jumper baby (yes, he's amused by the way McKay said it and ribbing on him, but picking up vocabulary from the object of your affection is yet another classic sign of attraction). They are taking care of the baby together. Parents, kids, babies. Freud probably would have a lot to say about the things they say and their subconscious desires.

Freud might also have something to say about Sheppard's fear that McKay is going to "snap the damn things off" if he doesn't ease up his grip on the control stick. But he doesn't want McKay to take his hands off them, either. He's instructing McKay on exactly how it likes to be held.

(We are also reminded of subconscious desires by the control display popping up, seeing how the puddle jumpers respond to Sheppard's mind; his desires.)

They are accompanied on the mission by two red shirts, random scientists we have never seen before but who we are to believe have worked with McKay previously and know him pretty well.

So, maybe it's because of the intense, borderline erotic look of concentration on McKay's face or his tone of voice, or what ever, Sheppard seems to start gravitating toward McKay. Even in front of two people he barely knows that work for the other man. Here, he turns back to look at Dr. Gaul, clearly amused by how different this scientist is from his scientist, but what he's doing at the same time is lean closer to Rodney:

He looks... turned on, frankly. And he sure as hell is not turned on by Dr. Gaul, sweating though he may be. The reason that he turned back to look at the nauseous scientist behind him might actually have been just to look away from the sex faces McKay is making while he's concentrating real hard.

Then he leans in even closer, to whisper conspiratorially to McKay. And McKay, well. He leans in, as well.

Sheppard: Why'd you choose this guy for the mission? McKay: Brendan's the one who discovered the Lagrange Point satellite was out here. Elizabeth felt he should see it for himself. Sheppard: Don't let go of the controls!

Sheppard snaps in a sudden jolt of panic. And it may not be McKay letting go of the controls that made him do it. It's that he mentioned Elizabeth, reminding him of why he needed to not be that close to Rodney. Just like McKay used Elizabeth's name (yelping "Elizabeth!" in near panic) when Sheppard was getting too close to him in his lab in The Storm (S01E09). They both seem to be using Weir as a... weir between them.

And again, as he will many, many times in the future, Sheppard needs to be touching something, needs to have his hands pressed against something, when he's near McKay:

Then they arrive at their destination and switch seats. They move seamlessly together, Sheppard needs only to mention his name and McKay does exactly what he wants, and is only too happy to oblige. We've seen this happen in movies between a man and a woman. It has never not been erotic (underlined by McKay's line "This thing is enormous!"):

Here, it's McKay that keeps glancing back and back at Sheppard as they're approaching the humongous ancient weapons platform. A weapons platform that should be a pretty interesting thing to look at, all things considered. But his eyes keep on being drawn back to Sheppard who, it should be noted, is wearing only a t-shirt.

Sheppard is trying not to look at McKay, catches himself several times before he does. He's not allowing himself to do it. That's until they come upon the wraith distress call from the planet below.

They look at each other. They communicate in words but they also communicate with their eyes. Suddenly, they are one mind again.

Continued in Pt. 2 (NB this episode focuses entirely on Sheppard and McKay so this is in 10 parts)

.* Actually Weir's whole "I didn't think so!" schtick would have made sense if it was about her knowing that Sheppard had been using her to create distance between himself and Rodney. Like she was telling him that she knows the half-hearted flirty smiles at the end of The Eye weren't really about her (same with the nurse right then) but were an attempt to build a defensive barrier between himself and the thought of losing someone important to him again. Because she knows.

Also, we would just have had a similar confession from Rodney where he was trying real hard to tell something to Weir and she wouldn't let him finish. Those almost confessions would mirror each other.

McKay: If this doesn't work... Weir: It will. McKay: I'm just saying, if it doesn't work... Weir: It will. McKay: I'm sure it will, but in the unlikely event that it doesn't, I... Weir: Rodney! Please.

---

Sheppard: Listen, uh, I'd like to say something while I still can. Weir: Don't! You're gonna get through this. Sheppard: If I was ... he wouldn't have let me go. Weir: Who wouldn't have let you go? Sheppard: The Wraith.

Sheppard: What I wanted to say was ... Weir: Save your strength, John, and tell me in person. Sheppard: This is important. Weir: I'm listening.

[mushroom-through-the-stargate]

thanks to my platonic wife @sga-owns-my-soul for telling me that I'm right and I should say it louder.

seriously like 80% of the problems in multiple galaxies are the Ancients' fault. they put humans on the iratus bug planet and made the wraith. they put humans on the goa'uld planet and made the goa'uld. they fucked up raising the replicators and made them vengeful and aggressive. they didn't take care of the handful of zealots now we're dealing with the ori. I didn't get through sgu but they probably caused problems in that galaxy. fuck the Ancients the only good things they did was the stargate system and building Atlantis

and we took over those. those are ours now. and we're using those tools better than the Ancients ever did.

[go-to-autistic-crypt1d]

I'm re-watching SGA again and omfg the first episode when weir and daniel are talking, "Atlantis" "I think we can go there" CHILLS

(Gonna be updating this like live tweeting because I can and I will)

-(@autistic-crypt1d)

Updates:

- Ok so straight up did not remember there was no intro for the first few episodes. Also, John and Teyla's first interactions are sooooo awkward, I always forget that. DAMN the plot is so good right off the bat though. The city rising from the ocean??? BEAUTIFUL, MORE CHILLS, GORGEOUS.

- the color scheme and lighting for the wraith ships is soooooo different in the beginning WOW. The blue and grey, complete lack of other colors aside from a slight yellowish light. So drastically different from the heavy yellow and green fleshyness it becomes later on.

- FORD, AHH 💛

- I've always wondered if the red haired wraith was intentionally not following the black or white hair scheme or if that was a pilot thing where they hadn't thought that far yet. (If anyone knows please lmk)

- DAMN the wraith are so fucking cool. I'm 1000% going to make a whole seperate post ranting about them, but I just have to say they introduce them SO WELL. They're intimidating, mysterious, powerful, and not to mention SO UNIQUE. GAAAAAH!!

- "We are merely the caretakers for the ones who sleep" CHILLS. FUCKING CHILLS DUDE. All the lifsigns appearing and the pods lighting up??? BRUH

- Ok Teyla and John's first head bonk, ADORABLE. I love that they do that and that's their thing ya know? Like it's her people's thing but the only expedition member she does it with is John as far as I can remember.

- Episode 3, THE INTRO ARRIVES AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL

- gotta say, the personal forefield thing is a lil inconsistent, like the coffee can't touch his body in the slightest but he can grip the cup? Could be that they're expecting the viewer to assume the forcefield is creating a gap between his hand and the cup and just left out the sound and green flash, but idk

- Jinto (Ginto? I'm not sure how it's spelled) is such a fun character, I wish he was featured with the other ethosians after the move from Atlantis :/

- I love how Sheppard, Teyla, and Rodney all start to really become a team already in ep 3 with the shadow creature. All 3 not knowing eachother really at all, but after everything on the wraith ship and now with this creature threatening everyone on atlantis, they come together and we see their strengths as individuals and their ability to work together using them. Plus getting to see Rodney really step up and be selfless really gives you a new view on him after his appearances on SG-1.

- idk if it was intentional, but Ford being in the infirmary and not with the other 3 could be some serious foreshadowing for later. I mean him not being there while the majority if the team forms really does not set him up for success being the fourth. Don't get me wrong, I adore Ford, I just also think that Ronan fits the team better and provides a better dynamic.

- I kinda love how there's no discussion shown about Teyla joining the team, she's just on the next mission with them. After the 3rd episode it just makes sense ya know?

- iratus (aratus?) bug, then eventually John literally gets infected and starts turning into a wraith cuz of the retro virus? Bro cannot catch a break

- gotta say, the audio balancing in this show is not my favorite, I always have to crank it up by like 10 when it's all talking and then am immediately auditorally flashbanged when the action starts 😂

- I know it's all serious and shit but Rodney and Ford getting tossed around the back of the jumper is fucking hilarious, especially knowing that they themselves are throwing themselves around

- UGH KAVANAGH

- "don't talk to me about screwed!" Teyla's face at Rodney, PRICELESS. Like, do you not see the man paralyzed with the bug on his neck sapping his life force? Stfu

- omfg I never noticed before but when they're running up the dirt hill from the wraith in John's flashback of the bug attachment, Teyla grabs his arm to get up the hill because the sand is constantly crumbling 😂

- Weir putting Kavanagh in his place, PEAK.

- "you're telling me he can't go through the gate while that thing is on him?" "Then we must do something NOW" THE DRAMA, I LOVE IT, THE MUSIC AS BECKETT EXPLAINS THE PLAN, UGH, SO GOOD

- man even though everyone was fine you can see on Halling's face how the fact that Weird didn't allow the ceremony to happen affected him. Like, would it have sucked for the rest of the people on the ship to be told to prepare to die? Yes, but Teyla might have felt comforted by it, we don't get to find out. Really foreshadows all the conflict that occure between the cultures because of their differences later on and how the expedition's culture is always the one that gets its way. The Athosian's really get the short end of the stick in their relationship with the expedition members for like, the entire show :/

- OOF and it only gets worse with Ep 5 when they think there's a spy and only after basically accusing every Athosian of maybe colluding with the wraith (literally the biggest insult you could ever say to an Athosian or really anyone in the pegasus galaxy), do they find out about the necklace. Not to mention the tension when Bates accused Teyla and all that goes down I mean, YIKES.

- ANYWAY

- I will never get over the fact that they fucking TAZED a wraith dude 😂

- ok so they've captured their first wraith, but I always wondered why they never bothered to try and capture another iratus bug. I mean, they already theorized in its first appearance that they're some sort of prehistoric ancestor to the wraith and they're easier to contain and handle than a whole ass wraith so why no let study it? I think they do later when the whole inoculation thing happens but I guess idk why they wouldn't take the opportunity to study something like that off the bat. Even just to study the regenerative abilities.

- bro episode 6 makes me so sad every time, the ancients really just decided to tell them to off themselves in order to get to their version of heaven instead of something asking the lines of maybe, idk, don't have too many kids or something?? Don't stray outside the field?? Anything else??? I'm sure the ancients had some sort of birth control, maybe share that tech??

- is it just me or does Keras 1000% have a crush on Sheppard? (Who could blame him tbh) I mean, the smile he gives him at the end???

- brooooo not the Hoffan drug event 😭 it's so sad dude, the desperate attempt to save themselves only for it to kill a huge chunk of their people and lead to them fleeing their planet as the wraith attempt to wipe them out.

- ya know, they keep that wraith in the brig for a while and there's no bathroom in there, do wraith even need to use the bathroom since they only feed on life force? If they eat regular food does that mean they have to use the bathroom?

- ok ep 8, underground, absolutely one of the most infuriating episodes imo. The Genii are great antagonists, but god damn are they infuriating about ittttt. Tyrus getting himself killed in the wraith ship and Teyla getting blamed for it??? Don't even get me started on Kolya and Sora dude.

- ya know, I find it interesting how they differentiate scientists and military personnel in the field initially. It changes at some point but right now the scientists are in the tan color while military are in the dark navy. They obviously have the color coding back at atlantis with the color blocking, but the field stuff changes and I think that's interesting.

- the cocooning thing the wraith do to save victims for a later feeding is such a horrific and unique thing to add to them as a species and enemy. Like, that's so cool in such an awful way, they really nailed making the wraith scary dude.

- man it's so weird to see this version of the wraith ships, they're so much more techy than fleshy

- ok so ep 9 "Home", always confused me for one reason, Simon and Elizabeth. They mention him like once after his first appearance I think with absolutely zero follow up. He's such a weird like Checkovs gun fuck up (I think I'm using that right, he's like the opposite of "if you mention a gun it should eventually go off"). His relationship with Weir is never flushed out further and it's all so weird.

- something I really like about the episode is how right off the bat there's hints that something is wrong after they believed they dialed earth. Like, when Weir comes through the gate into the SGC she's alone, but in the briefing room suddenly McKay is with her. Of course things only get more confusing from there once we see Sheppard there etc etc.

- can we all agree they did Teyla so damn dirty with her hair rn

- ep 10 THE STORM OMFG. I am SO excited for this episode dude let's goooooooo

- THE DRAMAAAA, god the scene is set so perfectly, the coming storm, the danger, the empty city, GAH such a good setting for what's to come

- the fucking bacon convo between the two guards PFFFFT, I love it so much dude

- Rodney slickly leaning on the intercom to alert Sheppard is just so good. I love those two SO MUCH dude. Those two can do fuckin anythinggggg.

- Sheppard yelling at Kolya over the walkie in the wind with the waves crashing, god he's such a badass and everyone fucking KNOWS ITTTT

- I FORGOT IT WAS A 2 PARTER. I'm even more excited about The Eye, shit is about to get REAL.

- Rodney standing between Kolya with the gun and Elizabeth, I love that man dude.

- "Oh would you look at this?! That is just never gonna be useful again!" - Rodney McKay, being dramatic as per usual and I love it

- John sheppard literally in the rafters waiting for the Genni FOOLS who thought they could take him. Bro really saw those life signs disappear and whimpered "report...". He knew true feat that day.

- McKay's sign "REALLY REALLY DANGEROUS, DO NOT TOUCH.". Sheppard 👀... imma touch it

- the way weir grabs Kolya as he presses Rodney against the railing, heavily contemplating throwing him over. She couldn't possibly stop him, but the way she tries and runs to grab him after he's released, so wholesome dude.

- "are you telling me to shut up again?" "Again."

- "turn. around." "You turn around" "what?" "Well if I have to turn around, you should turn around." Sassiest mf alive.

- Bro the final grounding station being sperated and everyone all at once realizing there is only one place to go, the control room. Everyone in the same place, the culmination of the entire ordeal. Have I mentioned how fucking AWESOME the sound track is for this show??? Because DAMN.

- ok Sora pisses me off, but the hallway scene with her and Teyla where she comes at her. Dude the emotion and reckless abandon she has confronting her, it's so good. Plus Tesla's entire lack of fear, she knows she can take this girl down in a heartbeat and she will if she has to, but she doesn't and god that's so badass.

- "you said this would work!" "I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE NOTICED BUT I'M AN EXTREMELY AREOGANT MAN WHO BELIEVES ALL HIS PLANS WILL WORK"

- "I'm not aiming at her" fucking shoots the dude dead on, SUCH A BADASS DUDE.

- the lightning through the halls, the apocalyptic size wave heading for the city, AHHHH (wave is a lil janky looking but still dope)

- "nice work Rodney" "did you ever doubt me?" "Yes, several times"

- man the ancient weapons platform satellite was introduced a lot sooner than I thought! Now I'm sad because I remember that part.

- this episode (12) is both awesome and like, depressing af. Seeing Sheppard go one on one with this wraith who's been trapped on a planet alone thinking only of eating and escaping is so intense. Not to mention the wraith that's just eaten the two scientists he was supposed to protect. I also absolutely love Ridney wanting to go out and help Sheppard despite his background as a scientist and general phobia of... everything combat related. Also can I just say that this episode is HELLA FORESHADOWING (intentional or not) for S5 E19 - Vegas??

- oh hey, it's the bugs from that one SG-1 episode with Cadet Hayley.

- bro Sheppard realizing there could still be a Wraith on board

- the fact that this Wraith was also one who was actively part of the war with the ancients and his last interaction was that of combat, bro is out for bloooood

- watching Sheppard shake tf outta the bandage trying to unravel it only to still slap it on on top of the strap at first. How are we supposed to believe this mf actually tied that onto himself XD (jk John is amazing he can do anything obviously)

- almost blows himself up 2 seconds later

- there's gonna be a post where I talk about the wraith extensively but I have to say that I just love how multidimensional they are. Like the ones without masks aren't just soldiers or mindless drones for their queen, they're smart. Like this wraith is just boping away in the controls of the lantian ship, activating the forecfield, figuring out how to use a human gun. It's horrifying in such a cool way! A monster that gives even adults nightmares that is smart dude, that's so dope.

- I don't think people talk about Rodney witnessing Dr. Gall's death in this episode. I mean that's gotta have fucked him up dude. You can see it in his face afterwards. Then he has to go from that to confronting a wraith that's trying to kill Sheppard and he does. No hesitation he goes out there and opens fire dude.

- ooooo episode 13, the death by fear shit

- I love seeing Rodney in a leadership position. Is he an ass? Yes, but he is genuinely a fantastic leader. I don't think he should run Atlantis or anything, but he's fantastic in a second in command type deal and I love seeing it.

- dude Peterson is THE WORST dude. He's 10000% the mf in a zombie movie who hides a bite. Like I get you're scared but you're endangering literally everyone else.

- seeing the city quarenteen on its own once Peterson gets out of the damaged sensor area is so cool. I know it's all coding and stuff but man do they have a fantastic way of making the city feel alive.

- I don't understand how the red hazmat suits Sheppard and Teyla put on do anything. They're not sealed, like the hood is just kinda slapped on there. Carson's teams suits look sealed but theirs? Idk I wouldn't trust that

- ugh I really do not.like episode 14 y'all. There is literally zero chemistry between the ancient lady and John, it is so forced it's PAINFUL. Also another prime example of how the ancients are massively pompous self important dickheads that caused almost every single massive problem we see in stargate istg. Wraith? Their fault, replicators? Their fault and thus the annihilation of the asgard, their fault. Anubis? ALSO THEIR FAULT. Also probably like a lot more that we don't even know about cuz those fuckers have been meddling with the universe for a long ass time before getting wiped out.

- bro Sheppard believing this random ass person over RODNEY, will never not piss me off. This man has been there for you no matter what and you're not even gonna give him the benefit of the doubt that something is up with this complete stranger??? HE'S ABSLUTELY RIGHT ABOUT HER TOO OFC.

- the way Rodney starts walking towards Sheppard as he runs off to get a jumper. He wanted to go with him so bad 😭

- ok there's gonna be a rant in another post about the ancients rn, I'll put the link here

- "ah, that's what I thought, freezer burn." ABSKDJSKA RODNEY

- 1 x 15 is a pretty meh episode to me overall, but "that's not what happened, not the first time" and the whole flooding scene are pretty damn awesome

- the way I would immediately cry if I got there and realized we were fucking underwater dude, hell no. Then when the flooding started??? I'd have a heart attack before I drowned.

- Rodney staying behind, working until the end, duuuuude 😭

- the fact that Weir chooses the jar Sheppard gave her for her birthday to put her ashes in...

- ep 16 man, the one off insinuation of romance with McKay and the archeologist woman is so weird first of all. Sheppard seems to be the only one who agrees with that (jealous?)

- the other woman with them who rats em out to Kolya, UGH. DUDE.

- Sheppard not wanting to let McKay go alone with Kolya, so cute

- bro poor Carson being tasked to dog fight a damn wraith dart 😭 he's a nervous wreck in the best of days dude

- my question is, how does no one notice the piece that's hiding the last stone in the map? It's clearly a slot, like, come on now.

- Sheppard and Rodney getting side tracked about the Mensa thing, TWICE 😂

- they way Rodney looks to Sheppard after hearing the news of the wraith dark and loss of a jumper and crew. Teyla doesn't, no one else, we're shown Rodney looking to him.

- ok ep 17 is the whole preparing for the hive ships thing, this is leading up to 2 of my absolute favorite episodes (siege 1 and 2)

- they finally fixed Teyla's hair!

- duuuuude, seeing the hive ships for the first time, not to mention the cruisers with them, WOAH. The sheer size and quantity of them.

- watching Ford's video tape knowing what's about to happen in Siege pt 2... ouch.

- Carson losing it trying to tell his mom he misses her 😭 I love that man

- Teyla and Sheppard clashing over their ideals due to their background is so good. I love that they show their different viewpoints, never really pushing for one being right or wrong. Then for them to both have to sit and watch the culling happen before their eyes, a mutual, horrible feeling of helplessness.

- "you didn't say anything that would require security clearance did you?" "Security clearance?" 😂

- Rodney's entire video tape

- Dr. Weir's recordings to inform the families of deceased expedition members 😭

- UGH, KAVANAGH.

- The final snippets of video ahhhhhhhhhh

- SAM

- bro ep 18 is STRESSFUL AF. The revelation about the source of Tesla's powers, the conflict with her and Bates, finding out there's been a god damn WRAITH in the city THE ENTIRE TIME since the dart showed up.

- I know it's a really short scene, but Teyla and Sheppard sparring is still a favorite. It just shows once again how much they truly view eachother as equals, far too often are female teammates viewed as less, weaker, in need of protection. Not these two though, they don't hold back with eachother, they know that the other can take it and they continue to push eachother to be better. I love them so much. Not to mention how much they value the thoughts and opinions of the other.

- Rodney and Teyla running into eachother at Dr. Heightmeyer's office and him immediately making up a ridiculous excuse is so so Rodney.

- Ford making fun of Rodney making a tiny dick joke about him only to be SHUT TF DOWN by Sheppard is so funny

- Teyla being confronted with a fact she's been running from her whole life is so heartbreaking. She's connected to the Wraith, the species who has terrorized and killed her people and countless others throughout the galaxy for thousands and thousands of years.

- getting pretty much confirmation that the wraith created the damn wraith, angerrrrrr

- ok rq, Weir just said that according to the data from the lab, Wraith don't seem to be able to read the minds of humans even though they have a telepathic network, but they can on some level. We saw it in episode 2 when Colonel Sumner is being interrogated by the Wraith. Not only did she kinda read his mind, but she got so inside his head she was able to force him to kneel just using her mind! Maybe this is just cuz she's a queen (it's mentioned in that underwater power rig episode queens are significantly more powerful mentally than other wraith.), but still, it is entirely within their ability to read and influence human minds on some level. Even without the experimental stuff done to Teyla's ancestors.

- what's with everyone getting sedated in these shows

- UGH. BATES MY GUY STOOOOOP.

- I totally get that the Ancients are basically gods to the people of the pegasus galaxy, but Halling expecting the people of Atlantis to risk letting the Wraith get to the Milkyway out of faith? Faith that people who abandoned their galaxy over 10,000 years ago leaving the inhabitants alone to be repeatedly harvested and tormented by creatures they created? After all of that, all the horrors he's seen, the people he's lost and he wants them to risk letting it happen to a whole other galaxy because the Ancients might have a plan??? BRO.

- R "Oh yeah. Yeah that's permanent back damage." Peter "Sorry, I assumed it would come on more slowly." R "Well you assumed with my life." (He's so sassy I love it)

- I love the satellite trio so much, I wish we could've gotten more before... sadness. Also, how TF did Miller snap the pencil that easily???

- PETER NOOOOOO 😭 the way that they say they'll see eachother after the fight is so devastating dude, they're saying it for eachother but they both know he's not making it out of there alive and it breaks. my. heart.

- god, watching the first wraith ship be destroyed, everyone filled with joy and hope that maybe, just maybe they can win this fight. Then the wraith ships start to turn and Peter can't get the satellite back online and they all know exactly what's about to happen. Rodney tries to come back for him anyway but it's too late, it was always going to be too late but it doesn't make watching the satellite be destroyed any less devastating. Not only have they lost the satellite, their only hope, but their friend was on board when it happened and that, that is what kills their hope in that moment.

- new colonel guy irritated the fuck outta me right off the bat. Bro thinks after reading their message and mission reports that he has ANY idea what they're up against and it's bonkers.

- AHHH, the way Sheppard stands with Weir against the Colonel guy cutting her out, I love that man.

- I've been pausing this episode like a billion times because I have so much to write about it, help.

- the fact that Sheppard warns them they should keep some of the proximity warheads in reserve and he doesn't listen... AUGH. He is sooooo gonna regret that later.

- Carson and Rodney bickering will never stop being hilarious

- even tied up, blindfolded, and alone in a Genii facility, Elizabeth stands her ground like a damn badass.

- "yeah well we're building nuclear bombs here, staying awake is a prerequisite." "Snappy." PFFFFT

- poor Rodney man, dude already doesn't sleep enough, but now he's been awake for days already and still running around being the only reason any of these plans have a chance in hell. He needs a nap and a snack asap.

- "So long Rodney" you could write this off as Rodney being the person who happened to be in the room when he decided to man the jumper manually, but I think we all know that's not the case. He's run off in silence without so much of a word to anyone more times than I can count, but Rodney, he has to say goodbye, even if it's a crappy one.

- "You let Sheppard fly that jumper?" God he is so heart broken in this moment, he never had the chance to stop him but Elizabeth, she has the opportunity and she didn't. I don't think he ever could've truly forgiven her for that if he'd died.

- GOD DAMN I FORGOT THIS WAS A 3 PARTER.

- Rodney dropping the clip PFFFFFT

- Ford... his storyline makes me so sad, especially in this episode. The character we love so dearly, this boy who has seen war and conflict and violence and is still so full of joy and love loses himself before our very eyes. Before the eyes of his friends and there's nothing they can do to stop it.

- THE MUSHROOM CLOUD GOD DAMN

- "why are you whispering?" "I dont know, just seemed like the right thing to do."

- god the siege episodes are so good, if you wanna hear about my ramblings in more detail I'll link that post once it's made here.

- this is getting long af so each season will have it's own post

Season 2

[monstersflashlight]

(Warning: severe info dumping incoming. I apologise in advance)

I could watch Stargate Altantis forever and never get bored. I basically know it word for word already but it’s just not enough. The show is only five seasons but I definitely think it should’ve ran longer. It was like an addition to Stargate SG-1 which ran for ten seasons (even though the last two were kinda poop imo).

It’s about a group of humans who go to the Pegasus Galaxy through a Stargate, which is a device built by the Ancients (who were the first evolution of humans that then evolved to a higher plane of existence) that allows for instantaneous travel between planets and galaxies. They find the Lost City of Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy and realise that the Ancient Greeks must’ve got the story of the city from an Ancient on Earth. It’s super cool and the show is all about them exploring the Pegasus Galaxy and fighting the Wraith.

Fairly certain I’ve sent things about Wraith before in ‘hear me outs’. In the show they theorise that they’re a race of human-bug hybrids that evolved when the Iratus Bug started to take on characteristics of the humans it was feeding on from various Pegasus worlds. But I’ve read on a few different sites that the Wraith could have evolved from an experiment carried out by the Ancients where they purposely mixed human and Iratus dna to see what would happen.

It’s just a super cool show, and it brings in some ties from SG-1 with some characters crossing over. There’s also a cross over for human form Replicators (they’re beings made up of Nanite cells that can replicate themselves, hence the name). In SG-1 they constructed themselves like that to take the form of Reese, a robot made by an unknown man. She made the first Replicator’s which were just bug like things, but they eventually took on her form. But in Atlantis, they were made by the Ancients as a way to fight the Wraith.

Since the Wraith feed on human life it made sense to find something that wasn’t actually alive to fight them, and the Ancients gave the Replicators an attack command in their base code that the Wraith somehow deactivated. I have a theory that Reese was made by Janis (an Ancient who used to experiment with things the other Ancients didn’t approve of), because we know that the Ancients on Atlantis lived on Earth at some point, so I think he made Reese then had to shut her down and abandon her. That’s not canon though, just a theory. It is canon that he abandoned her though, it was because she lost control of the mechanical form Replicators she made and they started destroying the world she lived on, so Janis told her to ‘go to sleep’ aka shut down, and that he’d wake her when it was over. He never woke her up. I think he just left and went back to the other Ancients as if nothing had happened.

Oh and fun fact about the Wraith, as long as they stay properly nourished they are able to live forever. They don’t get sick or age in the same way as humans, and they can even withstand being shot multiple times if they’ve fed recently. It takes a lot of effort to kill a Wraith, I’m actually not sure they were ever able to kill one who had recently fed. The Wraith are also super sexy which makes my monster mad heart happy lol. They’re like space goths!!!

Some Wraith thirst pictures because I can’t help myself haha:

and ps: they don’t feed on humans by chomping down and eating us, they have a feeding organ on their hand. Here’s a study of it I found online (added link incase the text is too small here):

Hi there! Thats a lot of info, super interesting tho, great choice. Love the sci-fi makeup, super super great monsters. 🥰

[massharp1971]

I'm having MORE thinky thoughts about Stargate Atlantis...

So, the abiding images of our hero are for me as follows:

John Sheppard laying back in the control chair

John Sheppard on his knees before any number of villains/monsters

John Sheppard lying still with an iratus bug feeding on him

John Sheppard in a collar

John Sheppard in restraints...

It strikes me as astonishing how often John is in a passive role rather than the usual action hero role. He is frequently the hapless fool the Pegasus Galaxy happens to. Even his presence on the mission is due to accidental genetics rather than merits or deeds.

And sometimes/often we see him in a more passive role next to his team members too - Teyla bringing him to his knees, McKay being the one that saves the day, Ronon being the one who gets to be the tough guy and wave his big gun around.

Not to mention how he is around the women who want him. Hardly a go-getter.

Even his character arc is; causes untold amounts of death and destruction by accidentally picking up some jewellery, tortures self, gets stuck emotionally and narratively, ends up alone. And his heroics are aften of the self-sacrificial kind - we rarely see him overcoming anything.

I can't help wondering why they wrote him that way and whether it was fully conscious but I'm so glad they did because he is nothing like a male lead is supposed to be and so much more fun to play with as a character, in all kinds of ways, because of that.

But also I find it slightly confounding that a character like him exists and I don't really understand what they were going for - thoughts?

[cherish--these--times]

VERY LONG POST ALERT

I've been doing a SGA rewatch. Seeing John and Teyla in a new light and wanted to spread the love and share some thoughts! Bear with me on that one. They might be more to come.

-

I think The Legacy Series very cleverly exploited what had been established by the end of season 5. If we consider the Fandemonium books canon (Stargate Wiki certainly does) then John and Teyla are openly in love and in a committed relationship. The first couple of books reveal that Teyla had harboured feelings for him for a long time but believed he didn't see her in that way. Concept best illustrated by this scene, I believe. When Teyla offers a comfy thigh for his sleepy head and he doesn't say so much as a thank you and she looks discomfited to say the least.

And whether this was scripted or simply an acting choice on Rachel Luttrell's part, this look signifies a lot in an episode mentioning a man she has feelings for who has yet to make a move.

As stated in the books, following the deaths of Carson, Elizabeth and Kate, she sought comfort where she could find it, which was in the arms of a fellow Athosian whom she knew since childhood and who had the Gift as well. She tried to move on with her life with someone she trusted and loved. And it makes sense. Rachel Luttrell loved that about this storyline and I agree with her.

Truth be told, not much is happening regarding John and Teyla in the first three seasons, especially after season 1. John puts on the charm on her when they first meet the same way he does with every pretty girl they encounter on a mission, which clearly indicates that he finds her attractive. And she is INTO IT. Instantly. Her little smile and Colonel Sumner's raised eyebrow and barely concealed amusement LOL... The only moment of levity on his part regarding Sheppard...

You can glimpse that she might be falling for him right there and then. And the necklace scene.. Uuggghh the sexual tension there hehe.

John trusts her implicitly and immediately, it's beautiful to see. I love when he defends her against Bates when she's suspected to be a double agent for the Wraith. And he has little to show for it apart from the fact that he just really likes her and knows that she's a kind hearted person. It's not based on anything factual. Bates was absolutely right about that. And John losing his shit with him because he is well aware of that is delightful. He doesn't know why, yet, but he already adores her and will defend her honour to Earth and back (and that's a long way alright!). Same when she learns she has Wraith DNA and Bates once again suspects the worst. Teyla struggles to fit in and John is her anchor, for sure. Equally, I love when she volunteers to go through the gate with him when he has the iratus bug on his neck. She wants to do it straight away. Knowing she might not come back on the other side. She is already willing to do anything for him at the expense of her life and they've only known each other a few weeks by that point.

But after that first season... Nothing. Teyla finds an ally in Ronon as they both share the burden of not being from Earth and therefore being outsiders, to some extent. He takes John's place by her side and I am digging their friendship so hard it's unreal. Far more than I used to, actually. Ronon loves her so much it's so endearing. She is too reserved to show it in the same way but it's honestly so cute.

Regarding John, sure there is the Conversion episode. And to me it confirms what we already knew which is that John is attracted to Teyla and the virus lowered his inhibitions to the point that he just went and did what he probably thought about doing a handful of times. And the "He cares for you more than you know" body possession thing in The Long Goodbye is a clever way of insinuating that John has deeper feelings for her than he is letting on. Without truly committing to anything. And deeper feelings I believe he had from day one. That's how I had interpreted it. I just didn't think the writers were gonna do anything substantial about it.

And sure enough, John's relationship with her changes from season 2 onwards. It's subtle but you can feel that they have drifted apart, somewhat. Or perhaps things have now settled and John doesn't need to be so protective of her and her place on his team anymore. One thing I did notice is that Teyla is always annoyed when John flirts with other women. The camera is never focused on her specifically but you can see her doing a massive eye roll or else just staring at the back of his head everytime. Or sharing a look with Ronon. Sometimes all three LOL

I guess we can give season 3's episode The Ark an honourable mention for shippy content (and Sunday, more on that soon). When John is ready to die for her by landing the shuttle on the planet, even if Rodney deems it impossible. But that's just John for ya. He did the same for Elizabeth in The Real World. And Jennifer in The Seed. And for other people and Atlantis at large on too many occasions to count.

What the Remnants episode and subsequently the books did beautifully was to establish one paramount fact about John Sheppard. He considers himself a marked man whose impending death will be fate's retribution for his failure in Afghanistan. It was the defining moment of his character, I think. Every time he survives, it's just delaying the inevitable. And so risking his life trying to protect his team and Atlantis feels like fair dues. What else does he have to live for?

But then... Season 4 happened. And it is rather magnificent, in my humble opinion. I'm quite certain John is the one Teyla speaks of to her friend in Sunday. A man who is oblivious to her feelings for him. Very interestingly, that conversation about this mystery man happens at the exact same time Ronon is telling John that he always thought he and Teyla would hook up (Hurrah for Ronon, our biggest Sheyla supporter out there LOL). We know this because the explosion happens in both places shortly after. That, from a storytelling point of view, could not be more on the nose.

And so... in my view, Teyla got tired of pining. John wanted to spend time with her, risked his life saving her, freaked out when she was harmed but still, he did nothing. She was grieving. Kanaan was there. She knew and loved him. It made sense.

One thing I'm mad about is that, because the writers had to justify Rachel's pregnancy, they committed the ultimate sin: exposing Teyla's relationship with Kanaan to us rather than showing it. We had to make do with multiple characters saying something like "Oh the father is Kanaan, right? I noticed the way you spoke about him." KILL ME NOW.

Nothing is more off putting than forcing the audience to accept that something exists by telling them rather than giving them ON SCREEN evidence so they can buy it (looking at you, Ted Lasso). I mean... I would have probably hated the guy anyway (I am a shipper after all), but I don't know enough about him to have an opinion LOL. I only now understand Kanaan and his history with Teyla thanks to the books but it's certainly no thanks to the show.

Yet, it demonstrated one thing. The writers didn't care much about Kanaan. It was all about John and his feelings instead. They presented Kanaan as a fait accompli without doing any of the legwork to solidify their bond aside from some lukewarm scenes that defines them as nothing more than affectionate past lovers.

Instead, perhaps for the first time ever in the show, John gets emotional. Several times. And it's all to do with Teyla, let it be before or after the birth of Torren. More on that later.

I love this quote from the Outcast episode, when he goes back to Earth for his dad's funeral. I can't think of a better scene to encapsulate John's character:

SHEPPARD Well, maybe you meant something to him, too. You never know what people are thinking.

AVA Even those you're closest to?

SHEPPARD Especially those.

This is referring to his father who, to John's surprise, regretted the way things had ended between them. But in truth, I think it applies to John himself as well. That's Sheppard in a nutshell. Keeping his cards close to his chest and never letting the people he loves know how much they matter to him. They might be snatched away, or he might let them down, or he might die and cause them pain. This is post pregnancy-revelation by the way. Considering the context of the episode, this again clearly refers to his family (namely dad, brother and ex-wife), but it also applies to himself, the way he treats his friends and perhaps, dare I say, the fact that he's too late and Teyla is no longer free.

I believe we witnessed something rather fascinating on the writers' part once the decision had been made to make an unknown man be the father of Teyla's child (and rumour has it John has once been the main candidate). They could have dropped the John/Teyla ball right there and then. They in fact had, as far as I was concerned, except for the small hints in The Ark and Sunday mentioned above. But then they picked it up again in a way that leads me to believe they actually wanted to keep the ball.

(Sidenote: This has been proven true because it was planned that John and Teyla would get together in the movie following the end of season 5. As stated here by executive producer Joe Mallozzi. I discovered this after writing this post).

They had the perfect opportunity to have Teyla and Kanaan drive off into the sunset (I know they don't have a car... you get my point LOL) and leave it there but... No. They wanted to keep the romantic tension alive. Which is fantastic to me.

First little clue that feels different is that when they encounter Larrin again and John swiftly enters prince charming mode, the camera purposely shows Teyla's reaction. Which never happened before. This feels very deliberate. And for the first time she doesn't look mildly annoyed but simply... resigned.

It fits nicely with the narrative that she thinks John simply does not reciprocate her feelings. Consider that this is an odd directing choice to make when the writers have already told us she is pregnant with another man's child (though John does not know it yet by that point, which is important to note). To me, they clearly wanted to show that she still has feelings for him but probably thinks she made the right call by deciding to try and move on.

Now. To the main subject... Following Teyla's pregnancy revelation, it appears that John, probably against his will, caught (shudders) emotions.

In a predictable and intrinsically human move (if slightly infuriating), he kinda loses it the moment he learns Teyla is not only seeing someone, but has also conceived child with another man. Now, I know what you're thinking. I am reading too much into it with my shipper goggles on. Well, first of all, no because he loves her that's canon.

Secondly, he shows a level of anger and disquiet that we rarely get to see. He is still John Sheppard and is SUPER UNCOMFORTABLE with anything to do with feelings. But it's undeniable that he is shaken and rattled by the announcement of Teyla's pregnancy. In a way that immediately feels personal. Like not much else ever has on the show. Bear in mind, her people are missing. She is expecting a baby. This is good news and he should be over the moon for her. A glimmer of hope in an otherwise very bleak and gloomy time. But no.

The man is aaaaangry. One could argue that he is just upset because she's under his command and she hid something that could very well jeopardise their missions... That's very true, too (though she makes a point of saying Athosian women remain very active up until the birth of their child). But nobody else cares about that. Not even Sam, who would be well within her right to give Teyla an earful about this. She hid it from everyone but only he reacts so badly. Ronon could have been upset too! He is perhaps a closer friend to her by that point, yet he doesn't feel betrayed by her dissimulation. In fact, he could not be more supportive. Everyone but John is super happy for her. Kudos to Lorne for giving her a hell of a pep talk. I love Lorne. What a guy.

They all trust Teyla and know she can look after herself. John of all people knows that more than anybody else! But this is different. He always respected her decisions but this, he cannot cope with... That's not a direction the writers would have taken had they truly wanted to sail that ship once and for all (see what I did there?).

What he is saying is:

"You put yourself, your child and the rest of the team in danger by hiding crucial information from me. NOT COOL!"

Based on what follows in the show and the books (and the never to be seen movie script), what he is actually saying is:

"You slept with someone and I didn't even know about it and had I known I would have taken my head out of my ass sooner and now it's too late YOU'RE PREGNANT how could you do this to me?? Sure I flirt with every skirt in my vicinity, I give no evidence whatsoever that I love you except when I'm possessed by alien entities taking away my free will and therefore disclosing things I would rather keep buried as deep as Atlantis when we first found it. And I know you have a lot on your plate with your people missing and your child potentially being the last of them and whatnot but WHAT ABOUT MY FEELINGS TEYLA???"

I firmly believe that this is more than Teyla hiding the pregnancy and putting herself in harm's way. I have evidence of this because he loves her it's canon because in a couple of episodes later, in Quarantine, he is the one telling her that she will do more good as a mother by being on the field than by staying home.

And in season 5, in The Queen, she makes the decision to pose as a Wraith Queen and risk her life and John, though very concerned, supports her decision.

That and his faith in her ability to fend for herself since day one are proof, in my book, that his initial reaction was not entirely to do with worrying about her safety. Don't get me wrong, it partly is! And he is mad as hell because she put herself in danger and she's under his responsibility so if she and her child die, that's on him. He has every right to be pissed off. What strikes me though is not so much the reason for his anger but the fuel behind it. The immediacy of it. The "losing his cool in front of Ronon and in the middle of a corridor" type of shit. The inability to bottle things up the way he usually does. It's personal. He is affected in a way that's impossible to repress, which happens to be his coping mechanism of choice. Therefore all the more jarring when he fails to do it. And it's not the only time when it comes to Teyla and the daunting possibility that she might no longer be a part of his life the way she used to:

This scene is very interesting to me. Again with the "in a corridor and in public" thing. This time because he learnt that Teyla is considering leaving the team... And once again, he cannot contain his fury.

True, she has not been upfront about her intentions, probably because she feared his reaction... BOTH TIMES. Uhm...

Both times, she is going through the wringer and he lashes out because he doesn't know how to properly articulate that he is deeply, deeply affected. Teyla must have known this unconsciously because she chose to hide something from him twice. She knew that he would react badly. I think she knows that he is holding back on her and burying feelings. Women know these things. Teyla was a part of his world in a way that he thought was never going to change. But he was wrong. And facing that is unbearable for him, turns out. Considering that they get together in the books (or would have gotten together in the movie), his behaviour makes SO MUCH SENSE.

He's not always a dickhead though. In Quarantine he assures her that her boy will have a family no matter what. Even if she dies, they will look after him. And that is FREAKING AWESOME. He HATES talking about deep stuff. But he also knows she needs to hear from him, specifically, that she's an amazing warrior super mama who's not meant to stay home and change nappies and that they all will be there to look after mini-Teyla if anything happens.

It's unbelievably wholesome and further proof that John loves and understands her so so so so much. And the fact that when the baby kicks for the first time she takes his hand and he feels it...

And then climbs a fucking tower like a fucking prince when he senses that she's really starting to worry. He is already that kid's stepdad I tell ya. I know that Atlantis was emitting a signal that could attract baddies and that the city was vulnerable and he had to do it but the defining factor for his reckless Batman move was seeing Teyla distressed and you cannot convince me otherwise.

One thing that really struck me as well was that in the following episode, Harmony, two pretty women flirt openly with John and Rodney. The latter is hot and bothered whereas John is utterly unmoved. Which is a first. He is even the one who wants to cut this short and leave. Fascinating, right? The timing of this, to me, shows that John is not emotionally available in that moment. Not so soon after realising he lost his chance with Teyla. Sure, one of the women puts the charm on him times a hundred when she sees he's not keen on staying and she theatens to undo their alliance should he decline. And it works because John is still John and I'm under no illusion that he is immune to seduction. But it really dawned on me that yes... John is now aware of his feelings for Teyla. It becomes tangible, if subtle, because it's the MGM and they don't do shippy stuff.... Except for Rodney. Because Rodney is their favourite golden child LOL

That being said... it's still John Sheppard we're talking about. In season 5 he clearly wants to hook up with Larrin and then hangs out with sexy scientists because well..... Teyla is not impressed btw LOL

We can't really blame him. He thinks he missed his chance after all.

Now... Speaking of season 5...

I think it's fair to say that John Sheppard thought he would not die of old age. He was traumatised by Afghanistan (btw I think it's no coincidence Teyla was the only one who wasn't a threat to him in Phantoms, and appeared to him as someone he trusted and loved) and his failed marriage. By adding the otherwise utterly useless Dream Sequence between he and Teyla in Search and Rescue, it's clear to me the writers wanted to tell the audience John always had feelings for Teyla but had never allowed himself to go there because of the above. Also he perhaps had not realised the extent of those feelings. Until it was too late. Which is tragic. So I love, LOOOOOVE that they get together in the books. I love that he succumbs to his feelings for her and now has a partner and even a son to live for. Finally! Finally his existence is no longer about mere survival. It's what his character deserved all along. I love that she reminds him that he is a good man and adresses his fears head on. I love that he helps her embrace her Wraith heritage and her role as both a leader and a mother. I love that they lay kisses on each other's ugly parts. With nothing but mutual understanding, acceptance and love.

I love them your honour.

[sga-owns-my-soul]

Hello my lovely! 😊 I've popped back in with another ask of my random atlantis thoughts as I'm going through my rewatch

Idk if it's ever said outright, but I'm pretty sure Teyla is the first friend John's ever had who's been pregnant. Like, he DOES NOT know what to do with her and he's overly protective (which is very sweet but clearly irritating for Teyla)

Bro is TERRIFIED because she's his family! And her baby is his family!! Especially considering the guilt he feels about losing Elizabeth and Carson, of course he's going to be fiercely protective of her!!😭

Sidenote: Ronon found her exercising and she was worried that she wouldn't be able to "keep up" with the rest of the team once the baby was born if she didn't and his response was literally "Who says you have to keep up?" that just 🥺 Literally saying they're going to take care of her no matter what. They're so family I can't 😭😭

john sheppard is afraid of clowns, iratus bugs, and pregnant women and that is fucking canon to me. that man would rather SCALE THE FUCKING TOWER than be around a pregnant woman and i for one think that's fucking hilarious

ALSO i know it was like. Huge Asshole Energy when john grounded teyla from missions but like. all i can think about is how john places the responsibility to keep his team safe 100% on his own shoulders, and i FULLY believe that his team (which is strongest for AR-1 but obviously extends to the whole city) includes the athosians, and by this point they've gone missing, and i really do think john believes he's to blame for it. i think johns harsh reaction was purely fear based- teyla's baby, who very well could end up being the Last Athosian, is at risk because they got shot by stunners. not only is john feeling the guilt from teyla getting stunned, but he now thinks he's putting her baby at risk. of course he freaks out!!!!!! he JUST found out about torren and in the same breath finds out he might've led teyla into a situation where she could lose her baby???????? anyways this was a lot to say yes john 100% sees teyla and torren as family and is SO overprotective of both of them.

also i'm literally never over teyla and ronon's friendship, i LOVE how ronon pivots between beating the shit out of teyla because he knows she'll give it as good as she gets and being the softest most tender soul with her. like the scene where they find out and he holds her hand and congratulates her and asks about kanan 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 IM GONNA SOB AT WORK THEYRE SO god i fucking love teyla and ronon's friendship it's SO fucking good

also you didn't mention this but i'm incapable of talking about teyla's pregnancy without commenting on how obsessed i am with the fact that rodney is the one who delivered her baby. like. i just. it's everything to me i genuinely think it's my favourite thing to happen in the entire show it was the BEST possible decision for the writers to make and i love it it's my favourite thing and i like to think rodney has a special bond with torren bc of it

thank you for the team feels they're Everything

[this-man-is-my-friend]

They lose two men while looking for Iratus bug eggs to cure Sheppard of his bugism, which I would be sad about, if they hadn't been woefully unprepared

They literally live in a floating city SURROUNDED by sea water. And they take ONE container. And they don't even have a way to spray it, just splash it haphazardly.

They have a botany department now. They must have spraying equipment of some kind!

At the very least take several containers and have people completely flanking Beckett to splash the salt water around him.

Sorry guys, but you could have tried harder to not die

[hooded-and-cloaked]

I want an Iratus bug plushy, like one of those moth plushies, but an Iratus bug.

[trainofcommand]

SGA Fic: Seasonality (Todd/John Sheppard; Explicit; 400 words)

Summary: Deep down, John knows he could stop this. But he doesn't want to.

Notes: What if Wraith went into seasonal ruts and John and Todd met up for them? This is 100% the result of a chat with @chaos-monkeyy, @chaniis-atlantis and @colonelshepparrrrd about Wraith biology, the implications of seasonal rutting, the hidden effects of John's Iratus bug history, and other good stuff. Thank you :)

Snippet: Deep down, John knows he could stop this, could stop whatever fucked up biology is changing inside him, settling in a little more each time he and Todd meet for whatever this is. He could ignore Todd's call - hidden, coded, just for him and increasingly anticipated by something internal, an awareness that the time is coming, is closer, is now.

He could reply, "Screw you, Todd," and not show up, not make noises about needing some leave time before taking off, leaving Atlantis far behind, temporary but unequivocal.