#s02e17 “All In”

[thankstothe]

annoyingmammalpenisstorysubplot

[detective-jane-rizzoli]

[miminmimikyu]

Prodigy episode 17-18: something something about Janeway knowing since her academy days that she’s wearing a device next to her heart that (with minimal modification) is a bomb. What even was the context for learning that trick : ‘D

Scariest thing in these two episodes might be Janeway saying she might retire to a farm in Indiana now. That's such a death flag even though I know she survives!! Then again, the back of my mind says : "we don't know what she looks like in Picard, so grievous bodily harm isn't off the table.."

Wesley noo, showing up in a room full of angry Vau N’Akat and tell them “stop!” ,that's the plan?

Oh I love it when they put the date on-screen and I can add to my mental timeline. So it's been months since the wormhole was destroyed then?

I knew we could count on young Ascencia to help everyone out!

Oh, my apologies to Wesley.. subjecting yourself to months of torture to trick the enemy into building all the technology you need!!! That was an incredible plan! Not to be a Whovian again but: Doctor coded <3

Zero and Jankom have a right to be angry though, idk if any random crew members on Voyager-A died in that attack but it seems more likely than not. Then again, Wesley did say this path was “without endless suffering” and not “no casualties”. Anyway this plan is definitely going too well…

Ah.

For how much Wesley keeps talking about how “thought” is an incredibly important variable, he couldn’t predict that Gwyn would not leave her father behind. Well, I suppose that even with all those powers Wesley is still human.

(I forget how old Wesley was when his dad died. Maybe he’s so used to not having a dad that that legitimately didn’t occur to him. Because that would be a nice character thing that explains fallibility: he's been away from people too long, now there are some paths that he can't see because it gets harder to factor in other people's thoughts (feelings))

Janeway forgetting her birthday in Year of Hell and getting a present from Chakotay 🤝 Janeway forgetting the anniversary of Voyager’s departure and Chakotay giving her a present <3

How long has it been for Janeway that Chakotay’s was missing? How long has she been searching that she's considering retiring now that she's found him?

“With what you and I’ve been through, it does take patience” does it?? DOES IT??

EMH and Holo Janeway interacting!!!!! That was so sweet! (also so sad, since Holo Janeway is fated to blow herself up before she ever leaves the Protostar ;_;). But if we’re naming differences between Janeway and Holo Janeway liking all his holo novels is probably a big one. Oh, and now the role reversal has made it weird.

Doctor, you say you’re not a covert operative but I’ve seen Renaissance Man.. Notably that also was a story where Captain Janeway was so done with the doc and was veery not on board with socialising with him, so that makes Holo Janeway's admiration even funnier. At least Vice Admiral Janeway is getting along with him better now.

(btw I still don't believe he's on a first-name basis with her, like he implied to the Protostar kids in episode 1. iirc I haven't heard him do that in front of her? but it's so like the doc to play their relationship up to impress some newbies lmao)

(i know it's the fatigue but the novel in progress probably isn't helping)

Is this why there was a callback to Endgame two episodes ago??? Janeway you can’t use the Endgame strategy on her and offer up your brain as bait ,Ascencia probably read your file!!!!

The EMH is doing a Renaissance Man isn’t he? Fuck yeahhh he’s doing a Renaissance Man!!

I love this show, even the Loom get to be portrayed as living, feeling beings by introducing that scared and mistreated one in captivity!!!!!

Well, Ascencia didn't meet Chakotay so unless they have a final showdown I think she really is laser focusing all her Federation hate on Janeway and not giving him a second thought except when taunting Janeway

Oh my heart just grew 3 sizes:

I can’t believe there’s only two episodes left ;_; manifesting Gwyn finally catching a break after 2 series of shouldering all that guilt. Carefree smile time carefree smile time carefree smile time

[allelitewrestlings]

"Timeless" Toni Storm & Mariah May AEW Collision • May 18, 2024

[dr-futbol-blog]

Misbegotten, Pt. 12

Sheppard and his strike team, consisting of Ronon and Teyla, have arrived down on the planet, and we now find them sneaking around the encampment. They are moving around stealthily, not unlike when Sheppard and McKay had been conducting a raid against the Genii in Coup D'État (S02E17), with the exception that Sheppard very clearly had made McKay sit this one out, making him stay up on the hive while the rest of them take the risk. We see Sheppard guiding the two resident aliens along with Earth military hand signs which Sheppard must have taught them at some point, even though their meaning is somewhat self-explanatory. Sheppard orders the two others to move along and while he does not speak in words here, what he does with his hand is very much a command. It is an order. He is telling them what to do. It is because the hand signs are orders that he often seems to take exception to McKay using them to guide him because even when he is using the signs correctly, McKay is still using them in a way that he is not supposed to. But whether or not Sheppard has time to think of McKay now, he has his game face on.

Sheppard is being cautious and stealthy, is once more betraying that he does have a background in some kind of Black Ops outfit even though he never talks about it, it is never explicitly mentioned. He knows what he is doing as they take on the wraith in the dark of the night. We see both Sheppard and Teyla take out a wraith quietly and without guns, Sheppard seeming to be making good use of his ass-knife for once. Even though they cannot use their weapons for not wanting to alert the wraith to their presence, it seems that all of them are doing much better here than they had back on the prison colony planet in Condemned (S02E05), when they had to fight the locals with no guns and only makeshift weapons, possibly owing to being better prepared and not having been tied up for hours after surviving a plane crash beforehand. Sheppard stabs one of the wraiths guarding the compound in the back seeming to think nothing of it, feeling no guilt about it whatsoever.

Teyla: Carson! He's barely conscious. Sheppard: Did you find the others? Dex: They were fed on. There's not much of them left. Sheppard: Help me get him up.

Teyla enters the tent and goes directly to Beckett while Sheppard runs in after her and checks up on something else, we do not see what. He does come up to Beckett just as soon as Teyla tells him how he is, and looks almost like a scared child as he comes to check up on the good doctor himself, Beckett being both his primary care physician but also McKay's best friend.

We do not know what Sheppard was going to do with Beckett because Ronon comes in and interrupts him, Sheppard asking him about his own men, the men that he had ordered to participate in this mission, the men whose lives he is personally responsible for. Ronon had collected their dog tags and shows them to Sheppard, which not only tells us that Sheppard has educated them about Earth military and their tactics, but also calls back to Coup d'État where Ronon had watched Sheppard remove Lorne's dog tags from what they thought was Lorne's charred body, seeming to be truly harrowed by the sight. Whether or not Sheppard was reminded of that here, he seems to take great care in handling Beckett, the hand supporting the back of his head seeming almost gentle. The gentleness may be due to the fact that they do not know what has been done to Beckett or what kind of condition he is in, but most of all it is Sheppard trying very hard not to lose yet another person.

McKay: Oh, come on! Sheppard: Rodney, come in. McKay: What's happening? Sheppard: We've got Carson. Morrison and his team are dead. We're heading back.

Up on the hive McKay seems to be getting antsy waiting to hear from the others, full on wringing his hands nervously and talking to himself to relieve the tension. We may note that just as soon as McKay speaks the words "Oh, come on!" out loud, basically begging to hear from Sheppard, Sheppard contacts him via radio. it is as though Sheppard had heard him, had been able to catch the thread of McKay's thought and immediately went on the answer him.

It could be coincidence that their thoughts happen to coincide -- again -- that Sheppard merely contacts McKay just as soon as he is able, but at the same time, they are both thinking of the other man at the same time. They usually are, but here we see an example of this happening. We may also note that Sheppard apprises McKay of the situation, telling him the facts without putting any spin on them. Sheppard fills McKay in in the same way that he wishes to receive information, starting from what he thinks that the recipient is most anxious to hear, which in McKay's case is that his best friend is alive and they are bringing him back. That Beckett, Sheppard and the rest of the time are alive is all he needs to know.

Sheppard: We're clear. Light it up. McKay: Understood. Failsafe detonation in three … two … one.

Sheppard tells McKay to detonate the nuke they had hidden on the planet, and while he still does not quite order him to do it, Sheppard is telling him probably in order to take the brunt of the responsibility on himself, so that McKay does not have to bother himself by thinking about the moral implications of what he is being asked to do. McKay is the one who has to "push the button," so if Sheppard tells him to push it, he shoulders the responsibility for the decision.

McKay had seemed somewhat uneasy about having to blow up a bunch of people earlier, which makes it all the more striking that he seems to harbour no moral compunctions about doing what Sheppard wants him to do, displaying his willingness to do anything for Sheppard. McKay is literally willing to kill human beings just because Sheppard tells him to do it, which is just the beginning of what he would do for that man if he asked. We may also note McKay speaking the numbers "three, two, one" in a countdown, the words overlaid with Sheppard because, as discussed in connection with the previous episode, it very much seemed to be the intention of the narrative to eventually feature the two of them having a child together, Tango (or Torren) making three, the two of them becoming one, something that had been foreshadowed from the early part of the first season. But while they may have been meant to hit the jackpot later on, right now McKay fails to deliver his load.

Sheppard: Rodney? McKay: I don't understand it. Sheppard: What happened? McKay: You mean what didn't happen? Sheppard: Are you telling me the bomb didn't go off? Dex: They got to it. Teyla: We cannot leave the wraith here to be found by the hive. Sheppard: Get back to work on those weapons, Rodney. We're not going anywhere.

McKay tries to detonate the nuke that they had hidden on the planet but because Michael had been able to extract the information about its whereabouts from Beckett, whether he had known it consciously or not, it does not go off. There is an interesting transition from Michael to Sheppard where the two of them are once more like mirror images of each other, which is only emphasized by McKay and one of Michael's minions both saying that they do not understand. McKay's line to Sheppard when he asks what happened is relevant with regards to the subtextual narrative because sometimes observing what does not happen is as, if not more, important than what does happen in the maintext. Sometimes we need to look at the negative space to know that something is meant to go there, something is absent that belongs there.

Also note that Sheppard speaks McKay's name three times, he calls him Rodney likely because he entirely subconsciously likes to say his name. Saying the name of their beloved is something that people who are in love frequently do. Saying their name out loud feels good. We may also note that Sheppard, for the second time in the episode, calls Beckett Carson and because he calls him Carson to McKay, it seems to confirm the fact that he had used the name earlier during their previous visit to the planet because he had just been talking with McKay, and because McKay calls him Carson it makes sense for Sheppard to call him Carson also -- when he is talking to McKay but also just after he has been talking to McKay about him. Otherwise Sheppard seems to call him "Doc" pretty consistently.

What is more, note that Sheppard tells McKay to get back to working on those weapons. This implies that McKay had paused working on them, which means that the reason why McKay had stayed back on the hive was not so that he could keep working on the weapons. It did not seem like he had been working on them anyway because he was unable to concentrate on anything while he was waiting to hear from the others -- to hear from Sheppard. He had been anxiously monitoring communications waiting to hear from them but McKay is not a communications officer, it is not his job to monitor communications. As mentioned, one of them needed to stay back but there was an argument to be made for why Teyla would have been the logical choice, and yet Sheppard had wanted to leave McKay up there with his finger on a nuke meaning that he was as safe as Sheppard could possibly make him. But now they are going to need the weapons so Sheppard tells him to start working on them again. Sheppard looks apprehensive after saying this because he knows what he is going to have to ask McKay to do. Something that he is going to become more and more acutely aware of this season is that he can protect McKay from a lot of things but he cannot protect McKay from himself.

Continued in Pt. 13

[kathrahender]

My Opinion on The Flash Ships (2/2)

☆ Olivarry (Oliver Queen/Barry Allen): This is one of my favorite ships of The Flash. Not because it's a mlm ship, but because of all their scenes. How Barry goes to Oliver after discovering his powers. How Oliver defends Barry in front of everyone during the Dominators Invasion. How he sacrifices himself to make Barry live. This Quote: "Are you Oliver Queen?" "Yes" "Then I trust you with every cell of my body". They're just one of the best things of The Flash, and their care for each other is incredibly clear. 12/10.

☆ Coldflash (Leonard Snart/Barry Allen): I love them. Part of the reason is because they're enemies, but there's more than that. Not only they make a good team, but also the person who made Leonard change was Barry. And Barry was the one who inspired Leonard to be better, to be a hero. Leonard told Barry "Maybe that's why we get along, you see the good in me, I see the bad in you", and for me that proves that they balance each other, like the Ying and Yang. 12/10.

☆ Thallen (Eddie Thawne/Barry Allen): They're "love rivals", but I can't help falling in love with them. Not only because the Iris/Eddie/Barry love triangle could be solved very easily this way, but because of some scenes they shared through season 1 and the ending of season 2. Besides, Eddie kills himself in season 1 to make Eobard disappear because the Reverse was attacking Barry, so that sold the ship for me too. 10/10.

☆ Allenbert (Julian Albert/Barry Allen): Another rivals-to-lovers ships, and I like them so much. At first, Julian was just someone Barry disliked because of Flashpoint, but later that changes. Julian changes and eventually becomes a part of team Flash, and during the whole season there are some moments between them that I found so cute. Even if they didn't have so many scenes (at least not like Oliver and Barry had), I love their potential. 11/10.

☆ Flashvibe (Cisco Ramon/Barry Allen). I'm kinda neutral on this one. I see why some people ship it, but my biggest problem with this ship is how Cisco acted at the beginning of season 3. Yeah, it was horrible what happened with Flashpoint, but Barry didn't have control of the changes Flashpoint would make. And despite I understand Cisco, I feel like he held a grudge for too long. 7/10.

☆ Bartley (Barry Allen/Hartley Rathaway). At first, they were enemies, but later, when Barry traveled back in time in Flashback (s02e17), Hartley became part of the team momentarily. I liked that scene the first time I saw it, but I didn't know back then that one day I would like Bartley. When Hartley's boyfriend was in danger and Barry helped him (in one of the next seasons), I became interested in the ship. But what definitely sold me the ship is how Hartley helped Barry in season 9 without a second thought. 11/10.

☆ Elongated Flash (Ralph Dibny/Barry Allen). It gives me Allenbert vibes, but Julian is far more interesting and charismatic for me. Having said that, I kinda like It. 7/10.

☆ Eobarry (Eobard Thawne/Barry Allen). I know this is one of the most problematic ships in the fandom. A lot of people hate it and find it disgusting, but I love this pairing. Not because they are enemies and hate each other, but because of the potential of be more. The potential of Eobard being human, the potential of Eobard seeing how much he hurt Barry and fix it, even the potential of another universe when they never hated each other. 11/10.

☆ Zoomflash (Hunter Zolomon/Barry Allen). Like the previous ship, I don't love it because they are enemies and hate each other. I love it for the potential. Hunter was a bad man, but what would have happened if he fell in love with Barry instead of Caitlin? What would have happened if Barry was the key to redeem Hunter? It's so nice to imagine Hunter being in Earth-1 to manipulate the team… Only for the team, especially Barry, treating him as if he was a human and not a monster, and that making him eventually change. 11/10.

☆ Harrisco (Earth-2 Harry Wells/Cisco Ramon): I like them, mostly because of the rivals-to-lovers vibes they give, but they're not my favorite ship. But that's only because Barry is my favorite character and I'm more interested in Barry's ships. 8/10.

☆ Hartmon (Hartley Rathaway/Cisco Ramon). I like them for the rivals-to-lovers vibes, but I feel like they could make a better couple than Harrisco. Mostly because they spent more time working together than Harry and Cisco did. 9/10

☆ Smoaking West (Felicity Smoak/Iris West). As well as Olivarry, they make a good team, and although their relationship wasn't perfect (because of that moment where Barry and Iris were going to marry and Felicity asked John if he could marry Oliver and her too), they have a good friendship. A friendship that could have perfectly evolved into love. 9/10.

☆ Snowest (Iris West/Caitlin Snow). I see the potential of them being together. But the writers were so centered on making WestAllen canon that they forgot to give Iris female friends (and not just female teammates that she talked once in a while). Iris was part of the team, but during the whole show she didn't have many scenes with Caitlin. And they wasted a perfect opportunity to make Iris and Caitlin best friends. 8/10.

☆ Weatherwest (Joss Jackam/Nora West-Allen). Again, this is an enemies-to-lovers ship. I love enemies-to-lovers ships, so I very much see the appeal of them. Besides, I also like them because of the foe romance subtext between them. But that just might be me and not something the writers did on purpose. 9/10.

☆ Westpark (Linda Park/Iris West). They were both periodists and their friendship was so cute for me. I think they could have worked in another universe where a relationship with Barry was impossible. But even without them dating, I feel like their friendship could have been more developed. 8/10.

☆ Xstar (Nora West-Allen/Mia Queen). Well, you know what they say: if the parents can't be together (Oliver and Barry), then their children would have to be together. Yep, I ship them mostly because they're like another version of Olivarry but female and younger. Even if they didn't interact, I see the potential. 9/10.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Thursday, June 19

Willow: You can't stop this. Xander: Yeah, I get that. It's just, where else am I gonna go? You've been my best friend my whole life. World gonna end ... where else would I want to be? Willow: Is this the master plan? You're going to stop me by telling me you love me? Xander: Well, I was going to walk you off a cliff and hand you an anvil, but ... it seemed kinda cartoony.

~~Grave~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Firestarter Sidekick: Five Things that Never Happened to Beck (Beck, T) by eevol76vamp

Mended and Rebuilt (Buffy/Spike, M) by Shipperandfanficer15

Spellbound (Buffy/Willow, G) by WriterDMathis

Kiss of Life (Buffy/Giles, T) by Skyson

Wild Magic (Ensemble, FR7) by Dmitri

[Chaptered Fiction]

Twelfth Labour, Chapter 15 (Angel/Spike, T) by xaeyrnofnbe

Who are You in Twenty Years?, Chapter 10 (Faith/Multiple characters, M) by StrangeBint

Chasing the Light, Chapter 25 (Angel/Lindsey, E) by CloudSeeker

New Benediction, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Angel, M) by DeezBoots

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck..., Chapter 13 (Ensemble, M) by zinjadu

The Choice to Stay, Chapter 28 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Spikelover4ever

Fracture, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Holly

The Guardians of Magic, Chapter 25 (Multiple crossings, FR13) by MarcusSLazarus

A Bond of Blood, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Geliot99

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:An ode to the best show ever made. by zevrics

Craft:Spike body-pillow (print files) by Cattoc_C

Video: Buffy S3 at 25: The Prom (Shortened Version) by Slayerfest 98

[Reviews & Recaps]

Thoughts on rewatching "Teacher's Pet" (3/3) by btvsfemslashenjoyer

Earshot (18x3) thoughts from a first time watcher by deniouroboros

one last post about Teacher's Pet by coraniaid

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 7x13 & 7x14 REACTION | "The Killer in Me" & "First Date" by The Horror Bandwagon

Buffy the Vampire Slayer S2E14 'Innocence (2)' REACTION by Simple Reactions

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER S7 EP 21 END OF DAYS (2002) REACTION VIDEO AND REVIEW! FIRST TIME WATCHING! by Reel Reviews With Jen!

Buffy S04E10 "Hush" Spoiler Review by The Post Credits

Buffy: The Vampire Slayer | S1 Ep 7 | Kissing A 240 Year Old Zaddy | First Time Watching | Reaction by Xavier

Podcast: Buffy S7E19: Empty Places by Booze & Buffy

[Community Announcements]

Recruiting Characters for Roleplay sub by Angel_the_brooding

A Prompt How To by buffyxgileswritingevent

[Fandom Discussions]

finally got around to reading "Buffy the Vampire Slayer & The Art of Bad Things Happening in Basements" by thesearemycurrentobsessions

spike is a mama boy by professeurm

[Misogynistic undertones from the show] by aphony-cree

Spike on Firefly! by multiple authors

Have your shipping tastes changed? [Cont.] by multiple authors

Why does this have me sobbing? by multiple authors

Still a bit confused about the potentials by multiple authors

was angelus an abusive sire to Spike, Penn and Drusilla by multiple authors

Thank you season 7 for going away from all of that. by multiple authors

Jasmine by multiple authors

The cast’s special skills by multiple authors

One of the strongest lineup of episodes in the series. We deserved more Faith by multiple authors

What if Drusilla came back for Spike while Buffy was dead? by multiple authors

If Willow were a vengeance demon, what kind of cases do you think she would handle? by multiple authors

Gaslighting by multiple authors

What’s the story with Joyce in season 4? by multiple authors

Who is your favorite villain from the seasons? by multiple authors

Rewatching Buffy Makes Me Nostalgic For Old TV Intros by multiple authors

s02e22 Becoming (Part 1) // s02e17 Passion by multiple authors

“Oh my God, Warren” by multiple authors

Once More With Feeling: the episode that changed television (article) by multiple authors

What Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode(s) mean a lot to you personally and why? by multiple authors

Is anyone else kinda disappointed with the Anointed One's storyline? by multiple authors

The perfect ending for Angel and why he shouldn't appear in the sequel series. by multiple authors

Why did Willow turn evil? (Wrong answers only) by multiple authors

I'm Obsessed with The Makeup Department's Attention to Details by multiple authors

Spike ending by multiple authors

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Join the editor team :)

[feeisamarshmallow]

3, 13, and 27?

Thanks Izzy!!

3. How do you feel about your current WIP?

My current WIP is a Veronica Mars fic, interim title: Proper WeeVer Fic. It's my shot at writing a proper shippy Veronica x Weevil fic, which I've never done despite loving the pairing and writing VM fanfic on and off for 10 years. Probably bc I'm aromantic and mostly bad/uncomfortable at writing romance. I'm very happy with it! I have the draft done and I'm just waiting for some time to post it. I think I've become a much better writer in the past five years--before recently (2024-2025), my last VM fics were written in 2019-2020. For one, I'm more comfortable writing things outside of my experiences, specifically romance. I feel like I really capture Veronica and Weevil's specific brand of tension and chemistry in this fic. It's an AU where she asks him to the Sadie Hawkins dance in S02E17 Plan B, and I can't wait to share it!

13. A fandom you're thinking about writing for?

There are no new fandoms that have caught my eye lately--I've been enjoying my Veronica Mars renaissance and still chipping away at my Sunny WIP--but I have been thinking about writing B99 fic again. Specifically, I want to write a story set at summer camp. Probably an AU where Jake and Amy meet at camp, but I could also do something canon compliant in Jake's youth. Honestly, I watched a very terrible movie that took place at a summer camp, and despite it being bad, it made me really nostalgic for working at a camp, and it made me want to explore that in a fic. 

27. Your favourite part of the writing process?

I love writing dialogue because it's just so fun to emulate TV show characters' dialogue in fic. Not only their voice, but also the rhythm of the dialogue exchange, all while trying to keep the fic on-track plot-wise. I often write a bunch of dialogue first, as it's coming quickly to me, and then go back and fill in dialogue tags and description. I also love the ideation phase. I love coming up with ideas and figuring out logical ways to connect bits of canon and bring an idea to life, especially if the idea is unusual or a bit out-there.

Ask me fic writer asks

[alicepao13]

Hudson and Rex S02E17 - The Graveyard Shift - PART B

Well, I'm not even in the middle of the episode yet. I'm scared.

Mankiewicz: "That's what I like about you, Hudson. Cheeky. Even under the most challenging of circumstances". Makes me think that none of the criminals in St. John's are professionals, because cheekiness in this situation would normally get one pistol whipped.

Dude has thought of everything. Too bad that Rex is a superdog.

I can't believe they had the forethought to back everything up and then instead of locking the flash drive in a secure location, they left it with Jesse!

He really, really shouldn't. Nor should he expose it to extreme weather temperatures.

Rex: Second time, only tonight. I want a raise.

Poor Charlie. But I love Mankiewicz's sadistic streak.

"I could never hurt a dog". Why would Mankiewicz reveal that? Also, I don't think Kai over there has the same sensitivity.

I want it on record that Rex was the one to hatch the plan for them to escape. At least the camera work and editing are showing that.

Kommissar Rex adaptation. That tracks.

So how come not one of the police officers recognized any of Mankiewicz's posse? Most of these guys must be in the system and a lot of them must have been arrested by this precinct, right?

I think this is the smartest Charlie has ever been in six seasons. I might call him a himbo sometimes but I have to give credit where credit is due. And they're actually showing us instead of telling us. Bravo.

lol they're trying the flash drives one by one. This will take a while, boys.

I'm sorry, Joe heard a voice that sounded like Charlie but said about Jesse, "His girl is about to dump him" and he didn't get suspicious? Since when would Charlie be so mean when talking about Jesse? Also, I thought the point of this phone call was to get Joe suspicious but that's not what happened.

There's no time for that!

Not the paperclip again!

I bet this is a trick he mainly uses when he's avoiding bath time.

The next part needs a heavy dose of suspension of disbelief, as Rex pulls the fire alarm to get the doors to open.

Rex: Argh, why can't humans understand me?

Well, she snatched the flash drive from Jesse with three cops watching and no one realized.

Okay, we do not need any more of Charlie's weaknesses in that building. But for my own enjoyment, go ahead.

If I was Sarah, I'd definitely have a couple of questions about what exactly Charlie has been telling about her to criminals.

Well, of course she'd say that.

Charlie: Can I get a fucking break?

I love this line! It's my favorite line in the entire show. The sass!

And of course he came. Is there a universe where he wouldn't?

Sassy couple of hostages lol

"Let her go". Why didn't you negotiate before? Now you have no bargaining chip. They already have all three of you. Okay, maybe he didn't have time to think things through because Mankiewicz said, "I'm killing Sarah in ten seconds". Fair.

"Doing a solid for my pal Charlie."

"You okay?" Ever since she started working in this precinct with you, probably not.

When Mankiewicz started leaving with Rex I'd seriously wondered if this was a two-parter.

"What do you mean, go with him? You go with him!"

Oh, now we're unlocking police cuffs with a paperclip.

Even more unrealistic part of the plot. While supposedly the criminals had been hatching this plan for sometime and we can assume they've gotten samples of Charlie's voice from various sources (the guy had already given one tv and one podcast interview that we saw), Jesse is now using Morgan's voice. Which he got from... where?

Rex: Ah, finally, I get to bite the dirtbag.

me when I watched the first time: Who could this boot belong to? (We don't get to see their shoes much.)

"Jesse, the hug was real". Shoo, Morgan. We don't accept ladies with criminal record who just fooled us.

Small praise from Joe to Jesse. Give the boy some encouragement.

"My heartbreak is the department's gain". lol

Well, that baby bump must have gotten huge, judging by the size of that box.

"Will Charlie join the festivities?" "In a bit. Something he needs to do". You mean gloat to Mankiewicz? If that guy ever escapes, he's coming for us hard. Hopefully.

Oh, please. It's all over your face.

For now. Only partner for now.

Rex: I'm so tired of hearing your voice *slams door*

Oh that's why Charlie went. For the cool shot in the end.

Well, I always have fun watching this episode. There's a lot to enjoy and few to grumble about. Also, I want Mankiewicz to come back and do an altered version of this https://archiveofourown.org/works/37336006/chapters/93163204

Altered because Charah is now canon.

Well, looks like I managed to keep it under 60 screenshots.

[thankstothe]

aw, they're so stupid <3

[woodsfae]

Babylon 5 s02e17: Knives S02 Table of Contents • previous episode

They have the space for an entire baseball field, but the hydroponics is so starved for space that one single coffee plant is wildly against regulations and is a secret passed from Laurel (my beloved) to Susan (also my beloved)?

Love the scary stories of the Down Below. It's deeply weird, though, how Garibaldi continues to be a voice of reason to Sheridan. Good character work, I guess, and I like Garibaldi a bit better the further into the season I get.

There are so many strange details thrown at us about various characters, and it definitely makes them feel more real Londo and Vir are very into Centauri opera. Of course they are, hah. This Centauri has a funny 'do. Is it shorter because he's more srs? His general look seems to be of a different style than Londo, and is reminiscent of a western casual, gentleman or scholarly look of the later 19th century.

Of course Sheridan went Down Below alone right after Garibaldi said that was a bad idea, and of course he found a corpse-turned-assailant-turned-corpse-again immediately.

Corpse reviving temporarily kills comms! Interesting!

Garibaldi: "Maybe next time you'll listen when I tell you not to do something. Sir."

lmao.

Dead Alien was staying in the Markab Sector, but was found in the Grey Sector, Down Below.

Fingers crossed for a Sheridan Gets Possessed By A Ghost episode.

Cute, Centauri war criminal nicknames.

Cool and creepy eye effect! Invisible Space Dinosaur called a Grylor!! This is great.

Forensics say the murdered alien actually bashed his own skull in and died of suicide. Seems unlikely.

Awww, Londo is still hung up on Adira from season one.

Londo: "The Centauri have bowed to the whims of other races for too long. Now we will show the galaxy our true spirit. Beginning with those, those, thrice-damned Narns."

Translation: "It sucks that we reined in some of our slave-empire colonization due to pressure from races who didn't like the violent, murdering colonizing. It's good to be back at it."

Huh, old war buddy is against the war and didn't want to see the Narns forced into military conflict. And doesn't realize he's talking to the guy who helped orchestrate all of it. Londo was either the best or the worst person to come to for help when your house is about to be disgraced. Idk which way Londo's going to jump or how this is going to land. On the one hand, Londo could chuck his old friend under the bus for his own gain. Or he could really save this guy's political reputation.

Of course Londo has a portrait of himself in his quarters. That's giving him some serious side-eye.

Susan Ivanova!!

Sheridan: "Commander. Everything in order?" Ivanova: "Remarkably so. It's beginning to worry me." Sheridan: "Do you always worry when things are going well?" Ivanova: "I don't have time to when they're not."

Sheridan gets more, fun, hallucinations! This is definitely normal and not something he should report to Dr Franklin. Anna keeps coming up which feeds my theory that she's still alive.

Oh, he did go report it to Franklin! Good move. Smartypants. Franklin is amusingly dismissive of this.

Dr Franklin: "Well, anyone wiling to command Babylon 5 has got to be slightly insane, but I don't think you're ready for the asylum just yet."

LMAO. What's a little hallucination or four compared to how nuts you have to be to take this job voluntarily?

Oh, interesting. The Markab sector is named after a people also called Markab?

Dr Franklin: "I'm also prescribing a mild sedative. I want you to relax and enjoy yourself - that is an order!"

aka, here's some oxys, go nuts?

Extremely cutthroat Centauri politics perfectly punctuated by Vir, here:

"You know, on rare occasions, I am proud to be your attache."

hah! He really is gaining in confidence.

Ahhh the Markab went through sector 14, which has been restricted since B4 disappeared and briefly re-appeared. dun dun dun!

I wonder if JMS realized that Garibaldi was wholly unlikable and shifted the writing for his character intentionally. Every time he's on screen the last few episodes, I find him easier and easier to like. Or maybe his relapse into alcoholism and subsequent recovery really shook some sense into him? He's funny and endearing now, in a way he wasn't for me since the pilot, The Gathering.

Centauri party. Always a good time to cringe out of my skin. Nothing has happened yet, but there's plenty of time left in the episode for it.

Of course the very person Londo went to for help is the one that has been trying to wreck the Laddo house. And of course Londo didn't know. He's so smug in his great political knowledge and power, but he ignored Centauri politics until something piques his interest and then he acts without knowing the details.

Vocator Laddo: "You cannot build an empire based on slaughter and deceit!"

well, actually I think that's the only way to build an empire and collect that much power, but you gotta start somewhere.

Death match!! Can't wait.

More possession and hallucinations for Sheridan!

Vir: "Disgrace is preferable to death!" Londo: "There was a time when I would agree with you! That time has passed." Vir: "Londo, this is insane!" Londo: "Insanity is part of the times! It's time to embrace the madness, let it fire you."

Maybe that really is the key. Or maybe I shouldn't take advice from Londo Mollari.

Sheridan and Garibaldi are heading to the restricted Sector 14!

Urza Laddo is much better at sword fighting than Londo is. But since I'm pretty sure Londo is in this show for the long run, this can't end with him being dead.

Garibaldi snagged Sheridan's ship, but did he get Sheridan's mind? This sector really does have some janky phenomena going on.

Damn, setting yourself up to be killed by one of your oldest friends so your family doesn't get disgraced by your political opponents is a move.

Sheridan's mind did come back with him, but he did leave behind a consciousness which wanted to be taken home. Weirdness abounds on B5!

House Laddo is no more, and its members are now House Mollari and under Londo's direct protection. That's an interesting cultural mechanism to make sure that people don't go into death matches too lightly. If you win, you get a whole fuckload of new dependents! I could also see people doing that to gain power over particular dependents, though.

Londo: "I have made many choices lately, Vir. And for the first time, I am not sure those choices were right." Vir, tired of being the Jiminy Cricket to the worlds' worst Pinocchio: "Then perhaps some good has come out of this tragedy! It's not too late to make some good choices." Londo buying into the Sunk Cost Fallacy: "No, the blood is already on my hands. Right or wrong, I must follow the path to its end."

It's a real bummer that killing one of his oldest and dearest friends isn't enough to make Londo actually change some of what he's up to or to second-guess some aspects of Centauri culture..

next episode

[therighthandofvengeance]

Just Some of Ivanova & Sheridan’s Peak Sibling Moments in The Coming of Shadows

POINTS OF DEPARTURE [S02E01]:

“You were never worried about being diplomatic before. Don’t disappoint me by starting now.”

REVELATIONS [S02E02]:

“He’s [President Clark] on Gold Channel One; wants to speak to you. Unless you’d like me to have him call you back later—” “Ivanova.”

A DISTANT STAR [S02E04]:

“Why don’t you take a break?” “Why don’t you? …Sir.”

THE LONG DARK [S02E05]:

“You got a plan?” “Just try not to get killed.” “Brilliant.”

SPIDER IN THE WEB [S02E06]:

“You know how I feel about telepaths.” “[Scoffing] Do I ever. You threw one out of a third-story window on Io.” “There was an ample pool below the window.” “I’ll assume you knew that.”

SOUL MATES [S02E07]:

“And lastly, the party honoring Ambassador Mollari’s day of ascension is tonight. All attendees must be barefoot.” “Barefoot?” “Barefoot.”

A RACE THROUGH DARK PLACES [S02E08]:

“Were you like this when you were married?” “Huh? Yeah.” “The woman was a saint.” “Well, at least I’m an intelligent life form, according to the Minbari.”

“You snore.” “No, I don’t.” “Yes, you do.” “No, I don’t.” “Captain, either you snore or last night we had a hell of a breach in the hull.”

THE COMING OF SHADOWS [S02E09]:

“If it’s true, they won’t want that information to get out.” “What information? All we have here is supposition.” “Sheridan’s rule #29: Always make your opponent think you know more than you really know.”

ALL ALONE IN THE NIGHT [S02E11]:

“Now, this is more like it.” “Now, Captain—” “Yes, Commander?” “If you continue this behavior, you’ll just make the other pilots feel inadequate.” “Spoilsport.” “What was that, Captain? You’re breaking up.” “Nothing, Commander.”

THERE ALL THE HONOR LIES [S02E14]:

“That’s why I’m putting you in charge to oversee this gift shop— which, I might add, is only a test at this point.” “Why me? I hate this whole idea!” “Exactly! I’m counting on you to focus that hostility with your typical diligence to make sure that this station and its inhabitants are in no way, as you so correctly put it, demeaned.”

“—And the Centauri government will not tolerate such insults!” [Ivanova grabs the doll.] “Well, it’s just a doll. It wasn’t even made by us. Look at the tag, it’s probably been made by somebody down in the bazaar.” “It’s a mockery. It doesn’t even have any, uh— attributes.” “Attributes?” [Sheridan stands up and grabs the doll from Ivanova.] “Do I have to spell it out for you?” “I see, so you feel like you’re being symbolically cast… in a bad light.” “Well put. Ivanova, have all of these dolls removed at once, please.” “Yes, sir.”

“Uh, Commander— how goes the Babylon 5 store?” “Most interesting.” “Aha! You know, I was thinking this might work out after all. We could use the extra money to defray operating expenses.” [Sheridan looks down at the teddy bear Ivanova is holding.] “What is that?” “Hmm. Take a look.” [Sheridan chuckles.] “Bab-bear-lon 5? Oh, he’s a cutie, isn’t he?” “Oh, yeah.” “J.S.?” “John Sheridan.” “Jo— oh. This is supposed to be me?” “Yeah.” “Ah! I want it off my station. I want them all off my station. I want the whole store yanked out, boxed up, and shipped out by 0800 tomorrow. Is that clear?” “I’ll get right on it.” “Um…” [Sheridan takes the stuffed animal back.]

KNIVES [S02E17]:

“Commander. Everything in order?” “Remarkably so. It’s beginning to worry me.” “Oh, you always worry when things are going well?” “I don’t have time to worry about them when they’re not.”

“Delta I, why are you prepping for launch? Delta I, please respond. This is Commander Ivanova.” “Ivanova, this is Sheridan.” “Captain? What are you doing?” “Just going out for a little spin. There is no need to worry. I’ll be back before you know it. [To himself] I hope.”

DIVIDED LOYALTIES [S02E19]:

“Comments, anyone?” “Does the phrase ‘No way in hell,’ ring a bell?”

[allelitewrestlings]

Orange Cassidy AEW Collision • May 18, 2024

[adultswim2021]

Metalocalypse #37: “Dethrecord” | September 1, 2008 - 12:00AM | S02E17

Fairly simple episode about Dethklok experiencing crunchtime. The deadline for their new album is approaching fast, and the world may unravel if they are not successful. So we see little vignettes of the band attempting to record, experiencing setbacks, etc.

Everyone has a little spotlight here and there, each member performing their parts and it usually going wrong to some degree. Pickles gets annoyed that the band demands perfection on his drum tracks while the rest of the band enjoy French toast. Skwisgaar has to be airborne to record is guitar parts because it’s the only way they can stop an annoying buzz coming through. Nathan Explosion does something.

I was pretty underwhelmed with this episode at first. It was pretty by-the-numbers, and nothing felt too heavy stakes-wise. The humor was just okay. The best subplot in the episode wound up being Toki and Murderface’s. They are shut out of the song-writing process, so they go off and record their own song about “takin’ it easy”. As they nervously play it for the rest of the band, hoping for them to okay it’s inclusion on the record, we get a weird music video that seems to express Toki and Murderface’s warped concept of “takin’ it easy”, which somehow includes a lot of apocalyptic imagery. The scene ends with the band bickering, and Toki threatening to throw a basket of warm towels onto Murderface. This was the funniest scene in the episode by far, and it made the whole thing worth it.

They are clearly ramping up to the next episode, which is another one of their thirty minuters that they are FREAKING OBSESSED with making. But this one feels less like a good standalone episode of the show as much as it’s just an advertisement for the season finale. 

EPHEMERA CORNER

MAIL BAG

would you have sex with virginia madsen if she flew out you and a buddy out to an all-inclusive resort

I have a question: is virginia madsen a woman with a vagina. and an the buddy be my dad

lol ur definitely not easy pussy bro, never been more sure of my life

MMmmmm maybe you wanna ask virginia mastatdon about that

ACAB includes CORBS

That's why it's good when they get blasted! SEE IT'S A GOOD SKETCH

where's your favorite place to unwind that is not your home?you don't have to get too specific if you need to protect your location/idenity.

Very obvious: the video store. Or library, or thrift store or any place that has books or movies to browse. Legit was having a meltdown while I was driving the other day because I got too pissed off by mistake, and I pulled over and went into a thrift store and bought a Denls Leary DVD for a dollar and it immediately relaxed me. Also: seeing old movies at the theater, it's nice! Thank you for the NICE question

CORBS is astounding! Maybe the best summer camp piece of media ever.

MEAN. You are being mean about me calling M*A*S*H a summer camp movie on my letterboxd. It was even remade as Meatballs years later.

I think the ground just shook, and everywhere you look, all you see is CORBS

The scene in Billion Dollar Movie where Erik is jacketting off in bed next to Tim but then it cuts to a wideshot and the bed's legs collapse, momentarily jostling them in a brief freefall to the floor

[ao3feed-spirk]

ad astra cum amore (to the stars with love.)

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/51414661 by Sylvesterthecrow He enters the apartment building quietly under the light of the moon and the buzz of the street lights, heading down the hall and carefully approaching their small shared apartment. Their shared apartment: He and Spocks, no one else's. The idea would have seemed so far out of reach to the version of him that got marooned here months ago. Even though he had woken up beside the man hours prior like it was normal routine it still hadn't seemed entirely normal. But it simply was normal routine after all these months stranded here on this planet with nothing but one another. --- TLDR: Spock and Kirk 1920s domestic fluff based on a Tumblr headcanon I saw on Pinterest Words: 1089, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Original Series Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: M/M Characters: James T. Kirk, Spock (Star Trek) Relationships: James T. Kirk/Spock Additional Tags: Canon Compliant, If You Squint - Freeform, Cuddling & Snuggling, Sharing a Bed, "only one bed" except there isn't really, Domestic Fluff, episode: s02e17 A Piece of the Action, 1920s, Mentally Married, Subtext, Vulcan Kisses (Star Trek) read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/51414661

[dr-futbol-blog]

Coup d'État, Pt. 1

The Genii return for the first time since the first season in Coup d'État (S02E17), and as we can already see in the "Previously on..." recap, the episode connects to the previous encounters of the Lanteans with them in Underground (S01E07), The Storm (S01E10)/The Eye (S01E11), The Brotherhood (S01E16) and The Siege (S01E20). In the recap we are also reminded of the role of McKay's safety in motivating Sheppard, how the events of the Genii raid of Atlantis had caused Sheppard to withdraw and seek the companionship of Weir to protect himself from his overpowering fear of loss of the man that he loves, and finally what a devastating effect Sheppard's decision to sacrifice his life for them at the end of the season had on McKay. We are meant to recall all of these things as lingering in the background as we watch the episode unfold. The recap finishes with an atom bomb, fixed up by McKay and delivered by Sheppard, going off above Atlantis, symbolizing the effect the events of the first season had on both Sheppard and McKay, individually and together.

We start the episode on the planet of the week, the team following a female scientist originally of SG-12 that had actually been up for Daniel Jackson's replacement once upon a time. Now in Pegasus, Dr. Lindsay has apparently accompanied Lorne's team on a mission as an Anthropologist, and given that we have previously seen Lorne out with the Botanist Dr. Parrish, it suggests that the other teams do not have a resident scientist like Sheppard's team and that they rotate, taking with them the scientist best suited for the mission (or they accompany which ever scientist needs them for a mission). This tells us that while Sheppard may have considered Caldwell's improvements to the team rosters following Conversion (S02E08), his own team remained the exception. He was never going to give McKay up because McKay was not the team scientist to him, he was a valued member of his team that he has personally trained for field work, as we are later reminded.

Sheppard: How much further? Lindsay: Just around this next corner. Teyla: When was the last time you had any contact with them?

We find the team following Dr. Lindsay through a dimly lit corridor, Sheppard at the helm. The thing to note is that this is not the mission of Sheppard and his team. They are here as re-enforcements, they had been called on short notice to come deliver back-up and assistance to Lorne's team that had been under fire. They were coming in hot. Note that while Sheppard has the lead and he is clearly in a hurry to get to their destination, he is not offering his body as a human shield to Dr. Lindsay and this scene is later paralleled with Sheppard walking in a narrow corridor with McKay. McKay, on the other hand, is snuggly placed between Teyla and Ronon, the latter keeping the rear. Sheppard sounds impatient, which is understandable considering that some of his men are seem to be in trouble. There is purpose to his steps and determination in his posture, he has not come here to play around.

Lindsay: They came under fire about half an hour ago. The major told me to head to the gate and radio for back-up. I haven't heard from him since. Dex: They were under fire and you didn't head back to help? Lindsay: Major Lorne told me to stay by the gate. Sheppard: You did the right thing.

Dr. Lindsay is there to display the difference between McKay and most of the scientists, and as someone who has been a part of the Stargate programme almost as long as he has, she makes a good foil for him. Dr. Lindsay is timid and while she is not new to field work, it is clear that her role in her teams has been very different from McKay's. Just like Lorne had done with Dr. Parrish, he seemed now to have been protective of his scientist and had sent her away when the going got tough with the excuse that she was to get back-up, getting help taking her back near the gate. Ronon sounds incredulous as he listens to her recount of the events, and this tells us that he has developed more than a begrudging respect for McKay over time, that he has come to appreciate what makes McKay a worthy team member. Ronon seems to think that McKay would have come back for them if he had been put in a similar situation as Dr. Lindsay, that McKay would not have been able to just listen to them get shot without doing something. Ronon has watched McKay do everything in his power to save Sheppard (and others, including himself) many times.

Sheppard tells her that she did the right thing, and he might mean that she was following protocol. If Lorne had told her to stay by the gate and radio for help, she had fulfilled her duty. Sheppard may also think that she had done the right thing in making sure that she was safe, as an invaluable member of the expedition. The military members are meant to keep her out of trouble, to protect her. That is what they are there to do. But while Sheppard might think the same about McKay, that McKay's safety is his top priority (and we have seen that this is true again and again), what Sheppard tells Dr. Lindsay here is striking for the fact that during this episode Sheppard speaks to McKay in a cavalier, almost uncaring and definitely uncharacteristic manner, even seeming to personally place him in danger, and this sudden change in his disposition toward McKay requires an explanation. Only in the previous episode we had seen Sheppard give McKay his own gun, and now in this episode he is treating McKay like he was just another Dr. Lindsay, trying almost too hard to make it seem like he is not concerned for McKay's safety. This is definitely one of those whip-lash episodes that make people think that Sheppard does not even like McKay, only barely tolerates him.

Lindsay: Oh my God. Sheppard: Is that the building they were in? McKay: Well, shouldn't there be villagers? Why aren't they trying to put out the fire? Dex: The fire's out. That's just steam and smoke.

Dr. Lindsay comes to a halt as she views the smoking ruins of a building that she had only just vacated, freezing in place. The others stop advancing as she is no longer moving forward, and note how McKay takes up a position standing right behind Sheppard. Sheppard asks her a question and she seems unable to speak, only nodding to him in response. She is in shock and clearly frightened, wringing her hands together.

McKay asks an insightful question that they should have spent more time thinking about because it is odd that none of the villagers are around when it had only been half an hour since Lorne and his team had come under fire. If the villagers had come together to put out the fire, it is doubtful each and every one of them would have just returned to their houses and gone to bed; there should have been some commotion around the place. But no one has really time to stop to think about it and because Ronon offers up an explanation that seems feasible enough, they drop McKay's line of questioning.

What Ronon says is also allegorical -- when there is a fire, even if we cannot see the fire itself, we can tell by the effects that there has been one. It is through the steam and smoke caused by the fire that we have to look for to know that there has been one. The fire in the allegory is Sheppard and McKay's relationship, revealed to us only through the steam and smoke. And their fire may seem like it is out at this time but it is still smouldering and we will shortly see it fanned into an inferno.

Sheppard: Let's take a look. You stay here with Lindsay. McKay: Right, sure! Oh, and hey -- if you hear gunfire, just know that that's me holding back our attackers all on my own, huh?

Sheppard heads inside and tells McKay to stay back "with" Lindsay, the implication being that he wants him to stay and watch over her because she was so visibly frightened that taking her inside would not be a good idea. Note that when Sheppard says "you" here, he does not have to specify who he means because most often when he is talking, he is talking to McKay. He only glances back at him briefly, needing no more than that to communicate this to McKay. And McKay sounds indignant as he feels like he is left behind, just like we saw him frequently feel in the beginning of the season e.g., in Runner (S02E03) and Instinct (S02E07). It is not the baby-sitting duty that bothers him but the fact that Sheppard once more makes him feel unchosen, like he is extraneous to the team, like Sheppard does not need him, like maybe he thinks McKay is not fit for field work.

And note that McKay also seems to feel more secure when he is with Sheppard than when he is left alone, and so he would rather follow Sheppard into hell's gate than have to stay in some safe space waiting for him to come back from danger, so being left alone also makes him feel insecure in more than one way when all of this is pretty much the opposite of what Sheppard intends with his actions. Although Sheppard tells him to stay with Lindsay, his real reason for telling McKay to stay back is likely that he does not know what they are walking into, only that there had been a firefight here only half an hour ago. He does not want to risk taking McKay inside when he knows he will be unable to clear the area, and so he uses the excuse of Dr. Lindsay for McKay to stay behind and feel useful, and to show him that he trusts him to keep her safe. Given that she is a part of his science corps, she really should be his responsibility too.

But Sheppard's ruse does not work because McKay does not spend one moment thinking about Dr. Lindsay's safety, only how he feels slighted being left behind. McKay follows them for several steps, hissing words after Sheppard, trying to make him understand that it may be just as dangerous to leave them outside and that they should all stick together. He does not care what dangers await them as long as they are together. And it is important to note that Sheppard does this here because there is a marked difference between this moment and what happens later on in the episode, after he finds what he thinks is Lorne, dead. Sheppard is protective of McKay here, he is making sure that nothing befalls him even accidentally. Something in Sheppard changes when they return from the planet.

Dr. Lindsay follows McKay as he tries to get in the last word at Sheppard's backside, and we may note that she is a cute if timid scientist that resembles McKay and if McKay was into women, while she is not the type that he claims to fancy, she is actually the kind of woman that he might be paired up with. If they had wanted to introduce an actual female love interest for him rather than Katie Brown (who is always used to show us how Sheppard is the better choice, and of whom we have seen neither hair nor hide since McKay had been forced to have dinner with her against his will), it would have been someone like her.

But note that McKay pays her no attention whatsoever, his only glance at her meant to check for her reaction to his interaction with Sheppard, to see what she thought about their perfectly professional and collegial exchange that is normal talk between a CO and a member of his team and definitely not the back-and-forth of two people in an intimate relationship. It is impossible to say whether the two of them even know each other, if they have even met before this moment, because there is no familiarity between them. Dr. Lindsay has been a part of the SG programme for a long enough time that McKay should be familiar with her, and yet he only has attention for Sheppard. But as soon as he has come to grips with the fact that this is where he is now, McKay cocks his gun and takes his task seriously. If this is what Sheppard wants him to do, this is what he is going to do. He is keeping watch.

Teyla: A fire like this would have burned the whole village if someone had not dealt with it. Dex: Somebody put it out. They just don't wanna stick around to talk about it. It's not safe to be up here. Sheppard: Thanks for that! Ah, I got something.

The rest of the team enter the burned building, and Teyla and Ronon continue trying to figure out what had happened here, seeming to actually continue McKay's line of questioning that they should have followed up on. There is debris falling down and Ronon makes the observation that it is not safe for them to be inside, being that he is protective of Sheppard, and we may note that Sheppard's response to him is uncharacteristically cranky. It is rarely that Sheppard would give this kind of eye-rolling responses to Ronon and his concerns. He says "thanks" but in a clearly sarcastic tone, sounding almost irascible, and it is unlikely that this is even caused by Ronon or by anything Ronon said. What he says is true, and pointing it out is not stupid or redundant.

In saying this, Ronon is also confirming the fact that it had been his safety concern that had led Sheppard to leaving McKay on the outside. He had suspected that it would not be safe inside, and he had been correct, so not allowing McKay to accompany them inside had been the right call. It was not that he would not have trusted McKay to be cautious inside a newly burned building but that he himself had one less thing to worry about as long as McKay was not with them, was not in danger of having a beam fall on top of him. It is not entirely clear what is eating Sheppard, but it is possible that he does not want to be reminded of what is safe and what is not safe at the moment, the accumulated weight of recent events weighing him down.

Sheppard: Damn it! Dex: What? Sheppard: Dog tags. These are Lorne's.

Sheppard stumbles onto the burned remains of a man and kneels down to take a closer look, finding USAF dog tags on the corpse. He picks them up using his knife and reads Lorne's name on them, and while his reaction is understated, this seems to affect him deeply.

Lorne had probably been the very first soldier that Sheppard had picked up for the mission personally following his promotion, Lorne getting his old job, and he was Sheppard's second in command. What ever their personal relationship, Lorne symbolizes a lot of things for Sheppard and now, having to come to the conclusion that they had been too late to save someone serving under him, someone that had been his responsibility, someone that he had sent on this planet as his commanding officer, it is a real blow to him. We see Sheppard look at what they think is Lorne's burned body in silence for a long time, obviously having some deep dark existential thoughts about it. And everything that happens in the episode is coloured by this, by Sheppard thinking that Lorne had died because he was too late to save him, reminding him not just of McKay's mortality but also of his own. His men were dead, and it was on him. He had sent these men to their deaths.

Continued in Pt. 2