![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenayFirst, the fun:
Elizabeth, I may be falling just the teensiest bit inlust love.
Really fun episode :-) Between Evil!Elizabeth with mad fighting skill, some seriously slashy Teyla/Weir moments and some lovely Rodney moments ("I wasn't against it from the start!" "Oh, yes, so you were..."), I really enjoyed this episode. Absolutely adored Elizabeth's expression and sink down the bed in the closing shot :-))
It was yet another episode where I had no problem with the Sheppard kissing someone who ain't Rodney thing, which was suprising because this was Sheppard kissing Elizabeth. Except it was not!Sheppard kissing not!Elizabeth and the reaction shot for Rodney can be interpreted all kinds of fun ways :-)
But really, it was Elizabeth's mad fighting skillz. I was hoping to see a full Elizabeth-Teyla showdown, but they denied me that tiny gem. It has, uh, sparked a teeny plot bunny. Damn them.
Even Ronon sees it, although his "I know how Sheppard thinks, I haven't a clue how she thinks" as his reason for sending Teyla after not!Elizabeth could just as easily be intepreted in a Ronon/Weir sort of way.
Which is one of the reasons why I'm adoring my slashy, shiny show - so many things to intepret and so far nobody attempting to force us into an accepted intpretation. I'm really hoping that they keep it that way because it's so much more fun for us fans *g*
At the other end of the spectrum, something much more serious.
I've been working my way through the DVDs of this show, feeling both relieved and surprised to find that it's every bit as good as I remembered. It's a children's show from the late 80s/early 90s, but it really does stand up perfectly well now that I'm an adult. In fact, I'd say that in many ways it's superior to many of the adult shows currently airing. It's set in a children's newspaper - the main characters are 16 or 17 and the actors playing them aren't actually much older. There's a lot of very good acting in this show.
Press Gang was always a show that could have me laughing like a drain most of the way through and completely absorbed in the storylines - some serious, some very funny. What it did that many Brit adult shows still struggle with is move between the humour and serious stuff easily, rather in the way that Buffy could (but with less vampires).
The reason that I'm picking out this episode is that I actually ended up in tears this evening at the end. Every now and again, Press Gang did an episode about a serious issue and managed to do it without preaching. Something Terrible is about child sexual abuse, made at a time when it was rarely talked about on childrens's shows. They took one of the least likely characters imaginable, gave him a rare sympathetic role (that somehow fitted because of the way they did it) and produced a two-part episode that forced me to keep watching despite my promise to only watch one episode in a go. No, it's not one of the regular characters who is abused and the storyline is affecting because of the way the events affect him. It's a powerful piece of television, definitely more than I expected from a kid's show made at that time.
The thing is that there is no "hey, this is gonna be a serious episode" treatment - plenty of laugh out loud moments in the first episode and even the second episode has its moments of humour. It's the kind of thing that creeps up on you and knocks you out, leaving you in tears at the end and then laughing at the (surprisingly appropriate) chatter during the closing credits.
If anyone out there has been seeing tapes or DVDs of Press Gang and dismissing it as kids stuff, give it a try because it really is good TV. Alternatively, you can buy the entire lot from Amazon.co.uk or Play.com *g*
I had a small revelation during the Atlantis episode tonight. The John/Rodney relationship (one might even say, courtship) rather echoes the Spike/Linda relationship in Press Gang and that may explain why I enjoy it so much - that combination of funny, UST in spades and a prickly character versus a super laid-back character seems to be what I look for in a ship, no matter the fandom or gender. Huh.
Elizabeth, I may be falling just the teensiest bit in
Really fun episode :-) Between Evil!Elizabeth with mad fighting skill, some seriously slashy Teyla/Weir moments and some lovely Rodney moments ("I wasn't against it from the start!" "Oh, yes, so you were..."), I really enjoyed this episode. Absolutely adored Elizabeth's expression and sink down the bed in the closing shot :-))
It was yet another episode where I had no problem with the Sheppard kissing someone who ain't Rodney thing, which was suprising because this was Sheppard kissing Elizabeth. Except it was not!Sheppard kissing not!Elizabeth and the reaction shot for Rodney can be interpreted all kinds of fun ways :-)
But really, it was Elizabeth's mad fighting skillz. I was hoping to see a full Elizabeth-Teyla showdown, but they denied me that tiny gem. It has, uh, sparked a teeny plot bunny. Damn them.
Even Ronon sees it, although his "I know how Sheppard thinks, I haven't a clue how she thinks" as his reason for sending Teyla after not!Elizabeth could just as easily be intepreted in a Ronon/Weir sort of way.
Which is one of the reasons why I'm adoring my slashy, shiny show - so many things to intepret and so far nobody attempting to force us into an accepted intpretation. I'm really hoping that they keep it that way because it's so much more fun for us fans *g*
At the other end of the spectrum, something much more serious.
I've been working my way through the DVDs of this show, feeling both relieved and surprised to find that it's every bit as good as I remembered. It's a children's show from the late 80s/early 90s, but it really does stand up perfectly well now that I'm an adult. In fact, I'd say that in many ways it's superior to many of the adult shows currently airing. It's set in a children's newspaper - the main characters are 16 or 17 and the actors playing them aren't actually much older. There's a lot of very good acting in this show.
Press Gang was always a show that could have me laughing like a drain most of the way through and completely absorbed in the storylines - some serious, some very funny. What it did that many Brit adult shows still struggle with is move between the humour and serious stuff easily, rather in the way that Buffy could (but with less vampires).
The reason that I'm picking out this episode is that I actually ended up in tears this evening at the end. Every now and again, Press Gang did an episode about a serious issue and managed to do it without preaching. Something Terrible is about child sexual abuse, made at a time when it was rarely talked about on childrens's shows. They took one of the least likely characters imaginable, gave him a rare sympathetic role (that somehow fitted because of the way they did it) and produced a two-part episode that forced me to keep watching despite my promise to only watch one episode in a go. No, it's not one of the regular characters who is abused and the storyline is affecting because of the way the events affect him. It's a powerful piece of television, definitely more than I expected from a kid's show made at that time.
The thing is that there is no "hey, this is gonna be a serious episode" treatment - plenty of laugh out loud moments in the first episode and even the second episode has its moments of humour. It's the kind of thing that creeps up on you and knocks you out, leaving you in tears at the end and then laughing at the (surprisingly appropriate) chatter during the closing credits.
If anyone out there has been seeing tapes or DVDs of Press Gang and dismissing it as kids stuff, give it a try because it really is good TV. Alternatively, you can buy the entire lot from Amazon.co.uk or Play.com *g*
I had a small revelation during the Atlantis episode tonight. The John/Rodney relationship (one might even say, courtship) rather echoes the Spike/Linda relationship in Press Gang and that may explain why I enjoy it so much - that combination of funny, UST in spades and a prickly character versus a super laid-back character seems to be what I look for in a ship, no matter the fandom or gender. Huh.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 09:45 pm (UTC)And I agree about the hard hitting episodes, what with this one, and the one with glue sniffing, and guns, and drugs, and suicide and yes...
All we needed was a teen pregnancy and there's the profile of any secondary school right there ::g::
Plus, love me some Colin. Bunny suit!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-16 09:08 am (UTC)Colin is...oh, god, the bunny suit almost killed me :-) Just... And the Pings. Those clothes. The financial books. The complete inability to by-pass a bargain, even bad ones.
The bunny suit!
And Frazz. For some reason I have a soft spot for Frazz. So completely clueless and not great with the thinking, but in a really funny and strangely endearing way.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-15 10:11 pm (UTC)I loved the arguing about Rodney and Caldwell, as well.
This is the episode that sparked a whole big shipper thing over at Gateworld, as Shep/Weir shippers interpreted the kiss as the aliens doing it because their hosts wanted to, and the Shep/Teyla shippers interpreting the alien's comment near the end as he's in love with her. And then they apparently congratulated each other.
It is quite cool that there have now been three separate kisses between major characters and in none of them were both characters themselves.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-16 09:21 am (UTC)I adored all of this. It all looked very cool - I love pacifist Elizabeth, but seeing her stalk the hallways of Atlantis armed to the teeth made me grin rather a lot. Although I would have thought that Lorne would have spotted the incongruity of Elizabeth with a gun and twigged that she was lying about not being the alien...
And then they apparently congratulated each other.
This fandom is pretty cool :-) The episode had moments for every major ship and slash pairing and nobody seems to be killing each other over them. Plus we can still read anything we want into it :-)
It is quite cool that there have now been three separate kisses between major characters and in none of them were both characters themselves.
*nods* Very cool - despite a few rough moments, this season has been very great and fantastic for fannish adoration type stuff.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-16 09:57 am (UTC)And taking out a whole group of marines with her bare hands really quickly. That was very cool. I'd be interested to see if she's learned any techniques from it.
This fandom is pretty cool :-)
If strange. The whole congratulating each other thing is definitely a bit weird.
The episode had moments for every major ship and slash pairing
I checked back in my blog and at the time I spotted:
Caldwell/Weir, McKay/Weir, McKay/Sheppard, John/Teyla, Carson/Rodney(!), Teyla/Ronon, John/Ronon, Weir/Lorne
Although in hindsight I feel sure there was also Liz/Ronon and Caldwell/Rodney, if you want to look at it that way.
And the coolest part of the whole episode was Carson asking for a torch - I thought the other guys just thought he was mad, I forgot they don't call it that!
no subject
Date: 2006-02-17 11:23 am (UTC)*ahem* Kinda have a plot bunny biting my ankles for that idea...
Although in hindsight I feel sure there was also Liz/Ronon and Caldwell/Rodney, if you want to look at it that way.
I absolutely spotted the Liz/Ronon at the time and on reflection, the Caldwell/Rodney is definitely workable. Plus all the other ships that you mentioned. It's like...they're giving shout outs to all of us deluded people, even though I know it's not intentional, and trying not to isolate any one ship as the True Ship :-)
And the coolest part of the whole episode was Carson asking for a torch - I thought the other guys just thought he was mad, I forgot they don't call it that!
That bit was just.... *g* Reminds me of many a discussion on fanfic lists about Britishisms in American fic so I adored seeing that.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-17 11:47 am (UTC)Ooh, gets all excited.
the Caldwell/Rodney is definitely workable.
If slightly worrying.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-17 11:54 am (UTC)It is a potentially Telya/Weir plot bunny...
If slightly worrying.
Hmm, yeah. There were some Caldwell/Rodney overtones to Duet (among all the other shippy overtones) and it's ever so slightly creepy.
long goodbye
Date: 2006-02-15 11:45 pm (UTC)Because that was random. And weird.
Re: long goodbye
Date: 2006-02-16 09:01 am (UTC)This really was the ultimate multi-ship episode.
Re: long goodbye
Date: 2006-02-16 09:40 am (UTC)I heart it muchly, when I'm not overthinking everything. (which is really the story of my life).
Re: long goodbye
Date: 2006-02-17 11:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-16 01:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-17 11:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-01 08:33 pm (UTC)"Hi you don't know me, I'm your sister. Can I buy you a coffee ?"
Genius.
As for Spike and Lynda well, best 'ship ever. EVER !
no subject
Date: 2006-03-16 09:06 pm (UTC)*g* Nice to meet you!
Something Terrible is one of my favourite episodes
It's definitely one of my favourites of the ones that I've so far re-watched. I think they got the tone just right for it.
"Hi you don't know me, I'm your sister. Can I buy you a coffee ?"
*giggle* Cindy is a great character. They did a fab job with her, making us like her, feel a lot for her, without ever making her a victim or someone we could pity. Feel sympathy, yes, but not pity.
And I adore what they did with Colin in this episode.
As for Spike and Lynda well, best 'ship ever. EVER !
My first ship and I'm so pleased to find that I still adore them :-))
no subject
Date: 2006-03-19 09:07 pm (UTC)and I have quite a few PG posts/icons/loads of clippings up on my journal too if you were interested ! I'm just chuffed to find so many fellow PG fans out there on the intrawebnet.
*g*