So innocently I decided I wanted to start my day off with a little Stargate, as one does. I watched an episode of SG1 and then started SGA only to realize I was watching Common Ground. Well, this doesn't promise to be very relaxing.

I think one of the things I like about SGA over SG1 is I feel like it hits harder. I don't know why exactly. SG1 has plenty of torture and has been known to kill off characters. But there is something about SGA that is more intense, less light, less guaranteed to wrap everything up nicely. The thing I'm unsure about is how much of this sense of intensity comes from knowledge accumulated from rewatching--Elizabeth's death, Carson's death, Sheppard's deepening darkness, Rodney's experiences in the Shrine episode. But, I had watched some of SG1 before SGA and I loved SGA immediately unlike SG1. Even the most intense SG1 episodes don't make me cry like some lighter SGA episodes.

Anyway.

Common Ground. I love it because Sheppard doesn't even once lose his faith that his people will come for him. At the same time, he doesn't sit around twiddling his thumbs. I love that he does both, works for his escape and trusts his friends. I love that after talking about giving up his life in Sateda and then being given two examples of his willingness to die for his friends, we see his trust in them.

I love his final command being not to give in. I love Ronon's anger. I love Elizabeth's pain and strength. There is a shot of Elizabeth from the back staring at the closed Stargate and you can just sense her calling Sheppard back, willing it to open, willing information to form so she can send the team to get him back. It's such a powerful image of a woman in her home waiting for her people to get back, not idle but with a visceral aggression.

I love that we finally get to view the Wraith with a little more nuance. I love it every time Todd chuckles. Giving us a Wraith with a sense of humor was pure brilliance because it connects us to him instantly. It humanized him in a refreshing way. But, really, the golden moment was when Todd treated Sheppard like a brother-in-arms and Sheppard did the same. Talk about me cheering!

I love this episode. It hurts but it also makes me smile and it brings in one of my favorite characters: Todd.