Help a sister out

[laceblade]

goldjadeocean would like to purchase 10 Stargate: Atlantis episodes on iTunes. She wants YOU to tell her which ones are best, over in this post.

I've seen five episodes each of S1 and S2 of Stargate: Atlantis. My experience lines up with what I've been told: it has its moments of brilliance and its moments of "I'm going to pretend that episode NEVER HAPPENED." I don't have anyone local I can hit up for DVDs and I'm not about to shell out for box sets, even if they are on sale.

However!

Through the Magic of Giving (and my brother and sister-in-law), I now have the iTunes wherewithal to purchase ten episodes. And I can see how SG:A could be good--I love moments that play on the characters' competence and loyalty and the quandries they face. I hate the Rodney McKay Is a Clueless Socially Inept Moron show, though I'm increasingly fond of the Rodney McKay Is Not a Brave Man But That Doesn't Stop Him show. I love when John decides everyone else is an idiot and he's going to go do the right thing anyway. I love when Elizabeth has to face a problem she thinks is beyond her. I love when Ronon and Teyla aren't fish out of water, they're competent travellers and warriors.

Given that, what do you think are the ten best episodes of Stargate: Atlantis? Which ones would you recommend I buy? I'd like to get a sampling of all of the seasons (and they're all available on iTunes) to get a cross-section, and things that show the worldbuilding are also useful for fic purposes. I have also, as I've said, seen some already: 1x01-1x05, 2x01-2x04, and 2x17.

Thanks in advance! The more perspectives I get, the better. Also, I totally don't care about spoilers, so feel free to litter the post with them.

Comments

[were-duck.livejournal.com]

Dude. Sasha_feather owns all 4 seasons on dvd--that's how I got them.

But if you'd like to go the iTunes route, my favorite eps have been "McKay and Mrs. Miller", "The Shrine" (best ep evar!!), "Doppleganger", "Harmony", "Common Ground", "The Tao of Rodney", "Runner", "Sateda", "Trio", "Grace Under Pressure". That's not in any particular order, though if you go with this list I would start with "Runner" because it introduces Ronon, and we love Ronon. None of them are Teyla-centric eps, though, which makes me sad, but the show doesn't give Teyla the due her awesomeness deserves. Maybe others have suggestions? There are other eps I liked but that are part of ongoing arcs, and I think these are all generally interesting character-driven episodes, so.

Also, lots of picspam and leaks on the internet lead me to believe that this friday's ep, "Vegas" is going to be awesome, and it looks pretty alternate-universey so it probably doesn't require extensive knowledge of the show's canon. You should join us for the viewing party!

There's a season 3 box set on sale at Frugal Muse that I'm probably going to buy today, so... there will be an overabundance to borrow from.

[were-duck.livejournal.com]

Oops, sorry, I didn't read very carefully--I didn't realize it wasn't YOU asking. My recs still stand, however.

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

LOL, I was like, yeah, goldjadeocean lives in Canada.

Fear not! If I ever want to watch Stargate Atlantis, I know who to turn to.

[nylorac15.livejournal.com]

I just saw episode 16 of season 5 last week, titled Brain Storm. Bill Nye is a supporting actor! Playing himself! It also features Dave Foley. I've barely seen any of the show and I still adored it, so it's a very nice stand-alone episode. Witty banter and mortal peril abound. It's great.