38 minutes

The episode 38 Minutes (S01E04) is a strange one. This is the first time we see the team on an away-mission (and we see this only in flashbacks), and yet there is this established dynamic within the team and between the characters that would be much more at home later on in the season. They all care too much, they trust each other too much. There's an intimacy to their interaction that is difficult to explain.

The functioning of the puddle jumpers is deconstructed when we have barely learned how they work in the first place. We learn obscure Wraith lore when we've barely scratched the surface with them. And then there's the question of the strange almost-confession from Sheppard to Weir that is left hanging at the end of the episode.

There are some parallels between this episode and the previous, Hide and Seek (S01E03) that kind of provide a motivation for them happening in sequence, the episodes mirroring each other. I suppose a modern binge-watching audience might spot such parallels much more readily than one would have watching episodes in a weekly schedule and if these two had been separated by more episodes between them, but it is still weird.

There are in both episodes, for one, the subtle and private touches, unnoticed by the others.

Both lead characters also end up unconscious on the floor at the end of the episode, tended by the medical staff. There's also the innuendo: where Sheppard referenced dicks ("That's [size not mattering] a myth!") in a tight spot, here Rodney describes John's bug bite as a hickey. How ever you want to interpret their relationship, these off-hand comments reveal that they sure do think about each other in sexual terms.

Where Rodney has his Big Hero Moment and saves everyone, Sheppard is saved by everyone. They all work so hard so save the man who believes he has to save everyone even if it kills him but does not believe himself worth saving.

It is very touching but it would have made more sense and carried more weight later on in the season, perhaps after we had seen him save the day and the others a bunch of times. Now we start deconstructing the hero myth right from the outset.

But it's actually the almost-confession that I want to dissect here.

Calling all Canadian (and the rest of the world if you feel like travelling) SGA –and Stargate in general– fans!! As many of you may know it's the 20th anniversary of SGA this year, and the guest list at Basingstoke Comic Con has literally everyone there. Some of us on the other side of the pond can't make it (me among others). HOWEVER! There is hope for us!

Ottawa Comic Con has a guest suggestion list! You can pick 5 people you'd like to see! Actors and other creators have to get invited to these things, so if there is enough interest from fans I think there is a good chance that the con organizers might invite some! I picked Joe Flanigan (shocking I know!), David Hewlett, Jewel Staite, Paul McGillion, and Rainbow Sun Franks. As the latter four still live in Canada.

I can speak for myself, and maybe other fans who live in close enough proximity to Ottawa, that it would be awesome to see some Stargate people at a con, it's been awhile since we've had one on this side of the continent.

Thank you everyone who fills this out and shows support 🤙💜

Yeah.

Respectfully, Ireland is the best country on the planet

from the same thread:

I have witnessed so much slaughter and death here

*cheap old dude's aftershave **or some other expensive posh boy cologne - suggestions in tags please. ***because way to give away your position

IMPORTANT POLL IS IMPORTANT!

I get to think about what John Sheppard smells like (thanks @massharp1971 😍) but also…

I think John probably doesn’t wear cologne at work and he just smells pleasant because of deodorant or manly pheromones or some such.

I think Rodney is the one noticing how good John smells and he’s saying it’s Aqua Velva because RODNEY has no idea about colognes and it’s either a brand he’s seen advertised or has been gifted or heard about in passing or EVEN BETTER remembers some guy at college talking about it so, in his mind, all the cool kids (and the hot Colonels) must wear it.

Rodney’s subconscious is picking up on something and he’s mildly perturbed by it.

Nature has healed herself

people talking about australia like they do japan and korea

UGH this reminds me of bluey s2 e3 so bad… imagine growing up Australian and having fairy bread and pass the parcel at birthday parties 😩 its so crikeycore

I've said this before and I'll say it again but I'm menstruating and emotional today and actually have the words because @spurious and I have been talking about it--the reason why mcshep is the pairing of all time for me, personally, is this:

Rodney fundamentally believes the best he will ever get is to be tolerated. That if he suppresses his personality for long enough and does the right combination of Tasks, some woman will decide hes not so bad and settle for him. It doesn't matter if he wants her back, being tolerated is enough, and all he deserves.

His sister clearly reinforces this when she asks him about proposing to Katie Brown, which makes me think this was something his parents said as well.

JEANNIE: You think you're gonna find someone better?

McKAY: No, it's not that.

JEANNIE (laughing): ‘Cause you're not!

McKAY: Hang on …

JEANNIE: The fact that you found a nice girl who's willing to put up with all your many little flaws is a miracle.

He thinks it's a miracle, to be tolerated. "You're no John Sheppard," Jeannie reminds him. You can't have anyone in the world like your best friend (who he's painted, to her, as someone who can have anyone in the world). It has NEVER occurred to him that he could be wanted, or desired, for who he is. Only tolerated.

Rodney proposes to Katie Brown shortly after this likely because his sister reminded him the best he could hope for is a nice girl who tolerates him, and he was like I need to lock this down.

THEN, MEANWHILE. John Sheppard, who wants Rodney so badly. Not suppressed or polished or Best Behavior Rodney, either, but Real, Messy, Selfish, Arrogant, Prickly, Unmasked Rodney. John is, without a doubt, the person Rodney is most unabashedly himself in front of, the person who has repeatedly seen him at his worst, the person with which he totally allows his guard to drop, the person he spends his leisure time with. John has seen him, in whole, and wants him. Desires him powerfully and self destructively and all-consumingly with no hope for reciprocity for literal years.

For someone who believes he is fundamentally unlovable and only tolerable and has never even considered desire as a component in his lonely future--to have the person who knows him best (and a person he grudgingly but profoundly admires and loves and thinks is, for some reason, the Platonic Ideal of manhood and also coincidentally so handsome he could have anyone in the world he wanted) WANT him like that...it just!!! they're so romantic to me

Fuck I’m at a fencing tournament and literally a minute after I reblogged this my dad told me that he talked to the point people and I’m probably going to win a medal.

BURN BAGEL BURN

OH WHY NOT?

I need to follow up to say I reblogged this last night, and this morning I got some of the best news of my life, like, a life dream come true news thing.

Bagel what are your powers

FUCK, I though it was just another lucky meme but LISTEN. Since a week ago I was waiting a phone call to confirm me if I got a job or not in my university. I reblogged this yesterday’s night “just for fun and because I don’t want any bagel to be mad with me”, and today’s afternoon, while I was losing my time as always, the professor I was supposed to work with called me and asked me for my personal information to start working with her.

THE BAGEL POWERS ARE WAY TOO MUCH FOR THIS WORLD

I GOT A JOB THE DAY AFTER MY QUEUE POSTED THIS THE FIRST TIME AND I JUST REALIZED IT WHEN I SAW IT AGAIN HOLY GOD

The bagel hasn’t let me down yet!

I got a job offer after reblogging the bagel. Believe in the bagel!

Worth a try lol

i could use some good news or even a good girl 

Go lil bagle! Show me your power!

Okii then!

THIS IS THE FIRST THING ON MY BLOG

I GOT ASKED OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER I REBLOGGED IT

Ugh I hate superstitions… … not that it stops me, of course

“this is the destiel website”

Boys...

AO3 Top Relationships Bracket- Round 2 Side 1

This poll is a celebration of fandom history; we're aware that there are certain issues with many of the listed pairings and sources, but they are a part of that history. Please do not take this as an endorsement, and refrain from harassment.

I mean, this is kind of hilarious. There's almost five times more destiel fics on AO3 than all X-Files fics combined 😂

Tyvm for this research, but I think this has more to do with the age of A03 than the quality of the pairing

Also, please bear in mind that MSR (Mulder Scully Romance) is genesis of the term ship/shipping/shipper AND the first generation of Anti-Shippers, who renamed themselves noromos, as far as I recall

I'm not really sure what the criterion for this championship battle is, but while dean/cas may have more fics on ao3, MSR almost definitely has spilled more ink and blood over the years

X-Files Fandom Olds rolling up like

AO3 Top Relationships Bracket- Round 2 Side 2

This poll is a celebration of fandom history; we're aware that there are certain issues with many of the listed pairings and sources, but they are a part of that history. Please do not take this as an endorsement, and refrain from harassment.

Incoming!

*cackling*

If OTW weren’t around, this wouldn’t be “scaremongering”: It would be the inescapable status quo.

The people who believe this crap are the anti-vaxxers of fandom.

Oh god. They kind of are, aren’t they?

I’d go bigger and just say that they’re the conservatives/reactionaries of fandom–or, to frame it differently, this is how conservative and authoritarian ideologies express themselves in the context of Fandom.

my opinion on AO3 is that it’s an important asset but i still find it scummy that they’ll ask for money but when their users try to ask for money they slam them with their non-monetization rules. Like Anne Rice is dead and this isn’t the 90s anymore, people are making money from fandom please catch up with the times.

I think you’ve misunderstood:

AO3 was built by a bunch of us with our free donated labor for the purpose of being a space free from commercial spam.

It’s not a public service. It was built by us to house the type of fandom culture we liked.

People who want to do fandom differently, including making money, are welcome to go build their own site with their own money or their own donated labor.

AO3 does not forbid commercial links because they think fans making money from fanworks is immoral but them making money (to run the damn site) is fine.

AO3 forbids commercial links because they are making a very specific claim about the legality of fanworks, and that claim is about noncommercial fanworks.

They’re not saying that commercialized fanworks are against the law. They’re just not prepared to host them–nor defend them in court.

In case people missed it: The OTW will not honor DMCA takedown orders that are basically, “I own X work and that’s a fanfic of it, and that’s copyright infringement so make it go away.”

The OTW says, lolnope, we don’t think that’s copyright infringement. If you disagree, sue us.

The OTW says: Disney - we will not remove explicit Mandalorian fanfic. Rowling, Warner Bros - we will not remove trans Harry Potter fanfic. Gabaldon - we are not removing Outlander fanfic no matter how much you think it’s illegal or a personal violation. Yarbro, if someone puts “The Adventure of the Gentleman in Black” on AO3, you will need to actually take it to trial to (try to) get it removed; none of this C&D order followed by fans caving because they can’t afford a lawyer.

…So far, nobody has sued them. (This is, in my mind, the strongest proof we have that fanfic is not copyright infringement. In 13 years, not a single person or company has scrounged up a lawyer and filed a lawsuit against AO3/the OTW for hosting fanworks.)

But they’re not willing to put themselves on the line for commercial works. Those get considered differently in copyright law. They’re not always infringing - there’s a whole history of parody books & songs to prove that - but the OTW is not dealing with them.

The OTW does not care if fans are making money. The OTW cares if fans making money interfere with its legal defense of its archive.

If you are not a copyright lawyer, your opinion about the situation is not going to be considered.

Also, it wasn’t just Anne Rice coming after fandom in the 90s as though this is some relic holdover terror from ancient history.

Events like Strikethrough and Boldthrough happened in the early to mid-2000s. It felt like you’d wake up every day in 2007 and find another fandom group on LJ gone. (And not just fandom groups either, important community groups for education and trauma survival were also wiped out in those purges as well.)

And while not exactly the same, Yahoo Groups–and yes Yahoo Groups was a major online fandom hub at one point–were deleted as late as 2019 with very little warning, leaving a lot of older fandom groups scrambling to back up decades worth of content.

I might be projecting, but Fanfic.net seems to be wobbling too. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out they go under in the next few years despite performing similar purges of adult content in 2012 and allowing for obnoxious ads, which made the site unusable on mobile unless you wanted to see an ad what felt like every couple of paragraphs. (It might be better now, I haven’t checked in a while.)

It has only been in very recent memory that fandom has gained any sort of foothold that isn’t poised directly over a precarious faultline that could at any moment open up and swallow entire communities whole, and a huge part of that is the volunteers at Ao3 who decided to play chicken with the likes of Anne Rice and won.

Ao3 at its core was and is built by fandom. Some people don’t like it and that’s fine, but to even suggest that the volunteers are lounging around eating peeled grapes and lighting cigars with hundred dollar bills making bank through fraud while fanfic authors are left out in the cold is beyond the scope of laughable.

John Sheppard trying not to cry during The Shrine.