#SGA: Common Ground

[lightthewaybackhome]

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.

#stargate atlantis #john sheppard #sga #todd the wraith #sga s3 e7 #common ground

[carsonsweebabyturtles]

Carson Beckett in Every Episode - Common Ground (S03E07)

#Stargate Atlantis #SGA #Stargate #carson beckett #paul mcgillion #rodney mckay #teyla emmagan #ronon dex #elizabeth weir #ladon radim #john sheppard #common ground

[spockvarietyhour]

Stargate Atlantis “Common Ground”

#Stargate Atlantis #SGA #Common Ground #Todd the Wraith #John Sheppard #Rodney McKay #Carson Beckett #Teyla Emmagan #sgaedit #stargateedit #GIF #my gifs #It's not a Stargate Rewatch Rewatch #Hide and Queue

[dailystargatebooty]

#Stargate Atlantis #SGA #Stargate #elizabeth weir #torri higginson #common ground

[sga-owns-my-soul]

#idk i'm bored lmao #my all time favourite episode is shrine #it's just so freaking good #but all of these are good #polls #sga #stargate atlantis

[trainofcommand]

Thank you, @wonkyelk, for the tag :)

How many works do you have on AO3?

289.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

764 464.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Right now mostly SGA, but other fandoms I've written for in the last year or so include Firefly, SG1, The Old Guard, some tiny/non-existent fandom stuff (Echoes, Who is Erin Carter, etc), some original fiction. Various one-offs (Hot Fuzz, ST:PIC).

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The Perfect Bride (SGA)

A Uniquely Dangerous Opportunity (SGA/The Old Guard)

Season's Greetings (SGA)

How to Succeed at Corporate Sabotage in Five and a Half Easy Steps (SGA) [note - I love this title so much]

In the Wind (SGA/The Old Guard)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I dooooooo! I love comments, they make me so happy, so I want to make sure the commenter knows that. And sometimes there's a nice chat that happens too, so that's exciting!

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

For SGA, it's Failsafe (still one of my favourite things I've ever written). For Firefly, I think it's Assessment, at least, based on the comments I got when I first posted it to...oh gosh, I think it was to a listserv and then the Firefly's Glow old archive. For SG1, it's Grey Skies, Ashen Ground (I also love this fic so much).

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I don't know. I do write a lot of pretty happy endings, and a lot of humour, so it's hard to say.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Generally, no. I do remember getting a bit of snark about a few things I've written over the years, but that was way back pre-LJ.

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I dooooooooo. I think I write a fair amount of E-rated stuff (PWPs and otherwise). What kind - I guess mostly m/m. My most common smut-related tags are blow jobs, dubious consent, and getting together. So I guess I write a lot of dubious consent oral sex romance or something :')

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

Sometimes! Craziest one is probably Travel Light (SGA/The Littlest Hobo) (we need more dogs in Stargate, okay??) (yes, this is a niche fic with a small audience, but it is deeply hilarious to me). Or maybe Village of the Y-arrrggg (Anna and the Apocalypse/Hot Fuzz). I love both of these fics so much.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I have no idea!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't think so.

13. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Heck yes, I have! Quite a bit over the years, and more recently a couple with @wonkyelk and four or five with @chaos-monkeyy. It is so fun!!!!

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

I tend to prefer characters over ships (I will ship that favourite character will alllllllll kinds of people), but probably if I had to pick, I'd say Jayne/Simon (Firefly), just because I think they're the most frequent ship I've written.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I don't know, really. I tend to forget about my WIPs and then find them again later and remember.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I write humour pretty well! And I think I'm pretty good at writing porn. Maybe. I don't know. I can and will make train puns (shock, gasp, surprise).

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I can't sustain long stories. Most of my stuff falls in the 2000-5000 range, and the longest thing I ever wrote was just shy of 10 000 words. I just don't have the capacity to write long stuff. Also, if I don't get most of a fic down in a sitting or two, I'm unlikely to ever finish it.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I'm pretty sure I've never done this. Can't say I have any profound thoughts on it.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

OZ.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

This one is too hard. And whoops, it turns out I've already mentioned a bunch of stuff I like. I guess I also really like the way Pieces Tossed Aside (Firefly) worked out (I had to think about a few different things for that one), and also, Of winsome mood and disposition (SGA) (it made me laugh so much to write this).

no pressure tagging, if you're into it: @chaniis-atlantis, @cuillere, @cordeliaperry, @chaos-monkeyy, @colonelshepparrrrd, @dedkake, @sparrowsarus

#ask game

[chaniis-atlantis]

#poll #sga #stargateatlantis #stargate poll #stargate

[ssaalexblake]

I finally drag myself up to do some work and it turns out that sga's common ground is on TV 🤷 no work then I guess

#my favourite episode

[stargatelov3r]

For the ship game. Favorite stargate shit and stargate NOTP, whichever they are :-)

thank you so much for the ask! I already did my favorite ship (i assume that's what you meant ;) here but i'll do another one just for fun :)

Elizabeth/Ronon

Ship It

What made you ship it? it's so hard to remember this! but i think at some point i was just like "hm, i think Elizabeth deserves some good dick, let's see... oh yeah, what if she got together with Ronon every once in a while?" and that's basically what this whole idea started but the more i started to think about it the more i found that things between them actually might work out?

What are your favorite things about the ship? - they are both extremely sexy - they both have a hard time asking for the things they need in a relationship but weirdly i think that if they got together they would get better at it, especially if it started as a friends with benefits thing because then the whole thing would be based around talking about each other's (sexual) needs and i think that would translate into a romantic relationship as well - ronon is literally the only person who manages to fluster elizabeth! especially in the beginning when she tries to talk to him and he just... doesn't? it's hilarious to watch and i'd like to think that Elizabeth is wrecking her brain about how to get him to talk or how to get through to him - they care deeply about the people close to each other and i think they would Care! So! Much! about each other if they were in a relationship. just... so much... i could write more but i'll stop now

Is there an unpopular opinion you have on your ship?

again, i feel like just shipping them is an unpopular opinion? bc not a lot of people do ship them?

And maybe the idea that they are fuck buddies at first is unpopular as well but to me it makes total sense: she doesn't want to get attached, she can't do relationships in her position. he has lost everything at some point and now slowly gaining things back. he lost the love of his life and maybe doesn't want to get emotionally involved. but he *does* respect Elizabeth, he is incredibly thankful that she let him stay in atlantis... there is so much!

now let's get to my NOTP

I'm not sure I have a definite NOTP? But there are some ships that bug me and one of them is McKeller which is what i'm gonna use for this ask

Don’t Ship It

Why don’t you ship it?

a lot of people have talked about this before but for me they just don't vibe. It's not that i don't think that fundamentally different people can't find some common ground and maybe get together, it's that Keller sees McKay and thinks "i can fix him" even though he doesn't need fixing, you know?

Now, McKay is far from perfect, but she tries to change him into that person that would be the perfect boyfriend for her.

2. What would have made you like it?

for one i think if they had stopped wanting her to change him and if they had not pushed it that much?

also if they had made him her only love interest without sprinkling ronon and (in cut scenes) Vega in there as well.

3. Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

I used to not dislike them when i was first watching SGA, does that count?

Otherwise I don't really have anything to say (:

#ask game #elizabeth weir x ronon dex #rodney mckay #jennifer keller #stargate atlantis #sga

[lightthewaybackhome]

Stargate-Atlantis S3:E7 Common Ground

To capture an extraordinary soldier takes extraordinary measures. - Kolya

This episode has so much. I teared up several times. The pain of the team being forced to watch Sheppard be tortured was so hard.

John shouting with his one chance to talk not to give into Kolya's demands. Rodney being the most expressive with his worry breaks my heart.

You are strong, stronger than any human I've ever fed upon. - Todd

Sheppard never stops believing his people will come for him. Everyone acknowledged how great a warrior Sheppard is, and he never once doubted they were coming for him. He doubted them once (in Epiphany) but he doesn't doubt them now.

I am basically furious Ronon in this episode.

The end when Todd explains that they heal worshippers and brothers? Gets me every time. 😭 I love Todd so much. I love his laugh.

Quite possibly my second favorite episode, but it's actually harder to watch the second time.

#stargate atlantis #sga #john sheppard #rodney mckay #ronon dex #teyla emmagan #elizabeth weir #carson beckett #the team #todd the wraith #common ground #kolya

[carsonsweebabyturtles]

SGA + Terry Pratchett

“...inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened.” ― Terry Pratchett, Moving Pictures

#stargate atlantis #sga #terry pratchett #John Sheppard #joe flanigan #common ground #moving pictures #caps by me #edit by me #18

[spockvarietyhour]

Stargate Atlantis “Common Ground”

#Stargate Atlantis #SGA #Common Ground #John Sheppard #Todd the Wraith #Joe Flanigan #Christopher Heyerdahl #sgaedit #stargateedit #GIF #my gifs #It's not a Stargate Rewatch Rewatch #Hide and Queue

[mizufae]

Fic Finding Request:

There was, in the past, a Stargate Atlantis fanfic wherein something bad happened on/to Earth so Atlantis was on its own for whatever reason. Now, this is a fairly common fic trope. What I am trying to find is the fic of this which includes Jeannie, Rodney McKay’s sister, somehow augmenting an RV to be spaceworthy and managing to get herself (and some other extended Stargate characters) to Atlantis. Possibly she drove it through the gate bridge?? Maybe it wasn’t Jeannie and was someone else scrappy? Maybe it wasn’t an RV and was more like a charter bus or some other comedic Earth ground vehicle?

I’m pretty sure I read this back during one of my earlier SGA phases, so around 2010-2012, and may have been on LJ or an independent site or even wraithbait. But, it could just as easily have been later, anywhere from 2010 to around 2019 which was my last big SGA fic reading phase. The reason I think it was older is because I’ve been trying to find this on AO3 for about the past month and can’t find it!! Oh and of course it could have been older, from when the show was still airing and the fandom was hopping.

It was probably McShep but could have also been nearly anything else; just about the only ship I don’t vibe with is John/Teyla. I’m gonna slather this with tags in the hopes someone knows what I’m talking about.

#stargate atlantis #stargate #john sheppard #rodney mckay #jeannie miller #independent atlantis #McShep #fic finding request #fanfiction #sga

[captivity-whump]

Happy Whumpmas (੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭*🎅⛄❄️!!! You have just been snowballed by a secret whumper. Help to keep the snowball fight going by anonymously sending this to five other whumpers with a whump-related question of your choice: whats your favorite captive scene thats NOT Jaimie from Outlander that youve seen in a movie or show ;D

Happy whumpmas nonny!

Oh gosh. I have such a bad memory. It's hard for me to remember favorites. John Sheppard in SGA Common Ground comes to mind. Hawaii Five-0. Chicago PD.

For movies, The Last Boyscout has some good scenes. Die Hard. Lethal Weapon. Commando. I mean, this is the stuff I grew up with. Labyrinth. Lol.

#asks answered #Favorite captive scenes

[prurientpuddlejumper]

#stargate atlantis #christopher heyerdahl #joe flanigan #todd the wraith #john sheppard #sga: common ground #my gifs #wraith don't have gun safety training #my sga #my todd

[stargate365]

[SGA] 3.07: Common Ground

Run for your life!!!

Who’s shooting at us this time??

What the??

A grappler?

Oh fuck. Dammit Kolya, we should have killed you the first time.

Liz is anxious. No surprise. AR-1 looks pissed.

“What are you gonna do, like ask the Genii if one of them took Sheppard?” “Yes, I am.”

Hi Ladon. Wow, Ronon you being scary is not what Liz needs rn. Save it for later.

Yes John, you should have killed him.

Wow, doom and gloom prison buddy. Now we just need a harmonica to complete the cliché.

Oh joy. Kolya’s lackeys. Can we kill them too? Soon? I hope.

Rude person with a gun.

“Commander Kolya insists.” “Oh, he insists. Well, why didn’t you just say so?”

…Ladon has changed his hair.

Wow, that is an old school camera set.

Yeah, nobody looks happy to see him. No surprise.

Rodney is Not Happy about Sheppard being kidnapped.

Wow, Ladon needs to do some house cleaning. With Bleach. And maybe Ammonia mixed in. (Yes, I know what happens when you mix the two.)

Where the hell did Kolya get a Wraith? The metal glove is… an interesting idea.

Liz is going to burn you Kolya. She’s going to burn the heart out of you.

“You’re in pain.” “Well, I just got fed on by a Wraith. What do you think?”

And now John’s getting suspicious. This dude knows an awful lot about the Wraith…

Well crap… John’s not too happy about his cell-block mate.

Nnnn. Arguing is a waste of time…

We got a match?? Yas queen!!

*cough-splutters* Rodney acting like a Comando Squad Leader. Doing things by the numbers.

“What are you on about?” [sheepish:] “Oh, just things that Sheppard would say, so I thought I would, uh…”

(In the background Ronon looks baffled, and Teyla puzzled.)

Pfft. Good luck with that, you’d be shot before you even made it into the Gate room.

Rodney, really? What did you shoot.

Even Carson is there with a handgun, ready to defend his buddy.

“I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I just, uh… You know, I reacted.” “What is it?” “It’s a, um, mouse.”

“We just wasted two-and-a-half-hours… and a mouse.”

*sighs* Nothing is ever scheduled these days…

John is seriously badass for surviving this shit… I don’t think I could.

He looks so tired though.

John plotting with the Wraith for mutual escape. Teamwork is a good idea, yes!

The Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend… for now, anyway.

Don’t give up John!!

“Oh now he wants to escape.”

JAILBREAK!! Whoo!

Woops. The Genii are suddenly looking like a good snac.

That shifty look, like, please don’t eat me bc that would suck.

John peering around the corner, and turning back to having a gun in his face, like no don’t point that at me!

*snorts* What did you expect mate. You tortured two sentient beings, gave them a common enemy, and left them alone together to plot.

“Don’t be so negative!”

“You think you’re gonna make it?” “If I feed.” “Well, don’t look at me.”

John being grumpy af. Don’t blame him rn.

John is stubborn af too, refusing to leave his new buddy behind. And determined that his people will find them.

“You are more like Wraith that you know.” “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.” “There is much about Wraith, that you do not know Sheppard.”

I am curious about the wrath sociology now.

Oh wow, three moons.

“Oh, it was worth it. If only to see the sky again.” “I’ve got slightly higher expectations.”

*snorts* Liz isn’t letting Kolya stay alive.

?!?!?!

Oh yeah, like bullets will work against a Puddlejumper.

Isn’t it obvious? They’re disappearing bc they’re dying.

Oh wow, John looks… mostly dead.

Holy crap… John’s okay again. What just happened.

I did not know Wraith could do that.

“How is this possible.” “Don’t ask me.”

Erm… wat? Did the Wraith just call John his brother?

Goddammit. Kolya escaped again.

“You didn’t kill him?”

“Thanks for showing up.”

“Next time we meet…” “All bets are off.”

#day 258 #stargate #sga #stargate atlantis #stargate 365+1 #3x07 #sga 3x07 #common ground #sga: common ground #gif: purientpuddlejumper