Vegas
- Episode aired Dec 19, 2008
- TV-PG
- 44m
The killings of a Wraith in Las Vegas are investigated by Detective John Sheppard - who knows nothing about life-sucking aliens from another galaxy.The killings of a Wraith in Las Vegas are investigated by Detective John Sheppard - who knows nothing about life-sucking aliens from another galaxy.The killings of a Wraith in Las Vegas are investigated by Detective John Sheppard - who knows nothing about life-sucking aliens from another galaxy.
Photos
- Teyla Emmagan
- (credit only)
- Ronon Dex
- (credit only)
- Motel Manager
- (as a different name)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDetective John Sheppard has the same poster of Johnny Cash on the wall of his office area as is on the wall of Lt. Colonel John Sheppard's bedroom in Atlantis.
- GoofsA dishonorable discharge from the military disqualifies an individual from police/detective service. Dr. McKay reveals the fact that Detective Sheppard was dishonorably discharged after a botched attempt at rescuing a medic from behind enemy lines in Afghanistan. However, he also stated that the record was expunged for political reasons.
- Quotes
Dr. Rodney McKay: Thank you for your co-operation, Detective. If you think of anything else...
[hands him a card]
Dr. Rodney McKay: ... call me at this number.
Detective John Sheppard: If he's not finished yet, why'd he stop hiding the bodies?
Dr. Rodney McKay: I don't know. Over-confidence that he can't be caught?
Detective John Sheppard: He left money behind.
Dr. Rodney McKay: How much?
Detective John Sheppard: A few thousand.
Dr. Rodney McKay: Not enough to worry about, I guess.
Detective John Sheppard: That's it? You're just gonna let me go?
Dr. Rodney McKay: That field medic - the one you defied orders to go back and try and rescue. You knew her personally. You were... involved.
Detective John Sheppard: Yeah, you know everything.
Dr. Rodney McKay: It was a hard choice. Certainly you didn't intend things to go as badly as they did. Things just don't always go the way we plan. We know where to find you.
[Sheppard turns and starts to walk towards the car]
Dr. Rodney McKay: Detective.
[Sheppard stops and turns back as McKay approaches him again]
Dr. Rodney McKay: Remember when I told you I once met another version of you?
Detective John Sheppard: Yeah.
Dr. Rodney McKay: I know you'll probably think this sounds ridiculous, but a little while ago we accidentally opened a rift in space/time - went through to an alternate version of reality. It was very similar to ours in many ways. We met a team much like the one I work with, only you were the leader. You were a hero, saved the world several times over.
Detective John Sheppard: [smiling bitterly] Doesn't sound much like me.
Dr. Rodney McKay: I don't think there's much difference between you and that other John Sheppard I met. It's amazing how one incident can entirely alter the course of your life. Still, I like to believe you have the same strength of character. That's why I told you the truth.
[turns and starts to walk away. Sheppard calls after him]
Detective John Sheppard: What do you want me to say?
Dr. Rodney McKay: [over his shoulder] For now, nothing.
- ConnectionsReferences Star Trek: The Experience - The Klingon Encounter (1998)
- SoundtracksThe Beautiful People
Performed by Marilyn Manson
Written by Marilyn Manson (as Brian Hugh Warner) and Jeordie White
(P) 1996 Interscope Records
Courtesy of Interscope Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises
© 1996 Dinger and Ollie Music / Blood Heavy Music / Songs of Golgotha
Administered by HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc.
First off, AU is a lovely trope that just isn't explored often enough even in sci-fi where it can almost be considered a canon trope. And using it so late in the show's run, when we already know the characters pretty well, makes it all the more powerful.
Second, the production is beautiful. You can tell that every shot has been considered carefully, and it shows because the cinematography - the editing, the colours, everything you never notice when it's there is wonderfully done. Every shot builds on the atmosphere - which is apparently supposed to be CSI Las Vegas meets The X-Files - and the stark contrast to the usual look of SGA delivers an even greater impact. This isn't just a nice, weird niche episode, this is the whole team that works on the show and loves the show going, "see what we can do".
Third, the score is just excellent, not just because after five seasons we finally got a Johnny Cash song and it fit.
Fourth, it works because it's the penultimate episode and as we get to see tiny details to the characters we haven't seen, we're forced to face that fact that this is it. You can let a show run out in the rush of an action-packed three-part finale, or you can take the opportunity to showcase the characters you've crafted one last time, from an unusual angle and without the adrenaline rush and dramatic plot twists.
(Fifth, this is truly John Sheppard's episode, and after five years he kind of deserves it.)
And finally, it's kind of crazy that a story that could very well be used as an introduction to the series is used in the penultimate episode, but it also makes a lot of sense to draw the viewer's attention to the fact that the main story, the story they've been watching for five years, is just one of many. The concept of alternate universes has been thoroughly explored before in the show, so it's a very smart, very meta idea to say "yes, this show is ending, and look, we're even giving you the normal kind of show finale that you expect, but consider what could have been, what could yet be."
- maya-maya
- Sep 3, 2013
Details
- Runtime44 minutes
- Color