Sanctuary: Icebreaker

[grav_ity]

This? This is why I like to not be spoiled before I watch episodes of Sanctuary.

Okay, there were two absolutely brilliant things about this episode. The first was burying the lead so far into the episode, because by the time I realized what was going on, several Very Important Things had already happened. The second was the Requiem fake-out, because it meant that I wasn't looking for Kush.

Of course, as soon as I was looking for Kush (and is it just me or did they never call them "magoi" the first time?), I knew that it was fake!Will and fake!Helen, and spent the rest of the episode yelling at Declan and Henry to figure it out (particularly when the salt water thing got blindingly obvious). There was probably no way around that, narratively, and it's why Kush will always be far superior an episode...but fake!Will's "Can you believe her?" face during the part where Magnus was telling Murray about the plane repairs is probably the funniest thing I've seen this week, so I am willing to let it slide.

We were so due for a monster hunting episode, and even though they didn't give us a fun new monster, they gave us an old one in a new way, and made the stakes believable. I am sad to lose Alastair (not to mention the part where Declan is having a shitty year), but at the same time, we got canon confirmation of the SAS background (previously it had just been in an interview), so I was pleased.

And while I'm speaking about Declan: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! FOR REASONS THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND! How much do I love that he figured out the door? NO, REALLY: GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE THAT?

In conclusion, while this episode will never be on any of my "top" lists, it was solid, it had no weirdly inserted b-plot, and it was a pretty good romp. Plus it means that hopefully someone will write me Declan/drinking fic (bonus squee if you work in Squishy). *smiles winningly*

Comments

[ceilidh]

I was sooooo glad there was no B plot this week. It made this episode so much tighter. I was kind of bored at the beginning, but once Helen and Will showed up I was a lot more entertained. :D

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

Since I adore Declan, this was not a problem that I had. ;)

(I also have a weakness for "lower decks" episodes, where the MCs are not in as much...if we ever got one of those set in the Old City Sanctuary? I MIGHT DIE OF HAPPINESS.)

[ceilidh]

I like lower decks stuff too, but I also like episodes that have a lot of Helen and Will. This episode kind of had both in a weird way, which was cool. I think I would be less bored with the beginning if I watch it again, because there was stuff going on in my house and I couldn't hear well so I didn't pay as much attention. It was really neat to see Declan's team (for a little while anyway).

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

There were definitely some sound issues at the beginning! And I may have been overinvested in playing a game of "let's count the ways in which this is CLEARLY THE SHIP FROM KALI". As you do. ;)

Poor Declan. This is really not his year.

[querulouspeg.livejournal.com]

After seeing Helen in that hat, I am going to porn the shit out of Declan. Of that you can be sure.

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

So long as SOMEONE is. :)

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I already knew I liked Declan, but I think this was the ep where I realized that I do, in fact, loooooooove him.

And I would have been totally cool with the whole episode being nothing but Henry and Declan & Co., so Helen and Will showing up under hilarious and unbelievable (with good reason) circumstances was a bonus. Not having seen "Kush" in the first place, it was all news to me, so I quite enjoyed it.

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

1. You haven't seen Kush?
2. WATCH KUSH!
3. Seriously. Do you need to borrow it from me?

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

It, er, didn't have Nikola in it... *scuttles away and hides*

I'm sure I can find it somewhere? I think it's still on the CTV site, actually.

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

UNDERSTANDABLE, but seriously. It's THE Helen/John episode, really. AT just KILLS it, and CH pretty much made me cry. And I only called it early because of the guest star. ;)

[samjohnsson.livejournal.com]

Is it wrong to say I was disappointed when I saw Amanda and Robin show up, in that I thought a Henry/Declan/Shenanigans Tomb Crawl was just what I was looking for?

So bummed about Alistair, for Henry's sake. (I can't help but wonder if the average death age for Sanctuaries compares at all to ARC's.)

I will say this. Amanda and Robin should be complimented for their acting in this ep - it was uncanny valley territory the whole time. And for them to _just miss_ their normal roles...

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

While I would have been fine with shenanigans, I never say no to more Amanda Tapping. :)

[holdouttrout.livejournal.com]

I have to admit I was totally taken in. Mostly because Helen is *just* unbelievably badass enough to pull off that kind of flying. I should have gotten it sooner, though.

And I, too, would have been fine with Declan, Harry, & Co. :-) Especially since Declan saved their asses through logic. :-)

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

Looking back, I think it was supposed to be the first clue (based on Murray's comment), but Will and Helen totally sold it!

[shadadukal]

I don't think they called them Magoi in Kush.

it had no weirdly inserted b-plot

THIS SO MUCH!

[eldanna.livejournal.com]

I...think I was too excited for this episode. Or I just went in with a reconceived notion of what it would be and then it wasn't so now I'm...'oh, okay'. Also I got interrupted half way through, so that might have further destroyed the build up.

I hope we get more Declan this season, though.