A lot of personal happiness in fandom can be assured by really *good* filters and never looking directly at the newsletter's episode review section. Though now that the warnings debates have passed, I can say truthfully that if we could adopt a standard of warnings for episode reviews? I would not object.
1.) McKay Unfriendly (acronym: MU) - he reminds me of that guy in work that totally fucked up my presentation, and right, there's no actual resemblance but I'm projecting here! And no matter what he does in this ep? It sucks because he sucks and should die die die and then eat a lemon, and this time a real one! Look! Mean to everyone! Kill him!
2.) Sheppard Unfriendly (acronym: SU) - he reminds me of that football player in high school that used to stuff me in the locker. Well, no, I have no proof he was anythinglike that guy, but I totally need to project here and get over my teen trauma! So everything he does in this ep is obviously wrong adn evil and meant to keep Rodney down! Bastard!
3.) Anyone But McKay/Sheppard Unfriendly (GAY) (Gave up on acronyms) - Wait. This isn't a gay space pirate show? Sure it is! THey just keep forgetting and doing other shit. Quit that!
4.) Show Unfriendly (STUPID) - I am watching this specifically to unload my vitriolic hatred on an unsuspecting population. For. Every. Episode.
Commentary
You know, I need to do a count, but I think we're near a hundred stories called and a lot finished. ther'es still--er--six weeks until the end fo the challenge. I sort of didn't expect everyone jumping-to. Huh. Nice.
Snippets
Staring at anything in my WIP folder over twenty thousand words makes me morose. I really just want to snippet randomly and drink a lot of coffee. So. Offering up Strangerverse if you are following it--anything particular you want to see? Besides Sheppard/AUMcKay sex, cause right now that would be traumaizing. For me, I mean. Orgasms are always good. I just have this horrible suspicion my inner-twelve-year old would break free and have them crying during profoundly good anal sex.
But snippets! Maybe working outside my own head would help.
Also, Mr. Waffles sprayed me again. No matter how many times I'm told this is a sign of affection? I'm wondering.
word.
And Strangerverse! For some reason I would like to see either of them making fun of the other by imitating them (and also the absent versions). Sheppard getting annoyed at Rodney and doing the hand thing. Rodney putting his hands on his hips.
Strangerverse
As for the episode reviews, there are only a few I can read. So many do the STUPID ones and I always want to do the head swat and ask why they are watching. I haven't come across any MUs or SUs and don't know what would happen if I did. I mean, how can you hate Rodney? Or John? It is against the laws of god and man!
Strangerverse.... taking AURodney on a mission to a planet that knew RealRodney?
I have learned to hate the word woobie so *much*.
Strangerverse is so tragically beautiful. Could the scientists and Sheppard reach an understanding? I love the scientists and I love Sheppard, having the former blame (or maybe now feel guilty about blaming) the latter is making me very sad. I would offer art if that would make you somewhat un-morose, although everyone would look very sad in it. I do have X-men atlantis on my journal from Trinityofone's fic if you need a strangeness cheer-up with John in high collars and Teyla with glowing eyes.
As for Strangerverse, have I told you yet how very much I love that? I especially love that you're not taking shortcuts, but making it feel so very real. What I'd like to see, personally, is some more of AU!Rodney's reaction to military!Sheppard, maybe during a crisis situation.
I can actually *see* the flamewars from here. It would be awesome.
Hmm, Strangerverse. I love all the comparing and contrasting. So, um, more flashbacks of John/Sheppard's Mckay?
Even though this could lead to the readers crying. Possibly (in the case of Rodney's universe) during profoundly good anal sex.
IE, I want to see what they each *lost*.
I wandered over so I could reread the strangerverse stories. I'd like to see the Colonel and Rodney having fun. Or just laughing together, forgetting all the baggage for a few moments. But then I'm sure someone will remember the baggage and get sad.
I can't come up with anything else -- things were perfect for me when Sheppard put his head in Rodney's lap at the end of Goodbye.
Snippeting: McKay trying to come to grips with the friendship between this universe's Teyla, Ronon, and Sheppard.
(a)Certain things are not-my-thing, the review acknowledges that and is mainly about the bits that-are-my-thing. This type of review I like because it concentrates on the positive and doesn't insult the people for whom it is their thing. (Your The Real World review is a great example of that.)
(b)Certain things are Really-Not-My-Thing and the review goes into that, but the review also acknowledges that personal feelings are invloved and that other fans will feel different about the thing. This type of review I have no problem with and even find them quite interesting because the personal subjectiveness is acknowledged in the review. (Besides if I wrote SGA reviews this is how I'd be about Beckett.)
(c) This thing IS-NOT-MY-THING-AND-SHOULDN'T-EVEN-BE-AN
(By the way great length for me could be one sentence. Examples: "Rodney is a complete asshole and how dare anyone think he deserves any thanks for the job he does; he should thank them for allowing him to be in their presence." "John is a complete jerk who spends all his spare time causing poor woobie!Rodney to burst into tears at the drop of a hat.", "Elizabeth is a completely incompetent leader who just wants to get into John/Ronon/Rodney/Teyla/Caldwell/Whoever's pants.", or "Every character on this show is completely unethical and deliberately cruel to the poor, gentle, and beautiful ex-Wraith."
As for Strangerverse, I'd love to read something about a non-Atlantis point-of-view, Ford, Kolya, Sam, or Jeannie in particular.
Yes, I agree.
"Every character on this show is completely unethical and deliberately cruel to the poor, gentle, and beautiful ex-Wraith."
There should be a whole separate category for that one. And maybe a special codename, like "Darwin Award."