Mark Watches Commissions for Week of 5/20/13

Hello, Watchers! Continuing the tradition I started last week, here’s a collection of all Mark Watches bonus commissions that I completed. I cover four episodes of Stargate SG-1 and one random episode of Highlander.

I managed to complete SIX bonus commissions this week. (Random bits of unexpected things and stuff took away a lot of my time in the past few days. Oh god, I am not trying to be coy and vague. It’s just uninteresting errand-running and being-an-adult stuff!) Below, you’ll find the Dropbox and Rackspace links for each commission, as well as a tiny pitch/highlight paragraph about that commission.

If you’d like to convert an upcoming commission to one for a show on my confirmed list, please send me an email! Otherwise, I will still be watching those on my calendar. I will also be re-arranging the Stargate commissions to watch them in airing order as opposed to a random order, with the exception of 7×20. I watched that yesterday afternoon and realized right after I finished it that I could totally mess with the schedule however I wanted.

Three other things!

1) Yes, I’m accepting Mark Reads commissions that fit the guidelines on my video ordering page. Folks were confused about this, so I’ll be very direct about it! Bonus commissions for Mark Reads are not changing or closing. Commission away!

2) I mentioned in last week’s post that at the very least, I need to get through the current batch of commissions before I can entertain the notion of doing more Mark Watches stuff. I would love more time to work on my novel and catch up/review the second half of series seven of Doctor Who. This is not an invitation to email me to ask me to make an exception to this new rule so I can watch something for you. Six people – 6! – all emailed me in the last week asking me to add more to my plate right now. Oh my god, I think you missed the point of these? Don’t do that. Please.

3) The files are mirrored because I am allotted 200GB of bandwidth a day for Dropbox. Some folks cannot download using the Rackspace link, so that’s why I’m still doing Dropbox. That being said, there are quite a few people ritually abusing my Dropbox links, and it’s affecting everyone. I am indeed talking about the person in Ohio who downloaded 54GB worth of videos on Friday alone, many of them multiple times. You are literally ruining this for everyone. If you are fine just streaming the video or own Quicktime Pro, please use the Rackspace link and save Dropbox for people with no other options. If you think you’re going to download a ton of videos for… a reason? Whatever that is, consider buying Quicktime Pro so that you’re not taking bandwidth from others. Each time I’m suspended, Dropbox adds another day to how long I’m suspended.

All right, let’s get to these commissions!

Stargate SG-1 5×10: “2001”
Streaming/Quicktime Pro 

Highlights: Seriously one of the BEST episodes of the show, a glorious sequel to “2010” that doesn’t repeat what that episode did, and UTTERLY SUSPENSEFUL. My god, I loved this a whole lot. I actually sort of realized how much this show has grown on me since folks started commissioning me to watch it. Granted, I’ve missed a lot of the show, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t understand how powerful this episode was.

Highlander 5×15: “The Stone of Scone”
Streaming/Quicktime Pro

Highlights: This commission has the distinction of being one of the first things that I just plain did not like. This was like watching a forty-eight minute inside joke because… I don’t understand! All I know about this show is that There can be only one, except that’s apparently a lie? There are like five immortal people in this episode alone. So, there can only be one unless they all want to be friends? I’m okay with that. Anyway, Roger Daltrey is in this episode, and it’s distracting because it’s probably the only thing I understood about this. Honestly! Oh gosh, now I’m anxious about the fact that someone paid for me to watch this, and I definitely did not like it. IT HAD TO HAPPEN, I SUPPOSE.

Stargate SG-1 1×08: “The Nox”
Streaming/Quicktime Pro

Highlights: THE PRINCIPAL OF SUNNYDALE HIGH AS A GLORIOUS, PEACEFUL ALIEN WHO REFUSES TO BOW TO THE VIOLENT, COLONIAL WAYS OF HUMANS. THIS EPISODE IS SO GLORIOUS IN EVERY RESPECT, AND OH MY GOD IT’S PRINCIPAL SNYDER. OH MY GOD, THIS WHOLE STORY IS ONE GIANT DOSE OF HUMBLE PIE FOR THE HUMANS. I LOVE IT.

Stargate SG-1 1×17: “Enigma”
Streaming/Quicktime Pro

Highlights: Oh, this whole serialized arc is so much more aware of the imperialist tendencies of humanity, and it’s just so satisfying to watch! Watch me realize who plays Omoc! (He was also in that really disturbing episode of The X-Files about the cigarette bugs EW.) Watch me flail and Narim and Samantha, who catches the attention of every alien babe imaginable! Watch me get real mad at Maybourne’s face!

Stargate SG-1 3×15: “Pretense”
Streaming/Quicktime Pro

Highlights: I LOVE THIS TRILOGY OF EPISODES SO MUCH. This one in particular is philosophically dense, a wonderful feat that the writers manage to pull off without being preachy, confusing, or uninteresting. I love the Tollans, I love that the writers respect Samantha’s confusing emotional situation, I LOVE TEAL’C. Oh, this was just a treat. Also, I HAVE BEEN TO SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY OH MY GOD, THAT WAS SO COOL.

Stargate SG-1 7×20: “Inauguration”
Streaming/Quicktime Pro

Highlights: Hey! It’s The West Wing but on this show! Okay, first, let me run you through my thought process a bit. I watched this, realized it was the best composed “clip” show I’d ever seen, then thought, “Wow, that caught me up on all this stuff I missed! It’s too bad I’m watching those other three Stargate episodes after this.” Then I realized I didn’t have to. Whoops. All right! So this episode is fascinating both because it worked really well for me as a casual/random viewer, and because it hinted at a royal shitstorm that’s about to come in the finale. I AM SO EXCITED.

Barring more ~adult responsibilities~, I hope to watch a huge batch of these later this week! Until then, thanks for supporting me! And GETTING ME TO WATCH ALL THESE GREAT STARGATE EPISODES.

About Mark Oshiro

Perpetually unprepared since '09.
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