Can someone remind me who the big guy with the aquarium was? In what episode had we seen him before and how did Carter ruin his lab? I can't remember a thing about him!

Actually, probably alien

Nah, I was going for a whole different incredibly annoying trope.

Wow, I think I actually hated this. There were some things I liked for much of the ep, and it was indeed wondrous with the shoutouts -- but the way the more subtle than usual look at the false dichotomy of faith and science that I was hopeful about was insta-handwaved into EVERYONE IN TOWN coming out of church with these completely stepford glowy happy very special episode smiles was not so much resolution as borg (not b.org). And, okay, maybe just my issue, but EVERYONE IN TOWN. It's a town full of nerds - WHERE THE EVERLOVING FUCK ARE THE JEWS?.

And oh, the handwavium. The Stargate was, what, an excuse to get a good Henry despair moment? I'm all for good Henry despair moments, but we get one once an episode. And then, throw a Big Huge switch, and, okay, everything's fixed, let's all have a big everyone's happy everything's resolved kind of ending.

But mostly, math-is-hard!Jo is, like, "As You Were" levels of utter seething hate.

I always took Jo as someone who loves who she is, what she does, but still possesses a feminine side that she tries to suppress cuz she isn't comfortable with it/doesn't know how to handle that in public. And that's why she's had such trouble finding someone compatible (like it isn't hard enough for everyone). It always seemed to me that she needed someone that wasn't intimidated by her, respected her, but also appreciated her secret softer side. I never saw her as someone who felt inferior to the socially-awkward-yet-brilliant townsfolk around her. I don't feel like something new and amazing has been revealed about her that puts a spin on my perception of her. I feel cheated and used. And Jo and Erica Cerra should, too.

I must admit to being overwhelmed by the amount and extent of shout-outs. They got to the point where they seemed to be the point of the ep, rather than a special treat.

And, okay, maybe just my issue, but EVERYONE IN TOWN. It's a town full of nerds - WHERE THE EVERLOVING FUCK ARE THE JEWS?

Yeah, that bugged me too.

The only thing that got me past the everyone at church thing was both Carter and Stark basically saying they were there this time, but that's about it - and extrapolating the same for a bunch of the other people there. It BARELY got me past it, and I'm being generous, I think.

Can someone remind me who the big guy with the aquarium was?

He was the guy who last season created a hybrid plant that was making everyone in town fall asleep (?), until Carter used a flamethrower on his field.

And Jo is smart. She understands the science she works with, and I'm sure she manipulated and modifies what she has to work with to her own liking. Which... what science isn't built on the back of others ideas?

I mean, I was surprised to be reminded/told in Phoenix Rising that she was still basically a novice in the sheriffing field and had yet to strike out on her own, but I took that more as lacking opportunity and experience than in insecurity and lack of self-confidence. I can understand some blue-collar shame and not realizing just how smart she is but-in-a-different-way. But she doesn't seem the type to lack the survivalist pride in what one CAN do. I took her more for the "screw you, I'm smart enough to know that I'm damned good at what I do, and I enjoy what I do, and if you can't respect that, then you don't deserve what I have to offer in a relationship."

Jo, where are you?

I took her more for the "screw you, I'm smart enough to know that I'm damned good at what I do, and I enjoy what I do, and if you can't respect that, then you don't deserve what I have to offer in a relationship."

Holds this Jo tight. A lot.

And, okay, maybe just my issue, but EVERYONE IN TOWN. It's a town full of nerds - WHERE THE EVERLOVING FUCK ARE THE JEWS?

...and the pagans, and the atheists...