Grade 5x08 - "The Queen"

[Kpnuts]

Was it the same typical "Wraith base/ship infiltration" storyline that we get every few episodes?

[TheInsideMan]

Hmmmm......above average, but barely.

I just wish that Teyla was a bit more of....well, a bitch while playing the uber-Queen, you know? Like when that bald Wraith welcomed her & Todd onto the hive, I was half-expecting her to say something like "This is the welcome you provide for me? This!!? I should feed on you for this insult! Take me to your Queen, while you still can!"

I was also surprised that she wasn't forced into a situation where she was expected to feed on John and Co. in front of the other Wraith. That would have been interesting, and would have provided more tension that the scence we got where Todd killed Mr. Bald Wraith.

Still, I would have been happy to see this 'Teyla as uber-Queen' story play out for a few more episodes. Let's face it, it would be more interesting then the usual 'Teyla on Altantis' stuff.

And of course, Todd just steals the show. If SGA was going to a sixth season, they could do a lot worse than making the guy a regular. Always nice to have someone in the mix whose agenda isn't always going to match those of the core group.

[cylkoth]

TheInsideMan wrote:

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Hmmmm......above average, but barely.

I just wish that Teyla was a bit more of....well, a bitch while playing the uber-Queen, you know? Like when that bald Wraith welcomed her & Todd onto the hive, I was half-expecting her to say something like "This is the welcome you provide for me? This!!? I should feed on you for this insult! Take me to your Queen, while you still can!"

I was also surprised that she wasn't forced into a situation where she was expected to feed on John and Co. in front of the other Wraith. That would have been interesting, and would have provided more tension that the scence we got where Todd killed Mr. Bald Wraith.

The one aspect of this story that was disappointing for me is realizing how weak tptb have made Teyla. Early on, she was shown as far more than capable of taking on Wraith with just a pair of sticks. Now she's Damsel in Distress Girl(tm), waiting for the John or in this instance Todd, to swoop in and her rescue. We should've seen Todd heading to the room, only to witness bald guy's attacking her, but her stomping his green arse into the floor.

Aside from that, this was a solid outing, tying The Daedalus Variations as best of the season thus far. Chris Heyderhall seriously rocks. I wish Halling had been given more to do than run after his son.
And what has Jinto been up to? He should be a teenager now. Just in time for some Stargate 90210 shenanigans for te 3rd series. .

[Broccoli]

Kpnuts wrote:

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Was it the same typical "Wraith base/ship infiltration" storyline that we get every few episodes?

While there is a little of that, it is only in there for a minute or so.

Hermiod wrote:

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I haven't watched this yet, but what happened to the title sequence ? They seem to have gone back to the quick five second titles they used a few seasons ago with the cast credits overlayed over the episode.

My guess is that the episode ran long and there was nothing they could cut w/o damaging the narrative, so they used the short intro. Venture Bros. does this often when their episodes run long.

[Bob The Skutter]

I went with above average, but barely. I can't exactly say what was bad, I just know it didn't grab me, but I liked the fact they're actually making alliances that aren't just ended by a double cross at the end of the ep.

[Peacemaker]

The one aspect of this story that was disappointing for me is realizing how weak tptb have made Teyla. Early on, she was shown as far more than capable of taking on Wraith with just a pair of sticks. Now she's Damsel in Distress Girl(tm), waiting for the John or in this instance Todd, to swoop in and her rescue. We should've seen Todd heading to the room, only to witness bald guy's attacking her, but her stomping his green arse into the floor.

Exactly! They would have done better to have an action sequence where Teyla takes on the bald Wraith and his pike with her little knife and then, as Todd runs to her rescue, she kills the Bald guy and hisses over him like a real Queen. That would have left the audience wondering if she had actually turned into a real one...but nooo, we got Queen in Distress.

[Gatekeeper]

I gave "The Queen" an average rating.

Not sure why, but this episode didn't do much to either impress or annoy me, making it something of a wash. I did, however, *like* Todd ... you really can't go wrong with him, IMO. As for Teyla, eh, well, she shined in some segments as a Wraith queen, but in other segments sounded entirely too much like a human being.

Gatekeeper

[DWF]

cylkoth wrote:

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The one aspect of this story that was disappointing for me is realizing how weak tptb have made Teyla. Early on, she was shown as far more than capable of taking on Wraith with just a pair of sticks. Now she's Damsel in Distress Girl(tm), waiting for the John or in this instance Todd, to swoop in and her rescue. We should've seen Todd heading to the room, only to witness bald guy's attacking her, but her stomping his green arse into the floor.

Aside from that, this was a solid outing, tying The Daedalus Variations as best of the season thus far. Chris Heyderhall seriously rocks. I wish Halling had been given more to do than run after his son.
And what has Jinto been up to? He should be a teenager now. Just in time for some Stargate 90210 shenanigans for te 3rd series. .

There were no sticks handy for one thing. And yeah she was able beat that wraith early on she still didn't beat him or kill him in reality without a gun she's pretty useless against a wraith. And in any event she wasn't supposed to be in that situation Todd had his own plan, originally she was only supposed to appear on a screen and convince the other queen who she was, but of course Todd had another idea.

[hxclespaulplayer]

Gave it above average. Good insight into Wraith culture, utilised Lutrells' acting ability better than most other eps. Can't say I understood the entire Wraith plot, but that's because I didn't really pick up ATL from day 1.

[hxclespaulplayer]

Broccoli wrote:

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My guess is that the episode ran long and there was nothing they could cut w/o damaging the narrative, so they used the short intro. Venture Bros. does this often when their episodes run long.

That would be it. Looking at my, ahem, "online" copy, the ending came awfully close to the credits! Ep definately ran long.

[doubleohfive]

I liked it better when it was called "Face of the Enemy."

On Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Fifteen years ago.

I was so hoping after the dreck of an hour, despite how fun it was seeing Todd again, that Shep and Teyla would have that conversation in the medical bay and suddenly, BOOM! Todd's alliance attacks. BOOM! They capture Atlantis! BOOM! WTF NOW?

But no. They played it safe. Like they always do and gave us a happy cutesy ending where Teyla looks at her pretty hand.

Ugh.

[Temis the Vorta]

Above Average, fun enough. Not just the same old shit, and that's nice to see.

But once again, the Atlanteans have their heads up their butts with another half-assed plan. Let's say their experiment with Todd's guys works to some degree - the Wraith can eat food but are still capable of feeding on humans (either for fun or because it confers immortality and healing power). Now they are more formidable foes - they can endure periods of "famine" without humans so, their breeding now unconstrained by nature, their population can explode. If they are still capable of feeding on humans, they could be more of a threat as a result, by sheer numbers, even if they don't need to feed on humans. Their need to feed on humans is a good thing - keeps their population in check.

If the Atlanteans want to experiment, they have to go back to the Michael plan, and kidnap Wraith as test subjects, only this time, don't hesistate to kill them. In fact, assume you will kill them - that's by far the most likely outcome. The goal of the experiments is not to find another food source for the Wraith but to change them so that they cannot feed on humans. If that means they cannot feed on humans or any other food source, fine. They starve. But this must all be done without Wraith cooperation because the results of the tests being unknowable, and possibly to the Wraiths' advantage, the Wraith cannot have any inkling of what's going on. They are the enemy, never forget it.

The SG:A writers continue in their amazing ability never to think anything through, as though they were truly people with millions of lives in their hands.

[DWF]

But once again, the Atlanteans have their heads up their butts with another half-assed plan. Let's say their experiment with Todd's guys works to some degree - the Wraith can eat food but are still capable of feeding on humans (either for fun or because it confers immortality and healing power). Now they are more formidable foes - they can endure periods of "famine" without humans so, their breeding now unconstrained by nature, their population can explode. If they are still capable of feeding on humans, they could be more of a threat as a result, by sheer numbers, even if they don't need to feed on humans. Their need to feed on humans is a good thing - keeps their population in check.

If like Michael their ability to feed is removed they're no longer a threat and it's thanks to Michael that the Hoffin drug was perfected in a way.

[Nerroth]

Finally, they try and make something of a premise I have been hoping they'd go with for a long time - offering the Wraith a way out of feeding on humans!

(If what happened to Michael is any indication, the feeding thingy on the hands would vanish - leaving the Wraith who take the treatment as only being able to eat regular food.)


I'm hoping that this opens the door to a new paradigm shift - the Hives who take the treatment (and thus have less of a reason to attack humans) become the co-belligerents of those still fighting the Wraith who refuse the offer.

Of course, I'm also expecting to be disappointed in this, but how and ever...

[JiNX-01]

Nerroth wrote:

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Finally, they try and make something of a premise I have been hoping they'd go with for a long time - offering the Wraith a way out of feeding on humans!

Finally? That was the whole point of the "Michael" experiment at the end of season 2. Take away their ability/need to feed off human life. Granted, the humans weren't going to "offer" the retrovirus so much as use it as a weapon, but the principle and the results would have been the same.