Grade 5x08 - "The Queen"

[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]

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. .

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]

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]

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.

 

[Nerroth]

The Michael experiment was to try and turn Wraith into humans - essentially, destroy them as a unique species.

This time around, it's a more subtle modification, letting Wraith be Wraith, but while switching their food supply to a less talkative one.

 

[Broccoli]

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.

Well...the ending typically does come close to the credits in any given episode...

 

[SmoothieX]

I hope this fruit is as tasty as the farmers who grew it.

That was the high point for me too!

 

[Hermiod]

I gave this an Above Average.

The idea is interesting enough but we'll have to see if it's followed through. I had a little trouble buying the idea of Teyla as a Wraith Queen because, quite frankly, she's too short. The usual Wraith Queen actress, Andee Frizzell, is 6'1" and then they put her in heels. I haven't been able to find out how tall Apollonia Vanova (the Primary here) is but she is certainly a lot taller than Rachel Luttrell.

 

[Brent]

I gave it an Average, actually, almost an Above Average. I really enjoyed Teyla as a Wraith, she plays a better Wraith than she does a Teyla. Todd was of course excellent, he really made the episode enjoyable, if it wasn't for him it would have been Below Average.

I really love that we have finally learned something about Wraith society. We learned much more about the queens, how their command structure works, and how one comes to power. I feel like this kind of episode should have been done several seasons ago, to flesh out the Wraith sooner.

 

[Gertch]

^ But learning too much about them takes they mystery away. It's a very fine line to walk.

 

[amalie]

I gave this one an excellent, enjoyed it much more than last week and was pleasently surprised by Rachel's performance.

I'm finding Ronan a little annoying at the moment, he does that to me on occasion. Why does he always pull his gun out on people in the worst possible situations. If I was John I'd be having a right go, he's going to get them killed one day by doing that

I liked the twist when Todd killed the Queen, his true motives are left fairly ambiguous at the moment and the final scene between himself and Teyla was very good. He wasn't expecting that.

Rachel was really good in this episode. I like Teyla well enough but Rachel never usually has the chance to shine in episodes, she was excellent when portraying the Wraith queen.

No Woolsey this week unfortunately, I'm missing my Robert Picardo fix (love that man). I hope he's back next week.

Pretty good episode overall

 

[steveman]

It's going to be sad when TPTB look back over Atlantis and realize that the only thing they really got right was a recurring Wraith character who popped up every so often.

 

[biotech]

Not a bad episode, I just find it hard to get worried for the characters because no matter how dangerous a situation they get into, you know they wont be killed.

Again no Woolsey.

How did Todd kill the wraith he stunned twice, sky cut that scene.

 

[Hermiod]

^Snapped his neck, IIRC.