Wraith inability to feed off Ronan?

[SaberBlade]

In "Runner" a Wraith started to feed of Ronan but stopped and turned him into a Runner. Has it even been explained why? Could the Satedan's be the Atlantis version of Aris Boch's race, a race that be used for the purposes intended for them (In SG1's case with boch, a host and in SGA's case food). Does the Satedan biology mean the Wraith can't feed, or was it something as simple as starting to feed but knowing that his strength would make him a good hunt.

Although the look on the Wraith's face would suggest he couldn't feast.

[Naonak]

I don't think it's ever been explained.

I've always just figured that Ronon has the protein that stops Wraith feeding on people, the one that the Hoffans ("Poisoning the Well") discovered which started them on the research to produce the drug.

PERNA: His name was Ferrel Mylan. Before he died in the last culling, he was one of our most celebrated medical researchers. He was the one who found it.

BECKETT: Found what?

PERNA: The key. (She opens the book.) His journals tell of one man who survived an encounter with the Wraith. Ferrel and his team discovered that this man possessed a unique protein, one that enabled him to resist the chemical released by the Wraith to precipitate draining of life from their victims. After painstaking trial and error ...

BECKETT (looking at the book): Ferrel made a copy of the protein.

PERNA: He was eventually able to create a prototype of a drug designed to interfere with the Wraith feeding process.

[P-90_177]

personally i think it's because of that protein, or at least some other reason why the wraith couldn't feed. But i am also aware that they have never actully explained it. Nor have they ever really shown them experimenting with ronons physiollogy like you'd expect in that case. The only other possibility is as the wraith was about to feed, he sensed that ronon was stronger and healthier than the average human and would make a good runner. However i find the 'can't feed' theroy much more plausible.

[SaberBlade]

I found the theory for Ronan to be unedible to be the more plausable as well. If anything, his strength would make for him to be quite tasty (by the reaction to the Wraith Queen when she fed on Sumner) so a smart Wraith would rather feed of him (as the Wraith first tried) instead of sending him off to run. It does open the possibility that all Runners are people who the Wraith can't feed on.

I'd personally like it if Ronan was this protein source that the Hoffans based their drug on. I think it would be interesting in the sense that it would allow Ronan, despite not being created yet, to have such an impact on the SGA expidition and it also allows us to know that for being a runner for 7 years, he actually did more than just run and hide in caves, that people found him, helped him and learnt from him. It would be an interesting backstory for him.

I was never too sure if they explained it in future episodes, as I don't beleve he never talked about it. It's usually the subtle stuff or little stuff that could explain it but that's usually what I miss or forget first.

[P-90_177]

the problem with ronon being the hofans protein source is that they had been working on that drug for decades. Ronon was only a runner for seven years.

[dzineguy84]

Spoilers for SGA Season 4 "Reunion" ...

Spoiler:

In "Reunion, Ronan comes across some of his old Satedan friends, and they're shown being fed off of by the Wraith in an attempt to break them, so unless Ronan is a random case on his planet (which is entirely possible), I don't think the Wraith stopped because he was unable to feed off of Ronan. Ya never know, though. We have our own random genetic occurances here, so it's entirely possible that it could happen on Sateda.

[Naonak]

so unless Ronan is a random case on his planet (which is entirely possible), I don't think the Wraith stopped because he was unable to feed off of Ronan. Ya never know, though. We have our own random genetic occurances here, so it's entirely possible that it could happen on Sateda.

Just like the Hoffan guy...

[SaberBlade]

Well that's true about "Reunion", I had forgotten about that.

I don't really remember the Hoffans saying they were working on the drug for decades. I do remember the Wraith DNA being 150 years old but considering Sateda was attacked by a large culling force 7 years ago, I don't think it's hard to accept that Hoffan was also attacked by the same large force. So unless I can find where they say they've been working on it for decades, maybe it was Ronan.

[kirkeastmetn]

the problem with ronon being the hofans protein source is that they had been working on that drug for decades. Ronon was only a runner for seven years.

We're not saying that Ronan was the Hoffan's source.

If you can remember in the episode sateda, when mckay was trying to find where Ronan was he said that there were quite a few runners{6 specifically}. So although rare it seems like maybe a few are born every generation spread out throughout pegasus. < maybe a genetic defect or abnormality causes this protein to be developed in the person.

Oh and the Hoffans source can't be Ronan because

http://www.gateworld.net/atlantis/s1/107.shtml

Apparently they've been working for more than 150 years, surviving over three cullings, storing archives of their knowledge (floors and floors of books) deep inside their planet. If one is destroyed, the other archives survive to carry on the works of past generations.

They've been working on it for 150 years and its was 150 years ago that Hoffan found the protein.

[immhotep]

Theres another issue, if runners cant be fed on, what is the point in hunting them? I mean they are chosen for thier strength and "power", as a trophy for wraiths who will get a kick from feeding on this particular morsel on the human condition. So if he cant be fed upon, why go after him.

I just think he didnt want to waste ronans talents or he may have been a hunter that was specificly wanting to procure runners. his instinct to feed came first but he had to resist it because his job was to procure good runners.

[SaberBlade]

I don't think it really matterered if the "king" wraith who enjoyed hunting Ronan couldn't feed. It was the thrill of the hunt, tracking him down, trying to kill him and going after him. Even after Ronan was caught again in "Sateda" they stuck him back on the planet to be hunted when they could have just fed on him.

Twice he's been caught, twice he's been turned into a Runner. I think there has to be something more to it that just being skilled. It would have been easier just to kill him even if they couldn't feed on him, but no, they wanted him to run again.

So I do think there is more to it than just him being immune, as I think the Wraith get some weird pleasure from hunting people they can't eat. They can't be given a quick death, so they are given a life of misery.

[garhkal]

Good training for his people. Plus it helped weed out those who were incompetant.

[starshineRoxie]

You know, I honestly wonder the same thing. I was kind of hoping that it was something that the writers would explain in a later episode, but they haven't as of yet. I really would like to know why the Wraith can't feed off of Ronan.

[SierraGolf-OneNiner]

I always thought that Ronon could be fed on. I rewatched the episode a couple of days ago and Ronon had that defiant look on his face. I thought that the wraith didn't like the taste of Ronons defiance and wanted to break him by making him a runner and hunt him for as long as it takes.

[ebethman]

I always thought that Ronon could be fed on. I rewatched the episode a couple of days ago and Ronon had that defiant look on his face. I thought that the wraith didn't like the taste of Ronons defiance and wanted to break him by making him a runner and hunt him for as long as it takes.

But in a few episopes the say things like "your difiance will tast sweet" or "i will saver you diffiance". It sounds like they like prey that stand up to them, something different.