Some unanswered questions raised by "The Shrine" episode

[HyperspaceDaemon]

- Why did it take so long (5 years) for the SGA team to realize that using MALPs is a good idea ?!

- The nature and origin of the parasites weren't explained at all. It would have been nice to find out more about what (and why) those parasites infect others. The reason can't be "kill the victim" : the parasite needs to gain something when attaching to another being (control it , or use it in reproduction, or whatever).

- Who built the "shrine"? Someone in the team should have read the inscriptions on the wall for us.

- Are the writers truly expecting that the viewers would blindly accept the ridiculous solution that they've imagined : (1) brain surgery with an ordinary driller (!!?!?!!! ... this is admittedly an innovative concept ) , (2) the parasite simply comes out by itself and jumps on the floor waiting to be shot , (3) the patient .... survives ?

[Lythisrose]

You use what you have:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/lif...cle3559479.ece




And a really graphic look at the use of a drill (really if you don't like surgery pics, don't look)

http://www.srpc.ca/books/RM_Burr_Hole.pdf

[Lord Zedd]

- Why did it take so long (5 years) for the SGA team to realize that using MALPs is a good idea ?!

Richard Woolsey wants to start using MALPs for everytime someone goes through the stargate. They always used MALPs when they scout out a new planet. But once it is save or if you just travelled to the planet and than a couple of hours you go back, then they didn't send the MALP again!

- The nature and origin of the parasites weren't explained at all. It would have been nice to find out more about what (and why) those parasites infect others. The reason can't be "kill the victim" : the parasite needs to gain something when attaching to another being (control it , or use it in reproduction, or whatever).

It would have been nice but not so really important because it doesn't have anything to do with the bigger picture. But perhaps this parasite is on more than one planet since Teyla and Ronan know what the Second Childhood is.

- Who built the "shrine"? Someone in the team should have read the inscriptions on the wall for us.

The Ancients have build according to Ronan the Shrine but there was not anything to see that the Ancients build it.

- Are the writers truly expecting that the viewers would blindly accept the ridiculous solution that they've imagined : (1) brain surgery with an ordinary driller (!!?!?!!! ... this is admittedly an innovative concept ) , (2) the parasite simply comes out by itself and jumps on the floor waiting to be shot , (3) the patient .... survives ?

It is one of the best possibilities. Besides that, McKay was dying because of the radiation.

[Lord Zedd]

You use what you have:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/lif...cle3559479.ece

And a really graphic look at the use of a drill (really if you don't like surgery pics, don't look)

http://www.srpc.ca/books/RM_Burr_Hole.pdf

They make this look like an instruction manual. How to perform surgery in the head for Dummies!

[PG15]

Considering we saw one of those parasites floating in the water when the team was sitting on the gate, I can only deduce that they need a brain to grow from a larva to their adult from, after which they become freefloating in a water source, where they release their larva, which then wait for unsuspecting humans to come along so as to infect their brains to start growing, continuing the cycle.

[Cryowolf]

It's been a recurring problem this season that writers don't explain stuff and everyone just seems to forget everything, or not care for it at all.

Like the 'new enemies' in 3x04, they didn't even mention them to Woolsey, in a log or anything; at least not on screen and I found that to be very weak. Such an enemy attacking Atlantis even if it's in another Universe, is a big deal; and something that they needed to take seriously.

Now in this episode, McKay isn't even curious to how the machine works, he doesn't even look at the glyphs written on the tablet, in fact nobody gives it a second thought. Nobody even wonders "Is that why the wraith are here?"....They just seem to be using plot devices and then discarding them like used condoms.

I did LOVE this episode though, even though they forget to explain things; this episode was largely character driven and David gave one of his best performances to date.

[HyperspaceDaemon]

It's been a recurring problem this season that writers don't explain stuff and everyone just seems to forget everything, or not care for it at all.

Yep.

I did LOVE this episode though, even though they forget to explain things; this episode was largely character driven and David gave one of his best performances to date.

Yes, I agree that the episode was a nice one thanks to his acting. Yet I can't help not observing that the viewers need to overlook certain aspects of the plot in order to fully enjoy watching - which is a shame.

[Prior_of_the_Ori]

Really its not like its the first time something was introduced and not explained.

I mean SG-1 had aliens like the Foothold aliens or the aliens on the ship in Grace who were never explained. Sometimes, its not an essential part of the plotline. Personally, I would have loved to hear more about the DV aliens or what the Shrine was about but I can understand why that was not a focus as it was a character episode based on McKay.

[Cryowolf]

Really its not like its the first time something was introduced and not explained.

I mean SG-1 had aliens like the Foothold aliens or the aliens on the ship in Grace who were never explained. Sometimes, its not an essential part of the plotline. Personally, I would have loved to hear more about the DV aliens or what the Shrine was about but I can understand why that was not a focus as it was a character episode based on McKay.

The difference being, those were logged and discussed; everyone knew about them and these discussions were on-screen. On the other hand, with the other universe aliens - they didn't even give it a second thought....It's like the ancient old Star Trek formula of bad guy of the week that never shows up again and everyone forgets.

[HyperspaceDaemon]

Really its not like its the first time something was introduced and not explained.

I mean SG-1 had aliens like the Foothold aliens or the aliens on the ship in Grace who were never explained. Sometimes, its not an essential part of the plotline. Personally, I would have loved to hear more about the DV aliens or what the Shrine was about but I can understand why that was not a focus as it was a character episode based on McKay.

Please define "essential part of the plotline"..... I think that any tiny detail regarding the new things found by the team during their off-world adventures enriches the overall SG story .

Adding some details about the parasites and the shrine wouldn't have taken more than 1 minute out of 45.

[Major_Griff]

It's been a recurring problem this season that writers don't explain stuff and everyone just seems to forget everything, or not care for it at all.

Like the 'new enemies' in 3x04, they didn't even mention them to Woolsey, in a log or anything; at least not on screen and I found that to be very weak. Such an enemy attacking Atlantis even if it's in another Universe, is a big deal; and something that they needed to take seriously.

Now in this episode, McKay isn't even curious to how the machine works, he doesn't even look at the glyphs written on the tablet, in fact nobody gives it a second thought. Nobody even wonders "Is that why the wraith are here?"....They just seem to be using plot devices and then discarding them like used condoms.

I did LOVE this episode though, even though they forget to explain things; this episode was largely character driven and David gave one of his best performances to date.

But do they really need to explain every little thing? Sure they briefed Woolsey on what happened in the AU, but they didn't need to show it. And what are the chances that that species even exists in this reality? as for the Shrine, McKay was very interested in the energy readings (even more so than the ham, and we know he loves to eat) and probably would have translated the writings had they not knocked him out to operate on him.

[Xaeden]

Mckay can't read Ancient - None of them can. That was Weir's forte and if this episode happened a few years ago, they probably would've had her come along and written a bit about her explaining what it said. But since a new language expert has not been introduced at all, let alone as a main cast member, there was no way for them to translate it on the spot. At best they could've taken a picture and introduced an unknown to translate it at the end of the episode, but that would've felt akward and forced. At least this way there would've been a lot more to learn about in a future episode should the show have been picked up and they decided to write a follow up to it.

[pilot_f302]

Hey, are you sure you guys want everything explained and shown on screen? Come on, this is a TV fiction show, not a documentary or news. Sometimes, even documentaries don't explain everything.

And besides, leaving some ambiguity allows the writers to come back and explore sometime later, rather than having everything rigidly defined at the start.

[GoSpikey]

It's supposed to entertainment...

If you wanna learn, then do other things with your time?

[Cryowolf]

But do they really need to explain every little thing? Sure they briefed Woolsey on what happened in the AU, but they didn't need to show it. And what are the chances that that species even exists in this reality? as for the Shrine, McKay was very interested in the energy readings (even more so than the ham, and we know he loves to eat) and probably would have translated the writings had they not knocked him out to operate on him.

He was, and the point I was making with the enemies in the alternate universe is that they should have shown them being discussed, because they are a potential threat to Atlantis and should be treated as such. They should have added just a small scene, because they seem to have been instantly forgotten and then they moved on never to see it again. Well actually that may be why they didn't have that scene, because they didn't want people to think that they were going to come back or be a threat.

Still, it seems like a massive waste that they would introduce such an enemy, show a logo and a ship and all and then never plan to use em again.

On the note of Rodney, he should have argued that if he could figure out how the machine works maybe he could destroy the parasite and so on, rather than instantly submitting. Or at least toward the end of the episode, added a comment about how he wants to go back and study it and then Sheppard just saying "It's a wraith infested planet!" and Rodney just sighing "So we'll send Zalenka"