Hmmmm Caldwell MIA...

[ColCaldwell]

I find it funny that Caldwell was MIA the entire episode....

[mellow yellow]

I find just bad writing..someone could have said he attacked some of the wraiths and they stunned him a few times and he was still out of it..or something..anything..but to just not have him there and no explanation was stupid..this epi didn't do it for me..it felt too rush and forced.

[Vala_M]

Maybe they didn't want to pay the actor for such a small part in the episode.

Vala,

[Kurn]

The only thing i kept thinking is where the hell is cadwell the commander of the ship ,why is woolsey giving orders i kept expecting some kind of explanation but it never came i was so unimpressed by it

[dasNdanger]

Mitch may not have been available for filming - he's a busy fella. Here's his 2008 line-up so far:

"Brothers & Sisters" .... Browne Carter (2 episodes, 2008)
"Stargate: Atlantis" .... Colonel Steven Caldwell (22 episodes, 2005-2008)
"Supernatural" .... Samuel Campbell (1 episode, 2008)
"Sons of Anarchy" .... Ernest Darby (3 episodes, 2008)
"Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed" (2008) TV series .... Narrator
Flash of Genius (2008) .... Ford Exec
The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008) .... Walter Skinner
Recount (2008) (TV) .... Bill Daley
Woodshop (2008) .... Miller

And who knows what he may have been working on for 2009 during the SGA filming. I think he made it in just for a token appearance, so you know he's still around and in control, like Halling showed up in Kindred 2. But since Mitch has so many other projects going on, he just couldn't be there for a week or so of filming. Token appearance in First Contact, not because of poor writing, but because of the actor just not being available for the rest of the two-parter.

das

[Daniel Jackson]

All that was needed was dialogue saying Caldwell trying to escape before Ronan let everyone out, but he was stunned. Woolsey takes command. Walla, logical reason for Caldwell to not be in the episode.

[SGLAB]

Totally agree with those that said all it would take is one sentence. Just a simple statment from someone giving us a reason we didn't see him. This has been a problem with stargate since RDA started shortening his schedule on SG-1.

Watching the Lost Tribe I thought I had missed something. Maybe I had missed something in the previous episode as it had been awhile since I had seen it.

[EternalAlteran]

Would be nice if Todd would feed on him and kill him

[Jackie]

The writers should have attempted to explain the absence instead of just pretending he was never there in first place. Was knocked out, didn't wake up as fast as the others, tried to escape and was stunned. Thrown out the airlock, became a snack...Something!

And no one in QA addressed the issue before it was aired just boggles my mind.

Anyone bring that boo-boo up to Mr Atlantis himself, JM? I would like to hear his reply.

[Ripple in Space]

Doesn't Woolsey outrank Caldwell?

I was under the impression that the Homeworld Security Chain of Command was:

1. Maj. Gen. O'Neill (Head of HWS)
1b. Woolsey (Expedition Leader/IOA Chair)
2. Maj. Gen. Landry (SGC Commander)
3. Col. Caldwell; Col. Ellis (BC Captain); Col. Carter; Col. Mitchell (SG-1 Leader)
3b. Lt. Col. Sheppard (Atlantis Flagship Military Leader)

[Jackie]

Doesn't Woolsey outrank Caldwell?

I was under the impression that the Homeworld Security Chain of Command was:

1. Maj. Gen. O'Neill (Head of HWS)
1b. Woolsey (Expedition Leader/IOA Chair)
2. Maj. Gen. Landry (SGC Commander)
3. Col. Caldwell; Col. Ellis (BC Captain); Col. Carter; Col. Mitchell (SG-1 Leader)
3b. Lt. Col. Sheppard (Atlantis Flagship Military Leader)

woosley isn't military so he cannot "outrank" caldwell.

Caldwell is in command of the ship and therefor responsible for everyone onboard his vessel.

Woosley is in charge of the outpost of Atlantis. One would think he no longer holds his position on the IOA. Infact, he was demoted when he took the position on SGA. Hmm, there's an interesting twist.

Even if it was O'Neill on the ship Caldwell would still be in command of the vessel and crew. It would also be a "flagship" in that case.

[Ripple in Space]

Even if it was O'Neill on the ship Caldwell would still be in command of the vessel and crew. It would also be a "flagship" in that case.

I don't know with Woolsey, but I'd be SHOCKED if Caldwell didn't defer to Jack completely.

But back to Woolsey, he outranks Sheppard. And even Merrick, who presumably had significantly less seniority than Woolsey, had the authority to remove Col. Mitchell from command of the Odyssey.

[Argosy]

He probably was down in the ships infirmary wigging out because Dr. Keller let the primary buffer panel fall of his goramn ship.