Team Dynamic/Makeup

[smushybird]

I'd just as soon seen less of both Weir and Teyla. I don't find either character appealing or even interesting. Maybe it's just me (it seems to mostly be), but they both seem very stiff and humorless and unreal. When I compare them to Sam or to the Lady President on BSG, they're just miles apart. Both of those characters are so real and genuine and complex and intriguing. Those are qualities I don't see in either Weir or Teyla. Weir put me off in that scene where Bates followed Sheppard's orders instead of hers and she resorted to actual pouting. Teyla, the same thing, when she tried to guilt-trip Sheppard in LfP. Their actions seemed out of character for both of them.
I think the male characters are better written. It would be nice if Atlantis had real women like SG1 or BSG, but I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen. Teyla's there because she looks good in skimpy outfits (if not the too obvious wig) and Weir's there to fill the General Hammond role without his fatherly presence and air of authority. She's more like the scolding mommy trying to make her rowdy boys behave. Which I suppose is rather a thankless role, but maybe if they allowed her to be a little more relaxed and give her a sense of humor...
For now, I'm enjoying Atlantis immensely because the actors who give us McKay, Sheppard, Beckett, Zelenka, and Ford are all superb and endearing and the writers do a good job with them and their interactions. If the show remains a mostly male cast, I have no problem with it. I'm not a 'shipper. I like to see the boys having fun without the encumbrances of UST and romances dragging down the adventuring. But I suppose I'm weird that way.

I do like the team dynamic as it is. I hate to see Ford go. He was just beginning to be interesting. And I'm worried they're only adding Mitch Pileggi so that Sheppard and Weir will stop being at odds and be on each other's side more often so that the 'shipping can begin.
And I'm not excited about that prospect at all, as much as I adored Mitch on X-Files.
...and the only really stand-out chemistry I feel between any two characters on this show is between Sheppard and McKay! And to a lesser degree, Beckett and McKay and Sheppard and Ford. In a purely friendshippy sense, of course.
I don't feel it clicking between the apparently intended eventual pairings of Sheppard/Teyla and Weir/McKay whatsoever.
But then again, of course, it could be just me.

[w1cket01]

I never warmed up to Teyla's character. I'd rather see Weir on the team going on missions than Teyla.

[Unas]

I also feels the team dynamic will be awkward in S2. By adding another alien, Ronon undermines Teyla's role as guide to Pegasus. I would have put Beckett on as a team medic and stick a generic CMO on Atlantis. Losing Beckett may mean less scenes for Weir but that can be solved easily by building up recurring characters for her to interact with (Bates, Zelenka, Pileggi's character, my proposed CMO). It worked on SG-1 with Jack and Siler/Harriman. That way the show would save money from not needing to pay another fulltime star and not undermine already established characters.

Im also waiting for Weir to do some offworld scenes. I think she can handle more than Hammond since she is younger and healthier.

[ShadowMaat]

I hope Weir is given more to do in S2. I think she's finally starting to "come around" as a character, but I'd like to see that progress continue. Having met Torri, I know what a bouncy, fun person she is and while I get that Weir isn't like that, it'd still be nice to see a little more life in her. She's too under control all the time. I want to see that control slip. Not much, but just enough to give us a hint of what's going on beneath the surface. As long as we know it's there, we can work some of the rest of it out for ourselves.

I do think that the female characters aren't written as well as the males, and that annoys me. I know the writers are all guys, too, but that shouldn't make any difference at all. It has been a weak area for them since the start of SG-1 and while they've managed to get in a couple of good female characters, it has been more in spite of the writing than because of it.

[FoolishPleasure]

After LFP, I am curious about the role Beckett is going to take. In talking to Ford he was adamant that he didn't want to be there at all - like he would leave first chance he got. However, down the road there is obviously going to be cross-over and he could probably return to Earth if he so chooses. It is obvious that the Wraith and alien contact in general scares him and I think he got more than he bargained for when he signed on for this mission (unless he was ordered to go).

Since Beckett's role is going to be expanded in season 2, I want to see what changes his mind - from wanting OUT to wanting to STAY.

[ShadowMaat]

I dunno... I don't think that Beckett's complaining means that he would drop everything and run home at the first opportunity. I can see it now: transport home is secured and they say, "So Carson, want to go home, now?" And he'll say, "What are ya, daft, man?? I'm not leaving!" Sometimes it's just in people's nature to complain (*looks innocent*).