Teyla is the problem in Atlantis

[bluealien]

Teyla was one of the most interesting characters on the show but unfortunatley the writers didnt really have a clue what to do with her, in fact they don't really seem to have had a clue with most of their characters. The only one that got any attention over the years was McKay because they all seem to want to live vicariously through him. I used to enjoy McKay in the early seasons but now I really can't stand the character because the show has literaly turned into the McKay show with Sheppard as his side kick and a few other characters thown in there so McKay always has someone around to ridicule and make fun off.

We ended with the the Shep/McKay hour where the same predictable dialogue was shunted back and forth, with such pathetic lines as "you fix it, no I can't, yes you can, oh look I fixed it".... The team dynamic was thrown out the window a long time ago and instead of trying to fix that the writers continued on with their obsession with McKay and then decided that some shiney new characters were needed as well, while totally ignoring the amazing characters they already had under their noses.

SG1 survived 10 years because of the team dynamic. It was the chemistry between the main team that kept the show going but the ptb decided to concentrate on just 2 members of this dynamic on SGA and forget about the rest of them. Instead of buidling up the relationship between all of the team members they knocked us over the head with the McShep love... and the Shrine was the final straw in this obsession for me...

But since they have pretty much saturated even the McShep show lets now bring in another character to pair up with their fav so we can dedicate all our time to the new dynamic of the show. Again let's forget we have other amazing characters on the show and just push them to the background. The unused potential is pretty sad and maybe if these writers had been a bit more creative and imaginative the show would still be going on. I can't even say that it was just the female characters who suffered, it was pretty much eveyone except McKay, not that I enjoyed the way they wrote McKay either. They were all kept firmly in their stereotypical little boxes, with the exception of McKay because he was allowed to wear his heart on his sleeve. Everyone else was placed firmly in their role and rarely alllowed to step outside the parametrers the writers set around them.

Sheppard probably suffered most in this area and only the talent and amazing subtle acting of Joe Flanigan made the character so much more interesting that the dialogue he was given. Flanigan was never really allowed to lead eventhough he was the leading man.. this spot was firmly given to Hewlett because they found him easier to write for.

So it's the over use of certain characters rather than the underuse that caused SGA to loose it's way, and the writers are to blame for this. It really is a shame because I felt overall the writing improved in the later seasons, but some of the stories got worse. Instead of bringing in new characters and putting all their attention into the same pairing, ie Sheppard and McKay they should have tried to flesh out all the characters. It's pointless bringing in new characters each season if they can't even be bothered to try and write for the ones they already have..

[Brain_Child]

that may be true but show with 6 major male characters and 17 minor males characters (and possibly a female lab assistant or techie if there is time) isnt going to last long on the air.

Strong female characters are needed. Teyla may be strong physically but she isnt strong in virtually every other category, Ive lost interest with her character. The pregnancy thing was good but when she was rescued and the wraith were taken out of the picture, the pregnancy and TJ seemed more like a distraction than a storyline.

[Save SGA!!]

I love Teyla and all the episodes centered around her. I think that her being connected to the wraith makes her a very interesting character, and although she has not been developed very well, i would say that she adds a very interesting element, especially when it comes to her and John.

[Falcon Horus]

...and although she has not been developed very well....

The award for understatement of the year goes to... *drumroll* ...Save SGA!!! *applause*

...I would say that she adds a very interesting element, especially when it comes to her and John.

So, what you're saying here is that basically without John she would only be half as interesting as she is now to you. Why does she need John to be more interesting? Can't she stand on her own two feet as a character (in the background but still)?

****

And I haven't answered the OP... I should - No, Teyla isn't Atlantis' problem. That would be the PTW (powers that were).

[Save SGA!!]

The award for understatement of the year goes to... *drumroll* ...Save SGA!!! *applause*





So, what you're saying here is that basically without John she would only be half as interesting as she is now to you. Why does she need John to be more interesting? Can't she stand on her own two feet as a character (in the background but still)?

****

And I haven't answered the OP... I should - No, Teyla isn't Atlantis' problem. That would be the PTW (powers that were).

No need to be mocking just stating an opinion.....

And yes i believe that Teyla can definitely be a character on her own, it's just that i think that when her and John interact, the tension that we see now makes it all the more interesting

[Falcon Horus]

No need to be mocking just stating an opinion.....

I'm not mocking... It's the truth.

And yes i believe that Teyla can definitely be a character on her own, it's just that i think that when her and John interact, the tension that we see now makes it all the more interesting

Mmm... then I see my opinion going a different way... there's tension yes, but it's not really doing much... good or bad.

Still, Teyla is still not the problem of Atlantis. Those are rooted far deeper and have been slumbering since the beginning...

[jethaz]

Thank God... I've hated her the whole way. She doesn't have a viable personality. She ruins all the fun.

[Falcon Horus]

Thank God... I've hated her the whole way. She doesn't have a viable personality. She ruins all the fun.

There's an anti-Teyla thread who's still looking for members. You'll feel right at home.

One question, out of curiosity, are you Czech by any chance?

[Linda06]

Teyla was one of the most interesting characters on the show but unfortunatley the writers didnt really have a clue what to do with her, in fact they don't really seem to have had a clue with most of their characters. The only one that got any attention over the years was McKay because they all seem to want to live vicariously through him. I used to enjoy McKay in the early seasons but now I really can't stand the character because the show has literaly turned into the McKay show with Sheppard as his side kick and a few other characters thown in there so McKay always has someone around to ridicule and make fun off.

We ended with the the Shep/McKay hour where the same predictable dialogue was shunted back and forth, with such pathetic lines as "you fix it, no I can't, yes you can, oh look I fixed it".... The team dynamic was thrown out the window a long time ago and instead of trying to fix that the writers continued on with their obsession with McKay and then decided that some shiney new characters were needed as well, while totally ignoring the amazing characters they already had under their noses.

SG1 survived 10 years because of the team dynamic. It was the chemistry between the main team that kept the show going but the ptb decided to concentrate on just 2 members of this dynamic on SGA and forget about the rest of them. Instead of buidling up the relationship between all of the team members they knocked us over the head with the McShep love... and the Shrine was the final straw in this obsession for me...

But since they have pretty much saturated even the McShep show lets now bring in another character to pair up with their fav so we can dedicate all our time to the new dynamic of the show. Again let's forget we have other amazing characters on the show and just push them to the background. The unused potential is pretty sad and maybe if these writers had been a bit more creative and imaginative the show would still be going on. I can't even say that it was just the female characters who suffered, it was pretty much eveyone except McKay, not that I enjoyed the way they wrote McKay either. They were all kept firmly in their stereotypical little boxes, with the exception of McKay because he was allowed to wear his heart on his sleeve. Everyone else was placed firmly in their role and rarely alllowed to step outside the parametrers the writers set around them.

Sheppard probably suffered most in this area and only the talent and amazing subtle acting of Joe Flanigan made the character so much more interesting that the dialogue he was given. Flanigan was never really allowed to lead eventhough he was the leading man.. this spot was firmly given to Hewlett because they found him easier to write for.

So it's the over use of certain characters rather than the underuse that caused SGA to loose it's way, and the writers are to blame for this. It really is a shame because I felt overall the writing improved in the later seasons, but some of the stories got worse. Instead of bringing in new characters and putting all their attention into the same pairing, ie Sheppard and McKay they should have tried to flesh out all the characters. It's pointless bringing in new characters each season if they can't even be bothered to try and write for the ones they already have..

HMM....Ok.....Welll.....blue.......Ok I so couldn't have said it better myself.....Remember when JM said we'd see alot more Teyla this year........STILL WAITING

There's an anti-Teyla thread who's still looking for members. You'll feel right at home.

One question, out of curiosity, are you Czech by any chance?

Yep....How many members it got now......Oh wait i think it's a massive two

[ShadowMaat]

Am I remembering things wrong or was Teyla's original purpose blatantly stated as being the love interest for the lead male and it was only later (although still in the developmental/rewrite process) that this was dropped (sort of) to allow her to be more of her "own" character? I seem to recall a lot of outrage way back when that TPTB would be so bald as to say, "Yeah, she's just around to be shipped."

If I am right then she's been hamstrung from the get-go, hasn't she? And TPTB have not, as far as I'm concerned, done much to rectify or integrate her character. She seems more like the expedition's pet than a respected leader of a people (and that little fact, coupled with the strangeness of a leader allowing someone else to give her orders, has rarely ever been utilized and not at all in recent years). Oh sure, they'll go to the ends of the galaxy to find her, but then a lot of people would do the same for their dog. The worst part is that when this Lassie barks a warning she gets patted on the head and told to sit like a good girl.

I agree that TPTB have never been good at writing strong female characters (even Sam has been messily handled at times) and IMO this has never been more evident than in the character of Teyla. Of all the wonderful possibilities they could have explored with her, they chose instead to make her a glorified lap dog. Sure, she can fight with the best of them, but for the most part she's just ornamental and that's a real shame.

She's far from the only suffering character, though. In fact, it'd be hard to find a character or plot who hasn't suffered under the grubby hands of TPTB. Just my opinion, of course, but as someone said earlier, Teyla is just a symptom of a much larger problem. The fish rots from the head, as they say.

[Mike272]

Im in the boat of people that have never really liked Teyla. I dont hate her with a passion but she never really satisfied me in terms of character the way that Mckay has.

And I think the main reason for this is that Teyla wasnt an original creation but was really a forced concept, a forced character. For me, Teyla is simply the Atlantis version of Teal'c. Both aliens taken onto the team, both odd in ways due to their culture, both leaders among thier respective peoples, both provide insights about various cultures on Pegasus Galaxy. Now teal'c is my favourite SG1 character but I dont think the idea can be reused as was done in Teyla's case

She was never really created with a true purpose, she was just a reincarnation of Teal'c. I also think she was cast as a woman to give Atlantis more of a stronger female presence. SG1 had Carter and Frasier. If Weir was the only regular female cast member I think some of the female viewing audience may be lost (maybe some of the super nerds who only see women on Tv may also have lost interest).

But I agree that a team of 4 men is not as interesting as a 3:1 or 2:2 combination, but Teyla wasnt well crafted. She is a warrior and leader but also the moral voice, and that mixture isnt the best one available. Having Ford as a female instead would prolly have been wiser than a female alien, I think a female version of Ronon (hardcore warrior but from earth) would have worked well too, even a female Zelenka could have been interesting (but I like the Zelenka-Mckay partnership as it is), but overall Teyla was a forced character rather than the fruit of creativity and inspiration.

SGA needed a contrasting character who is female and decided to recycle the Teal'c idea, but it didnt work. Now that Ronon has come aboard I see no real purpose for Teyla anymore. All of the alien contacts and storylines can be used with Ronon, and other than her alien status, she provided little else to the team.

As mentioned before, an Atlantean would be cool in place of Teyla. But may I also suggest a replicator too??? (I think it would be interesting if Fran were to join the team)

Well said!

[Save Carson]

LOL, I love your username; but what you've said's not really a valid argument now is it?!?!!

Yeah but you get my point eh?

[Descended from the Ascended]

The character Teyla is a problem, but it is only one of a number of problems. The knowledge and experience she brought to the party was shallow from the start, she knew her way around a few (and it does only seem to be a few) planets, and can interact with the wraith in a limited fashion, but thats it.


Ronon brings proper military knowledge and tactics, the knowledge of running and fighting the wraith, as well as tracking and knowing many planets. He also brings a physical presence Tayla simply cannot.


At the moment, there are far too many stand alone episodes with little continuity and overall goals. SGA has become something like Star Trek NG - cruising around with no real objective in mind.


The problem is IMO, the wraith were made far too weak far too early.

They should not have found Atlantis (and conversely, neither should Atlantis have "found" earth) until end season 2 at the earliest.

Another problem was the limited power of the ZPM versus the wraith hive ships - there could have been 2 or 3 stories spun right there about desperate searches for ZPMs before the shields failed - the planets that Weir provided in "before I sleep" would have been a good starting point.

[Mitchell82]

I've enjoyed every single episode that has centered around Teyla. Her connection to the Wraith is something that I'm very interested in, which is why I can't wait for The Queen.

I agree with this.

Turning the show into the Rodney Mckay hour every week, that was frustrating. Rodney McKay is not all that interesting, though he has had certainly quite a lot of character refinement. He's not nearly as annoying as he started out as. I actually, and I admit this here and now, like Dr. Mckay.

He was at first though I loved all the eps that centered around him. GUP, Tao and The Shrine are perfect examples of great Mckay eps.

The problem is in the writing. There's only a few good episodes a season. And then the rest of the season is lackluster.

I disagree. For me it's the exact opposite. The amount of great eps far succeed the episodes that aren't so good.

The only thing I disliked was the Replicator story arch. I was expecting a more devious, incendious enemy the Lanteans created.

Not me I loved the Asurans. They were far different than the Replicators we knew in SG-1.

[Mitchell82]

Of course. When have TPTB ever written a good episode centered around a female character? Never......except for when it was Carl Binder. I liked the Gift too, by Gero and Cooper..but omg nothing after that.

Hmm I disagree. Suspicion, Before I Sleep, The Long Goodbye, The Real World, Missing, Lifeline, Millers Crossing, and Trio and The Seed were quite good IMO.