The Evolution of Todd

[Sparrow_hawk]

Todd - probably my favorite SGA character!

We know that Todd has been around for at least 10,000 years and that he was responsible for the cloning operation that gave the Wraith the numerical advantage and let them finally defeat the Ancients.

We also know that he somehow became the prisoner of the Genii and was held by them for a long time. Have you ever wondered how he came to be a prisoner? We know that Todd is a bit - odd - for a Wraith. He moves to the beat of a very different drummer than his fellows. He likes being the one in command and tells Sheppard that he once had a great many Hives loyal to him. I've always thought that he was betrayed by one of his underlings who was looking for a way to move up in the ranks - what better way to get your own Hive than to eliminate the commander?

But after I saw his little scheme trying to use Teyla as a figurehead Queen so he could gain control of the Wraith Alliance, I started to wonder if he'd tried something like that in the past. Maybe that is what got him into trouble before.

I think that Todd was probably a very successful Wraith commander during the war with the Ancients. It no doubt won him some followers. Perhaps he became too popular and the Queens saw him as threat to their control of the Wraith. Had Todd been trying to become the power behind one of the Queens once before? Did he fail in a coup and get hung out to dry only to be picked up and imprisoned by the Genii? We'll never know for certain, but it is kind of fun to speculate about it.

Todd is of the older generation of Wraith. He lived in a time when the Wraith had to fight to keep their own little piece of the Galaxy and were nearly wiped out by the Ancients. And unlike most Wraith who (as das said) want to be led, he prefers to make his own decisions. And he clearly thinks outside the box. This tendency could have been contributed to by his long time away from the Hive when he was a prisoner of the Genii, but I suspect that he was always a maverick. I would love to see him run into another Wraith who knew him back in the day - now that could make for some entertaining television!

He certainly loves a challenge, which is why he enjoys his little sparring matches with Shep and Co. And the Wraith are most definitely a race that thrive on intrigue and manipulation. They are excellent game-players, and Todd is one of the best of them.

Todd's attitude has "evolved" during the course of the SGA series. He has learned a lot from his encounters with an temporary alliances with the folks at Atlantis. And, as has already been said here, he has become very good at playing Sheppard's game. But more than that, he has seen that there is not only a threat to the Wraith domination of the Pegasus galaxy, but a threat to their very survival. Todd realizes that, and I think that he has begun to think less like a soldier and more like a ruler. He is interested not just in his own welfare and the welfare of his Hive, but in the long term survival and prosperity of his people. And I suspect that his hidden agenda is to find a way to insure that they will once again become the dominant power there.

If sanity is defined by whether or not one's behavior is consistent with that of one's peers, then Todd is pretty definitely crazy (by Wraith standards, anyway). Bi-polar? I'm not so sure about that, TP. But, as das said - he's crazy like a fox. And that's what makes him so much fun!

[Todd's Pet]

This tendency could have been contributed to by his long time away from the Hive when he was a prisoner of the Genii, but I suspect that he was always a maverick. I would love to see him run into another Wraith who knew him back in the day - now that could make for some entertaining television!

Now that I would PAY to see!!!

But more than that, he has seen that there is not only a threat to the Wraith domination of the Pegasus galaxy, but a threat to their very survival. Todd realizes that, and I think that he has begun to think less like a soldier and more like a ruler. He is interested not just in his own welfare and the welfare of his Hive, but in the long term survival and prosperity of his people. And I suspect that his hidden agenda is to find a way to insure that they will once again become the dominant power there.

That is an excellent point and makes a lot of sense. I see Todd as lookign after Todd first and foremost, but that could be part of his game strategy, to install himself as ultimate leader of all wraith as a means to secure the strength and power of wraith as a race. I think Todd sees that the Queens are still too far up their own jacksies to see the big picture in the way he does, and he may believe that taking ultimate power for himself is the only way forward for the entire species.

If sanity is defined by whether or not one's behavior is consistent with that of one's peers, then Todd is pretty definitely crazy (by Wraith standards, anyway). Bi-polar? I'm not so sure about that, TP. But, as das said - he's crazy like a fox. And that's what makes him so much fun!

I'm talking from my own experience there... Todd is uncharaceristically depressed and hopeless in the Gennii cell, and again in Infection, he is uncharacteristically down and sulky. Yes, Todd gets cranky and that's "normal" for Todd as a predator... but those two times he seemed to me to be "just down". OK he had reason to be "just down" but he seems to be so up and on the ball and ready for anything at all other times that I can't help "relating" to those two eps as one fellow bi-polar to another!!!

[Elsa_the_Wraith]

I think it's only because we have grown familiar with him that he comes across as 'humanized'. If Steve or Bob or any of the others had lasted through 3 seasons, they would seem more 'human' to us, too. But I really believe that's just because we have grown use to Todd, and that takes away some of the 'mystery'.

Agree with you. But I don't like it, I think it's possible to write Wraith character... mmm.... more Wraith)))

In S5 we had an opportunity to see Todd interact with other Wraith. To me, he was anything but human around them! He bowed to a queen, he bellowed out instructions to Teyla, he slit a rival's throat, he broke another's neck. This would be as if Sheppard slit Sam's throat, then broke Ronon's neck...Todd wasn't doing this to his 'enemies', per se - he was doing it to his own kind, to a hive that was part of his alliance! Pretty darn vicious if you ask me!

It's absolutely *human* thing - killing just for own authority. Don't forget about insect-like organization of Wraith society - how can the male kill a Queen???
(and, honestly, for me, man who hurts a woman is just disgusting, I wonder how it's possible to like him....)

[Dulcamara]

I think that Todd was probably a very successful Wraith commander during the war with the Ancients. It no doubt won him some followers. Perhaps he became too popular and the Queens saw him as threat to their control of the Wraith. Had Todd been trying to become the power behind one of the Queens once before? Did he fail in a coup and get hung out to dry only to be picked up and imprisoned by the Genii? We'll never know for certain, but it is kind of fun to speculate about it.

That's an interesting theory... it would certainly explain the evident problem he has with Queenly authority.

I wonder what his reception was like after he escaped. Did he go back to his Hive of origin, did he still have some connections he could use to regain his position, or was he some kind of legendary historical figure among the Wraith?

Todd is of the older generation of Wraith. He lived in a time when the Wraith had to fight to keep their own little piece of the Galaxy and were nearly wiped out by the Ancients. And unlike most Wraith who (as das said) want to be led, he prefers to make his own decisions. And he clearly thinks outside the box. This tendency could have been contributed to by his long time away from the Hive when he was a prisoner of the Genii, but I suspect that he was always a maverick. I would love to see him run into another Wraith who knew him back in the day - now that could make for some entertaining television!

Next week, on Stargate Hiveship... Seriously, I would love to see that, too!

[Dulcamara]

It's absolutely *human* thing - killing just for own authority. Don't forget about insect-like organization of Wraith society - how can the male kill a Queen???
(and, honestly, for me, man who hurts a woman is just disgusting, I wonder how it's possible to like him....)

The Wraith are ruled by females, though, and all the female Wraith we've seen seem to be able to hold their own physically (and telepathically). They don't have all the patriarchal baggage that humans from Earth are dealing with, so I'm not sure it's equivalent.

I'm not saying Todd is some kind of male Wraith liberation fighter--I think he's more just out for himself, by way of (mostly) enlightened self-interest.

[Sparrow_hawk]

The Wraith are ruled by females, though, and all the female Wraith we've seen seem to be able to hold their own physically (and telepathically). They don't have all the patriarchal baggage that humans from Earth are dealing with, so I'm not sure it's equivalent.

I'm not saying Todd is some kind of male Wraith liberation fighter--I think he's more just out for himself, by way of (mostly) enlightened self-interest.

I like that phrase for describing Todd: "enlightened self-interest"!

And I agree - Wraith females are can certainly hold their own against Wraith males and wield a great deal of power. I don't think we can compare them with human females, who tend to be physically weaker than human males. Not all of them, of course, but in general it is true. All Wraith seem to engage in power games, sneaky tactics and betrayal as a way to advance in society. I really think that Todd succeeded in taking out that Queen because no one expected a direct attack on a Queen.

As I said before, I think that Todd has always been a maverick and doesn't necessarily respect the matriarchal dominance in Wraith society.

What do other people think?

[toomuchcaf]

I like that phrase for describing Todd: "enlightened self-interest"!

And I agree - Wraith females are can certainly hold their own against Wraith males and wield a great deal of power. I don't think we can compare them with human females, who tend to be physically weaker than human males. Not all of them, of course, but in general it is true. All Wraith seem to engage in power games, sneaky tactics and betrayal as a way to advance in society. I really think that Todd succeeded in taking out that Queen because no one expected a direct attack on a Queen.

As I said before, I think that Todd has always been a maverick and doesn't necessarily respect the matriarchal dominance in Wraith society.

What do other people think?

I love the discussions in this thread, it's given me a lot of other things to think on. I agree with Todd not really respecting the matriarchal dominance, possibly because he see's the females as equals. And to all intents and purposes they are equals in strength. The only draw card females have is the ability to continue the species. There is no other reason the females are the only ones in charge, certainly not sexual or emotional attraction between the genders! And why would Todd need a Queen really, when he knew he could clone more warriors? Maybe it was necessary to use a Queen to supply the DNA, but then again, maybe not. He's smart, he probably knew a way of cloning that didn't require a female. So why kowtow to them when he doesn't need them?

Something I did notice while reading the previous posts, is during the speculation about the Wraith generations, Shaun (The Wraith from Condemned) wasn't mentioned! Thinking about him, I consider him a link between the older generation of Todd, and the younger generation of Steve. The middle, evolving generation so to speak. Why? well, for starters, he's certainly vainer then Todd, well dressed and preened, but doesn't appear to be as much as Steve. But unlike Steve, he doesn't flaunt his superiority around. He actually converses with the human mayor, answering about his ability to eat, even extrapolating on it. Steve never would, but Todd would have. And certainly he developed a scheme that benefitted him with the least amount of effort. Not on a grand scale like Todd, but definitely beyond what Steve would have done. And he still showed his ruthlesness, when the standards of his agreement were not met. Though we never saw his reaction when the mayor did not provide the required human 'sacrifice', I imagine it would have been merely cool irritation and annoyance, where'as Steve probably would have thrown a hissy fit

Would Shaun have been a match for Todd? I don't think so. Sure Shaun could scheme, but not on Todds' scale. But he certainly would have out dressed him.

I think the evolution of Wraith from ruthless schemers to pretty boys is best explained by the fact that the older wraiths (Todd) had to fight and scheme for what they wanted, and the next closer generation (Shaun) grew up with the 'memory' of that . Further generations (ie. Steve) are just too used to getting everything they want without any defiance.

Because of that, Todd could whip any of the younger generations butts! But there has to be other older wraith out there just as wily, but maybe not as driven to expand their power, just to keep what they've got. Otherwise Todd would have taken over by now!

[dasNdanger]

I've been very busy the last few days, but wanted to make a few quick comments. I'm really enjoying the discussion, and glad all of you are, too!

...I've said it before and I'll say it again, that scene where the human says to Greg "you're gonna kill/eat me now aren't you?" and Greg says "Yes... but not all at once!" OMG! *THUNK* Charisma or what???

Seriously, it was his facial expression and the teasing quality of his tone of voice as much as the line itself, it said to me that Greg had to be at least as smart and at least as unhinged as Todd. Certainly he had to be to survive - but that line showed he had a quirky sense of humour, too, like Todd.

This is something I love about the Wraith - their sense of humor. It's...well, it's kind of morbid, or sick. It goes a little further than 'quirky' in that their jokes usually revolve around eating people. It would be like us naming our pet cow 'hamburger', or something. But it shows that they do understand humor, just that their humor is designed to amuse them, and unsettle humans. Guess that's what I love - Wraith jokes make humans uncomfortable and squirmy! Still...it shows that they like to laugh and can see the humor in their relationship with humans, as Todd has certainly shown us.

But here again we see a difference. Those of the older generation are a bit laid back, able to laugh at their own jokes. The ones we perceive to be younger still joke, but they are much more stoic about it. In some ways, that makes the younger ones more unnerving, while Todd & Co. come across as old drinking buddies out for a good time!

However, what also makes me mad and confused in general is this: You discover a completely new species who are so humanoid that they are effectively as human as you and me - BUT they have the ability to instantly heal and regenerate themselves, live for thousands of years and can communicate telepathically... what do you do?

Do you find a way to live with their "dietary requirements" and learn as much as you can from them and hope that perhaps you might be able to work together to better BOTH races (or at the very least improve the human lot)?

No! Apparantly you just shoot them all dead!!!

This is where the show screwed up, IMHO. Instead of treating the Wraith as a unique species that needed to be understood so that they could effectively (and humanely) be dealt with, just as we do with big cats and bears and other predators, the Stargate team decided that the 'only good Wraith was a dead Wraith'. This really limited development between the two species (until Todd came along, and even there it has stagnated again into death threats). This is where Star Trek was both smarter and more successful - they took their main enemy - the Klingons - and found a way to make them a borderline ally, which allowed for all sorts of entertaining, and sometimes tense, social situations. That endeared Klingons to the franchise, and made them as popular - if not more so - than the human characters.

If Star Trek had continued to use Klingons as cannon fodder, they would never have become so iconic.

I completely agree, das! I especially like that you mention that Sheppard does the same thing back to Todd - they're BOTH soldiers, after all and theyh know that the best way to win over the natives is to speak the lingo!
IMHO that ability to adapt to each other is also a part of their mutual attraction - the fact that they "understand" each other in this way re-inforces their own sense of "brotherhood" towards each other.

Todd's ability to adapt to how humans act among themselves is a bit amusing. How he seems to love being on Atlantis, as if he's running the place...lol. He becomes very flamboyant around the humans, nothing like I'd imagine him to be amongst his own. If he acted that way around Wraith, they'd lock him up in the looney bin.

But Todd doesn't always put on the act, and that's why we know it IS an act. How differently he treated Woolsey in First Contact! No humanized airs, instead he was all Wraith - cranky and impatient and demanding. I like being reminded about this side of Todd. It could be argued that he acted that way because he had two fellow Wraith with him, one being his second in command, and so he had to act strong and abbrasive. But I also think this is Todd's natural personality, and he only puts the charm on for humans, and only when it suits him.

I was going to keep on commenting, but I must get to bed! I'll try to pick up tomorrow or over the weekend with Sparrow_hawk's post!


das

[Trillian52]

I'm enjoying the discussion on this thread although I've been hesitant to join in because I live in a part of the world where season 5 has yet to be shown.

But I just want to add something to the discussion about Todd's perspective on Queens. I suspect his view of their power might have been changed significantly by seeing Teyla take over the mind of the Queen in Spoils of War. He could probably sense Teyla's wraith genes but she was still a human doing something I don't think he would ever consider doing. I think seeing a Queen manipulated this way would have challenged his whole view of how powerful their minds really are and exposed a definite weakness.

[dasNdanger]

Todd - probably my favorite SGA character!

We know that Todd has been around for at least 10,000 years and that he was responsible for the cloning operation that gave the Wraith the numerical advantage and let them finally defeat the Ancients.

We also know that he somehow became the prisoner of the Genii and was held by them for a long time. Have you ever wondered how he came to be a prisoner? We know that Todd is a bit - odd - for a Wraith. He moves to the beat of a very different drummer than his fellows. He likes being the one in command and tells Sheppard that he once had a great many Hives loyal to him. I've always thought that he was betrayed by one of his underlings who was looking for a way to move up in the ranks - what better way to get your own Hive than to eliminate the commander?

But after I saw his little scheme trying to use Teyla as a figurehead Queen so he could gain control of the Wraith Alliance, I started to wonder if he'd tried something like that in the past. Maybe that is what got him into trouble before.

I have tried to imagine how Todd came to be a prisoner, and both of your examples are real possibilites. Let's look at those, and some more:

1. Betrayed by an underling. Very possible, since we know that this is how Wraith operate. Todd's been betrayed at least twice by his own in the show, and he certainly acted treacherously in The Queen. Wraith are not to be trusted, even among their own.

2. A scheme gone wrong. This could certainly be the case. Whether he tried to pull a fast one over on Wraith and got caught, or tried to wheel and deal with the Genii as he has been doing with the Lanteans, it is very possible that someone got wise to him, and decided to teach him a lesson. (I wouldn't put it past a pissed off queen to do this to him, to humiliate him and teach him his place.)

3. An accident/injury. It's possible that Todd crash-landed on a planet in a dart or other craft, or otherwise was wounded in a battle/culling, and taken captive. We don't know who originally took him captive - most likely the Genii, but it really could have been anyone, and he could have been traded to the Genii or to Koyla for arms or goods.

I think that Todd was probably a very successful Wraith commander during the war with the Ancients. It no doubt won him some followers. Perhaps he became too popular and the Queens saw him as threat to their control of the Wraith. Had Todd been trying to become the power behind one of the Queens once before? Did he fail in a coup and get hung out to dry only to be picked up and imprisoned by the Genii? We'll never know for certain, but it is kind of fun to speculate about it.

Todd is of the older generation of Wraith. He lived in a time when the Wraith had to fight to keep their own little piece of the Galaxy and were nearly wiped out by the Ancients. And unlike most Wraith who (as das said) want to be led, he prefers to make his own decisions. And he clearly thinks outside the box. This tendency could have been contributed to by his long time away from the Hive when he was a prisoner of the Genii, but I suspect that he was always a maverick. I would love to see him run into another Wraith who knew him back in the day - now that could make for some entertaining television!

I think we were given a pretty good idea of what kind of Wraith Todd is in The Queen. He is not content with sitting back and obeying - he's a 'mover and shaker' - and he's going to be sure he's in the middle of the action.

Think of what he did in The Queen. He concealed his true intentions, and certainly did not tell Teyla all that she could expect. For instance, he never let on that it was inappropriate for him to accompany her as she met with the Primary. When called out for it by the Primary, he immediately feigned submission...something I really don't think Todd likes to do.

It seems to me that Todd rebels against the Wraith social structure as a whole, and in his own way is trying to take control of Wraith, without answering to a queen. If he had followers before he was imprisoned, it would seem that he was already moving away from the way Wraith ruled themselves, and his imprisonment probably just gave him more time to think up schemes for doing so, especially if he was betrayed by his own, and embittered because of it.

Here's a thought. Perhaps back during the war males had as much power as Queens (which could explain the UberWraith from Sateda). It would also explain why Todd has his share of followers. But after the war, perhaps the Queens began assuming more power, and soon powerful male commanders like Todd were obsolete, things of the past that no longer served the same purpose they had during the war. Queens, with their reproductive abilities, were now the more valuable leaders.

He certainly loves a challenge, which is why he enjoys his little sparring matches with Shep and Co. And the Wraith are most definitely a race that thrive on intrigue and manipulation. They are excellent game-players, and Todd is one of the best of them.

There is something about this aspect of Wraith that reminds me of little children - naughty little children. I've known a few pre-teen manipulators - they are little devils, that's for sure. And the Wraith seem very much like this - especially in the way these games bring them so much pleasure. It just reminds me of that bad little boy that's just lied about eating the last piece of cake, and as soon as his mother turns her back, he grins a smug little grin as he licks the chocolate off of his fingers.

That's exactly how Wraith come across to me. So, despite being ancient, they have this child-like quality about them. MOST of them, except Todd. This is one area where Todd seems different from the average Wraith - he doesn't immediately think he's gotten away with whatever it is he's scheming to do. Instead, he continues to feign innocence, resisting any urge to smugly lick that chocolate off of his naughty green fingers.

Todd's attitude has "evolved" during the course of the SGA series. He has learned a lot from his encounters with an temporary alliances with the folks at Atlantis. And, as has already been said here, he has become very good at playing Sheppard's game. But more than that, he has seen that there is not only a threat to the Wraith domination of the Pegasus galaxy, but a threat to their very survival. Todd realizes that, and I think that he has begun to think less like a soldier and more like a ruler. He is interested not just in his own welfare and the welfare of his Hive, but in the long term survival and prosperity of his people. And I suspect that his hidden agenda is to find a way to insure that they will once again become the dominant power there.

Exactly. Still, we don't know if he wants this power to ultimate drive out all human threats, just so he and his kind can happily go on feeding as they have for thousands of years, or if he truly wants to see some sort of change, one where Wraith will still be strong, but in a much different relationship with humans.

If sanity is defined by whether or not one's behavior is consistent with that of one's peers, then Todd is pretty definitely crazy (by Wraith standards, anyway). Bi-polar? I'm not so sure about that, TP. But, as das said - he's crazy like a fox. And that's what makes him so much fun!

In some ways I think of Todd as being very masochistic. He seemed to enjoy the fact that the Iratus cure was agonizing, and he keeps coming back to the Lanteans, though he knows there's a very good chance that they will either starve him, or kill him outright. I've never thought of Wraith as self-destructive, but Todd certainly doesn't shy away from the possibility if he thinks it'll get him something. Crazy like a fox, or just plain crazy - you decide!

(Will get to the rest of the comments later, perhaps tomorrow)


das

[Sparrow_hawk]

There is no other reason the females are the only ones in charge, certainly not sexual or emotional attraction between the genders!

Yeah, male/female attraction doesn't seem to play a role in Wraith life, at least as we've seen it so far. Of course, we don't know the whole story.

And why would Todd need a Queen really, when he knew he could clone more warriors? Maybe it was necessary to use a Queen to supply the DNA, but then again, maybe not. He's smart, he probably knew a way of cloning that didn't require a female. So why kowtow to them when he doesn't need them?

Queens still play a very important role in Wraith society and the Queen/matriarchal tradition is the form of rule that most Wraith accept. Todd is bucking that tradition, but it doesn't look like he's too successful at it. At least, not so far.

Something I did notice while reading the previous posts, is during the speculation about the Wraith generations, Shaun (The Wraith from Condemned) wasn't mentioned! Thinking about him, I consider him a link between the older generation of Todd, and the younger generation of Steve. The middle, evolving generation so to speak. Why? well, for starters, he's certainly vainer then Todd, well dressed and preened, but doesn't appear to be as much as Steve. But unlike Steve, he doesn't flaunt his superiority around. He actually converses with the human mayor, answering about his ability to eat, even extrapolating on it. Steve never would, but Todd would have. And certainly he developed a scheme that benefited him with the least amount of effort. Not on a grand scale like Todd, but definitely beyond what Steve would have done. And he still showed his ruthlessness, when the standards of his agreement were not met. Though we never saw his reaction when the mayor did not provide the required human 'sacrifice', I imagine it would have been merely cool irritation and annoyance, whereas Steve probably would have thrown a hissy fit

Shaun! I forgot all about him! But I think you're right. He could be another in-between Wraith. Though he might even be as old as Todd. He certainly is an expert schemer and manipulator. I think someone likened him to a Mafia boss on the WDC thread and I think that's a good comparison.

Would Shaun have been a match for Todd? I don't think so. Sure Shaun could scheme, but not on Todds' scale. But he certainly would have out dressed him.

Todd would win hands down on the scheming, but I have to agree - Shaun is one snappy dresser!

I think the evolution of Wraith from ruthless schemers to pretty boys is best explained by the fact that the older wraiths (Todd) had to fight and scheme for what they wanted, and the next closer generation (Shaun) grew up with the 'memory' of that . Further generations (ie. Steve) are just too used to getting everything they want without any defiance.

I think that's a good breakdown of Wraith generations. Todd and his generation is a little like the people who grew up during the Depression here in the US. They knew what it was like be needy and it shaped their personalities and habits. Their children were constantly reminded of the way things used to be by their parents, and grew up more comfortable but aware that the wolf could show up outside the door at any time. It made them ambitious and innovative. But their children are far removed from all that and have always lived in times of plenty, and that made them prone to boredom and very interested in leisure activities.

Because of that, Todd could whip any of the younger generations butts! But there has to be other older wraith out there just as wily, but maybe not as driven to expand their power, just to keep what they've got. Otherwise Todd would have taken over by now!

I think you're right: there must still be some ancient Wraith out there watching how things are developing and looking for ways to maintain that comfortable status quo.

This line of thinking makes me wonder a little about why societies change. I think it has to do with new generations looking for ways to improve upon what the generations before have done and make life easier and more enjoyable.

But what need would there be for Wraith to change? Once the Ancients moved out, they pretty much had things the way they wanted them. But since there weren't a lot of successive generations looking for new and different ways to do things, there wasn't any pressure to move their society in new directions.

Until the retrovirus poisoned the "food supply." Now they do need to change in order to survive.

But, how do you change a society that has no practice with making changes? There would be incredible inertia to overcome. And I think that's a big reason why Todd keeps hitting road blocks on all his little schemes. He wants to change things, but most of the other Wraith aren't very good at accepting change.

[Sparrow_hawk]

Welcome, Trillian!

I'm enjoying the discussion on this thread although I've been hesitant to join in because I live in a part of the world where season 5 has yet to be shown.

Please join in! I'll try to remember to put Season 5 things in spoilers so we don't ruin the Season for you. A lot of the best Todd episodes were from seasons 3 and 4 anyway.

But I just want to add something to the discussion about Todd's perspective on Queens. I suspect his view of their power might have been changed significantly by seeing Teyla take over the mind of the Queen in Spoils of War. He could probably sense Teyla's wraith genes but she was still a human doing something I don't think he would ever consider doing. I think seeing a Queen manipulated this way would have challenged his whole view of how powerful their minds really are and exposed a definite weakness.

That's a very good observation! I remember the look on Todd's face when he saw Teyla getting into the mind of the Queen and controlling her. I think it did show him a vulnerability he hadn't ever seen before and you could just see the wheels starting to turn while he tried to figure out how he could use it to his advantage.

Dang it! I see that das just posted a big reply to one of my essays and I'm too tired to read it. I promise I'll check it out tomorrow.

[Sevenofnine]

I have just read through all this and its great. Todd has grown for us since he graces our TV screens in Common Ground, one who was down, but has now fought back, he is a survivor, but as has been stated before, he is a leader and will manipulate events and people so he will be in charge.

I wouldn't be surprised if the show kept running - more seasons - that he would eventually maneuver himself to being in charge of Atlantis! It would be just like is ambition to do this.

Sneaky Todd!

[Sparrow_hawk]

I'm talking from my own experience there... Todd is uncharacteristically depressed and hopeless in the Genii cell, and again in Infection, he is uncharacteristically down and sulky. Yes, Todd gets cranky and that's "normal" for Todd as a predator... but those two times he seemed to me to be "just down". OK he had reason to be "just down" but he seems to be so up and on the ball and ready for anything at all other times that I can't help "relating" to those two eps as one fellow bi-polar to another!!!

Our own life experiences can't help but color our interpretation of what we see in SGA, so I completely understand why you see it that way. And you bring up a very interesting point about Todd's mood swings. I had kind of thought his being down in those episodes was more "situational depression" than true bi-polar. As you said, he had really good reasons to be depressed both times. But maybe there is more to it than I first thought.

Todd might be like Sherlock Holmes - he needs constant mental stimulation and challenges or he sinks into a deep funk.

[Todd's Pet]

I have just read through all this and its great. Todd has grown for us since he graces our TV screens in Common Ground, one who was down, but has now fought back, he is a survivor, but as has been stated before, he is a leader and will manipulate events and people so he will be in charge.

I wouldn't be surprised if the show kept running - more seasons - that he would eventually maneuver himself to being in charge of Atlantis! It would be just like is ambition to do this.

Sneaky Todd!

Ha! I love it! Especially when you consider his comments about how much he enjoys his visits to Atlantis - like he already looks on it as his "second home"!!!
Now there would be a great plot turn for the movie!!!