Teyla's role throughout SGA

[ShadowMaat]

Teyla is one of the best things about SGA.... she is the glue that holds the team together.

That's an opinion, not a fact.

Having lots of screentime doesn't equate to making a character interesting or likable.

True enough, but it tends to be easier to like characters when you actually know a little about them. Although sometimes the joy is in the utter mystery of it all. It's a delicate balance to strike, though, and in my opinion TPTB have struck out with Teyla.

Since when is it a bad thing being beautiful. Some seem to have a problem that she is beautiful and can kick ass and hold her own in a fight. This is what endears me to her character. She is not only beautiful, but strong and compassionate and balances out the male testosterone in the team.

I'd say it depends on what else there is to a character. Granted, there probably is a niche in some stories for a person whose whole purpose is to simply exist as a beautiful thing and certainly there are a lot of people who can appreciate characters like that, but sometimes people want more. And being beautiful and a warrior doesn't really balance the equation as much as it simply alters the imbalanced dynamic of it. "Hot warrior chick" is as much of a cliche as a regular "hot chick" is, it just adds an element of danger to the character instead of against her in a Damsel in Distress kind of way. That's my take on it, anyway. As for Teyla herself, I don't feel that I know enough about her to make any sort of judgement other than the very fact that I don't feel I know enough about her. That's more of a writing issue than an issue with the character, though. There's so little to her (in my opinion) that it's hard to say if I like her or hate her, I simply think she's a waste of space- or a waste of potential, if you prefer. There are so many things that could have been done with the character and instead we get bits that are stuck on for the convenience of a plot and then she's basically ignored until TPTB need another plot device and then she's trotted out again. I don't like what has- or technically hasn't been done to the character and I think it's a shameful waste of Rachel's talents as an actress to be stuck in such a stagnant and disused role. Yes, Teyla will be getting some character development this season, but if you ask me, good writers wouldn't have taken this long to get around to her; she'd have been an integral part of the series all along and we would have learned a lot more about her along the way instead of getting it in a crumb here and a crumb there and then a big lump which will either have Fordian consequences or which will eventually die down and be forgotten. Again.

How many times have we seen Rodney go into panic mode and Teyla calm him down, or Sheppard and Ronon want to rush off and do something impetuous.

You make a good point here and I guess I'll just have to chalk it up as a difference of definitions. Yes, it's great that Teyla is so useful to her teammates, but I'd rather see her be useful on her own rather than being used as some kind of den mother, or even worse as a mere tool. She should be useful, not used. She makes the other characters look better, but she herself... I just don't think there's much there once you get rid of her teammates.

I can understand not everyone liking all the characters, they all seem to have fans who like/dislike or even hate them... but to start a petition to get rid of a character just because you don't them is rather arrogant. I wonder how fans would feel if a petition was started to get rid of their favourite character, because you can be sure that someone out their will dislike your favourite character, or may even hate them.

I don't know if I'd call it arrogant, I'd say it was more or less expected. This is fandom, and fandom isn't known for its rational attitudes or behavior. There are probably petitions for everything you can think of: killing someone off, bringing someone back, forcing two characters into a declared relationship, bringing in this element, getting rid of that element, more of this, less of that, etc.

Petitions are a somewhat silly way of saying, "This is what I think and look at how not alone I am in thinking it!" I'd be tempted to say that they're pointless, but I suppose for some people just knowing they aren't alone in wanting something is a good enough reason to make it worth the effort. Anyway, it isn't as if TPTB are going to go, "Wow! Look at all these people who hate Teyla! I guess we'd better write her off!" Fan petitions rarely, if ever, work, but they're a good way for a bunch of like-minded fans to find each other and commiserate.

[shrap]

I think Teyla is safe. Only 10 signatures so far and her name is spelt wrong on the petition anyway.

[Arwen Undomiel]

I would have had her shot after Rising, or even in the series premier because you're right, I mean even with the storylines coming up I doubt we'll get to see any real character development. SGA just doesn't take the risks to change anything.

And what abou darkening the series, bring in the asurans, write out Carson and Elizabeth?

[Pharaoh Atem]

does any one else get annoyed by telya it seems season 1 was the only season she had any importance now she just stands in in the background and by ronon and talks when she needs to.

well now i can happily say i'm happy with what Joe has down with her character so far in season 4

[Falcon Horus]

well now i can happily say i'm happy with what Joe has down with her character so far in season 4

Happy she has completely disappeared in the background, or happy she's still wallpaper with occasional lines?

[Jeyla4ever]

WARNING, SPOILERS FOR SEASON 4

Scan Rachel's interview....

not the best but it will do!

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[Falcon Horus]

Last post was on January 1st 2008... With SGA over and done with - any thoughts looking back on this issue?

[Linda06]

Well she, along with Ronon were good at holding up the wall But what pretty wall holdings they were

[Falcon Horus]

Well she, along with Ronon were good at holding up the wall But what pretty wall holdings they were

Well, the little development we had over the years, those few little things... it's all we're ever going to get. IF there's going to be movies, I think they will be back to support those walls cause why else would they need those two Pegasus natives for anyway.

[Linda06]

Well, the little development we had over the years, those few little things... it's all we're ever going to get. IF there's going to be movies, I think they will be back to support those walls cause why else would they need those two Pegasus natives for anyway.

I know, I mean it's not like they need Pegasus natives to teach them anything about the pegasus galaxy, is it. The all knowing humans know everything

[Falcon Horus]

I know, I mean it's not like they need Pegasus natives to teach them anything about the pegasus galaxy, is it. The all knowing humans know everything

Exactly.

[Linda06]

Exactly.

See, I may be slow at times but I get there in the end

[Falcon Horus]

See, I may be slow at times but I get there in the end

That's what counts.

[GoSpikey]

Wait a minute, Teyla had a role?

[maxbo]

I'm trying to put a bit of distance between myself and this issue because I'm still so disappointed in SGA's writers that I don't want to start ranting uncontrollably about how lazy and unimaginative they were/are. It's pathetic that writers for a sci-fi series only wanted to write about what they knew and couldn't be bothered to take advantage of the rich background that a character like Teyla offered.

I didn't watch SGA to see the writers' pathetic, pedestrian desires play out on screen, but, unfortunately, far too often, that's what I got.