Wraith Defenders Club

[BlueJay]

Todd does sleep lying down and we see him do it in Common Ground! Sheppard says "You get some sleep I'll take the first watch" (and then he falls asleep himself putting Todd in danger...ggggrrrr). The next scene is Todd awakening with the sense that they're coming or maybe he can hear them (do wraiths have good hearing as well as eyesight?). He was lying down and he was asleep

Also, how could JM not know the pic where Todd's hair's brushed, I'm going to post another comment with a link to the picture on gateworld, maybe then he'll answer the question?

Todd was weak and injured in that, i meant a healthy wraith. We haven't seen a wraiths quarters except Michaels in 'no mans land' and i don't remember seeing a bed, just that hard metal bench he was sitting on. I think it was Das who brought up the idea of them sleeping upright like horses fully clothed. That would have been good but it looks unlikely now.

But, we now get to think about their sleeping arrangements. If each gets their own room or only the higher up ones. The rest might have to make due with bunks or such. What do you think they'd be sleeping on? A nice soft cushy matress stuffed with human hair perhaps? Something squishy and alive, a part of the ship? bed of nails?

[Sevenofnine]

*snicker*
Thought of this one today when I was out taking my dad for a drive in the country...

Spoiler:

mfw

Who knows what the writers are doing - sometimes I don't think they know what they are doing themselves.
It would be really good to get a some background on wraith society. But don't think we will now that the show is ending.

[Todds worshipper]

Todd was weak and injured in that, i meant a healthy wraith. We haven't seen a wraiths quarters except Michaels in 'no mans land' and i don't remember seeing a bed, just that hard metal bench he was sitting on. I think it was Das who brought up the idea of them sleeping upright like horses fully clothed. That would have been good but it looks unlikely now.

But, we now get to think about their sleeping arrangements. If each gets their own room or only the higher up ones. The rest might have to make due with bunks or such. What do you think they'd be sleeping on? A nice soft cushy matress stuffed with human hair perhaps? Something squishy and alive, a part of the ship? bed of nails?

True, it could've been just because he was injured. I reckon the higher up Wraith (like my precious Commander ) have their own room, with a soft bed but the quilt would be partly organic like the walls and they'd have dim red lights in the walls like some of the ships. Oh, it sounds so romantic But you're right they might not need sleep, only hibernation between meals and the troops might not ever get a moments rest, could you imagine working 24/7? It's like that when you have kids though

[BlueJay]

something just get deleted?

edit: from JM blog
Mrs.B108 writes: “Will Michael show any emotions in The Prodigal?”

Answer: Plenty.

shame she wasn't more specific. We know he's going to be cranky, sitting back twirling a mustache giving an evil laugh.
Wonder if he'll be making puppy dog eyes at Teyla again and if John told her what happened in the alternate future.

[GoSpikey]

Thanks for that, I didn't go back into August when reading his blogs.
But from reading that who else would be a pale guest star with flowing locks? That's good enough for me! It has to be him!....whew...now I can unlock all my crossed body parts (hope I didn't break any bones).
Can you imagine if he's in the movie and it comes out on Bluray?
I want Season 5 to come out in Bluray too! I want to see him in HD glory!

I wonder if I can start saying "...and Todd's in 3 more episodes and the movie now too!" at the end of everything I say?
I'll be in danger of being strangled permanently but I'm going to do it! I'm so happy!

Urgh, gotta quickly say a few words to these posts, cos I'm multi-tasking, don't have much time, and will lose my silly thoughts.

Well, one could argue that his current hair isn't really 'flowing' any more.

He urgently needs his season 4 hair back. Or I wanna spot a glimpse of it. No chance of that happening any time soon, though.

And oh man, Todd in HD... Thunk.

Some of those screencaps are a very nice preview, that's for sure!

Excellent! That is hysterical! I'm not sure which I like more, that one or your siggie! And Beckett really does look dorky in that shot.

And as for Todd being in the movie, JM has often referred to Todd as "the pallid one" so (as everyone else already said) we just jumped to the conclusion that they planned to have him in the cast. But, as with everything, we'll have to wait and see how things develop.

Well, I think it would be logical to have him in the movie? Especially if my speculations turn out right.

Spoiler:

He might have lost his family, his status, again, so 'what now?' is an excellent beginning for the movies/the opening of season 6.

Joe did say that the idea would already be used for the first two episodes of season 6, should there have been one. The movie might not entirely have been the same as the eps, but who knows?

Well, we'll only see the promise of it by the somewhat end part of next year.

Todd-less for a year, *cry*.

[GoSpikey]

Ronon and Ford hunting Wraiths doesn't count because that's Ronon prior joining Atlantis. Ford was AWOL and hunting Wraiths on his own, not with Atlantis backing. I'm not counting the reactivation of the Asuran's attack code either because they found that by accident and during a situation completely irrelevant to fighting the Wraith.

Anyways, I ask because I wanted to work out a defense for the expedition. Someone mentioned that Atlantis were actively fighting the Wraith and that Sheppard said in Inquisition they were

Spoiler:

"putting their lives on the line" and being out there fighting the Wraith for them. Or something to that effect.

But I realized that I couldn't remember any episode where they actually went out to fight except for The Lost Boys/The Hive. But that was Ford's op, not the Lantean's. Right now, it looks like everytime they did something as an offensive attack, it caused a lot of human deaths.

On a different subject... I was looking over the transcript for Instinct and noticed something. In the village where Ellia crashed, the villagers asked the team if they were from Ratira. They also said that the crash happened ten years ago. Also, Ellia has black hair.

I know this is more likely to be the writer's gaff, seeing how there were criticism over Teyla's son's name, but in Inquisition...

Spoiler:

One of the judges is from Latira. It might be a sister village to Ratira. Or the writer's got the L and R mixed up. Or I'm mishearing Ratira as Latira, but the transcript says Latira.

Back on track... Latira is rumored to have relations with the Genii. And Todd was held by the Genii. Could it be possible that there were two ships that crashed, one of which that landed in Latira? And a Genii was there and that's how Todd was captured? Also, Ellia and Todd might share the same hive. Todd's Primary had black hair and Teyla's hair was made black. Perhaps to make sure that she looked like they were "related" to the alliance. This is assuming that alliances are easier forged if there is hive relation.

So I'm wondering if Ellia and Latira have anything to do with Todd.

Thoughts?

Oh, that's a very lovely theory!

Thing is, the villagers said they destroyed every Wraith. Okay, Ellia and Darrell, or what was it, escaped that part, but for another male to have been captured? The Genii might not have been active on that planet, and the villagers had to act quickly...

Hmm. But it could be true...

Ok, admittedly not very good, but it's hard to think around a tension headache

Spoiler:

http://i366.photobucket.com/albums/o...tTubbs25-1.jpg

mfw

O.M.F.G.!

I must have missed that because I was still preoccupied with going all 'aaaahhh' over the Commander and Penny!Wraith.

what a lovely couple.

They are, aren't they?

I can't green you again so mental GREEN for you
I was thinking exactly the same when first seeing that picture....

Wow, as I didn't, I'm not totally residing in the gutter yet?

Heeeyyyy, that's a pretty cool idea you have there of Todd and Ellia being from the same (original) Hive. But as you said, Ellia's ship crashed 10 years prior. 10 years is the blink of an eye in Wraith perspective, especially one who is over 10,000 years old. (Remember Todd's "It no longer matters" response to Shep's question as to how long he'd been there?) So I don't think a mere 10 years in a Genii prison would have demoralized Todd quite that much...although, thinking again, if they starved him that entire time...Yikes, that would definitely make 10 years feel like a thousand!

I wonder if Latira/Ratira is a writing gaff. If it is, it's really lazy and irresponsible. I mean, they've got bound copies of those scripts, or they could have just hopped on GW and checked it out. But we've seen many examples of lack of consistency in the writing over the years. When I was checking the "Instinct" transcript, I just realized that was from Season 2!!! not Season 3 as I had thought! They introduced a Wraith child that early and here we are - Season 6 and almost finished and nothing more (besides cloning in SOW) has been addressed. Ugh.

Speaking of payoff, on the The Lost Tribe podcast, Dave and Darren mentioned how disappointed they were that there wasn't any "payoff" from Todd opening up to Keller in First Contact. I'm glad they noticed and commented on that. The exchange between Todd and Keller, though I sort of liked it's awkwardness, still could have been better - and a nice bit of understanding between the two would have been nice. Maybe a little wink from Todd. LOL

mfw

I think 10 years can indeed be a very long time for a Wraith to have been captured.

It's enough to have lost your position, status (you're replaced practically immediately), but you still have some influence of getting a Hive when you need one, as they still remember who you are?

Todd must have done some realizations about his species in jail. They'd like to say that they're a loyal bunch, but in the end, when you're taken prisoner, nobody is going to look for you. You're replaced, and that's it.

I think that's what he admires about the Lanteans. Their whole policy is to 'let nobody behind', even if the rescue will cost the lives of other people.

I shall try very, very hard to forget that and the underwear caption when I get to see the episode.

It's distracting, isn't it?

[GoSpikey]

GoSpikey it is rather odd to see the topics change so fast not being here much- you asked me that somewhile back! thank you for saying my mask and costume looked good the mask is glued to my skin just like the real wraith prosthetics- i was taught how to apply them by someone who was taught to apply them by a professional. A guy who works on Torchwood told me it is screen quality- its the best i can do with what i have got at home- on page 688 you asked the question are wraith hairy down there - down where- if you mean what i think then they probably not- the absence of eyebrows would seen to be why- neither do they carry any body on their arms- it would be safe to say they don't!

WEll good night all

love Craig

Yeah, that mask does look very real! Wait a min, you applied that on yourself?!?

How long does that take you?

Wow, that must be extremely difficult to do...

Darn on the hairy part! *g*

Sleep em.

my first thought was todd driving a car, now that would be amusing to see.

Which colour?

An old one, a new one? Porsche, Ferrari? Etc.

LOL, now I just WANT to see that happen!

Yeah, that's a little sparkle of hope that flares, when reading such a thing.

I do agree that I think it's the other Wraith.

Todd didn't really seem to be one that'll go with them easily? I mean, he had predatory eyes and stuff!

can't you just picture it? todd taking a joy ride in the desert?

Or on a highway.

Hmmm, Todd and me in a car in the desert, and the car suddenly breaks down...
I'm going to bed with a sweet picture in mind!

Teehee. Sleep em too.

[GoSpikey]

OT
I haven't been about in a bit--I'm being run off me feet! Parent teacher night is coming up and I have to have all my marks in. Today, I had a girl in my drama class pull out nail clippers and start clipping her toe nails!! Who does this? Who does this in class?? And these are kids of privilege. In Canada overall, public school have a much higher standard of education than private schools (there are a few private schools for the fabulously wealthy such as Trinity college close to Port Hope and Cobourn ON where Prince Andrew went.) However, within the public school system some geographic areas are wealthier than others, even though the funding formula is trying to fix this. So, I work at a school in one of the wealthiest areas in Toronto, and I have a sixteen year old pulling out nail clippers and clipping her toenails in class???? It's late fall, who takes their socks and shoes off to do this? Anyhow, I rant.

OT (On topic) I do not find that character in Vegas very appealing at all. To me he looks a bit like Frankenstein with a melanin deficiency, or macrocephalia (you know, where the head is too big for the body), but I suppose I can see the appeal. He does have nice cheeks. I'm already feeling queezie about how the writers are handling the wraith, I'm not finding this new situation too promising.

WK

You did tell her to stop, right? And made her do lines, or something else?

We'll see how he is on screen. You can't see much on pictures. Live is always better.

[MCH]

I'm going to respond to my own responding from a previous response, by writing a quick essay.

My response to Wraith Cake.
Spoiled for size

Spoiler:

For the most part, gifts are meant to be given, messages are meant to be sent and letters are meant to be read—for the most part. What I believe about works of art is that they are meant to be received. As some of you may agree here, once a creator of a work has forged his/her idea and given it flesh and sinews, it is no longer the creator’s piece alone to interpret in isolation from everything and everyone else. The work is now on display (so to speak), for everyone to receive it as his/her experiences will allow. Thus, we the audience, are the receivers of that work, the recipients of that message—we are the ones for whom the gift was intended. And that gift, for us at the WDC, was and is the wraith of Stargate Atlantis.
WK

For the most part what the SAG writers have done with a few hits and misses fine, but they as WK said gave us the audience a gift, the world of SAG, to do with what we want. Look at all the fan forums and threads, stories, artwork that has come from SAG. I certainly have meet on-line many wonderful people and have not only shared the post but a few highs and lows in other lives. That is an important gift.

Therefore, because we are the receivers of this gift, we in effect have a relationship to the art, we take ownership of that work because that work has been changed by our experiences placed upon it. This is all to say, that a gift is given on the premise that the receiver will receive it, and not merely on the premise that a receiver will take it because it is thrown in the general direction of grabbing hands. As of late, this seems to be the attitude of the creators of SAG. How do we know this, you say? We know this because throughout season five, we have been thrown helter-skelter bits of juicy meat (The Queen), with loads of greasy, unhealthy fat (Tracker, Lost Tribe, Inquisition, Outsiders). In other words, season five is plagued with inconsistencies. Inconsistencies that smack of incoherence and lack of dedication to the receivers of the gift.
WK

Yes many inconsistence from the Writers that makes it look as if they don't care. Unfortunately for us we are at the end of a long line of people. Before the show gets to us, it goes through writing teams, the shows producers, Scfi Channel - they have to take into account the advertisers the shareholders, how much profit etc, the episodes producers etcto and. Sometime I wonder how they manage to produce a show that we can all agree on. Then comes us..... sometime we are we want toand sometime the show really does not work for us and on occasion we feel .

The best comparison I can come up with, regarding the best way to handle a dedicated audience, and keep them dedicated, is the image of a "well". A well allows water to be pumped from a submerged flowing spring. If you pump the well too much, it runs dry. You can't have a well without the water first being there, however you can have a submerged spring without anyone ever tapping into it. An audience is like a tapped well stream. If you use the well properly, you'll always have water--that means knowing when NOT to pump. However if you abuse the well, (over pump it, let it decay, or throw pollution into the water) you'll either have no water, or undrinkable water—water that will poison everything it touches.

The writers are pumping the well even though it has run dry and even though it needs to replenish itself. What JM has done by implying the wraith wear human skin is he is making an allusion to the Nazis of WWII Germany. JM has an undergrad in history and a MA in English. This analogy would NOT be lost on a writer, never on a writer with a history and English lit portfolio.
WK

If the well is running dry then maybe and I regret saying this it's a good job there is no season 6. I want one but I'm not sure it would be a season that I'd be happy with. Maybe the couple of films SAG are better.

Fine, he wants to infer they are barbarous by drawing parallels to another "modern" barbarous act of civilized society he can do this--though this is inconsistent with what the show has revealed about them so far. They are not barbarian, they are brutal by necessity.
WK

The writers bring their own experiences to the writing. There are many societies in past history who could be seen by modern society as barbarians but the circumstances they found themselves in made they actions brutal by necessity.

Also, showing the wraith as easy to defeat targets by the likes of Dr. Keller--a couple of girlish kicks in the right place and they come tumbling down like tin soldiers guarding a house of cards, is also inconsistent with what the show has revealed of them (Tayla, the fighter, couldn't defeat Steve in a hand to hand fisty cuffs even though she had a weapon). And lastly, though there are so many more examples, a wraith with his entire complement huddled in a mine shaft, decides to pick up a stick of C4 and can't figure out what it is? Again, inconsistent--if the wraith are long lived, then that usually means they've been smart enough to live that long.
WK

We know the Wraith are not stupid when you live as long as they do you do learn a few things even if you have no respect for the humans who live in Pegasus Galaxy. The writer don't show any growth in the Wraith human relationship. If someone hits you a few times surely you approach with some caution. But no the Wraith go in, Atlantis shoots them up, and the body count is high mainly for the Wraith, some Pegasus humans and not very high for Atlantis.

The writers are just getting sloppy, there is no longer attention paid to fundamental details typically indicating a story has come to a close. A show is over, therefore when the essential premise of a story has either been resolved, or it loses traction and starts to dissolve. The dissolution comes when writers forget what they’ve written and start to go off on tangents unrelated to the original premise. The writers of SAG are doing exactly this. At the end of the day, a story is meant to be told, much like a gift is meant to be given. Unless a writer is creating for onanistic reasons, attention must be paid to the audience. Respect and attention must finally be paid.
WK

Sloppy you said it. The stories seen ed to leave the Wraith in a rut. Surely other Wraith must wonder and think the unthinkable instead of as I said before going fight the human and then everybody goes home to nurse their wounds.
They had some Golden opportunities with Todd, and Michael their stories opened to the writer a goldmine of stories themes to be explored.
Michael got bogged down as a bogyman. Todd they done better with, but even so their are inconsistencies. That sloppy writing and a lack of attention to detail. It's OK if you want to take a story in a new direction, great but instead of a jump abit of a lead in from an older story line to the new would have been better. I could go on and on. So I'll stop before I make myself any more fed up.
Sorry guys this one ran away with me.

MCH

[Karhedron]

Wow, as I didn't, I'm not totally residing in the gutter yet?

You are not residing in the gutter you are it's supreme ruler.
Having a better disguise doesn't count

[Wraith Cake]

I'm sorry WK, I couldn't bring myself to respond to your other post because you said "I would like to have a death ceremony for Todd".
I am truly, madly, deeply, hopelessly, completely and unbelievably head-over-heels in love with the guy"!
Crazy I know and I wouldn't admit it anywhere else but here or they'll put me in a straight jacket.
I don't want to see him in a cage but I'd much rather that to seeing him in a coffin.
I do agree with your other comments, especially about the Wraith in Season 5 and the problem writers

You have no I idea how much I agree with you. I know what I said was painful, and I suspected that this is why many did not respond. I feel utterly the same way. You know it's funny, I was saying to my husband a few nights before I made that post that I felt sad, because I feel like a show I really like is dying. He, who is not an obsessed fan, but is and has been an obsessed fan of video games, said he understood why I felt the way I did. This prompted me to have a good think and then write down all of what I've written.

Something has happened in the show and I don't know what it is. Something has happened and I feel like the wraith are being stolen from us.

I suppose that is the ripped-off feeling we're all having. I know I'm going to sound over the top here, but I'll jump in anyway because I think it will give context to what I'm about to say next:
Today at lunch, my colleagues and I were talking about various "good literature" endorsed on the Oprah show. I don't really watch the show, but I was familiar with the titles of the books she encourages people to read. We at lunch generally chatted about the fact that many people may like a work of fiction, but that does not mean the work is well crafted. In other words, just because a book sells, doesn't mean that the quality of the literature is good. I think of BSG, many people watch it, but I don't think it's good quality fiction.

People buy things for all sorts of reasons. If Oprah endorses a book, people will buy it whether or not they like it in the end. The conclusion we came up with, and this may sound self-congratulatory out of context, but my colleague Will said, "our knowledge base here (at the table) is going to be that much greater than the average book reader, [or television and film watcher] because we have had to thoroughly study narrative for at least an average of six years in an undergraduate, and graduate degree. Therefore we demand a higher quality of writing, if we are to call that said writing 'classic literature'." So, because teachers of literature, esp. in the senior grades, do this for a living, we are experts in the field of quality story telling. We know when we're being sold crap.

All this is to say, I think the people on this thread are intelligent critical thinkers who also know when they're being fed fluff. I believe the writers are trying to string along a show that really should end. They are belabouring the ending in an attempt to generate more revenue (perhaps not the writers directly, but the film execs at some level). It appears they would like to keep generating revenue allowing the quality of the show to suffer, rather than bring the story closure and help us, the dedicated fans, not feel ripped off. They seem to not be concerned that they are selling us a poor quality product.

When I said "death ceremony" I mean to say, let us steal Todd away, before the writers can hack up his character (and his fellow wraith's characters) anymore than they already have, or let him die on our terms as a wraith and not some confused somethin' 'er other.

In practicality, boycott the show, refuse to buy their DVD commercial remixes and create a thread dedicated to fan fiction--where the true wraith will live forever.

WK

[Wraith Cake]

Todd was weak and injured in that, i meant a healthy wraith. We haven't seen a wraiths quarters except Michaels in 'no mans land' and i don't remember seeing a bed, just that hard metal bench he was sitting on. I think it was Das who brought up the idea of them sleeping upright like horses fully clothed. That would have been good but it looks unlikely now.

But, we now get to think about their sleeping arrangements. If each gets their own room or only the higher up ones. The rest might have to make due with bunks or such. What do you think they'd be sleeping on? A nice soft cushy matress stuffed with human hair perhaps? Something squishy and alive, a part of the ship? bed of nails?

So why would anyone get offended when I joked about the wraith using human fat as conditioner, or turning it in to soap as they did in fight club or like the Nazi's did? This would be a corollary--catch my drift??

WK

PS I apologize for using your post in particular, I do get that you're just teasing and being silly. But my joking was being silly too and poking at JM's comparison of the wraith to other modern monsters. (sniff, sniff)....

[Wraith Cake]

*snicker*
Thought of this one today when I was out taking my dad for a drive in the country...

Spoiler:

mfw

Ha ha ha ha ha

WK

[Todds worshipper]

You have no I idea how much I agree with you. I know what I said was painful, and I suspected that this is why many did not respond. I feel utterly the same way. You know it's funny, I was saying to my husband a few nights before I made that post that I felt sad, because I feel like a show I really like is dying. He, who is not an obsessed fan, but is and has been an obsessed fan of video games, said he understood why I felt the way I did. This prompted me to have a good think and then write down all of what I've written.

Something has happened in the show and I don't know what it is. Something has happened and I feel like the wraith are being stolen from us.

I suppose that is the ripped-off feeling we're all having. I know I'm going to sound over the top here, but I'll jump in anyway because I think it will give context to what I'm about to say next:
Today at lunch, my colleagues and I were talking about various "good literature" endorsed on the Oprah show. I don't really watch the show, but I was familiar with the titles of the books she encourages people to read. We at lunch generally chatted about the fact that many people may like a work of fiction, but that does not mean the work is well crafted. In other words, just because a book sells, doesn't mean that the quality of the literature is good. I think of BSG, many people watch it, but I don't think it's good quality fiction.

People buy things for all sorts of reasons. If Oprah endorses a book, people will buy it whether or not they like it in the end. The conclusion we came up with, and this may sound self-congratulatory out of context, but my colleague Will said, "our knowledge base here (at the table) is going to be that much greater than the average book reader, [or television and film watcher] because we have had to thoroughly study narrative for at least an average of six years in an undergraduate, and graduate degree. Therefore we demand a higher quality of writing, if we are to call that said writing 'classic literature'." So, because teachers of literature, esp. in the senior grades, do this for a living, we are experts in the field of quality story telling. We know when we're being sold crap.

All this is to say, I think the people on this thread are intelligent critical thinkers who also know when they're being fed fluff. I believe the writers are trying to string along a show that really should end. They are belabouring the ending in an attempt to generate more revenue (perhaps not the writers directly, but the film execs at some level). It appears they would like to keep generating revenue allowing the quality of the show to suffer, rather than bring the story closure and help us, the dedicated fans, not feel ripped off. They seem to not be concerned that they are selling us a poor quality product.

When I said "death ceremony" I mean to say, let us steal Todd away, before the writers can hack up his character (and his fellow wraith's characters) anymore than they already have, or let him die on our terms as a wraith and not some confused somethin' 'er other.

In practicality, boycott the show, refuse to buy their DVD commercial remixes and create a thread dedicated to fan fiction--where the true wraith will live forever.

WK

I can totally agree with that! But I'll have to *mental green* you because I've shared my love out too much lately

[Wraith Cake]

You did tell her to stop, right? And made her do lines, or something else?

We'll see how he is on screen. You can't see much on pictures. Live is always better.

Ha ha ha ha! I love ya Spikey, you always manage to say something that gets me over me hump slump!!

Aside--I told her I'd call her parents and asked her if they would be happy about what she was doing. She was horrified at the thought. Well--duh? did she not think that calling home is on the list of possible discipline options?

WK