Instinct (207)

[skye1974]

I'm happy for the alien bonding to continue... it's certainly given Teyla a lot more scope than it she has had previously...

Oh for sure! I just wish it wasn't happening solely because of interaction with another character, especially a male character.

[coldmachine]

Well, if you remember the episode from a week or two ago, don't remember the name off hand, but that one Wraith said that some Wraith enjoy the delicacy of food, it's just not as satisfying as a human. So I think that they CAN survive without feeding off of us, they just are addicted to it like a drug.

[Daniel's_twin]

Actually, he said that it provided a "momentary pleasure" or something like that, but that it didn't sustain him. They obviously have the capacity, but I don't think they can live alone on regular consumption.

[coldmachine]

Maybe they have thought of that, but realized that the combination made them overall a better force to be reckoned with. Remember in The Defiant One, that Wraith must have jumped over 10 feet straight up in the air without getting momentum! I'd say that's a good combination of genes to me.

[coldmachine]

The writers weren't even trying. Not only did they bring in the Wraith with a heart of gold (which sadly, I predicted a couple of eps ago). They even had Shepard come out and say she was a Wraith with a heart of gold. I'll quickly go over what I didn't like and then get to the part that I did

Ronan -is- a heavy drinker. He downed a huge tub of 'beer'(?) in about 5 seconds.

How did Elia know the retrovirus was in the case? She overheard Beckett, but she wasn't watching him. And he never said 'I'm putting the super drug in this unlocked case beside the computer'.

Why was the super drug in an unlocked case, by itself, when given the situation, it shouldn't have even been on the planet?

The father was screwed in the head and the relationship he had with his 'daughter' was really skeevy. Even under the crazy sci-fi circumstances, that guy had issues.

Now the good stuff.

Yes, the entire episode was by the numbers and telegraphed. But when SkeevyDad was pleading with Elia 'I know you're still in there', I'm so happy she didn't break down and say something like 'Father? I dont want to hurt you.' Blah blah. Nope. She killed him. Nice curveball.

And Teyla's currupting of Ronon continues! This could be the set up for the biggest swerve EVER. Last week, she convinced him to keep a murder secret from everyone. This week, she tells him that the whole following orders thing, isnt really binding, and you can basically do what you want. Teyla is setting up her own little alien conspiracy against Atlantis and using Ronon as the muscle.

It would be so great if Teyla turned out to be a Wraith spy or a super villian working with the Wraith. The foundation is already there. She can go into telepathic communication with the Wraith. She's driving a wedge between Ronon and the team. And she was the one who woke up the Wraith in the first place(kinda). Maybe the TPTB will have the guts to let this happen. If so, SG:A would get a lot less predictable.

D

Didn't the "father" just lose his own children? Of course he's screwed in the head! I would be too if I lost my children. And if anything, Teyla isn't purposefully contacting the Wraith. My guess would be that the Wraith are intruding on her mind and sending back information, if they can glean any information from her mind at all.

[Easter Lily]

Oh for sure! I just wish it wasn't happening solely because of interaction with another character, especially a male character.

Since when did Stargate ever write interesting, emotionally layered women...

Oh wait... since they hired Carl Binder and Martin Gero...

[David]

This is the first time I've ever posted in one of the episode threads so if I'm a little green please bear with me

One of the things I feel Stargate majorly lacks, besides the diversity of accents (The S.G.C. is made up of American military personnel, yes?) and drawls which would make the show far more believable [for me], is the occasional dip into the horror aspect of Science Fiction. The best of Star Trek did it with "Genesis" and "The Haunting of Deck Twelve." But we've only really seen anything like it with "Legacy" on SG-1, where they really experimented with camera angles and the ever-present feeling of nakedness by removing all sound save for the occasional, damning floorboard creak down the hall. The Wraith have not done this for me. The atmosphere of this episode did.

Instinct granted the classic horror themes a wonderful sit-down in the front seat for a change. I could not help but allow myself to dip into the emotions that I had with "American Werewolf in London," and the ties to the werewolf theme that I love: The ever-present nighttime fog on Zaddik's planet; A tavern full of locals afraid to wander out for fear of encountering, in their minds, a supernatural creature; The transformation of a human/beast into pure monster-beast; And in the end, the curse of the monster moves on to another victim.

I would seriously love to see more of this on Stargate. No, not every year, but every two or three certainly.

Great, great show. GateWorld released a preview picture of Ellia and she stole my heart before I watched the episode. Andy outdid himself this time.

[ShadowMaat]

Since when did Stargate ever write interesting, emotionally layered women...

Oh wait... since they hired Carl Binder and Martin Gero...

My heroes!

And David, dear, I don't see it being remotely werewolfy. The transformation is one-way and the killings had nothing to do with it. Ellia was a monster before she started to morph, and she only became MORE of a monster afterwards.

I'd be willing to grant that she was "normal" most of the time and only became a "monster" every few months when she got hungry, but there was no change involved in that- her appearance as normal and her appearance when hungry was the same... And she made a conscious choice to kill her victims, there was no beastial personality subverting her... unless you consider her hunger her beast.

The ep did have a monster movie feel to it, but werewolf is not the monster I'd have picked. Vampire seems the much more obvious choice to me, especially since the transition was one way.

Vampire movies are also known for the "passing on the curse" trick at the end.

*pats David on the head*

It was still a very nice post, though. You should be proud of yourself! But be careful or people might think you're actually a fan of the show. Rubbing elbows with us dirty commoners. Sheesh! Next think you know you'll be starting an appreciation thread. Or worse... a THUNK thread!

[golfbooy]

Originally Posted by David:
The ever-present nighttime fog on Zaddik's planet...

Was that really the old man's name? Zaddik?

If so, then it may be worth noting that the name Zaddik is probably not unintentionally chosen. Zaddik seems to be a derivation of Zadig or Zadok. It's my understanding, limited though it is, that the root for both of those names traces back to the word meaning "the truthful one" and "the just man", in Arabic and Hebrew respectively.

Zadok the Priest is by Handel, though I don't really know anything else about it. My Bible is dusty, and alas, I am woefully ignorant when it comes to opera.

Then there is also Zadig, a story by Voltaire. That I'm more familiar with. In it the main character, Zadig, is an extremely talented, enlightened individual who throughout the course of the story constantly tries to do good for those around him. In spite of his intelligence and his best intentions, Zadig is very much the plaything of providence. Ultimately, one of the main thrusts of Zadig (and just about all Voltaire's stuff) is the need for intellectual humility. Anyway, it's somewhat apt given the inherent hubris involved in believing that you could "cure" a wraith from being a wraith. And, if there's even the slightest bit of foreshadowing in Instinct, then it doesn't bode well for the events of

Spoiler:

Michael

. At least I hope not.

Anyway, just thought I'd throw that in there. It helps me appreciate the story more. Of course, I'm completely cracked, so, take it as you will.

[kiwigater]

Welcome to the fray David
I have to admit I'm just not a huge fan of those sorts of horror-stories - the "villagers too afraid to go out cos of the big bad monster" thing doesn't work for me. Personal preference, but I'm glad that they do appeal to other people, and I certainly wouldn't object to seeing an ep like this every other season (despite the resulting scientific debate ).

[Lida]

Welcome to the fray David
I have to admit I'm just not a huge fan of those sorts of horror-stories - the "villagers too afraid to go out cos of the big bad monster" thing doesn't work for me. Personal preference, but I'm glad that they do appeal to other people, and I certainly wouldn't object to seeing an ep like this every other season (despite the resulting scientific debate ).

Horror story? Sorry, but if Instinct was a horror story, I'll bet you're a scream at movies like The Grudge.

I didn't find it to be monster-like in anyway...it was a tragic story, of someone who was "different' and was willing to try anything to fit in.....more a classic adolescent story, than a monster tale. Elia simply wanted to belong and be loved. That she became an object of fear and loathing (and not in Las Vegas), was a horrible consequence of her longing. That her death was the result, was unspeakably sad.

[prion]

Horror story? Sorry, but if Instinct was a horror story, I'll bet you're a scream at movies like The Grudge.

I didn't find it to be monster-like in anyway...it was a tragic story, of someone who was "different' and was willing to try anything to fit in.....more a classic adolescent story, than a monster tale. Elia simply wanted to belong and be loved. That she became an object of fear and loathing (and not in Las Vegas), was a horrible consequence of her longing. That her death was the result, was unspeakably sad.

"Instinct" was very much like Frankenstein; Heck, didn't I see pitchforks and burning torches? It's the classic tale of a 'misunderstood' monster, who, alas, wasn't so misunderstood as she did kill, except that she felt guilty about it.

[SnoggingPicard]

I really enjoyed "Instinct", and I didn't mind the kind of cliched misunderstood monster bit. The fact that she actually WAS killing people and the fact that her father knew about her need to feed was very interesting. Liked the story and I thought the acting was strong all around, both from the regulars and the guests.

[Lida]

"Instinct" was very much like Frankenstein; Heck, didn't I see pitchforks and burning torches? It's the classic tale of a 'misunderstood' monster, who, alas, wasn't so misunderstood as she did kill, except that she felt guilty about it.

Having read Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, I didn't see that as a horror story, so much as I saw it as a tale told about the reactions of people to things they don't understand and to those who aren't like themselves. The so-called monster tried to "fit" in (won't go into all the details), and was rewarded with cruelty, by the townspeople.

Elia was no monster, simply someone unlike the others on the planet she found herself marooned on, and wanting only the love of her father, she tried to be what she wasn't and couldn't ever be. I only see the horror, as in the book, in the reactions of the people, not Elia. She killed to survive.....and yes, she felt remorse and guilt. Those are not classic emotions found in horror stories.

[Metarock Sam]

in my opinion one of the best episodes of SGA yet. To show that if raised properly a wraith can have feelings etc. For all we know maybe the retrovirus ii work eventually.