Instinct (207)

[PugGate]

I suspect Carson will soon discover the truth about the stuff the scientist guy was working on. Pity, that, although I do agree that there should be SOME way to synthesize a serum for the Wraith to use. I mean, if they can invent a serum to cure Jaffa dependency on symbiotes, why not this, too?
As well. I've seen worse eps (*cough*Sanctuary*cough*) and Instinct DID have some good to it. Next time these ladies write, though, I hope they add more zing and more unpredictible twists. Keep us on our toes! Don't let us guess the ending.

I believe that Tretonin was invented by the Pangarans. But it's really just ground up symbiotes. So are you saying that Beckett should experiment with ground up humans?

[PugGate]

I was going to make a post asking that soon... I mean... I hope she didn't die. I'm a sap and want everything sincerely good to live. And she was, all up until the virus starting having that effect on her...

I kinda doubt that even a super wraith could survive being shot with a half a dozen bullets from a nine mil and Ronon's laser thingy.

[ShadowMaat]

I believe that Tretonin was invented by the Pangarans. But it's really just ground up symbiotes. So are you saying that Beckett should experiment with ground up humans?

Yes. Why not? People donate blood all the time in order to save lives. This would just take it one step further.

But seriously, didn't the SGC find a way to make a synthetic version of tretonin that didn't involve ground up snakes? So... they should be able to do the same for the wraith drug. In theory.

[PugGate]

Might have been a wraith cruiser.

That's what's been bothering me. The ship couldn't have been a dart because it couldn't have held that many people and it couldn't have been a cruiser because the Wraith would have investigated if a cruiser went MIA (I think). Also, what caused the ship to go down?

[Steve_the_Wraith]

I think it would be a horrible thing if TPTB had 'good' wraith in the story. Oh, they might as well live in crystal tunnels and have their main goal to be to undermine the Goa'uld- I mean the Wraith...

And if you still don't know what I'm talking about, I'm simply pointing out that it would be too similar to SG-1. Especially if they're introduced in the second season!

I think Instinct was the "good wraith" episode and no I don't think we'll be seeing any wraith who live in crystal tunnels

[Steve_the_Wraith]

That's what's been bothering me. The ship couldn't have been a dart because it couldn't have held that many people and it couldn't have been a cruiser because the Wraith would have investigated if a cruiser went MIA (I think). Also, what caused the ship to go down?

Possibly a Wraith cargo ship like the one in "The Defiant One". I don't like the sound of that though because I can't stop thinking of SG-1, so how about Wraith Pantry Ship or a Wraith Larder Ship

[TheGreatCatOfRe]

Spoiler:

She dies? I read in the ep thread it wasn't shown if she died. Did she definitly die?

Spoiler:

yes, she definately dies. Some people have been confused by this but it's a definate. Ronan says at the end after they both shoot her, that she would never have allowed them to take her back and then walks away. But she had been feeding with the other Wraith in the forest, she told her father that she could sense it when he was feeding and would go out and join him, that the concoction that he had come up with never really worked and she had not told him so all those years. The retrovirus that Doc Beckett had come up with she had taken on her own and was actually turning her into the bug, not so much the wraith, but the bug, you can see her hands at the end and she was forming a bug "crust" around her.

I'm telling you all this, Dr. Weir, because I've noticed that you have asked several times so highlight the last portion if you want to be spoiled.

[Cpn. Chris(tine) Bowman]

Did anyone notice the corpse in the cart? The one they found in daylight and all?

From the clothes, I think it was the cute kiddy that was pestering McKay...

I liked this episode a lot. And it had Jewel Staite in it and that's always shiny (*winkwink*) . I was also hoping for a happy ending but I think this way is best. I liked the themes in it. And whoa! Ronon's gun is so friggin' cool! Whoa! And there was this kinda shippy scene between Ronon and Teyla and Liz and John! W00t! Everything to make a gal like me happy.

[prion]

I kinda doubt that even a super wraith could survive being shot with a half a dozen bullets from a nine mil and Ronon's laser thingy.

Remember the hole that Ronon's weapon put the side of the shack in "Condemend"? Yeah, if you're shot with that setting, you've got a burning hole in you too.

She's definitely toast.

[Easter Lily]

When I was in my impressionable years I read Paul White's Jungle Doctor series. In one of the stories, he relates a story told by the African elders to their youngsters about a hunter who found and kept a tiger cub as a pet for his family. And when the tiger grew to adulthood, it turned on them and killed a couple of members of the family. In retaliation, the man who brought the foundling into the house shoots and kills the tiger.

Thinking about this episode reminded me of this story and the proverbial "a leopard cannot change its spots" scenario. Instinct, can prevail over reason and socialization. For me it is an interesting way to see the Wraith... as a predatorial creature... whose instincts to feed and hunt are intrinsic to who they are. The fact that they are partly human doesn't temper that but rather enables them to survive more efficiently. So the wraith are hunters first... sentient creatures a very, very distant second. Like our pet cats who hunt and kill birds in spite of being extremely well-fed.

On that point, Ronon also interests me... He is also a hunter. He has an inner rage which motivates him. He is someone, due to extreme circumstances has suppressed his better part of whatever feelings he may have had and have become an "instinctual" creature. But it doesn't seem to have taken away from his humanity in any serious way.

The one thing that I'm really enjoying about Atlantis this season (that others obviously aren't) is how character driven it is becoming. Put people in a situation and see how the consequences play themselves out. Human beings make decisions all the time that affect a chain of events, it mightn't be the best decision on hindsight but it is based on everything that makes us human. We don't just make decisions based on logic (in fact quite often we don't) but on our experience, feelings, personality and the little knowledge that we have. We like to think that we try to make the best decisions at the time and I think we do mostly... but the consequences can turn out far beyond any expectations we may have. I'm not into second-guessing in scifi... I do enough of that in RL... I just take what comes... as long as it is consistent with who these characters are.

Really looking forward to where the writers and Joe Flanigan take Sheppard in the next episode.

[Traveler Enroute1]

What up with that, Dex? You eat food off the floor! All of a sudden Wraith biscuits aren't good enough for you? Biscuit bigot.


* When he goes off on his own recognizance, people get shot in cold blood and biscuits get stomped.

ROTF!! I had to read your post twice to get it, then I noticed the poster's name!

* What was that look Weir gave Sheppard after he cracked that joke about Wraith puberty? (Pimples, rebellion, life-sucking...ha!) She needs to never, ever make that face at him again. That's the sort of face *I* would make if I rounded a corner and came face-to-face with Joe Flanigan. I'd like to think Weir had a lot more personal dignity than I do. That was a look that said: "Puppy! C'mere and let me rub your belly!" Brrr

So true! VERY playful, for Weir. Joe's naturally flirtatious, I think. Funny post, thanks!

Just sayin'.

[Easter Lily]

Loved the headsmack Shep gave McKay. Classic stuff. Heck, I loved the McKay stuff in general. But there's no surprise there.

That was hilarious... I thought... If it were me, I would have done it 10 episodes ago and with something a lot heavier...

If I had ANY complaint, it would be the sheer, jaw-dropping STUPIDITY of Teyla. Ye gods, woman! Just when I was all proud of Shep for finding the magic words for Dex ("That's an order"), she goes and screws it all to hell by telling Dex, "Oh, you don't ALWAYS have to follow orders, it's up to US to decide when to disobey!" *headdesk* I both hope and dread that her statement will come back to bite them all in the ass. HARD. Stupid, stupid, stupid Teyla.

*slaps forehead* Why in the world did she have to say that? It's just trouble waiting to happen... especially with such a maverick like Ronon...

As well. I've seen worse eps (*cough*Sanctuary*cough*) and Instinct DID have some good to it. Next time these ladies write, though, I hope they add more zing and more unpredictible twists. Keep us on our toes! Don't let us guess the ending.

Anything is better than that awfulness that was *ahem*Skanktuary*ahem*.
But the father being 34 was an interesting "twist".

[ellymelly]

Great episode for the most part. The thing with atlantis is that it's the little bits that count - the character details.

Great Things:

*the team dynamic back
*Rodney as always
*BECKETT

Not quite right:

*Teyla? - a little off?
*zelenka, where'd he go?
*the end? i don't know - didn't sit right

but in all a great ep. well done TBTB as always *bow*

[Infernorhythm]

I liked the episode. While not as Runner or Condemned, it does give an interesting psycological profile of the Wraith, and sets up Sheppard's next run in with death, or Wraithdom.

The one thing I find odd is that (and this is mentioned a lot here) Teyla is teaching Ronan to be insubordinate to Sheppard's orders, and that Sheppard isn't that happy with that. We forget that Sheppard has written the book on insubordination.

[smushybird]

* The headsmack made my day. Because one smack upside the head between buddies is worth a thousand pages of awkward expository dialogue about trust issues. I've missed my Sheppard and McKay buddy scenes! Next thing you know, they'll be progressing to noogies and purple nurples and voila! Their friendship will be back on solid footing.

Yes!
That is why I loved the headsmack, too.

Koschka's fan fic has them doing that kind of stuff to each other and it's funny as hell.

* I'm liking Dex. I do wish I could wave a magic wand and make him e-n-u-n-c-i-a-t-e his freaking lines

And yesyesyes. I am starting to like Dex, too. He's got a great deep voice...all the more reason he needs to quit the muttering and make better use of it.

* What was that look Weir gave Sheppard after he cracked that joke about Wraith puberty? (Pimples, rebellion, life-sucking...ha!) She needs to never, ever make that face at him again. That's the sort of face *I* would make if I rounded a corner and came face-to-face with Joe Flanigan. I'd like to think Weir had a lot more personal dignity than I do. That was a look that said: "Puppy! C'mere and let me rub your belly!" Brrr...

rotf Ohhh yeah...I hadn't thought it out that far, but that's it exactly. My friend and I both flinched at that look and agreed she should never do that again. Brrrrrrrrr.