Michael (218)

[ItsColdOutside]

I do think this is one of the better episodes this season for either SG show, but it could have been so much more. CT (don't want to mess up the spelling) did a very good job, convincing me that his character's problem in Enterprise was mostly in the writing, he seems to be a pretty solid actor. Furthermore, there was good continuity with this retro-virus thing (though I think all sf shows should be less stupid about Fun With DNA), and I like the premise of the episode.

The beginning was very well done, until about 15 minutes in when I was basically 100% sure he was a wraith (I am very very anti-spoiler, so I didn't know). After that, it kind of went of the rails slowly, culminating in the whole incompetent-military/Atlantis-danger/Teyla-vulnerable thing. Though of course the run-of-the-mill military people are just there to provide weak points for people to escape through, so it's nothing new.

Ronan really bugs me. This isn't unique to this episode, but it was really on display here. He's basically just [insert hot-headed warrior-type] + [in love with Shep] + [occasional savvy], and the savvy only comes out for military stuff, generally. They never give him any patience, or ability to make logical arguments or empathize. These would be great traits for him to be acquiring in his time on Atlantis, and it would be great if the other characters ever noticed that his bad temper and lack of thinking-before-doing are systematic problems, rather than just the one individually-maybe-forgivable incident that is in nearly every scene he gets.

No one bothered talking to Michael much, at least not calmly and rationally, once he knew he was a wraith (ar at least, we didn't get to see it), and he never mentioned that he killed in self-defense, basically killing all the moral issues there.

Now, I like Star Trek and all the humanistic stuff that goes in there, and I thought that Weir would bring a little of that to Atlantis. Previously, she has been a counterweight to the military thinking on the show, but in this episode that didn't happen at all. Unfortunate.

I did like seeing more Teyla (good actress, very up and down writing on Atlantis) and less of the mainstays here, and McKay's scene was spot-on, as always. I'm getting sick of all the running-around Atlantis chases, perhaps just a function of the limited sets they have to work with. In an episode with some obvious moral implications, the writers gave us another throwaway action sequence rather than letting us see the characters deal with the issue more (which, from the calls for a double episode, I'm not the only one who wouldn've enjoyed).

Anyway, lots of little critiques, mostly not new, I guess, but it was well-produced (makes the action scenes much more bearable), had some good stuff with Michael, and some good work from several of the other regulars. However, there were character inconsistencies, and very questionable actions that weren't questioned, that also disappointed me. Oh well.

[SnoggingPicard]

I didn´t have time to read through the entire thread so sorry if this has been discussed to death by now but am I the only one who feels that Teyla should now be kicked of the team? She has shown herself to have a major vulnarability to Wraith mind control and would IMO be a huge liability.

If the writers keep her on the team it should be because she lied about how Micheal escaped and covered her own rear end. I just can´t believe that any military officer would allow such a glaring security hole in the alpha team.

This issue has come up several times over the past two seasons, though Bates was the strongest proponent of getting rid of Teyla. I wouldn't be surprised if this DOES come up again in the future given what has happened especially with the spoiler that

Spoiler:

Woolsey may be seen in the third season in some capacity. He is usually brought in to expose and questions decisions just like this, and the wisdom/authority of Sheppard and Weir to keep her on the main team could well be brought into question.

[prion]

Ethics:

All the while the events of the episode were unfolding I kept wondering "where's the debate?" Why are they all so willing to do this to this guy? I mean yeah as Sheppard said: "this is war" but if that were the case why were they trying to socialize Michael? Why the phony name and fake background to the point where they prepared quarters for him. It all seemed very inconsitant. On the one hand they wanted to give him a chance to turn him into a human but on the other hand they kept armed guards around him at all times. They didn't think he would find this stange and disconcerting? Again if Dr. Beckett needed to test the retro-virus why not just keep the Wraith captive and test the virus and tell him so? Why mess with Michael's head too if the retro-virus itself wasn't perfected? I know they all want to do the right thing: that is try to "normalize" Michael while developing a weapon against the Wraith. But it all seemed cruel especially when he kept insisting that he felt something was wrong. I know this is Stargate and not Star Trek and the prime directive doesn't apply but Weir is bound by the Geneva Conventions; especially as a diplomat. The apparent ease in which they all carried themselves seemed very much off key. There doesn't need to be a debate about whether or not Sheppard's "Kirking" is ruining the character: they all dropped a peg in my book.

This episode has a lot of ethical questions attached to it, because even if they managed to convert Michael completely to human, I seriously doubt any human would ever trust him. He'd still be a wraith in their eyes, especially since he's got to take a shot every day. I hate to say it, but this experiment (and Michael) were doomed from the start. Sorta like raising a calf to a steer knowing it's going ot the slaughterhouse. The military side (Shep) had no problem in doing this; he also didn't have any problem with using Steve for experiments either. basically, dehumanizing the enemy makes it easier to kill them (hence all the insulting terms used throughout wars; you're not killing a German citizen in the Army (WWII), you were killing a Kraut, etc.). And if michael was doomed to be 'put down' at the end, who would authorize that? Sure as heck couldn't see Carson doing it, but Ronon would gladly volunteer to bump the guy off.

I hope some good fanfic comes out of this covering all the ethical dilemmas they find themselves mired in.

Ronan:
This guy is an animal. Especially when Teyla is threatened. Pretty cool the way he grabbed Michael by the throat, lifted him off his feet and pinned him against the wall when he came upon Michael and Teyla sparring. Teyla/Ronan shippers should be pleased.

I'm basically glad they didn't make him sympathetic in any respect. It wouldn't have made sense. the man HATES wraith and always will. And he was the smartest of the bunch. "Bad idea," he said. He was soooo right. Ah, I really felt sorry for Michael at that point when Ronon pinned him to the wall.

Nit-picks:
Why would they perform such an important experiment on a living Wraith on Atlantis when they know that Wraith can communicate telepathically? Especially when they are trying to keep Atlantis hidden? Why restrain Michael at the Alpha Site with only velcro straps when he has alreadly escaped once and has killed a guard? For that matter; knowing the stakes were as high as they were why weren't they better prepared to handle containment? I mean I get back to Sheppard saying this is war. Why not have a standing order to put a bullet in this guy's head if he started acting weird? I mean security did see him deliberately attempt to hide the laptop screen when he took Dr. Beckett's discs. They eventually all marched in there armed but what took so long?

Ouch, yes, Plotholes. Stargate seems to excel in them these days. However, would the drug have dimmed the telepathic abilities? and if so, how would they know? As for Velcro straps, I understand they're pretty good. But they should have had a GUARD with a GUN standing there, but then.... we needed him to escape (plotwise).

I want to know what Michael was doing with a laptop in the first place? Unless it was just a player, no access to anything vital. Like a DVD player.

I can see Jack O'Neill's hair turning white back on earth when he gets the report from Weir: Oh by the way, we were successful in experimenting on that wraith, but he got away and now we're all doomed...

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

Oh. Wow!

Now that was a good ep. Well written and well executed. Even the inevitable prisoner-beats-up-guards-and-escapes scene was believably done, for once.

All the characters were compelling and CT did a fantastic job as Michael.

I faithfully steer clear of spoilers and could have done without knowing that Michael was a Wraith, but that huge, HONKIN spoiler was part of the episode banner on GW. The dramatic beginning would have been even better if the truth could have dawned on me, bit by bit.

SG Atlantis used science in a bid to improve their situation and were quickly confronted with the morality of their decisions, making Michael a wonderful example of true Science Fiction, IMO.

We don't get enough of that. In my book, Michael rates right up there with Poisoning the Well, Rising, BIS and Storm/Eye.

I give it an enthusiastic 10/10.

[Wyrminarrd]

I personally don´t see any ethical question in whether or not they had the right to change Michael. The only other known way to deal with a Wraith is to kill it and it simply comes down to that, which is better? Seeing as how dead is dead I´d have to say that at least with the retro virus the ex-wraith would have a chance at life.

As for whether or not to tell him about it... I´d personally have claimed that I didn´t know him and that he was a stranger I´d rescued from a dangerous situation. That way there are no extra lies needed or increased possibilities of people screwing up the cover story. If that didn´t work I´d wipe his mind again and try another tactic.

[Caylynn]

I quite enjoyed this episode. I hadn't read any spoilers, so I was really wondering what was going on at the beginning - very creepy.

It was also great to see Connor Trinneer back in action. I enjoyed Enterprise, and it was great to see "Tripp" back on the screen, even if he was playing a wraith.

I'm a little disturbed at how easily he got away though - why didn't they have more security in place?

Very creepy that the wraith probably know all about Atlantis now, though.

[Willow'sCat]

That being said, I have no problem with killing animal life for food - that's just the way nature works. Humans are omnivores. Humans do eat meat. I love a good steak.

Not all humans eat meat thank you. I did give you green for the other stuff you posted.

I didn't mind this episode, and Connor was fantastic he did a wonderful job and yes I am a fan. In fact he became the only reason I watched all of STE.

Teyla! Yea, I am definitely a Telya fan now Rachel was a pleasure to watch in this and she and Connor have great chemistry, I hope one day Connor can reappear in this role. Everyone has pretty much covered the ethical and moral dilemmas so I won't rehash.

I will say yea! One of the Australians got to be in a scene with Rodney *even if she was in the background*

[GateLadyM]

Fairly decent episode, but too much like an old StarTrek-TNG show dealing with capturing a Borg, giving him a name (Hugh) and trying to return him to humanity. Then the question - do we keep him? Return him to the Borg in an attempt to "corrupt" them? Kill him? In the end, Hugh went back to the Borg. This episode wasn't as original as some people may think.

Teyla was good, and Ronon definitely showed he is possessive of her. Of all the romantic triangles TPTB have shoved at us in SGA, I find the Ronon/Teyla pairing to be the most interesting.

Connor did a very good job as Michael. Glad to hear he will be returning.

[ShadowMaat]

Once again we have an ep with a great concept, but a so-so execution.

Everyone accepts the idea that it's okay to turn a wraith into a human and turn him loose in the city? Um... No. Granted, it made for a good "moral ambiguity issue" with the wraith calling the humans on what they were doing, but I think this should have been the central issue and that it should have been exploread a lot more.

Also, as has been said, bringing a wraith back to Atlantis- whatever you plan to do with him- is borderline suicidal.

Even if I accept that all of the character are morally corrupt enough to attempt this experiment with no qualms and even if I accept that they'd do this in Atlantis, why in HELL would they transfer him from an ultra-high security, inpenetrable cell to a backwater planet with no defensive measures at all? Talk about jaw-droppingly asinine plot devices! And I don't buy the "he could find out too much" BS. He ALREADY knows too much and leaving him in Atlantis isn't going to make him any MORE dangerous. Hell, they've had wraith prisoners before and didn't seem overly concerned about the "security risk".

What, exactly, were they hoping to accomplish by trying to pretend he was a human member of the expedition? He's a WRAITH. He has absolutely no memory, knowledge, or ability to put ANYTHING human into context.

The wraith aren't like the borg. They were NEVER human. Michael isn't going to spontaneously generate memories of a life he never had and can't begin to fully understand and I think it was incredibly stupid of the entire Atlantis crew to think that this ruse might work. They would have been better off telling him the truth and playing up the "wraith-ness is a virus" routine and trying to convince him that he's been "cured".

Like others, I really REALLY wish I hadn't been spoiled on this ep because it not only ruined the beginning of the ep, it made me confused. I spent the first couple of scenes trying to figure out what everyone was doing and saying to myself, "But... isn't he a WRAITH?"

This could have been a great opportunity to give us some more insight into the wraith culture/mindset. I would have loved for Michael to start remembering more of his former life- what he's done, any friends he might have had (or blood brothers or whatever). I think a homesick Wraith would have endeared him just a bit more (though he was already a sympathetic charcter) and shown us how cold the people in Atlantis can be that they had absolutely no concern or interest in the "man" he was or the "life" he had. They could have shown us how he missed that or, maybe, how he was now slightly appalled by some of the things he'd done...

One silly, minor thing that bugged me is that they had Michael be from Texas (complete with the cliched cowboy hat) and yet he had no trace of a Southern accent. Granted, HE might not know the difference, and I suppose not all Texans have strong accents, but still... why bother with that detail? Was Trip from Texas? Or was it playing back to Lt. Tyler from SG-1's Fifth Man?

Whatever. Frankly, I'm glad he didn't have the accent because the few times I saw Enterprise, I LOATHED Trip's accent. Conner's voice sounds much nicer without the mouth full of marbles. And with that in mind...

One thing I really loved about this ep was Conner's performance. He really brought Michael to life and made him an engaging and sympathetic character. I can't say I've paid too much attention to wraith movements before, but I wonder if he maybe got some coaching from James Lafazanos about how wraith should move.

The half-wraith makeup job was also a nice touch. A little too shiny in places for my tastes, but nicely done. And I think it says a lot about how much Michael has changed (beyond the physical) that he didn't immediately kill Teyla (he even released her) and that he hesitated before trying to feed.

I'm sure we'll be seeing more of Mikey in upcoming eps. This is gonna come back to bite us in the ass BIG time and I look forward to seeing how it plays out.

I just wish we could have been spared the kitschy "we're gonna need more firepower" crap at the end. Yeesh. I hope we aren't being set up for a repeat of the first season finale, because that's sure as hell how it sounded.

Siege was good ONCE, guys. Now drop it and find some NEW drama for us to angst over.

[Wyrminarrd]

It does sound like they are heading towards the same thing this season. Perhaps there will be some great spin on things like them finding a pair of ZPM´s and flying Atlantis into combat against he Hive ships.

Either that or launching an attack against he hive ships before they ever enter the Atlantis system. A forward defense like that might be very cool.

[ShadowMaat]

I don't want a spin. I am SICK of spin. I want an ORIGINAL FRACKING IDEA. I don't need more leftovers.

[Wyrminarrd]

Thats the problem with Atlantis, it´s a one trick pony. There are the wraith and then there are the Wraith. At least with the Goa´uld they had very different personalities and MO´s so even if SG-1 was always dealing with them it seemed a lot more diverse.

Atlantis needs to run into more baddies or at least make the wraith be more diverse. Until then you´d better get ready for the same thing time and again.

Besides, I don´t hear you come up with other possibilities

[Domesticated Equine]

There were some good moments in this episode but as a whole it didn't do too much for me. I'm left astounded by the sheer inanity of the Atlantis expedition, it seems to me they're doing everything in their power to get Atlantis destroyed. Couldn't they have just called the wraith and said "We're alive, come get us!"?

[ShadowMaat]

Besides, I don´t hear you come up with other possibilities

Actually, I have. But this isn't the thread to discuss such things.

[aaobuttons]

And I think it says a lot about how much Michael has changed (beyond the physical) that he didn't immediately kill Teyla (he even released her) and that he hesitated before trying to feed.

I thought as a whole the episode was quite good. I try to overlook plot conviences when possible because this is just a TV show (and seriously, how many times can a city be in danger or a main character be in danger and in real life statistically survive?).
My character critiques: Weir's dark turn I didn't really buy, Carson's I did. Why one and not the other... I don't know. I thought Ronan was over the top with his whole grabbing of the neck and throwing against the wall thing. Shep I felt was too lax for not arguing the point more (I did like the whole "you need a name, let's call you Mike" part). Hightmeyer is getting annoying, she needs more than one dimension if she's going to be a reacurring character. I want to like her, she's just nothing but a cut out copy of a shrink.

Teyla got to shine in this episode. She was the only one who seemed to think of Michael as a real person, not just an experiment. She knew to be careful but didn't judge him. If anything is going to leave a lasting impression on Wraith!Michael it's going to be her and her kindness towards him. What sort of impression that will be could be interesting. I think although he felt betrayed by everyone, he felt it most sharply with Teyla. She had supposedly been his friend, and when he had nothing else to remember, he had felt a connection with her and had held on to that.

Michael raises more questions about the wraith than answers and I'm left definetly wanting more! How much of Michael was the drug and how much was his innate character? We've only seen the Wraith interacting with humans and usually in hostile situations. How do they act around eachother, with their friends (if they have any) with their families (again if they have any)? Michael while on Atlantis (pre realization) was friendly, curious, apologetic; he was never menacing, cruel, or cold. After he found out he was a wraith he still didn't act like we would think a wraith would. He didn't want to fight anyone or kill that soldier, he just wanted to escape. The fact that he repeatedly tried to get the soldier to put his weapon down makes me wonder even more. With Teyla too at the end we see confusing elements; he's Wraith!Michael by now, but he lets Teyla out of her restraints, he has more than enough opportunities to feed on her while she's knocked out but he doesn't. He could have easily taken her down to the ship or fed upon her but he doesn't... is it because he still has some of that other Michael left in him with the drug, or because he doesn't want to hurt her, because he sees her differently. I loved that battle inside him with that "Instinct" coming into play again just like with Ellia. Would he have fed on her in the end, he went after her, but would he have stopped, would the instinct have been too much? Too bad we didn't have the chance to find out, but hopefully we'll see some indication next time we see Michael.