How do you/Do you want Weir back in Season 5? Spoilers for BAMSR'd

[Dr Weir]

If we have the real Weir then TPTB are back to the problem thay had in S1-3,

What was that problem?

[Skydiver]

well guys, repliweir can be a good guy
real weir could be evil

who knows how her expeiences have changed her

Not every option can be covered, i'm afraid. Cause there's just too many to choose from and too many possibilities

[Southern Red]

There is a great temptation here to overthink this. Obviously she can never go back to the exact same person she was before. Neither can Shep, Rodney or anyone else. The experience of living in the Pegasus Galaxy has profoundly changed all of them. But she can through the miracle of SciFi be restored to fully human and given her old job back as leader of the expedition. She would be stronger for her experience, having learned valuable lessons and would perhaps deal differently with the situations that are sure to rear their ugly heads at some point.

The point at least to my way of thinking is to choose your best case scenario. If you are willing to settle for her being in a different job or having less than full time status and you indicate that to the writers, they will surely take that as gospel and as they always do, give you a little less than what you really want. Think about how they have handled Carson.

Making her evil in any capacity is too much of a change. It will probably not win her any new fans and will alienate the old ones. I am even thinking that there is a way for the IOA to capitalize on her new status, whatever that is exactly, and use her to help in protecting Earth. Then at some point all is revealed to the expedition and she is restored to her rightful place. But now she is stronger, both mentally and physically and has new knowledge and skills that can be of tremendous help. This is SciFi, anything is possible.

[Falcon Horus]

I went with "real Weir, full time, new job"...

And here follows the explanation why I choose that:

Real Weir
To me the real Weir is the one who has been having the nanites since Progeny. The one who got fried in First Strike, and in which the nanites were reactivated to safe her life. The one left behind in Lifeline.
She's the original and I'm convinced she was the one commanding the ship.

I'm also convinced she's good and willing to help Atlantis survive by going after the Wraith, without the Lanteans to actually know there's still a small faction of Replicators alive. She might actually reveal herself one day but I'm not sure how exactly that will happen.

Full time
Regular appearance, 14 episodes tops & back into the opening credits if that's remotely possible... I miss my opening credits.

New job
I fully see her as the new leader of the Replicator-faction, and would like to see her as an ally to Atlantis. At first maybe an unseen ally, but ultimately revealing herself to her friends. An ally against the Wraith.

[marielabbott]

I definitely want to see the real Weir, not another duplicate. I would also like to see her back in her old office, changed and seasoned by her experience, but back as the leader of Atlantis.

[jenks]

I've got nothing against Torri but the Weir character sucks so...

Evil (Recurring): 1-3 episodes

[Ruined_puzzle]

There is a great temptation here to overthink this. Obviously she can never go back to the exact same person she was before. Neither can Shep, Rodney or anyone else. The experience of living in the Pegasus Galaxy has profoundly changed all of them. But she can through the miracle of SciFi be restored to fully human and given her old job back as leader of the expedition. She would be stronger for her experience, having learned valuable lessons and would perhaps deal differently with the situations that are sure to rear their ugly heads at some point.

The point at least to my way of thinking is to choose your best case scenario. If you are willing to settle for her being in a different job or having less than full time status and you indicate that to the writers, they will surely take that as gospel and as they always do, give you a little less than what you really want. Think about how they have handled Carson.

Making her evil in any capacity is too much of a change. It will probably not win her any new fans and will alienate the old ones. I am even thinking that there is a way for the IOA to capitalize on her new status, whatever that is exactly, and use her to help in protecting Earth. Then at some point all is revealed to the expedition and she is restored to her rightful place. But now she is stronger, both mentally and physically and has new knowledge and skills that can be of tremendous help. This is SciFi, anything is possible.

You made it so easy for me to finally decide on one.

Real Weir, old job, full time.

[Wormhole]

Good full time - old job.

[Celcool]

You made it so easy for me to finally decide on one.

Real Weir, old job, full time.

Same here. I've been thinking along the same lines as SR. This thing they're doing with her at the moment needs to be temporary only then she can get back to her old job after this whole ordeal. It can be done, it's sci-fi.

[SGLAB]

OK. Here's the thing...I really like the Elizabeth Weir character. I liked all the Atlantis characters, but if I had to rank them, Elizabeth would have been third, behind Rodney and Sheppard, and with Carson running a close fourth. I liked the dynamic that she had with the cast, those three guys in particular. And I thought she did a fine job as a leader.

Would it be unrealistic to have her take her old job back? Probably. But frankly I really don't care. Sorry. I don't think she should come back exactly like it was before - the experience should have changed her, and I don't think she should be a lead again, but I ideally would like to have her back in her old job.

Realistically....that's not going to happen. Realistically, I think we'll be very very lucky to get 4 episodes. So, given those limitations, I would like to see her as a recurring ally, in at least four or five episodes but I'd gladly take more. And for me, it absolutely MUST be the real Weir. The biggest reason I had such a hard time with TMC was not because it was a bad episode in and of itself, it was because we weren't dealing with the real team or the real Weir, and I couldn't really make myself care that much about either one. If the real Weir really is dead, then I'd rather not have any Weir at all.

Just my perspective! And no, I haven't voted yet - I can't decide which option best fits.

I think you and I think a lot alike on this. I really miss the interaction Elizabeth had with John, Rodney and Carson. I was recently watching BIS and that really reminded me of how much I've missed those character interactions.

I ended up choosing Real Weir in 7 or more recurring eps. I figured at the very least there would be some character interactions that I've missed. Plus it would be the real Weir unlike as you said in TMC where I agree it doesn't have the same emotional impact.

[Eri13]

I want the real Weir turned evil because of the nanites, but she'll turn good by the end (after an intense inner struggles against those little buggers; mind over matter, as it were, ala TRW). I guess the best one would be...

I'd like to see a struggle with this, because I think it'd be interesting. I think Torri could play it well, it would add such an element of depth to all the crew (just imagining Rodney, John's, Teyla's reactions to a Weir that might be their enemy, but also realizing she's not lost, and that they might be able to save her, such good storylines to be had. And character reactions!)

What piques my interest is that the 100th episode is coming up in Season 5. As it IS the 100th episode (and I don't know if we're going to get to 200 with SGA) I'd like to see them do something that is a mini-wrap up, so to speak. As Weir was head of the Atlantis expedition before it was the Atlantis expedition, I'd like to see a sort of full-circle storyline, and her back somehow in Atlantis in that episode.

Part of the fun for Weir for me was how she interacted with the other Atlantis members. While we'd get that with her leading another replicator faction, it wouldn't feel the same for me personally. I want to see her back with 'the family'. But eventually. I don't want her popped back in immediately; I'd rather see where this replicator story can take her, and I'd love to see a power struggle, perhaps in her own mind, or with the Lanteans help, that gets her from a potential antagonist back to Weir.

So that's why I chose "Full Time, Old job (real Weir)". But I want her to 'get there' through S5, not just return immediately as though nothing happened. And I want the character to be changed because of the experience.

One caveat, though--I'll accept whatever Torri wants to do. If she doesn't want a full time role, then I'll accept that too. While I hope it's not just 2 episodes, because I like her enough to want much more, I won't gripe and complain if Torri's wishes are only to be part-time or to make cameo-ish appearances.

[SMB_BOOKS]

The fear I had yesterday when this "let's have a new poll" came up is that it would end up being more confusing that what we had to begin with.

So far, we've started off by bringing that fear of mine to life.

There's only two options I'm considering right now. I haven't voted yet. I want to put my thoughts together and explain the choice I finally do make.

I wish there was a way to vote for more than one. I would be willing to support either of these options at the moment....of course, I'd add a few "caveats" to them......

Real Weir - Full Time - New Role
Real Weir - Full Time - Old Role

GAH, I'll get my thoughts together, vote and post again later.

[Winter]

I think I would like to see a recurring roll of Weir but not good or evil and not the Weir we used to know. She's been injected with nanites and I'd like to see a Weir that's been affected by them. Conflicted - because part of her is still human but she should still with her own agenda as it appeared at the end of BAMSR. Evil would be too easy and so would good. If she is conflicted, she will be unpredictable which is fabulous for making things exciting!

So that's my vote - its not in the list.

[Ruffles]

I interpreted "Real Weir" to mean Weir without nanites. Therefore, I chose Good 1-3 eps (preferably 3). I liked Weir, but I'm perfectly fine with having Carter there. I think "Good" can encompass quite a range of choices so having her as "Good" or an ally doesn't mean she would necessarily go along with everything Atlantis wants to do. The Genii in general were not evil, but they certainly caused a lot of trouble. Having Weir with her own agenda (regardless of what it is) doesn't have to be boring but doesn't have to be evil either.

I'd like to see her pop up occasionally the way we see Michael and the CG Wraith (I refuse to call him Todd). Just enough to keep her storyline moving and add to the depth and texture of life in Pegasus. But I'd also like new stories, new allies, new enemies, etc to keep it fresh and interesting.

What I DON'T want is to have her storyline dropped. Don't tease me with it and then forget it's there. Either have it continue as a plotpoint or resolve it.

[Linzi]

I interpreted "Real Weir" to mean Weir without nanites. Therefore, I chose Good 1-3 eps (preferably 3). I liked Weir, but I'm perfectly fine with having Carter there. I think "Good" can encompass quite a range of choices so having her as "Good" or an ally doesn't mean she would necessarily go along with everything Atlantis wants to do. The Genii in general were not evil, but they certainly caused a lot of trouble. Having Weir with her own agenda (regardless of what it is) doesn't have to be boring but doesn't have to be evil either.

I'd like to see her pop up occasionally the way we see Michael and the CG Wraith (I refuse to call him Todd). Just enough to keep her storyline moving and add to the depth and texture of life in Pegasus. But I'd also like new stories, new allies, new enemies, etc to keep it fresh and interesting.

What I DON'T want is to have her storyline dropped. Don't tease me with it and then forget it's there. Either have it continue as a plotpoint or resolve it.

I agree with you here. If it's not going to be continued, yes, conclude it. I really don't like loose ends and am still waiting to find out conclusively what happened to Ford! There's so much opportunity for good drama here!