S5: Critique and Contemplations

[g.o.d]

Frak, you're right.

Maybe they're first generation cylons then.

you mean the Final Five?

[Falcon Horus]

you mean the Final Five?

No, the ones from the first series and briefly mentioned in the last few episodes of the new show. The really old ones.

[Ncc-72452]

...And I return...

We're on what episode????

Crap........

[Killdeer]

Well, the last episode being discussed was Inquisition. I'm not sure if people are finished chatting about that one or not?

I believe the next episode up is The Prodigal.

[Linda06]

ooh Prodigal....Well it's good and not so good....

Teyla spending most of the ep holding bambino, not so good....Teyla being the one to finally finish off Michael, well it couldn't end any other way

But the fight scene after thinking about it wasn't the best, she only gave him a couple of slugs and he fell over the edge, I would have liked a proper fight scene on the balcony with Michael/Teyla....I did kinda feel a little sorry for Michael when he was clinging on for dear life and when he said Teyla's name....But it couldn't end any other way. She and her baby would never have been safe as long as Michael was alive.

[Crazedwraith]

le summary au "The Prodigal"

Spoiler:

Trying to get her baby, Torren, to sleep, Teyla Emmagan walks the corridors. On the east pier, she is nearly run over by radio-controlled cars Dr. Rodney McKay and Lt. Colonel John Sheppard are racing. Once Torren nods off, she returns to her quarters, placing him in his crib. As she does so, the power and communications go out. Trapped, she lights candles. Suddenly, her door opens and two men enter. One raises a weapon and stuns her.


Still competing when the power goes out, Sheppard and McKay see that only the control room is lit up. Near the locker room, Sheppard grabs flashlights and walkie talkies. He orders Rivers to round up other Marines and notify him if anyone sees Richard Woolsey, the base commander.

McKay sends Radek Zelenka to the main power room to attempt a system reboot. Meanwhile, Sheppard and McKay begin to climb the stairwells to level 35. Zelenka reports that the Z.P.M. and naquadah generators were disabled from the control room. As Sheppard and McKay start for level 63, McKay suggests using the auxiliary battery unit to power the mainframe and a few transporters. When they finally do reach the stairwell to the gate room, they find the door sealed.

When Zelenka restores power to McKay's lab, Sheppard, McKay and Major Lorne head there. They are locked out of all critical computer systems, but Sheppard suggests accessing the surveillance cameras. There is a Puddle Jumper in the gate room and unidentifiable men at the consoles. In Woolsey's office, they see that Torren asleep on a chair and Teyla ... as Michael enters the room.


The Wraith hybrid and enemy of Atlantis used the Puddle Jumper that Sheppard flew onto his cruiser ("Search and Rescue") to hack Atlantis's security codes. Now his hybrids are attempting to arm the city's self-destruct mechanism. Michael wants Torren, as he is the key to perfecting his hybrids and securing his reign over the galaxy ("The Kindred"). Because of her kindness at one time, Michael wants Teyla to accompany him and Torren.

Knowing who the enemy is now, Sheppard and Lorne prepare to retake the gate room. They blow the doors off the stairwells with C4, but a force shield generated by Michael's Jumper blocks access to the two levels above and two below the Stargate and the control room. They can't fire a drone into the room because there isn't enough power for the chair. And the Jumper bay is within the force shield bubble. Sheppard remembers two disabled Jumpers in the underwater bay, which McKay was supposed to have fixed by now. But he admits he hasn't gotten around to them yet.

As Sheppard and McKay head there, a stunned Ronon Dex awakens. Woolsey had just given him a digital voice recorder for mission reports when the Jumper with Major Nelson's I.D.C. called in early. Woolsey nonetheless ordered the shield lowered. When Michael's Jumper came through the Stargate, everyone in the tower was rendered unconscious by a stun pulse.

Ronon tries unsuccessfully to open the door of the room where they are trapped. When technician Amelia Banks regains consciousness, she hot-wires the door open. Ronon attacks the hybrid guard. Banks shows off her kickboxing skills, keeping the hybrid busy until Ronon can stun him. When Woolsey rouses, they decide to go to the armory. En route, Ronon overhears a hybrid tell Michael that they have broken the encryption on Atlantis's self-destruct.


Sending Woolsey back, Ronon and two others shoot their way into the control room. Michael attacks Ronon and as they struggle, Ronon tells Teyla to make a run for it. She and Woolsey flee to a stairwell, but the force shield blocks their way. When Woolsey is injured, Teyla and Torren hide inside a power conduit chamber in the corridor wall. Still fighting with Michael, Ronon is flipped over a balcony and knocked unconscious when he hits the steps below.

Enraged, Michael arms the self-destruct. He calls to Teyla over the city intercom, and tells her that he will spare Atlantis if she and Torren come with him now. Teyla is torn, but chooses to remain hidden.

Hearing the self-destruct claxon sounding, McKay manages to gets one of the broken Jumpers flying -- but it has no weapons. Sheppard plans to crash it into the tower to stop Michael's escape. But Zelenka radios and tells the two that he can now lower the Stargate's shield. McKay tells Sheppard to fly the Jumper to gate level, and then use the on-board D.H.D. to dial the gate. The kawoosh will destroy Michael's Jumper and disable the force shield keeping them out. Sheppard instead orders McKay to do this, while he leads the strike team into the control room.

With less than two minutes left until the city explodes, Teyla radios Michael and tells him to disarm the self-destruct. He declines, since he already has taken a sample of Torren's DNA. It is not as ideal as having the baby himself, but he will manage. Michael is not willing to give up the city's destruction -- his final revenge for what they have done to him. As he and the hybrids return to their Puddle Jumper, Michael pauses at the steps to kill the still unconscious Ronon.


But before he can, Rodney dials the gate and the Stargate's activation destroys most of the enemy Jumper. Michael escapes injury and flees into the Jumper bay. He is shot, but continues upward to an outside parapet -- with Sheppard in pursuit. Teyla hands Torren to Banks and follows them. The men fight, with Sheppard going over the edge. He regains his footing and he and Michael continue trading blows. Teyla arrive to help, joining in hand-to-hand combat with Michael. Michael falls over the ledge, and dangles from the outside of the tower. With a stern look of finality, Teyla kicks his hands off the ledge, sending Michael plunging to his death below.

Later, in the infirmary, Ronon hands Woolsey the voice recorder with his mission report. It is four lines long. Almost grateful for that, a bandaged Woolsey heads for his quarters.

Late that night Teyla again walks with Torren, who is wide awake. She finds Sheppard and McKay racing their cars again. This time, at last safe from the threat of Michael, they stay to watch.

All in all, a pretty decent episode. I liked the way the remote car scenes bookended the show and the scenes were pretty fun shep/mackay/teyla friendship scenes or at least as close as we get. And I really digged that they used the kawhoosh to blow things up. Its pretty cool continuity with SG-1 and I can't recall another time SGA really made use of it.

[Falcon Horus]

Hang on, I'm going to talk to myself again...

* Ronon and mission reports -> not a good combination which the ending proofs. Exactly what I would have expected from him.

One of the best things about this episode. Gotta love Ronon. Ever the practical man.

* BELGIAN FLAG & HEIGHTMEYER'S CORRIDOR (you know that part of the set that was also Kate's office on occasion)

It's the little things that make me happy apparently. Spotting details like this is what I do when I get bored with an episode. It's something I do at work too and I'm quite good at it according tomy colleagues. Whenever something needs to be checked for design-flaws, I'm the to-go-to-person.

* Rodney needs to work out more

Which is something that we've known since season 1.

* Michael looks mutilated.
He started out strong but weakened towards the end, and I don't mean that he begged for Teyla to join him like a lost little Wraith-Hybrid-puppy, but I mean that the character Michael weakened considerably in my eyes. He lost his identity.

I find it sad that he lost so much of his character every time we saw him. He turned into this sad man, driven by his passion for a person he can't have. His story is made up of tragedy. He isn't accepted everywhere and it destroys him in the end. I feel sorry for him. Weak and scared, that's how he ends instead of in a blaze of glory. A ghost from his former self and I don't know whether to blaim the writers or if this is just the way it is, how it was supposed to be.

* So, Amelia kicks ass now - interesting.

Cause now that Torren is around, Teyla has lost all her fighting skills and strengths, so we need another female kicking butt.

* I would have thought there'd be more Teyla-action and I am therefor disappointed that all she did was hold Torren and pretty much do nothing at all. I half hoped she'd hand the little critter to Woolsey and turn back to kick that hybrid's ass. But she didn't... ...there went all the action I had hoped to see.

Like the rest of the season - disappointment galore.

* Rodney and John moment with the cars in the beginning and at the end - sweet!

Boys will be boys!

* the hand-to-hand on top of the tower was just a little over the top for me, a little too cliché if you ask me (like Torren making a sound when Teyla is hiding - also very cliché - there was a spontaneous eye-roll even).

A recurring theme of the season.

* Teyla eventually being the one to end Michael - very poetic - cold hard look as she kicks his hands. I must say she looked very much like Catwoman there (though I have no idea whether Catwoman would do something like that) - very Comic Book Heroine like if you will.

Nothing to add.

Overall, not a bad episode but it just missed something... I just can't put my finger on it. Not entirely convinced it was good enough for my liking. My sister said she recognized classic SGA but I'm not entirely convinced.

It was sorta disappointing. I had expected more. I was left hanging... *shrug*

Let the words speak for themselves.

[Briangate78]

The Prodigal was one of the best eps of the season maybe even the series.

Spoiler:

To end Michael that way was brilliant. It was well played and that single moment on the balcony was one of those so called "epic" moments I strive for and have seen in this series. I've always liked the Michael story arc, I loved "The Kindred" and this episode went back to that Michael of Season 2 and 3 where he is this troubled soul that has nothing but hate on his mind. I don't care about cliche' and I am not that critical over every little detail. All I know is I loved what I saw and it gave me chills the last few scenes. That to me is a very well delivered episode hands down.

[Linda06]

Hang on, I'm going to talk to myself again...

*snicker* Oh Kate's gonna have her work cut out for her

But yeah I was also disappointed about the serious lack of action from Teyla...All she done for most of it was bounce the baby on her hip then she hid with the baby.....And the fight scene (if you can call it that) at the end was a little disappionting. Not once did Teyla have a good fight scene the entire season

I didn't like the stupid scenes at the beginning and end with John and Rodney playing with remote control cars....Geez, what are they.....FIVE It seemed rather out of place...I would have preferred maybe Teyla standing out on the balcony thinking and contemplating everything that's happened over the years with Michael, instead of having this big honkin smile on her face and once again bouncing the baby on her hip. But that's just me

[Southern Red]

I remember from the commentary on this one that Andy Mikita and Carl Binder were very pleased that they found out Sharon Taylor/Banks was a kickboxer and how they worked it into the show. They said Ronon and Banks would have definitely been a couple in S6.

They see Teyla as the love of Michael's life and all his decisions revolve around her rejection of him.

They were pleased with the scenes of Teyla as a mother and felt it was made better by Rachel's experience.

Otherwise, they just talked a lot about lights and shots and all that boring stuff.

And I think I read that Rachel said she was afraid of heights so that last scene with Mikey was a bit uncomfortable because they were up quite a ways on a shelf of some sort. Connor they actually lowered on a harness when Michael fell.

I think that Teyla was the only one who could logically have killed Michael. It was a great ending to his arc and showed that she would do anything to save her child.

[Linda06]

I remember from the commentary on this one that Andy Mikita and Carl Binder were very pleased that they found out Sharon Taylor/Banks was a kickboxer and how they worked it into the show. They said Ronon and Banks would have definitely been a couple in S6.

They see Teyla as the love of Michael's life and all his decisions revolve around her rejection of him.

They were pleased with the scenes of Teyla as a mother and felt it was made better by Rachel's experience.

Otherwise, they just talked a lot about lights and shots and all that boring stuff.

And I think I read that Rachel said she was afraid of heights so that last scene with Mikey was a bit uncomfortable because they were up quite a ways on a shelf of some sort. Connor they actually lowered on a harness when Michael fell.

I think that Teyla was the only one who could logically have killed Michael. It was a great ending to his arc and showed that she would do anything to save her child.

Didn't JF say to them that he thought it would be more fitting that Teyla finished off Michael? I'm sure I read somewhere that it wasn't originally scripted that Teyla would fight Michael, but I could be wrong.

Being scared of heights, well that's something I can relate to I can't even go up higher than three steps on a step ladder

[Briangate78]

I remember from the commentary on this one that Andy Mikita and Carl Binder were very pleased that they found out Sharon Taylor/Banks was a kickboxer and how they worked it into the show. They said Ronon and Banks would have definitely been a couple in S6.

They see Teyla as the love of Michael's life and all his decisions revolve around her rejection of him.

They were pleased with the scenes of Teyla as a mother and felt it was made better by Rachel's experience.

Otherwise, they just talked a lot about lights and shots and all that boring stuff.

And I think I read that Rachel said she was afraid of heights so that last scene with Mikey was a bit uncomfortable because they were up quite a ways on a shelf of some sort. Connor they actually lowered on a harness when Michael fell.

I think that Teyla was the only one who could logically have killed Michael. It was a great ending to his arc and showed that she would do anything to save her child.

Very well said. There was also an outtake never filmed where Sheppard's stunt double gets knocked off instead of Michael and Connor yells "I win". lol. I would of loved to see that outtake.

[Lahela]

I remember from the commentary on this one that Andy Mikita and Carl Binder were very pleased that they found out Sharon Taylor/Banks was a kickboxer and how they worked it into the show. They said Ronon and Banks would have definitely been a couple in S6.

Yet another reason to be thankful it ended when it did

Not a bad ep. Some funny stuff, some angsty stuff, a couple of decent fight scenes... but I'm probably one of the only people here who thought that Teyla kicking Michael off the tower was OOC and just pretty nasty. Maybe I'd grown too sympathetic of him. *shrugs*

[A_PophisandhisFran]

I kinda sorta disagree that Teyla is the ONLY logical choice to take care of Michael. I agree she's the best choice and I wouldn't really want anyone else to take care of him, but I think Beckett could have killed him as well. After all, the original Beckett helped to create him, and then Michael created Beckett too (the clone version, that is) and kept him captive for a long time. It would have been kind of interesting for Beckett to destroy the guy who was both his creator AND someone he helped to make.

[Linda06]

Yet another reason to be thankful it ended when it did

Not a bad ep. Some funny stuff, some angsty stuff, a couple of decent fight scenes... but I'm probably one of the only people here who thought that Teyla kicking Michael off the tower was OOC and just pretty nasty. Maybe I'd grown too sympathetic of him. *shrugs*

Well these guys do seem to have an awful track record of clutching romance outta thin air So who knows what other romances they would end up getting from left field in S6