The unimportance of Teyla

[Linda06]

I just don't get it Linda. Search and Rescue revolved around Teyla. She opened the episode up with Sheppard, had many scenes, gave birth, and had the final scene at the end. It was all around Teyla.

Broken Ties was focused on both Ronon and Teyla. I rewatched it again and Teyla has a lot of scene with Woolsey, Sheppard, and Kanaan. Trying to decide if she would return to Sheppard's team. One scene at the end with Woolsey was an excellent scene, and made me really start to really like Woolsey.

The Queen - well that is easy.

The Prodigal - That is also easy as well.

I mean, Season 4 going into Season 5 was focused on the rescue of Teyla. If that is not character centric, I don't know what is and have exhausted my brain and it will explode in T-minus 30 secs.

The beginning of S&R was (IMO) a glimpse into Shep's feelings for Teyla and his guilt about him not being able to save his people, then it was about the others rescuing Rodney and Lorne and then Shep and Ronon, then it was about Shep's hero complex Then it was about the rescue mission to free Teyla and the other Athosians if possible, then we had the birth scene...So no it wasn't all about Teyla...I grant you, she did have an intracle part of the ep but so did the others too....So it was a kinda team ep so to speak

Broken ties was Ronon's ep with a littel side order of Teyla deciding to rejoin the team...

Don't see how TLT could be construed as a Teyla ep seeing as she was in it for like three seconds and she was dead

*runs for cover*

[Falcon Horus]

I think what everybody is trying to say here, is that even though Teyla may be front and center we never learn anything new. Hell, they even get Teyla's parents all mixed up.

Every single story that remotely revolves around Teyla is always intricately woven into a Wraith tale. It's something that annoys me beyond belief. Why does a Teyla-story always have to be about the Wraith and never about Teyla? We know barely anything about her family. We know her father was taken by the Wraith and that she's the daughter of Tagan, which I assume is now her mother. But we never delved into who Teyla is, what makes her tick, what drives her? Who is this Athosian leader really?

No, whenever there's an episode that has Teyla really front and center, you can bet the Wraith aren't that far behind.

[Briangate78]

I think what everybody is trying to say here, is that even though Teyla may be front and center we never learn anything new. Hell, they even get Teyla's parents all mixed up.

Every single story that remotely revolves around Teyla is always intricately woven into a Wraith tale. It's something that annoys me beyond belief. Why does a Teyla-story always have to be about the Wraith and never about Teyla? We know barely anything about her family. We know her father was taken by the Wraith and that she's the daughter of Tagan, which I assume is now her mother. But we never delved into who Teyla is, what makes her tick, what drives her? Who is this Athosian leader really?

No, whenever there's an episode that has Teyla really front and center, you can bet the Wraith aren't that far behind.

We have learned a lot about her people, her customs and ways. I know you are a huge Teyla fan and wanted more. I like Teyla alot and I feel they have given her the focus and development. I loved how Teyla went from this warrior princess/leader of her people, to a warrior who has intelligence and has been able to learn Atlantis' and Earth technology. She has become a mother and it softened her up a little bit, but still kept her passion alive.

I am curious which characters are going to be sidelined in SGU, should be interesting. Why do I bring this up? Almost every show with multiple lead characters has someone side-lined for a few eps. Some shows just totally forget about those characters, like BSG. SGA has given Teyla many eps to shine and even if she does get sidelined in a bunch of eps, the show still has other characters to focus on of course. We know more about Teyla than the lead castmember. They were finally starting to dig into his character the last couple of seasons also.

[Falcon Horus]

Yes, Teyla is my favorite character but sadly I have to say I think I fell in love with the Teyla I see in fanfiction and not the one TPTW have given me. I think I can thank Rachel for making Teyla look real, but TPTW did a very bad job at writing for their characters.

If you make them up, it's only natural that you do something with them... That you make them 3D. If you don't know what to do with them, then you're doing a really bad job.

Two customs I have learned from the Athosians, all in two seasons because then they disappeared - very conveniently. The Ring Ceremony in Critical Mass (season 2) and the ceremony Halling wanted to perform in 38 Minutes in season 1.

Teyla has always been a great leader, wise and diplomatic. She didn't become intelligent. If you aren't intelligent to begin with, than the technology of the Ancients or the Earth expedition will never make sense to your simple brain.

Yup, the Teyla I see in fanfic is far better than the one on TV. That's a definite conclusion on my part. I prefer my characters well-rounded. Quite lucky actually that there's not much cannon a Teyla writer has to take into account when writing their stories... Not much one can write wrong there. Very sadly.

[CazzBlade]

But the same Criteria is not being used. How does the mid-season eps fall upon being Keller centric? I just don't get that.

I don't think TLT is Keller centric (or The Seed or The Shrine) but if you're saying that S&R and Broken Ties are Keller eps, going by that then yes, all those three are Keller eps.

[Briangate78]

I don't think TLT is Keller centric (or The Seed or The Shrine) but if you're saying that S&R and Broken Ties are Keller eps, going by that then yes, all those three are Keller eps.

Search and Rescue was focused on getting Teyla back, and then having her baby, and trying to escape from Michael with the husband of her child.

TLT had a few Keller scenes. She was not even a focus. How are S&R and Broken Ties Keller eps? She was hardly in those eps.

[CazzBlade]

Search and Rescue was focused on getting Teyla back, and then having her baby, and trying to escape from Michael with the husband of her child.

TLT had a few Keller scenes. She was not even a focus. How are S&R and Broken Ties Keller eps? She was hardly in those eps.

Never said S&R or Broken Ties were Keller eps. You said they were Teyla eps which they are not. If they are Teyla eps then The Seed, The Shrine and TLT are Keller eps. Which they are not. IMO.

[Willow'sCat]

Yes, Teyla is my favorite character but sadly I have to say I think I fell in love with the Teyla I see in fanfiction and not the one TPTW have given me.

Aw, don't worry I love the Teyla in fanfic too, also the John in fanfic, not so much on the show.

Thank god for fanfic! lol

Thing is Teyla could have been the "Daniel" of SGA but they gave up on that pretty quick after season one.

Also I think they were pushing Weir as leader at the time (all those boring speeches, blah...) so to have Teyla be a "leader" figure as well, I just don't think TPTB could see how to write that without taking something away from Weir.

Ironically when they realised Weir wasn't working and killed her off they used Carter to fill the void, once again meaning they couldn't see their way through to writing for two strong female characters in the one show.

Then when Carson was killed they give us Keller, but at the same time as they start to really push her on us, they replace Carter with Woolsey so basically once again they side-line Teyla, as they concentrate on Keller as the main women on SGA. I mean, sorry but since when is the CMO in SGA a member of the TEAM? I saw no reason to even have Keller in most eps, Carson at least barely showed up with the TEAM unless there was a true medical emergency. Also and I digress but since when is Keller the only surgeon on Atlantis?

I truly think TPTB have a massive problem with writing for female characters but more over writing for more then one strong female character at a time. I don't know why, they seem able (if not always convincingly) to write strong male characters at every bloody turn.

Sadly, Teyla was the heart of Atlantis that was never to be, she was relegated to bit player amongst the boys and their toys.

I would be shocked if Teyla gets more then 10 mins screen time in the movie.

[Briangate78]

Never said S&R or Broken Ties were Keller eps. You said they were Teyla eps which they are not. If they are Teyla eps then The Seed, The Shrine and TLT are Keller eps. Which they are not. IMO.

How can TLT be a Keller ep? The Shrine was a team ep surrounding Mckay. Everyone had their time with Rodney, even Teyla and Ronon who were there for his support as well.

[Falcon Horus]

I would be shocked if Teyla gets more then 10 mins screen time in the movie.

I would gladly count them seconds for you.

[CazzBlade]

How can TLT be a Keller ep? The Shrine was a team ep surrounding Mckay. Everyone had their time with Rodney, even Teyla and Ronon who were there for his support as well.

I don't think it is! But that is one of the six I belive fumbles included. She did have a big part in a lot of the scenes.

[Briangate78]

I would gladly count them seconds for you.

I don't care about screentime. Sure the producers can put a character in the background for 40min just standing there, and then they can take a character and make them do something mind blowing and it would only amount to 2 mins of screentime. Which one would you rather have?

I'd rather have Teyla kicking Michael off the balcony of Atlantis. That to me is something more dramatic than having her in every single episode for every min.

[Briangate78]

I don't think it is! But that is one of the six I belive fumbles included. She did have a big part in a lot of the scenes.

So did Sheppard.

[CazzBlade]

So did Sheppard.

And? (even though I don't think he did do much in that ep personally)

[Briangate78]

And? (even though I don't think he did do much in that ep personally)

Then in all fairness make every episode a Sheppard episode since he was doing something in every episode except for "Tracker" and "BrainStorm".