'Infection' (517) General Discussion

[Dusk]

Perhaps my manner is abrupt, but I find the growing battlelines between the pro-Atlantis camp and the anti-Atlantis camp to be somewhat of a farce. Personally, I tend to dabble between the two, to maintain perspective and balance. There is no moral high-ground here.

If I had come on here and posted "Wow! This show just keeps getting better. I thought it was brilliant!" then nobody would have said a thing. But because my original comment was critical and, I admit, perfunctory, I get a wave of snarls.

In future I shall try to substantiate upon such remarks as elaboration of my sentiments. I am simply annoyed that pjt's "rant" looked more like a culmination of frustration built up over some time and across several threads rather than as a direct result of my participation in this thread.

The show has been cancelled, and for some the disappointment still lingers. But if I believe an episode is genuinely poor, I will not hesitate to comment as such, regardless of the current 'delicate' situation among certain forum members. If a harmless comment such as mine can so easily inflame others, perhaps it is because my comment hits the spot, questions the integrity of the show and, dare I say, goes towards justifying the nature of the cancellation.

I think I've made my case now, and I certainly intend to pursue it no further. Just don't use me as a scapegoat for the irritation many others have sparked.

[pjt]

Perhaps my manner is abrupt, but I find the growing battlelines between the pro-Atlantis camp and the anti-Atlantis camp to be somewhat of a farce. Personally, I tend to dabble between the two, to maintain perspective and balance. There is no moral high-ground here.

I find both the "pro-Atlantis camp and the anti-Atlantis camp somewhat of a farce". Why can't we talk episodes? Like: Infection? I didn't like it.

If I had come on here and posted "Wow! This show just keeps getting better. I thought it was brilliant!" then nobody would have said a thing. But because my original comment was critical and, I admit, perfunctory, I get a wave of snarls.

"Yegads! Can this show please just be over already? "

In future I shall try to substantiate upon such remarks as elaboration of my sentiments. I am simply annoyed that pjt's "rant" looked more like a culmination of frustration built up over some time and across several threads rather than as a direct result of my participation in this thread.

The show has been cancelled, and for some the disappointment still lingers. But if I believe an episode is genuinely poor, I will not hesitate to comment as such, regardless of the current 'delicate' situation among certain forum members. If a harmless comment such as mine can so easily inflame others, perhaps it is because my comment hits the spot, questions the integrity of the show and, dare I say, goes towards justifying the nature of the cancellation.

I think I've made my case now, and I certainly intend to pursue it no further. Just don't use me as a scapegoat for the irritation many others have sparked.

"Yegads! Can this show please just be over already? "

[Falcon Horus]

This was kind of boring... Didn't feel interesting at all. The only interesting thing about it was Todd really. He rocked in this episode, if I may say so. Other than that... Blah!

Hot bimbo doc was back... She's like a yo-yo. For me she was a bit up in Brain Storm, tolerable in every way of her character - a little like in First Strike even when I was not averse to the idea yet of having her on Atlantis. But in Infection she's back to being eyecandy for the boys. For cryin' out loud - WHY?

And why the frell does Teyla have to have a L'Oreal hairdo - Because she's worth it? This is an Athosian not an Earthling - have her hair reflect that a little at least. There's gotta be a way to make it look less like she just came back from the Atlantis hairdresser. Why the frell do they always have to mess with the wigs?

Todd going for a dip in the ocean - cool shot, looked less artificial but still too artificial to really blend in. And then the episode ends... It felt like "Cut, we ran out of time! We must stop here!".

[Automission]

Does anyone know where the Hive ships bridge is? Evidentally its somewhere in the front section.

[major davis]

Yeah. great episode. some scenes actually creeped me out

[asdf1239]

Ah yes, I see it now....

Sheppard: We must save all the innocent people from the Wraith.

Ronon: looks around at an uninhabited village What people?

Teyla: And for that matter, John. What Wraith? We have not seen a Wraith in weeks.

McKay: Alright, whose genius idea was this?

lol

[Atlantis4Life]

This is one of the few episodes from Season 5 that I decided to rewatch to see if it got better the second time around.

Yeah, this one didn’t do it for me. So much so, that I stopped rewatching it with 10 minutes of the episode left. Unlike Outsiders, which got much better for me on a second viewing, this episode got worse. The first time I watched it, I remember thinking that it was okay. However, that’s probably in comparison to some of other episodes from season 5 that are even worse. While I liked him in The Queen where he was great, Todd was a little tacky for me (not as tacky as EATG Todd, though) in this episode. He’s a bit too human acting. I don’t like how he’s losing what I loved about the character in Common Ground. You know, that depth and an air of mystery. Yes, as we get to know Todd more, the mystery fades. However, I got the feeling from Todd in Common Ground that he’s lived through and experienced so much that it’s hard to have him fully pegged regardless of how much time you spend around him. There’s also a certain wisdom that liked about him that comes from being a very old Wraith. In this episode, he was a little bratty in spots and I didn’t like most of his and Shep’s interactions with each other in this episode. Frankly, I wasn’t a big fan of Shep in this episode - period.

I don’t know. It seemed to me like in season 5, Shep had at least about 3 different unhealthy emotional states that he was trapped in. There was cranky/moody/depressed Shep, the dumb jock type that’s interested in chasing women Shep, and cold/callous Shep. This episode seemed to feature season 5’s cold/callous version. Yes, they were in a bad situation, but that’s been the case every week ever since the show started. So, I don’t think that’s it. Perhaps these changes were the writers testing the waters for things to come after SGA was cancelled; I just know that I didn’t like it. I liked seasons 1-3 Shep the best, and it (the writing for the character) was more consistent. To be fair, there were some moments when the “real” Shep got to shine through in S5, but I don’t think there were many. I don’t mind a character taking an emotional journey within a show based on what’s happened, and a lot happened on SGA that could have caused emotional changes in characters for a time. My issue is how all over the place he seemed to be in season 5. And even that would have been okay if it had’ve eventually gotten addressed and dealt with so that Shep could get back to being Shep. I could offer up my way of explaining away most of his conflicting moods and behaviors in season 5, but I’ll leave that alone for now.

Also, Keller/McKeller didn’t help the episode any. I didn’t like them in this episode either.

On to the good stuff: I liked the overall concept and basic plot of this episode, so that worked. It’s just that the mechanics of the episode that were off to me.

Okay - bingo!!! I just checked the episode list for season 5, and this is the episode that comes after Brain Storm. No wonder why I thought this episode was okay the first time that I watched it. Infection is definitely an improvement on that episode! It’s just not that great on its own to me.

Cheers

[Atlantis4Life]

Regarding Teyla using a Life Signs Detector:

Can anyone tell me where it's been said or shown that only someone with the Ancient gene can operate a Life Signs Detector? I've always assumed that was the case, but I don't know where I got that assumption.

Anyway, after all this time, you'd think the science department would have figured out how to get the things to work for everyone, once they're initialized. Or maybe it was specially jury-rigged to work just for Teyla.

From The Siege Part II:

Everett to Shepard: "Can I see that?"

Shepard: "It won't do you any good you need the gene to use it."

Everett showing that he can use it to Shepard: "I got the gene inoculation an hour ago."

Thanks! You know, I wondered about that too, but I didn't feel like looking it up. I thought that perhaps if someone activated it, then another person could use it, but I wasn't sure. This way makes more sense.

So, this means that Teyla got the treatment. Good. It's nice that Alan M. slipped that in there. He's the only producer/writer that seemed to care anything about developing her character (after season 1), and he's done the best job with Beckett with and since his return in season 4. The only other time I can recall the Teyla character getting some development that would help her as a member of the team was in Daedalus Variations (DV) when it showed that she received training on how to fly the ship. DV was also penned by Alan McCullough.

I suppose that's why -

Even when his episodes aren't that great, like this one, I like the fact that he at least deserves points for trying. I don't always feel that way about episodes that have different authors. He gives me the impression that he's actually watched the show (from the beginning and in order, like a regular viewer would) and not just written for it, which is 2 separate things. I had a lot of problems with Infection, and I didn't list them all. However, again, I still liked the idea behind the episode and its basic plot.


Cheers.

[Linda06]

I suppose that's why -

*nods head* My writing god

[mrscopterdoc]

not a bad episode....but not great. Loved Todd, and Lorne. It was kinda creepy at times and that was cool.

[maneth]

I can't disagree with you on this one copter. By no means the best but not the worst either. Sheppard's "just fire drones at it" comment scored a laugh from me. And the maskless warriors were creepy...

[Skie]

I don’t know. It seemed to me like in season 5, Shep had at least about 3 different unhealthy emotional states that he was trapped in. There was cranky/moody/depressed Shep, the dumb jock type that’s interested in chasing women Shep, and cold/callous Shep. This episode seemed to feature season 5’s cold/callous version. I liked seasons 1-3 Shep the best, and it (the writing for the character) was more consistent.

I totally agree with you, Shep just changed in S5 too much. Also here, the only thing he wants is to destroy the hive, kill the wraiths etc. even though they took a treatment that will help the humans! Yet another sad example of the lanteans not taking responsibility of their actions. They should have all been killed in inquisition, would have been a lot better for PG.

In this ep, many things went wrong:
1. Why should the wraith drones be so hungry, they didn't hibernate because of lack of food but because they were ill. BTW Todd didn't seem to be soo hungry.
2. It was never stated before (well as far as I can remember) that the drones are under constant control. Well think of this stupid idea. If on a mission and the faced wraith dies all the drones would go rampaging around? The drones alos pilot darts, how dangerous for the hive would that be, if that went out of control. This is just some stupid move to have an excuse and no moral issues to kill or suffocate all the drones and have some zombie-fun for the viewers. And what about the faced wraiths, just kill them along? And if this control thing would work, the drones should be normal as soon as Todd was awake.
3. Shep wanting to blow the whole thing up. The wraiths went through the treatment, so that's what the lanteans always wanted. And your gratitude is shown by killing them? Also the data you can get from them will help you to refine the gene therapy.
4. Todd says this disease is the lanteans responsibility and he's absolutely right. But Shep responds with the events in THE LOST TRIBE. Hey, Todd seriously believed he was betrayed and he lost two of his ships. Not to mention that it WAS the lanteans who brought this about!

[NowIWillDestroyAbydos]

Another average episode.

When the hive split apart, that was a cool effect. However, when the front part of the hive hit the water, that effect was kind of cheesy.

Tomorrow, Nothing

[Krisz]

Todd has always been a joy to watch but here even he was a bit boring. Watching McKay effortlessly working the hive ship controls on the bridge was far fetched to me, but this was remedied luckily when he had to admit he couldn't slow the plummeting half hive's speed as it headed for the ocean.

The grudging tolerance Todd and Sheppard have for eachother made things nice and tense still. I liked this because I always hoped that it would grow to mutual respect.

Other than the moments with Todd this was a pretty disappointing episode, given it's coming up to the end of the show. They arrive on hive despite reservations all round, wander around, find they can't escape and stuck with crazed Wraith who decide humans are still edible, but in the munching sense rather than their life force. Lose a 'red shirt Marine' or two, no real sense of urgency as they have 10 seconds before impact, you know they will survive!!! Took away the dramatic effect of the supposed dire situation they were in.

To see a living ship infected with an illness or crash spectacularly into an ocean, Farscape did it much better for me.

[Lythisrose]

This was one of the better episodes of the back half of the season, I liked the interactions between Sheppard and Todd in particular. With the ridiculousness of episodes like Brainstorm and Indentity, this is a breath of fresh air.