'The Prodigal' (514) General Discussion

[Briangate78]

He's dead, Joe Mallozi said in his blog they decided it was time to wrap up the Michael storyline for good. Honestly I think they could have just ended it in Search and Rescue with him being killed when the Daedalus destroyed his crusier, but I actually liked it better this way. It was more fitting.

I liked it this way as well. The blowing up of the ship killing the bad guy gets old. This was a classic epic movie type ending, and the right characters were in place for it to work. That scene to me is one of the most epic scenes I've seen in a long time on SGA. This show surprises me with something amazing every new season.

[Ruffles]

Michael didn't have a choice. You all act as if he was human to begin with. He was a wraith and wraith likes being wraith. Therefore you have two choices and that is kill or be killed. It should have been a no brainer that if this didn't work out as planed he should have been killed. I love SGA and SG but one of the main thing that bother me about both is that they never take responsibility for the havoc they cause on the galaxy. As if they can say oops my bad and that makes it alright. And by the way why do they always make Americans bumbling idiots that make a giant mess at everyone else expense and then spend years trying to fix it, just to make another blunder. Since this is Sci-Fi it would be nice if we can at least pretend that we have a conscience when it come to people other than ourselves.

One thing I found very interesting in the episode "Michael" was Teyla stating that the Wraith are evil. I was blown away in First Contact when Todd questioned who the Wraith would be if they were no longer feeding on humans (I found Keller's term of being "at war" equally interesting). In all the time the Wraith have been feeding on humans, they've never thought of them as anything but food, never tried to find another way to survive. Does that make them evil? Maybe.

What we have seen is that Wraith can restrain themselves. In Common Ground, Todd fed off Sheppard because Kolya forced him but stopped himself from killing Sheppard (first during the torture session then later on in the forest). Then he saved Sheppard's life.

I agree that Wraith like being Wraith. However, Michael did not like being Wraith (after we changed him). He experimented on himself so he no longer had the Wraith "weakness" of needing to feed on humans.

To say Michael had no choice is to make him a robot. Michael is anything but. He makes his own choices. He did so when he cloned Carson, when he murdered the people in Vengeance to create his first hybrids, when he took the Athosians, when he forced Carson to help him with the Hoffan plague, when he planted that plague on human worlds, when he kidnapped Teyla. Choices, every single one.

Do I feel sorry for him that his life was ripped away? Yes. Does that give him the right to murder people? No. Never has, never will.

Should he have been killed to begin with? In hindsight that would have been the smart thing to do. However, Carson (who's Scottish BTW, not American) saw him as human, worthy of compassion. His conscience turned out to be the problem.

As far as Americans being portrayed as bumbling idiots, I never saw it that way. First, the expedition is international. Second, not everything they've done has been a mistake. Third, when they have made mistakes, they've tried to clean it up. They woke the Wraith and stayed to fight. They destroyed the Replicators. Now, they've killed Michael. Fourth, the good they do seems to go unnoticed. They answer distress calls (Inferno). They help the sick (Tracker). They take in refugees (Rising). I actually like that the expedition isn't perfect. No one else is either. But I love that what they do is done with the best of intentions.

[Pharaoh Atem]

i can't wait to use screencaps from this ep

drool"

[Amalthea]

Just watched it an loved it! For the first time, I came up with the winning plan of kawooshing the jumper as soon as Michael arrived in it. I think it means I watch too much Stargate more than anything, though. LOL

Anyway, it was a great episode. I'm glad they wrapped up the Michael storyline before the series finished. I feel it was appropriate that Teyla got to finish him off since he has caused her problems. Never mess with a mom! She looked very Xena:Warrior Princess up there smashing his fingers.

The only thing I'm getting tired of is Rodney saying he doesn't have enough time to do something, but then accomplishes most of it anyway. The suspense and miraculousness of that gets killed when it's used too often. Sure, he didn't get the drones working, but he did MacGyver the jumpers together in time. I think at this point it's just nit-picking, though, and shows some weariness on the writer's behalf.

And way to go Amelia! Kick some hybrid butt and (the shipper in me says) win over the heart of Ronon! If only there were more time.

Overall, fantastic! Well done!

[Mekarri]

One thing I found very interesting in the episode "Michael" was Teyla stating that the Wraith are evil. I was blown away in First Contact when Todd questioned who the Wraith would be if they were no longer feeding on humans (I found Keller's term of being "at war" equally interesting). In all the time the Wraith have been feeding on humans, they've never thought of them as anything but food, never tried to find another way to survive. Does that make them evil? Maybe.

What we have seen is that Wraith can restrain themselves. In Common Ground, Todd fed off Sheppard because Kolya forced him but stopped himself from killing Sheppard (first during the torture session then later on in the forest). Then he saved Sheppard's life.

I agree that Wraith like being Wraith. However, Michael did not like being Wraith (after we changed him). He experimented on himself so he no longer had the Wraith "weakness" of needing to feed on humans.

To say Michael had no choice is to make him a robot. Michael is anything but. He makes his own choices. He did so when he cloned Carson, when he murdered the people in Vengeance to create his first hybrids, when he took the Athosians, when he forced Carson to help him with the Hoffan plague, when he planted that plague on human worlds, when he kidnapped Teyla. Choices, every single one.

Do I feel sorry for him that his life was ripped away? Yes. Does that give him the right to murder people? No. Never has, never will.

Should he have been killed to begin with? In hindsight that would have been the smart thing to do. However, Carson (who's Scottish BTW, not American) saw him as human, worthy of compassion. His conscience turned out to be the problem.

As far as Americans being portrayed as bumbling idiots, I never saw it that way. First, the expedition is international. Second, not everything they've done has been a mistake. Third, when they have made mistakes, they've tried to clean it up. They woke the Wraith and stayed to fight. They destroyed the Replicators. Now, they've killed Michael. Fourth, the good they do seems to go unnoticed. They answer distress calls (Inferno). They help the sick (Tracker). They take in refugees (Rising). I actually like that the expedition isn't perfect. No one else is either. But I love that what they do is done with the best of intentions.

I know that everyone in the SGA come from all over the world. I not saying that the people in Atlantis are evil but they are arrogant. But the point I'm trying to get across is that they are responsible for the death of millions, and just because it was a mistake doesn't make all those people any less dead. Michael is crazy and the people of Atlantis created that particular monster. It's just a thought.

[WarGrowlmon18]

Being currently on FEX i was unable to watch this. I will also miss next weeks.. So i will have to wait till they either rerun it or they come out on DVD.

Basicaly Michael invaded Atlantis, his plan failed and he was finally killed by Teyla who threw him off the top of Atlantis' Control Tower.

[WarGrowlmon18]

Being currently on FEX i was unable to watch this. I will also miss next weeks.. So i will have to wait till they either rerun it or they come out on DVD.

Basicaly Michael invaded Atlantis. His plan failed due to some excellent teamwork between Sheppard, Zelenka and McKay and he was finally killed when Teyla threw him off of Atlantis' Control Tower

[Ruffles]

I know that everyone in the SGA come from all over the world. I not saying that the people in Atlantis are evil but they are arrogant. But the point I'm trying to get across is that they are responsible for the death of millions, and just because it was a mistake doesn't make all those people any less dead. Michael is crazy and the people of Atlantis created that particular monster. It's just a thought.

I did understand your point. We will have to agree to disagree. I don't find Atlantis responsible for Michael's actions. He is responsible for his own.

I appreciate the pleasant discussion. *hug*

[WarGrowlmon18]

Just watched it an loved it! For the first time, I came up with the winning plan of kawooshing the jumper as soon as Michael arrived in it. I think it means I watch too much Stargate more than anything, though. LOL

Anyway, it was a great episode. I'm glad they wrapped up the Michael storyline before the series finished. I feel it was appropriate that Teyla got to finish him off since he has caused her problems. Never mess with a mom! She looked very Xena:Warrior Princess up there smashing his fingers.

The only thing I'm getting tired of is Rodney saying he doesn't have enough time to do something, but then accomplishes most of it anyway. The suspense and miraculousness of that gets killed when it's used too often. Sure, he didn't get the drones working, but he did MacGyver the jumpers together in time. I think at this point it's just nit-picking, though, and shows some weariness on the writer's behalf.

And way to go Amelia! Kick some hybrid butt and (the shipper in me says) win over the heart of Ronon! If only there were more time.

Overall, fantastic! Well done!

I honestly think the whole Rodney has not enough time thing may just be something they throw in to add suspense. We all know he's gonna come up with something. I'm glad they finally wrapped up the Michael storyline too: I wish they'd done the same with Ba'al, let the last of him die in Dominion.

[morjana]

After all the double entendres in Sanctuary's "Nubbins," (which I watched again today) and then watched "The Prodigal" for the third time, and heard this:

McKay: "I must have put too much strain on the motor. The shaft needs a bushing in the lube. What?"

LOL!

[nx01a]

I remember now why I enjoy Atlantis.

The Good:
>Michael and Teyla, standing on the tower, f-i-g-h-t-i-n-g! Teyla is the mom we all dream of, loving and kick butt. She's finally got some time to shine in this episode despite it being an ensemble outing.
>Michael is Todd! He was able to, still unexplained, fly a jumper and now he's converted the cloak into a stun field. I'm impressed. If Michael did that with a few months to work with, we all know the goodness Todd's doing after a few hours with Asgard tech. Todd used something similar against the Daedalus bridge, so maybe this whole 'stun field' thing isn't really that original on Michael's part, he just found a way to sustain the effect at a desired radius. Poor Michael, always second to mommy's favourite, Todd.
>Michael's voice! When angry, the flange on his voice was haunting!
>Stun bubble, stun field, force field... While I think 'gateship' is a far cooler name than 'puddle jumper', Rodney's got it wrong this time. A 'force field' exerts or resists 'force', so if it's a field that stuns, it's a 'stun' field.
>I KNEW they'd use a kawoosh! to take out the jumper!
>Lorne! Zelenka! Ameila? Sigh, no Marks or Chuck, though. Maybe next time.
>Amelia! A tech who can fight? Unheard of!!!!! Wow, tptb, telegraph THAT ship a bit louder, why don't you.
>Woolsey: "I'll lead." Ronon does inspire him... to stupidity. YOU hold the baby and let the fighter go first. Of course, plotwise that wouldn't have worked with the stun field, but still...
-Once again, love was the downfall of a villain. Well, obsession and possession moreso than love, but still. Ba'al and now Michael.
-The baby was quite well behaved! Apart from a few squeals to almost alert a guard and to try and protect his mommy from Michael, a very level-headed kid. He must get that from his mother.
-Michael wanted the baby because of the kid's potential to help him mind control hybrids to a greater degree. What does this bode for the kid's ability to manipulate the Wraith? Hmm. Definite Crichton/Aeryn offspring potential here.

The Bad:
-Ronon isn't at least a paraplegic? The way he fell, the crack, he must have had some spinal damage. Instead, he had a concussion. Them Satedans...
-Speaking of them Satedans... This entire season has been filled with "look how many times we've [insert cliche here]" moments, a sure sign of a show in its final season or just getting old. This time around, it was Shep and his suicide missions AND the running joke since season 1, Rodney's ability to fix unfixable problems in under 30 mins. In the same vein, it seems the writers have decided to leave out any possibility of Ronon being seen as anything other than a fighter. How many times has he been up against sealed Atlantis doors, or sealed Daedalus doors, or sealed... And he's illiterate. Aww. Ronon is the straight up 'guy who kills', the Wolverine of the team. Great.
-While the whole 'Teyla finishes what two strapping men started' thing was nice, I was expecting Rodney to fly the jumper up there and bump Michael off. Or, at least, appear and startle him, giving whoever was fighting him the advantage. In that way, the whole team would have a part in killing him.
-Didn't Michael have life signs detectors in the jumper or access to sensors in the tower? Obviously not or he would found Teyla.
-And why is all of Atlantis always full of light? I realize the Ancients probably use low watt, eco-friendly bulbs, but powering a city that size must tax the ZPM. People are in all those sections? Geez.
-The central problem with Michael from 'Inquisition' was the lack of a body. Here, we also have the lack of a body, and no mention of one having been retrieved.

The Questions:
-So Michael fell into the sea under the main tower, is that right? Did they recover a body?If his hybrid physiology makes him pull a Ford and survive somehow, nicely in hibernation on a morgue slab, I WILL be annoyed.
>And why would the jumper have to be so close to the gate to activate it? Limited power? It was defying gravity and Rodney had lots of lights on, so I doubt it was that.

The Verdict:
Highly enjoyable episode. A bottle show that reminded of of others I've liked like 'Quarantine' and 'Tabula Rasa'. Teyla gets some much needed screen time and we finally[?] see the end of Michael.

[Integrabyte]

I saw this episode without knowing anything. I wasn’t spoiled and, to be frank, I expected some peasants and pitchforks; the usual SGA recipe. The episode starts with the old married couple playing games. I found this entertaining and funny. Teyla shows up out of nowhere, very, very, very, very far from the tower in a remote area. She talks about Adria, I mean Torren and guess who is coming to dinner? You guessed it? Another episode with Atlantis being infiltrated.
I had both a déja vu and WTF moment but hey, it is the best season ever so I waited for the climax. Michael shows up out of nowhere after being on holiday in the Galapagos Islands. He modifies ancient tech to his whim, knocks everyone out, and gives you the impression that NYSE will crash again with that horrible begging. I was having my fingers crossed hoping Teyla will run away with him. God, I can’t stand her at all lately. She does not contribute to the show. She is there to show off that cleavage. Yes, she had another skimpy outfit ...for the 50th time.
The usual Rodney, Zelenka, Sheppard ménage. It was so bad, I felt sorry for David Nykl. Why do the writers torture him so much?? Chewie gets a few minutes in the spotlight. He takes Mickey mano a mano and falls ....without suffering any significant injuries. John has the bright idea to save the city and everything works superb. Mickey is cornered and tries to run away. The writers knowing their budget is limited and the show is cancelled they finally decide to kill Michael.
Michael and John have a lovely rendezvous and when I start jump like a sissy girl, Shep was about to die, Teyla shows up and kills Michael. She kills him like he was some piece of trash. This came from the woman who cares deeply about life and who took upon herself to protect people. What a load of crap. The body count keeps increasing and nobody will judge them for their actions. I wanted her to slip and fall so she stops torturing me every time she is on screen.
Bottom line, SGA has missed its train and it should RIP!

[Heqet]

I'd love to know why Tayla just clutched her baby to her chest and talked to Michael instead of putting the baby down and kicking the $#@ out of him as she should have. She could've taken him out in five seconds, but no! I don't understand. She had plenty of opportunity to put the baby down and still take Michael out when his back was turned. (sigh)

That was what Micheal wanted her to do. He would have had one of his hybrids grab the child while she was distracted. Even if she had hidden him in the wall, he would have cried and been found.

[Lord batchi ball]

This episode had some classic SGA with some things we have never seen before.

The classic would be the potential destroying of atlantis by that all too easily accessed self destruction device. And the Sheppard that wants to save the day. Rodney always being two steps behind sheppard.

The new would be the uter desperation of the enemy, to the point where he is looking for companion-ship from his prisoner, which speaks to the point at how this is his last chance.
Sheppard giving up the run to Mckay which was noble, even though it wasn't quite the same thing.
Teyla showing some other emotion than mad, she showed both vulerbility and really really pissed
Ronan getting shown up by a girl, and then getting a actual injury where he stays in bed, plus actully following a order by the base commander.

Those are all great things, I also liked the way they edited this, where they showed what happened then showed how it happened.

I like the part where Mckay was treated like a ten year old who forgot to do his chores. That part was really quite funny.

[morjana]

SGA - MGM Stargate: NEW Poll Nov 10 '08:

At MGM Stargate:

(Please follow the link to respond to the poll.)

STARGATE POLL

Is Michael really dead?

*He’s a goner.

*He’ll be back.

* Undecided.