Instinct (207)

[Apogeal Alpha 01]

Absolutely not an average ep, but not quite outstanding either. The young female wraith was an interesting character, however the relationship with the "father", while tender and caring was something of a stretch. I had to ask myself, "Would a grieving person who’d lost a wife and child adopt a wraith child?" Even in my grief I think I would adopt a hyena before I would adopt a Wraith child. After all Wraith children will no doubt grow to become Wraith adults. Allowing her to feed on himself sounds a bit unrealistic, given what it took out of him.

That said, I enjoyed this episode. Rodney was Rodney, and I think the team should pitch in and help get Rodney laid! He has the willing candidate, shouldn't be too difficult. Lt Cadman would love to help, I'm sure. Dr Beckett too. He can be such a sourpuss sometimes. Teyla seems to have taken to helping Ronon regain his sociability. (I think that’s how to put it.) I'm looking forward to Sheppard as the part Vampire guy.

[Chrono]

Atlantis is really on a role this season. There hasn't been an episode that I haven't liked but this one might be the best so far imo. I guess my only complaint is how somber the season has been so far. I guess last season was fairly dark all season too but it has seemed really dark in every single episode except "Duet". I want to see some more of the lighter city bound moments that were such a delight last season and also I want to know to big things, what the hell happened to the Geni chick they had in prison and did that jerk security chief ever come out of his flippen coma? I can't wait for next episodes.

[SmallTimePerson]

You would have to be crazy, stupid or on drugs to adopt a wraith.

[derrickh]

Didn't Beckett say that Elia was faster and stronger than any other Wraith? But when she had Teyla pinned to the ground, Teyla just tossed her off. But when she pinned Sheppard, he couldn't escape.

That means that Teyla is physically a lot stronger than Sheppard. And even stronger than regular Wraiths. This is another point that they should examine later.If she wanted too, Teyla could wipe out the team without trying to hard. Shadowmaat was right, she definatly has a Lyta vibe going on.


D

[SophieTucker]

I was glad to see an ep that was not a "character-centric" plot. I thought it was pretty good - others have made some interesting observations. I too wondered why the bullet didn't hit McKay as well.

I also wondered why the Wraith stopped culling this planet and why only one ship showed up ten years ago. I also wondered how they fit four people in a dart - if that's what it was and do Wraith routinely take children with them. I was actually expecting the "other Wraith" to be Elia's real father and for the plot to be more sinister. One of the Wraith on that ship must have been her parent - why else would she have been there - which means her "father" killed her real parent? This is of course assuming that Wraith create offspring in a manner similar to what humans do and maintain family units - which is by no means a given. Still, why a child on board?

Good points about Teyla's corruption (if you can call it that) of Ronon - but Teyla has never been a "team player"

I really didn't care for the slap on the head either - although Smushybird does have a good interpretation of it - I'll try to look at it that way.

I'm just not particularly happy with McKay this season; last season even though he was mean to the kids he also showed concern for their safety at one point. In other words - there was a redeeding quality to his behavior that kept you from totally hating him. This season they're just giving all the irritating qualities but no redeeming moments. I think that scene where Teyla, Ronon and Sheppard were staring at McKay was pretty indicative of this team - a sense of us and him; and even though all of the "us" has disobeyed orders or recklessly endangered lives or the mission because of their own arrogant self assuredness that they are "right" - they are still members of the "we're cool and you're not club"

[macktheknife]

One thing I just realised:

Why did'nt Weir (at the very least), and Shepard (perhaps) know about Beckett's Retrovirus?

You would think that the leader would know about the main things happening, and that a potentially war turning thing would be among the "Main things".

Also : WTF ronon, just goes crazy. Guess he does'nt like biscuits.

[ShadowMaat]

That means that Teyla is physically a lot stronger than Sheppard. And even stronger than regular Wraiths. This is another point that they should examine later.If she wanted too, Teyla could wipe out the team without trying to hard. Shadowmaat was right, she definatly has a Lyta vibe going on.

I wouldn't put a lot of stock in that just yet. It could be that it was nthing more than a plot convenience that Teyla tossed her and Shep couldn't. Personally, I'd need to see more evidence first.

I agree with the person who said that Ronon should have been the one to go after Elia. He has more experience than the rest of the team put together and the ruthlessness to actually do what needs to be done, without hesitation.

As for Beckett... it seems a little odd to me that in Duet he was willing to try and help the pilot of the dart, but in Instinct he doesn't think twice about shooting Elia. Is it a matter of sensing danger? And if so, how threatening does a situation have to be in order for him to forget his oath?

Or maybe he killed her to destroy the evidence of his supreme screwing up with the retrovirus. (that's a joke, BTW)

[Apogeal Alpha 01]

Yep. That's not to say she wasn't a real sweety.

[starfox]

Ronon going after Elia vs. Sheppard going after Elia: But then Sheppard wouldn't get to be all heroic (well, semi-heroic) and we wouldn't get to see Ronon follow an order! I think it was just an instance of Shep seing danger and being unwilling to send a member of his team into it, not quite processing that Ronon might have been able to handle it better.

As for Beckett... it seems a little odd to me that in Duet he was willing to try and help the pilot of the dart, but in Instinct he doesn't think twice about shooting Elia. Is it a matter of sensing danger? And if so, how threatening does a situation have to be in order for him to forget his oath?

I've think the moment with the dart pilot in "Duet" was just his way of trying to get Rodney out. Elia was too far gone for reason, so the only way to save Rodney was to shoot her. It came down to saving a friend's life, and he just reacted. Maybe it's all this off-world stuff he's been doing lately.

[Dr Weir]

I haven't seen the ep, but is it possible to tell if a baby wraith is a wraith? I kind of understand why he would adopt a wraith, probably was very lonely and maybe she would've died otheriwse. I'll have to decide properly once I get a chance to see the ep, it sounds great. How was she found by him? I really don't get through how he could have let her fed on him!!! When I read that in the ep thread I was so shocked! It would kill him eventually for something that wasn't his own and leave her with no parent, plus how could she love him and feed on him!! Anyway wasn't this medicine he came up with supposed to stop that?

[MarshAngel]

This episode definitely brought up a lot of questions. The one that keeps bugging me is why the other Wraith allowed Elia to be raised by a human and didn't interfere? I have this wild theory that in the natural order of things, as the female she may be the one who's supposed to be taking care of things, giving the orders etc. He didn't take her because she didn't want him to and he had to obey her wishes. I suspect there aren't that many females and like in most societies, she's the one in charge.

[AGateFan]

I wouldn't put a lot of stock in that just yet. It could be that it was nthing more than a plot convenience that Teyla tossed her and Shep couldn't. Personally, I'd need to see more evidence first.

It could be more of a skill thing then a strength thing. A skilled Martial artist (someone in say jui jitsu) could execute a throw from the ground like she did against a stronger opponent if the opponent was not properly balanced. And Im thinking the one thing you can't call Elisa was "balanced".

“If strength were all that was important then the Lion would not fear the scorpion”

[MarshAngel]

I have to say I was pleased that Wraith children still look like Wraiths. I didn't want them to play up the human connection so significantly that the Wraith basically start out human and become Wraith. She definitely looked Wraith as a kid.

It's strange that so few of them were traveling together; somehow that makes them a little more human. Now I'm just enormously curious as to how their society is set up.

I don't think it's so far fetched that the father adopted Elia. At the time he didn't have any experience, outside of old stories, with the Wraith. He didn't know just how dangerous they could be.... and he was a little grief crazy. Also unlike a Hyena, the wraith have all the important human pieces. Two arms, two legs, hair, nose... all in the same place. It's not surprising he saw something familiar in her; a child who needed a father.

[Dr Weir]

It's strange that so few of them were traveling together; somehow that makes them a little more human. Now I'm just enormously curious as to how their society is set up.

What do you mean by that, I haven't seen that ep and how was she found originally?

[Dr Weir]

This episode definitely brought up a lot of questions. The one that keeps bugging me is why the other Wraith allowed Elia to be raised by a human and didn't interfere? I have this wild theory that in the natural order of things, as the female she may be the one who's supposed to be taking care of things, giving the orders etc. He didn't take her because she didn't want him to and he had to obey her wishes. I suspect there aren't that many females and like in most societies, she's the one in charge.

I was hoping that would be explained in that ep and as I haven't seen it I would find out why in the forum. I was thinking for a while something on the same lines, that's it's the female wraith that are in charge and

Spoiler:

they do have queens, it's from a spoiler of a later ep on the PG site.

I really hope we do get to see more female wraith and they are not so rare. Now I think about it if that's the case wouldn't they not attack the ppl there as she would have wanted originally.