Sheppard's behavior, citing travelers as an example

[Beyonder]

What other options did he got?

[Linzi]

Do you think most of Sheppard's decisions are reckless or are they smart? For example, in "Travelers," he sent the S.O.S. signal and enabled his team to find him...but he also attracted the Wraith's attention.

I think most of Sheppard's decisions show him to be human. Some are good calls, some not. He's not a robot, he makes mistakes like we all do. The SOS in Travelers was a good decision. I thought it was very clever, and especially so because only McKay et al would know it was from him. Others might have come across it, like the wraith, and gone to investigate it, but they would have had no idea about morse code, or who sent it. Sheppard brilliantly came up with a way of asking for help, letting the team know where he was, and found a way that only they would know it was definitely from him. It was a simple, yet effective idea So, in the case of that decision, I thought that was excellent.

Other decisions? Goodness, who knows? Some were good, some didn't turn out to be so good.

[blue-skyz]

Do you think most of Sheppard's decisions are reckless or are they smart? For example, in "Travelers," he sent the S.O.S. signal and enabled his team to find him...but he also attracted the Wraith's attention.

What other option did Sheppard have? They threatened to kill him. How much worse off could he be if someone other than his people showed up.

He expected McKay to be able to sort the signal out of the other subspace noise. He didn’t expect other’s to be listening for non random patterns in subspace.

So the Wraith are listening for signs of intelligence in a galaxy of primitive people. Who knew? Does that mean that they know about the Travelers and are looking for them. Or are they listening for Atlantis’ transmissions. If so they should have been on their doorstep a long time ago.

[Mitchell82]

What other option did Sheppard have? They threatened to kill him. How much worse off could he be if someone other than his people showed up.

He expected McKay to be able to sort the signal out of the other subspace noise. He didn’t expect other’s to be listening for non random patterns in subspace.

So the Wraith are listening for signs of intelligence in a galaxy of primitive people. Who knew? Does that mean that they know about the Travelers and are looking for them. Or are they listening for Atlantis’ transmissions. If so they should have been on their doorstep a long time ago.

Exactly. It's not like he had many options.

[PG15]

What other options did he got?

Yeah, basically what I was wondering. Given that Shep didn't know where he was, he wouldn't know how to get back to New Lantia. He also didn't have the PJ on the ship, so there is no point in getting to a gated solar system to gate home.

[Redhooks]

Yeah, basically what I was wondering. Given that Shep didn't know where he was, he wouldn't know how to get back to New Lantia. He also didn't have the PJ on the ship, so there is no point in getting to a gated solar system to gate home.

Since it wasn't shown or told to us, we have to make some assumptions (too many IMO) in this episode. Sheppard could have flown the Jumper over to the Ancient ship. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but neither does only having Larrin, Silas, and Nevik come over to the ship with Sheppard. Realistically, I believe there should have been at least a couple more technicians, but this is SGA and realism isn't always a prerequisite in a story, hence the term science fiction.
As far as getting home, I'm sure Sheppard thought that some on Atlantis would get his SOS and be along at anytime.

[Mitchell82]

Yeah, basically what I was wondering. Given that Shep didn't know where he was, he wouldn't know how to get back to New Lantia. He also didn't have the PJ on the ship, so there is no point in getting to a gated solar system to gate home.

Exactly. His options were very limited.

[vaberella]

Do you think most of Sheppard's decisions are reckless or are they smart? For example, in "Travelers," he sent the S.O.S. signal and enabled his team to find him...but he also attracted the Wraith's attention.

I thought that was a calculated risk. So I don't blame him for that. I do however have a bloody problem on when he turned his back on the last wraith to mack with the do-do. The macking should have taken place when they had John in the cell in the final scene.

Other than that...I thought Shep was on point until Travelers. He didn't do much of anything in TR.

[Avenger]

It would have been wreckless if he had any other options, but he didn't. Even though the signal drew the Wraith to the ship first, he might have been able to use the Wraith on the ship as a distraction to help him escape.

[stclare]

I think sending the signal was a calculated risk. the only person he was endangering was himself and his captors. he also from what i could make out disguised the signal as much as possible.

sometimes i think shep is to quick to put himself in danger but not on this occasion. the kiss etc not going there

[maessy]

Given that as a soldier, John Sheppard had to take a chance that the Wraith might pick up the signal as easily as he hoped Atlantis would. The first rule of a captured soldier is to escape. Since he had not been accorded the rights of an ambassador, but rather that of a potential enemy, he could only act with prejudice in kind. Besides, it's always better the enemy you know than the one you don't.

[FallenAngelII]

What other option did Sheppard have? They threatened to kill him.

Technically, they said they'd kill him if he didn't do their bidding and if he did, they'd let him go. It wasn't until he royally pissed Larrin off that she decided to keep him as a prisoner afterwards.