S5x08 The Queen

[trystings]

I liked this episode. I really enjoyed it. Teyla as a tiny fierce Wraith Queen was great and her worried team was adorkable. So here my very, very late commentary:


The story line in a nutshell: because of her Wraith DNA, Teyla is asked to pose as Todd's Wraith Queen, giving his hive the authority to enter talks with the Alliance and its Primary Queen. To turn Teyla into a 100% bona fide Wraith Queen, Keller performs hours of gruelling surgery and - from what I understand - changes Teyla on a genetic level with Todd's help. So far so good.
 

The peeve: why, writers, WHY was the mental link between the Wraith not mentioned in this episode? The one thing that makes Teyla's Wraith DNA so useful is the fact that she can 'sense' the Wraith and she can connect with them on a telepathic level. And up till now every encounter between Teyla and a Wraith has been a huge battle of wills and most times she has barely stood her ground, which is what makes her 'special power' so unpredictable and dangerous. 

Why wasn't any of this mentioned? After the surgery Teyla looks like a Wraith but that is all it is, appearances only.  She is 100% Teyla underneath, no mental connection with Todd or the Hive whatsoever, Todd has to coach her in her new role like a stage actress.

Wouldn't it have been awesome if Teyla had had to battle her own Wraith DNA to remain Teyla? Wouldn't it have been great to see Todd succumb against his will to the power of his new Wraith Queen? Wouldn't we have loved to see Teyla force the bald 2IC Wraith to his knees by the force of her will only? If she had tried to feed on him only to have been saved from that dilemma at the last moment by Todd?

And it would have worked on so many levels! Only by being a real Wraith Queen would Teyla have come to realize what the Wraith are sacrificing by letting the Atlanteans mess with their DNA (because let's face it, they are giving up more than a dietary habit here). Cue humongous amounts of angst! And the bond between Todd and Teyla would have been almost unbreakable.

The episode was good, but it would have been amazing if the writers had shown all that. A missed chance if you ask me.
 

But here be a gazillion HR screencaps:
 

The team in a jumper! yay. On their way to Todd's hive on a diplomatic mission. With McKay predicting doom.



I love Todd. And Christopher Heyerdahl is incredibly expressive underneath all that rubber.


Culled fruit. XD  Keller explains their plan.


McKay gleefully reminds Todd about all the humans poisoned with Hoffan drugs.


Sheppard promises that he would (in theory) no longer have to kill them.


So Todd is surprisingly fast ok with the idea, but needs a Queen to convince the Primary of the Alliance. Enter Teyla.


(scene break to remind us we don't want SGU)


Sheppard face. He's not very happy with Todd's plan to turn Teyla into a Wraith Queen.


Teyla doesn't listen of course. 


Worried stares from her brothers team members.


I loved this bit. Hours of waiting, don't they ever have to do senior staff things? 


Some major mental backpedaling when they see Teyla after surgery.


 


Todd and Teyla board the Primary's Hive, who immediately jumps her ship into hyperspace.


The boys are not pleased .....


... at all. Exigencies!John  face.


The primary Queen.


.. who gets stabbed to death within seconds by .. Todd.  (I didn't expect that).


Teyla takes over as Queen and immediately attacks another Hive.


The boys, meanwhile, convince themselves that Teyla needs rescuing and here it gets pretty hysterical.


(Sheppard face :D)


because a) Teyla doesn't need rescuing, and b) their brilliant plan? Board the enemy Hive and "pick up Teyla".  It is completely endearing.



Teyla's battle doesn't go so well, so Sheppard decides to "tip the scales a little".




(Am I the only one thinking of all the humans trapped in cocoons on board that Hive?)


Team boards the Hive and gets captured almost immediately (watching Rodney shoot, I'm surprised Sheppard allows him to carry a gun).



Wraith jail. Sheppard wouldn't even have to turn sideways to fit through those holes. Just sayin'


Sheppard face.


See? This scene right here? See comments.



Teyla delegates the Hive to Todd with I'll be back speech.




(scene break to remind us that SGU will not ever be as pretty as SGA)


Omg Doc! What have you done to Teyla!!  lol



More Sheppard face.


 Teyla thinking about lunch (no, really).
 

Good episode. Listed #4 on my list.

Comments

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Ssdly, for whatever reason, I couldn't see most of the screencaps - just little Xs in the corners.

I enjoyed it too. There's not been too much reaction on my flist about it however. I guess that what happens when there's little John, Rodney and Ronon in an episode.

Concerning the telepathic connection - yeah they didn't go into that. It was implied in that it could only be Teyla who fulfilled that role, but it wouldn have been fun for example, to see her giving John the type of audience he's used to when there's a Queen on a Hive Ship - "KNEEEEELLLL"! (Except would she know to do that? Has she ever been on a Hive Ship infront of a Queen - I don't think so.... Ah - Rodney would doubtlessly have babbled about it to her)

Anyway...

I thought Rachel did a great job, and Chris Heyerdahl warms my cockles as Todd. Playing Wraith has to be a difficult task, with all that stuff on your face and neck and hands and yet they manage to emote through all that.

Rodney shooting was funny. I really don't get fanfic where the writers have him being all competent and soldierly. He's better with a P90 - but then that's bigger, is automatic and sprays many bullets - so some HAVE to hit. Rodney + handgun = hilarity.

What I thought didn;t come across well was the nature of the surgery Keller did. It all seemed very convenient... As did the fact that none of the Wraith noticed that Teyla (even in HUGE heels) was about a foot shorter than them all.) Ah well *Hand waves*

[trystings.livejournal.com]

Okay, *mops brow* I changed 20 of the 35 caps to jpeg files, but it took me an hour (file size was 2 MB, probably a problem as well). Before I continue, can you see anything? Because little red X's drive me nuts, but I might as well leave the HR caps up there if it doesn't help. :)

You know, the image of John kneeling before Teyla - even in pretense - would have been amazing. Grrrrrl power! *g*

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Hello! Yes, I can see picures as far as (and including) "Teyla's battle doesn't go so well, so Sheppard decides to "tip the scales a little"."

It really would have been a great image!

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

Actually I can now see as far as the non-captioned Todd screencap! :D

[with-apostrophe.livejournal.com]

And now all of them!

[trystings.livejournal.com]

YAY!!! And I didn't even change the other fifteen caps! Isn't that the strangest thing? It must be the size of the files and the amount of traffic on the browser, I can't think of any other reason. I'm going to post a better one of McKay and Ronon though. (They really went overboard with Ronon's dreads - I can hardly get a good cap of his face.)

What I thought didn't come across well was the nature of the surgery Keller did.

Yeah, it confused me as well, that's why I was so eagerly waiting for Teyla's 'inner Wraith' to out itself, but since it didn't, I think it was plastic surgery only, with Todd as technical advisor.

[greyias.livejournal.com]

Whee! It was an awesome episode (and I seriously love those caps!)

But, even as good as it was... I kind of have to agree with you. I was thinking there might be more of Teyla having to fight off Wraith instincts (and not just because of the ever-so-misleading SciFi promo). The version you propose might even have a chance of beating out "The Shrine" for me (okay, I lie, nothing would beat that ep unless John and Rodney drank beer on the pier together again). It would provide a perfect opportunity for some serious character analysis if Teyla actually experienced being one herself. At the end, I can see her still having the same viewpoint and desire to defeat the Wraith, but maybe tempered with understanding?

That said, I think she's still the closest the expedition has to having that type of understanding. Possibly the Pegasus Galaxy, although you'd have to take Michael into account... but Michael's insane, so I'm not sure if he counts.

watching Rodney shoot, I'm surprised Sheppard allows him to carry a gun

John thinks it's "cute", so he winds up giving Rodney clips full of blanks just to watch the fun XD

[trystings.livejournal.com]

and I seriously love those caps!

I have dozens more of Sheppard - he looked exceptionally fine in this episode. XD

I was thinking there might be more of Teyla having to fight off Wraith instincts

It would have been so awesome if the writers had shown that inner struggle! And it would have been so interesting to have seen Todd's reaction to Queen Teyla. See, I was under the impression that the Wraith's loyalty to their Queen is pure animal instinct, but apparently not if Todd's annoyance with Teyla is anything to go by. But if it had been, Todd's grudging reverence would have made for a killer final scene!

Oh writers, just ask us when you need help! *g*