Rewatch: The Lost Tribe
Feb. 22nd, 2013 10:08 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sga_squeeSheppard and Zalenka survive the explosion in the gate room and are on the mend in the infirmary. They soon set off in pursuit of Todd the Wraith who is in control of the Daedalus. McKay and Jackson meanwhile are still prisoners and now face the prospect of their captors forcing them into actions that will have dire consequences for the entire Pegasus galaxy. Sheppard is surprised at the relative ease with which they manage to take control of the Daedalus but soon realizes why: Todd the Wraith has locked in a course that will have the ship crash into the planet and destroy the device that is causing them so much harm. Written by garykmcd
[Poll #1898187]
[Poll #1898187]
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Comment 1
Date: 2013-02-23 03:48 am (UTC)Hmmm. So when the CMO is away, the only one left in charge seems to be Marie (described as "the head nurse" in the transcript). Uh-huh. I've noted before that the infirmary is notoriously patient-free and understaffed.
It's a letdown that something that looked so scary as the Gateroom explosion from the outside ends up NOT killing John and Radek, but just results in bits of glass embedded in John's back (I guess that was for the John whumpers).
It's sweet to hear Teyla's reassurance to Radek: "But we did not lose you." Though is it even remotely reasonable that Radek's glasses weren't broken?
Because it can't be enough trouble with Todd around, he sets a course for the Daedalus to Atlantis. Say what?
In the infirmary, admirers of shirtless Joe F (a very rare treat these days) are getting an eyeful.
Back on Hoth, Daniel and Rodney regain consciousness and Rodney's brain figures out what the side effect of the Attero device is. Stargates go boom. No ... really? Though it didn't make scientific sense to me to have him say it's because of a buildup of radiation. I may have to reread that several times.
Back on the Daedalus (and I think I'm going to get dizzy if this switching keeps up), Richard's waking up and finds the ship is almost back at Atlantis.
Gee, it's a good thing there IS an auxiliary Control room on Atlantis where we find both Chuck and Amelia – working together again.
John's so cute with the five bucks reward. Whoa, So. Much. Money! But he's not too thrilled to see who's at the other end of the transmission. [Side note: so the crew was relieved by Todd. Evidently Steven Caldwell had to go have a nap. Or was he a special hostage?]
Attero device? What's that? John certainly doesn't know. But I get last week's question answered. Todd WAS alive 10,000 years ago when the Ancients tried to use the device the first time.
Even better, Todd has a handy incentive toward compliance, as he threatens to kill the crew, starting with Richard.
Yadda-yadda, John and the others figure out what they need to and realize they have no option but to give Todd the likely location of the device. Richard's so overcome with relief, especially as he was about to become Todd's special snack. Not to mention all the unwanted fondling. Yuck.
Elsewhere on the Daedalus, Ronon's trying to pry apart some heavy bulkhead doors. Despite Jennifer's protest that they're meant to be airtight, he manages to. After all, he maintains he IS bigger than air. ::rolls eyes:: His next goal is to cripple the ship via Engineering.
Atlantis is surprised to see a hyperspace window opening but it's not the Daedalus. Instead it's a Traveller ship, complete with leather-clad female leader. [Gee, as her top is low cut, revealing cleavage, that's how we ought to know she's the one in charge.] Anyway, Larrin sent her.
Back on Hoth, Daniel's presence is requested by an alien, so Rodney gets left behind.
Bad news from the leather-clad chick whose name is Katana. They'd just finished building a colony on a real world (for the first time in generations) and lost 3,000 people as well as two ships, including their Ancient vessel. So that's why Larrin didn't pay
JohnAtlantis a visit: she was kinda busy.But, hey, Katana's ship can take John and Radek to Hoth to rescue Rodney and Daniel. And, while they're gone, John's placing Teyla on babysitting duty. Again. 'Cuz there can be only one woman on the away mission via the Daedalus and it's apparently the newest flavour of Season 5, namely Jennifer. As fans pointed out, just WHERE was Evan during all of this? Yes, yes, I know TPTB can't pay for oodles of actors in any episode, but this one was poorly managed, especially with such severe damages to the city. At least mention something, that Evan can't relieve Teyla until he returns from his current mission. Which may be a bit difficult, because he and his team went through the Gate.
Comment 2
Date: 2013-02-23 03:59 am (UTC)Back on Hoth, Daniel is having a wee chat with the alien leader. Who, because of their dying planet, is only interested in saving his own kind, not caring that millions in Pegasus will die, as long as the Wraith are destroyed. He sounds quite dispassionate about the whole thing. And determined that only getting rid of the Wraith will save them.
Back on Katana's bucket ... oh, sorry ... ship, John and Radek are led to what's supposed to be Engineering but is full of dangly cables and other dangerous bits. Even worse is that the Engineer is a 15-year old Kaylee wannabe. Um, PTB, I know you were all ooh, we gotta have a teenage girl Engineer, but perhaps it could have been girl/boy twins. And poor Radek. After all, his being three times as old with several degrees isn't up to par with a child who's been working on ships for 11 years. Nope, he's SO out of his league. After all, John suggests he might learn a thing or two. Yes, I can tell that Radek will probably handcuff Rodney to John so that Radek NEVER has to be around John and his humour ever again. EVER. [Here I imagine Radek stomping off the way he did when he returned from the kids, with his hair in pigtails and paint on his face.]
Back aboard the Daedalus, Jennifer and Ronon have a disagreement. She wants to turn herself in, especially after Todd's threatening announcement. But Ronon's being all protective and won't let her. So she tricks him and runs away.
Back on Hoth, Daniel and the alien are still talking. Daniel confronts the alien over the spacesuits which shouldn't still be necessary. So the alien turns his back and then the spacesuit opens out of which emerges an ... Asgard. More talking, but Daniel's not having any luck making this particular Asgard be his friend. So not like the Milky Way Asgard.
Poor Radek is not enjoying his stay in not-to-code Engineering but John's not listening because they have no other options. He returns to the Bridge, leaving Radek to his misery.
Back on Hoth, the Asgard is giving Daniel a history lesson. They came to Pegasus during the Ancient/Wraith war and didn't expect the Wraith to win. And we already know they like to maintain a hands-off policy usually. Uh-oh for everybody around them. So they had to retreat to a toxic planet that would protect them but repel the Wraith; however over thousands of years even the Asgard's suits could not protect them any longer. So they came to Hoth where they found the device.
Back on the Daedalus, Jennifer puts up a brave front before Todd then is hustled away to join the other hostages. Though the hyperdrive was fixed, weapons aren't, so Todd won't be able to destroy Hoth. But he says he'll find a way. Fate-filled words.
Daniel's returned to where Rodney is. Rodney has a plan to escape. And is boastful about it. But, hey, he got the doors open. ::giggles:: Using logic that would be acceptable on Trek TOS by Kirk.
On the Daedalus, Ronon guns down the Wraith who are leading Jennifer and hands her a gun which she uses. I don't know why she was complaining that he nearly got her killed – because she'd never fired a gun outside of the range. ::groans:: Remember what I've been writing about all this season about even civilian members of Atlantis being trained and experienced in off-world travel – and self-defence???
Anyway, Ronon liberates the crew from where they were confined and points them in the direction of the Armoury. [And Steven's still a no-show. And no-mention.]
Comment 3A
Date: 2013-02-23 04:11 am (UTC)Aboard Katana's ship, John's in his favourite chair, the pilot's seat, when he learns that Larrin doesn't talk about him. Hasn't mentioned him until now. Oh, yes, our boy is pouting! [Seriously, PTB, how ridiculous can you be? I get that many of you obviously have some weird sexual fantasies and fetishes. But why would John want to be anywhere near Larrin, a woman who's captured him, threatened him, beaten him up (just a little, but enough to make his pretty face bleed) and tied him up – UNLESS you want him to want that to happen again. ::growls in frustration:: Considering how rebellious John is with authority figures, why would he want that in a female sexual partner?]
Oops, no time to complain, as Katana's ship is fired upon by two ships identical to the aliens' ship that originally attacked Atlantis.
Back outside the Bridge on the Daedalus, Ronon tosses a stun grenade and then the crew rushes in. But there's no one there. So where are the Wraith? Life signs are detected. Where? In their ship in the second 302 bay.
Richard orders the ship to drop out of hyperspace. Woo-hoo, Richard gets to be Captain, 'cuz Steven is still ... napping. [Seriously, his absence only needed one line of dialogue, like he resisted and was badly stunned. ::sighs::]
On Hoth, Rodney and Daniel have made it back to the Attero device room where they shoot/stun three guards. But poor Rodney's locked out of the system, even with all of his gene-aided brilliance, without the control key. That's obviously missing.
Back in Believe-It-Or-Not space, the Asgard take off from the planet in a third ship. As the other two ships are fighting Katana's ship, one of the Asgard ships takes a hit and explodes but the third ship enters hyperspace which confuses everybody.
Surprisingly, when a hyperspace window opens again, it's the Daedalus. Time for John and Richard to chat. But not for long because it turns out the Daedalus is on a collision course with Hoth. But, first, the Wraith take off, leaving the Daedalus to do the dirty work for them. And, hey, so some humans will die, too. Todd's become quite ruthless again. So much for any good feelings lingering after he got what he wanted from the events of The Queen.
Back on Hoth, Rodney's trying to come up with a way to disable the device and it seems that jumping into the fire (or room with all the electrical discharges) is the only way to do it. He sure hopes those suits will protect them.
On the Daedalus, Jennifer is saying that Ronon had disabled the ship's weapons (and she seems quite okay with the concept). Except now SHE's the one who's talking about weapons and tactics with Richard, Since when did she get THAT specialized degree? [PTB, we know you have a hard-on for Jewel, but this was a ridiculous way to insinuate her into just about EVERY scene. Also, could nobody in continuity remember that her hairdo's not supposed to change several times during the episode!!! Nope, I guess they were blinded by the blondeness. ::sighs::]
Rodney and Daniel get ready to enter the lion's den ... er ... very scary place. The miniature H.U.D. In the helmet is cool, so my hat's off to the designers of the spacesuits. [Hmmm. So is that where Google Glass got their inspiration???]
Comment 3B
Date: 2013-02-23 04:23 am (UTC)On the Daedalus, Jennifer has become poor (unknown first name) Marks's shadow (or back seat driver). What's with the encouragement, especially when – once again – she's not a part of the Daedalus Bridge crew! Unfortunately, the Daedalus can't stop from entering Hoth's atmosphere.
But here comes the Woo-hoo, Hail Mary save by John aboard Katana's ship. As it races ahead of the Daedalus, a hyperspace window opens and the two ships plunge into it - basically going through the planet. I loved this moment so much, it almost redeemed the episode for me.
We're getting close to the end of the episode, so naturally everything has to pile up on top of everything else in a hurried frenzy.
Before Rodney has a chance to power down the device, Daniel is struck by lightning. Katana's ship emerges from hyperspace followed by the Daedalus. Richard wants to know what happened. He gets his answer from a justifiably cocky John. Yay! Then, in great (suspicious) timing, Marks regains control. But, uh-oh, the second alien ship is back. Though, really, Katana's ship manages to destroy it, too? This was really unbelievable. We're expected to accept that two ships belonging to the technologically-advanced Asgard were destroyed by a bucket of bolts – easily? Well, the only way that would make sense is if all but one Asgard beamed over to the ship that had gotten away, leaving behind two sacrifices (which we already know they're willing to do). But, otherwise, sorry – not buying it.
Just as Rodney thinks he's having a deathbed conversation with Daniel (whose death might be imminent while Rodney will die of dehydration in about five days' time) and is just on the verge of saying he resp-- doesn't have to finish the sentence as they're rescued by a beam from the Daedalus.
Richard gets to do more Captainy stuff as he orders the facility to be blown up. ::giggles:: Rodney asks Richard to unzip him and Richard replies that he'll look for a can opener. What a hoot!
The other loose end shows John talking to Katana. Aww, so Radek was a big help in Engineering. Anyway, the Travellers are going to start a new settlement. That shows how much their philosophy of life has changed (or, as I described in that episode, their lack of a real life, merely existence). And, of course, there's more about whether Larrin does or doesn't talk about John. Or what she's said. Which Katana won't reveal. Seriously, all this coy teasing is so stupid and only shows how easily John is presumably led around by a particular part of his anatomy.
Finally, we get the last loose end. Ronon bumps into Jennifer. He wants to know if she'll have a bite to eat with him. And then things get really awkward as Jennifer reveals she's kinda interested in someone else. [Uh ... we have NO idea who that would be, right?] But Ronon said he was just interested in getting a bite to eat, that's all (which to me seemed like he was just saving face and salvaging his pride).
We end up in the infirmary where Daniel's recovering while he and Rodney are having a little chat about whether Rodney respects him or not, or if he only says things like that when people are dying. Aww, Rodney, you admitted it and say you're working on that aspect. In passing, Rodney mentions the Daedalus is picking up a leftover Gate from the Gate Bridge, so Daniel will be able to get home soon. Then there's awkwardness between these two that was evident all the way through the two episodes. But, Daniel offers Rodney his food and Rodney digs in. So that would be a truce of sorts. And that's the low key ending (uh ... mercy killing?) to a weird mid-season two-parter.
Closing thoughts
Date: 2013-02-24 12:54 am (UTC)1* Here's yet another example of how the Ancients were thoughtless, negligent and downright stupid. It wasn't enough they were grotesquely arrogant. When they abandoned Atlantis, they left dangerous things around (exploding tumours or black energy creature, anyone?). Then, when Janus had tested the Attero device and realized it had dire consequences for the entire galaxy, so, rather than destroying the device (both parts of it), he left one part on Hoth and brought the other back to his secret lab in Atlantis where it just sat there. ::growls in frustration:: If something is potentially cataclysmic, you don't just leave it lying around, You. Destroy. It. And the research notes as well.
2* Why are the Asgard only concerned about their own survival but not that of others? At least in the Milky Way, certain Asgard were friendly with certain humans. Can it not be said that the isolationist policies of the Milky Way Asgard hurried them to their eventual extinction and the Pegasus Asgard are following in their footsteps. Sure, they'd hoped and banked on the Ancients winning the war. So (I hope) they had some empathy with humans. But somehow that empathy dribbled away until they were left only with concerns about their own survival, and damn the rest of the galaxy.
I'd also wonder whether there isn't some cowardice in how they reacted to the Wraith win. Or at least a lot of passivity. These Asgard found a toxic planet to call home and simply sat by, generation after generation, without doing something ... ANYTHING ... to try to fight against the Wraith. And all this time, they were waiting for the other half of the device to make itself known so they could track it down. Yet, apparently, they had so many technological advancements, but not enough to go against the Wraith. /sarcasm. Until John woke up the Wraith (sorry I have to say that), the Asgard could have tried numerous little experiments, especially against Hives that were hibernating. ::sighs:: Do I have to do the strategic thinking for the entire freaking universe?????
The other thing is that, should the Attero device have been allowed to continue in operation, most of the Galaxy would have been destroyed. After all, if your planet goes kaboom because your Gate just exploded, you're now dead and can't warn anybody else. Right? As the Lanteans are the primary (known) people with spaceflight, everybody else will be at risk. The main thing about the point I'm trying to make is that the Asgard might be free to fly around the entire galaxy, but would stil be an isolationist species ... in a much emptier galaxy.
3* A fan reviewer on GateWorld asked if what Rodney had done wasn't similar to the Asgard position. After all, Rodney was fixing the device in order to save Daniel's and his lives. But the difference is that he wasn't aware at the time (didn't read the fine print in Janus's notes) and, considering how he still felt responsible for Doranda, when he became aware of what the side effects were, he knew he had to shut the whole thing down.
4* So, fine, Atlantis fixed its own Gate loss by using one of the unused Gates from the Gate Bridge. But just how many worlds did get blown up and what would the repercussions be? Would the Travellers knowing make this better or worse for the Lanteans? Because bad news (or gossip) can travel faster than lightspeed.
5* Finally, to close with a philosophical observation. There are, obviously, many ways this episode could be taken to be a metaphor for war and politics on Earth and the rights of one group to survive while others perish, even if it comes to land rights and resources rather than outright killing. The example that comes to mind is cutting down the Amazon rain forest (an immensely precious resource whose entire usefulness has not yet been fully grasped) so that people can buy cheap burgers at a fast food joint. Well, that's just one example of short-sighted and self-serving greed.
Okay, I think I'd better go. I just made myself sad.