Rewatch: Poisoning the Well

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

 The Atlantis team is sightseeing on Hoffa, a planet with an advanced civilization. After a few days chancellor Druhin tells them they've been working for decades on a cure that will prevent the Wraith from feeding on them. In fact, the entire society is focused on this one goal. It is nearing completion, but they expect the Wraith aren't coming for at least fifty years. Major Sheppard hesitates to tell them they've awoken them early. Atlantis offers help to speed things up and Dr. Beckett starts helping Hoffan scientist Perna. With Beckett's help, both soon find a substance that might have success. Dr. Weir gives permission to test it on 'Steve', the very hungry captured Wraith prisoner.[Poll #1762083]

Comments

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Even though I'm on vacation, I can't believe I forgot what day it was. I've been trying to remind myself for the last several days to not do that very thing. *sighs contritely* For the people who try to watch this around ten, I apologize. Now, onto episode stuff.

Love Rodney's reaction to the geothermal equipment; and John reigning him in. Then all the snark around the Atlantis team waking the Wraith early, and who should tell the people they're visiting.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Rodney - 'Kind of makes you think of Area 51, doesn't it?'

John - 'Circa 1918, maybe.'

Ford - 'I don' think Area 51 was around in 1918.'

John - 'The area was.'

Hee! That was awesome!

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Okay, the first two minutes of show after the credits has already made me lol, twice. Once in the debriefing scene, and once with Darson - 'I was already on an alien planet.' Hee! I think I have my answer for the poll above, but I'll be good and wait until the episode is over.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

'I am your death, that is all you need to know.' Eek, could the Wraith have been any more dramatic?

Also, the earlier scene between Carson and the Hoffa doctor was fun; if only because we got to see Carson in his element.

I see they are still referring to the Wraith ability to make humans see things - it wasn't as fleeting reference as I first thought in the Pilot.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Wraiths are SUCH Drama Queens!

About the seeing-things ability, I wonder if the observation that it's become harder to make humans see stuff that's not there was eventually transmitted telepathically to the other hives, so they wouldn't bother. Well, it's one way to explain the discrepancy between NOW and LATER.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

I love the juxtaposition of John's attitude about Steve. From 'he's going to die anyway,' in a conversation with Elizabeth, to 'we're going to help you,' when Steve starts to unexpectedly die.

For one thing, I like how he shows himself to not be as cold and hard as he was appearing to be in Elizabeth's office. Of course, I knew that already, but the scene in the office with Elizabeth really threw me, so it was nice to get the reaffirmation.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

[Opening panic. I missed you, but I kept watching and taking notes.]

Oh, hello, nicely dressed Chancellor. But....
John: "We've been here for two days before you mention it."
Wow, must have been a really superficial two days, then.

50 years, huh? Oops?
Oh, John and Rodney. "Two days." "One and a half really."

They're walking down the corridor and this is where I started wondering, every time they met the residents of a new world, what ... uh ... Earth dictatorship or fascist state the military costumes would suggest.

John: "Weapons come in all shapes and sizes." Isn't that the truth.

Oh, yeah. "Completely immune to the Wraith." Really?

Cue credits.

Now we get the meeting with Elizabeth. And her incredulous voice about John offering their services. "Has he?"

And, then, hearing that John's getting Carson to volunteer his help, too: "Oh, he has, huh?" Actually, it's really interesting to see how TEAM was already acting independently of their – hello – civilian leader, something we'd gotten used to thinking was happening mostly in later seasons.

::giggles:: Oh, the range of emotions flitting across John's face and his determined, "He will."

Yay for Carson giving John a lesson in the true definition of volunteering.

::more giggles::
John: "He's worse than Dr. McCoy." Eeeeee. Geek moment.

Carson: "I was already on an alien planet."

Oh, hi, Perna, in her pristine uniform. And there's poor Rodney whose outstretched hand is being ignored.

Carson: "Charming. Oh, perfectly charming." Oy, Carson, you're being almost as insufferable as Rodney is with women and your sexist behaviour will come back to bite you in the ass years later when you're out in the field with an all-female team. [Uh, is it too early to rant about TPTB and their inability to present male-female interaction as something normal and adult rather than the usual juvenile antics depicted.]

Oh, man. "Not only a defence against the Wraith, it is our future." Less prescient words were never spoken.

So the Chancellor orders the big honkin door to be opened and there's this fantasy-world musical sequence, depicting wonder and curiosity. Hmmm, archives? Except, what's that, Chancellor? Existence known to only a few???

Oh, my. Here's Perna again and I get such a Liv Ullmann vibe off of her (well, the hairstyle and uniform remind me of Bergman films). And that's where we start to see the seeds of a relationship between Carson and her.

And then we're back in Atlantis and down in the Wraith cell. And John's trying to be the ever-so-helpful host (right, give him a magazine or fresh towels). Oh, boy, John. Taunting "Steve" isn't a nice thing to do. But I guess we're getting the idea that John isn't necessarily nice and are we ever going to find that out soon in a big way.

And here we have an impasse between Steve and John.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Opening panic. I missed you, but I kept watching and taking notes Sorry about that. I'm glad you still watched, and noted what you wanted to comment on.

50 years, huh? Oops? So that was a discrepancy. I thought so, but wasn't sure.

I started wondering, every time they met the residents of a new world, what ... uh ... Earth dictatorship or fascist state the military costumes would suggest. I'm glad I wasn't alone in this. (Or in the McCoy squee *g*)

John isn't necessarily nice in the line of duty, no, but I thought he seemed particularly cold-blooded and almost mercenary in this one, which struck me as a little off.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Okay, that was an odd musical choice as John, Carson and the Hoffans came into the medical ward. It seemed very upbeat considering what was going on. Since I don't usually notice music, I know this particular choice had to be very discordant for me to notice it.

While I'm here, I'm staggered by the naivete exhibited by the Governor, or whatever his position is. Thinking the Wraith might just leave them alone. Of course, it could just be desperation.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

Do you have the applicable minute mark about the strangely upbeat music when they were entering the infirmary? I swear, my brain is full of swiss cheese and I can barely remember the beginning of the episode.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

I watch on Netflix, and the time stamp there was something like 36'57" Perna, Carson, and John were meeting with the Chancellor when Teyla calls about the hospital needing help.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

You're quite right. It did seem strange. When Teyla radio'd them, there were a very few slightly discordant notes, but very discreet. Then, when people in the infirmary began convulsing and flat out dying, it did seem strange to hear that gently rolling music (as if describing a boat ride on a sprightly river).

I don't know if the style of the music was deliberate, to contrast with the ugliness of the sudden deaths. Anyway, thank you for pointing out something I'd missed. [Well, it is a really unfortunate episode.]

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

When we return, we have Teyla's voice of wisdom. "But their obsession may become their undoing." And isn't it interesting to see Rodney simply being in a meeting and not dominating it. I think for David Hewlett it must have been something of a paid vacation, where he had hardly any lines to remember, lol.

Hmm. Immunity for all?

And, according to John, the prisoner "just blinked". But Rodney doesn't understand the lingo.

Oh, man. I miss THIS Teyla so much, when she was an integral part of command meetings and had intriguing ideas.

And we're back to the Carson and Perna show. Yes, he does speak differently than the others.

Oh, my. Perna thinks that Earth must be so peaceful, "knowing that the Wraith will never come". Uh, not quite. See her tiny wrinkle of bewildered miscomprehension.

Then we're back to having music play an integral part of this episode, with the lyrical love interlude.

But, it's not just theoretical any more, is it.

And hearing Liz talk about the Geneva Convention when it's about the Wraith is so discordantly other-worldly. And John's response is absolutely perfect: "No offence, Doc, but – had the Wraith attended the Geneva Convention – they would have tried to feed on everyone!"

Uh-oh. John is nearly whining, 'cuz they don't get many opportunities like this. No kidding.

There's Liz talking about not expecting to make these kinds of decisions on this expedition and John shakes his head, as if to say, "You and me both, sister."

Oh, man, John playing hardball with Steve.

And, who's the not-Chuck technician at the console? Must have been one of those filming days when Chuck Campbell wasn't available.

Woo. Ominous music as we see the hatch closing up on the jumper. And that reminds me of Darth Vader in his personal pod. [Yes, ancient reference, kiddies, from the 20th century.]

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

And we have a new musical military theme for travelling. Joel Goldsmith must have been having a lot of fun.

And here we have another example of a different spirituality. The dying patient: "I'm at peace with my faith." And we get peaceful music for dying. Though "You'll learn something of value" foreshadows something quite different.

What a contrast to the previous episode where, as far as we originally knew, the kids were all dying for no reason at all. Whereas this death would have meaning.

Whoa, Carson. I don't think the Hippocratic Oath can stand up to what Perna's just recited.

And there's John, injecting levity, asking when the Wraith will arrive. "Any idea when that'll be? Morning? Afternoon?" I don't think Steve likes John's sense of humour.

Oh, sure, add the creaking hinges of the cell door.

The look of astonishment on Perna's face! John and Teyla exchanging wordless communication: Just what is this weird shit? And Carson's just stunned.

Every time they've shown the city on the river, I'm reminded of something from medieval times, say in England or ... Belgium?

"Heroes of the Hoffan people." Hmmm, it might be a titch too soon to toast their success. Well, Carson thinks so, but the Chancellor believes otherwise. And "mass production"??? ::shudders:: That's one reason why we have double-blind drug testing. But we can see vastly differing philosophies in action.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I'm impressed by the Hoffan people resolve/dedication/obsession, or scared by it. 96% of the people agreed to the inoculation, with full disclosure. Now, the Chancellor said everyone voted, but I have to wonder if that includes children. I actually don't want to think too hard about that answer.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed this episode. The issues is raises are ones that make me think, I enjoyed the snark that made it into the scenes, and I'm glad the episode wasn't all wrapped up with pretty pink bows at the end...although, that isn't something that happened too often in this show.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

See what I wrote about children below. In any case, when you have a society that has been driving on the same road for generation after generation, the road's sunk so low and the walls are so high on either side that they can't see any other possible life. I guess that also covers indoctrination of a world where any attempt at individuality has been stomped out a long time ago. Oh, look, I know what country that's like. Yeah, the poli.sci. tendrils were everywhere!

As for snark, it was there but oddly lacking for me. I think we really needed Rodney's ... uh ... contributions to improve the episode's rating.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

And the other shoe just dropped. As did Steve. Dead.

Oh, yeah, dream on, Chancellor. Sure, the Wraith will leave your planet alone. Bwahahahaha. And John comes up with yet another suitable observation about the "easy-going, live-and-let-live Wraith".

Then pandemonium breaks out. But it's too late to stop the innoculations. Or deaths. And there's the Chancellor, perfectly willing to accept 50% fatality rates. Oy, can we say hubris? "Now the Wraith will know the full conviction of the Hoffan people."

Oh, poor Carson. To the accompaniment of the love theme, he finds Perna, dying. Um, Perna ... "hope" or Hell?

Finally, as the Lanteans turn to leave, we see the horror and sadness on their faces of what will surely come.

I just posted about my day in my personal journal. This is the line I included about this episode:

The concept of "Victory at any cost" was emphasized in all its brutal ideology.

Then, there's the danger of inheriting goals, especially when people and societies are obliterated, but words and philosophies endure. I'm left with the ultimate feeling that each successive Hoffan generation was a slave to the previous one. Their only focus had been on this one defence, so it was painfully tragic to see that they had not succeeded in saving their people, despite the obsession dedication of prior generations.

I also know that an episode's producer/director can't show everything but did anybody else get the vibe (because we didn't see any children) that these people weren't reproducing at a replacement rate? As if the thought of having sex went against the concept they had to spend all of their time in perfecting their defence. [Well, that's my weird observation.]

And that leads us to examine the ways of our world and how the solution for one nation cannot necessarily be exported successfully to another. Beyond the lesson about autonomy, it's a lesson that doesn't always take.

Okay, just one more. It was smart of TPTB to make these deaths personal – in the case of Perna. Not only as Carson's love interest, but because she'd been a fervent, dedicated researcher who had believed that this would save them all. Sometimes, you need to kill off more than a few red shirts to make a more emotionally wrenching point.

And ... I'm done. And hot. So I need to cool off. See you next week.