Rewatch: Duet

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

An away team is investigating a planet, when suddenly a Wraith dart arrives. Major Sheppard and his team are able to shoot it down, but not before McKay and a soldier, Laura Cadman are scooped up. As there is not enough power in the Wraith dart to re-materialize them both, only McKay is taken out. He passes out immediately and awakens on Atlantis. There is something wrong however. Cadman has appeared in his mind. She is able to see and hear what he does and speak to him, driving him mad. After a meeting with psychologist Heightmeyer, Cadman realizes she also can take over McKay's body. While Zelenka works on a solution, major Sheppard tries to convince Ronon Dex to join forces and convince Weir that he is a worthy addition.  [Poll #1794287]

Comments

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

After they leave, there is a huge conversation in the hall between both Cadman and McKay. David did an incredible job and playing two different people, yo-yoing them back and forth. It was both funny and sad as they fought for control of Rodney's body.

Luckily, Rodney is called down to the lab. There are mice, and Radek thinks he has an idea. They fire the dart beam at the mice, but when they bring them back, the are crispy fried. Not good.

Next, Sheppard is trying to convince Elizabeth to give Ronon a try. We learn Ronon's been on the run from the Wraith for seven years. So, I guess I am confused about that, as I thought all the Wraith were in hibernation. All the other races felt safe from culling for decades in S1, until learning that John and his people had changed that for them. But, Ronon's planet was wiped out seven years before they woke up. It'd be interesting to know if that was addressed anywhere, but I'd have no idea where to look.

Back at the shrinks office, Rodney and Cadman are going back and forth, arguing with each other. Again, David does a brilliant job. The tension can't be good, though. I'm really worried about how their frustration is escalating.

A break in scene, and Ronon is training some of Sheppard's men. They are appreciative of his expertise. Elizabeth arrives, and an awkward conversation ensues between the two, about whether Ronon will stay on Atlantis. Apparently, John should have talked to Elizabeth first, before extending the invitation, and he didn't. Ronon walks away and continues training.

Back with Rodney, the argument is escalating, and Rodney starts convulsing, and he collapses on the floor. Dr. Kate (the shrink), calls for Carson.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

There's a story about the mice from the director or writer (I get them all confused). Supposedly, the SFX department went all out, creating jelly molds of mice with their guts hanging out. You'd think it was like a Halloween episode. In the end, TPTB decided that the real-dead-mice looked just TOO gross, so decided to go with the crispy fried kind (less disturbing to see).

Okay, about Ronon being on the run for 7 years, even though the Wraith we see in the Pilot of S1 are sleeping and awaken 50 years too early, I tried to reply to your question in an earlier episode. First of all, the Pegasus Galaxy is a big place. Um ... it's a galaxy, after all. So there will be Hive ships spread out throughout it; otherwise, not all the Wraith could survive if they had to be fighting over their food supply on just a couple of planets. [Ugh.] So I figure they stagger their hibernation and awake periods, so that not all Hives are hibernating at the same time. If they were, I could see some civilization get technological enough and try to destroy the nearest one.

Also, we don't know how far Sateda was from Athos. And Ronon's been jumping from one world to another, always on the run. So he may have crossed through a whole bunch of gates to end up closer to Atlantis than to his former destroyed world.

We don't really know this now, but the Hives are in competition with each other to see who's ... uh ... top dog in the pecking order. Whose queen is stronger, etc., etc. But, at the same time, they don't encroach on another Hive's territory. It's only in later seasons that the Lanteans manage to help with the jealousy factor among Hives, so they'll end up fighting each other instead of Atlantis.

So, does that help make things clearer?

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

I'm reeeeally glad TPtB didn't use the gross mice. This isn't a horror show, and that would have been unnecessary. Seeing them fried was bad enough.

Yes, you did reply earlier. I remembered it, but I thought you were unsure in your answer (or I remembered it wrong), so that's why I brought this up here. What fuels it more than anything, is a memory of the first Wraith saying that John had woken them ALL up. Of course, she could have just meant her hive.

Anyway, whether it's a mistake of understanding on my part or a mistake in continuity on their part, it isn't important. I've only ever run into one show that didn't have continuity errors, so that happens all the time. And, I make mistakes all the time.

It's good to have a possible explanation, however, and your's makes a ton of sense. Especially the part about putting down any civilization that is getting too powerful. Thanks for making such an effort to explain this to me.