Childhood's End Week

[em_kellesvig]

A couple of interesting things going on here -- other than the armed kids.

One, Sheppard defers to McKay and Teyla for the first time. Even in "38 Minutes," Sheppard was in charge despite being fed on by a bug. Here, he steps back so McKay can take the lead -- "Stand back! I'm about to do Science!" -- and then he works with Teyla to keep them from harming or being harmed by the kids. As melagan noted in yesterday's post, they're starting to find their feet as a team, playing to their strengths to minimize their weaknesses.

Thinky thought #1: Did the writers set Sheppard and Teyla up as co-leaders here to represent "parental" figures to the kids?

Two, this is the flipside of the Pegasus galaxy. With the Wraith, the expedition is outnumbered and outgunned. Here, well, they're still outnumbered, but their weapons are far superior than those of the local population. They either have too much firepower or not enough. Later in the series, that balances out a little more, but for now, they're very much aware of the damage they can do, and choose not to do it at the expense of being "captured."

Think thought #2: Yes, they'd be killing children, but did this encounter with primitive weapons set the stage for later missions where similar or no weapons lulled them into a sense of restraint/security? (Yes, Cowen, I'm looking at you.)



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"Childhood's End" 1x06

Comments

[aadarshinah.livejournal.com]

IDK about this episode luring them into a false sense of security, but it does teach them restraint. And that talking a viable alternative to shooting things up.

You'd think it'd also have taught them that things aren't always as they seem too (*cough*Genii*cough*), but what can you do?

[melagan.livejournal.com]

There's much that I like about this episode, including how the kids latched onto McKay. :)

[rissabby.livejournal.com]

Beautiful picture of Rodney.

[helenkacan.livejournal.com]

What I've been noticing in these piccies is how fake Rachel's wigs looked. In this case, the hair was so ridiculously long. [But then we know about TPTB and their perennial hardons for long female hair, even if it's ... uh ... fake.] Also, doesn't she look as if she's playing dressup in her mommy's uniform. Those sleeves are way too long.

As to your thinky thought #1, I never really got that particular parental vibe, certainly not to the extent that Jack O'Neill exuded it in SG-1.

Re thinky thought #2, I think they were still naive enough in the early episodes to have put the Wraith into the top enemy spot, and relegated all of their other enemies into lesser positions. But, whether you get your life sucked out or you're killed by something really primitive, dead is STILL dead.