Missing - Review
23/10/2008 11:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rachel500Missing is the 7th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.
Review
Review
Heralded by Joe Mallozzi as the ‘Thelma and Louise’ of the Stargate world, Missing’s only real similarity with that film is that two hunted women have to fight against the odds to survive. Ultimately Missing has less in common with that classic film, and much more in common with original Stargate movie – and that’s not a bad thing. Both Rachel Luttrell and Jewel Staite bring life to their characters in what is ultimately a very simple story set in a very simple setting, and which relies on the mix of action and dialogue to maintain pace and interest while setting up season arcs.
The story is simple focusing on the bonding of two very different people; one, a civilian who finds courage and the other, a warrior who has to deal with a devastating personal loss. The story is one at the heart of Stargate history; the original Jack and Daniel dynamic and even the friendship between Sheppard and McKay has overtones. In bonding together, civilian and military form a strong union that allows them to survive. The repetition of theme with the two male characters substituted for female brings a subtly different dynamic to the piece.
The main credit has to go to Carl Binder for the writing; there are lots of great nuggets in amongst the entire piece; the description of the ‘flying ship which came through the portal and disappeared’ painted a vivid picture, the banter between Ronon and McKay over arrows. It is a well-written episode and that shines through. Binder always does a great job at writing female characters and with the story pared back to the women being hunted, it provides many opportunities to showcase both characters; Keller’s fear and panic in contrast to Teyla’s steely calm resolve; Keller’s ability to rationalise what has happened to Teyla’s people in contrast to Teyla’s emotion-clouded thinking. Both women are shown as competent in their fields yet vulnerable; Keller in her fear and Teyla in confiding about Kanan. Equally, the personal stories that pepper the dialogue in between action reveal back-story for both women in an understated way.
With such a simple story the danger of it dragging in terms of pace is very high but there is a nice mix of action and dialogue. The stunt work and fight scenes deserve a mention for creating a sense of real danger, both in Teyla’s fight with the Bola Kai and in Keller’s crossing of the rope bridge which was enhanced with the brilliant direction and sweeping canyon shot. The action pieces offset the more subdued sitting and talking moments which provide the exposition. The pace is a little off in places – but in the main, the action and dialogue are spaced out well enough to keep the viewer engaged. However, a small complaint is that it was obvious in a couple of places that Luttrell was replaced by her stunt double – usually the horrendous wig was a give away.
Both Luttrell and Staite turn in credible performances. Staite excels in displaying Keller’s fear; in the scene where Keller and Teyla are hiding under the overhang of a rock, Keller’s fright as she admits she knows she should be prepared is incredibly well done. Equally, Luttrell’s best moment comes in Teyla’s confiding her friendship with Kanan; her fear of what has happened, her caring for him and her sense of loss come across clearly. Kudos to both women for carrying the episode so well.
In wider terms, the story by all accounts begins an important arc for Teyla and for the series; it will be interesting to see where they go with it. The final scene with the ‘we have to talk’ line from Keller leaves the audience wondering what is wrong (although for those of us spoiled on Teyla’s upcoming pregnancy makes that slightly less dramatic) and the mention of Kanan provides the groundwork for who’s the daddy. I do wish though that some mention of the mysterious friend from childhood had been worked into a previous episode; Reunion would have been a good place with Teyla and Ronon’s discussion on leaving their people to fight with the Atlantis expedition. While some of the scripts were written before Luttrell revealed her pregnancy, it would have been good to have included something in an earlier episode to provide a better grounding for Teyla’s sudden and secret romance.
The episode also does a great job of painting a wider picture of the Pegasus Galaxy and Stargate Universe; the Bola Kai are an interesting addition. They may provide some good material in the future and I hope they aren’t forgotten or have been used as a one-trick pony. Equally fascinating is the rather ruthless Nabel, and again, here’s hoping more will be made of him in future episodes; he had a certain darkness that bodes well as a potential successor for the much missed Kolya.
It is surprising from a Stargate perspective to realise that this was the first time in a long while that female characters have been provided an opportunity for a buddy-buddy episode. I can’t help but regret that this wasn’t done earlier with Weir and Teyla; nor can I get away from the nagging sensation that it would have been more appropriate to have had a Carter/Teyla bonding episode given Keller is supposed to be a recurring character – although admittedly such a story would have been very different to Missing given the civilian versus warrior dynamic would have been absent. I like Keller but the jury is definitely out on whether this is the best use of the character mix.
As a female buddy story, Missing does have similarities to ‘Thelma and Louise’ but its roots are firmly embedded in the Stargate history. Civilian and military working together to save the universe has worked well for the franchise for eleven years and counting; Missing is no exception to that rule and while I may question which characters were showcased and wish for minor improvements, I enjoyed it.
The story is simple focusing on the bonding of two very different people; one, a civilian who finds courage and the other, a warrior who has to deal with a devastating personal loss. The story is one at the heart of Stargate history; the original Jack and Daniel dynamic and even the friendship between Sheppard and McKay has overtones. In bonding together, civilian and military form a strong union that allows them to survive. The repetition of theme with the two male characters substituted for female brings a subtly different dynamic to the piece.
The main credit has to go to Carl Binder for the writing; there are lots of great nuggets in amongst the entire piece; the description of the ‘flying ship which came through the portal and disappeared’ painted a vivid picture, the banter between Ronon and McKay over arrows. It is a well-written episode and that shines through. Binder always does a great job at writing female characters and with the story pared back to the women being hunted, it provides many opportunities to showcase both characters; Keller’s fear and panic in contrast to Teyla’s steely calm resolve; Keller’s ability to rationalise what has happened to Teyla’s people in contrast to Teyla’s emotion-clouded thinking. Both women are shown as competent in their fields yet vulnerable; Keller in her fear and Teyla in confiding about Kanan. Equally, the personal stories that pepper the dialogue in between action reveal back-story for both women in an understated way.
With such a simple story the danger of it dragging in terms of pace is very high but there is a nice mix of action and dialogue. The stunt work and fight scenes deserve a mention for creating a sense of real danger, both in Teyla’s fight with the Bola Kai and in Keller’s crossing of the rope bridge which was enhanced with the brilliant direction and sweeping canyon shot. The action pieces offset the more subdued sitting and talking moments which provide the exposition. The pace is a little off in places – but in the main, the action and dialogue are spaced out well enough to keep the viewer engaged. However, a small complaint is that it was obvious in a couple of places that Luttrell was replaced by her stunt double – usually the horrendous wig was a give away.
Both Luttrell and Staite turn in credible performances. Staite excels in displaying Keller’s fear; in the scene where Keller and Teyla are hiding under the overhang of a rock, Keller’s fright as she admits she knows she should be prepared is incredibly well done. Equally, Luttrell’s best moment comes in Teyla’s confiding her friendship with Kanan; her fear of what has happened, her caring for him and her sense of loss come across clearly. Kudos to both women for carrying the episode so well.
In wider terms, the story by all accounts begins an important arc for Teyla and for the series; it will be interesting to see where they go with it. The final scene with the ‘we have to talk’ line from Keller leaves the audience wondering what is wrong (although for those of us spoiled on Teyla’s upcoming pregnancy makes that slightly less dramatic) and the mention of Kanan provides the groundwork for who’s the daddy. I do wish though that some mention of the mysterious friend from childhood had been worked into a previous episode; Reunion would have been a good place with Teyla and Ronon’s discussion on leaving their people to fight with the Atlantis expedition. While some of the scripts were written before Luttrell revealed her pregnancy, it would have been good to have included something in an earlier episode to provide a better grounding for Teyla’s sudden and secret romance.
The episode also does a great job of painting a wider picture of the Pegasus Galaxy and Stargate Universe; the Bola Kai are an interesting addition. They may provide some good material in the future and I hope they aren’t forgotten or have been used as a one-trick pony. Equally fascinating is the rather ruthless Nabel, and again, here’s hoping more will be made of him in future episodes; he had a certain darkness that bodes well as a potential successor for the much missed Kolya.
It is surprising from a Stargate perspective to realise that this was the first time in a long while that female characters have been provided an opportunity for a buddy-buddy episode. I can’t help but regret that this wasn’t done earlier with Weir and Teyla; nor can I get away from the nagging sensation that it would have been more appropriate to have had a Carter/Teyla bonding episode given Keller is supposed to be a recurring character – although admittedly such a story would have been very different to Missing given the civilian versus warrior dynamic would have been absent. I like Keller but the jury is definitely out on whether this is the best use of the character mix.
As a female buddy story, Missing does have similarities to ‘Thelma and Louise’ but its roots are firmly embedded in the Stargate history. Civilian and military working together to save the universe has worked well for the franchise for eleven years and counting; Missing is no exception to that rule and while I may question which characters were showcased and wish for minor improvements, I enjoyed it.
