Spoils of War - Review
23/10/2008 12:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rachel500Spoils of War is the 12th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.
Review
Review
Reproduction forms the theme of Spoils of War and subtly weaves the connection between the main plot dealing with the Wraith’s plans to create a super-army and the ramifications of Teyla’s pregnancy revelation. The mix of a very character driven sub-plot and the action driven main plot creates a tight, tense episode that captures the attention and provides a great hour of entertainment.
In many respects this episode brought back memories of Submersion for me. There is a strong comparison with Teyla given the role of heroine by virtue of her ability to telepathically control the Queen. However, Spoils of War achieves everything that Submersion did not. Where Submersion – ostensibly a Teyla story failed to fully give the character the spotlight, here, Teyla truly shines. Her bravery, steely determination and stubbornness are evident throughout the episode and never more so than in the fabulous segment dealing with her rescue of the boys and mind games with the Queen. The wonderfully eeriness created by the green lighting in the mental battle, with the Queen’s whispering in her ear, the close-up shots – fantastic lighting, fantastic direction and fantastic acting – did I mention that it was fantastic? More so, Spoils of War deals nicely in the plot with how Teyla manages to take control in a way that Submersion never quite did. Here, it is already clear that the Queen is weakened, hungry and Teyla in comparison has been given a mental power boost thanks to the child she carries. It all makes it believable that Teyla takes control of the Queen.
But this isn’t the only wonderfully executed part of Teyla’s story as the scenes with Sheppard and Lorne are used to tell the more personal story of her shift from her initial standpoint of wanting to remain on active duty with the team to her realisation that she cannot continue taking the risk. What is really amazing is that this thread allows Teyla’s softer side to emerge as her continued distress over her missing people, her worries about becoming a mother and her growing sense of maternal responsibility is shown. As a result, she springs from the screen as a three-dimensional, beautifully rounded character. The last scene of Teyla confiding in Sheppard and her distress at how close she came to losing her child is well-played by Rachel Luttrell.
What still feels a little uncomfortable to me is Sheppard’s characterisation in this storyline in particular his initial reaction in the previous episode and initial statements in Spoils of War. That initial reaction; the dialogue in the gym; at the cafeteria table; all just shade Sheppard’s reaction to one of a military commander reacting to an insubordinate team member than one of a friend to a friend who he considers to be family. While it could be argued that Sheppard should react as a military commander – after all, he is one, it’s not this reaction that I would have expected him have with Teyla given the dynamic to date has been played on a more personal friendship level. It’s difficult to explain but here goes; Sheppard’s reaction is the one I would have expected Mitchell to have had if Vala had kept the knowledge of a pregnancy to herself in mid-S10; or even a S1/S2 SG1 Jack O’Neill reaction had Sam Carter ever kept a pregnancy secret. Those relationships at those points in time were primarily being played as military commander/team member. Sheppard/Teyla has always seemed to me at least to have been played as a friendship with Sheppard viewing Teyla, as a member of his team, but equally as a friend and equal. That doesn’t come across in his reactions within this storyline and for me that’s why his characterisation here feels off.
I acknowledge that there are attempts to explain within the dialogue – Teyla’s view that he was angry at not being told immediately, his own ‘this is exactly why’ statement when Teyla is woozy (with the implied underlying reason that he didn’t want to place her and the rest of his team potentially at risk because of her situation) but the dialogue, scripted reactions, acting/direction just don’t go anywhere close enough at providing a solid explanation for why he doesn’t ever express his concern for her as a friend. The last scene is great as he checks on her but it’s very little, very late to redress the balance.
Sheppard’s characterisation aside, my only other complaint with this episode is minor; another Tapping-less episode means that Carter isn’t even referenced. If there is one thing I hope is corrected in Season 5 is that if an actor is absent that some attempt is made to reference the character anyway. That said, I’m going to stop banging on about it now.
The rest of the episode is very well-executed. I loved the touches of humour with McKay – Ronon dragging him from the locker room, his reaction to being chosen by the Queen, his disgust at the Wraith birth. The rich history of how the Wraith cloning facility and its place in winning the war with the Lanteans is weaved into the story and doesn’t feel like exposition in the telling. The special effects and make-up outdo themselves. The pacing is perfect and I loved the teaser with its recap of the battle from the Wraith point of view without any real nod to Team Atlantis.
Christopher Heyerdahl deserves a special mention as the newly named ‘Todd’. He and the writers have truly managed to create a Wraith that is an individual without their nature as a Wraith being compromised. Andee Frizzell also deserves heaps of praise for making each rendition of a Wraith Queen unique. All in all, these different Wraith characters are a great way of making the Wraith more relatable and giving them personality; it gives them a three-dimensional feel in the same way as Apophis and Ba’al gave personality and dimension to SG1’s enemy of the Goa’uld.
So, Spoils of War is fundamentally a great Atlantis episode with a wonderful character story woven amongst the action. I said in my review of Submersion that I was still waiting for a great story that showcased Teyla as a character and with Spoils of War, I finally have it. Kudos to all: I thoroughly enjoyed it.
In many respects this episode brought back memories of Submersion for me. There is a strong comparison with Teyla given the role of heroine by virtue of her ability to telepathically control the Queen. However, Spoils of War achieves everything that Submersion did not. Where Submersion – ostensibly a Teyla story failed to fully give the character the spotlight, here, Teyla truly shines. Her bravery, steely determination and stubbornness are evident throughout the episode and never more so than in the fabulous segment dealing with her rescue of the boys and mind games with the Queen. The wonderfully eeriness created by the green lighting in the mental battle, with the Queen’s whispering in her ear, the close-up shots – fantastic lighting, fantastic direction and fantastic acting – did I mention that it was fantastic? More so, Spoils of War deals nicely in the plot with how Teyla manages to take control in a way that Submersion never quite did. Here, it is already clear that the Queen is weakened, hungry and Teyla in comparison has been given a mental power boost thanks to the child she carries. It all makes it believable that Teyla takes control of the Queen.
But this isn’t the only wonderfully executed part of Teyla’s story as the scenes with Sheppard and Lorne are used to tell the more personal story of her shift from her initial standpoint of wanting to remain on active duty with the team to her realisation that she cannot continue taking the risk. What is really amazing is that this thread allows Teyla’s softer side to emerge as her continued distress over her missing people, her worries about becoming a mother and her growing sense of maternal responsibility is shown. As a result, she springs from the screen as a three-dimensional, beautifully rounded character. The last scene of Teyla confiding in Sheppard and her distress at how close she came to losing her child is well-played by Rachel Luttrell.
What still feels a little uncomfortable to me is Sheppard’s characterisation in this storyline in particular his initial reaction in the previous episode and initial statements in Spoils of War. That initial reaction; the dialogue in the gym; at the cafeteria table; all just shade Sheppard’s reaction to one of a military commander reacting to an insubordinate team member than one of a friend to a friend who he considers to be family. While it could be argued that Sheppard should react as a military commander – after all, he is one, it’s not this reaction that I would have expected him have with Teyla given the dynamic to date has been played on a more personal friendship level. It’s difficult to explain but here goes; Sheppard’s reaction is the one I would have expected Mitchell to have had if Vala had kept the knowledge of a pregnancy to herself in mid-S10; or even a S1/S2 SG1 Jack O’Neill reaction had Sam Carter ever kept a pregnancy secret. Those relationships at those points in time were primarily being played as military commander/team member. Sheppard/Teyla has always seemed to me at least to have been played as a friendship with Sheppard viewing Teyla, as a member of his team, but equally as a friend and equal. That doesn’t come across in his reactions within this storyline and for me that’s why his characterisation here feels off.
I acknowledge that there are attempts to explain within the dialogue – Teyla’s view that he was angry at not being told immediately, his own ‘this is exactly why’ statement when Teyla is woozy (with the implied underlying reason that he didn’t want to place her and the rest of his team potentially at risk because of her situation) but the dialogue, scripted reactions, acting/direction just don’t go anywhere close enough at providing a solid explanation for why he doesn’t ever express his concern for her as a friend. The last scene is great as he checks on her but it’s very little, very late to redress the balance.
Sheppard’s characterisation aside, my only other complaint with this episode is minor; another Tapping-less episode means that Carter isn’t even referenced. If there is one thing I hope is corrected in Season 5 is that if an actor is absent that some attempt is made to reference the character anyway. That said, I’m going to stop banging on about it now.
The rest of the episode is very well-executed. I loved the touches of humour with McKay – Ronon dragging him from the locker room, his reaction to being chosen by the Queen, his disgust at the Wraith birth. The rich history of how the Wraith cloning facility and its place in winning the war with the Lanteans is weaved into the story and doesn’t feel like exposition in the telling. The special effects and make-up outdo themselves. The pacing is perfect and I loved the teaser with its recap of the battle from the Wraith point of view without any real nod to Team Atlantis.
Christopher Heyerdahl deserves a special mention as the newly named ‘Todd’. He and the writers have truly managed to create a Wraith that is an individual without their nature as a Wraith being compromised. Andee Frizzell also deserves heaps of praise for making each rendition of a Wraith Queen unique. All in all, these different Wraith characters are a great way of making the Wraith more relatable and giving them personality; it gives them a three-dimensional feel in the same way as Apophis and Ba’al gave personality and dimension to SG1’s enemy of the Goa’uld.
So, Spoils of War is fundamentally a great Atlantis episode with a wonderful character story woven amongst the action. I said in my review of Submersion that I was still waiting for a great story that showcased Teyla as a character and with Spoils of War, I finally have it. Kudos to all: I thoroughly enjoyed it.
