Identity - Review
13/03/2009 09:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rachel500Identity is the 18th episode in Season 5 of Stargate Atlantis.
Review
Review
In all seasons there is usually that one episode which I dread; Harmony held that honour in Season Four and Identity holds that honour for Season Five. The brief synopsis that I saw before the episode ‘sexy thief changes places with Keller’ was enough that I sat down to watch Identity with low expectations but just as with Harmony, this actually surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. It is fair to say that Neeva is something of a cliché – far too reminiscent of Vala in Prometheus Unbound – but the concept of the story is intriguing, it has a good pace and tight writing. That said, tracking Keller on a forested planet has been done before this season…
It is disturbing that this is so reminiscent of Tracker. While the story parameters are very different, both do have Keller missing, the team tracking her through the forest and the duplication within the same season is a little disconcerting. Even more disconcerting given that the previous episode of Infection, in the broadest sense of its story, also had the team stranded on a malfunctioning ship just as The Daedalus Variations did. From a production perspective, I would hope these duplications of themes are accidental and not intentional but either way, they constitute a production weakness to me. Each episode within a season – within a show – should be unique. If someone were to say to me ‘you know it’s the one where they’re running around a forest trying to find Keller’ I’d be hard pressed to make a distinction between Tracker and Identity.
It’s a shame really because the rest of the story concept I thought was very imaginative. Taking the Ancient communication device previously used in SG1 but this time telling the story from the point of view of the displaced person was original. Showing Neeva in Atlantis while Keller appears in Neeva’s clothes in the jail cell does keep in line with the way previous stories with the device have been told before. It is also good for the device to be used accidentally and the confusion felt by both women who find themselves complete fish out of water in their swapped roles. Here there is no understanding of what has happened initially.
Dawn Olivieti does a nice job conveying Neeva as an opportunistic, cold and ruthless criminal. Her stabbing of the much loved Zelenka sets the tone that she is definitely a villain as does her almost shooting of McKay. She demonstrates her talents further in escaping and through her accomplices’ view of her as the leader. For me though she is too reminiscent of Vala in Prometheus Unbound; a sexy, cunning, ruthless alien thief in leather. Maybe she’s shaded a tad colder and darker than Vala but the similarity is jarring and frankly cliché. The ending is obviously left open enough that had the series returned for a sixth season there was an opportunity to revive the character.
With the focus on Neeva, the other characters are left primarily in support roles as they figure out what is going on – including Keller who gets the sub-plot of what has happened to her. McKay as Keller’s new guy gets the lion's share of the interaction. His early concern for her odd behaviour, the way he resists Neeva’s seduction because he knows something is wrong, and the end scene in the infirmary with Keller are all a nice insight into their growing relationship and continue the arc. But just as with Teyla’s baby where there was a moment I felt ‘Teyla has a baby, I get it, enough already’, that’s pretty much my feeling here about McKay and Keller; they’re together, I get it, enough already. And I’m pretty supportive of the idea of the characters as a couple.
I equally wasn’t at all thrilled by what seemed to be a resurrection of the triangle nonsense of earlier with Ronon apparently dropping in to see Keller all concerned, McKay turning up and feeling jealous and Ronon determining Keller wasn’t Keller. He even saves the day at the end by shooting the communications device. On its own, I would be very happy that Ronon got to be the hero again and not Sheppard or McKay but he seemingly only wins the day when Keller is involved.
All in all, I don’t think choosing Keller as the person Neeva was swapped with was the best choice. Teyla may have been a good option – or how about Neeva being swapped with Ronon? Really the only thing Keller did in her sub-plot was manage to run away from her various attackers; anyone could have fulfilled that function.
All the rest of the cast of characters really don’t do much more than be their functions; Woolsey is worried leader, Sheppard is determined military soldier, Teyla is simply part of the team. Remarkably, Carson Beckett is also pretty much there for no other reason than to save Keller when she gets shot. It’s always a pleasure to see Paul McGillion return but here there really isn’t any good reason why Beckett is part of the story.
The story otherwise is nicely paced and entertaining. It did keep my attention throughout particularly because of the ‘will they get Keller switched back before Neeva dies’ tease they had going. There is a good flow and Zelenka’s situation neatly bookends the episode.
The major failing of Identity is its lack of a unique identity as an episode within this season of Atlantis. There is too much that is similar or reminiscent of something else. Moreover, given the series’ cancellation, it’s most unique take – telling the story from Neeva’s point of view - is probably not going to be welcomed by most fans at this moment when episodes that showcase beloved characters are the most sought after. Nevertheless this is a solid Stargate story, well told and it is an enjoyable hour of entertainment.
It is disturbing that this is so reminiscent of Tracker. While the story parameters are very different, both do have Keller missing, the team tracking her through the forest and the duplication within the same season is a little disconcerting. Even more disconcerting given that the previous episode of Infection, in the broadest sense of its story, also had the team stranded on a malfunctioning ship just as The Daedalus Variations did. From a production perspective, I would hope these duplications of themes are accidental and not intentional but either way, they constitute a production weakness to me. Each episode within a season – within a show – should be unique. If someone were to say to me ‘you know it’s the one where they’re running around a forest trying to find Keller’ I’d be hard pressed to make a distinction between Tracker and Identity.
It’s a shame really because the rest of the story concept I thought was very imaginative. Taking the Ancient communication device previously used in SG1 but this time telling the story from the point of view of the displaced person was original. Showing Neeva in Atlantis while Keller appears in Neeva’s clothes in the jail cell does keep in line with the way previous stories with the device have been told before. It is also good for the device to be used accidentally and the confusion felt by both women who find themselves complete fish out of water in their swapped roles. Here there is no understanding of what has happened initially.
Dawn Olivieti does a nice job conveying Neeva as an opportunistic, cold and ruthless criminal. Her stabbing of the much loved Zelenka sets the tone that she is definitely a villain as does her almost shooting of McKay. She demonstrates her talents further in escaping and through her accomplices’ view of her as the leader. For me though she is too reminiscent of Vala in Prometheus Unbound; a sexy, cunning, ruthless alien thief in leather. Maybe she’s shaded a tad colder and darker than Vala but the similarity is jarring and frankly cliché. The ending is obviously left open enough that had the series returned for a sixth season there was an opportunity to revive the character.
With the focus on Neeva, the other characters are left primarily in support roles as they figure out what is going on – including Keller who gets the sub-plot of what has happened to her. McKay as Keller’s new guy gets the lion's share of the interaction. His early concern for her odd behaviour, the way he resists Neeva’s seduction because he knows something is wrong, and the end scene in the infirmary with Keller are all a nice insight into their growing relationship and continue the arc. But just as with Teyla’s baby where there was a moment I felt ‘Teyla has a baby, I get it, enough already’, that’s pretty much my feeling here about McKay and Keller; they’re together, I get it, enough already. And I’m pretty supportive of the idea of the characters as a couple.
I equally wasn’t at all thrilled by what seemed to be a resurrection of the triangle nonsense of earlier with Ronon apparently dropping in to see Keller all concerned, McKay turning up and feeling jealous and Ronon determining Keller wasn’t Keller. He even saves the day at the end by shooting the communications device. On its own, I would be very happy that Ronon got to be the hero again and not Sheppard or McKay but he seemingly only wins the day when Keller is involved.
All in all, I don’t think choosing Keller as the person Neeva was swapped with was the best choice. Teyla may have been a good option – or how about Neeva being swapped with Ronon? Really the only thing Keller did in her sub-plot was manage to run away from her various attackers; anyone could have fulfilled that function.
All the rest of the cast of characters really don’t do much more than be their functions; Woolsey is worried leader, Sheppard is determined military soldier, Teyla is simply part of the team. Remarkably, Carson Beckett is also pretty much there for no other reason than to save Keller when she gets shot. It’s always a pleasure to see Paul McGillion return but here there really isn’t any good reason why Beckett is part of the story.
The story otherwise is nicely paced and entertaining. It did keep my attention throughout particularly because of the ‘will they get Keller switched back before Neeva dies’ tease they had going. There is a good flow and Zelenka’s situation neatly bookends the episode.
The major failing of Identity is its lack of a unique identity as an episode within this season of Atlantis. There is too much that is similar or reminiscent of something else. Moreover, given the series’ cancellation, it’s most unique take – telling the story from Neeva’s point of view - is probably not going to be welcomed by most fans at this moment when episodes that showcase beloved characters are the most sought after. Nevertheless this is a solid Stargate story, well told and it is an enjoyable hour of entertainment.
