Stargate Atlantis 08/04/2006 - *** Spoilers ***

[JimSpence]

So the Wraith put Ronon back on his home world where he could find weapons. Not too smart of them was it?

Another filler episode, except it did give us the backstory on Ronon.

[purwater]

Yeah a pretty dull episode overall. Filler for sure, but better than last weeks. If we could just put Ronon on each hive ship he could rid the galaxy of the wraith himself.

[Rob Helmerichs]

But I did enjoy the jokes about how all the planets and villages look alike...

[zordude]

Did the wraith always have shifting vision like that? Don't remember ever seeing it.

I think it's silly to drop on his home planet to hunt him, but thought it did make sense that they would have left all the "stuff" intact after the fed, which would allow him to get weapons.

Z

[mrpantstm]

But I did enjoy the jokes about how all the planets and villages look alike...

I found that amusing considering the discussion from last weeks episode.

Also the best line of the episode 'That did not just happen!' by McKay.

Some pretty decent action overall.

[quango]

It was a diverting enough way to fill in more of Ronon's backstory, at least.

Although someone does need to explain why his people were running around using Genii weapons...

[Anubys]

"I got 9, Tayla got 8" :D

I liked it...we were due for the Ronin story...and it was well done...a bit over the top with Rambo-like stuff, but nothing more than what Teal'c has done...

a little high noon action at the end, too...not bad at all...

[dcheesi]

Firefly fans: did anybody get the vague impression that they were trying to copy Firefly elements here? The grainy yellow flashbacks ("OoG"), all the stuff about the crew/team being "family"*, etc. They even had the comic-relief character pawing at the "pretty lights" after being drugged! Of course they didn't pull it off at all, but it's just something I noticed as they went along.

(* Joss never used the word "family" IIRC, but the sense of personal loyalty expressed was similar.)

[PJO1966]

I really enjoyed this one a lot. Actually, I think it's my favorite so far. We had great action, a decent backstory done with pretty impressive editing and effects, and the expected touches of humor. I think it covered all the bases. It certainly made up for last week's episode.

[Anubys]

I just thought of something: the leader of this hive was male...I thought they were all led by queens...

please, no gay jokes...it's too easy :p

[dswallow]

Didn't it jused to take 10 or 20 shots to kinda make one Wraith sorta collapse for a moment?

Now you just sorta look at 'em funny and they drop dead.

This was one of the worst episodes in a long time; they really could've done something better for Ronan, even though I'd just as soon see him disappear from the show. They could've at least come up with a story that wasn't just plain stupid and pointless.

[drew2k]

"I got 9, Tayla got 8" :D

I liked it...we were due for the Ronin story...and it was well done...a bit over the top with Rambo-like stuff, but nothing more than what Teal'c has done...

a little high noon action at the end, too...not bad at all...Based on this episode, Ronon could kick Teal'c's ass!

[drew2k]

I liked this episode - we need to know something more about Ronon. I was only hoping that when the bomb-in-the-Wraith exploded that Ronon's locks would have been singed so badly that he'd whip out his knife and bid goodbye to his past in a dramatic fashion.

[Rob Helmerichs]

I liked this episode - we need to know something more about Ronon.
Well, all I ever needed to know about Ronon is that he looks a hell of a lot more like somebody who can fight than the poor little wimp he replaced. Everything else is a bonus! :D

[sushikitten]

Didn't it jused to take 10 or 20 shots to kinda make one Wraith sorta collapse for a moment?

Now you just sorta look at 'em funny and they drop dead.

I keep thinking this, too. What gives?

[Jebberwocky!]

I liked this episode - we need to know something more about Ronon. I was only hoping that when the bomb-in-the-Wraith exploded that Ronon's locks would have been singed so badly that he'd whip out his knife and bid goodbye to his past in a dramatic fashion.

I said the same thing to my wife - I was hoping he was tired of the locks and wanted to go crew cut. That would have been the time to do it.

[7thton]

This was, by far, the WORST episode of Stargate I have ever seen. And that includes SG:1.

The action scenes were so cheesy and cliche. I mean...the slow motion bit where Ronin kicked the gun upward in to his hands? Total cheese. And how Ronin laid out all of those guns in strategic places...running, flipping, and diving his way to them as he killed the Wraiths. Puh-lease. Gratuitous at best and flat-out predictable to boot.

And all of the grainy flashbacks with the choppy editing...it seemed out of place and not well done. Pretty cliche and didn't add anything to the episode.

[digdug]

I am in the camp of 'not impressed'. I was dissapointed in this episode. I had been hoping for some backstory on Ronen. I guess I should be careful what I wish for.

The whole thing with Ronen running around acting like a wild beast with all the grunts and the temper was just a bit much.

[dcheesi]

Yeah, Ronin's backstory was poorly written. The logic didn't quite follow in their big argument, IMHO. And he just happens to be there talking to her when she gets blown up!? Come on! :rolleyes:

[JustAllie]

Is it me, or did they hire John Woo to direct this episode? ;)

[drew2k]

This was, by far, the WORST episode of Stargate I have ever seen. And that includes SG:1. .Come on! :eek: Were you sleeping last week during SG-A when Lucius had the entire Atlantis expedition swooning in his presence?! There are degrees of BAD, but last week's was definitely the WORST.

[twincaminferno]

Come on! :eek: Were you sleeping last week during SG-A when Lucius had the entire Atlantis expedition swooning in his presence?! There are degrees of BAD, but last week's was definitely the WORST.

Agreed. Rodney had some amusing lines this time. Much better then last week. Only problem is that since SG1 will have their 200th episode next week, should we expect SGA to be bad?

[darthrsg]

Oh man! Somebody give the writer of this ep a raise! Stargate Ronin is my fave now.

[darthrsg]

Firefly fans: did anybody get the vague impression that they were trying to copy Firefly elements here? The grainy yellow flashbacks ("OoG"), all the stuff about the crew/team being "family"*, etc. They even had the comic-relief character pawing at the "pretty lights" after being drugged! Of course they didn't pull it off at all, but it's just something I noticed as they went along.

(* Joss never used the word "family" IIRC, but the sense of personal loyalty expressed was similar.)
Put down the box set, remove the brown coat and step away from the TV. :D

[7thton]

Come on! :eek: Were you sleeping last week during SG-A when Lucius had the entire Atlantis expedition swooning in his presence?! There are degrees of BAD, but last week's was definitely the WORST.
I though last week's ep was a bit charming and harmless fun. This ep was all cliche and as someone else said, "a bit much".

[allan]

I think they planned it well. They showed this episode after the "Harry Mudd" ep, figuring that people would think about how much better this week was.

[Sirius Black]

I deleted the show before it was finished. Didn't hold my interest at all. The man's name is Ronon (slight spelling difference, I know). A masterless warrior. I figured we would have something... different than what we were given.

[Anubys]

I just thought of something: I was under the impression the puddle jumpers didn't have ANY weapons :confused:

[classicX]

Did the wraith always have shifting vision like that? Don't remember ever seeing it.

I think it's silly to drop on his home planet to hunt him, but thought it did make sense that they would have left all the "stuff" intact after the fed, which would allow him to get weapons.

Z

I'm not sure what you mean, but I assume you're talking about the one with the "glasses." I think that one had infrared vision or extreme light sensitivity, so he had to wear the glasses outside, and took them off inside. I personally was hoping to see a little more "coolness" from the glasses, like the setup that the Predators had, or maybe something like what Violet had in the movie UltraViolet.

As far as the guns, the Wraith know that most "human" guns don't really hurt them, which is probably why they don't care that the weapons were there. IIRC the one shot kills were with Ronon's "special" gun that Sheppard brought back. The thing is a beast.

That hive ship must have been a bunch of mutants - look at the leader and the one with the glasses. Maybe they were the outcasts of the family. ;)

[Cboath]

I just thought of something: I was under the impression the puddle jumpers didn't have ANY weapons :confused:


They have always had the drones. In the opening credits (I like the music :D ) from the first season, there was a scene with a PJ shooting down a dart near a stargate in orbit.

[Jonathan_S]

I just thought of something: I was under the impression the puddle jumpers didn't have ANY weapons :confused:
We've seen them use small numbers of Ancient drone weapons before.

It is possible that jumpers aren't routinely armed. But even so going on a rescue mission were a wrath hive ship was expected to be in orbit would be a good time to stock up on drones ;)

[dcheesi]

I'm not sure what you mean, but I assume you're talking about the one with the "glasses." I think that one had infrared vision or extreme light sensitivity, so he had to wear the glasses outside, and took them off inside. I personally was hoping to see a little more "coolness" from the glasses, like the setup that the Predators had, or maybe something like what Violet had in the movie UltraViolet.Yeah, but then the second wraith was confusing. He didn't have the glasses and his eyes didn't glow in the dark like the first one, yet we still saw the same seeing-in-the-dark effect in one of his POV shots.

[myriadian]

yeah, those were the skankiest looking wraith we've seen yet. definite rejects from teh hive!

M.

[danterner]

I'm glad we finally had some further development of Ronon's backstory and character. He's my least-favorite on the show - but now to a lesser degree. I can't help but think of him as a "poor man's Worf" or "poor man's D'Argo"

[generalpatton71]

This is officially the worst episode ever. It was just one horrible predator rip off after another and they were all done in a "serious" fashion.I was tempted to just turn this episode off!!! I'm starting to think they have two writing teams that swap every other episode with SG1's writing team.

[classicX]

I'm glad we finally had some further development of Ronon's backstory and character. He's my least-favorite on the show - but now to a lesser degree. I can't help but think of him as a "poor man's Worf" or "poor man's D'Argo"

Please explain your analogy, it does not compute.

[marrone]

I was slightly disappointed in the episode, mainly because they made him Commando Ronon.

Other than that, it was nice to have a little backstory.

Question: how did he get implanted with the tracking device in the first place, and why would they bother to hunt him (one man) across galaxies? I recall an episode talking about it, but I forget!

-Mike

[nataylor]

I was slightly disappointed in the episode, mainly because they made him Commando Ronon.

Other than that, it was nice to have a little backstory.

Question: how did he get implanted with the tracking device in the first place, and why would they bother to hunt him (one man) across galaxies? I recall an episode talking about it, but I forget!

-MikeFrom the Gateworld Omnipedia:Runner:

Term used for individuals who are hunted by the Wraith, perhaps for sport or for military training. Legends of the existence of Runners spread throughout Wraith-threatened worlds in the Pegasus Galaxy. As a young girl Teyla Emmagan heard stories of them but never believed them to be real.

Each Runner has a Wraith transmitter implanted in the center of his back before being set free. It is not known for certain why some are chosen to be Runners, thought it may have something to do with a Wraith unable to feed on their life force -- as with Ronon Dex.

[IndyJones1023]

Is it me, or did they hire John Woo to direct this episode? ;)
Of course not, there were no doves.

[danterner]

Please explain your analogy, it does not compute.

To my mind, Worf (ST:TNG), D'Argo (Farscape), and Ronon (SG:A) share certain common characteristics and fill similar roles in their respective shows. Each fits the mythic warrior archetype. They are honor-bound, martial, stoic, virile, and loyal (especially to family). They are heroes at heart, but heroes whose actions are sometimes tinged by anger and vengefulness which they strive to keep in check. As noted by someone else above, Ronon's name is a direct reference to ronin, a masterless warrior/wandering Samurai. Plus, if you squint, all three kinda look sorta similar.

I called Ronon a "poor man's" Worf or D'Argo because, thus far, his character has been less fully developed. As we learn more about him, the distinctions become more apparent.

Your mileage may vary.

[Church AV Guy]

Didn't it jused to take 10 or 20 shots to kinda make one Wraith sorta collapse for a moment?

Now you just sorta look at 'em funny and they drop dead.
I too thought that they were unusually vulnerable in this episode compared to past episodes and what we were told about their regenerating capacity. Is this another example of the writers changing established show protocol for the purposes of one story? That was pretty bad.

Maybe the humans should find out where the hive ship manufacturing facility is, and knock it out. That might be a start.

[busyba]

From the Gateworld Omnipedia:

Each Runner has a Wraith transmitter implanted in the center of his back before being set free. It is not known for certain why some are chosen to be Runners, thought it may have something to do with a Wraith unable to feed on their life force -- as with Ronon Dex.
Okay, now that I don't remember. When and how did they show/tell us that Ronon was immune to Wraith-feeding?

[phox_mulder]

Okay, now that I don't remember. When and how did they show/tell us that Ronon was immune to Wraith-feeding?

I dont' recall that aspect either.

They never really explained why he got to run instead of becoming dinner,
but I just assumed it was because he fought back so intensley, he made a good training tool.


phox

[IndyJones1023]

He's a runner due to his fighting ability. It's like tactical practice for the Wraith. He's not immune to their suckage.

[Anubys]

He's a runner due to his fighting ability. It's like tactical practice for the Wraith. He's not immune to their suckage.

no...I seem to recall when they first met him and he explained that he was a runner because he tasted "sour" or something like that...

as for the vulnerability: it's not inconceivable that they adjusted their weapons/bullets to inflict a lot more damage than a normal one and achieve a kill with a first strike...but it would have been nice if they mentioned something about it!

[Jonathan_S]

as for the vulnerability: it's not inconceivable that they adjusted their weapons/bullets to inflict a lot more damage than a normal one and achieve a kill with a first strike...but it would have been nice if they mentioned something about it!Well, most of the shooting we saw was from Ronon, and he was using his planet's native weapons. We've seen in the past that his monster pistol is more effective against the Wraith than the P90 that most of the team are using.

Its possible that, for whatever reason, Ronon's people settled on guns with a more powerful (larger or faster or both) round than the fairly small round used by the P90. That might explain the increased effectiveness against the Wraith.

(Also, simply by gaining experience fighting them the team might be learning to target wherever the Wraith are most vulnerable, rather than just spraying bullets until the finally drop)

[Fahtrim]

Based on this episode, Ronon could kick Teal'c's ass!
Only with weapons. Hand to hand Teal'c would pwn him.

[Fahtrim]

As far as the guns, the Wraith know that most "human" guns don't really hurt them, which is probably why they don't care that the weapons were there. IIRC the one shot kills were with Ronon's "special" gun that Sheppard brought back. The thing is a beast.

I have to say that you DO NOT recall correctly.

[bootedbear]

it's not inconceivable that they adjusted their weapons/bullets to inflict a lot more damage

They modulated the tachyon flux of the bullets?

[dcheesi]

no...I seem to recall when they first met him and he explained that he was a runner because he tasted "sour" or something like that...Must not be too sour, since the end-level boss Hunter chief was preparing to feed on him as the coup-de-grace.

[busyba]

They modulated the tachyon flux of the bullets?
...after shifting the phase and reversing the polarity.

[drew2k]

Based on this episode, Ronon could kick Teal'c's ass!Only with weapons. Hand to hand Teal'c would pwn him.There's only thing that can settle this for sure: A special event sweeps-week cross-over dance off! fight!

[busyba]

"Ronon vs. Teal'c".... isn't that just "caveman vs. astronaut" all over again? ;)

[newsposter]

If the wraith are so good, why would they even need a tracking device? Just kinda seemed like cheating though I guess they knew he was that good that finding him wasn't the hard part.

And as much as he bitched that 'you better not kill him first' then to turn around and be thrilled he got help....just doenst make sense. I guess he knew he was dead without help?

does a jumper have to decloak to let passengers get out?