(S04E07) So far in season four we've had Ronon, McKay, and Sheppard episodes, so it was high time Teyla got one of her own. If that wasn't enough, she brought along Keller for some much needed screen time and character development. Of course, if Teyla was just heading home for a bit of the slap and tickle with her beau, it wouldn't make for much of an Atlantis episode. Luckily, for the viewers, it all went to hell and the whole gang got involved by the end.
Things went off the rails quickly. That bit of it came as a surprise to me. I'd managed to miss all of the previews so I came into this one completely blind. Between Sheppard's warning about the wine and that giant jar of lollipops in Keller's bag, I was expecting the two of them to walk into a big party as much as Keller was. Surprise or no, I was on board as soon as Teyla declared that something was wrong and made for the village. We get so much of the even tempered calm Teyla that it's good to see her just knock the crap out of some baddies on occasion.
While the Bola Kai wouldn't top my list of best foes to battle, they're not bad. The crazy face paint, primitive weapons (the jumbo saw blade throwing stars are awesome), and the whole idea that the pack is hunting them all worked really well. My biggest complaint with them would actually be one of omission. In case you didn't see it through the face paint, the leader, Omal, was played by Danny Trejo. While Trejo isn't what anyone would call a superstar, getting him is still a pretty nice addition for this show. I would have liked to see him get a little more to do.
It's possible that we haven't seen the last of the Bola Kai, which kind of points to what was one of the more interesting aspects of this episode. That being the fact that they left so many things open ended. What is Nable's real identity? Is he actually a Wraith worshiper? What became of the Athosians? Are they alive, as Nable hinted? If so, where are they? Did they flee, or did someone capture them? And of course, what medical mystery was Dr. Keller about to solve just before they rolled credits and left us all hanging? That last one was actually one of my least favorite parts of the show. It came off very soap like, as if it would have felt more at home with Dr. Scorpio saying that to Lulu on General Hospital. Plus, I think that cat got out of the bag a while ago, so with all of those other balls in the air, it would have been worth it to answer that question.
With much more weight to carry than in the normal episode, I thought both of the girls handled it well. It's something I've come to expect from Rachel Luttrell, and more than giving us any new insight into Teyla, this just reaffirmed what we already knew. For Keller and Jewel Staite though, this was a nice showing. She was very convincing as the fish out of water that didn't know how to deal with the circumstances she found herself in. She came through in the end, solidifying herself as part of the team. Her line about needing something to heal first, before plugging Nable in the leg, was very cool.
For Sheppard and the boys, there's not a lot to say. The rescue mission went exactly as you would expect. The one moment that stood out for me was the conversation between Ronon and McKay when Ronon mentions that the Bola Kai use arrows. It was a nice reference back to the season three episode "Sateda." McKay getting shot in the ass is always going to be funny. For me, it narrowly edged out the Bola Kai warrior walking around with the lollipop for the funniest gag of the night.
Overall, the episode falls short of "Tabula Rosa." But then, that was an exceptional episode. It was nice to get Teyla out in the forefront, and I'll never complain about more Jewel Staite on my television. Add to that the myriad of directions the story can go with all the open questions and I'd have to count this as a solid entry in the season four archive.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
11-10-2007 @ 10:13AM
tricia said...
I thought it was a good show, and really was glad that they showed Teyla being exasperated at Dr. Keller's fear and squeamishness. Although, I couldn't have walked across that bridge,either, nor could I have eaten that stuff from that thing!
The lollipop stick in the bad guy's mouth was hilarious, as was the arrow conversation. And yes, we all know that R. L. is/was pregnant. We didn't need the "we need to talk" line - she just should have said it and ended with Teyla having a dreamy look on her face, more determined than ever to find her missing lover.
But, it was a good episode, but I am glad that next week Samantha will be back in it, along with everyone else.
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11-10-2007 @ 10:16AM
Usama said...
Yeah, every episode can't be a "Tabula Rosa." I also liked the addition of this new "race," and I firmly believe it isn't the last we will see of them. What I'm hoping though, is that it doesn't turn out to be that the Bola Kai are actually nice people who are just misunderstood or something, I hope it is more complicated than that, because it wouldn't work well with both the way and how quickly Teyla (and Ronon) reacted to their presence.
I too will never complain about too much Jewel Staite. Oh and I loved that reference to "Sateda," the image of McKay screaming, "This is not happening!" popped into my head and it got a good laugh.
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11-10-2007 @ 10:50AM
Oreo said...
This is easily the worst episode of the season. The Doctor has become the most annoying character on the show, she used to only be the most boring. This new group was pointless, hell the whole episode was pointless except that it will obviously lead to things down the road.
Sadly I'll bet anyone that this week's event's are mostly, or more likely completely, forgotten by next week's episode.
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11-10-2007 @ 11:05AM
Usama said...
Oreo: It's fine if you're annoyed by the doctor, but even if you didn't like what happened on the show (acting, writing, whatever), it is hard to argue that the episode was pointless.
2 rather important things happened, that as you said will have consequences "down the road.":
1. We have a new race/group of people.
2. Teyla's group is missing
It's hard to argue this new group was pointless because other than this episode we don't know their story. Now if in a year or two they never mention these people again then hell yes I'll agree with you.
2 pieces of character development:
1. the doctor overall (but I know you don't care)
2. Teyla (someone in her life, lost her people, baby?)
So It wasn't a must-see episode, if I missed it I could have just as easily read a short summary and been fine. My point is with most shows looking at the bigger picture sometimes episodes, like this one, serve as a setup.
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11-10-2007 @ 12:48PM
Aberdeen said...
Yay for giving Teyla something to do! And how cool was her leather coat?
I wish there had been more Danny Trejo, too.
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11-10-2007 @ 1:35PM
Paul McCall said...
I enjoyed seeing Keller do Rodney's usual bits and, at the rescue, seeing Ronon take off with the women, Shepard following them and RODNEY bringing up the rear firing into the bad guys!
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11-10-2007 @ 2:23PM
Lampbane said...
Making the Athosians disappear, where they're alive or not, was a very stupid idea. Having her people around to visit and care about made her character deeper, getting rid of them this way just made Teyla into a cliché. "Oh no, I've lost what I cared about! I must go on a quest to save them!" (if they're alive)
I thought this show had better writers than that. I guess not.
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11-10-2007 @ 3:30PM
Morjana Coffman said...
Now THIS episode is my favorite so far in Season Four. And Missing is definitely in my top ten of SGA episodes. Kudos to Carl Binder on the script and director Andy Mikita.
What a fantastic episode!
Teyla was amazing, spectacular...and very Jack O'Neillish...
Her determination and strength is admirable.
And her actions regarding the Bola Kai -- hunting down the runner, killing the survivor -- were correct for the situation.
I was glad that Teyla let Keller tend to the "Genii" -- that is also something Jack O'Neill would have done.
When the lollipops were introduced, I kept wondering how Teyla was going to turn one of those into a weapon. I wasn't expecting one of the Bola Kai to eat one! LOL!
I LOVE Keller! Jewel Staite is fabulous. (Okay, I'm going to have to look for my Thesaurus now...) Keller tackling the guy was great, and she knew exactly where to shoot him to get the best results.
And you couldn't get me to cross that rope bridge either! Yikes!
I wonder why Keller didn't use one of the fallen Bola Kai's weapons to defend herself instead of that scalpel?
Nice character development. Teyla was having a "date" with Kanan, and they've been friends since childhood. Keller is from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (yeah!), and the only family she has is her dad. I was surprised that Keller didn't invite Teyla to come home with her on her visit.
Wished we could have seen more of Danny Trejo (the Bola Kai leader) but the few minutes we had with him were more than convincing. If anyone can portray a cold-blooded killer, it's him!
The music was lovely; I loved the Stargate arrival on New Athos with Keller and Teyla; and way cool to see Rodney, Shep and Ronon exit the cloaking field of the puddle jumper.
Truly marvelous to see the powerful women of SGA in this episode.
Out of ten, I'd rate this episode with 12 lollipops!
:)
Morjana
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11-10-2007 @ 3:46PM
Oreo said...
This episode is pointless, there was no story. What was the plot? There was none. I doubt we will see this group again, and it was a waste of an hour they could have been leading to something. In the end we don't have any answers, and next week seems to ignore the fact that the people are missing.
There are better ways to introduce a race and to have a story build up. Look at "The Travelers", that story had a plot, finished that plot in 60 minutes (well 44) and still gave questions to the next time we will see them. This episode did one of those, and came off as a huge failure.
Maybe Teyla's people will be like Weir and Ford, we will see them / talk about them once and then forget they were ever around.
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11-10-2007 @ 10:12PM
Mimi said...
The point of this episode was to build you up for further episodes. Tayla will be told that she is pregnant (since she had a baby in real life) so you will see how that is worked into the show. You will also see more of Nabal and the Athosians and the Bala Kai.
I don't agree with Oreo - the epi was not a complete failure. It had some good tense moments and it was needed for further plot development. Sometimes you have to have a "so-so" epi in order to have the big bang ones later on!
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11-10-2007 @ 11:16PM
Bash said...
I didn't like the episode yet it was a good one. There were twists and turns. The writing was good. There was plot development short and long-term.
Yet it felt meh for me.
The reason is simple:the only part I liked was when the team was back in action at the end, with the weapons being fired. That's the kind of action I like.
Still this one was better than any DS9 Ferengi episode. They pulled at least three of those out of their asses every season and I hated them all.
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11-11-2007 @ 2:35AM
DataDroid said...
First of all, how hot was Rachel in that outfit? Anyone with me on this one?
Anyway, was I the only one to notice several Firefly/Serenity references in this episode? First, the Bola Kai initially appeared very Reaver-like (rumored to be cannibals, use primitive weapons, alter the appearance of their faces, etc.), Second, when Teyla fights a group of them, the camera angles and moves used almost mirror those used by River in Serenity. Thirdly, Teyla eventually ends up fighting them with, what else, a blade and an axe. Finally, do my eyes deceive me, or was Teyla wearing a large BROWN coat for nearly the entire episode.
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11-11-2007 @ 10:06AM
Usama said...
DataDroid! I caught most of those, except the Bola Kai being Reaverlike. Well I mean I did think they were Reaverlike at first because of the face paint and the reputation they had (Teyla said something along the lines of nothing being left to find if you're caught by a Bola Kai), but then when they took the two as prisoners and questioned them and all that I was like, okay maybe they're not straight up Reavers. But still, you're right. Did you catch who wrote this one?
p.s. - Rachel is always hot, but yes she looked especially nice in the coat.
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11-11-2007 @ 11:31AM
Chuck said...
I liked the episode, but I don't buy the Bola kai for a second. In this galaxy, this race of people is completely implausible. Here's why: you have a completely primitive race of people, right? Yet everyone seems to know who they are, right? (At least, Teyla and Ronin both knew quickly). Such a primitive tribe wouldn't be capable of space-flight, so it stands to reason that that would've been their home planet. So the Athosians should have known that before settling there.
And if you can assume that the Bola Kai have also spread out through the galaxy because of the stargate, then don't you think at some point they'd try and get better technology than bows and arrows? I don't buy it.
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11-11-2007 @ 8:28PM
Morjana Coffman said...
Regarding Chuck's complaint: "Such a primitive tribe wouldn't be capable of space-flight, so it stands to reason that that would've been their home planet. And if you can assume that the Bola Kai have also spread out through the galaxy because of the stargate, then don't you think at some point they'd try and get better technology than bows and arrows? I don't buy it."
Just because the Bola Kai know how to use the Stargate to travel from planet to planet, doesn't necessarily mean they would also upgrade their weapon technology -- and there could be several reasons for having primitive weapons, including:
1) Perhaps the Bola Kai tribal religion prescibes not only the cannibalism, but also the manner on how their prey is killed -- with primitive weapons.
2) The firearms that the Genii have (projective weapons) require bullets to work. Whereas the Bola Kai can acquire the actual weapons, they don't have the knowledge/skills to manufacture the bullets. And perhaps their homeworld doesn't have a sporting goods store franchise.
3) And if Ronon's weapon also requires to be reloaded, then again, they run into the same problem with manufacturing the ammunition.
4) We don't have a clue as to how the Wraith weapons work, but I'm guessing they're similar to the Goa'uld weapons, and in that they too require a renewable energy source. In the Goa'uld weapons, it was liquid naquada. So again, the Bola Kai could acquire the weapons, but what do they do to in finding replacement energy sources?
Morjana
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11-12-2007 @ 10:53AM
Akbar Fazil said...
I've got a much easier explanation of the Bola Kai and their technology level.
They are a warrior tribe that is always on the run from the Wraith. They don't stick around long enough to learn new tech or master found tech. Their simple weapons serve them well to survive.
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11-12-2007 @ 11:15AM
markinwales said...
I am a big Jewel Staite fan from her days on Firefly, but I find her character very annoying. I understand she is not a fighter but she is too whiny. I found myself raising my voice to the TV several times in annoyance. On the plus side I enjoying the Teyla centric episode. She is a joy to watch. Stargate fan for 11 years.
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11-12-2007 @ 9:42PM
Navstar said...
Usually I hate these episodes (All Teal'c/Jaffa or Ronin/Satedans storylines bore me to tears). But I found this was pretty interesting character development.
I'm a Jewel Staite fan, but her character was such a wuss. I like the extreme contrast between the Dr. and Teyla. And I'm glad Dr. didn't turn into Linda Hamilton at the end of the episode.
But another primitive race of KISS cavemen? BOR-RING. I'd love to see another advanced race like Aschens.
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11-12-2007 @ 9:42PM
Navstar said...
Oh, and just exactly WHY is Amanda Tapping in the show? She looks tired... and puffy. She's barely used (if at all). Did the producers throw a bunch of money at her? Is she burned out after 10 years? (I'd be)
I feel like her scant apperances are ruining my good memories of Sam in SG1.
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11-13-2007 @ 8:40AM
shadowdoc said...
I must have missed some key points prior to this episode. When Atlantis left Atlantia in the season three finale, did the Athosians, who were on the mainland, come aboard for the ride? And then got resettled to this planet? Plus, last I remember, there were a lot of Athosians....why then were there just a handfull of tents in the village? Shouldn't there be several settlements???
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