The Queen Screams for a Sequel
Just so you know, I loved the Atlantis episode The Queen. I wanted to get that out of the way so you don’t think I’m bashing the episode when I mention that I found the transformation of Teyla stunning. Gene Therapy has never been so amazing. (The Science Not Fiction blog mentions a thing or two about gene therapy and Stargate Atlantis. How cool!)
Not only was I amazed by her physical changes, I was amazed by how the episode just zipped right past them. I guess I’m supposed to understand how she went from human to Wraith and back again, without any apparent lasting physical reminders of the surgery. It was surgery, right? I’m pretty sure I saw Dr. Jennifer Keller wielding medical instruments, an anesthesiologist putting Teyla under…. What was that if not surgery, and what purpose might it have had if it wasn’t to physically alter Teyla and turn her into a Wraith?
I can suppose and speculate as to how the whole thing happened, but I would rather have had Keller explain it to me, even if it were only a short thirty second comment or two.
I was able to overlook these issues simply because that’s the kind of viewer I am. I don’t usually dwell on issues of believability when it comes to the science of the matter, because I believe wholeheartedly that science fiction is more fiction than science most of the time. That’s the way it should be.
When you take the transformation out of the show, you’re left with one of the best episodes of the series. This has been a one-two shot with Whispers and now The Queen. Although I wasn’t that sure it was going to be great, because I’m not usually a big fan of Teyla centered episodes, I can’t say enough good things about how this episode played out.
Not only is there action and intrigue, there was Todd. Todd is one of my favorite recurring characters and I loved seeing his plot line carried forward. Todd is someone I definitely want to see again. He has given me a glimpse of what the Wraith should have been from the beginning–complex villains who are shaped by their society and their genes, not the cardboard bad guy monsters they’ve mostly been portrayed as.
The Queen rules, and with those parting remarks from Teyla at the end of the episode, this one just screams for a sequel. Let’s just hope it’s not too late, since Atlantis won’t be back for season 6.
Other views of The Queen:
- Science Fiction Stuff – Stargate Atlantis “the Queen”
- TV Squad – Stargate Atlantis: The Queen
- Film School Rejects – Stargate: Atlantis 5.8
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