Post by Ahryantah on Sept 6, 2004 15:31:05 GMT -5
Review of the Stargate Atlantis episode "Poisoning the Well," first airing on the Sci-Fi channel on August 20, 2004.
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I think this episode has the potential to become a lot of people's favorite episode of the series so far. I surely enjoyed it, from the washed-out lighting to the moral complication to Dr. Beckett's starring role.
It's nice to give the main characters a break once in awhile and let the more minor ones step forward for a bit. This episode did this to great effect. Really, the Atlantis team was only there as background, and McKay wasn't there at all (except for a few minutes in the beginning). This episode was devoted to Beckett, who is just an awesome character to begin with, only here we get to see a more serious side of him, which is great for character development.
Quick recap of the plot: The Atlantis team stumbles upon a world where the people are feverishly working to develop a drug that will make them immune to the Wraith. Long story short, Beckett agrees to go to the planet and help them with the development of this drug, since he has more advanced knowledge and technology than these people have. While there he works closely with a woman that he develops a certain fondness for.
Fast forward to later in the episode when the drug is tested. Basically, they give the drug to a terminally ill patient and shove him into a cage containing the Wraith they kidnapped back in "Suspicion." The drug works, but has an unintended effect: it not only makes the man immune, but outright kills the Wraith. Ecstatic, the leader of the world decrees that everyone get an inoculation of the new drug, despite Beckett's insistence that one successful test does not a good drug make. There is apparently no FDA on this world.
So, of course, bad things happen: the drug works wonders, but turns out to have a 50% mortality rate. Oops. Side effects include death, death, and more death. Before Sheppard and company can act morally superior, however, the people on the planet vote overwhelmingly to continue the inoculations despite the risks. To this society, it's more important to have half the population safe from the Wraith than have the entire population at risk of being eaten. The Atlantis team is not happy with this particular worldview, and basically leaves in disgust.
There were many things to like about this episode - Beckett's further character development, his closeness to the female doctor and his anguish when she is one of those who die, Weir's discomfort with her people's blatant disregard for the Geneva Convention despite the fact it doesn't really even apply in Atlantis (this is a plot line they've examined a couple times now: now they they are removed from the laws and guidelines of Earth, how far will they push standard definitions of morality to achieve what they want?), and Sheppard's naming the Wraith "Steve" in the kind of irreverent humor that's become the trademark of Stargate.
There were some things that I didn't like. Is anyone else just getting really tired of Teyla and her constant doomsaying? It's clear she doesn't believe anyone has any chance at all of ever defeating the Wraith. If she thinks this, why is she on the Atlantis team? Just because Sheppard asked her to be? She does understand, doesn't she, that the people of Atlantis ARE going to try and defeat the Wraith if they try to make more trouble? If she thinks that's an impossible feat, she shouldn't be there. She'll only be a burden on everyone else. Teyla's always had a dark view of the Wraith (how can she not?) but she seemed extra vehement in this episode, shooting down anyone with a suggestion on how to defeat the Wraith, saying it was impossible and they were all doomed no matter what they did. Never mind that she didn't bother to actually listen to what they were saying, and probably wouldn't understand if she did. I wish Teyla's character would be more consistent.
Other than that, I liked this episode. The directing style really stood out to me as something a little different than what they usually do for Stargate, and episodes that focus on background characters are always interesting.
8 out of 10.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think this episode has the potential to become a lot of people's favorite episode of the series so far. I surely enjoyed it, from the washed-out lighting to the moral complication to Dr. Beckett's starring role.
It's nice to give the main characters a break once in awhile and let the more minor ones step forward for a bit. This episode did this to great effect. Really, the Atlantis team was only there as background, and McKay wasn't there at all (except for a few minutes in the beginning). This episode was devoted to Beckett, who is just an awesome character to begin with, only here we get to see a more serious side of him, which is great for character development.
Quick recap of the plot: The Atlantis team stumbles upon a world where the people are feverishly working to develop a drug that will make them immune to the Wraith. Long story short, Beckett agrees to go to the planet and help them with the development of this drug, since he has more advanced knowledge and technology than these people have. While there he works closely with a woman that he develops a certain fondness for.
Fast forward to later in the episode when the drug is tested. Basically, they give the drug to a terminally ill patient and shove him into a cage containing the Wraith they kidnapped back in "Suspicion." The drug works, but has an unintended effect: it not only makes the man immune, but outright kills the Wraith. Ecstatic, the leader of the world decrees that everyone get an inoculation of the new drug, despite Beckett's insistence that one successful test does not a good drug make. There is apparently no FDA on this world.
So, of course, bad things happen: the drug works wonders, but turns out to have a 50% mortality rate. Oops. Side effects include death, death, and more death. Before Sheppard and company can act morally superior, however, the people on the planet vote overwhelmingly to continue the inoculations despite the risks. To this society, it's more important to have half the population safe from the Wraith than have the entire population at risk of being eaten. The Atlantis team is not happy with this particular worldview, and basically leaves in disgust.
There were many things to like about this episode - Beckett's further character development, his closeness to the female doctor and his anguish when she is one of those who die, Weir's discomfort with her people's blatant disregard for the Geneva Convention despite the fact it doesn't really even apply in Atlantis (this is a plot line they've examined a couple times now: now they they are removed from the laws and guidelines of Earth, how far will they push standard definitions of morality to achieve what they want?), and Sheppard's naming the Wraith "Steve" in the kind of irreverent humor that's become the trademark of Stargate.
There were some things that I didn't like. Is anyone else just getting really tired of Teyla and her constant doomsaying? It's clear she doesn't believe anyone has any chance at all of ever defeating the Wraith. If she thinks this, why is she on the Atlantis team? Just because Sheppard asked her to be? She does understand, doesn't she, that the people of Atlantis ARE going to try and defeat the Wraith if they try to make more trouble? If she thinks that's an impossible feat, she shouldn't be there. She'll only be a burden on everyone else. Teyla's always had a dark view of the Wraith (how can she not?) but she seemed extra vehement in this episode, shooting down anyone with a suggestion on how to defeat the Wraith, saying it was impossible and they were all doomed no matter what they did. Never mind that she didn't bother to actually listen to what they were saying, and probably wouldn't understand if she did. I wish Teyla's character would be more consistent.
Other than that, I liked this episode. The directing style really stood out to me as something a little different than what they usually do for Stargate, and episodes that focus on background characters are always interesting.
8 out of 10.
