“I don’t know about you, Miss Kitty, but I feel so much…yummier.” - Catwoman

By Wolfen Moondaughter
Something occurred to me about “Lifeline” after I turned the column in last week. Do you remember how Ronon was hovering over McKay, asking questions, and eventually eliciting the “Get out of there!” from Rodney because he was picking through something in the back of the ‘jumper? I wonder if that was a follow-up of sorts regarding his statement in “First Strike”, saying he needed to learn more science so he could feel more useful! Hmmm ….

4.3: “Reunion”

Teyla and Ronon are looking for three strangers boasting of Wraith kills who are rumoured to be on a planet; they think these people may be Satedans. There’s a humorous exchange with a local who mistakes Teyla for his arranged bride. Love Ronon’s slightly hostile “Excuse me?” Now, I wouldn’t call myself a die-hard Teyla/Ronon shipper (particularly since I ship Teyla/Beckett, too), but I still am one to some extent, and this sequence certainly adds fuel to the fire, especially coming on the shirttails with the moment they had together in the previous ep.

The man describes the strangers as “the three loud-mouth drunkards who spend their days carousing at the tavern.” “Sounds like my people,” Ronon agrees. I’m grinning from ear to ear. A whole planet of troublemakers, ey? (Wait, are they related to the Klingons? With Ronon’s hair, rugged clothes, and arsenal, he’d be easy to mistake for one …)

Ronon and Teyla are sporting spiffy new black leather duster-like coats. A compliment of sorts to the new leather jackets the Eathers sport later in the ep, I wonder?

They split up, with Teyla looking for the Satedans in the tavern. A man overhears her questioning someone, and tells her that the people she seeks are either very brave or very foolish to risk attracting the attention of the Wraith with their boasting. Of course I immediately think he’s one of the Satedans. She points out that there are no Wraith around to overhear, and he responds, “The Wraith don’t always need their own ears to hear.” Right away, I think “Wraith Spy”. Gods, I love a beautiful bit of foreshadowing like that! Very clever, Mallozzi! (That would be writer/producer Joe Mallozzi, aka JoeM, as his fans affectionately refer to him, aka Baron Destructo ….) Even if I’m wrong about the man being a spy, I figure it’s an intriguing notion, Wraith-worshippers spying for them instead of just hanging out on hive ships.

Teyla gets seriously pissy with the man, basically telling him where to stick it. (Go Teyla! Glad to see her in a more prominent role in this one, compared to the last two eps!) The man’s friends, another guy and a girl, get involved, and there’s a fast and furious little scuffle. Ronon to the rescue! He quickly stands down, though, as he realises the people threatening Teyla aren’t just the Satedans’ they’ve been looking for, but people who personally knows! The reunion is joyous for the Satedans, but Teyla, understandably, is less than pleased.

Rodney has big news to share with Radek (which Hewlett give with brilliant comic delivery) — and apparently a new uniform to show us. I like the cut, it’s very flattering! Just one quibble — the bars of colour on the shoulders that reflect what division one works with are too dark, they’re a bit lost against the dark gray. Radek is wearing a shirt with the old blue of the science department — why didn’t they use that blue for the new uniforms?

Rodney thinks he’s going to be the new head of Atlantis, which Zelenka obviously finds to be a frightening prospect. It’s almost touching when Rodney tells him that he’s going to make everyone — specifically Radek — proud. After all, beneath that massive ego he’s got serious self-esteem issues, so it’s got to feel good to think the brass has declared him worthy for such a post. I even feel a little sorry for him when, through an amusing long-distance exchange with Sam, he learns that he’s got it all wrong. Still, some laws of the universe are undeniable: when we get a bit full of ourselves, the universe seldom hesitates to smack us down. The scene is certainly funny, and entirely true to Rodney’s character ….

But also leaves a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. If he were getting the position, it would only be because of what happened to Elizabeth; I would have thought that would put a dampener on his enthusiasm. Still, it’s likely been a while since she was captured, and if he really were the one chosen, I guess I couldn’t really blame him for being proud of his accomplishment and happy to be given the chance to put his skills to the best use possible (i.e., favour the geek squad). I mean, if Weir had simply stepped down, and he’s gotten the position, I wouldn’t be having a problem, right? And they still need a leader, no matter how sad the circumstances around why they need one. Alas, thinking that way only makes my disappointment in him marginally more palatable ….

Do you think, going by his tone, that John is a bit jealous? After all, he’s been in Atlantis all this time, knows the score first-hand, and until recently he and Sam were of the same rank …. Anyway, we also learn in this sequence that the Replicators are doing well against the Wraith, their war in full-swing.

Through discussion amongst Teyla, Ronon, and the other Satedans, we learn that, they had gotten trapped in a cave while on a mission, and that being trapped like that saved them from the Wraith. Ronon had thought them dead, and left without them. You can tell this point is really hurting him, now that he knows they are alive, especially so soon after they’d had to abandon Elizabeth. Meanwhile, it seems that the Satedans already knew about Ronon’s own survival as a runner after the destruction of their homeworld, his story having become something of a legend. I like what else this scene illustrates: that Ronon wasn’t always so aloof and quiet, but rather these were qualities that became a part of his nature because of his time as a Runner. We’ve seen glimpses of this side coming out slowly with SGA-1, but it comes easily to him here, with this people that knew him Before.

Sam is packing. (Let me take a moment to squee over the fact that they’re fiiiinally letting her grow her hair out! Unlike Rodney, I am partial to long hair. Oh, wait, is this an attempt to ward off Rodney’s interest? Heheheh ….) Teal’c stops by to say goodbye. Sam is in tears, and I am nearly there myself. As much as I’m glad we’ll still get to see Sam, and I know we’ll see SG-1 together again in the movies, the whole idea of SG-1 breaking up is still sad to me. Love Teal’c line when Sam asks if he’ll come visit Atlantis, “Undomesticated equines could not keep me away.” Sam tells him “Nice call-back,” in a sweet, almost-fourth-wall-breaking moment. Ah, if only budget concerns hadn’t made a full-cast SG-1 goodbye prohibitive ….

Rodney’s prepared to welcome Sam with a fruit basket (citrus-free, I assume), which John calls lame (Oh, real mature!), suggesting flowers to brighten up her room would be better. At this point I’m thinking John’s flooded her room with the Pegasus equivalent of gardenias or something. Rodney rethinks his gift, handing it off to someone else. Sam comes through the gate (and something occurs to me then: are they no longer running the Daedalus or Apollo with supplied to Atlantis, for fear of drawing attention to the city? Or is the Midway station finished?) Sam gives a pretty little speech. John suggests they go check out her new digs. As they go, Rodney checks out Sam’s ass, to Radek’s apparent disapproval. *Snicker* It’s the little details like that, that really make this show!

Ronon’s getting a tattoo on his left forearm. (Interesting story there: Ronon’s portrayer, Jason Momoa, said at Dragon*Con that he got the tattoo without permission; it’s a tradition in Hawaii, and he had it done with his father, so it was very important to him. It represents his family’s totem animal, the shark. Looking at Joe Mallozzi’s blog, I see that there’s another interesting story dealing with this scene as well.) His friends talk a bit about their ongoing crusade against the Wraith, and confess that there were two other survivors with them who had later gotten killed, thanks to a lack of resources. Ronon starts to offer up the aid of ‘his friends”, but fizzles out with a warning glance from Teyla.

Rodney comes to Sam’s quarters, bearing a bouquet. John hasn’t flooded Sam’s room with any himself, no, though there are some big houseplants present — and the fruit-basket. Sam tells Rodney that John dropped it off; she seems pleased by it. “Son of a …” Rodney scowls. What a sneaky bastard, I think to myself, wanting to smack John. Well, I suppose it does compliment Rodney in a back-handed sort of way … (Some eagle-eyed fan spotted a photo of Jack among Sam’s things at the beginning of this scene; the Sam/Jack shipper in me is delirious — and ashamed for not spotting it myself!).

Rodney makes a point of telling Sam that he’s seeing someone, mentioning the “unrequited lust” that’s been hanging over them both “for like forever!” I nearly bust a gut, while Sam looks like she’s going to lose her lunch. I’m glad that this is being addressed so directly — considering their past encounters, I was wondering how they were going to be able to work together. Not that I anticipate the subject never coming up again (because it’s obvious the lust is still there on his part, as unrequited as ever, despite whatever he may or not feel for Katie Brown), but it would get old very quickly if it were a continuous thing between them. This was a good way around it without pretending the problem never existed in the first place. Rodney explains that he just doesn’t want things to be awkward between them, “kind of like they are now.” I think for a moment that the lightbulb’s finally lit, that he’s on the verge of finally admitting to himself that Sam was never interested in the first place. (It was unrequited, he got that right!) The next moment, though, he still tries to play it off as though it’s Sam’s feelings he’s worried for. Poor guy; it’s yet another crushing blow to his ego today!

Ronon stalks in, saving Rodney from further humiliation; he wants to bring his Satedan friends to Atlantis, and seems annoyed that he needs to clear it with Sam. Sam is firm and fair when she explains why they can’t allow it for the time being, but Ronon isn’t impressed, and argues that Weir would have allowed it. He tries to intimidate her, but she stands her ground, and reminds him that she’s not Dr Weir. The conversation nicely illustrates how hard this is for both of them, her in regards to taking over, and him for accepting a new leader, with Elizabeth as the mutual crux of their transitions.

Actually, the whole story illustrates it, really, playing the parallels between the two character’s situations quite masterfully: Sam is trying to settle into a new life with the people of Atlantis while Ronon is trying to fold his old one in. Weir is an elephant in the room, so it’s a tight squeeze: the question is, will Ronon and Sam find a way to coexist with that elephant between them, or will Ronon decide to give up the new in favour of the old and leave the room entirely? Of course we know the answer — it does and it doesn’t — but that knowledge doesn’t make watching it all play out any less interesting. (Kind of like knowing a character doesn’t die doesn’t make the dangerous situations they get into any less terrifying.)

Sam asks if Ronon is always like that; Rodney says no … he’s usually worse. Hewlett’s delivery there is perfect, very funny!

Ronon talks to one of the Satedans, Tyre. Ronon is apologetic that his friends aren’t being hospitable; Tyre reveals casually that he knows Ronon lives in Atlantis. He passes it off as easy to figure out through rumour, but coupled with his earlier statement, the warning bells are going off in my head. (And I’m wondering why Ronon’s new tat doesn’t look scabbed over.) Ronon is sorry that he couldn’t be straight from the start; Tyre is sympathetic, but wonders why Ronon would think the people of Atlantis would make an exception for him about bringing new people in. “They’re my friends,” Ronon shrugs. Tyre says no, they’re allies, expertly playing with Ronon’s insecurities, praising Ronon for his loyalties, but stressing that they should lie first and foremost with the other Satedans.

Sheppard and Sam chat. Sam tells John that he was under consideration for the position, one of the top five, but John assures her that he didn’t really want it anyway after seeing what Elizabeth had to put up with. (Despite my question earlier, I believe him. Besides, he hadn’t exactly wanted to take over for Sumner, way back when, right?) Sam asks if he thinks Elizabeth is still alive; he does.

It occurs to me at this point that Rodney, like John, might not think Elizabeth is dead. This could very well be like the nanite thing, where the negative aspects of the situation were simply a non-issue to him; if he’s confident they will get Elizabeth back, he might have seen getting her job as just an interim thing. If it needs must be done anyway, why not find the joy in it? Well, perhaps I’m totally off-base, but this thinking puts me at ease with Rodney’s earlier enthusiasm. (I read Mallozzi’s blog after writing this: looks like I wasn’t exactly off the mark after all, particularly with my first paragraph on this subject. Oh good — I was afraid I was just making excuses for the boyo!)

John wants to go after Elizabeth, but Sam has very sound reasons for denying his request — for the moment. She makes it clear that she’s open to the idea of a rescue if he can come up with a plan she believes has a chance of working. I like the balance in this ep: Sam’s clearly not going to have an easy time taking command, so she’s not Super!Sam, but she’s also not vilified either. Her reasoning makes sense and is fair, even if her subordinates (read: John and Ronon) aren’t happy about her decisions.

Ronon and Teyla spar with the sticks. (Ronon’s pants look like a skirt. Not anything wrong with that, just an observation. He seems to have a lot of “new” — yet still primitive-looking — clothes in this ep.) Even blindfolded, she’s kicking his ass. Ronon yells at her to stop hitting him. (Turnabout’s fair play, Ronon: consider this payback for when you were hitting Rodney during that lesson in “Vengeance”, even though he was legitimately distracted by Weir and Sheppard!) Ronon confesses that he’s considering leaving Atlantis for the other Satedans, who are his family. (Gee, Ronon, I thought SGA-1 was too? Did they stop being family just because your old one came back?) Teyla gives him a pep talk, asking if he really must choose between the two. (I’m so glad she did; I wanted to ask that myself! So many stories often just ignore logic like that, in favour of convenience.) She also confesses out how she misses her people, saying it was hard to leave them, but she pointing out that could do far more for them as a part of Atlantis.

Later, in the mess hall, Sheppard tells Ronon that he’s not going to give him a pep talk because Ronon already knows what he’s going to say — and then details all the things he’s “not” going to tell him. Clever, that. He besides saying how important Ronon is to the team, he basically says the old adage, “You can’t go home again.” I know that all too well; now I’m curious as to how well John knows it — and why. Ronon insists that he needs to be there to protect them like he’d always done. Uh, Ronon, a) they’ve gotten along pretty well without you for two years, and b) you didn’t do such a hot job of protecting them on that last mission did you? It’s funny, if anyone else had said what he just said, I would have thought them really full of themselves, but with Ronon, it’s clearly a matter responsibility, not pride. Ronon reveals that he has intel on the Wraith. John shrugs the statement off; let the Replicators take care of them. Ronon insists that John will want to hear this, but won’t go into it without the other Satedan’s present.

So John, Rodney, and Teyla accompany Ronon to meet with the Satedans, who apparently want to attack a Wraith lab that’s not very well-guarded. They only want SGA-1 as, to use John’s humorous phrasing, “designated drivers”. John’s not having it, though — he insists they help. Rodney’s not so keen on the idea (as is made clear by his suggestion that they just buy Wraith tech and weapons off eBay. *Snicker*) John translates the Rodney-speak for them, saying that there’s no reason to rush in, let their enemies take care of each other for a while and then break in when they’re both weakened. (Like I said last week, I’m highly appreciative of scenes where characters discuss plans, going over the pros and cons like this, rather than just bluntly stating “this is what we’re going to do” and then just having at it.) Ronon then reveals that the Wraith are trying to reprogram the Replicators again, which, as Teyla points out (she’s so good at that!) means both groups would then be free to turn their attention to humanity again. Rodney conjectures that it was the Wraith who made the programming command inactive in the first place.

Outside, John shares his misgivings about the Satedan’s with Ronon, worried that the two teams may not get along well. And concerns about the Satedans themselves aside, he’s got a good point, at least in my experience: trying to merge friends from different aspects of one’s life is difficult under the best of conditions, much less during a dangerous mission. Ronon doesn’t see the problem, saying he’ll keep his people in line, and John will do the same with his own. John points out that John’s people are Ronon’s too. Chagrined, Ronon then confesses then that he’s leaving Atlantis. Get out here and smack him again, Teyla; he needs some sense knocked into him! And call me a hypocrite, then, ’cause I’ve done the same in (vaguely) similar situations. When you’re unhappy with a situation (in this case, his not being trusted enough to allow his friends into Atlantis — at least, that’s how he sees it) and another opportunity presents itself, it’s often much easier to go with the new situation than try to fix (or even just accept the problem with) the old. Path of least resistance, and all that. But even while I understand it, I find that I’m still disappointed in him here.

Sam tries to talk Ronon out of leaving while he packs. I’m fascinated by his room. Did he have the animal-skin blankets with him on the run, and finds them too comforting to part with? His people seemed fairly advanced for him to have such “Wild Man of Borneo”-like tastes, even if he did live off the land for so long. What’s that thick book on his nightstand? What’s that paining on the wall? A scene from a Road Warrior -type story? A Heavy Metal band? (Has anyone bothered to expose him to Rock ‘n’ Roll yet? I rather suspect he’d like it. I can easily picture him playing Megadeth at full volume.) Is the painting even from Earth or somewhere in Pegasus?

Ronon makes it clear that he’s not giving up Atlantis entirely (well, I guess he took some of what Teyla said to heart), he’ll still be there for them when they need him. As Sam points out, though, it might be kind of difficult to keep in touch with Atlantis trying to lay low, ‘ey? Ronon realises then that Sam may not let him leave: he knows too much. Sam says she hopes it won’t come to that. Hopefully he’ll look past the fact that they may indeed have to do that, and note that she respects him enough to be honest rather than try to deny it. Especially since now he’s forewarned; he obviously won’t try to make a break for it just yet, for his friend’s sake and the importance of their mission, but after …?

On their way in the jumper, SGA-1 express misgivings about the Satedan’s plan. (ooh, they’re wearing the sexy new leather jackets! With the tac vest over them, though, it looks hot and uncomfortable.) Rodney and one of the Satedan guys get into it, with words and then nearly with fists, in a moment that’s somehow as amusing as it is serious. John once again wonders if this will work, them working together, then offers an amendment to the plan that Tyre is agreeable too — after he gets a nod from Ronon. I like that Ronon doesn’t feel the need to get bossy/assert his authority, content to let his people decide things for themselves, but even though Tyre really seems like he’s the leader, he still defers to Ronon. (Well, at least seems to.) It illustrates a group long-used to working together, suggesting that he feels like he’s fallen right back into place with them, as if no time has passed. And he has no reason not to think so; some friendships are like that.

They infiltrate the Wraith facility. (I’m ecstatic because, though the lighting is dimmed, the colours are still bright and it’s still fairly easy to see everything, unlike what seems to be the norm for many shows and movies these days.) Things seem to be going smoothly, with Ronon using his typical tactic of shooting the controls of a door that won’t open. They group splits up into its respective units, with Ronon offering a sincere to John, who only nods, lips tight, clearly not happy that Ronon now sees himself as an outsider. Ronon doesn’t seem happy either, watching SGA-1 leave, one of the Satedan’s having to urge him to follow them. And then he tells her, “Let’s go,” as if she were the one lollygagging. Trying to convince her — and more importantly, yourself — that you’re committed to your choice, Ronon?

Sheppard’s team come across humans in cocoons, but the colonel says they can’t help these people, and the others don’t argue. (What he doesn’t say, and I wonder if he’s thinking, is that he’s learned his lesson after that fateful encounter they had with the Wraith-worshippers a while back.) John worries that they’ve had it too easy so far, so of course a moment later he, Rodney and Teyla are ambushed. (When will people in dangerous situations learn not to tempt fate like that?) Ronon hears the sound of P-90 fire, and hurries off to help his friends, much to the Satedans’ annoyance. Is the look they exchange saying they’re disappointed with his choice, or that he’s about to get caught in a trap they’ve laid, I wonder. I’m still unwilling to trust them, although I’ve kind of forgotten about my mistrust until now.

Teyla’s hit by a stunner; Rodney does a surprisingly competent job of helping John hold off their assailants before turning his attention to another set of door controls. After struggling with it, he tries Ronon’s approach, shooting it — which, to his great dismay, doesn’t work. Gee, Rodney, maybe that’s because he used an energy gun and you’re using bullets? *Snicker* He then manages to get the door open the old fashioned way. John’s distracted by Rodney’s gleeful cry of “I did it!” (I flashback to Hiro on Heroes going “Yatta!“), and, to Rodney’s horror, the Colonel gets hit by a Wraith stunner. When the Wraith drone himself walks into sight, I expect him to get pumped full of lead by Rodney. Silly of me to think that would happen, really. The Wraith looks about; no sign of our not-so-intrepid scientist. The Wraith haul John and Teyla away, and Rodney comes out of hiding. He’s an admitted coward and, really, it made sense for him to hide even if he wasn’t; how would it serve them for him to get caught as well? And yet even though I’m sure I would have done the same thing in his shoes (yes, I am a total chicken), I find myself disappointed in him again. Maybe it’s just a residual from earlier ….

Rodney stumbles across the Satedans, who stun him; we see a Wraith with them. Ronon, meanwhile, returns to Atlantis (in a pretty cool maneuver, where he slides in through the gate on the floor, guns firing).

The rest of SGA-1 wake up in a cell. (Funny that Rodney wakes up almost right after Sheppard, when there was a bit of a gap between each of them getting stunned in the first place. It would have made more sense to have started the scene with him awake with Teyla ….) Rodney reveals the Satedans’ betrayal in an amusing exchange with John; I particularly like the bit where Rodney starts to say he was escaping and backpedals to “strategic retreat”. The Wraith we saw with the Satedans retrieves Rodney from the cell; Teyla offers words of encouragement to McKay as he’s hauled off. Awwwww, so sweet!

Back in Atlantis, Ronon answers the questions I have, explaining that he lost radio contact with everybody, and assumed they were all captured. It’s good to see that he showed no reluctance in seeking help from Carter.

Rodney asks the Wraith where they’re taking him, and starts to babble nervously (and adorably!). The Wraith cuts him off with an actual answer to his question: they want him to undo the programming. He asks if they were the ones who originally undid it, which the Wraith confirms adding that they can’t seem to do it again, he’s made it different. So the whole Satedan thing, the rumours that led Ronon to them, was an elaborately-planned effort to bring Rodney there. (First the Genii, now the Wraith — for such an unpopular guy, McKay sure is highly sought-after! His self-proclaimed value isn’t unfounded, no matter how much of a screw-up he was on SG-1 ….) Rodney points out that there’s no way for him to re-program the code without a way to test it, and the Wraith reveals that they have a Replicator captive. Uh-oh!

In a ‘jumper that’s about to set off through the ‘Gate, Sam tells Ronon that whatever happens, she’ll respect his decision regarding whether he stays or goes (i.e., she won’t throw his ass in the brig). He seems to recognise the trust she’s placing in him, and warns that this may be the only op they go on together. She suggests they make the most of it. While the tension was good, I’m also glad their not going to be at constant odds now either (though I’m sure they’re butt heads again at some point). Everything in moderation, and all that.

The Wraith checks in on Rodney, who’s obviously stalling. The Wraith hints at threatening his friends, so he quickly amends his time estimate. The Wraith tells Rodney that they know a rescue effort is on its way and are ready for them. Poor Rodney looks dejected as he stares at the Replicator, then gets back to his task.

The rescue team arrives, and kick the Wraith’s butts. What the heck happened to the Wraith being ready for them?? Radek locates a power relay. (My friend Valkyrie points out that, lacking an ATA gene, he shouldn’t be able to use an LSD, as per a discussion Sheppard had with Everett in “The Siege, Part 2″.) They shut down the power. Sam locates Sheppard and Teyla, who look uneasy when they learn Ronon has gone off on his own. Ronon finds the Wraith and holds it at gunpoint; I’m not at all surprised to learn that the Satedans have their own weapons trained on him. (Kind of a classic, that kind of scenario, ‘ey?) Sam and the others take care of Rodney’s drone guards, just in time to see the energy field that was folding the Replicator give out. (Why didn’t it fail right away? I guess it was on a back-up generator, and that failed?) Uh-oh! But the Replicator doesn’t attack them — the anti-Wraith programming makes the Wraith its sole concern.

So here’s a question: Did the Replicators manage to reprogram Elizabeth’s nanites before they themselves were reprogrammed? If she was, then chances are she’s under this new anti-wraith programming too, and working with them. If they didn’t, did they manage to stick her in a cell before the reprogramming kicked in? If she’s in a cell, are they remembering to feed her? Does she even need to eat, with the nanites in her? And if she’s not in a cell and not reprogrammed herself, is she running around free, being ignored as this Replicator ignores the Earthers just now?

Ronon is horrified to learn that his friends have become Wraith-worshippers. They tell the story of how they were almost killed and revived by their Wraith captors again and again, until they finally saw the truth, that it was better to serve and be made immortal. Yeah, brainwashing, basically. At the cost of other people’s lives?? Because the Wraith have to take the energy they use to make you young from somebody, dumb-asses! And they cant grant immortality to everyone, either — they have to slaughter most people, like what they did to your entire planet! Ronon realises the terrible truth about the ones they said had been with them and died: they had refused to accept the Wraith’s “gift”. Ronon gives them a chance to leave, but they refuse. They agree to fight hand-to-hand, and Ronon stands his own against them all — it’s clear why he was their commander. It’s a brill fight sequence, fast yet easy to follow. As he fight’s Tyre, though, the other male breaks the rules and pulls a knife. That one accidentally(?) kills the girl Satedan. Ronon kills him in turn. Jason Momoa is especially spectacular throughout the scene, Ronon’s rage and grief palpable, especially when he kills the guy. “Hasn’t there been enough killing? Huh?” he asks Tyre, letting him leave.

Ronon finds the others; they ask where his friends are. “Right here,” he says, stalking off. It takes me a second to realise he means they, SGA-1 and Carter, are his real friends; I can be really thick sometimes, eh? My heart is breaking for him, yet I have warm fuzzies at the same time!

We see a gorgeous shot of Atlantis lit up at night — and suddenly I’m very, very homesick for Chicago.

He’s brooding in his room back at Atlantis when Teyla comes in, bearing his painting (and wearing the jacket of the new uniform, with stripes of “commander burgundy”, over her Athosian garb! Has she ever worn part of an Atlantis uniform before? I’m assuming she’s just wearing it to hide the fact that Rachel Luttrell was pregnant at the time, and they hadn’t introduced that fact into the story yet.) She says Rodney wanted to return the painting, to which Ronon growls that he didn’t give it to him in the first place. My friend Sholio suggests that Rodney wanted it as a memento of Ronon, which I think is a sweet notion. Or maybe Rodney’s just like me, and really did like the painting. (Hey, if Ronon wasn’t coming back, why let it go to waste?) She asks him how he’s feeling, and he struggles to answer, but eventually assures her that he’s fine, and glad to be back. He looks marginally more at ease as the episode closes — though still rather like his world has been turned upside-down. As Ronon is one of my fave characters on the show, I have to say I’m very satisfied.

See you all next week, with my thoughts on “Doppelganger”!

Wolfen Moondaughter is on the editorial board for the comics industry webzine Sequential Tart for which she has written since late 2001. She’s also written for Newtype USA, contributed to Andy Mangel’s book Animation on DVD, self-published a novel (Memory of the Brightwing), and one of her short stories, “Chase”, is due to be published soon as the title story in an anthology from Wapshott Press (under the pen name Anastasia Witchazel). She’s an artist, too, having done spot illustrations for Dragonlance, a few panels for Barb Lien-Cooper’s webcomic series Gun Street Girl, and private commissions. In her spare time, she’s a fanficcer/fanartist. See more of her work at her site, Wolfen’s Webworld.

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