“You’ve been in my chambers enough for one visit, Sir.” - Janeway

By Wolfen Moondaughter

Happy New Year, everyone! And boy, did Stargate Atlantis start the year off with a bang! I guess if you want a blockbuster episode, you should just dial up Martin Gero, ‘ey? (On a side-note, I am annoyed that, as of this writing, the online game has not been updated with a mission for this episode yet!) I am muy impressed with the special effects in this one for the battle scene — that was Star Wars-worthy! No, I take that back — that was better than any battle in Star Wars! Lot’s of great twists, too! This one easily kept me as “on the edge of my seat” as Gero’s other big ep this year, “Adrift”, did — I was practically on the floor!

And, once again, the philosopher in me is in hog heaven!

4.11: “Be All My Sins Remember’d”

Our story opens with an agitated Sheppard pacing before a calm Ronon. They’re talking about the evacuation of planets that are in the path of the Replicators. Ronon tells us that they’re ahead of schedule, but Sheppard is anxious because many of the worlds in danger are ones they don’t really know, so he’s worried that the peoples of those worlds won’t believe them about the Replicator threat. He wants Ronon and Teyla, as citizens of Pegasus themselves, on the front lines to convince them. Teyla, though, has been ill — in fact, they’re waiting for her right now, hence Sheppard’s pacing. (We, of course, know that she has morning sickness; apparently she still hasn’t revealed her pregnancy to her friends.) Teyla arrives. She doesn’t seem thrilled when she learns their next destination, but she assures John that she is feeling better.

They’re interrupted from their planned departure by an incoming wormhole, with a call from Lieutenant Kemp, whose team is overseeing the evacuation from that world. He tells them that some of the people are skeptical about being in danger, and won’t leave; he’s hoping that Teyla can come talk some sense into them. Sheppard’s not keen on the idea, seeing as the Replicators are due there in half an hour. The key word being “within”, apparently — the Replicators arrive at the planet just then, and the ‘Gate shuts down. Chuck tries to dial up that world, to no avail — it’s likely that ‘Gate has been destroyed. (I’m not so sure dialing up was wise anyway — ‘Gates are one-way! If they had gotten through, that would only have prevented the people on that world from dialing out and escaping!) Ronon asks how many people were left there; Teyla responds, grimly, “Just under two thousand.” Ronon looks angry, and John looks near tears. (I love that John’s like that, always showing his grief in his eyes. Poor guy; you just know the loss of every member of the expedition is a personal blow, and I’m sure the loss of Pegasus humans doesn’t sit well either. He’s probably figuring that, if he hadn’t woken up the Wraith — however unavoidable that was — then McKay wouldn’t have had a reason to try reprogramming the Replicators, and then the Replicators wouldn’t be wiping out worlds like this ….)

STARGATE ATLANTIS CAST SIGNED AUTOGRAPHED REPRINT PHOTO

US $9.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Thursday Dec-04-2008 13:38:19 PST Buy It Now for only: US $18.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

The Daedalus and the Apollo arrive. Rodney remarks that this is a first, having both ships arrive at the same time. Sam replies that it’s the first time they’ve needed both. At the dry look McKay and Sheppard give her, she contritely says, amends that it’s the first time since she’s gotten there. (I’m sure our boys could give her a very long list of reasons why having both ships around would have come in handy! At the same time, though, I wonder what kind of strings they had to pull to convince the Milky Way to part with both ships at once, when, as far as we know, the Orisi and her ships are still a threat! A momentous occasion indeed!)

Ellis and Caldwell arrive via Asgard beaming technology. There’s a highly amusing exchange of “Colonels” among them, Carter, and Sheppard, to which McKay says, “Seriously?” (Where have I seen a routine like that before? People in the forums are talking about Spies Like Us, but I’m not even sure I’ve seen that film, much less remember the scene in question, so I’m thinking someone else must have referenced it too ….) Sam confirms that they have a way to track the Replicator ships and asks everyone to step into her office.

Rodney gives a presentation on the work they are trying to do with the nanites, rambling on with a lot of long words, sounding a tad smug as he goes. John tries to interrupt, most likely to tell the man to get to the point already, but Rodney cuts him off, saying he’ll let them know when he’s ready to take questions. (*Snicker* Rodney would be so at home in a lecture all, wouldn’t he? Not that he necessarily would be a good teacher; I’m just saying he’d be in his element ….) As frustrated as John, Ellis asks McKay point-blank whether or not the man has developed an anti-Replicator weapon. Of course Rodney tries to hedge, overcome by the excitement of (and, admittedly, pride in) his work, but when Ellis presses, he has to admit that he has not. Sam says that they have to move on to Plan B, then. When Rodney protests, she lets him know, firmly, that with the Replicators on the move and lives on the line, they just don’t have the time to wait anymore. Rodney counters that Plan B isn’t a good plan.

He goes on to say that yes, the Apollo and the Daedalus now have the Asgard plasma-beam weapons (as those who saw SG-1’s “Unending” know), but those weapons can’t destroy the Replicators. Caldwell points out that destroying the Asurans’ ships will leave them exposed to space, where they “essentially become neutralised.” Rodney insists that “‘essentially neutralised’ and ‘neutralised’ are two very different things!” John reminds us that the Replicator Liam was frozen in space and not a problem — at least until they themselves thawed him out! Rodney says that’s his point — Plan B leaves the Replicators around to potentially be reactivated, while his way shuts them down for good. (At first I wonder why he fears that someone will reactivate them, but then I figure that, even if they try to gather all the nanites up and lock them away, it would only take one getting attached to a puddle-jumper, and accidentally defrosted when it returns to a warm environment, for it to be reactivated and make more of its kind. Perhaps the odds are slim, but, given the circumstances they have dealt with already, it’s also not a situation I would be willing to shrug off, either.)

Ellis points out that at least their way is operational, then asks, a tad cattily, what McKay’s way is, precisely. He elaborates that McKay doesn’t “even have the programming done, much less a delivery method.” When Rodney tries to go back into his presentation, Ellis cuts him off, saying he gets the gist. Rodney flies off the handle a little. (Love John’s gently-chiding “Rodney …”!) Ellis complains that, instead of admitting “like a man” that Rodney had nothing to offer, Rodney tried to dazzle them, which is an insult to their intelligence. Rodney gets pissed at Ellis for questioning his manhood. Sam cuts them off; Rodney protests (sounding rather like a little kid complaining “He started it!” to mom). John (again) gently but firmly chides him and tells him to move on; Rodney obeys. (It’s a great testament to their friendship — and John’s leadership!) Collecting himself (and sounding quite reasonable after, at least by his standards), Rodney says that their tracking device allows them to pinpoint Replicator arrival at a world within a 30-minute window of accuracy (which didn’t work out all that well for Kemp, ey?), and that the soonest any Asuran ship would reach a populated world was in ten hours; he asks that he be given that long to work with the Wraith on the code. (What an excellent bit of exposition this scene was! We learn exactly what’s going on, and get some great tension between the characters to boot! Well, I shouldn’t be surprised — Gero proved himself a master of exposition in “Adrift” ….) Sam gives him a go, and Rodney leaves.

When Ellis starts to comment that he doesn’t know how they put up with McKay, Sam snaps that he will not speak to one of her people like that again, or else he will not be welcome in Atlantis. Ellis gives an affirmative, managing to sound respectful and even a tad contrite while not actually being meek. (Needless to say, I let out a cheer at Sam’s defence of Rodney, even if it was indirect. And not just because Ellis is being harsh; he doesn’t know Rodney like we do, after all, and can only go by superficial observations. No, it’s mostly because, after their arguments on SG-1; Sam was certainly justified in getting angry at him back then, as Rodney purpose back then was just to be a foil for her, but it’s great to see her being supportive of Rodney, now that he is a leading character in his own right and they are teammates. Not that she hasn’t been supportive at all of him — she has — but I think this is the first moment in the season where it really stands out that they are comrades, even friends, rather than just associates by circumstance. It’s really evident now that she respects and has confidence in him, and no longer sees him as a self-important jerk …. Well, okay, maybe he still comes off as self-important, but I’m sure she looks on his quirks with affection now, instead of just irritation.)

STARGATE ATLANTIS SEASON 3 & 4 TRADING CARDS SEALED BOX

US $22.25 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Dec-04-2008 14:23:05 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

Todd the Wraith (still unnamed in the actual show) asks Rodney why he lied, saying that they cannot get the code finished in that time frame. Rodney protests that he didn’t lie, explaining cheerfully that he’s at his best with impossible deadlines. (And, well, his track record is pretty good proof of that.) He starts to ask if he’d ever told Todd about the time he fixed a ship just in time to escape a super-volcano (second season, “Inferno”); Todd says, with a long-suffering sigh, that McKay has. (And in my head, I hear Jock, the little Scottish terrier from Lady and the Tramp, sounding very irritated as, in a similar situation, he says to Trusty the bloodhound, “Aye, yeh have, laddie — frequently!“) McKay states, cheerfully, “See, there ya go: I work best under pressure!” and turns back to his task. (I should note that, at this point, during my initial viewing of this ep, I found myself thinking that Todd looked different. I chalked it up to an inexplicable difference in the make-up, especially after I read a comment from someone else complaining about the make-up. Turns out that, as Gero reveals in Mallozzi’s blog, they couldn’t actually get Chris Heyerdahl in to shoot the scenes, so they had Brendan Penny stand in for him, and then had Heyerdahl ADR the lines in later!) Todd suggests that maybe he should threaten to feed on McKay if he fails, as incentive. The soldiers in the room bring their firearms to bear; Rodney tells them to relax, Todd’s just kidding. (And can I just say how much I love how at-ease he’s come to be around Todd? Of course, that changes in a heartbeat ….) When he tells Todd to confirm to the men that he’s only kidding, Todd just tilts his head, in an unmistakable Am I? Rodney puts a table between them, saying “I’ll work in this area ….” (*Snicker* I love how Hewlett delivered that line — possibly because he reminded me strongly of his character Patrick, from A Dog’s Breakfast, in that moment. It’s one of those things that makes you wonder if a character’s mannerism is actually one the actor has in real life …. Anyway, Hewlett and Heyerdahl — Todd — play brilliantly off of each other yet again!)

Later, John comes to the lab, telling him that time’s up. “What, already?” Rodney asks — time has a tendency to elude him when he’s lost in his work. John says, in I knew this was going to happen tones, that he guesses this mean that they’re not done with the code; Rodney confirms it. John says, only slightly irritated-sounding, that they’re going on to Plan B, and asks if McKay wants to come along for the ride. (I’m pleased with how friendly he sounds, and the fact that he does want Rodney along.) Rodney declines, saying that the work still needs to get done (which is rather what I thought in the first place when he was arguing with Ellis about it, but then I figure, from his standpoint, implementing the plan will be a lot harder of the Asurans are scattered to tiny little bits across the universe ….). He wishes Sheppard good luck.

We see the Daedalus and the Apollo getting into position to meet the Replicators and powering up. They open fire; John, on the Apollo, announces that the attack was successful. Caldwell remarks that he wishes they’d had these weapons a few years ago. Sam points out that, now that the Replicators know what they’re up to, subsequent attacks won’t be so easy, since the Replicators are very adaptable. We learn that there are thirty-seven Asuran ships still out there. (I saw a fan complaining — nicely, mind — about Sam sitting in Captain Dave Kleinman’s place on the Daedalus; that fan wanted to see actor Kirby Morrow. I guess she missed that Kleinman was in his customary place — just on the Apollo, instead! … By the by, Morrow was the voice of Miroku on the anime Inuyasha and Scott Summers on X-Men: Evolution, among other things. I hope one of these days he gets co-actor on both shows, Richard Cox — he played Inuyasha and Quicksilver — onto SGA!)

A week later, Caldwell stops by to re-supply. John walks with him, asking how it’s going. (I’m happy to see them so friendly now!) Caldwell tells him that it was a good idea to split up the Daedalus and the Apollo (was it John’s idea specifically?), adding that they took out three more ships. John tells him the Apollo got two, bringing them to seven total. (And I let out a cheer, knowing that the Daedalus crew has Apollo crew — and therefore Ellis — beat. Oh gods, I’m channeling Sheppard ….) Caldwell figures his crew can get back out there in an hour; John informs him that there’s been a change in plans ….

Sam, Rodney, John, and Caldwell have a video conference with Ellis. Sam explains that the Asuran ships are falling back. Rodney says that the Replicators probably haven’t figured out how they’re tracking them. John cuts in, suggesting they haven’t figured out hw to fight back, to which Rodney says the point is that they don’t want to lose any more ships. (Having John interrupt and get on Rodney’s nerves like that is nice way to explore the possible Replicator reasoning and make the exposition more interesting than just a dry explanation. At the same time, though, I like how Rodney’s irritation was subtle, with him keeping his temper in check.) Caldwell adds that the Replicators are falling back to their homeworld. Ellis is pleased, figuring it will be easier to take them out when they’re all in one place, but Sam and John point out that they themselves only have two ships to fight a planet and its fleet with, and that the Asurans have drones to fire at them. Ellis gets catty as he brings up the virus code, adding that this would be a perfect time to use it. “Yeah,” Rodney agrees, looking uncomfortable. Ellis points out that Rodney said it would be done in 10 hours — and it’s been that already, plus a week besides. Rodney hedges. Sam tells us that they expect the Replicators to be back out in the galaxy with more ships in a week, and traveling in groups this time. Caldwell remarks that this will make them a lot harder to kill. Sam reiterates the need to hurry, looking at Rodney expectantly; he says he should get back to his lab, and leaves.

(I can understand Ellis’ aggravation, really: Rodney, to his eye, seems like a self-important ass who is wasting everyone’s time — and, potentially, lives — with a plan that probably won’t work, for the sole for the purpose of boosting his own ego. Alas, Ellis is not privy to the fact that Rodney blames himself for what’s happening, much less that the man has a self-esteem problem which results in a desperate need to prove himself. Failure simply is not an option for Rodney now, especially if he is to have any hope of not looing his mind to guilt. Better to have him arrogant, and therefore positive and functional, than to have his confidence shattered, rendering him useless. Now, if Rodney’s overconfidence had caused his failure, or if they had skipped going through with a plan that could have been more successful, that would be a different story. But they did go through with Plan B, and it ultimately hit a snag of its own; now Ellis should be grateful that Rodney was still working on Plan A at all, especially since Ellis himself didn’t come up with a viable alternative! Elli’s own flaw seems to be a tendency for inappropriate belittling — it’s not like rubbing Rodney’s nose in it is going to help the situation in any way. It’s also not like anyone else could have done better, under the circumstances. If I were Rodney, I would have been sorely tempted to just thrown my hands up into the air, then told Ellis to fix the damn problem himself, and not come crawling to me when he couldn’t solve it. Of course, Ellis being an ass about it adds dimension to Rodney’s character while adding humour and tension to the scene, so Ellis pissing me off is, ultimately, a good thing!)

We see a simulation fail. Rodney is at his wit’s end and not at all happy that he’s going to have to tell everyone he’s still got nothing. He ticks off the things they’ve tried, saying that one of them should have worked. Todd says, with a note of respect (for Ancients!), “They are an ingenious design!” “Yeah, well, I thought I was ingeniuoser,” Rodney says mournfully. “And yes, I know it’s not a word, Mr … Helpful.” (*Snicker* I guess he realised that being snarky with a Wraith isn’t the wisest of moves, Again, I love how at ease he is with Todd, though — it seems he forgot for a moment that Todd is a dangerous enemy.) Rodney suggests maybe there’s some way to use the anti-Replicator gun; Todd thinks that the Replicators have probably become immune to its effects. Rodney muses that it’s moot — they’d need to get all the Replicators in one place anyway. (I assume he figures that, if they developed a weapon that would work, those Replicators that weren’t present during its initial uses would then be able to figure out a way to protect themselves.) Rodney stops suddenly, eyes widening. He says he thinks he just got his first good idea in three weeks. (Does this mean it’s been three weeks since the events in “This Mortal Coil”, or three weeks since the events in “The Seer”?)

In Sam’s office, (an adorably excited) Rodney tells her and Sheppard what he has in mind. He starts by explaining (for our sakes) that the anti-Replicator gun makes the Replicators fall apart, breaking the nanites’ bonds with each other. What he proposes is that they turn the nanites into super-magnets, and make them all bond together, across the whole planet, into a blob. John (being the brilliant exposition tool that he is) asks (on the audience’s behalf) if that wouldn’t make them into a Super-Replicator. Rodney explains that they aren’t designed to function in that kind of mass, so it would disorient them for a while as they tried to figure out how to work in that new form. Sam asks how long it would be before the Replicators do just that. Rodney says he hates to speculate; “Since when?” John asks. (Apparently John forgot what happened in “Progeny”, where Ronon asked Rodney for a time frame: after Rodney said there was no way to know; John kept pestering him for one himself until Rodney angrily gave an arbitrary number. Then John kept harping on that number, despite Rodney’s frequent insistence that it was only a guess. When number later turned out to be wrong, John got a bit pissy. And he’s surprised that Rodney is reluctant to give a time frame now?) Rodney says it doesn’t matter when the nanites would figure out how to work together under those new conditions anyway, because they will be rendered inert by the force of the attraction well before that could even happen. He and Sam toss technical jargon back and forth as they think about what exactly would occur, with Sam finishing with the remark that the mass would have the density of a neutron star. (I can barely understand what they’re saying, but it’s so cute to listen to them chatter about science stuff together so excitedly!) John asks how they would make this plan work — reprogram the nanites again? Rodney says with a smile that he has a better idea.

STARGATE ATLANTIS SEASON 3 & 4 TRADING CARDS SEALED BOX

US $22.25 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Dec-04-2008 14:23:05 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

He takes them to one of the smaller labs and shows them a funky table. Turns out it was used by the ancients to make human-form Replicators; Rodney just wants to make a smallish block of them, though. Sam and John are skeptical, but Rodney assures them that what he plans on making won’t have any of the usual Replicator danger; it will just be a block of cells with the bonding program inside, which they will them beam onto the Asuran homeworld. (And of course I have a sinking feeling that Rodney will end up making the Replicube more Replicator-like than he’s expecting to right now.) There is a wrinkle, though — it will take a while for the mass to build up enough planetside for the magnet to draw in the Replicators that are in orbit. They need to keep those ships from leaving before they can be bonded, or else they will just escape and start over somewhere else. Sam points out that their two ships can’t hold off the Replicators’ thirty; John chimes in that he knows a way they might get more ships. (At first I think he means Larrin’s people, the Travelers, and wonder how he’s supposed to contact them ….)

John, Sam, and Rodney talk to Todd in his cell. (Unlike previous encounters, where the cell was surrounded by soldiers with weapons trained on Todd, this time there are only a couple of guards in the background, and they seem to be standing at-ease.) Todd thinks he can get twelve hive ships to help them, if it means possibly destroying the Replicators for good. He points out that an accord will have to be negotiated — and that he will likely have to convince the hives personally. The humans don’t look thrilled, but they don’t argue. (I’m guessing that they’re afraid that he might escape and reveal the location of Atlantis, but really, what choice do they have? And besides, his hive did not reveal their locale to other hives before they were destroyed. Of course, Sam and company might have been expecting to never actually let Todd go after all was said and done ….) Todd is led in restraints to a jumper, where Ronon sits across from him, training his blaster on him and smiling evilly. John warns, “The first time you cross us ….” “I die. I know,” Todd says with a small, sad smile.

They ‘Gate to a rendezvous point where several hives are gathered, and are given docking instructions. They land, and John asks, “Now what?” There’s a knock; Todd says (in Well, duh! tones), “You open the door?”, adding that they should probably remove his restraints first. Ronon thinks that’s a bad idea, but John obliges Todd. And then, when John opens the hatch, John, Ronon, and Teyla are all hit by stunners. (Okaaaaay, way to walk right into the lion’s den, guys! You didn’t expect something like this? And John, what happened to your whole bit in “The Seer” about how you wouldn’t just go walk into a trap unprepared? Then again, I suppose there wasn’t really anything else they could do, other than not go at all — they wouldn’t have been able to bring enough back-up to fight even one hive ship without getting killed themselves, let alone a bunch. And maybe John really has come to trust Todd to the point where he didn’t believe Todd would betray them. As it is, at this point, I’m having a hard time believing he would myself, but have to admit to myself that it could just be wishful thinking on my part ….)

Back in the lab, we see a puddle of grey on the Replicate-o-matic table; Rodney says they’re ready to test it out. Radek tells Rodney that it’s an ingenious idea. Rodney asks if he would expect anything less; Radek responds that Rodney’s had a bit of a dry spot of late. Rodney emphatically denies it. Through their conversation, we’re assured that the nanites don’t have most of the usual Replicator programming, and shouldn’t be able to do more than form a simple block. In fact, when Rodney activates them, it becomes apparent that they can’t even do that much — at least, not for more than a few seconds. (Does anyone else think “Toaster!” when the cube initially forms? The sci-fi genre seems to have a deep love for toasters — I should make a list …. Also, love the Radek/Rodney interaction, here. There’s still snark, but there’s a nice buddy-buddy vibe under it.)

John wakes up on the ‘jumper floor. Todd tells him to be calm, and hands him back his gun. (I breathe a sigh of relief.) Todd explains that his people wanted to talk to him without the humans around. John complains that they could have just asked; Todd, very reasonably, insists that the humans would never have allowed it. (And just like that, any question on the part of the audience as to why the Wraith stunned them if they weren’t going to hurt or capture them is answered. The actually stunning left us with a nice bit of drama before the commercial break — and set the stage for even more later. It’s interesting how the fact that they didn’t harm our heroes makes the Wraith come out even more trustworthy for the time being, yet leaves the window wide open for potential betrayal later, since we don’t know what they said to Todd.) Todd reveals that he was only able to convince seven ships to aid them, revealing that a number of their ships don’t have queens, which would inhibit their ability to replace fallen soldiers. John’s not happy, but it will have to do. John notes that Ronon is still out cold. Todd explains, with a note of amusement, that they’d had to stun the big man several times, adding that it seemed wiser to have John wake up before the Satedan. John asks if they’re in space; Todd confirms that the hives have all left. John asks, exasperated, if there is anything else he should know; Todd says that he must return to Atlantis with them to help McKay with the code. John tells Todd to help him wake up the others, so they can get going. (The scene ends here. Too bad — I would have loved to have seen Ronon’s reaction when Todd tried to wake him, heheheh.)

Back in the lab, Rodney tries using a force-field to help the cube keep its shape until it can do it on its own (like a Jell-O mold! Replijello!). It even seems to have worked, when he drops the field — and then a few seconds later the nanites collapse again. Zelenka says that Rodney’s removed too many protocols; the nanites just weren’t made to work this way. Rodney says there’s only one thing they can do now — and then Zelenka is called away before Rodney can reveal what that one thing is. (Aaaaaand that sinking feeling is back.) Zelenka says he probably won’t be gone too long, asking if it’s okay to leave. Irritated, Rodney tells him to go, saying the man is probably holding him back anyway. (Aw, poor Rodney — did you lose your playmate? *Snicker*)

In the ‘jumper, Ronon is glowering at Todd, who in turn seems unperturbed. Sheppard tells the man to let it go already, adding that he aught to take it as a compliment, that the Wraith were probably afraid. John tells Teyla to dial the ‘Gate. Before she can finish, though, she notes the opening of a hyperspace gate. (”It’s Larrin!” I tell them.) An Ancient warship appears; John has to do some fancy flying to avoid hitting it. He thinks that it’s the Replicators. Teyla wonders how they found them. “I have an idea,” Ronon says; Todd says he is mistaken. (It’s interesting that Ronon is so very blinded by his hatred of the Wraith, when usually his is rather wise and observant. If he could look at the situation objectively, he’d surely realised that: if the Wraith wanted them dead, they could have done it themselves; Todd wouldn’t have stayed on board to share their fate; and that the Wraith have no reason to work with the Replicators and every reason not to, such as the fact that the Replicators are programmed to kill the Wraith at all costs ….) They receive a communication — it’s Larrin. After a bit of “What are you doing here” back and forth, we learn that her people came to those coordinates to gather intel on why so many Wraith had gathered around one planet. She asks John why he’s there, and why the Wraith didn’t destroy his “puny little ship”. He takes that personally (rather like she insulted his manhood, really, which I’m sure she intended), but concedes that those are good questions and suggests that they talk. She tells them to go to Bay 3. (Déjà vu!) Ronon figures it’s got to be better working with her people than the Wraith; John says that depends on what kind of a mood she’s in. (Me, I’d trust Todd before I’d trust Larrin ….)

When Larrin sees Todd, she says that he’d “better be a prisoner.” John starts to hedge, and she orders her men to kill Todd. John puts himself between the guns and Todd, and insists she hear him out. (Wow, bet you never thought you would be defending a Wraith, ‘ey, Sheppard? How times change ….) Next we see them, she’s got Sheppard tied to a chair and she’s repeating what he apparently told her, making sure she’s understanding everything right. She remarks that that nine ships against thirty isn’t very good odds. He agrees, pointedly adding that unless they meet someone with more ships, there’s not much they can do about it. She tells him about a world they know of that was wiped out, and how they’d initially thought it was done by the Wraith until they’d realised that the population hadn’t been culled, but rather that the city had been leveled. John insists that it was the Replicators. She muses that the last time they’d met, she’d told him she would let him keep some secrets; she leans forward (bringing her cleavage into view) and says “Not anymore.” John’s eyes dip down to her cleavage for a moment (*snicker*) but quickly meet her own eyes again (even if it looks like he’s struggling a little. I can admit in all honesty that I would be too — it’s a little hard to avoid in that position ….) “If we do this …” she continues, “we go all the way. No holding back.” (*Shudder* My stomach is turning at the double entendre ….) John offers to have his scientists work on souping up her people’s ATA gene. She says that she has to talk to their council, and even then it will be up to each ship’s captain as to whether they want to fight. She adds that the idea of fighting beside the Wraith won’t be popular. And then she leaves him — still tied up! (Yeah, he’s definitely better off in Todd’s company ….)

Zelenka finally returns to the lab and an unamused Rodney. He’s a bit horrified to discover what Rodney was up to while he was away, too: the man decided to make a human-form Replicator instead of the cube, he explains that, since that was what the table was designed to do, it was much easier to do. He reveals a female Replicator, who smiles at Radek and says “Hello.” (Ohhh boy. I’m more than a little worried now that Rodney’s — or is that Dr Frankenstein’s? — plan will backfire — not because I don’t trust Rodney so much as that I fear Murphy’s Law and that table. What if it somehow programmed more Replicator-ness into her than Rodney intended? … And am I the only one whose mind was totally in the gutter when he revealed that he, the geek, had made a woman?)

John and the others return to Atlantis. John wants to go check on Rodney’s progress; Teyla begs off, saying she must see Keller. He asks her why; she points out that she was stunned. He says that they get hit by them all the time, telling her to just shake it off and come on. She reluctantly tells him what’s different about this time, finally revealing that she’s pregnant. Incredulous, he asks if she’s joking, then looks at Ronon, who says, “Don’t look at me!” (Haaaaah! That was too, too perfect!!) Shaken, John says he didn’t know she was seeing anyone. (The hurt is obvious; Flanigan does that sooo well! I love that it’s open to the fans’ own interpretation to decide whether he’s just hurt that she didn’t tell him, or if he’s also jealous. I have to admit that while I like the idea of Teyla/Ronon or Teyla/Carson better, I actually am leaning towards him being jealous. Especially since Teyla/John is infinitely more appealing than John/Larrin. Although I suppose it’s moot — I don’t think any of them would become canon, at least not for more than a fleeting kiss.) Teyla says the father is not anyone from Atlantis. When Teyla reveals that she’s three months along and has known for two, John is seriously pissed that she let him put her out in the field. She says she tried to tell him; he says “Not hard enough!” They argue a bit about it, with her insisting that, among her people, it is common for women to remain active well into their pregnancy. He counters that it’s different in this situation, since they get shot at and more, then tells her that he’s taking her off of active duty.

(It’s interesting to see the fandom’s reaction to this situation. Some feel that John has no right to tell her what to do, seeing as: her people’s customs are different than those of Earth, and he doesn’t understand them; it’s her body, her decision, and none of his business; and she is a leader in her own right. Others feel that Teyla was in the wrong for not keeping her commanding officer informed of her state and for endangering her child. Me, I think both sides have valid points, and it’s ridiculous to try to break it down into right and wrong. Yes, Teyla is a leader, but she has chosen to serve with the Atlantis expedition, and therefore is subject to their rules for as long as she continues to do so; she made a commitment. Although John has taken her off of active duty, she can choose to quit his team and the expedition, to live as she pleases; I’m sure Sam would still let her stay in the city in an amnesty-type situation. I’ve seen some military types say that he didn’t have any right to take her off of active duty, that women in the military stay at their posts unless their work is life-threatening. I think what we have here is a failure to communicate: like Sheppard says, their lives are at risk every time they step through the gate! How does that not qualify him to remove her from active duty, of a woman can be removed during pregnancy if her life is endangered? From Teyla’s side of things, though, I can see her point: her people are in danger every moment of their lives, pregnant or no, and as a leader, she must do all she can to make the universe as safe as possible. Not to mention that it seems a number of worlds would have been impossible to evacuate if not for her help, so thousands would have died versus two being simply at risk. Still, any pregnant member of her people would be safer in Atlantis than she would be planetside; you’d think Teyla would want to take advantage of that for the child’s sake, particularly if she and her child turn out to be the last of their people! If she’s going to keep the child, then she has a duty to make every effort to keep it alive. And her pregnancy is only her own business so long as it doesn’t interfere with her job: obviously it will hinder her when she gets further along, and they would notice it by then anyway. It’s John’s duty, first and foremost, to look after the welfare of his team, which, at least until it’s born, now includes her baby; he could not do that job adequately without knowing all the variables. I’d be upset, too, if I were looking after someone’s welfare and found out that they were taking risks! I can understand her being too embarrassed to tell her friends, or it being to painful to talk about when Kannan is missing like that, but I can also understand John being upset that she felt she couldn’t confide in him, especially since they are supposed to be such close friends. So I think they both have reasons to be upset — it’s not an easy situation.)

Ronon stays with Teyla and, smiling, tells her congratulations. He asks if it’s Kannan’s, saying that he guessed as much from how she talked about him. After being surprised that he even knew that she was seeing Kannan (which just goes to show that Ronon is indeed observant, like I said), she confirms that it is. (She doesn’t seem convinced, though; I have a theory about this, which I go into after the review, because it involves spoilers.) He says he’s sorry (the “for your loss” being implied). She insists that Kannan is alive, and that she will find him. Taking her hand, Ronon promises that they will find him, together. He walks with her to see Keller, still holding her hand, and suggesting that “Ronon” is a good name for a boy or a girl. (*Squeee* Excuse me, it’s hard to type when one is a puddle of goo. That’s definitely going on my list of all-time fave moments in the franchise! I have to admit that there’s a small part of me that is a little disappointed that he wasn’t disappointed, but I can definitely live with them having a brother-sister thing, especially if we see more of this side of him because of it. And besides, there’s still the possibility of Ronon/Keller anyway, which I find appealing too …. It’s really too bad that we didn’t get to see Rodney’s reaction to the news, but also understandable; he was needed elsewhere in the story — meaning David was needed for shooting other scenes — and there’s only so much time anyway. I do love that John and Ronon had such differing reactions, so that Teyla gets both angst and joy in her situation.)

John and Sam walk down a hall. (I wonder if they shot this scene on the same day that they shot other, similar scenes, like the one in “The Seer” ….) John tells Sam that they have fourteen ships total now, with the possibility of a couple more from Larrin. He also tells her that he’s taken Teyla off of active duty because she’s pregnant. Sam’s a little surprised, but literally takes it in stride. When she asks who the father is, John’s scowls, realising that he didn’t even ask. And then Sam says she has something to show him, adding that McKay has thrown them a bit of a curveball. “Oh great, I was just thinking we needed one of those!” John responds with false enthusiasm. (*Snicker*)

STARGATE ATLANTIS SEASON 3 & 4 TRADING CARDS SEALED BOX

US $22.25 (5 Bids) End Date: Thursday Dec-04-2008 14:23:05 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

John, of course, is not a happy camper when he learns what Rodney did, seeing the Replicator that the man made as a security risk. (And we see echoes of how they had butt heads over the nanites in “Adrift”.) Rodney insists that he’s stripped down the programming as much as it can be while still being viable, explaining that, while it can walk and talk, it can’t replicate or do anything else that would make it a threat. (Well, provided she doesn’t follow her programming in some way you didn’t anticipate, Rodney ….) After some back and forth, Sam points out that the being he made is at least somewhat self-aware/sentient, saying she’s not comfortable sending her to her death. Rodney protests that it’s just a program, and can’t die. (Gero says that he himself kind of thinks of her that way as well, explaining that a digital consciousness can’t be killed, since it could potentially be uploaded to a new body. Which is an interesting way of looking at it, considering that’s sort of what happened to human consciousnesses in several episodes in this franchise — including the one just before this one!) Rodney insists that “it” is just a really advanced weapon, and asks if they feel sorry for their bullets. (Well, he has a point! Oooh, I love moral conundrums like this!) Rodney then points out that it doesn’t really matter how they feel about it, because in the end, they don’t have a choice. John quips that, since they’re already teaming up with the Wraith, it does just seem to be that kind of a mission.

To his dismay, when Rodney gets back to the lab, he discovers that the Replicator hasn’t just been sitting quietly like a nice little tool. She’s been looking at the programme, in an effort to help (hopefully it’s not some sort of evil Replicator ruse — I don’t think so), and has discovered a big flaw: the Replicators will figure out how to control the new super-form before they can be crushed by their own gravity, and prevent their own destruction. Then they’re be more dangerous than ever! Happily, she has a solution. (I really, really hope she’s being truthful; I like her a lot! And if she is being truthful, then boy aren’t you lucky your weapon is smart and takes initiative, huh, Rodney? If you’d been able to get the cube to work instead, think of how screwed you would be! Ironic that it took a small failure to ultimately prevent a worse one …)

Rodney explains the plan to everyone — including Ellis, Caldwell, Larrin and Todd — in the council room. (Does anyone else wonder if this is how the whole “round table” thing got started?) He says they need to make some of the ZPMs blow up in a symmetrical pattern around the Replicator mass, which will cause them to condense further (and faster). Ellis questions whether it’s wise to trust a Replicator. (I can understand his concern, but can you really call her a Replicator when she can’t replicate?) John says that they aren’t trusting it, they’re trusting … he falters a little (getting a What am I saying?? sort of look on his face in the process), then finishes with “… Rodney.” (*Snicker* Aww, come on, Sheppard, Rodney’s pulled all your asses out of the fire before! Granted, he’s also gotten you into the fire a few times ….) Rodney says that this new situation will require him to beam to the planet’s surface (yay for Asgard beaming technology!) to hack into the system and overload the ZPMs. Sam says that the rest of them will space out around the planet to keep the Asuran ships occupied. Larrin tells Sheppard that they could use him in her chair, explaining that none of her guys can fire their drones like he can. (*Groan* Well, okay, I have to admit that it is amusing, even as I find the idea of them together unpalatable.) John, looking a bit uncomfortable, nevertheless flippantly replies, “There’s no place I’d rather be.” (*Whimper*) Todd says his darts will target the hyperdrives; Caldwell says his F302s will join them, and Todd nods his agreement. (Eee! Can I just say how thrilling it is to see them get along so well?)

Rodney says they’ll beam Fran to down to the city while he’s in the core room; Ellis stops him, asking, “Fran?” Rodney elaborates, “Friendly Replicator Android”. Irritated, Sheppard says he didn’t know they were naming things. (I know he’s not really so upset about the name that’s chosen as the fact that the weapon is being given a name like a person, but I find it funny that he’s so sensitive about naming things in general. Remember all the times he told Ford that he wasn’t allowed to name anything?) Rodney explains (looking a bit uncomfortable in the process) that Fran noticed him and Zelenka calling each other by names and asked to have one as well. (I’ve noted some fans being puzzled about Rodney being so reluctant to see Fran as a person instead of just a construct, and I must say I am puzzled in turn by their reaction. He refuses to see the city or puddle-jumpers as sentient, after all. It’s much easier to treat tools like tools, or to pick things apart and analyse them, if one does not romanticize and anthropomorphosise them first — it seems a very natural reaction for a scientist! Even Sheppard’s calling Fran an “it”, so that he won’t feel so bad about sending her off to be destroyed!)

We see the mongrel fleet gather together. Sam is impressed and excited by the sight. (So am I!!) Caldwell likens the strangeness of it to working with the Russians just after the Cold War. The ships, one by one, make the jump to hyperspace. (I have goosebumps!)

On the journey, Fran talks to Rodney, revealing how excited she is, and how much she looks forward to completing her purpose in life. He’s puzzled, pointing out that she’s going to “cease to be!” (Ahhhh, Monty Python! Gotta love a “Dead Parrot” reference! And so much for Rodney thinking a programme can’t die ….) “Surely you are not worried for me?” she asks. “No, that would be silly,” he assures her, in a way that suggests that he’s lying, to her and himself. “Yes, it would,” she tells him firmly. Flustered, he walks over to Zelenka, saying that he should never have given “it” speech. Zelenka agrees, looking vastly unsettled. Ellis calls, telling McKay that he needs to get ready to beam out. As Rodney leaves the room, Fran calls out to him. He pauses, despite clearly wishing to be anywhere else. Fran wishes him luck. He softens, and wishes her the same. (Nice little call-back to the luck-wishing scene with Sheppard, earlier!)

Okay, permit me a moment to philosophise. The title of this episode — and the ep prior, “This Mortal Coil” — are both taken from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In Hamlet’s famous soliloquy, he essentially asks whether it’s better to suffer through life, or to end suffering by suicide — and perhaps risk a fate worse than death in the “undiscovered country”. He suggests the fear of death and contemplation of the afterlife (specifically the kind of afterlife one gets after suicide) has convinced us to live even in the worst suffering, when death could actually be a blessing. “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all.” Knowing all that makes this context of this situation all the more interesting: Fran does what Hamlet cannot, embracing suicide as fulfillment. She is not conscious of the fears humans have — in this way, one could argue that she is not really sentient, because she lacks the driving force of life: personal survival. And yet, it might also be argued that she is even more sentient, because she has a Purpose, which she fully understands, and is completely willing to sacrifice herself for “the greater good”, with no regrets, not even over how short her life was or how little she got to experience. To her, maybe Rodney’s inability to relate to her mental state makes him childlike, her own perception being a sort of wisdom that he (and humans in general) has yet to attain. Not that he wouldn’t sacrifice himself — he’s been willing to do so before, after all — but she hasn’t even the slightest bit of reluctance in that regard. Where he would have resignation and sorrow, she has wholehearted acceptance and joy.

It is at least partially because of that evident joy that Rodney can let Fran go to her fate still. I think, upon getting to know her, he is indeed upset by her pending loss and the role he played in bringing her there, having come around to the frame of mind that had made Sam and John so reluctant to allow it in the first place. Now that he sees her as more than a tool, he seems to feels a trace of guilt — no parent would bring a life into the world specifically for that child to die for them. True (as Gero himself said), Rodney could just make a new one of her with the same programme — but does she know that? She wouldn’t remember the experiences she had, because the new version of her would never have had them — it would be more of a twin, like the copies the Replicators made of the team in the previous episode. I think that Rodney also envies her, that she can so readily find purpose and fulfill it, unflinchingly — I think he wishes that he could be that brave. In fact, I suspect that may be where the title of the episode comes into play: in “Hamlet”, the prince of Denmark observes Ophelia, the woman he loves, praying, and whispers “Be all my sins remember’d”, meaning that he wishes she would pray for him — especially since he’s about to betray her (so his soul will be in even greater need of saving). In that context, one could say McKay blames himself for what Fran must do, while simultaneously recognising that it is through her, and her innate goodness, that his “sin” — the mistake which unleashed the Replicators on humanity — will be rectified. And while Rodney can’t stop her — because as he said to Sheppard earlier, they don’t really have a choice if they want to save billions of live — and doesn’t think she can “die”, I think he’s also not stopping her out of a desire to respect her wishes and her right to follow through on them. I dare say that, if she had said “I don’t want to do this,” he probably wouldn’t have followed through with the plan — or at least have been devastated about having to force her. I love that the moral ambiguity is still there, that it does obviously bother him when the time comes, despite his earlier attitude. More wonderful (angsty, tragic) growth for his character! Or, I suppose, I’m just having waaaay too much fun trying to interpret all this and am reading far too much into it. Anyway ….

The mongrel fleet arrives, guns blazing. Rodney’s team and Fran are beamed to the planet. Ships fire on each other while Rodney gets everything set up. Fran approaches the Replicators for the moment of truth. She gives them the same hello she gave Zelenka (ooh, goosebumps again!), then proceeds to suck the Replicators’ nanites into herself. (And there’s still a part of me worried that she’s doing it on purpose, and has some nefarious plan, even as I don’t actually believe it). Rodney tells his people to keep the ships occupied a little longer. The (quite possibly the coolest ever) space battle continues. Caldwell isn’t sure they can keep it up, but Sam thinks the Asurans don’t realise what’s going on yet. We see a big silver blob forming in the Asuran city. Sheppard uses Larrin’s drones to take out an Asuran ship. Rodney remarks to Ronon, slightly awed, that everything’s going faster than he’d even imagined; Ronon asks a bit eagerly when the blob will be big enough to start drawing the Replicators in from orbit, and Rodney tells him very soon. Kleinman tells Ellis that their shields can’t take much more; Ellis starts to tell him to redirect the power from the beam-weapons to (I assume) the shields, but stops short when he sees the Replicator nanites pouring out of the ships to the planet below. Ellis is impressed. (Now if only we could see him eat crow and tell Rodney that, but we don’t.) The blob gets gargantuan. The core room shakes. Rodney explains to Ronon that the Replicator mass is so heavy now that it’s sinking into the planet. Sam asks Rodney to confirm that all the Replicators have joined the mass; he does, and is about to start the countdown for blowing up the ZPMs when the power goes out. Rodney reveals that the Mass destroyed the underground power grid, causing a blackout — which means that they can’t overload the ZPMs!

The blob undulates, knocking into buildings. (Just like Godzilla! Heeee!) Sam asks if Rodney wants her to beam down to help; Rodney snaps that there’s not anything either of them can do. John (in his role as exposition-prompter) asks why they can’t just use nukes; Rodney says that the explosions have to be precise in placement, timing, and magnitude in order to get the mass to collapse in on itself correctly. John and Caldwell both figure that the nukes have got to be better than nothing. Sam chimes in that, according to the sensors, “the ground around the mass is rich in nutronium.” Rodney tells us that that is the stuff the Replicators are made off, so that would explain why the Ancients set up their Replicator-making shop there in the first place. Sam remarks that nutronium is dense, and could be very helpful. (Wow, Gero’s really rapid-fire with the exposition in this ep! It’s a little convenient, maybe, but not too much: at least it makes sense, and adds another layer of drama.) John asks how that helps, but Rodney interrupts to say, gleefully, “Sam, we are geniuses!” Sam smiles. (And I give a little cheer! What a great bonding moment for them! I’ve been waiting all season for something like this!) Rodney explains that if he “dials up” Fran’s program a bit, it will cause the mass to attract the nutronium too, and cause it all to get heavy enough to sink to the planet’s core. Sam finishes the explanation, telling us that planet itself will exert enough pressure to cause the mass to implode.

We watch as the plan goes into effect. Rodney says nervously that they need to get out of there. Ronon grabs him by the vest (I love it whenever he or Sheppard does that) and pulls him over to the others, to be beamed out. Once the team beams aboard the Daedalus, Rodney suggests they don’t stick around, Sam elaborating to Caldwell that the planet is about to explode, so they should get everyone to jump the rendezvous point. We watch as they do just that. (And I worry that the Wraith will open fire as soon as they get to there, now that the battle is over — or that Larrin’s people or Ellis or Caldwell will fire on the Wraith.) Just as the last ship gets clear, the planet explodes, taking the Replicator ships with it.

Sheppard tells Larrin that he’s sorry for the loss of one of her ships; they walk together down a hall as he talks. She shrugs it off, saying her people knew what they were getting into. (She really doesn’t sound broken up about it, either! Is she cold or just resigned, I wonder?) John asks if she’s going to stick around so that his people can take a look at her ship. She says his people already gave hers a head start when they got the ship battle-ready, adding that she has other stuff to do, which she refuses to elaborate on. He points out that, since they’re now allies, he should have a way to contact her, “for professional reasons.” (His voice cracks, and he sounds exactly like a teen asking a girl for her phone number! *Snicker*) She says she knows where to find him, and promises to keep in touch. (Ooooh, that’s a good point! And the Wraith do, too! Now that the Replicator threat is over, do the Atlantians still care if anyone knows where they are? Will they consider moving the city again? Or will they figure that it’s too dangerous to move it, and that everyone used to know where the city was before anyway?) John doesn’t look too happy about her reply (though it’s unclear as to whether that’s for personal reasons, or because he just realised that the city’s security is now compromised.) He tells her that it was nice seeing her again; “I bet it was,” she replies, making him look even more frustrated just before he beams out.

He arrives in Atlantis’ control room, where Rodney greets him (reminding me of how John greeted Rodney at the end of “Miller’s Crossing”). John asks how things went with the Wraith; Rodney replies that they never showed up at the rendezvous point. (Whew! No betrayal!) John asks if they might have gotten blown up; Rodney doesn’t think so, figuring they just went back to being enemies now that the need for an alliance was over. John muses that with them being enemies again, the Replicators being gone, and Rodney being out of his dry spell — to which Rodney replies with an indignant “Hey!” (*snicker*) — all is right with the world. (I guess Sheppard’s being back to teasing Rodney is also a sign that all’s right with the world ….)

John asks Rodney what he’s working on; Rodney says he’s removing a planet (the Replicator homeworld) from the database, which is harder than it would seem. John remarks that he would think Rodney “would be a pretty good at that by now.” “You really just can’t resist bringing up the fact that I once accidentally destroyed a couple of planets, can you?” Rodney asks. “It was an entire solar system,” John points out. (Hey! Only five-sixths! Funny that he should bring Doranda and the events in “Trinity” up, though, considering his hesitation when he talked about putting their trust in Rodney earlier. One might get the impression that Rodney hasn’t quite earned that trust back yet — or else lost it again, due to recent events? ….) Rodney asks John if he’s like to do the honours (in removing the planet from the database). John tells him to go ahead. Rodney gives a little farewell speech and deletes it. “If only it were that easy in real life,” John remarks. “Area 51 is working on it,” Rodney replies. (Heh, too bad that’s just a joke, in terms of the show — in the context of the story, I don’t think Rodney is kidding! It would be fascinating to know what he meant!) Rodney asks if Sheppard wants to get some dinner. “Absolutely,” John says (and I am mollified by his earnestness). Rodney remarks, as they go, that he wishes he could have seen Ellis’ face when the plan worked, calling the man a tool. Sheppard says, deadpan, that he likes the guy, adding that he’s a good judge of character. After a moment, Rodney realises that John is kidding. (Or is he? *Wink* And again, I am reminded of “Miller’s Crossing”, with the story ending with John ribbing Rodney as they go off to dinner. I love that kind of a buddy-buddy ending — although, this one isn’t quite over ….)

We see a lone ship amid the rubble of the Asuran homeworld. A woman confirms for her leader (and us) that the planet has been completely destroyed, and that there are no Replicators left there. The camera pans to … Elizabeth! (Wearing a kick-ass leather version of the new Atlantis uniform, too!) She’s glad that the Replicators are gone, saying something about being able to start their work without someone looking over their shoulder. (Question is, is she evil? Or are we just meant to think so? Is she even the original Weir, or the RepliWeir? I’m inclined to believe the former, myself … Anyway, I like this ending too!)

I love this show. I love it so much that I think I have strained my arm, voting repeatedly for it over at TV.com. It’s oddly satisfying, suffering to type this out, knowing that the pain is derived from showing my dedication to my fandom, and knowing that there are others out there (I personally know of at least seven, and I’m sure there are a good many more) this past week, for the same reason. This edition of this column is dedicated to those happily suffering fans, and especially to the writers, cast, and crew that give us something to be so passionate about — and bond over.

Now, before I go, a bit of slightly-spoilery conjecture. I you’re the type to avoid even casting spoilers or TV listing-style episode summaries, STOP READING RIGHT NOW.

Still with me?

Last chance …

Okay, “The Kindred, Part 1″ is supposed to feature Teyla getting what seems to be a vision from the father of her child. The episode also features the return of the humanized Wraith, Michael. Joe Mallozzi said in his blog that a clue to the identity of the father of Teyla’s child could be found towards the end of one of the last three episodes of season three. Michael was in the second-to-last episode, “Vengeance”. In that episode, Michael briefly took Teyla prisoner. We know he was running genetic experiments. Later in that episode, Teyla wondered about his family, and made the remark to Rodney that Mckay and Michael seemed similar in some respects. And now, in tonight’s ep, Rodney created a child of his own, after a fashion. Sooooo … my guess is that Michael did something to Teyla, made her an incubator for his own progeny when she was unconscious. Perhaps she senses the faintest whisper of “Wraithness” to her child, something she is not sure if she can chalk up to her own DNA or not, and that is why she has been so reluctant to tell the others about her pregnancy. Maybe she doesn’t think the timing is quite right for it to be Kannan’s child, which in turn could explain why she’s not being very careful. And maybe the reason her people disappeared is that he stole them all for experimentation, and used the Wraith telepathic abilities to block what happened to them from Seer Davos’ sight! Well, we’ll find out soon enough, I guess!

See you all next week, for “Spoils of War”!

Never miss an update. Subscribe to Pink Raygun by Email or subscribe via RSS

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). Writing as “Anastasia Witchhazel”, her fantasy short story, “Chase”, is the title story in a homoerotic anthology from Wapshott Press. 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.