Runner

DVD, Stargate Atlantis S2 (Runner)

The main impression I had was of an uneven episode with some parts working better than others. The best of which was Rodney McKay stealing the show, as ever, his scenes with the rogue Ford putting him in an all-new situation and a highlight whenever they were onscreen. Previously he just had to worry about radiation and sunburn, now he's stuck in the middle of a forest with a maniac. It was actually great fun to have Ford back and acting like himself rather than some kind of crazy animal or monster. Perhaps he could be that way with McKay because there was no machismo to oppose, McKay's pretty weedy and posed no threat. So it was entertaining to see the Wraith-infected ex-military man acting as if everything was normal and McKay trying to humour him, yet his personality doesn't allow him to do a very good job so there's good tug of war between his usual attitude of mental superiority and fear for his life, making these scenes stand out when much of the episode was mere runaround of little consequence. I was really surprised they didn't kill off Ford, as I felt it coming, either from the new guy Ronon Dex in a fight (they do have the fight, but it's not to the death, and in close quarters and the darkness of a forest at night, it wasn't the most easily visible combat), or Sheppard having to sacrifice his friend. Caldwell cements his enmity with the good guys of Atlantis by reminding Sheppard of his duty to put down the threat if he can't capture Ford, and we're also reminded he has the military superiority in spite of Sheppard's promotion. But Ford lived to fight another day, doing the equivalent of Luke Skywalker in 'The Empire Strikes Back' and finding an escape route.

The real news is Jason Momoa joining the cast as this alien warrior, not too far removed from Teal'c. Maybe they felt they didn't have that enough with just Teyla, who I always assumed was the character to fill that spot, but she hasn't necessarily. I hope they don't lose her due to the addition because she has been less at the forefront in these first few episodes. I knew there was going to be some dreadlocks guy at some point, and I also knew it would be this season by accidentally glancing at the cast on the Season 2 DVD box, but I didn't realise he'd be played by Momoa who's gone on to big things in the film world, most notably as Aquaman in DC's cinematic universe. Not that I've seen him in anything before, so this is my introduction and he was okay, but we need more than just some warrior, as much as they go out of their way to show him as a tough nut and an accomplished fighter. His home is in ruins thanks to The Wraith, so he has nowhere to go, and it seems only logical that he'd join Atlantis in their fight against the common foe, but it'll be interesting to see where he fits into the setup. The thing with SG-1 was that it was well balanced, character-wise, with the tech boffin, the military guy, an alien warrior and a specialist (Ford wears a headscarf like Jackson), whereas this and 'Universe' both threw a gaggle of faces in to people their respective series' and it's not so clear-cut. For example, we have Dr. Beckett who's in most episodes, but isn't actually a main cast member.

He plays his part in this episode, taking out a tracking device from Ronon's back, put there by The Wraith as sport (he's the 'Runner' of the title), all reminding me of 'Captive Pursuit' on 'DS9,' but with a less focused story. Here, it's much more about running around in the woods and the episode could have done with a clear vision of what it wanted to achieve: it starts out a bit 'Predator,' as any episode can seem when it's about tracking down a powerful enemy in woods or jungle, or even a Big Foot story. Ronon's story was simply informative, it didn't hold any great resonance, but then he's portrayed as quite a reserved man, unsurprising when he's been essentially a drifter living rough for seven years since he was let loose as quarry for The Wraith to pursue. But weren't they sleeping for quite some time until the Atlantis crew woke them prematurely? I forget. I'm sure it all makes sense, and they do try to endear this guy to us, or at least make him look cool with all his pirate cowboy look and weapons, and his tough exterior, but I'm undecided about him. I almost thought from the way Ford was close to his old self that they might even be able to bring him back into the fold and, like McKay suggested, keep his 'superpowers' intact, as that would certainly make him a more interesting character, but as soon as you see that he's just brain-addled and wants to kill even his friends if they so much as look at him funny, you realise how remote that possibility is.

It's good that they leave him free to come into it again, and I can imagine he feasted on the unfortunate Wraith who beamed him up, and gave them a really bad day. He's a loose cannon, an enemy of Wraith, but also needing them to survive. As interesting as that is, the season hasn't really begun yet, there's still a long way to go and we're no nearer to finding out what the story's going to be about. So far we've been dealing with the leftover threads of last season and it's unclear what their focus is now, so I think we're badly in need of some direction and purpose to keep the series from getting bogged down, since they don't have the advantage of the many hanging stories from multiple seasons of 'SG-1' to pick up at a moment's notice, and the characters, except perhaps for McKay and Sheppard, are also in need of fleshing out and putting in meaningful situations. As it stands, this episode was merely a stopgap, an introduction for a new character rather than anything providing momentum towards a plot or goal.

**