Spoils of War

DVD, Stargate Atlantis S4 (Spoils of War)

Christopher Heyerdahl's Wraith proved me wrong, he does get to continue the recurring role, at least in this episode, and potentially beyond. But I was proved right about something else: I previously suggested the ZPMs at the Replicator planet should've been in much demand with efforts to recover some a priority - well, this time we learn 'Todd,' as the friendly Wraith has been bizarrely monickered by Sheppard, saved some, and our team try to do the same at a top secret Wraith cloning location, though failing in the attempt. I liked that questions such as this were answered as it shows the writers care about the consistency of the series.

This was an immediate sequel to the previous episode where we get to see the attack on the Replicators from the ally Wraith's perspective, witness Teyla's troubled position regarding herself and her unborn child, and see the team take down the entire cloning facility which 'Todd' managed to direct them to, and in the nick of time, too, as he was about to be sacrificed to one of their Queens. After a string of pretty good stories, developments and character moments this particular instalment didn't quite match up, for whatever reason. I appreciated seeing Teyla, with her fiery wish to go out and discover the fate of her Athosian brethren, and in particular that of the Father of her baby, and yet she also comes to realise the responsibility she has to that baby. In a time of increasingly easy DIY abortions it's good to see the maternal instinct so strongly portrayed.

Teyla still manages to get involved as, just like Sheppard has the Ancient gene which gives him access to their technology, Teyla has some Wraith connection that enabled her to fly 'Todd's abandoned ship, not to mention using this mental link to control the evil Queen and save the team, while Sheppard saves both her and the baby's bacon by killing this woman who is about to bounce back and devour the poor infant's mind, giving us a really heartfelt ending when Teyla thanks him.

For the most part I would say the episode was a little too building blocks, taking the story forward, the next part of the mission rather than concentrating on character. And that Wraith being born fully grown out of a slimy, gelatinous sack was pure 'The Lord of The Rings' with its Uruk-Hai birthing scene. It's disappointing how often Carter is absent from episodes, in Weir's day she was much more integrated into the stories, so taking all this into consideration, on balance this one didn't fully work. But that's okay, they can't have a winning streak for long and this was far from being missable, it's just that recent standards made it too difficult for it to reach that level.

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