Stargate Atlantis Rewatch: The Hive
Sheppard gets yet another temporary girlfriend (Photo from GateWorld.net)
The Hive
Written by Carl Binder
Directed by Martin Wood
Guest starring Rainbow Sun Francks (Aiden Ford), Aaron Abrams (Kanayo), Kavan Smith (Lorne), Jenn Bird (Neera), David Nykl (Dr. Radek Zelenka), Mitch Pileggi (Colonel Stephen Caldwell), Andee Frizzell (Hive Queen)
WARNING: SPOILERS ABOUND!
Summary
Sheppard, Ronon and Tayla are trapped with Ford and his gang on a hive ship after their mission to destroy it goes wrong. (Part 2 of 2)
General Impressions
A lot of people like The Lost Boys better than this episode, but I actually liked this one better. It didn’t drag as much as the other one seemed to when I was watching it, probably because this episode has more action in it. Ford becomes progressively more of a jerk, almost making me glad they put him on a bus after this episode. This episode also wraps up the drug addiction thread, showing various members of Sheppard’s team and Ford’s team going through withdrawal and eventually being free from the enzyme.
We also learn yet another new thing about the Wraith: Some humans serve and even worship them. We also learn that the Wraith have turned against each other, something our heroes can exploit.
The Good
A Wraith Queen who’s actually kind of pretty. Nice hair, nice gown. They’re all played by the same actress (Adee Frizzell) with a different make up job, but this time she looks good for a Wraith. Oh to be so tall and willowy. She even has a disco audience chamber with lasers. Groovy.
I love it when Rodney gets brave. The lengths he’s willing to go to to save his comrades is inspiring and sometimes pretty funny, but what was he thinking taking so much enzyme all at once? He’s not Ronon, after all. Still, Badass Kung Fu Rodney is awesome: “And that’s what happens when you back a brilliant scientist into a corner!” Then he’s just plain crazy after that. David Hewlett really is a fantastic comedic actor.
I kind of like the idea of Wraith worshippers. It adds a layer to the relationship between humans and Wraith beyond predator and prey and fleshes out Wraith culture beyond culling, feeding and monologueing about how their going to cull you and feed on you.
The Bad
I knew Neera was a spy for the Wraith almost as soon as we met her. Good for John for realizing it, too.
I’ve never understood why impacts to the Deadalus’ shields would cause sparks to fly on the bridge. It’s one of those things that people who nitpick the science in movies and TV always pick on. They also pick on the notion that you can hear things in space, like exploding ships, or that passing ships have a Doppler effect just like they would in atmosphere. I know kabooms are more dramatic, but it doesn’t work that way in reality.
And just once, can we not have the “there’s no way anything could have survived that” moment followed by the miraculous survival of our heroes? Does it have to be like that every single time?
The Awesome
David Hewlett, yet again. Rodney is brave and funny and tortured in turns, and Hewlett is amazing. His drug-crazed Rodney and detoxing Rodney are awesome.
Rainbow Sun Franks as Super Ford, even if he doesn’t have as much screen time in this episode as in the previous one. He really seems to relish playing crazy.
The space battle between the two hives, especially the thousands of tiny darts flying around them like gnats, and the explosion of the two ships was really amazing.
Rating
8 out of 10. Action, drug addiction, and a big space battle.
