There is something just wrong with the way this episode is built. From beginning to end, it is divided into two subplots that never merge and never contribute to one another, thus limiting character interaction and overall consistency (by the way, this may be sheer bad will on my part, but I really fail to understand the title).
So on the one hand you have Teyla and Ronon's subplot, which I am going to begin with because it clearly takes second place (yes, there IS a logic here). We will seldom see those two interact, so this is a good opportunity to put the two "aliens" of the team together and show how they are different from Earthlings and from each other. It's also another chance to get to know Ronon and his tragic story. Clearly, the news that he is not the last Satedan survivor is capital, but it is rather underexploited since Ronon's only reaction is to exact vengeance from a former friend. Now, I understand that the guy has issues; still, I find it sad that the story insists on showing him as a mindless brute.
While Teyla and Ronon are comparing their respective modus operandi, Rodney gets to play with a shiny new toy, and this is the most interesting half of the episode. We've gotten used to Earth casually using far-too-advanced technology, and to McKay avoiding disasters thanks to last-second genius strokes. So I guess we're all siding with him (and SGC) in his stubborn attempts to complete the Ancient project, especially after he gives Sheppard that speech about trust. But after all his past successes, his apocalyptic failure serves as a brutal reminder that genius though he may be, McKay is still far from perfect, and we should not expect him to always save the day in the future. (Actually, this marks the beginning of a succession of rather humbling experiences for poor Rodney). This plot is interesting because it doesn't go where we expect it to, and I can only watch in amazement when a hero blows a whole solar system to smithereens. Besides, Rodney will *not* drop the matter and variations on this particular technology will appear in later episodes (all with their own fascinating but similarly disastrous drawbacks).
So on the one hand you have Teyla and Ronon's subplot, which I am going to begin with because it clearly takes second place (yes, there IS a logic here). We will seldom see those two interact, so this is a good opportunity to put the two "aliens" of the team together and show how they are different from Earthlings and from each other. It's also another chance to get to know Ronon and his tragic story. Clearly, the news that he is not the last Satedan survivor is capital, but it is rather underexploited since Ronon's only reaction is to exact vengeance from a former friend. Now, I understand that the guy has issues; still, I find it sad that the story insists on showing him as a mindless brute.
While Teyla and Ronon are comparing their respective modus operandi, Rodney gets to play with a shiny new toy, and this is the most interesting half of the episode. We've gotten used to Earth casually using far-too-advanced technology, and to McKay avoiding disasters thanks to last-second genius strokes. So I guess we're all siding with him (and SGC) in his stubborn attempts to complete the Ancient project, especially after he gives Sheppard that speech about trust. But after all his past successes, his apocalyptic failure serves as a brutal reminder that genius though he may be, McKay is still far from perfect, and we should not expect him to always save the day in the future. (Actually, this marks the beginning of a succession of rather humbling experiences for poor Rodney). This plot is interesting because it doesn't go where we expect it to, and I can only watch in amazement when a hero blows a whole solar system to smithereens. Besides, Rodney will *not* drop the matter and variations on this particular technology will appear in later episodes (all with their own fascinating but similarly disastrous drawbacks).