Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

An entertaining tale of alien possession

The Seed serves up an entertaining tale of alien possession while providing a showcase for the new leader in Atlantis to show his mettle and the old doctor to remind us of earlier times. While the main story is standard fare, there is plentiful action, heroic self-sacrifice and teaming to keep it interesting. In addition, Robert Picardo does an excellent job of introducing Woolsey – not just the leader but the man behind the leader.

Woolsey is one of the characters Stargate has excelled at producing over the years; a recurring character who walks the line between friend and foe; there as the face of the IOA if a meddling bureaucratic plot device was needed, just as McKay was once meddling rival scientist to complicate things for Carter. In taking the leap to regular character, Woolsey needed to become more than just a plot device. The character is well-written in The Seed; early scenes hint at the team’s wariness of his appointment, his apparent lack of leadership and people skills yet these are then superseded by his clear decisiveness (the briefing table scene in particular delivers a competent Woolsey who has clearly considered the issues and come to very sensible decisions; his reasoning is sound if dispassionate), his leadership during the crisis but more importantly his self-analysis in the end scene with Sheppard.

Picardo delivers an absolutely tour de force performance. The audience feels his panic in the moment when everyone is looking to him to make some kind of welcome speech and his assuredness in the briefing scene when he is back on familiar territory. His uncertainty at determining the right course of action during the crisis scenes is evident in his body language even when he is making decisions. But it is in the end scene that Picardo excels – he paints a rocked Woolsey who is faced with the fact that sometimes the right decisions mean that the rules need to be broken and for the man who has spent his career evaluating others by the rules, it’s a revelation that shakes his foundation. Admittedly, I am a fan but seriously, who isn’t when the acting is this good?

The rest of the Atlantis cast also get a good outing although precedence is given again to injuring Sheppard in a heroic rescue of a damsel in distress. Hopefully this isn’t a season trend. Teyla is wonderfully displayed in all modes; mother, warrior, intelligent woman. Ronon and McKay are quieter but wonderfully in character. As is Beckett. Paul McGillon delivers another good performance as the clone doctor; his passion and caring for his patient reminding us of what made Beckett the heart and soul of Atlantis for so long while his professional capability as a genetic specialist is well-used.

As the victim of the bug, Keller’s role is fairly limited but her own dedication in helping the hybrids and curing Beckett also play up her compassion and medical skill. Equally, her friendships with the team such as commenting on McKay talking with Beckett while in stasis and Teyla’s visit help balance the personal with the professional. All serves to create a nice balance between the team members on show, and a nice balance of characterisation.

In fact the episode is packed with nice friendship moments; Teyla and McKay, Teyla and Keller, McKay and Beckett (loved, loved the scene where McKay confides his symptoms only to be told ‘so no change there then’.) The hints at Keller and McKay while the evident foreshadowing of a triangle between the two and Ronon are subtly seeded; Keller’s earlier comment to Teyla that McKay surprised her, the placement of the three in the briefing room with Sheppard’s hint at McKay and Keller’s fate in the other timeline from The Last Man, and Ronon’s quick offer to rescue Keller. Personally, as I find Keller more believable as McKay’s girlfriend than chief doctor, I’m happy with the subplay but triangles are never a good thing. It’ll be interesting to see whether the writing, direction and production keeps the romance element believable or whether it will end up detracting from the focus of the show.

What was also good from a team perspective was the mention of Carter (I almost died of shock given last season’s refusal to mention her in an episode where she didn’t appear), which just about rescued the character’s exit as being more of a sign of her success than failure. Mentioning her again and Lorne in the context of the pathogen was good. It just adds to the feeling of the wider universe and general gooey teaminess that seeps from the screen.

The rest of the episode is standard fare; the set designers do well on creating a Wraith ship within Atlantis; the tendrils attacking Zelenka were slightly too Little Shop of Horrors for me – much better in the scenes at the end with Ronon and Sheppard and they do make for a good horror element. The lighting in the scenes of Teyla and Zelenka checking the power and Ronon heading in to give Keller the antidote evoke a nice creepy quality. The shots of Atlantis were fabulous both at night and the day time puddle-jumper scene. Keller’s make up was well done but there was a moment where it brought back Ellia for me (the character Staite played in the episode Instinct).

In conclusion

Overall, this was a very nice outing for Atlantis; a standard premise with a good twist, nicely acted, well directed, nicely produced. Perhaps it is not a classic but it is enjoyable particularly for Picardo’s well judged performance and the welcome return of Beckett.