Teyla in Season Five

[tielan]

Spoilers and speculations, more in the sense of what's not being said than in what's being said.

I have been asking generic questions about Teyla in Season Five in private mails and I'm not getting anything back.

I already assumed that the baby wasn't going to be a big deal once they get him out of Michael's clutches, and I personally feel that Teyla is a lot more than just "the mother of the baby that could help Michael take over the Pegasus galaxy" which is really what all the questions about Teyla-and-her-baby reduce her to: an incubator for the Child Of Possible Doom. She has no relevance to the show or to most people's minds as anything but a mother.

What about Teyla as a person? Will she reunite with her people? Will there be conflict about them being put in danger because of her? What about the situation in Atlantis with the new leadership - will there be issues with Teyla's presence, given the increased influence of the IOA in Atlantis? Will her team-mates rally behind her and Ronon; would the city rally behind her and Ronon?

What about the rumours that there'll be a big clash against the Wraith in Season Five - will Teyla be a leader, champion, activist in that? Or will she be reduced to a mere liaison, messenger girl, diffident suggester, dismissed from Atlantis and the Earth people's thoughts because she's just from a primitive culture in Pegasus and therefore unimportant.

Those are the things I want to know, even more than just "what about Teyla's baby?"

Sure, she's a mother and some of her energy should be given to bringing up her son. But she's also a person - a human being in her own right - and being a Mother is one aspect of her life. I want to know that the woman, the fighter, the lover, the friend is still all there and that it's not all swallowed by the Mother label.

Because, hey, if a woman's whole and sole purpose in this universe and the next ones over is to bear and bring up children, I am clearly not on the list for "fulfilment of purpose" anytime soon being single and effectively barren.

I notice that there've been dozens of questions at conventions about Sheppard and what he'll do this season. I don't know why people ask. He'll save the galaxy - same damn thing, same damn reason. It's like asking "will the sun come up tomorrow" - fucking A it will, or else there won't be a tomorrow!

Comments

[marag.livejournal.com]

::laughs:: But wait...will McKay be snarky next season? OMG, what if he isn't????

Yeah, even as a big Sheppard fan, I'm not exactly gonna be surprised if he, say, saves the universe every episode. Now tell me that he gets a sex change and declares his lesbian love for Teyla and I'll be surprised ;)

I'm still very far behind on season 4, but because of choc_fic and your suggestions, the few episodes I watched were ones with a lot of Teyla. Are there any episodes from the end of the season that you particularly recommend?

[tielan]

Midway, and Kindred I at least. I enjoyed the Last Man - which is to say that it didn't annoy me as much as Trio or Miller's Crossing and it wasn't as McShep heavy as I figured it would be from the spoilers and the fan responses that weren't cut.

(Then again, I was reminded last night of just how stupid fandom can be. A friend and I watched SG1 S10's Unending, and I was all, "That was the kiss that got the shippers up in arms? That was the hug that had people all annoyed? WTF, fandom - WTF?")

[beanie-j.livejournal.com]

Sheppard fans ask the same thing at every con in the vain hope that he'll get some character development outside of the 'soldier/hero' box. He, Teyla and Ronon are all in a collective of characters I'm sick of seeing pigeon-holed into one specific function - soldier, mother, primitive warrior.

The better question is how a show has survived so long when it cannot make a character of more than a single dimension. And Teyla is definitely a character where this has been made apparent. All of S4 was totally about how she can't do such-and-such cos she's pregnant. S5 seems it will be because she's a mother.

[tielan]

True. But at least Sheppard fans know that you'll see your favourite character every episode, even if it doesn't develop him as a multifaceted human being.

(And, really, how many multifaceted human beings are there on the show as compared to character tropes?)

Teyla fans don't even have that much: it's not just that she's unworthy of attention, it's that she's not even useful.

What was I watching the other week? Oh, yeah, Bones. And it struck me just how deep Booth's been painted - as a protector, as a hero, as a father, as a man - compared with the guys on Stargate.

Depressing, indeed.

[beanie-j.livejournal.com]

I think we had the discussion before about how I'd prefer to see less of Sheppard and more character development. You are totally correct though - t'is the universe of character tropes. I think I've sort of resigned myself to that now and go elsewhere to see well rounded characters.

I despise the fact that they can't make Teyla useful. So much wasted potential. *sigh*

Bones is great for depth of character. Both Booth and Brennan have been given great depths as characters. She's passionate without being forced into that trope where it requires protection by an alpha male - as much as Seeley tries.
CSI:NY is another show big on development of character and where at least one of the women is written as a strong character. And where people have more than one dimension.

When you see shows like that, SGA is more than a little sad-making...

[tielan]

I think we had the discussion before about how I'd prefer to see less of Sheppard and more character development

Yeah, we have. But at least the Sheppard fans have the option of saying, "I'd like to see less Sheppard and more character development."

I think the only way to see less Teyla than we had in Seasons Three and Four is to kick Rachel Luttrell off the show entirely.

[greenconverses.livejournal.com]

I just don't get why they've been avoiding all questions about Teyla, not even plot/season relevant ones. Yeah, I get that JM's busy with S5 production and only answers a handful of questions out of the hundred or so comments he gets a day now, but I swear every other character is talked about except Teyla. And as cool as I think the all girl team is going to be, I'd rather he gush about the exciting things Teyla will be doing.

They better hurry up with some spoilers for The Queen already, just so I don't get even more tempted to go create a nasty sockpuppet and troll his journal just to get my questions answered and subsequently mocked.

[ubiquitous-girl.livejournal.com]

I totally shouldn't have read this, I totally spoilt myself. :p I should get some better self-control, lol.

But I'm in total agreement with you. ^.^

[(Anonymous)]

Hi !
I decided to post because you're a great defenser of Teyla and I often (if it's not always) agree with you.
I was a little depressed with all this critic on Teyla. I thought season 4 was a great season for Teyla because she has a purpose on the show. It's true we don't see her a lot but when she was there she really shines. I regret that the story turn a lot around her pregnancy and we forgot Teyla and her people. Sadly we are accustomed to this.
I really hope that the baby won't stick around too much because I had enough of Teyla all motherhood and who growths in character because she can do anything. I want the old Teyla back.
And I agree with all the comments we know nothing on Teyla in season 5. I hope it's a good news. After all they give very little details on things for season 5 except what can be not important. I really hope. Perhaps they try to hide Teyla because it will happen something really important and it would be too much of a spoiler I don't know.
What I regret in the show is the lack ot team interaction and more sadly the lack of fans of the team. It's true SGA is really compartimented with the fan of Shep who don't want toom uch of Rodney for Shep to shine. There is the fan of Rodney. And I have the impression that if you don't defend YOUR character so you don't watch the same show. You know the eps have to turn around one character, which I find really boring.
But I agrre too that except Rodney other character are under developped even Shep because when you think of this it seems like SGA has to be his show (not in my opinion it's for the core team) or he is always the hero, he doesn't go out of this caracterisation.
I'm sorry for my english, I know it's bad, but I like a lot what you write in favor of Teyla but not only you support the show and the whole team and I thought to share my opinion :)

[tielan]

Hi and thanks for responding.

Yes, Season Four was a relatively good season for Teyla, compared to what we've had in previous seasons: For the most part, when they used her, she was used well.

On the other hand, in at least half the episodes, she was a passive character. Things happened to her or around her. She did not save herself, she did not save others. She couldn't even save her people.

I hope the child is part of Teyla's life and not killed or removed or ignored. But I also hope that her role as a mother is just ONE aspect of the character this year.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks to you, more importantly to understand me lol.
Yeah at the end of the first part of the season I was really deceived because we don't see her a lot and her arc didn't even start and finally I thought she won't see her after, in the second part of the season.
What bothered me in the second part it was that all was more oriented with her baby and what she couldn't do and not her people. As always there was a lot of things off screen. And this arc was really huge or they reduced it a lot.
But when she was there I thought she has great role and I really loved Kindred, the two parts. For me it was really great Teyla eps and they even correct the season.
I have great hope for season 5. I don't know what to think of the baby I don't want little informations like "Hey how is Junior ?" but I don't want him all the time lol. I don't want Teyla has a mother she has a lot of aspects to deal with as her leadership, the fighter, part of a team (this is what I love the most )

[marag.livejournal.com]

::laughs:: But wait...will McKay be snarky next season? OMG, what if he isn't????

Yeah, even as a big Sheppard fan, I'm not exactly gonna be surprised if he, say, saves the universe every episode. Now tell me that he gets a sex change and declares his lesbian love for Teyla and I'll be surprised ;)

I'm still very far behind on season 4, but because of choc_fic and your suggestions, the few episodes I watched were ones with a lot of Teyla. Are there any episodes from the end of the season that you particularly recommend?

[tielan]

Midway, and Kindred I at least. I enjoyed the Last Man - which is to say that it didn't annoy me as much as Trio or Miller's Crossing and it wasn't as McShep heavy as I figured it would be from the spoilers and the fan responses that weren't cut.

(Then again, I was reminded last night of just how stupid fandom can be. A friend and I watched SG1 S10's Unending, and I was all, "That was the kiss that got the shippers up in arms? That was the hug that had people all annoyed? WTF, fandom - WTF?")

[beanie-j.livejournal.com]

Sheppard fans ask the same thing at every con in the vain hope that he'll get some character development outside of the 'soldier/hero' box. He, Teyla and Ronon are all in a collective of characters I'm sick of seeing pigeon-holed into one specific function - soldier, mother, primitive warrior.

The better question is how a show has survived so long when it cannot make a character of more than a single dimension. And Teyla is definitely a character where this has been made apparent. All of S4 was totally about how she can't do such-and-such cos she's pregnant. S5 seems it will be because she's a mother.

[tielan]

True. But at least Sheppard fans know that you'll see your favourite character every episode, even if it doesn't develop him as a multifaceted human being.

(And, really, how many multifaceted human beings are there on the show as compared to character tropes?)

Teyla fans don't even have that much: it's not just that she's unworthy of attention, it's that she's not even useful.

What was I watching the other week? Oh, yeah, Bones. And it struck me just how deep Booth's been painted - as a protector, as a hero, as a father, as a man - compared with the guys on Stargate.

Depressing, indeed.

[beanie-j.livejournal.com]

I think we had the discussion before about how I'd prefer to see less of Sheppard and more character development. You are totally correct though - t'is the universe of character tropes. I think I've sort of resigned myself to that now and go elsewhere to see well rounded characters.

I despise the fact that they can't make Teyla useful. So much wasted potential. *sigh*

Bones is great for depth of character. Both Booth and Brennan have been given great depths as characters. She's passionate without being forced into that trope where it requires protection by an alpha male - as much as Seeley tries.
CSI:NY is another show big on development of character and where at least one of the women is written as a strong character. And where people have more than one dimension.

When you see shows like that, SGA is more than a little sad-making...

[tielan]

I think we had the discussion before about how I'd prefer to see less of Sheppard and more character development

Yeah, we have. But at least the Sheppard fans have the option of saying, "I'd like to see less Sheppard and more character development."

I think the only way to see less Teyla than we had in Seasons Three and Four is to kick Rachel Luttrell off the show entirely.

[greenconverses.livejournal.com]

I just don't get why they've been avoiding all questions about Teyla, not even plot/season relevant ones. Yeah, I get that JM's busy with S5 production and only answers a handful of questions out of the hundred or so comments he gets a day now, but I swear every other character is talked about except Teyla. And as cool as I think the all girl team is going to be, I'd rather he gush about the exciting things Teyla will be doing.

They better hurry up with some spoilers for The Queen already, just so I don't get even more tempted to go create a nasty sockpuppet and troll his journal just to get my questions answered and subsequently mocked.

[ubiquitous-girl.livejournal.com]

I totally shouldn't have read this, I totally spoilt myself. :p I should get some better self-control, lol.

But I'm in total agreement with you. ^.^

[(Anonymous)]

Hi !
I decided to post because you're a great defenser of Teyla and I often (if it's not always) agree with you.
I was a little depressed with all this critic on Teyla. I thought season 4 was a great season for Teyla because she has a purpose on the show. It's true we don't see her a lot but when she was there she really shines. I regret that the story turn a lot around her pregnancy and we forgot Teyla and her people. Sadly we are accustomed to this.
I really hope that the baby won't stick around too much because I had enough of Teyla all motherhood and who growths in character because she can do anything. I want the old Teyla back.
And I agree with all the comments we know nothing on Teyla in season 5. I hope it's a good news. After all they give very little details on things for season 5 except what can be not important. I really hope. Perhaps they try to hide Teyla because it will happen something really important and it would be too much of a spoiler I don't know.
What I regret in the show is the lack ot team interaction and more sadly the lack of fans of the team. It's true SGA is really compartimented with the fan of Shep who don't want toom uch of Rodney for Shep to shine. There is the fan of Rodney. And I have the impression that if you don't defend YOUR character so you don't watch the same show. You know the eps have to turn around one character, which I find really boring.
But I agrre too that except Rodney other character are under developped even Shep because when you think of this it seems like SGA has to be his show (not in my opinion it's for the core team) or he is always the hero, he doesn't go out of this caracterisation.
I'm sorry for my english, I know it's bad, but I like a lot what you write in favor of Teyla but not only you support the show and the whole team and I thought to share my opinion :)

[tielan]

Hi and thanks for responding.

Yes, Season Four was a relatively good season for Teyla, compared to what we've had in previous seasons: For the most part, when they used her, she was used well.

On the other hand, in at least half the episodes, she was a passive character. Things happened to her or around her. She did not save herself, she did not save others. She couldn't even save her people.

I hope the child is part of Teyla's life and not killed or removed or ignored. But I also hope that her role as a mother is just ONE aspect of the character this year.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks to you, more importantly to understand me lol.
Yeah at the end of the first part of the season I was really deceived because we don't see her a lot and her arc didn't even start and finally I thought she won't see her after, in the second part of the season.
What bothered me in the second part it was that all was more oriented with her baby and what she couldn't do and not her people. As always there was a lot of things off screen. And this arc was really huge or they reduced it a lot.
But when she was there I thought she has great role and I really loved Kindred, the two parts. For me it was really great Teyla eps and they even correct the season.
I have great hope for season 5. I don't know what to think of the baby I don't want little informations like "Hey how is Junior ?" but I don't want him all the time lol. I don't want Teyla has a mother she has a lot of aspects to deal with as her leadership, the fighter, part of a team (this is what I love the most )