02-07 Instinct

[Colonel Carter]

Title:Instinct (Part 1)
Directed by:Andy Mikita
Written by:Treena Hancock and Melissa R. Byer
Original Air Date:August 26, 2005 (Sci Fi Channel)

Synopsis:While investigating a planet, the team comes across a Wraith girl who has been raised by her human "father," hiding from the people of the nearby village in fear of her life. But she doesn't consider the consequences when she takes an incomplete drug to turn herself human.


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I think it's cool that they're exploring the idea of trying to save the Wraith by eliminating the bug dna. Why couldn't the Ancients, who were much more advanced, figure out a cure?

I think it's fascinating that these creatures have children. I'm confused though, was there anohter Wraith? I don't recall them capturing it.

I'm thinking the Wraith symbolize vampires. I wonder if the show will ever say that the vampire legend on earth began with the stories the ancients who returned to earth shared.

[Anissa T]

There was another wraith, but that guys daughter (I can't remember the names) killed him right before the end of the show.

[Colonel Carter]

I truly felt sorry for the kid. It was so sad to see her turn into what she did at the very end after she so desperately wanted to become normal.

Does anyone want to guess what a Wraith mating ritual is like? I seriously doubt they get married and settle down considering they are an instinct driven insect race. :p

[Anissa T]

Yeah, that was sad. But, you can look at it as their first trial run on the serum.

[Colonel Carter]

I don't find that very comforting, she wasn't a lab rat, she demonstrated humanity.

[cb49747]

I think problem with the ancients, was that they were so advanced they thought differently than us, not so unlike the thor and the rest.

Also where we are think of how to save the wraith, the ancients were concentrating on how to kill them.

Chris

[Anissa T]

I wouldn't classify her as a lab rat. I don't think they would have injected her without her permission. However, remember, she injected herself. So, in a sense, what happened to her (at the end) was her own doing.

But, what was going on with her prior to the inject was indeed awfully sad. You could see she was trying not to feed and feeling awful when she had to feed.

[natyanayaki]

It bothers me that the Wraith are considered evil though. I'm not saying it's right to kill humans, but it's their instict. They can't help it. I mean, are lions evil if they eat bison? Are humans evil since they eat chicken?

I don't think so.

It would be nice, of course, if the Wraith didn't KILL humans, and found a way around drinking human blood. But I wish SG-1 would get rid of the idea of evil, in the case of the Wraith. They are an enemy yes, but are they evil, well evil is all relative.

And the same does go for the Goa'uld, but at least the Wraith doesn't make their victim suffer for thousands of years.

***Oh, and I promise you I'm not an evil, scary person who wants to destroy the world, this is just what I realized when I watched the show, and realized the Wraith have an instinct to feed.

[Colonel Carter]

It bothers me that the Wraith are considered evil though. I'm not saying it's right to kill humans, but it's their instict. They can't help it. I mean, are lions evil if they eat bison? Are humans evil since they eat chicken?
The difference is that they are sensent (sp?) lifeforms like humans unlike animals such as lions. Eating animals is one thing, eating a race of people is completely different.

[natyanayaki]

Well, if the show is supposed to be so scietific, then it should follow the ideas of evolution, making humans animals. Then the only difference would be because humans are biased. I'm sure the bison feels that the lion is evil.

I'm just saying that it seems that a scientific show shouldn't be defining on terms of evil, and good. You know, it just seems to black and white to me for science fiction.

[Colonel Carter]

That's going under the assumption that "evolution" is scientific or is the only possible scientific theory to explain the universe. I disagree completely in that regard.

But regardless of that, even if you choose to believe in evolution the facts still speak for themselves. Humans are sensient lifeforms and in reality, the only beings which are sensient to our knowledge. Animals are not. Now whether you want to believe we evolved from an animal, we are not classified as such now, we are sensient lifeforms.

I don't think the bison has the mental capacity to understand "evil." It can't even recognize itself in a mirror. Animals act on instinct without the ability to control their instinct. Something that marks sensient lifeforms is the ability to control instinct. Whether or not we exercise such ability is irrelevant. The ability is there.

Whether you choose to believe in evolution or not, animals and humans are different.

[Anissa T]

I agree!

The problem with using a scientific standpoint is not everyone believes in the scientific standpoint. Plus, there are also scientist who believe in both science, evolution and God. So, that throws an entire kink in the program.

However, that said you can't just disregard evil in the program. Let's say a scientist doesn't believe in evil/good. They probably still believe in the basis of simple good and bad. I would venture to say most people do believe in good and bad regardless of how "relative" it is.

I also agree that we (humans) although classified (scientifically) as animals, are more than instinctual and I think thats what makes us different. I believe lions drive on purely a instinctual level. We do more than that.

Just some thoughts.

[natyanayaki]

I understand and respect your pov, I guess we just have to agree to disagree :) .

[Colonel Carter]

The show has plainly stated that the Goa'uld are pure evil. They seem to like to have evil races for the bad guys. But that's classic for science fiction I believe.

Wasn't there a quote in SG-1, I think from Oma, about we all have one of two choices to make - whether to do/be good or evil?

I've seen aspects of SG-1 that suggests evolution, I've seen aspects of SG-1 that suggests a creator. I think it's a smart move on their part not to choose a side. The thing that made me no longer like Star Trek TNG was their heavy focus on evolution.

[cb49747]

The fact that the goa'uld, and wraith are evil is that they understand what they are doing and that they are doing it to someone who comprehends what it is they are doing.

for example I will stop eating hamburger and champion the rights of cows the second they tell me they do not like the fact that I eat them. Now before you say that maybe they do say that and we don't just understand them. Let me say that when cows get intelegent enough to formulate this opinion, we as humans will see that. Did Asgurd not understand humans when we first met? I think not. We may not have understood them, but they understood us.

Hence I never considerd the Replicators evil, just a problem. However that could be debateable.

Anyway that is my two cents.

Chris

[Colonel Carter]

Any correlation between the replicators of Stargate SG-1 and the sentinals of The Matrix are purely coincidental. :p

The replicators seemed more like a computer virus than an evil alien race until we met human form replicators and then we find a dilemma, I think, especially when they are capable of feeling and understanding humanity so well, like the girl robot who created the replicators and the guy Sam betrayed. I think artificial intelligence gets complicated when they are capable of experiencing and understanding humanity.