Stargate Atlantis/Recap/S04/E07 Missing

"Teyla: It was a rite of passage among my people. No food, no water, forced to survive on our own. None of us believed we could endure it but all of us did. Keller: I went to summer camp. There were other kids; we had cabins – with beds ... and electricity ... and food. I didn't even make it three days. Got homesick; called my parents to come and get me."

Teyla escorts Dr. Keller to New Athos for the Athosian's quarterly medical checkup (the first such since Dr. Keller became head of medicine). When they arrive, however, they find the Athosian village deserted, its weapons cache empty, and the area swarming with warriors from a hostile tribe called the Bola Kai. Teyla warns that the Bola Kai will hunt them if they cannot make it back to the gate, but the gate is already guarded, and they're not expected back until tomorrow morning. Teyla and Keller must evade capture until then.

This proves difficult, as the Bola Kai are already tracking them, and Dr. Keller manages to sprain her ankle almost immediately. Teyla suggests they make for a hunting blind on the other side of the river that should keep them hidden over night. Before they make it, they come across a wounded man in the woods, and Dr. Keller insists on helping him. The delay allows the Bola Kai to catch up with them, but Teyla dispatches them all handily with a sharpened stick.

They make it to the blind and have a meal of ground squid guts. The man they rescued turns out to be named Nabel and reveals himself to be a Genii spy who had infiltrated the Athosians. He tells them that the Bola Kai have become Wraith worshipers and led the Wraith to New Athos. All the Athosians were culled, but he managed to escape, and has been being hunted by the Bola Kai.

They survive the night without incident, but in the morning they are overwhelmed by Bola Kai and Teyla and Dr. Keller are captured. The Bola Kai reject the allegations of being Wraith worshipers and attempt to torture the location of Atlantis out of Dr. Keller, but she gives them the adress of an uninhabited planet instead. The two of them eventually escape, and rejoin Nabel, who had managed to evade capture again. It turns out he was the Wraith worshipper, and the Athosians may still be alive.

Before they can find out any more, they are once more ambushed by Bola Kai, and Teyla goes down. They are rescued by Sheppard, McKay and Ronon, who figured out that something was up when they were late returning. Nabel escapes, and Teyla is rushed back to Atlantis to get patched up. Teyla makes a full recovery, but Dr. Keller comes to her with startling news.

Which we get to find out about next time, apparently.

Tropes:
"Ronon: They're primitive. Clubs and arrows. McKay: Hey, arrows can hurt! Ronon: Only if you're stupid enough to get hit in the ass with one."
 * An Axe to Grind: Axes seem to be the favored weapon of the Bola Kai.
 * Call Back: To McKay's Amusing Injury in the episode "Sateda"


 * Cliff Hanger: A mild one - the last line of the episode is Dr. Keller telling Teyla "we need to talk." What could it possibly be!? Find out next time...
 * Everything's Squishier with Cephalopods: Ground squid. Ground. Squid.
 * Gory Discretion Shot: The sounds indicate that Teyla beheads at least one of the Bola Kai, but we never see it.
 * The Load: Dr. Keller. She eventually realizes this and starts to get better.
 * The Most Dangerous Game
 * Rope Bridge: Although it doesn't break or get cut, Dr. Keller does manage to nearly fall off of it. In her defense, she already had a Twisted Ankle.
 * Stock Episode Titles: 49 uses
 * Twisted Ankle: Dr. Keller.
 * Worm Sign: The ground squid is detected this way.