Script coordinator Alex Levine spoke about tonight’s episode, “Tracker”, in his scifi.com blog. He explained, “Tracker was developed from a freelance pitch into a really cool story about Ronon, McKay and Keller. Although the teleplay was written by Carl Binder, the story was developed while the WGA was on strike and Carl was in California. Then, once the strike ended and Carl came back up here to Vancouver, the guys suggested he write the episode using what had been developed by the freelance writer and the other writer/producers. Carl liked the concept and jumped on it. And, like another of his episodes from Season 3, Phantoms, this is an episode in which everything came together. Gotta love it when that happens.”
No doubt, if one were able to ask Ronon Dex about how it was even possible for the seven years’ worth of being a Runner to be seen as a good thing, he might answer from his experiences portrayed in “Tracker”. Not only does he have to go back to thinking like a Runner to hunt down and kill Wraith Hunters, but he must also predict the actions of another Runner who has kidnapped Dr. Jennifer Keller. All of Ronon’s skills are put to the test as he must also protect Dr. Rodney McKay in their efforts to find and rescue Keller. But first, he must see to the safety of the village’s population who are threatened by the Wraith that Kiryk, the Runner, has brought to the planet because of the tracking device buried into his back.
“I spoke with James Bamford, our Stunt Coordinator, and Will Waring, who directed this one, about the episode,” Levine goes on to say. “Both raved about the abilities of our guest star, Mike Dopud, who plays Kiryk. Not only is this guy a solid actor, but, in Bam Bam’s words ‘We didn’t double him at all. He did all his own action.’ Of course it helps that Mike was a stunt man for years.”
Stargate SG-1 fans might also recognize Dopud as Col. Ruselin Chernovshev in “Full Alert” and as the bounty hunter Odai Ventrell in “Bounty”. Jason Momoa, eager to do his own stunts but being pulled back by director Waring, looked forward to working with Dopud as Kiryk because then Ronon could “beat his ass for beating his ass’s sake!” Jewel Staite, in discussing Keller’s predicament, said, “She sees something in her kidnapper that isn’t necessarily evil, and she works on him the entire time and softens him. It’s an interesting dynamic and he’s a really interesting character.”
It’s a dangerous world out there, so casualties are pretty much guaranteed. Find out how it all comes together for Ronon and the others tonight at 10pm ET on the Sci Fi Channel.
Preview Videos – Beware of Spoilers! –
Solutions Coverage –
- Episode Guide (spoilers and links to quotes in this article)
- On site forum: SGA S5 Discussion Board
- Live Journal
[Image from MGM Official Stargate website.]