SGA 5.09 "Tracker" Episode Guide

Précis

Teyla poses as Todd’s Queen to represent his hive in negotiations with an allied hive, but tension escalates as the alliance’s territories are threatened by another Wraith hive.

Guide | Transcript

MGM/SciFi.com Official Summary

The official summary is not available as this episode has not yet aired in the United States.

Spoiler Summary

INTRO: Rodney, Ronon and Keller are visiting a familiar village when Keller is abducted by a man who forces her to go with him deep into the woods. It turns out he is Runner, and his presence has brought the Wraith to the village. He needs Keller to heal a young girl, the only survivor of another village in which he drew the Wraith. McKay and Ronon help the villagers then set out to rescue Keller, running into booby traps left by the Runner along the way.

DETAILS: While Ronon and McKay try to gather and help the villagers, Kiryk leads Keller on an hours-long trek through thick woods. She talks to him and he finally admits he is a Runner, a man implanted with a tracking device and used as a hunting challenge for Wraith. Keller that Ronon was once a Runner but no longer is; Kiryk is reluctant to believe her.

McKay and Ronon lead the villagers to caverns for safety, then set out to rescue Keller. Along the way Rodney steps on a tripwire, and Ronon has to save him from a nasty demise.

Kiryk and Keller finally reach their destination, a hidden cave far from the village. Inside are supplies and an unconscious 10-year old girl named Celise. She is the only survivor of a village on another planet that was completely culled by Wraith looking for Kiryk. The girl has a badly infected injury on her leg, and Kiryk wants Keller to treat her. Celise is so ill with infection that Keller is not sure she can save her with the supplies she carries. Kiryk practically begs Keller not to let her die, and Keller promises to do what she can.

Cast

• Joe Flanigan as Lt. Col. John Sheppard
• Rachel Luttrell as Teyla Emmagan
• Jason Momoa as Ronon Dex
• Jewel Staite as Dr. Jennifer Keller
• Robert Picardo as Richard Woolsey
• and David Hewlett as Dr. Rodney McKay

Guest Stars

• Mike Dopud as Kiryk - Unconfirmed
• Erran
• Celise

Production

• Written by Carl Binder
• Directed by William Waring

Production Gallery

The following are links to images concerning the production of this episode and were published by Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog:

• Concept Art: Ext. Planet Path, Leg Trap (March 31, 2008)
• Concept Art: Ext. Planet Path, Leg Trap (March 31, 2008)
• Concept Art: Kiryk's Knife (April 16, 2008)
• Candid: Carl Binder models outfit for episode (May 7, 2008)

Related Articles

Keywords

• Wraith

Other

• Season Five Episode Guides
• Episode Guides
• Season Five Transcripts
• Transcripts
• Previous: SGA 5.08 "The Queen" Episode Guide
• Next: SGA 5.10 "First Contact Part 1" Episode Guide

Production Notes

• "Carl is going to jump on #8 (interesting developments in this one that had Priscilla and the gang at MGM very excited)" — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, January 20, 2008.
• "Gave Carl notes on his revised beat sheet for Tracker. My one big cover note: Change the guy’s name. Clearly frustrated, Carl informed me he was open to suggestions. I consulted the list of ingredients listed on the packaged mixed nuts sitting on the coffee table, immediately coming up with the inspired 'Peanutia'." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, February 27, 2008.
• "Carl works on Tracker..." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, March 4, 2008.
• "Carl continues work on Tracker..." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, March 13, 2008.
• "Carl put out his first draft of Tracker today. In a word: awesome! McKay and Ronon make a terrific team." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, March 19, 2008.
• "Carl put out a first draft of Tracker late Wednesday so we should have notes for him first thing Tuesday morning. Or maybe third thing Wednesday afternoon." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, March 24, 2008.
• "As predicted, we didn’t get around to giving Carl his notes on Tracker. Maybe tomorrow." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, March 25, 2008.
• "Thank you to Carl for his continuing patience. We didn’t get around to giving him notes on Tracker today either. Maybe tomorrow." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, March 26, 2008.
• Keller’s Patient writes: “What’s Jason on about a Ronon/Keller/Mckay scramble? Is this just an episode or a season long plotline, Joe??” Answer: "Tracker." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, April 9, 2008.
• "Carl, meanwhile, has been running his Tracker prep on a parallel track. He’ll pop his head into my office and inform me: “You’re up!”. I’ll head into the conference room, have my meeting, then stroll by his office and tell him: “You’re turn!” He disappears into the conference room and then, an hour later, tags me in passing. I’m in!" — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, April 15, 2008.
• "Casting continues for Tracker. ... Otherwise, the front half offers up some great team-episodes as well as episodes which go a long way toward cementing the bonds of friendship between our various players (... Ronon and McKay in Tracker are a few that immediately come to mind)." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, April 17, 2008.
• "Looking forward to some great outdoors fun in the lovely and talented Carl Binder's episode "Tracker". Will Warring (who some of you may know as the camera operator on "A Dog's Breakfast"...okay, and he directed a few Atlantis episodes too apparently ;-) will bring his usual wicked sense of humour and Zenlike calm as Director (when I'm not trying to avoid biting bugs, I will bring down my merciless teasing upon him). Carl has decided to throw the whole episode at one on one time between Ronan and McKay as they try to rescue Keller from a mysterious new fella! Action and banter galore...can't wait (where's the bug spray?)!" — David Hewlett in his blog, April 28, 2008.
• "Fortunately, it was only a half day for me as, by early afternoon, the three Whispers scenes were completed and the focus shifted to Tracker. While I would have loved to stick around for this one, I thought it would be presumptuous of me to be making producorial decisions on Carl’s episode." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, May 1, 2008.
• "There are a number of standalone episodes that contain bigger arc elements (ie. The Seed, Broken Ties, Whispers, Tracker, The Queen) in addition to your one-offs (Daedalus Variations, The Shrine)." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, May 19, 2008.
• "Wow! All I can say is these are going to be some seriously great Atlantis episodes! It feels like only yesterday we wrapped up "The Shrine" and now we've knocked off "Tracker" a great Ronan, McKay and Keller episode with some great stuff from our mysterious "Kiryk"!" — David Hewlett in his blog, May 23, 2008.
• "Along with Tracker, of course. We screened Will’s director’s cut this morning and, boy, this one is a lot of fun. McKay and Ronon team up, Keller kicks ass, and guest star Mike Dopud squares off with Jason in a particularly memorable throw-down." — Joseph Mallozzi in his personal blog, May 28, 2008.
• David: "What is your favourite Stargate Atlantis, or SG1, episode that you have worked on?" Answer: "Well......there have been just too many to mention.....Sateda? Missing? Tracker? I can't just say one......there are many, many more!!" — James Bamford in his GW Q&A, June 1, 2008.
• “They are definitely pursuing that [romance with Dr. Jennifer Keller]. It’s very funny. McKay just can’t have a normal relationship. It definitely comes up in ‘The Shrine,’ and there’s another one that we’re going to be shooting, called ‘Tracker,’ which will be really fun because that’s going to have some Ronon and McKay stuff, basically addressing what has become a love triangle. It’s Ronon and McKay out in the woods the whole time, so that could be humorous. There’s definitely a begrudging friendship there, it’s obvious from episodes gone by, like me healing his wounds when I had the power to do that. Ronon seems to be very good at getting to and judging the core of people - unless he’s being misled by his friends. I think he knows that McKay is not a bad person at the core, he’s just bad at showing it. And bad at doing anything that involves any physical dexterity!” — David Hewlett in MGM interview, June 3, 2008.
• "Character interactions between each other ... I don't know if we've planned that far ahead. There is a nice thing going on, which I haven't really had to deal with or had a chance to write for yet, which is we're setting up a bit of a love triangle. There's a possibility of a love triangle. Last year we saw Dr. Keller get in a near kiss with Ronon, and towards the end of the season in 'Trio' and following up in '[The] Last Man,' we see a version of an alternate future where she and McKay get together. We thought it would be fun to [experiment] ... To be honest we don't know how we're going to resolve it yet. We're playing around at the moment. Carl's written a great episode this year which delves into that relationship in a little more detail, that triangle. And then I don't know. We'll see. I don't know what we're going to do with it to be honest. We haven't decided." — Alan McCullough in Gateworld interview, published June 4, 2008.
• "I'm ready [for Tracker]. I don't know too much. All I know is there's another Runner. And I'm going to save Keller and find out that he [the Runner] is doing it for a good purpose. But still, I'm trying to beat his ass for beating his ass's sake! But I can't wait to read that one, bacause Carl Binder's wrote that one. I really love Carl's stuff." — Jason Momoa in Gateworld interview, published June 11, 2008.

Further Reading

• Joseph Mallozzi's Blog
• Solutions Blog: SGA S5 Spoilers: "Tracker", April 11, 2008.
• David Hewlett's Blog, April 28, 2008.
• David Hewlett's Blog, May 23, 2008.
• James Bamford's GW Q&A, June 1, 2008.
• MGM: Close Up: David Hewlett, June 3, 2008.
• Gateworld: "Sophomore Stride", interview with Alan McCullough, published June 4, 2008.
• Gateworld: "Blood and Tears", interview with Jason Momoa, published June 11, 2008.

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--DeeKayP 20:53, 3 April 2008 (PDT)