Teyla Emmagan is taking the new Atlantis chief medical officer, Dr. Jennifer Keller, to the Athosians’ current home village for the first time. But when they arrive, they find the settlement abandoned; and sooner or later, they find themselves being pursued by a rival nomadic tribe. Since help is not due to arrive until 24 hours after last contact, they’ll have to spend the night on the planet. Until then, they have only one goal: survive.
“Missing” is a straightforward survival story that moves at a brisk pace and is action-packed throughout. The majority of this episode could actually be viewed as one long chase sequence, with a few breaks in between. Notably, the narrative is framed from a third-person limited point of view—presented entirely from Teyla and Keller’s perspective. That means there are secrets they don’t know about that are waiting to be discovered. The plot unfolds to the audience as it does to Teyla and Keller.
Teyla & Dr. Keller’s bond forms the heart of this episode. The narrative wisely chooses to favor both equally, not one over the other. This takes full advantage of how each character has her strengths and weaknesses. For instance, it makes perfect sense that Teyla would have all the survival skills for this tense situation. There is a casualness in her attitude, as though she has experienced all of this stuff before. We are, after all, talking about a woman who says she survived in the woods with her friends (and no food or supplies) for about a week on-end—as a child.
On the other hand, this is Dr. Keller’s first mission and she kind of serves as the audience surrogate. She has to learn all about the Bola Kai, the weapons cache, etc. for the audience. As Teyla’s survival skills make sense, so does Dr. Keller’s vulnerability. This is, after all, her first trip offworld from Atlantis, and she expected it to be a lot more peaceful (she brought lollipops for the kids, after all). The contrast between Teyla and Dr. Keller’s personalities and experiences with the field gives the two characters a more differing dynamic to play off of.
The Bola Kai are a solidly executed subversion of how they are introduced. Teyla describes them as bloodthirsty savages, and the way they are first presented does seem to adhere to that—but that’s only because this is framed from Teyla and Dr. Keller’s point of view, coupled with the fact that their initial characterization is all based on hearsay according to Teyla. Later, when the duo is forced to confront them, what unfolds is a stronger nuance beneath the surface. And this twist flows well thanks to the narrative choice of third-person limited.
Teyla and Keller’s third-person limited perspective also goes hand-in-hand with the revelation of this episode’s real villain, Golan. It is not revealed right away that he is responsible for the Athosians’ disappearance. But during the build-up, he leaves a few clues that are dead giveaways in hindsight—such as having his own hidden weapons cache, still having the ability to walk with a very deep stab wound, and even his initial backstory, about being a Genii sleeper cell, doesn’t add up. Again, it works because in this narrative perspective, the audience discovers the truth with the central characters.
“Missing” is a fantastic episode. It is genuinely fast-paced, with a brisk momentum that keeps the audience engaged the entire time. The narrative choice of third-person limited perspective is a genius writing move. Framing the story this way shrouds much of it in mystery, thereby making every plot reveal very impactful. As an episode so crucial to Season 4’s storyline, this one nails it on its own as well.
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