08.19.08
Posted in Reviews at 12:56 am by Administrator
Written by Carl Binder
Directed by Ken Girotti
The fate of Elizabeth Weir has been a matter of contention for the fans of “Stargate Atlantis”. Many consider Torri Higginson’s exit from the series to be a massive loss (not to mention poorly handled), and this episode feels like it was twisted and tortured to provide closure. From the published interviews and reports, that’s exactly what Higginson had wanted, but the producers were somewhat evasive regarding the future of the Weir sub-subplot. It’s charitable to say that the comments from producer Joe Mallozzi have been, typically, a bit hostile and contradictory.
What might have been a resurrection of Weir’s plot thread was ultimately turned into “damage control”. Was this the original direction intended for Weir’s subplot? The writers of the “Stargate” franchise often toss out cliffhangers with little or no plan for how to resolve them, so I doubt there was much mapped out for Weir’s future.
The result is an episode that feels a bit cobbled together. Covering for Higginson’s absence requires a mountain of exposition in the first half of the episode, including a segment where a computerized version of Weir dispenses a monotone lecture to bring the audience up to speed. It’s one of the most obvious violations of “show, don’t tell” storytelling in recent memory, and it definitely makes this episode feel like a bald attempt to repair self-inflicted wounds.
Bringing back Fran as Weir’s avatar was a clever notion. The actress is easy on the eyes, which softens the overall blow, and she manages to pull off a fair impression of Higginson’s line delivery. It sells the idea that Weir is stuck in a manufactured body, which is at least possible within established continuity. In fact, the writers do a capable job of pulling together a reasonable enough story, given the challenges involved in making sense of Weir’s return.
That said, it was clear from the tone of the episode that Weir was going to be written out or given the slimmest possibility of a return. It was equally obvious that she would sacrifice herself for the sake of Team Atlantis. The process of getting to the sacrificial act was the only real source of tension in the episode, beyond the odd (and convenient) shifts in ability to control the city. The conflict was well constructed under the circumstances.
I didn’t hate this episode by any means, but like much of the fifth season, I find myself less than enthusiastic. The only real surprise so far has been the excellent character development for Richard Woolsey, who has been a far better commander than I might have dreamed. The writers are staying very true to his origins, yet he’s showing a remarkable resilience. Hopefully the rest of the season will devote similar attention to the rest of the cast.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
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08.05.08
Posted in Reviews at 11:54 pm by Administrator
Written by Alan McCullough
Directed by Andy Mikita
After a couple of character-driven episodes, the writers toss out an episode that does little more than tell a simple stand-contained story with (presumably) little or no lasting effect. Sheppard, McKay, Ronon, and Teyla (pretty much the standard action team) end up running an alternate universe gauntlet when a version of the Daedalus appears in orbit and they investigate.
That’s more or less the extent of the story, which means there’s not a lot to discuss. The Daedalus jumps around from universe to universe, McKay figures out how to pull off the impossible, and they retrace their steps. It’s fun to watch the characters overcome the challenges, especially when they eventually realize that they’re going to have to encounter the same challenges a second time.
It’s fun to see Sheppard interact with his counterpart, and McKay is certainly in his comfort zone (so to speak) when deciphering “his own” notes and creations, but the episode feels relatively empty. If it wasn’t for the impressive effects on display, I would be tempted to call this a mediocre “bottle show”. We don’t learn much about the characters that we didn’t already know from the past four seasons.
One highlight of the episode is the encounter with the alien soldiers. I’m fairly confident that we haven’t seen those aliens before, but they were intriguing enough to make me wonder if this was a “stealth” introduction of a new enemy. If the Team Atlantis of that reality was anything like our Team Atlantis, then they probably stumbled on the aliens and did something incredibly stupid to start a war!
But I liked the single-minded tactics employed by the aliens, because it’s been a long time since Team Atlantis had to deal with an enemy with berserker-esque nature. Sure, enemies have a tendency to come in nameless, relentless droves (especially the Wraith), but the slightest hint of context made this seem a bit different. I would be interested to see more about those aliens in the “real” universe, though I imagine it’s just as likely that the aliens were meant as a one-off and will never appear again.
This is probably best described, in the best possible sense, as a “filler” episode. It doesn’t advance anything, it doesn’t do anything innovative, but it’s the Stargate equivalent of fast food. You enjoy it at the time, but when it’s over, it’s not particularly filling or memorable.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
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07.28.08
Posted in Reviews at 11:12 pm by Administrator
Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Directed by Ken Girotti
If it’s a character-based episode early in a season of “Stargate Atlantis”, then it’s a good guess that it’s a Ronon-centric episode. Looking back on the past few seasons, this is practically a matter of inevitability. I recall a similar thing happening to the character of B’Elanna on “Star Trek: Voyager”. The writers would incrementally advance her personal character arc in an early episode of every season, and once that was out of the way, she basically fulfilled her function within the ensemble without much variation.
Ronon fills a very comfortable niche on Team Atlantis, playing the requisite tough with consummate warrior skill and a gruff good nature. He’s essentially the Teal’c of the series, and as such, episodes devoted to Ronon inevitably pertain to others of his kind. The Satedans have never been my favorites (and that includes the infamous episode “Sateda” itself), so I was wary, to say the least.
Fortunately, the writers took a slightly different approach with the Ronon-centric episode this season. Normally, when a main character is subjected to the kind of experience seen in this episode, the character manages to resist against all odds, demonstrating his endlessly heroic nature. So it was a bit rewarding to see Ronon, perhaps the strongest member of the team, succumb to the Wraith brainwashing.
The brainwashing itself helped to explain why some humans would choose to align with the Wraith in the first place. It may have been alluded to in the past, but I certainly don’t remember anything about the addictive qualities of Wraith life restoration. I don’t think it applies to every Wraith worshipper, since simple self-interest is enough of an explanation and this seemed to be more of an experimental approach, but it does flesh out a grey area.
Otherwise, I found the story to be rather predictable. I was basically waiting for Tyre to rescue the team after his supposed betrayal, and Tyre’s sacrifice was completely telegraphed. Considering how much of the episode’s power hinged on Tyre’s redemptive arc, it was a bit disappointing for the story to be so “cookie cutter”. If Ronon’s part of the story could take a daring turn, why should Tyre’s part of the story fall into predictability?
Speaking of which, this episode was also devoted to exploration of Teyla’s position on Team Atlantis. I’ve been concerned since the moment the pregnancy was written into the series, and especially since the baby was saved. Pregnancy seems to be the easy road for drama when it comes to female characters in the genre, but “baby plots” slip into annoying cliché all too often for my taste. For better or worse, Teyla is not one of the headliner characters, so the impact is lessened.
Even so, if Teyla’s character development this season is largely devoted to the struggles of motherhood, I’ll be disappointed. I would like to think that the character deserves better than the never-inventive “working mother” plot thread, mixed with the “aren’t babies cute?” scenes. We had one such scene with Woolsey in this episode, and I think it was quite enough. Unfortunately, the writers seem to have no intentions of sidelining the baby, so it remains to be seen how it will be handled. (I’m waiting, of course, for the inevitable kidnapping episode.)
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
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07.21.08
Posted in Reviews at 6:20 pm by Administrator
Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Directed by William Waring
With the resolution of the fourth season finale out of the way, the writers turn back to their usual pattern of front-loading some character development. In this case, the writers do their best to serve two different segments of the fan base while covering off a couple of cast-change requirements. There’s also a nice bit of world-building, as more information is provided concerning the Wraith.
This is an interesting episode for Dr. Keller, because it puts her through the wringer. Her initial scenes did much to build on the good graces that I happen to hold for the character. On the other hand, I must admit that the writers are saddling her with the unenviable role of “single young hottie”, as many feared during the second half of the fourth season. There’s a love triangle brewing between Keller, McKay, and Ronon that has little chance of working well.
In a nice move (and one that will please many long-term fans), an apparent cure for Dr. Beckett’s condition is discovered by Keller, bringing him back as a viable part of the Stargate universe. It’s clear that his appearances will be, at best, an infrequent event, but it does open up possibilities that were eliminated by his premature passing. (Besides, his death was badly handled anyway, so why not make it a moot point?)
This serves to bring up a couple of interesting tidbits, right there in the episode itself. Many fans noted (and corrected me, for which I’m grateful) when they pointed out that the jumper was missing at the end of the premiere. That’s a good sign that Michael is still alive out there. That said, his infrastructure is rapidly disappearing, and part of his effectiveness was his deep and almost insurmountable network. It’s something he might be able to rebuild, thus explaining any lengthy absence, but it’s disappointing.
On the other hand, Beckett’s survival does appear to bolster the notion that Sheppard’s glimpse of a dark future for Team Atlantis may be prevented. While Woolsey is in charge, Carter is not dead and the circumstances are sufficiently different. While many of the same threats may emerge, I suspect that the writers made sure that they had the option of diverging completely from that vision as they deem necessary. (Which, in a sense, renders the fourth season finale pointless, which is pretty much what I expected.)
I also expected the writers to paint Woolsey in the best light possible. Woolsey has been the semi-reluctant mouthpiece for the IOA for quite some time, and it seems like this is a natural extension for the character. The IOA has its head in the sand, as it always has, and when that reality begins to impose itself, they take whatever opportunity possible to tighten control over Team Atlantis. If nothing else, as this episode demonstrates, it should be interesting to see how Woolsey deals with the realities of the Atlantis mission while bearing responsibility for its success.
On top of the interesting character work, this episode also revealed that the Wraith ships are organic technology, requiring a living host to be grown into form. This makes a certain amount of sense, given their appearance, and it also adds another element to the nastiness of the Wraith. It does harken back to the organic technology concepts at play on “Babylon 5”, but Keller never would have recovered intact on that show. It’s expected, in the Stargate franchise, that scenarios like this resolve to the status quo.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
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07.14.08
Posted in Reviews at 11:54 pm by Administrator
Written by Martin Gero
Directed by Andy Mikita
The fourth season finale was a bit of a letdown for me, especially the very end, so the writers had a difficult task to perform. Not only did they have to kick off the season well enough to justify some of the changes, but they had to overcome my skepticism. For the most part, I think the writers did what they needed to do.
In some respects, I think the production kicked things up a notch. The pullback effects shot in the teaser was completely gratuitous, but it was still a great way to get the audience’s attention for what is, in the end, a simple story. The survivors of the explosion at the end of the fourth season finale (all name characters, of course) need to be rescued, but Michael’s little trap included a high-tech silent alarm. So Michael is ready to come calling to finish off the enemy, and Team Atlantis needs to race against time to rescue the survivors. Oh, and since Teyla is on Michael’s ship, it’s inevitable that her rescue will be in the cards as well.
So much is crammed into the premiere that it’s surprising how much character ends up in the final mix. Granted, Michael and his hybrids are reduced to the usual storytelling clichés, but the team gets a chance to shine. John and Ronon got to have a “last stand” moment (which was obviously going to end in a last minute rescue), and the characters were well suited for it. McKay got to demonstrate his technical brilliance and deliver a baby. Even Keller is starting to assert herself more, which is a nice touch.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the writers finally gave Carter the chance to demonstrate some strong leadership, and it’s the end of her command. I found the various comments about her work on Atlantis, particularly McKay’s summary of how well she did over the past year, to be a bit ironic. In fact, it could be seen as an example of the writers’ lack of self-awareness. Carter was practically tossed in a corner and forgotten for most of the fourth season! Then again, as far as the team is concerned, maybe her hands-off approach was the best thing about her.
Sheppard, on the other hand, must be trying to win a Most Manly Tough Guy Award contest with Ronon. The man gets a spike to the liver and multiple crush wounds, and he’s still forcing himself to stage a rescue. They managed not to ignore his injuries completely, but it would have been nice for Sheppard to suffer his way through the rescue op just a bit more than he did. Since his survival was never in question (Sheppard and McKay will live forever, I guarantee it), why not put him through the wringer?
While I’ve been soundly dismissed for fronting the notion previously, I think this episode underscores the semi-romantic nature of John and Teyla’s personal relationship. I will agree that there’s little chance that John and Teyla will end up together, since that’s not quite how the Stargate franchise works. Characters are far more likely to dance around each other for years or (as with the father of Teyla’s child) conduct romances off-screen. That said, the bond is more than strictly professional; the end of the episode is practically overflowing with “significant glances”.
If there’s one quibble I have with the episode, it’s the removal of Michael and his hybrids from the story. Michael spent most of the fourth season setting up his grand plan, and it seems like a waste of potential to eliminate him before he can truly step into the spotlight. Michael was one of the better recurring villains, because his actions were the direct consequence of a questionable Atlantis experiment. I thought it would have been a clever choice to have Michael be the true villain of the series because it would have justified the Wraith (who have yet to fulfill their potential) and could have unified the series as a whole. Unless Michael stages another miraculous escape and survives, that opportunity is lost.
Yet I will admit that Michael’s apparent demise is not enough to ruin the episode for me, and within the context of the premiere itself, his defeat makes sense. Sure, the writers took the easy route and had Teyla’s love interest overcome his programming at just the right time (that cliché I mentioned earlier), but if one can accept that Teyla could give birth on Michael’s ship without alerting anyone at all, a few clichés are par for the course.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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05.27.08
Posted in Reviews at 11:25 pm by Administrator
This season, I’ll be summing up this unusual 2007-2008 season with a post-mortem on the majority of the shows I’ve reviewed during the year, ranking from the very worst to the very best. In some cases, the term “post-mortem” is all too applicable. This is Part 4 of this 11-step journey, focusing on the fourth season of “Stargate: Atlantis”.
The “Stargate” franchise found itself at a crossroads before the fourth season of “Stargate: Atlantis” began. The historic run of “Stargate SG-1” had ended, and it was time for “Atlantis” to take the reins of the franchise. Whether or not the series was up to the task was a matter of debate. The writing staff of “Atlantis” had dropped the ball on several occasions since the first season, and there was a palpable sense that change was needed.
The “Stargate” franchise has always struggled with the idea of character development; it’s better, according to the “Stargate” mold, to keep the characters more or less constant with glacial advancement in favor of juggling about a dozen plot threads in a disparate manner. In terms of “Atlantis”, this led to the John and Rodney Show, where the relatively static characters of John Sheppard and Rodney McKay were run through the grist mill with hardly a hint of lingering consequences.
On the positive side, the old producers for “Stargate SG-1” took control of “Atlantis” and made character growth an early mandate. And the fourth season did show quite a bit of progress. Unfortunately, the character development was so slight for so long that the improvements were still only a start. While every character began the season with a new direction, only a few characters received substantial follow-up by the end. Despite the changes, the second half of the season was still, all too often, the John and Rodney Show.
Some characters were also the victim of the demise of “SG-1”. Elizabeth Weir was quickly tossed aside and then marginalized, given a barely-there off-screen plot thread that will, by all accounts, never be resolved as the actress declined to return in the future. Samantha Carter of “SG-1” fame was given command in Weir’s place, but after an obligatory introduction, she was rarely seen and often out of character.
In previous seasons, some of the overarching plot points were sufficient to offset the problems with the character development. The best case scenario would have addressed the weaknesses while maintaining the strengths. Oddly, the writers seemed to falter with the plot threads this season. Despite the promise of the Asurans and their war on the Wraith, it never seemed to meet its potential. The end of the season did pull several plot threads together into one impressive concept tied to previous continuity, which worked well, but it was a bit too late to save the season completely.
Despite some of the mistakes made incorporating the new elements into the series, the Critical Myth average ratings for the fourth season was 7.3. That represents a marginal improvement over the third season, which is exactly the direction that fans had been expecting. The trick will be maintaining that slow but steady forward momentum in the face of additional cast challenges.
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03.13.08
Posted in Reviews at 12:19 am by Administrator
Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Directed by Martin Wood
This year was something of a year of reconstruction for “Stargate: Atlantis”. The demise of “SG-1” meant an overall in the production staff across the board and more than a few cast changes. There were promises of less focus on Sheppard and McKay and stronger character arcs as a whole. Meanwhile, the plot arcs were taken in unexpected directions. The Wraith became more complicated with the brilliant introduction of “Todd”, the Asurans were dealt with definitively (for this season, anyway), and Michael returned in a nice bit of continuity.
That said, the major season arc seemed to end in the previous episode with Michael’s abduction of Teyla. The writers had an early pickup for the fifth season, so bringing the season to a strong conclusion wasn’t necessarily a given. Instead of the huge cliffhangers of previous seasons, the writers went with something closer to the classic “Buffy” episode “Restless”.
In short, Sheppard is launched in a continuity-driven manner about 48,000 years into the future, where a holographic McKay has been waiting for him. McKay has a plan for getting Sheppard back to his rightful time, but it will take a little maintenance of the now-defunct Atlantis to make it happen. In the meantime, McKay runs down a list of ever-more depressing fates for the rest of Team Atlantis, all stemming from Michael’s success in creating a true Wraith/Human hybrid race.
Most of the stories work within the established continuity, and in some cases, presage events that may very well come to pass. In that respect, the episode is very much like the “Star Trek: Voyager” episode “Year of Hell”, in which the audience gets to see how bad it could really be, if things don’t change. To a certain extent, I’m tempted to think that the fifth season would far exceed my expectations if the producers had the guts to spool out even half of the future as depicted by McKay.
Unfortunately, what the episode gains in the depiction of a bleak galactic and personal future is mitigated by the implications of the final act. Sheppard returns, as one would expect, to his own time (more or less). If that had been the end of the episode and the season, it would have been an effective cliffhanger. Instead, Sheppard gathers a team together to storm Teyla’s probable location, based on the holographic McKay’s descriptions.
It turns out to be a trap set by Michael, which implies that Sheppard’s experience might have been an elaborate illusion. I initially found this to be a clever twist, but after some reflection, I was disappointed. Michael is certainly intelligent and a glorious example of the self-inflicted wound, the Mordred to Team Atlantis, but the man should have limits.
Despite that, the fate of the team is left in doubt, and while it’s a far more conventional cliffhanger than the psychological dread that McKay’s recitation of the future might have granted the audience, it works well enough. A little more insight into the changes coming to the status quo might have been nice, but perhaps that explains the ending. With so many changes and fireworks to come in the fifth season premiere, perhaps the writers wanted to give themselves a relatively easy situation to resolve.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
(Season 4 Final Average: 7.3)
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03.03.08
Posted in Reviews at 11:18 pm by Administrator
Written by Alan McCullough
Directed by Martin Wood
The first half of this important two-episode arc set the stage for resolution of several plot threads, most notably the fate of the Athosians and Teyla’s child. It also marked the return of Dr. Carson Beckett, an event completely ruined by the SFC promotional department. Even so, there was considerable excitement regarding his return and how it would be handled.
Sometimes bringing back a beloved character, especially one that has been dead for an entire season, can be problematic. Such events tend to overshadow everything else and disrupt the flow of a season arc. Beckett’s return was logically handled within the context of Michael’s grand scheme; the connections to previous continuity made sense of the situation. Even so, the writers felt the need to add endless comments about how great it was to have Beckett back, and they became distracting and unnecessary by the time the episode was over.
The attention on Beckett forced a simpler structure: save Teyla before Beckett’s biological breakdown clock expired. That gave the episode a certain sense of balance, with Teyla’s plight getting plenty of attention. Frankly, I found that to be more interesting, because that was the plot thread that would have to continue into the near future. Beckett was obviously not coming back for the long-term.
While Michael’s plan for Teyla’s child was somewhat predictable, I was expecting the usual late-minute rescue. This is where Beckett’s unique situation tossed a wrench into the normal mechanics, and his return became a lot more meaningful for me. If any other team member had gone for Teyla, Michael’s would have been toast. Instead, the Beckett clone’s inherent nature gave Michael the upper hand, and Teyla and her child are still in Michael’s possession. That certainly leaves Team Atlantis in a bad way for the season finale.
This episode also serves to pass the medical torch to Dr. Keller more completely and logically than the previous 18 episodes ever managed. Keller and Beckett worked well together (if only to make the requisite exposition a lot less painful), and the writers took the opportunity to show how similarly they can approach novel problems. But a delayed transition shouldn’t have been necessary, and after this much time, there will definitely be Beckett fans pointing out how inferior Keller is in comparison.
Generally speaking, however, Beckett’s return is just a bit too invasive to the story, especially at the end. The final act is interminable, with dialogue clearly designed for nostalgia and fan service. Some of that is warranted in this case, considering that Beckett was brought back due to high demand, but there’s such a thing as going overboard. When character like Carter, who never really knew anything about Beckett, take an unbelievable amount of time saying goodbye, it’s an exercise in excess.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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02.26.08
Posted in Reviews at 12:24 am by Administrator
Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Directed by Peter Woeste
This is the classic example of how a network promo can completely undermine the intentions of a writing staff. A number of plot threads were finally coming together, and the time had come to trigger the return of a beloved cast member. Even with all the press releases months ago, I had managed to forget about Dr. Beckett’s apparent return. It would have been a pleasant surprise, as intended by the writers.
Instead, Sci-Fi Network felt the need to reveal, in the promos for the episode, Beckett’s return. Not only did this ruin the end of the episode, but it put far more emphasis on the rest of the episode to make up for the lack of dramatic tension. Thankfully, there was more to the story than the discovery of Beckett’s apparent survival. (And the current promo, discussing the possibility that Beckett is a Replicator like those found in the mid-season cliffhanger, doesn’t spoil much, since it’s the obvious conclusion.)
In an unexpected turn of events, Teyla’s search for her people comes to an end when she is drawn to their location by a series of psychic visions of her child’s father. This is ultimately a trap set by Michael, who has been out of the picture for far too long. As it turns out, Michael’s previous plans were never abandoned so much as refined, and Teyla’s people were at the heart of his scheme to create a new human/Wraith super-species.
It’s nothing new to take a real-life pregnancy and turn it into a plot to use said child for some nefarious purpose. It’s probably the cliché with the greatest chance of success. If Michael were to steal Teyla’s child for his experiments, it would propel the character into a more substantial future arc. Such a search would also be a cliché, but it could be handled well enough, especially if Michael’s new species becomes a new threat to Team Atlantis.
Michael is also the cause of a plague running through the galaxy, touching on previous continuity, which makes the act of feeding fatal to the Wraith. Unfortunately, it also has a casualty rate similar to the recent Asuran campaign. From the Wraith perspective, this is a very bad thing. Team Atlantis is hardly thrilled about it either, especially when it’s clear that the source is Michael, making them indirectly responsible. This brings Todd back into the equation, which is always fun. (Who else thinks a Michael/Todd showdown would be a great idea?)
Michael’s plan could lead to some interesting changes in the Stargate universe, should it come to pass. Will Team Atlantis try to stop Michael from creating his new species, or will they be forced only to mitigate the human cost of the anti-feeding virus? Whatever happens, the impact on the Pegasus Galaxy will be substantial, and if there’s the slightest negative result to the SG mission objective, it could be another excuse for the IOA to meddle in the command structure. The writers do well when such stakes are in play, so I have high hopes for the resolution of this season arc.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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02.18.08
Posted in Reviews at 12:45 am by Administrator
Written by Carl Binder
Directed by Andy Mikita
When the episode began, I was deeply concerned. The second half of the season has been uneven at best, and the writers seemed to be falling head first into yet another cliché. What happens when you toss the two biggest alien warriors of the Stargate franchise into the same room together? Inevitably they must fight and compete until the requisite threat forces them to work together, eventually coming to mutual respect.
As fun as it was to watch them beat the tar out of each other, and then take it out on the rest of the unsuspecting universe, that aspect of the episode was the least satisfying based on sheer predictability. The details made the episode work. As much as I enjoy the specific adventures of Team Atlantis (even when the writers test my patience), I appreciate the episodes that touch on the scope of the entire Stargate mythos.
The Wraith have wanted to attack Earth for quite some time, but the contingencies were in place to prevent that from happening. Thanks to the sometime alliance with “Todd”, the situation has changed considerably. At least some of the Wraith now have a source of insider information, and the use of Midway Station as a staging ground for invasion of the SGC must have hit home. Even though the attack was repulsed, the most expedient means of transporting personnel, emergency supplies, and other critical items has been lost.
Team Atlantis did well enough without the intergalactic gate system, but this presents an interesting possibility. The writers dropped the ball with Weir on several levels, but when the time came to write her out of the story, they missed the most obvious solution. Weir made some bad decisions involving the Wraith (particularly in “Allies”), and they never came back to haunt her, despite many opportunities.
While Ronon was given kudos by the IOA for his part in saving Earth from the Wraith, it’s not a stretch to consider whether or not Carter will be held at least partially responsible for the fallout from the alliance with “Todd”. The continuing tension with the IOA suggests something will come to a head sooner rather than later. Teyla’s scenes seem to suggest that politics are ready to rear their ugly head again.
This episode manages to bring the action, but with three episodes left in the season, I still have the feeling that too many plot and character arcs have been left on the table. Considering how little attention has been paid to those elements in past seasons, I’ll be happy if just a few of them are addressed by season’s end. Maybe the early fifth season pickup provided a longer view, but for now, I am guardedly optimistic.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
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