rachel500 | 23/10/2008

23/10/2008

Search and Rescue is the 1st episode in Season Five of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Search and Rescue provides a solid finish to The Last Man and a solid start to Season 5. It delivers to expectations; a space battle between Michael and the Atlantis team, the rescue of Teyla, the birth of her child and Sheppard playing hero. There are some fantastic touches throughout but, in playing to expectations, the episode fails to excel and in the end the broad brush strokes of the story leave gaping holes within the plot.

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Current Mood: pleased

The Seed is the 2nd episode in Season Five of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The Seed serves up an entertaining tale of alien possession while providing a showcase for the new leader in Atlantis to show his mettle and the old doctor to remind us of earlier times. While the main story is standard fare, there is plentiful action, heroic self-sacrifice and teaming to keep it interesting. In addition, Robert Picardo does an excellent job of introducing Woolsey – not just the leader but the man behind the leader.

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Current Mood: okay

Broken Ties is the 3rd episode in Season Five of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Stargate occasionally tackles material which is dark and disturbing in nature, and Broken Ties is the latest attempt focusing on our favourite Satedan. Unfortunately, Ronon’s trauma suffers from being squished into the hour long format and a distracting subplot as Teyla questions her return to Team Atlantis. The result is that while the whole is an accomplished piece of work, the main story never quite gets told to the depth or extent that the material justifies despite great acting and direction.

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Current Mood: good

The Daedalus Variations is the 4th episode in Season Five of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The Daedalus Variations is an original take on the well-loved Stargate standard of the alternate reality twist, and its classic format of the team getting into trouble and getting out of it again. The result is an episode with a well constructed story that delivers on special effects, action and teamwork but which never quite makes the grade as a classic itself.

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Current Mood: impressed

Ghost in the Machine is the 5th episode in Season Five of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

It is difficult to review Ghost in the Machine as a single episode given as it continues the arc of one of the series’ original regulars, Elizabeth Weir. Ghost in the Machine must be reviewed in both contexts in order for its success or failure as an episode to be truly established. The result; while the episode works as an intense story that plays with the concept of what really defines a person, for this viewer, as the potential last story in Elizabeth Weir’s arc it fails to provide a satisfying ending for the character.

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Current Mood: indifferent

The Shrine is the 6th episode in Season Five of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

In many ways The Shrine is an excellent episode: a story focused on how the characters deal with the decline and imminent death of one of their own while using the unique setting of the Stargate universe to provide the reason and solution for the predicament. It is a well-written piece that allows most of the cast to stretch their acting wings and, while not perfect, it is imbued with emotion at every turn. The downside is that this story has been told before in Atlantis; the details may have changed but Rodney McKay facing death is old news.

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Current Mood: impressed

Whispers is the 7th episode in Season Five of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Whispers is a step outside the box marked 'Stargate: Atlantis' with a story set in the universe but using different characters from the norm to tell it and taking a side-step from sci-fi into the horror genre. However, Whispers never strays too far from the box; lead character Sheppard is fully in the mix, Beckett returns to add another familiar face, and the story while standard horror fare is rooted in the recent Atlantis mythology.

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Current Mood: okay

The Queen is the 8th episode of Season Five of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The idea of Teyla assuming the place of a Wraith Queen to carry out an Atlantis plan sounds fantastic especially given the superb Spoils of War last season. The possibilities for intrigue, action and character development bubble up and overflow like uncorked champagne. Add the Wraith Todd, one of the finest characters the show has invented, into the mix and the whole episode promises a veritable feast. Unfortunately, rather then the Michelin starred gourmet meal promised, the episode delivers the usual home-cooked fare: solid with some tasty bits but overall, uninspiring.

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Current Mood: disappointed

Tracker is the 9th episode in Season Five of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The foundation for Tracker is classic Stargate; off-world the team runs into trouble, gets out of trouble and goes home again. Tracker has one small variation to this; the team isn’t the team but the CMO accompanied by two of the team. As with any splitting up, the episode lives or falls by how much the individual viewer enjoys the dynamics shown instead. The combination here is unusual and complicated by a romantic element that Stargate rarely tackles head-on – particularly among its regular characters – but it is held together by a great overall story.

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Current Mood: good

All my reviews for Stargate Atlantis.

As I only started reviewing Atlantis in Season Three, there are no reviews for Season One and Two. I may at some point get around to reviewing them; maybe not.

All the reviews are also posted in the Fan Reviews sections at Gateworld.

Season Five

Search and Rescue, The Seed, Broken Ties, The Daedalus Variations, Ghost in the Machine, The Shrine, Whispers, The Queen, Tracker, First Contact, The Lost Tribe, Outsiders, Inquisition, The Prodigal, Remnants, Brain Storm, Infection, Identity, Vegas, Enemy at the Gate

Season Four

Adrift, Lifeline, Reunion, Doppelgangers, Travelers, Tabula Rasa, Missing, The Seer, Miller's Crossing, This Mortal Coil, Be All My Sin's Remembered, Spoils of War, Quarantine, Harmony, Outcast, Trio, Midway, The Kindred I, The Kindred II, The Last Man

Season Three

No Man's Land, Misbegotten, Irresistible, Sateda, Progeny, The Real World, Common Ground, Phantoms, McKay and Mrs Miller, The Return I, The Return II, Echoes, Irresponsible, The Tao of Rodney, The Game, The Ark, Sunday, Submersion, Vengeance, First Strike

Current Mood: productive

Adrift is the 1st episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The trilogy is a well-worn format in sci-fi and fantasy literature with a common issue: the second book is never as good as the first and its storyline always suffers because its primary task is to build tension for the concluding part. Stargate: Atlantis might live in the different medium of television rather than literature but its season four premiere certainly comes afoul of the middle story syndrome. On first viewing the episode is rather plotless – as adrift as the title suggests – but this is to miss the more subtle character stories that provide some excellent performances by the cast, and which weave through the set action pieces with their great special effects.

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Current Mood: okay

Lifeline is the 2nd episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The strength of this particular outing for the SGA team is the emotion that seeps through the story and bleeds through the screen. It is a combination of good direction, solid writing, and excellent performances that provides a fitting conclusion to the trilogy despite the missing originality and the less than believable escape from the replicator home-world that leaves the actual plot a little lacklustre in comparison.

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Current Mood: sad

Reunion is the 3rd episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Reunion is as much about accepting change as it is about revisiting the past dealing within its major and minor plotlines with the reunion of Ronon with his Satedan buddies and the formal introduction of Samantha Carter as the new Atlantis commander. Both plots are woven together nicely in a tightly written episode that incorporates its character moments directly into the storyline. With everything generally adding polish to the final product, there is little to criticise in the episode with the negative points relatively minor.

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Current Mood: impressed

Doppelgangers is the 4th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Sophisticated story-telling married with a smorgasbord of special effects makes ‘Doppelganger’ an entertaining outing for the SGA gang. The action and emotional angst are nicely balanced with the main jarring notes being the chemistry between the new cast that is still in its infancy, and that both problem and solution are pulled from the SG1 past.

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Current Mood: good

Travelers is the 5th episode of Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The hero getting kidnapped by a beautiful woman? As Jack O’Neill would say that would be a cliché and we all know how Jack feels about those…me, on the other hand, well, I don’t mind the odd cliché if its done with some style and panache. The question is whether Travelers is really a story that delivers with that style and panache or whether, in the final analysis, it doesn’t get beyond the cliché. For me, the problem with Travelers is that it never seems to resolve that question despite the great special effects, acting and direction.

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Current Mood: okay

Tabula Rasa is the 6th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

When an episode is as accomplished as Tabula Rasa, it is difficult to find what it is that causes the slight feeling of dissatisfaction after the credits roll. Great direction, good acting and an overall polished production quality surrounds the episode; the core of the story is an original plot with a lot of wonderful stand alone moments that develop the characters and provide the all-important team feel. But, and there is a but, while the whole gives the illusion of a great episode, it masks the familiar devices and gaping plot hole that causes the whole to come undone.

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Current Mood: disappointed

Missing is the 7th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Heralded by Joe Mallozzi as the ‘Thelma and Louise’ of the Stargate world, Missing’s only real similarity with that film is that two hunted women have to fight against the odds to survive. Ultimately Missing has less in common with that classic film, and much more in common with original Stargate movie – and that’s not a bad thing. Both Rachel Luttrell and Jewel Staite bring life to their characters in what is ultimately a very simple story set in a very simple setting, and which relies on the mix of action and dialogue to maintain pace and interest while setting up season arcs.

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Current Mood: okay

The Seer is the 8th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

With so much embedded into the plot of The Seer, it would have been easy for the episode to lose its way, yet The Seer manages to deliver each nuance, preparing the way for character and season arcs without losing anything of its own storyline along the way. The characterisation is great throughout with the cast, both regular and guest, delivering good performances while the production quality remains high.

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Current Mood: impressed

Miller's Crossing is the 9th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Some of the best stories are ones that are not afraid to stir up controversy and ask the audience to examine the morality of the decisions made by the characters. Miller’s Crossing does this in spades and the result is a first class drama of the highest quality that makes demands of the cast and crew with excellent results and only a few small areas for improvement.

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Current Mood: impressed

The Mortal Coil is the 10th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

As the mid-season teaser This Mortal Coil is subdued dealing as it does with the duplicates and the suggested death of Atlantis’s former leader Elizabeth Weir. Everything seems downbeat from the story to the actors who do their best with the limited material, and the place this assumes in the season arcs. Ultimately, the story is weak and only the last two scenes provide any saving grace.

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Current Mood: disappointed

Be All My Sins Remembered is the 11th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Be All My Sins Remembered will undoubtedly be remembered as a classic Atlantis episode; a well-constructed plot filled with intrigue, conflict and snippets of personal interaction that’s a joy to watch and complemented on every level by every aspect of the production. It is not flawless; the pacing is a little slow at times, the characterisation a little off in places and revisiting the cliché of the whole hero-taken-hostage-by-beautiful-woman was a little unnecessary, but in truth these are minor blemishes on an otherwise polished episode.

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Current Mood: good

Spoils of War is the 12th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Reproduction forms the theme of Spoils of War and subtly weaves the connection between the main plot dealing with the Wraith’s plans to create a super-army and the ramifications of Teyla’s pregnancy revelation. The mix of a very character driven sub-plot and the action driven main plot creates a tight, tense episode that captures the attention and provides a great hour of entertainment.

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Current Mood: impressed

Quarantine is the 13th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The basic premise of Quarantine is a good old-fashioned Stargate story; a new planet brings new challenges and the team have to find a way out of it, the twist of course being that the planet is the one the entire city is now based upon. The success of such stories is usually down to the team’s ability to come together and solve the crisis and Quarantine is successful in that. However, Quarantine is also a good old-fashioned ‘let’s trap the characters together and force them to interact’ story; a wonderfully classic fictional plot device for provoking character interaction. The success of these stories is in how engaging the character interaction is for the viewer and here Quarantine produces mixed results for me.

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Current Mood: okay

Harmony is the 14th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

A fantasy tale of McKay and Sheppard escorting a child through a forest on a quest to become queen really had the potential to be a complete disaster, yet Harmony turns out to be a surprisingly successful story. The writing is tight; the direction and photography beautiful; and the acting by all three main actors wonderfully executed.

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Current Mood: good

Outcast is the 15th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

In many ways Outcast doesn’t feel like an episode of Stargate Atlantis. With the action happening back on Earth and the absence of so many of the regular cast, the whole tone and pace is changed with the only Atlantis constants really being Sheppard and Ronon. As an Atlantis episode it sits uncomfortably in the mix yet viewed completely as a stand alone, there is a lot to appreciate.

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Current Mood: okay

Trio is the 16th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Trio is a surprisingly engaging tale that goes back to the basic core of many a good Stargate story; a planet, a problem and teamwork to get a solution and save each other. The set design, direction and camera work are excellent; the story providing just enough plot, dialogue and action to keep the attention and the acting is well done. If there are any complaints they centre around characterisation.

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Current Mood: satisfied

Midway is the 17th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Midway provides the setting for the meeting of Stargate’s two alpha male warriors, Teal’c and Ronon. The story provides a solid back-drop for the encounter which delivers everything that is expected. Yet in meeting expectations, the episode fails to exceed them and this is perhaps the source of the disappointment that lingers.

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Current Mood: okay

The Kindred Part I is the 18th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Two-part episodes are always a difficult challenge; each part in itself has to provide enough cohesion and interest as a story to keep the audience engaged while fulfilling a function either as a set-up or as a conclusion. Additionally, in the case of The Kindred I it needed to fit seamlessly into the wider story arcs that the overall story touches upon. Ultimately, it delivers a solid character-driven set-up, assisted by accomplished acting and a high production quality but there is still room for improvement in regards to story-telling.

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Current Mood: okay

The Kindred Part II is the 19th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Strong emotion runs through the second part of The Kindred as the theme of reunions, and how they are never quite what you expect, weaves through the story. It is an unexpected story in some ways; the ending bittersweet and unpredictable yet it is more powerful because of that. While it lacks the certain something that would elevate it to the heights of a Sateda or Common Ground, it delivers a quality episode in its own quiet way with the assistance of some powerful performances and complementary production.

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Current Mood: okay

The Last Man is the 20th episode in Season Four of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Stargate has produced some fantastic alternative timeline and universe stories and The Last Man is the latest engaging tale to fall into that category. It focuses on the ‘what if’ scenario of it all going horribly wrong for the expedition in Atlantis and for the Pegasus Galaxy but focusing primarily on character stories rather than simply the overarching result. There is much to recommend it but the final act feels rushed and tagged on in comparison to the rest as though simply done for shock factor and to provide the requisite cliff-hanger of a season finale than to contribute in a meaningful way to the story.

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Current Mood: good

No Man's Land is the 1st episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

‘No Man’s Land’ looks promising as a thrilling season opener given its set-up in Allies but it fails to live up to its potential because of a lack of sympathy toward the main characters created by the overall arc and a lack of dramatic tension inherent in the story and overall direction. It is only saved from total disaster by the quality acting, great individual moments and special effects.

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Current Mood: disappointed

Misbegotten is the 2nd episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The continuation of the season premiere, Misbegotten, is left to tie up the loose ends from in the previous instalment. The focus is shifted back to Atlantis as the team deal with the mess they created by using the Wraith retro-virus while Weir's leadership continues to be scruntinised. Unfortunately, the whole episode ends up feeling like it’s doing exactly that; cleaning up a disjointed mess although the final act provides a flash of the excellence Atlantis can achieve.

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Current Mood: okay

Irresistible is the 3rd episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Irresistible is feels like an attempt to emulate the stand-alone funny stories typical of SG1’s early seasons but it is unoriginal with no surprises serving only to embarrass most of the main characters and leaving only the hero of the story, Sheppard, to emerge with any dignity. Further, the direction never seems truly settled on whether to interpret the script as a comedy or a serious story, and ends up missing on both accounts.

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Current Mood: nauseated

Sateda is the 4th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Sateda is a feast of a story from beginning to end. It is a well-judged character study not only for Ronon who takes centre stage but for the rest of the SGA flagship team in a serious drama lightened occasionally with humour and wit. It delivers on every level and leaves a satisfying warm, fuzzy feeling as the SGA team finally admits they are a family.

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Current Mood: impressed

Progeny is the 5th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The Replicators make their first appearance in the Pegasus galaxy in Progeny and provide a chilling additional enemy for the Atlantis team to face besides the Wraith. The story provides a nice set-up for an arc for Weir while showcasing McKay’s technical abilities, and his relationship with Sheppard. The result is an accomplished piece of work that ticks all the right boxes but somehow feels as soulless as the Replicators themselves.

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Current Mood: okay

The Real World is the 6th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Having looked forward to this episode for a number of reasons; Weir-centric, written by Carl Binder, and not to mention the guest appearance by Richard Dean Anderson, The Real World does not disappoint. The story is tightly written, Torri Higginson delivers an outstanding performance and Richard Dean Anderson is as enjoyable as ever. The only area for improvement is the use of the rest of the Atlantis characters within the story and the resulting lack of balance.

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Current Mood: pleased

Common Ground is the 7th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Common Ground is a showcase episode for Stargate Atlantis, at the heart of which is a very tightly written script by Ken Cuperus. Everything about the story is quality; the way it unfolds, the pacing, the dialogue, the mix of light and dark. All is married with superb acting from the whole cast and with excellent direction from William Waring to produce a fantastic episode.

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Current Mood: impressed

Phantoms is the 9th episode in Season Three in Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Having played mind games with Weir in The Real World, Phantoms attempts to do something similar with the rest of the SGA team, and in particular Sheppard. Unfortunately, the underlying story is not as successful as The Real World and is not particularly interesting but it does retain a good team feel and just about balances all six main regular characters.

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Current Mood: okay

The Return Part I is the 10th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The Return is an aptly named episode dealing with a number of returns within the storyline. It does an excellent job of setting up and building anticipation for the second part while it fails to hit the mark on providing a sense of the SGA team as a family as other episodes have done this season.

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Current Mood: okay

The Return Part II is the 11th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The first part of The Return was so successful in building anticipation for the conclusion that there was the risk that Part 2 would not live up to the high level of expectation. Luckily, Part 2 is good enough to satisfy those expectations. It is hugely enjoyable and good fun. The storyline manages to deliver action galore, a suitably dramatic climax and a more substantial role for its major guest star, Richard Dead Anderson. However, although this is definitely an above-average outing for SGA, there is still room for improvement, both with a few gaping plot holes and the SGC scenes.

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Current Mood: good

Echoes is the 12th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

After the exciting action of The Return II, SGA slows the pace with its next offering, Echoes. Relying on the mystery of the apparitions and the intrigue of the circling whale-like creatures to keep the audience’s attention, Echoes provides some lovely warm character moments, gentle humour and a long, slow slide to the actual threat to Atlantis. Perhaps the pacing is a little off and certainly the health issues caused by the whales create some health issues with the plot but overall this is an easy to watch and enjoyable slice of SGA requiring very little from its audience.

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Current Mood: okay

McKay and Mrs Miller is the 8th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

A comedy episode with the redoubtable McKay front and centre has success written all over it so it is with some surprise that the episode doesn’t quite live up to its potential and harder still to pinpoint the reason why. David Hewlett in fine form as McKay; check. Hewlett’s sister playing McKay’s sister; check. Sibling banter throughout; check. Guest appearance by Amanda Tapping; check. Believable story and great team dynamics; whoops.

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Current Mood: okay

Irresponsible is the 13th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Given how prepared I was to hate Irresponsible the fact that I didn’t is a tribute to the performances of the cast, the direction which makes the most of every shot and the script which provides humour and team moments aplenty. Unfortunately, the episode also has its failings, the major one being the inclusion of a pivotal moment in the SGA universe that really deserved an episode all of its own and which ultimately leaves the viewer disappointed with not so much the episode but the series itself.

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Current Mood: disappointed

The Tao of Rodney is the 14th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Every so often Stargate doesn’t just have one of its characters taking the lead within a story, but it focuses the entire story to the actual examination of that character – what makes them tick, how they think, their relationships with others; the Tao of Rodney is the latest in that repertoire as McKay is put in the spotlight. What results is a tight character study that is both touching and humorous, excellently performed by the cast and polished to a high quality by the overall production. Yet in amongst a great deal of sweetness is one odd sour moment.

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Current Mood: impressed

The Game is the 15th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

On paper The Game must have sounded like a great idea; Sheppard and McKay’s rivalry in what they believe is a computer game almost resulting in a real war between two countries on another planet. However, the execution is an episode which while accomplished in terms of special effects, story construction and acting from the main cast is somewhat of a disappointment. It is difficult to understand where it went awry; perhaps because the societies remain superficial and without depth, perhaps in the acting of the guest cast which is a little one note, perhaps in the fact that the sub-plot with Zelenka and Lorne offers a more interesting story that appeals in a way the main plot does not.

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Current Mood: bored

The Ark is the 16th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

The dramatic opening of The Ark while capturing interest also serves an early warning that this will be a Sheppard-saves-the-day-with-a-crazy-idea episode…and so it is. Really the rest of the episode only serves to tell the audience why Sheppard ended up in a bad Apollo 13 moment and to showcase his character while pretty much making everyone else redundant and in the case of Teyla, ironically invisible. Despite this the episode is hugely watchable for the most part helped by the special effects and the intriguing idea of the team all cut off from each other in parts of the moon base.

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Current Mood: okay

Sunday is the 17th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

Heart-breaking best sums up Sunday as Atlantis says goodbye to one of its most loved characters, Doctor Carson Beckett. It seems fitting that the last story of a character who embodies the human soul of the expedition is rich in character moments and interactions. They provide a poignant back-drop of friendship and camaraderie for the primary story of Beckett’s final hours which is very well constructed. It builds slowly to its shocking climax with the final act given over to reaction and farewell. If it is all a little too reminiscent of SG1’s Heroes, it is equally emotional.

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Current Mood: sad

Submersion is the 18th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

With ‘girl power’ forming a theme for SG1’s episode, it is a nice to see a continuation in SGA’s, Submersion. Powerful women leaders are the name of the day as Teyla, Weir and a Wraith Queen are all given primary roles within the story yet somehow it is still Sheppard and McKay who seem to leave the more memorable impression.

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Current Mood: okay

Vengeance is the 19th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

I should say upfront that I’m not a fan of horror films. On the rare occasion my sister drags me to see one, I usually end up with my hand over my eyes or resolutely staring at the exit sign wondering how much longer the torture will last. Neither am I a huge fan of the Wraith retro-virus arc SGA has experimented with so it is with some surprise then that I found myself loving Vengeance. Wonderfully directed and well-written, Vengeance is filled with intrigue, tension and drama as it resurrects one of SGAs best villains, Michael.

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Current Mood: good

First Strike is the 20th episode in Season Three of Stargate Atlantis.

Review

If there is one thing Atlantis does very well it is season finales, and First Strike assumes its rightful place as the best to date. The story scores on every level and with such a solid foundation, the characterisations and performances are assured with the guest cast nicely added to the mix. The special effects simply rock and every aspect excels. The result is a finale that seduces the viewer into falling in love with the show all over again and sets expectations for S4 very high.

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Current Mood: impressed

Flesh and Blood is the 1st episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

‘Flesh and Blood’, or as it could have otherwise been entitled ‘A Lot of Winning by the Bad Guys’, provides a satisfying start to the new season delivering a well-constructed story that subtly focuses on the reuniting of the SG1 team and the bond they share against the wider space opera of the Ori’s invasion of the galaxy and the introduction of their new leader.

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Current Mood: optimistic

Morpheus is the 2nd episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

Morpheus combines a return to Stargate’s classic formula while addressing Vala’s continued presence at the SGC. While the story flounders, the episode retains an enjoyable quality thanks to the excellent characterisations of the individual characters and the SG1 team as a whole, buoyed by the performances of the actors.

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Current Mood: okay

The Pegasus Project is the 3rd episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

The ABC of good Stargate SG1 storytelling is followed to optimum effect in The Pegasus Project. Ambition with the complex storyline; Balance with the characters; and importantly, the show’s Canon being used to great effect. All these aspects tie wonderfully together to create a highly enjoyable and quality episode where SG1 gets back to saving the galaxy.

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Current Mood: impressed

Insiders is the 4th episode of Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

If The Pegasus Project was a lesson in how to write a good Stargate episode, how not to is covered by Insiders. It suffers from poor characterisation and an obvious plot that makes a meal of its relatively simple objective in terms of the Ori arc. All combine to produce an episode that is neither memorable nor enjoyable with hardly any redeeming features.

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Current Mood: disappointed

Uninvited is the 5th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

Battling creepy monsters or spending time with the boss? This is the question posed in Uninvited which juxtaposes the surreal horror of monsters against the real horror of forced team bonding sessions. It ends up as a decent, solid story but with a poor attention to detail and no deep character development.

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Current Mood: okay

200 is the 6th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1 and the landmark 200th episode of the sci-fi show.

Review

In light of the recent cancellation news watching SG1’s 200th episode was a bittersweet experience with the jokes of TV movies and cancellation/renewals of a TV series seeming oddly prophetic even though the reference is to SG1’s past not future. Setting this aside, 200 provides an amusing summary of the show’s history while poking fun at itself and its fans on one hand, and at the television business and sci-fi in general on the other. However, in delivering nicely executed individual set pieces it fails to deliver a cohesive whole with a disappointing ending.

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Current Mood: amused

Counterstrike is the 7th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

Counterstrike provides a return to the Ori arc in a story that illustrates the vast superiority of the enemy and the comparative weakness of Earth and its allies. Its purpose is to further the arc and it is never meant to be an uplifting episode but under the expected down-note of the ending is a sense of disappointment with the overall dramatic effect, (or lack thereof), despite the acting talents of the cast and great special effects.

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Current Mood: okay

Memento Mori is the 8th epiosde in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

Identity crisis is an appropriate summary both for the storyline of Memento Mori and the actual episode. While the story struggles to find its niche, Claudia Black turns in an outstanding performance which ultimately makes the episode incredibly watchable and even enjoyable.

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Current Mood: okay

Company of Thieves is the 9th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

Company of Thieves is a decent outing for the SG1 team; the story is cohesive and well-planned and even manages to keep an element of humour in an otherwise sobering tale. Unfortunately, what it does miss is decent characterisation for the majority of the SG1 regulars.

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Current Mood: okay

The Quest Part I is the 10th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

The first part of The Quest takes SG1 from sci-fi to unimaginative fantasy in one fell swoop as the show returns to the Ori arc. While the story retreads fantasy standards such as mazes, riddles and dragons, it does manage to do the almost impossible of balancing the contributions of all of the SG1 team and the two villains who are added into the mix.

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Current Mood: okay

The Quest Part II is the 11th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

If ever there was an episode where Stargate SG1 got its mo-jo back, it’s this one. The Quest Part 2 is everything Part 1 wasn’t; tightly associated with the mythology, tense and dramatic, exciting with lots of character moments and nods to canon that make the whole thing highly enjoyable. For the first time in a long time, Stargate SG1 ticks all the right boxes and then some to produce an amazingly great episode.

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Current Mood: impressed

Line in the Sand is the 12th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

After a complete miss with Insiders and a solid effort with Company of Thieves, Alan McCullough finally manages a home run with Line in the Sand. With a couple of minor quibbles around the usual suspect of characterisation, this episode scores on every level; great story, good use of canon, teamy character moments, excellent guest performances and neatly executed special effects.

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Current Mood: impressed

The Road Not Taken is the 13th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

The Road Not Taken is the latest offering in the Stargate sub-genre of alternate universe tales. It’s always fascinating to explore the possibilities and this window into another universe doesn’t disappoint. While the story doesn’t quite manage to last the distance, it is elevated by a tour de force performance by Amanda Tapping that showcases her character, some great guest appearances and a lovely team moment between SG1 back in our usual Stargate universe.

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Current Mood: okay

The Shroud is the 14th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

Sometimes expectations about an episode can be a bad thing. With the news that The Shroud would feature the return of Daniel Jackson as a Prior and a guest appearance by Richard Dean Anderson, memories of Abyss – one of the best SG1 episodes in its history – ensured that the episode had a lot to live up to. Further, with two SG1 team dynamics to cater for, there was always the potential the episode would go horribly wrong and fail to satisfy a significant proportion of its fan base. In the end, The Shroud is no Abyss yet it does manage to deliver an intriguing story and just about balance all the characters.

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Current Mood: impressed

Bounty is the 15th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

Romantic comedy is the theme of the day while the actual bounty hunt that gives Bounty its title ends up nothing more than an amusing sub-plot as the Lucien Alliance is once again reduced to a joke and the Ori arc forgotten. Still, the story is mostly well-constructed with good performances all round even if it never shifts out of ‘cliché’ mode and the surprises are never a surprise. While it won’t be setting the universe alight, in the end, Bounty is good fun with some laugh-out-loud moments and there is a definite feel-good factor when the end credits roll just as at the beginning.

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Current Mood: amused

Bad Guys is the 16th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

Bad Guys is a wonderful reminder of the classic Stargate era as the team go off-world, run into trouble and have to resolve the situation through their own ingenuity, bravery and skill in order to return home. The story is simple yet well-told, played straight with a lot of the comedy arising naturally from the situation of SG1 acting as kidnappers, with all of the characters present contributing to the team. While there are questions over season production, the rest of the episode is accomplished and the cast deliver a good performance.

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Current Mood: happy

Talion is the 17th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

An old school Jaffa episode, Talion resonates with echoes of the show’s past as Teal’c’s history and character are explored in depth. It is all at once a homage to the Jaffa storyline and a fascinating insight into Teal’c. The issues with the episode are not minor though; it fails in the examination of Teal’c’s relationship with the rest of SG1, with the characterisations of General Landry and guest Jaffa villain, and with a small plotting/pacing issue right up front.

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Current Mood: satisfied

Family Ties is the 18th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

An opportunity missed is the best way to describe the rather disappointing and lacklustre Family Ties. The main story flounders with the main theme of father and daughter relationships undone by a lack of charm, depth and history. It falls flat as a comedy and doesn’t have enough substance to stand up as a drama. It is only the one hilarious end scene with Teal’c and the rather more successful execution of the subtext of Vala’s acceptance into the team which saves the episode from complete ignominy.

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Current Mood: indifferent

Dominion is the 19th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

Dominion is a roller-coaster ride of an episode. Twisting and turning at breakneck speed, there is little time to catch a breath before the ride ends and the viewer is left wondering what exactly happened. As a potential series finale for the Ori storyline or even for Ba’al, it exudes the air of cancelled-TV-show, but as a book-end to Flesh and Blood, it works very well, placing Vala’s relationship with Adria at its centre.

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Current Mood: okay

Unending is the 20th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1 and it is the last episode ever of the sci-fi show.

Review

It’s almost impossible to review something that has so much sentimental value tied to it. I’ve watched SG1 since the first episode and I’ve now watched its last weekly TV episode, Unending; given how great the start was, the finale had a lot to live up to. In the end, there is much to enjoy in the story and the performances, with some lovely nods to canon, but the story misses in the balancing of the characters and the shock exit of one of Stargates most loved creations, the Asgard.

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