The Stargate Franchise - A First Timer's Watchthrough

The disc release of Contiuum has a general making of featurette, which if I remember correctly has some stuff about filming on the sub, and a featurette all about filming in the Arctic. I remember that I watched them back when I watched the movie for the first time, but I don't remember how detailed they are.

 

Whispers

First bad episode of Atlantis in a while. The only thing I really liked about this one was the surprise that Nicole DeBoar was in it. I liked her chemistry with McGillion. Still, they were going with a horror motif with Michael's early test subjects and I don't think it worked really well. For one, it was boring, but it was hard to really see what was happening. Also, I rolled my eyes at the beginning when the whole thing of the four girl team was brought up. It shouldn't have mattered and I'm glad in today's TV, it doesn't.

 

Yeah, I think one reason why the episode is boring is that it takes too long to get to the suspenseful "horror" part. And yes, it did feel like the episode was trying a little too hard to be "woke" as we would say today. The dialogue at times was pretty on the nose. For example, there is this exchange where the character strongly implies that women are better and smarter than men:

SHEPPARD: I didn't realize you, uh…

TELDY: That my team was a bunch of girls, sir?

SHEPPARD: That's not what I was gonna say. But, you know, now that you mention it …

TELDY: Well, I was told to pick the best and the brightest. Funny how that worked out.

 

This was one of my favorites, and definitely the episode from the last two seasons that stuck in my mind.

The Stargate was shot on stage. It was a partial, that looks like it was built out of one of the SG-1 gates. Joseph Mallozzi's blog (a great resource) has some interesting behind-the-scenes photos from this episode.

 

That was the scene I mentioned. It just felt really cringy and not necessary.

 

The writers made a pretty big deal about the all-female team in the lead up to the episode, considering that they did not last especially long.

 

With that in mind, I think that made the episode one of the select few in the Stargate franchise that feels dated.

 

The Queen

Well, we have a contender for favorite episode of the season because that was amazing. It was like Stargate does Face of the Enemy in the most Stargate-iest way possible. Rachel Luttrell did her best Marina Sirtis as a Romulan impersonation and I was convinced she actually was the Queen of the hive. We also got another awesome space battle sequence, with two hives fighting each other with John and Rodney and Ronon in the Puddle Jumper. All this leads to a possible treatment to make Todd's alliance Wraith to stop feeding because of Keller's treatment.

I loved Luttrell in this episode. Her reckless abandon, ruthlessness, and just everything about her performance was a joy to watch. It's a shame we probably won't get that again this season but this was so much fun and we got a whole lot more on Wraith Culture and the command structure of the Hive ship.

 

"THE SHRINE", if memory serves me, was the 300th produced episode of the franchise.

 

2 months into this thing and I'm in double digit episodes remaining. I think it's like 32 episodes to go (Plus Origins if I decide to do that one and various streaming sites sell it as an hour and 44 minute movie). Not too bad for 2 months.

 

You have 52 episodes left. Universe is 40 episodes (feels so much longer) and 12 more of Atlantis.

 

Tracker

It was nice to see the idea of the Runner again. Keller is nice with children and Kiryk's bio-transporter was pretty cool. I am NOT a fan of this love triangle though and find it a little annoying now.

I had a goal to get to the two parter tonight and it looks like I'm going to. Also, Michael Shanks is in these episodes so that's cool. I was wondering if they ever approached Browder or Black to be in Atlantis. I would have loved to see either or both of them in an episode.

 

First Contact & The Lost Tribe

I really liked this two part episode, but I did have a few qualms with the second part.

1) I thought the chemistry between Rodney and Jackson was excellent all throughout. They really played off each other very well and it was awesome to see Jackson again.

2) I loved they brought back Janus into a storyline and the revelation that he was experimenting on this powerful weapon where the Wraith would be destroyed if they went into hyperdrive

3) The ending of First Contact with the Atlantis gate blowing up was really shocking. I will say this about Atlantis and SG-1. They really know how to take us to midseason with a bang.

4) I was shocked that the Asgard showed up. I was like, ok they bring in Daniel to help Rodney find this lab and then when we see the Asgard it really did feel like a mini Atlantis/SG-1 crossover. They were more like Loki, and I even appreciated the reference to Fragile Balance. Not all Asgard as similar.

5) The armor the Asgard was wearing and some of the way they talked reminded me of The Mandalorian. Ok, so Atlantis is in 2008 and Mandalorian is in 2020, but when they were saying "This is not the way...", I was like, yep, Mandalorian.

6) Another excellent battle sequence. This series really is spearing no expense in it's final 2 seasons.

Ok, now for some qualms with the second part

7) Ronon was kind of stupid in this episode. He was all gung ho blowing up various consuls and I agreed with Keller, he could have taken out life support

8) Where was Caldwell. He Disappeared.

9) Jackson and Rodney just getting two suits was a tad convineant.

10) Teyla once again is used as Babysitter. Woolsey tells Sheppard he has to command Atlantis and then he goes off with the Travelers while we only see Teyla for like 5 minutes. Let her do something. We know Luttrell is capable, as we saw in The Queen, and she's no longer pregnant.

Overall though, I enjoyed this two parter. I think it's the last one of the series and they did go out with a bang. It's not my favorite (That would be Season 4, followed by Season 1), but it was worthy of the midseason spot.

 

I wouldn't call that woke. That was just them making a joke and sort of bantering. Having a little fun with the idea because even today you in all reality would not be use to seeing all female military units. Then the episode starts and turns into a horror episode. I liked it. I found it to be spooky and I liked this new team so I felt bad when some of them died.

Jason

 

tomalak301 You are much more forgiving to the Stargate franchise than I am. Replicators and a lost tribe of Asgard just make my eyes roll.

 

I really liked having these rogue Asgard around. It makes sense there would be a few splinters of the rest of the Asgard to go and try things that the main guys wouldn't do or didn't think of.

 

I think the rogue Asgad would have worked for me if they didn't just kill off all the ones we knew 18 months before, it cheapens the SG1 ending a bit. But after the replicators who I hated more and more after human form it just felt like the franchise was running out of steam.

 

IIRC, there was a big deal made about the casting of one of them in particular with the implication she would be a recurring character only to end up being killed in that very episode.

 

Wow, that sounds like when T'Rul appeared on DS9 and I got excited by the idea that Our Heroes would have to deal with a Romulan on a regular basis...two episodes, then gone!

 

If the stories are still entertaining, then I'm giving Atlantis a wide birth. I really loved the Replicator storyline because it felt new, rather than going with the Ark of Truth approach which had me rolling my eyes.

I agree with @Farscape One in that what if there was a splinter Asgard group who didn't agree with what the Ancients were doing, kinda like what they showed with Loki. I mean they are an ancient race afterall. It's like the Ori and Alterans. They come from the same cloth but disagreed on various issues and split off. I don't think seeing these asgards cheapened SG-1 at all.

I do have issues with the series though and don't think it's as good as SG-1, at least SG-1 in it's prime. Those are more dealing with how characters are used and stuff like that. I do agree though, this franchise did start to feel like it's run it's course around this time, but maybe that might be me having almost watched nothing but Stargate for the last 2 months.