'Enemy At the Gate' (520) General Discussion

[GateWorld]

<DIV ALIGN="center"><TABLE WIDTH="450" BORDER="0" CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="7"><TR><TD><DIV ALIGN="left"><FONT FACE="Verdana, Arial, san-serif" SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000"><A HREF="http://www.gateworld.net/atlantis/s5/520.shtml"><IMG SRC="http://www.gateworld.net/atlantis/graphics/520.jpg" WIDTH="160" HEIGHT="120" ALIGN="right" HSPACE="10" VSPACE="2" BORDER="0" STYLE="border: 1px black solid" ALT="Visit the Episode Guide"></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#888888">ATLANTIS SEASON FIVE</FONT>
<FONT SIZE="4"><A HREF="http://www.gateworld.net/atlantis/s5/520.shtml" STYLE="text-decoration: none">ENEMY AT THE GATE</A></FONT>
<FONT SIZE="1">EPISODE NUMBER - 520</FONT>
<IMG SRC="/images/clear.gif" WIDTH="1" HEIGHT="10" ALT="">
The team learns that a rogue Wraith has acquired several Z.P.M.s to power a formidable new hive ship -- and he is headed for Earth.

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[freyr's mother]

OMG. At the end i was like really... drop the damn cloak!

[Hermiiod]

OMG. At the end i was like really... drop the damn cloak!
Yeah, me too. It's time. . . . It's definitely time.

[Quinn Mallory]

I like the episode and the last scene (can't believe that MGM emailed that for us...spoiling the possible Ronan death). Fairly sadden that this is the end of the show.

Having Atlantis back on Earth does really up the stake for the TV movies.

[DejaMalDoran]

one word epic.

[Skydiver]

it was a nice wrap up.
thank goodness lorne survived :)

shep lives for suicide runs and i think the only eye rolling point was 'we cloaked the city before we got too close' to the golden gate bridge....ok, cloaked the city, but a cloak doesn't mean that you don't displace water, TONS and TONS of water that had to go somewhere, and this close to shore, likely swamped a few ships

but we all know that science ain't their strong point, so i'll give it to them

[O'Neil]

I thought the episode was going to end up being stupid, but I think it turned out ok for a final finale.

Should have dropped the cloak, and ended with the camera backing away in reverse flying over the SF Bay area. It would have gone perfectly with the season 1 pilot ending.

[freyr's mother]

Yeah, me too. It's time. . . . It's definitely time.

I would have loved to see the facial expressions from the drivers on the golden gate bridge if they did that.

[Hermiiod]

it was a nice wrap up.
thank goodness lorne survived :)

shep lives for suicide runs and i think the only eye rolling point was 'we cloaked the city before we got too close' to the golden gate bridge....ok, cloaked the city, but a cloak doesn't mean that you don't displace water, TONS and TONS of water that had to go somewhere, and this close to shore, likely swamped a few ships

but we all know that science ain't their strong point, so i'll give it to them
Agreed.

I was really convinced Ronan had died. :( I almost wish he had now.

[Rine]

It was a good episode and I, too, wish they just floated on in to San Fran Bay, without the cloak. Haha, imagine the panic.

Though, I hope they get Atlantis back into the Pegasus Galaxy...just seems right.

[Hermiiod]

I would have loved to see the facial expressions from the drivers on the golden gate bridge if they did that.
Haha! "And next on the evening news. . . A giant city?"

[dasNdanger]

Mixed feelings, mainly because I just don't like how Sheppard treats Todd. Of course, maybe Todd likes it...who knows. He does respect strength afterall.

das

[Biokinetica]

OMG. At the end i was like really... drop the damn cloak!Yeah, the whole "we're somehow keeping something in plain sight a secret" thing is old now. Stargate never really had to deal with the public, the writers only did when they felt like it. Very artificial. I'm also perplexed as to why they moved all the way from the center of the pacific to San Francisco - a most unnecessary risk.

[Orifan777]

OMG DROP THE CLOAK! When is Earth going to be ready like come on..

[JainaSJedi]

Ok. This was a good episode, but it would have worked better as a two parter. It was nice to see Beckett flying the city and firing the drones. It was a nice through back to his inability to control the drones back in the series premiere.

Having the city on earth is an interesting way to set up for the movies. Bring em on!

[Specter177]

BEST. EPISODE. EVER! But it was too short, really deserved to be a two parter.

[Biokinetica]

It was a good episode and I, too, wish they just floated on in to San Fran Bay, without the cloak. Haha, imagine the panic.

Though, I hope they get Atlantis back into the Pegasus Galaxy...just seems right.They will have to; that's where the rest of the Wraith are, after all...

[ToasterOnFire]

...

...

That was it?

[jelgate]

How convient Atlantis shows up just when Shep is about to blow himself up. I have to forgive just because it was so cool to watch the space battle

[gatechick]

For the most part I really enjoyed this episode. It was going at a nice pace, the action was intense, literally had me on the edge of my seat at parts. The CGI scenes were fantastic! A couple times I was like..that is so cool! (I'm such a geek!) That being said, I think this would have been great as a 2 part episode, only because I felt the end was rushed. It just seemed like...
they rushed to complete everything, it all fell perfectly in place. And the Ronon, Amelia scene was like...huh??? I mean I felt the chemistry, but there was no build-up to it, so I don't even know why it was in threr.

All in all, I am truly going to miss this show. I hope the movies are successful. Friday nights are never gonna be the same, now that both Sg-1 AND Atlantis are not gonna be on. :(

I give this ep an 8 out of 10.

[Sweetsong]

I personally don't see why they'd want to take Atlantis back to Pegasus, they can still operate a base out there if a they like, but with the city on earth, now it'd be more accessible to all scientists etc.

I liked the tribute to Don Davis and the renaming of Sam's new ship to the General Hammond. This was a really brilliant season finale, true to fashion it wrapped up real fast as most SG epidodes do, but at least it was a happy ending.

Question, hasn't Major Davis not gotton a promotion since Seaon 1 SG-1 or what ever season he was introduced in? He can't suck that much if he gets so much air time so why no promotion? heh.

[Starsaber]

One thing I've wondered about the cloak and never got around to asking before. Why wouldn't it leave a very visible Atlantis-shaped dent in the water?

And a question about the episode. Why wouldn't they have had O'Niell on the Earth chair? I understand from a wanting to get Shep to Earth perspective, but not a storyline one.

Bit disappointed that Keller only got 2 scenes in the episode, but I'm not sure what could have been taken out to give her more to do.

[SgaIsBad]

.

[Hermiiod]

One thing I've wondered about the cloak and never got around to asking before. Why wouldn't it leave a very visible Atlantis-shaped dent in the water?

And a question about the episode. Why wouldn't they have had O'Niell on the Earth chair? I understand from a wanting to get Shep to Earth perspective, but not a storyline one.

Bit disappointed that Keller only got 2 scenes in the episode, but I'm not sure what could have been taken out to give her more to do.
Keller's already had the whole friggin season to herself! (I know, I exaggerate)

[Bizzare Star]

I LOVED this episode... but it didn't feel like a series finale episode. The whole episode was exciting and some questions were answered and I got to see Todd act cool.


Mixed feelings, mainly because I just don't like how Sheppard treats Todd. Of course, maybe Todd likes it...who knows. He does respect strength afterall.

das

Todd was SO flirting with Sheppard... especially the scene where Sheppard is asking him for the ZPMs.

[SgaIsBad]

...

...

That was it?

Unfortunately so. Instead of beefing up this episode they were getting wasted in Las Vegas during the shooting of Vegas and living out their fanboy CSI episode.

[Quinn Mallory]

I think Season 6 would have been cool with Atlantis on Earth (which was apparently the original plan for SGA before SG-1 ended up getting a few more seasons). The only possible problem with be the absence of SG-1 team (I guess for the finale, they are on that secret Odyssey mission?).

[Michelle05]

FYI, our transcript of the episode is up here (http://stargate-sg1-solutions.com/wiki/SGA_5.20_%22Enemy_At_The_Gate%22_Transcript).

I thought this one was big on action and suspense and perhaps a bit light on character stuff. That said, I enjoyed the ride. Everyone did a great job performance-wise, the effects were great, the music, and the plot was tight.

But I could not buy that a Colonel at the SGC appeared to be the leader of the entire planet's response to this threat, the greatest Earth has ever seen. There would be so many generals in the room, Carter would be at most an advisor. No offense to her; the operations center was just not realistically grand enough in scale imo. Earth had weeks of warning to get ready, after all. There would be an international command team there.

By the same token, no way would people not notice darts and a nuclear explosion in low Earth orbit and go crazy over it! So to me the episode tried to be bigger than it could be in 43 minutes.

I still really liked it very much, and loved the near-sacrifice of the John and then the team. Poor Rodney -- only 5 minutes! Ronon's death and everyone's reaction was also very much worth it to me. It was very dramatic.

[captainpash]

They filmed Vegas after this episode.

[Quinn Mallory]

Question, hasn't Major Davis not gotton a promotion since Seaon 1 SG-1 or what ever season he was introduced in? He can't suck that much if he gets so much air time so why no promotion? heh.

I think Major Davis is more of a pencil pusher. It's that much harder for those guys to get promotion in the military.

[JackO'Neill]

Bit disappointed that Keller only got 2 scenes in the episode, but I'm not sure what could have been taken out to give her more to do.

I would have rather see Keller & Amelia have girl talk then the Ronon scene

[Chev's Ron]

Good Episode, good ending, and I like how Atlantis is on Earth, with the gate-bridge that they can expand to all pegasus gates from Pegasus to Earth, and no one else knowing earth's location, Atlantis is in the one place it should be, Earth. Who could ask for a more stratigic location? No Pegasus enemies could reach it to destroy it due to distance. (now that the hive is destroyed).

Once they reprogram the Pegasus Gate to act with the SGC Gate in Sync, all activities will return to normal and pave the way for the Atlantis movie!!!

Now to send a limitless supply of troops back through the gate to kick some Wraith *ss!

{{Now for some things I thought needed to be worked on... }}

1.Teyla didn't have a line at the end, while the others did.
2.The Stargate Program wasn't revealed
3.Wraith didn't cull New York.

[Hermiiod]

I wonder how long it will take the Wraith to figure out that Atlantis is no longer in Pegasus.

[JackO'Neill]

I wonder how long it will take the Wraith to figure out that Atlantis is no longer in Pegasus.

I wonder if the Wraith will start super mass culling & just taking out everyone after realizing Atlantis is no longer there & the team returns to an almost empty Pegasus. Now would be a good time to cull

[Quinn Mallory]

I sure hope that they come up with a reason to explain why wormhole drives won't be that prevelant in the TV movies. I think that would just be much too convenient and take away the awesomeness of the stargate.

[Hermiiod]

I was actually very disappointed in how they brought Ronan back to life. It left a huge dramatic element out of this episode. If Ronan had died, there would be a sad empty spot on the balcony at the end.

[chris777]

it was ok given that they crammed about 4 episodes worth of events into 1.

had some ridiculous stuff like the fact they called Shep from pegasus to run the chair, instead of letting someone already on earth do it, then not having someone in it to shoot down darts while Shep tried to play Skywalker.

And loved the unseen "wormhole drive" they pulled out of their backsides and didn't even show lol.

But given that they at least pulled out a non stop all action episode it is acceptable, even if it was the most far fetched episode of the entire series.

Talk about pulling 5 aces from the deck at the last minute lol,

I just hope that they fire all of the lame writers from the past few seasons, before unleashing them on universe or else it will end up dead in the water like Atlantis has apparently.

Just really wished they had at least 2 parted this if not 3, its not like any of the other 5 episodes preceding it really mattered and if one or more of them had been eliminated they really could have pulled off a nice ending especially since they wanted to "not" have a cliffhanger. But as it was it was an amusing finale if not looked at too critically. (and by that I mean if you disreguard all convention lol)

[gatechick]

{{Now for some things I thought needed to be worked on... }}

3.Wraith didn't cull New York.

If wraith were in New York, in Times Square, the tourists would probably want pics. Guess the'd be sorry they asked.

[Quinn Mallory]

I wonder if the Wraith will start super mass culling & just taking out everyone after realizing Atlantis is no longer there & the team returns to an almost empty Pegasus. Now would be a good time to cull

I think that would be a great setup for the Atlantis movie. You have the team doing some black op type of mission because they feel the responsibility to defend Pegasus. I'm sure the IOA would not agree.

[Hermiiod]

I wonder if the Wraith will start super mass culling & just taking out everyone after realizing Atlantis is no longer there & the team returns to an almost empty Pegasus. Now would be a good time to cull

And the best thing is, I can totally see that happening. :) Good call.

[JackO'Neill]

I was actually very disappointed in how they brought Ronan back to life. It left a huge dramatic element out of this episode. If Ronan had died, there would be a sad empty spot on the balcony at the end.

Indeed they could have deleted that scene to give Keller & Teyla a moment or two but noooooooooo it becomes a wasted :rolleyes: worthy scene. They better not pull this crap with Universe

[Hermiiod]

it was ok given that they crammed about 4 episodes worth of events into 1.
It was such a fast-paced episode. :mckay:

[Skydiver]

One thing I've wondered about the cloak and never got around to asking before. Why wouldn't it leave a very visible Atlantis-shaped dent in the water?



yep


there should be MASSIVE displacement of water

remember moebius? when the sand blew over the top of the cloaked PJ?

same prinicpal, just thousands of times larger

[JackO'Neill]

I think that would be a great setup for the Atlantis movie. You have the team doing some black op type of mission because they feel the responsibility to defend Pegasus. I'm sure the IOA would not agree.

The Atlantis team can return to an almost entirely dead human less galaxy (Pegasus) & for once it would not be Rodneys fault

[Infernorhythm]

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!

THAT IS HOW YOU DO A FINALE!

Ok, I'm a bit freaking out because one of my favorite shows just ended, but it was a wild, crazy wide.

That was without a doubt an insanely action packed, exciting, edge of your seat thrill ride. The opening Daedalus vs. Uber-Hive fight, the implied Apollo and Sun Tzu (looks like China finally got a ship!) showdown, and the final action scene, they knew how to stage a fight. I was very, very bummed the chair was destroyed (uh, isn't Area 51 supposed to be dozens of stories underground?), but aside from that nitpick, everything worked. I even liked how the Vegas plot thread wasn't picked up immediately, but smoothly fit into the mix. Great stuff. I felt there were callbacks to The Siege, First Strike, and Rising, but not in a derivative way. This episode took the best of Atlantis, acknowledged it, and kicked it up a notch. Oh, and take that Battlestar Galactica, this is how you do a space fighter dogfight!

And onto the characters:

First off, Todd! I'm not going to lie, something was off. His look, his voice (until his very last line) did not feel Todd-ish. But every time we see him, it rocks. Oh, and that brings me to...

Sheppard! Suicide runs, fighter pilot, being called to use the chair. This was Sheppard as his best. The even acknowledged he's the best at using Ancient tech! After four seasons of ignoring it, they brought it back and made it count! The second he promised to kill Todd if things went bad, I knew it was going to be awesome. Sheppard is defined by his relationships, and they hammered this home. "Tell everyone on Atlantis I said goodbye" touched my heart, and before the Atlantis save, I was expecting a "I love you guys" line.

Woolsey! Great showing, he's definitely fit into the show perfectly. And he got the last line of the show! Wow. And it worked!

Teyla and Ronon! They usually don't have much to do in these big epics, but it was great. The scene with Woolsey solidified why I love these two, loyal to the end. Ronon's near death made me jump out of my seat, I was really worried for a while. And even if he came back (and yay, he did!) his near death was moving. I mean, I'm talking FRANWeir freezing, Vegas Sheppard bleeding out in the desert moving. Great acting from all. Although, what's the deal with the Banks thing? I mean, there was one episode where they talked. I'm not a shipper, but they killed the Keller/Ronon relationship and just seemed to make a new one up. Oh well. Ronon rocks. And I love how Teyla made a point to grab his gun before they left the Uber-Hive. "This is home." Yes it is Ronon, yes it is.

McKay and Zelenka! Let it be known, the best scientists are neurotic Canadians and witty Czechs. McKay's refusal to abandon Ronon was great, and Zelenka had some wonderful lines. Oh, and while I loved the Vegas versions, it's great to see the neuroses back with Meredith, and Zelenka was once again unkempt and stubble-y! Going to miss those two and their constant bickering.

Beckett and Keller. No idea Beckett was coming back, but he did. And he got put in the chair! Oh, call backs to old episodes and some great stuff. He's number 2 on the CIA? Wow, Sheppard really is the best. Hehe. I loved how the ship flew at a shakier nature, great attention to detail as Beckett isn't as good a pilot as Sheppard. And Keller was great. I got a Kaylee vibe from her "Oh...ok" line. Always cool.

The rest! Lorne is always dependable, Carter rocks, Caldwell was cooperative, assertive, and played off Sheppard very well. And the Phoenix is now the General Hammond. Right on. Even Walter and Kavanaugh came back. Sadly, no Ladon. Even a cameo would be cool. They already got two Sanctuary stars to show up, bring back a third.

Onto the directing and cinematography! Wow, they pulled out all the stops on this. The camera work was perfect. They tried new things, made it feel more cinematic, and helped the epicness be more epic. I didn't catch the director attached to it, but whoever it was, he did good.

Oh, and the CGI, nice! I've stated many times that season 5 was the year that Atlantis got a really great budget, and they put that money to the test. New shots, great action, and wonderful, wonderful scenes.

Oh, I am going to miss this show. Five years of awesomeness, and now it's over. Goodbye Atlantis, I'll miss you.

Five out of five stars. Freaking awesome finally, freaking awesome.

[fyere]

Not bad overall. The sweet lovey ending was a little forced, and I'm not sure how S.F. is gonna function with a giant unseen 'thing' randomly blocking their harbor, but eh, what you gonna do. :D

Pros:

-Liked Sheppard in this.
-Also liked Todd.
-The Antarctic Ancient chair was destroyed. Good, because then they can't rely on it to save their butts all the time. Of course, there's still that chair on Atlantis...but I'll bet Atlantis won't stay on Earth forever.
-Speaking of which - Atlantis on Earth. Let's see how they deal...
-Hey, Major Davis.
-The tribute to Don S. Davis/General Hammond ship. I'm surprised they went ahead with killing off the character as well, but the tribute and kind words were a nice touch. That's one Earth ship that'll never be destroyed, out of respect (and the fact that Sam is commanding it).
-Sam as ship commander could prove interesting in further SG-1 movies (SG-1: "We need help! Hey, Sam's got a ship!").

Cons:

-They went back on Ronon's death. That was a good death, and the impact was lessened by just bringing him back like *fingersnap*. Death is cheap to the SG writers.
-Teyla was sadly underused as usual, as was Beckett.
-The super fast travel to get Atlantis to Earth in one second. O hai, plot device.
-The McKay/Keller at the end. I'm no raging hater, but would it be possible to sound any more disinterested, Hewlett?
-The SGC gate looked really fake. That was a CGI gate, right?
-Where was SG-1? Stuck off-world or something? Would've expected them to stick Mitchell in a fighter and send him out with Sheppard.

So, okay. Better than the varied and sporadic eps I've seen lately, which is to say it didn't make me turn it off and leave or go to sleep. For sheer emotional impact and a better ending, I'd say 'Unending' was superior. For story threads left dangling and a 'what are they going to do now' feel, 'Enemy' is better.

[chris777]

Keller's already had the whole friggin season to herself! (I know, I exaggerate)
not by much it was at least 25% no less.
Not dissing Jewel, but talk about cramming her down our throats.

[Anakin Flair]

FYI, our transcript of the episode is up here (http://stargate-sg1-solutions.com/wiki/SGA_5.20_%22Enemy_At_The_Gate%22_Transcript).


By the same token, no way would people not notice darts and a nuclear explosion in low Earth orbit and go crazy over it! So to me the episode tried to be bigger than it could be in 43 minutes.

Same thing could be said about 'Lost City' in SG-1. All those motehrships being blown up... and the gliders and al'kesh may have come into the atmosphere close to populated areas...

I missed most of this episode, but I'm going to watch the replay in an hour. <snip> I think it's a good ep; the only effects shot I didn't like was Atlantis coming in over the ocean (I caught the last 5 minutes, and that was a terrible effects shot). I do love the possabilities of Atlantis on Earth, especially so close to a major American city. The cloak could still fail, you know- the city sustained a lot of damage.

With Atlantis on Earth, though, they can dig into any story ideas they had before the writers moved it to another galaxy, which I'm kind of hyped for.

Oh, and for the person who asked the question about how the cloak doesn't show an Atlantis indent in the ocean; my best guess is that the shield encompases the entire ciyt, top to bottom- litterally. The shield wraps around the city, ergo the cloak would as well. Since it would extend below the waterline, no indent would be shown.

[Jackie]

The ep was alright over all. For the series final I would have liked for them to have had Dr. Wier in it--even in spirit would be nice.. It was nice for them to give a notion to General Hammond. RIP Don Davis.

The plot was a bit predictable. Todd was great though...he kind of made the ep to be honest.

Ep, todd should get his series. Stargate Wraith!

[Shan Bruce Lee]

I think that was the best episode of Atlantis.

I loved all the action, especially the fighters at Area-51.
Shep's suicide run was a nice recall of 'The Siege'
I really thought they were gonna kill off Ronon.
All the guest stars were awesome.
Atlantis is on Earth now... It'll probably end up in the middle of the Pacific somewhere.

[jelgate]

I think that was the best episode of Atlantis. I loved all the action, especially the fighters at Area-51.Shep's suicide run was a nice recall of 'The Siege'I really thought they were gonna kill off Ronon.All the guest stars were awesome.Atlantis is on Earth now... It'll probably end up in the middle of the Pacific somewhere.Did you see the last scene. They are kind of stuck near the Golden Gate. I believe Atlantis drainied all there ZPM's

[jvmauck]

I loved this episode, however it didn't feel like a series finale like "Unending" did for SG-1. However, with the movie coming up, I can easily forgive that.

:hammond:After hearing about Don S Davis' passing, I was slightly irritated that they didn't give him any kind of a tribute. (Yes, I realized that Continuum was too far in production to add that, but still...) I was so pleased that they gave a scene dedicated to General Hammond and Don S Davis. Very thoughful of the Stargate staff.:hammond:

Space battles = Cool. Enough Said.

Ronan's death = Emotional, but not convincing considering they showed us a picture of the final scene with HIM in it. Haha. :P

All in all, a great episode, but not a fair enough finale. 9.5/10.

[Daniela]

This was a great episode, but I wish it were a 2 parter.

Also, I hope Ronon and Teyla get to tour Earth. Perhaps even go shopping! Ok, I know, I know. :)

[chris777]

I wonder if the Wraith will start super mass culling & just taking out everyone after realizing Atlantis is no longer there & the team returns to an almost empty Pegasus. Now would be a good time to cull

You noticed that tiny fraying thread as well, eh?
Especially since not only Atlantis, is back on earth, but also Toddward the only restraint they had.

[Starsaber]

Did you see the last scene. They are kind of stuck near the Golden Gate. I believe Atlantis drainied all there ZPM's

Shep told Ronon that "even with 3 ZPMs they wouldn't be able to leave for a while." Not quite sure how that fits in with what Beckett said during the fight, but it is what it is.

[Infernorhythm]

They said they can get back to Pegasus, but it's going to take a while. The city was pretty damaged. Like, post-Siege level, and maybe more. I expect the first movie will be about Atlantis returning to Pegasus.

[Vala_M]

What a very cool episode! A fitting end to the show, I was sad today because tonight, Atlantis would be over but this was actually a great end! NOTHING like the horrible joke the writers played on us with "unending" - I still never got over how bad of an ending that one was. Now this, makes me feel happy in a way that we got something so cool as this episode as a finale!

So I guess we know that Todd is cured and still doesn't need to feed on humans anymore, I was wondering if his Iratus bug healing would restore his sucker but I guess not, which is good. I came to the conclusion based on the fact that he wasn't under guard constantly anymore like he was before.

I always figured that Todd took more than 3 ZPM's from Asuras, with as many as they have, why only take 3?

I always wondered what a ZPM in a hive would do, was it just me or did the super hive look red at first?

If Asurans with Ancient technology couldn't detect cloaked jumpers, how could a hive ship? I think that was just convenient writing.

I didn't like how the Daedalus barely fired at the hive at all. Just one Asgard beam hit and that's it? Then they stood there to take fire from the super hive's bolts? That sounded like it was written that way on purpose to keep the Daedalus out of the picture. However, I am grateful that the Daedalus [and to a lesser extent, the Apollo] survrived. What is the deal with the chinese ship? That seemed odd.

I hate that we didn't even see the Apollo engage the hive, it was just referred to later.

I know, they had to make everything fit into the episode.

So Todd came through with 2 ZPM's! Cool! I was afraid that they were going to take back the Odyssey and Earth's ZPM's. About time the writers write something good instead of bad with ZPM's. Good they thought of checking the ZPM's just in case they were tampered with.

The part of Atlantis preparing to launch should have been longer, at least from my point of view, they just plugged in the ZPM's and launched, no charging the intertial dampeners or warming the engines like the last time.

I'm surprised they trusted Beckett to launch and fly Atlantis, considering how he doesn't have great control over the ATA gene, or maybe he's practiced since then.

I never thought they'd launch Atlantis ever in the show, much less launch it TWICE in the run of the show or even go to Earth. I was pleased that they at least showed Atlantis actually going through hyperspace most of the way to Earth. Wormhole drive? Sounds like convenient writing to me and very unusual. I hate that they didn't even TRY to explain how the wormhole drive works.

How stupid to move the control chair to Area 51! I'm also amazed, treaty violation or not that the IOA would allow America to have control of the chair. I hope the drones weren't destroyed or the ZPM. They better make a new chair using the Asgard core or I will be extremely disappointed with the writers for destroying the chair.

I figured that since Antarctica is international, the IOA would prefer it stay there.

So stupidity got the chair destroyed. I guess they should have had Sheppard use the chair instead of being in an F-302 against the darts.

The hive gate was a really cool idea! Very Goa'uld/SG-1-esque if you ask me.

I'm glad they tied it into the midway space station gate switchover story as I always wondered why they had 2 gates at the midway station.

Like the IOA delegates ever deserve to go to the Alpha site!

Atlantis fighting the hive in orbit of Earth was really cool, I was surprised they only fired a few drones at the hive.

How could Ronon have died from just a stab wound? He's had a lot worse before, or are the Wraith knives poison or something like that? I am glad that the Wraith healed him and then the team saved him.

I was thinking that the drones would destroy the hive but Sheppard's nuke did it! Cool! Sheppard saved Earth!!

Atlantis landing at San Francisco! Does that mean that as long as Atlantis is on Earth, tha the SGC gate won't work?

I'm glad that it was just damage that caused Atlantis to stay on Earth, I was afraid that they writers would pull the "ZPM's are depleted, we're stuck on Earth!" move - I'm glad after many years of screwing up ZPM useage that the writers actually did multiple smart moves!

- NOT taking back Earth's ZPM's
- Extra ZPM's from Tood
- NOT depleting the ZPM's for the trip to Earth

I would have enjoyed the final scene better if Atlantis hadn't landed at San Francisco, I don't know about everyone else, but I would have considered the team looking at the ocean or a natural scene a lot better than San Francisco.

Welcome to Earth - to Ronon. But Ronon has already been to Earth.

Vala,

[Shan Bruce Lee]

-Where was SG-1? Stuck off-world or something? Would've expected them to stick Mitchell in a fighter and send him out with Sheppard.


I think they were on the Odyssey.

[Hermiiod]

Ronan's death = Emotional, but not convincing considering they showed us a picture of the final scene with HIM in it. Haha. :P

That's why it's best to refrain yourself from spoilers like that. ;)

[chris777]

I sure hope that they come up with a reason to explain why wormhole drives won't be that prevelant in the TV movies. I think that would just be much too convenient and take away the awesomeness of the stargate.

If they refactor typical atlantis luck all 3 of the zpms will have been completely depleted and since the chair was destroyed that one will be gone too, and of course the oddy will deplete its zpm as well, so their will be no way to ever duplicate the drive again with the "power" requirements.
and given this was the luckiest they have ever been in 5 seasons I suspect that will be the case.

[Shan Bruce Lee]

Did you see the last scene. They are kind of stuck near the Golden Gate. I believe Atlantis drainied all there ZPM's

I think they said "stuck here for a while"

[Classic]

FYI, our transcript of the episode is up here (http://stargate-sg1-solutions.com/wiki/SGA_5.20_%22Enemy_At_The_Gate%22_Transcript).

I thought this one was big on action and suspense and perhaps a bit light on character stuff. That said, I enjoyed the ride. Everyone did a great job performance-wise, the effects were great, the music, and the plot was tight.

But I could not buy that a Colonel at the SGC appeared to be the leader of the entire planet's response to this threat, the greatest Earth has ever seen. There would be so many generals in the room, Carter would be at most an advisor. No offense to her; the operations center was just not realistically grand enough in scale imo. Earth had weeks of warning to get ready, after all. There would be an international command team there.

By the same token, no way would people not notice darts and a nuclear explosion in low Earth orbit and go crazy over it! So to me the episode tried to be bigger than it could be in 43 minutes.

.

I had the same reaction re: Colonel Carter being in charge (hello? they could get Shepperd back from another galaxy but not Landry back from DC???) as well as people on Earth not noticing anything.ALso, I think there should have been an explanation of why Shepperd was needed to sit in the chair and not O'neill. Obviously, because they couldn't get RDA for the part, but some plausible explanation could have been given. (Maybe he was with Landry at the conference in DC ;)). And if they knew the chair had been moved to Area 51, why was Shepperd not taken there sooner? Why was he fooling around with a X-302 refit? I wasn't crazy about that scene with Shepperd, Davis and Carter. Probably I need to re-watch that part.

I also had a problem with Davis not having received a promotion for, what, 8 years now (reminded me of Ensign Kim on Star Trek Voyager), but I understand the pencil pushing comments someone said earlier.

The space fight was really good, but didn't Shepperd lose part of his X-302 in the fight? Or he sustained some damage at least? Then when he flew into the hive ship and landed it, the X-302 looked perfectly fine.

I really liked the recognition for General Hammond/Don Davis. Amanda Tapping looked genuinely emotional in that scene - well played.

One more nit pick was Teyla not saying word one about her child. Several episodes back she killed off Michael because of his threats to her son, and here no mention of him at all in this episode, not even with Woolsey gave her a chance to stay in the Pegasus galaxy. Should have at least mentioned he was safe with dad or something.

Overall, I thought the episode was good. I was surprised no one (truly) died and wouldn't it have been funny (and the show coming full circle) if, at the end, someone said something like "well, now Dr. Jackson won't have far to go to visit Atlantis". Final episodes that aren't truly final (after all, the movie is on its way) or cliffhangers are tough to do, so I'd give the episode a 7 out of 10.

[SgaIsBad]

it was ok given that they crammed about 4 episodes worth of events into 1.

Your not the only one. Read this review of Enemy at the Gates at IGN http://tv.ign.com/articles/942/942761p1.html
My favorite part:
"Overall, the series finale was subpar and shouldn't have even been shown. I would have rather watched the "Vegas" episode again - at least that gave me something positive to think about. Lastly, before you decide to slag me for tearing this episode apart, take off you fanboy goggles, and tell me you truly believe this is how you think this show should have ended."

[Briangate78]

One word....

Epic!

That is how you end a series after 5 years. They took the concept and direction from the beginning of the show and ended it. That was the threat of the Wraith and them trying to get to Earth. This time they really succeeded.

The character moments were excellent, Everyone had something in the mix, even Carson who had a very nice role in this episode. That is how you utilize a character to their full potential. A lot of touching moments, and some nice dramatic moments.

Woolsey talking to Ronon and Teyla was very touching as well. I loved the whole twist with Ronon who I really thought was going to be dead(sorry did not read spoilers so it was not predictable)

The finale did not lose focus of the characters or the plot at hand, they worked well with eachother. Everyone delivered in this episode.

I really hate MGM and Stargate Productions for ending an amazing show, but at least it is going out on a very high note for my taste.

BRAVO Atlantis, this is not goodbye, this is see you later....

[Repli!kat]

Sorry, while this ep was enjoyable to watch, it was, for me, no great shakes. The thing that bugged me the most was the last scene. It negated an entire 5 years worth of Team building between the 4 principal characters. We have seen how these 4 came together and become trusted friends and companions
…and in the end it all means nothing. The sacrifices they made for each other, the moments they shared, and now they are standing close but completely separated on that balcony. Rodney who dismisses every moment of love the Team has shown for him by declaring that is only Keller’s affection that has meaning, standing apart from the team that has saved his life and soul time and time again; Shep and Teyla standing close, but not even touching, and Ronon with some new woman (who is a good character, but just too new to be on that balcony with the group). I so wish the last scene had been them the four principal characters, saying something or doing something to express how much they have gone through together, and how much they care for each other, it would give meaning to the entire series. This was very disappointing and dissatisfying.

[Yanks4Life23519]

Wow, what a good series finale! The episode did start off a little slow for me, and I was worried at first, but boy did that change! I was on the edge of my seat by the end, not wanting it to be over! Lots of great things happened:

I was excited to see Lorne do a mission with the team again :D
-I was hoping they would bring Kavan back and they did; good choice! It was nice to see him fight with Teyla, Rodney, and Ronon instead of having his own team

I loved seeing Sheppard, once again, risk his life to save others :sheppard:
-What a guy! Sheppard has been my favorite character throughout the show and this episode was just another example why. He cares so much about others that he's willing to risk his own life. Of course he didn't have to go through with it, like usual, but it's the thought that counts!

“Chewy” was spoken one more time :ronan:
-I loved this nickname for Ronon by Sheppard. It's perfect for him and makes their relationship even better. I'm glad we got to hear him called that one more time!

Seeing Amelia more and sort of being a love interest for Ronon was a nice addition as well ;)
-I've always liked Amelia and I'm glad she was in the final episode. It was a nice twist to see her and Ronon together at the end; they make a cute couple!


Overall, it was a really good episode and a nice way to end the series! I'm sad to see it go though!! :( :(

[JackO'Neill]

Didn't Walter say something about people seeing a Fire Ball in the sky ?

[Hermiiod]

Lastly, before you decide to slag me for tearing this episode apart, take off you fanboy goggles, and tell me you truly believe this is how you think this show should have ended."[/B]
*takes off fanboy goggles* YES! This was the only way this series could have ended in my opinion. :)

[chris777]

It was such a fast-paced episode. :mckay:

It was cool, especially compared to sg-1s snail paced finale, but Its one of those things where I feel like I was given a juicy steak, and missed out on the salad and potato.

I just feel like with all of the useless episoded they could have at least dropped one, and if they really wanted to give it a send off 2. Just imagine if they had paced it out and had the Daedalus battle in the first part, then actually shown the apollo and Sun Tzu in the second and ending that one with Ronans death, and the destruction of the earth chair and atlantis nowhere to be found, and then wrapped it up with a real final battle. And I would personally have either used a better underling to Todd or have had michael have a clone and be the one attacking earth, but Hey we cant all be writers now can we.

[chris777]

yep


there should be MASSIVE displacement of water

remember moebius? when the sand blew over the top of the cloaked PJ?

same prinicpal, just thousands of times larger


only plastered with seagulls, lots of seagulls lol

[The6thRace]

I'm a bit disappointed to be honest - sure we have the epic events, but the show isn't just about that, its about the characters. I would have rather have had a 2 part episode where we get to see a lot more character development for the final episode, instead of just one big episode of fan service.

There was only one humorous moment in this episode (that I thought), and I don't even think it was intentional. When Woolsey asked Dr Beckett to move Atlantis out of orbit and he was saying he didn't have the power to keep firing and move the city, I chuckled since it reminded me a bit about some Captain asking Scotty for more power. And Beckett with his accent could of easily pulled off, "I just can't do it captain, I don't have the power."

Epic stories are easy to write when you have 5 years worth of history behind you. I was personally hoping for something more clever then this. Ah well, its all past now.

[Wren]

It felt like a rushed regular episode. Didn't feel like a finale at all. But at least they didn't slap all the fans in the face like, I don't know, having the Asgard blow themselves up. It wasn't bad, but wasn't great either. The impending doom of earth simply wasn't enough to elevate it from mediocrity. The space battle wasn't epic enough(due to obvious time restraints) nor was the plot, but there was potential if they were given more episodes.

The wraith ship in question had a very impersonal feel. These particular wraith were a "faceless" threat that was crushed within 60 minutes. If there were a series of episodes which lead to the finale that gave personality to this particular hive it would have been alot better. Really crappy how SciFi cancels shows without proper forewarning so that a polished finale can't be made.

[EnterTheWormhole]

At last, the series comes full circle.
Beckett is finally able to control drones. :beckett:

there should be MASSIVE displacement of water

remember moebius? when the sand blew over the top of the cloaked PJ?

same prinicpal, just thousands of times larger
Bah! Anyone noticing massive displacement of water outside SF bay has obviously been watching too much Wormhole X-treme. ;)

[Dezdmona]

Noticed two send ups to Star Wars in this episode...
The most important and notable was the final scene was a tribute to the end of ESB (Empire Strikes Back). Also, I forget who it was, but someone called Ronon a wookie just after they found him alive. (I was soo bent out of shape that he had been killed, I ashamedly didn't notice WHO called him a Wookie when they found him alive :P...I was simply relieved.)

[Briangate78]

I'm a bit disappointed to be honest - sure we have the epic events, but the show isn't just about that, its about the characters. I would have rather have had a 2 part episode where we get to see a lot more character development for the final episode, instead of just one big episode of fan service.

There was only one humorous moment in this episode (that I thought), and I don't even think it was intentional. When Woolsey asked Dr Beckett to move Atlantis out of orbit and he was saying he didn't have the power to keep firing and move the city, I chuckled since it reminded me a bit about some Captain asking Scotty for more power. And Beckett with his accent could of easily pulled off, "I just can't do it captain, I don't have the power."

Epic stories are easy to write when you have 5 years worth of history behind you. I was personally hoping for something more clever then this. Ah well, its all past now.

I don't understand, this episode was filled with character moments. Very touching ones if you ask me.

[Orion Antreas]

One word....

Epic!

That is how you end a series after 5 years. They took the concept and direction from the beginning of the show and ended it. That was the threat of the Wraith and them trying to get to Earth. This time they really succeeded.

The character moments were excellent, Everyone had something in the mix, even Carson who had a very nice role in this episode. That is how you utilize a character to their full potential. A lot of touching moments, and some nice dramatic moments.

Woolsey talking to Ronon and Teyla was very touching as well. I loved the whole twist with Ronon who I really thought was going to be dead(sorry did not read spoilers so it was not predictable)

The finale did not lose focus of the characters or the plot at hand, they worked well with eachother. Everyone delivered in this episode.

I really hate MGM and Stargate Productions for ending an amazing show, but at least it is going out on a very high note for my taste.

BRAVO Atlantis, this is not goodbye, this is see you later....

Again Brian, perfectly said.

I loved that the episode had a "dedication" to Don Davis (General Hammond). They renamed the Phoenix after him. Perfect dedication. I can't wait to see Carter commanding the ship.

The episode was perfect. The perfect way to end the show. I loved them landing in San Francisco. The Golden Gate bridge is iconic so it was a nice touch.

Absolutely perfect. The episode reminded me of "Lost City" for many reasons. The SGA "Lost City" episode if you will. :P

Imagine if it was a two parter? Talking about even more epic if that is even possible.

[Moao]

I wish we got to at least see the wormhole drive activate. Also what was the secret mission cadwell mentioned when they were talking about the location of the ships. Or did I just hear something...

[Infernorhythm]

I don't understand, this episode was filled with character moments. Very touching ones if you ask me.

Indeed! Some of the best, most moving character scenes of all. Put Sheppard on a suicide run, and things get wonderfully emotional! ;)

[jvmauck]

That's why it's best to refrain yourself from spoilers like that. ;)

In my defense, I thought, "Okay, a picture, what could that hurt? It's not like a plot revealing video clip."

Another thing I didn't mention. What the heck is with Ronan and What's her name? She was on like one or two other episodes! My entire family went "Who is she what what is she doing with Ronan?" Poor choice in my opinion.

Otherwise, great episode.

PS. For those who hate "Unending," one question, Why? It was such a touching episode. So it wasn't FLASH FLASH BANG BANG, that's not what it was about. It was about the friendships of the SG-1 team.:daniel::cameron::vala::sam::tealc:

[SG1Commander]

This episode was AMAZING!! The action was top notch. I especially loved the music will Atlantis showed up in orbit over Earth. It's also about time that Earth is informed about the Stargate program. Especially with Atlantis sitting in San Francisco Bay.
Again, AMAZING episode!

[Shan Bruce Lee]

Noticed two send ups to Star Wars in this episode...
The most important and notable was the final scene was a tribute to the end of ESB (Empire Strikes Back).

ESB (and RotS) is probably the one least like that. If anything it reminded me of the ending of Return of the Jedi.


Also, I forget who it was, but someone called Ronon a wookie just after they found him alive. (I was soo bent out of shape that he had been killed, I ashamedly didn't notice WHO called him a Wookie when they found him alive :P...I was simply relieved.)

That would be Sheppard :sheppard:

[The6thRace]

I don't understand, this episode was filled with character moments. Very touching ones if you ask me.

Character development is really more about 'is this person a different person as a result of this'. For instance, Woolsey going from Senator Kinseys right hand man to standing up for his principles by going to Hammond is an example of character development. More recently from Vegas, Sheppard going from caring about only himself to going to bat for others - character development. Ronan getting shot and being brought back to life... not development. He won't be changed by it, not unless it affected him psychologically. McKay putting his arm around Keller? Not development. They are just events.

[Infernorhythm]

Ok, maybe the four principal characters would have been better, but Banks-randomness aside, I liked the last scene. There were a few minor problems in this episode, but the epic scale and character scenes made this a winner for me.

[Briangate78]

Character development is really more about 'is this person a different person as a result of this'. For instance, Woolsey going from Senator Kinseys right hand man to standing up for his principles by going to Hammond is an example of character development. More recently from Vegas, Sheppard going from caring about only himself to going to bat for others - character development. Ronan getting shot and being brought back to life... not development. He won't be changed by it, not unless it affected him psychologically. McKay putting his arm around Keller? Not development. They are just events.

So what do you call Carson being able to fly the city? That is pretty some good damn development if you ask me, even if he is a clone, he still has all the memories and experiences from the original Carson.

I recall in Season one he was scared of that chair.

[Shan Bruce Lee]

Another thing I didn't mention. What the heck is with Ronan and What's her name? She was on like one or two other episodes! My entire family went "Who is she what what is she doing with Ronan?" Poor choice in my opinion.

There were a few moments between them in a recent episode. It wasn't really a surprise to me, I thought it was a nice scene.

[Starsaber]

ESB (and RotS) is probably the one least like that. If anything it reminded me of the ending of Return of the Jedi.


I think it was in reference to the camera work not the mood.

[CYBEREAGLE19]

I really enjoyed this, I thought ronan was dead for sure, I am so glad I had sci fi hd in time to see this episode, I hope they release the seasons in 1080p, they need to make some nice high res screen caps of Atlantis next to the golden gate bridge

[DigiFluid]

I was thrilled to bits when Ronan died. Then they brought him back. Pewp.

[Anakin Flair]

One thing that I didn't mention before- I agree with you all that this episode should have been expanded into a 2 or even 3 episode arc, but for some reason the Atlantis writers decided to have one or two stand-alones instead. Reminded me of Angel in its' season 5- they knew it was going to end, but we still got an episode dedicated to Harmony(the puppet ep was cool).

[mlarke]

As I was watching this episode one thing kept nagging at me. It just seems so wrong that at such a crucial point they weren't there for us. There were several moments where I was expecting Thor to swoop on some new ship and open up a giant can of P.O.ed Asgard whoop ass on those nasty, nasty Wraith. But, alas, it was not meant to be.

I was happy with how the episode, and the series for that matter, ended. It seemed apt that Atlantis is home, I just worry what will happen to to all of the people of Pegasus that we have screwed over for the last five years.

But, lets not dwell on it.

In the words of the venerable Jack O'neill (two Ls) "Gotta love guys."


















and i still miss them

[Infernorhythm]

One thing that I didn't mention before- I agree with you all that this episode should have been expanded into a 2 or even 3 episode arc, but for some reason the Atlantis writers decided to have one or two stand-alones instead. Reminded me of Angel in its' season 5- they knew it was going to end, but we still got an episode dedicated to Harmony(the puppet ep was cool).

Yeah, that was a bit eh. I mean, I think they had already greenlighted those scripts when the news came about the end. I would have loved a two or three part epic, that would have been great, but I still loved the finale. Nothing's going to change that. Atlantis went out with a bang, not a whimper.

[Sue_Jackson]

WAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! It's over!!! No more Altantis on TV!!:sheppardanime32::(

HOLY COW!!!! What a rollercoaster ride that was! I'm glad I watched that episode spoiler free because I truly enjoyed it!

- New Daedalus-class ship named Gen. Hammond. That got me a teared-up. That was a nice touching tribute to Gen. Hammond and Don Davis. I liked how Sam and John mentioned what a good man he was.

- Love John Sheppard in the SGC.

- Love seeing Major Davis (poor guy STILL a major.....this guy ahs been a major ever since Sam was a Captain......somebody please give the guy promotion. :rolleyes:)

- Also love seeing Walter as always.

- I love how John didn't trust Todd and held him prisoner. And....threatened to kill him if he steps out of line.

- Love how Carson gets to fly Atlantis.....how he is second to John in operating the Chair. Love how Carson fires the drones at the Hive. Pretty cool.

- When Ronon was stabbed.....I thought he was gonna die. I bursted out crying. I was like....NOOOOO.....RONON!!! Then....of course the Wraith brought him back. Though....I'm still quite confused why the Wraith brought him back. They could've use the ship's censors to track the rest of them.

- I thought it was pretty cool to see Atlantis in the Milky Way and on Earth.

- I loved the ending with them looking out a the San Francisco Bay. And....I thought that it was pretty fitting that they looking at the Golden Gate Bridge. :)

I few questions.......

- How long can they keep Atlantis cloaked?
- Will they keep Atlantis on Earth?
- If they do keep Atlantis....where would they keep her?
- How will they explain the big fireball falling down from the sky?

Hopefully.....we'll get some answers in the Atlantis movie(s). :)

Only one minor complaint.....

- Cam Mitchell should've been there with John Sheppard among the 302s. :) Even...a nice cameo of him in the cockpit would've been nice. ;)

Overall.........

Brilliant episode!!!! :D

Ooops. Gotta watch it again! :D

[The6thRace]

So what do you call Carson being able to fly the city? That is pretty some good damn development if you ask me, even if he is a clone, he still has all the memories and experiences from the original Carson.

I recall in Season one he was scared of that chair.

Yeah, it was surprising to see. That shows his progress over the years from becoming far less timid.

[Moao]

I was hoping to hear something about the Pegasus Asgard. oh well...

[ShelBel]

I was thrilled to bits when Ronan died. Then they brought him back. Pewp.

I second this. Not that I didn't like Ronon, I do. But... I think it would have been more emotionally involving if he had stayed dead. But then again, there is the whole issue of the movie coming out... which is all I know about it.

*iz sad SGA iz dun*

[patssle]

The biggest problem was fitting a 2 hour show into 1 hour. Great ending, but maybe it should of been saved for a movie?

[chris777]

Your not the only one. Read this review of Enemy at the Gates at IGN http://tv.ign.com/articles/942/942761p1.html
My favorite part:
"Overall, the series finale was subpar and shouldn't have even been shown. I would have rather watched the "Vegas" episode again - at least that gave me something positive to think about. Lastly, before you decide to slag me for tearing this episode apart, take off you fanboy goggles, and tell me you truly believe this is how you think this show should have ended."

his review basically sums up how I have felt about the writing for at least the past 2 years if not longer, As I said earlier if they expect universe to last more than the obligatory season some writers dont need to strike they need to be struck out of the staff permanently. He spoke about how some of the actors didnt look like they wanted to be there, well you can tell some of the episodes were written so half assed that the writers had their neighbors ghost write them and mail them in. If it were only this episode I might have been like he was but the actors are good, they just got the shaft as did the fans, by whoever decided to quit on the series, its like they decided to pull the plug with Sg-1 but they wanted that magic number of 100 episodes, and instead of firing the hell out of those lame ass writers, AND YES THEY SHOULD, instead they just let them drone out their contrived drivel until they canceled it. Now we get stuck with dr Who because galactica was dead even before atlantis. So I guess this at least gives me an excuse to find something to do on friday nights.

[Hermiiod]

- When Ronon was stabbed.....I thought he was gonna die. I bursted out crying. I was like....NOOOOO.....RONON!!! Then....of course the Wraith brought him back. Though....I'm still quite confused why the Wraith brought him back. They could've use the ship's censors to track the rest of them.

Though very very sad it was, it would have given it a very dramatic and positively amazing effect if he had stayed dead.

[jelgate]

So what do you call Carson being able to fly the city??* That is pretty some good damn development if you ask me, even if he is a clone, he still has all the memories and experiences from the original Carson. I recall in Season one he was scared of that chair.Carson was scared of everything in S1.:P

[JackO'Neill]

This should have been the first movie & Vegas should have been the finale

[mlarke]

It did seem a little odd that there was no mention of the PG asgard considering "all of the plot lines introduced this season would be brought to a close." i put that in quotes because I recall a producer or writer or someone saying something about this. I don't have a source but it was there somewhere with everything about the finale.

[aboleyn24]

I found it a fitting way to say goodbye to Atlantis. While it easily could have been a two parter, by the time they knew they weren't coming back it was too late for that. So they squeezed in two (or three or four) episodes in to one.

I admit it had my heart pumping. I was on the edge of my seat. Was it perfect, well no but all in all I think it was a fantasic send-off.

Thrilled that we got to see Cauldwell one last time (unless he appears in the movie).

Loved the scene between Ronon, Teyla and Woosley.

So happy to see Beckett back. Surprised that he is number two after Sheppard. After five years in Atlantis I guess they really don't have all that many people skilled with the ancient gene. You would have thought that someone else with more piloting skills would have been given the therapy and trained as back up instead of a doctor. But hey it led to Carson having something meaty to do so its all good.

Thrilled that Lorne and Zelenka had some key moments. Also thrilled that they both survived. Love those guys.

I admit I was still numb over Ronon. I didn't even really have time to react to his death when zip bang not dead. While yes, it did lessen the impact of the death SGA would not be the same for me without Chewie so this is one death I am glad they took back. Normally I like my dead characters to stay dead, but I was okay with this decision.

I thought for a moment it was going to be without Keller. I actually was glad to see her as I thought all of the characters deserved to be in the finale.

Major Davis, yay. Love him too.

I was happy to see Carter. I agree that it seems weird that she was in charge, but hey again they had to squeeze so much in they had no time for too many other characters.

I think my favorite part was how much Sheppard actually got to do. He hasn't had all that much focus this last season and I think he deserved to have the primary focus in the finale. I loved that he was called back for the chair. Yes, Jack can power it, but I think its been stated many times that Shep has the most natural ability with the gene. He also seems to have the strongest gene. If you were Earth wouldn't you want the best in the chair? Not saying that Jack isn't great, but Shep has been in the chair far more than Jack. So more experience plus better ancienty ability means he is the man for the job. Why he never got to do that job is beyond me. I really don't know why they wouldn't have sent him to Area 51 right away or brought the chair to the SGC. Its a bit of a mystery. The fangirl in me really would have loved to see him in that chair one more time.

Did they say the ZPM's were depleted? Plus can't they use that wormhole drive to get back to Atlantis? That is what got them to Earth not the ZPM's. They did say something about lack of power because of the shield and firing weapons, but clearly if the cloak is up they still have ZPM power.

A great episode for me. I will miss this show. I think my only problem with that last scene was that if they were going to include characters other than the main four I would have liked to see Zelenka, Lorne and Chuck there as well.

Thank you SGA for five great years.

[Murzin]

i think the whole having atlantis on earth thing is for SGU

while they are working on atlantis to get it back up and running, they discover in the antlantis records detailing the 9th chevron or how to dial destiny.... which leads to SGU !!!

just an idea

[reddevil18]

Seen it a long time ago, but thought I'd keep my opinions until it officially airs.
I liked it. Didn't love it, but I liked it. Too many plot devices for my taste. Didn't like how the Oddyssey was conveniently on a secret mission and how they moved the chair and how all of a sudden there's a wormhole drive(which we didn't even get to see) and so on. But it was alright and I'm looking forward to the movie. Until then...I'm gonna miss you, SGA. Bring on Universe! thought I'd keep my opinions until it officially airs.
I liked it. Didn't love it, but I liked it. Too many plot devices for my taste. Didn't like how the Oddyssey was conveniently on a secret mission and how they moved the chair and how all of a sudden there's a wormhole drive(which we didn't even get to see) and so on. But it was alright and I'm looking forward to the movie. Until then...I'm gonna miss you, SGA. Bring on Universe!

[Briangate78]

Yeah, it was surprising to see. That shows his progress over the years from becoming far less timid.

Carson has come a long way. He was great in this episode. They actually sidelined Keller for Carson in this ep.

[JackO'Neill]

Am I the only one hoping the Wraith some how sended the coordinates to other Hives ? That should have been the first thing they did when they got the coordinates

[chris777]

I wish we got to at least see the wormhole drive activate. Also what was the secret mission cadwell mentioned when they were talking about the location of the ships. Or did I just hear something...

we missed the wormhole drive for the dramatic comeback lol, and for about 2 seconds I thought the oddy was in Ori land, until I remembered Carter was in this episode and she (shouldnt) be in 2 places at once so it is hopefully some allusion to the next SG-1 movie, though I still have not seen continuum

[Konrad9]

Well, I guess we know why the rest of the season had such piss-poor CGI.. they spent it all here!

I bought there only being F-302's in the battle over Antarctica in Lost City, nothing else was fast enough and there were a BUTT TON of them.
Here we had half as many 302's for a much greater threat. Forget enslavement, hello mealtime.

They were over Area 51 and had quite a while to prepare (Shepperd and the other 302's were nowhere near scramble-status when Carter told him about the darts), where the hell were the other fighters? There have to be 500 combined F-15's, F-16's, F-18's, F-22's, F-35's, and other fighters within range.

An open, non-shielded/iris'ed wormhole into the heart of a giant ship about to attack your homeworld? SEND A TEAM IN? WHAT?
Go grab a naquedah generator, set it to overload, throw in a few flashbangs first and viola, you WIN!

How much time was there between Atlantis left and arrived at Earth? The way it seemed on screen was less than a day, otherwise why would they leave the chair in Area 51 after it being painted in the message? Atlantis's hyperdrive being that fast gives me unhappy feelings... (yes I know the drive of the week came up to get them the last leg)

And this shenaniganry about the chair getting destroyed. They must have had at least half an hour from being alerted about the darts and the time **** got blown up. Wouldn't they move it? You know, yell at as many people as you could to pick it up and drag it. Yeah they could break it but that's better than it getting blown to smithereens. How did they not set up a makeshift shield around it? Transporter technology lying around? Anti aircraft!?!?!?

And hell... we had a three-parter for the end of season 1, half of season 8 of SG1 was three parters... a single episode for the series finale? Yeah it pissed me off about SG1, too, but whatever.

If I was to rate this episode on a scale of 1 to 10 I would probably give it a 5, with a side rating of popcorn episode. Fun to watch, but nothing really interesting. Oh hey, Atlantis is on Earth but instead of doing a balls-to-the-wall risky move for the series finale nobody knows. Oh hey, we got more ZPM's.

Meh. I enjoyed it, but it could have been a regular everyday episode if it hadn't been such an important storyline.

[storm180]

Who was the woman who came to visit Ronan in sick bay and then escorted him outside? I don't recall seeing her before.

[FN-P90]

Quick Question. Where are our allies in all this? Where are the Free Jaffa or Tokra? I mean they could have sent an Alquesh or at least 2 or three Hataks for goodness sake.

[Hermiiod]

Who else thinks it was lame that Area 51 totally got J-pwned by two darts? :mckay:
Do you think they had time to evacuate?
I mean, area 51 is huge! It holds all the secrets and everything else, not to mention the Chair which is practically everything to Earth!


Thoughts?

[Rosehawk]

It was really fun to see all the characters they brought into this episode.
I think they wove all of them into the storyline very well!

Sad to see Atlantis over.

BTW, was that Carl Binder on the Daedalus after it was hit by the hive? It was a quick right pan before he was off the screen and I missed it watching the episodes second airing.

[Amaunet]

It's such a shame that SGA couldn't go on, but overall this episode did the show justice, it was fitting end...and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I must admit I sat on the edge of my seat the entire time, it was literally jam packed. It was nice to see that pretty much all the characters had a good part to play and the plot made for an exciting ride. Woohoo for seeing Todd, Carter & Carson among others! It's disappointing that Atlantis has now finsihed... as it had so much going for it...but at least now we have the movie to look forward to! :D

[TragicComedy]

I'm sure all my following points/questions/ramblings have been brought out and talked all about but (no surprise) I was too lazy to read the past six pages I was too late to read as they were posted.

I really liked this episode, even though it was extremely bittersweet. Though I have tons of WTC thoughts.

The chair is destroyed on Earth! Seriously?! I can't believe they did that. And speaking of the chair, why on Earth (no pun intended) was that a violation of the whatever treaty. You would think that all the countries in on it would want the chair on neutral ground, not in the US where everything else already is!

And Ronon's "This is my home." at the end -- super pouty sad face from me. With them destroying the stupid CHAIR, I really really can't see the government allowing Atlantis back in Pegasus. It's now Earth's main line of defense. Which really infuriates me. Atlantis needs to stay in Pegasus until the Wraith are GONE. Period.

All of my issues go back to the chair being destroyed. I'm gonna be really upset if in the movie, Atlantis doesn't go back to Pegasus. I'm sure they will. I mean, that's what the show is about. Right. I'm confident. Especially now that they have that wormhole drive -- very convenient. Loved Jennifer's reaction to the other option if it hadn't have worked, btw.

Although, and I am a loyal Rodney/Jennifer shipper (do not throw rotting vegetables), the lines at the end on the balcony with those two -- WTC? They didn't even make sense and were so forced in that scene....I just want them removed from the episode.

One final note, Caldwell's comment about the Odyssey's secret mission -- I wonder whether that will have to do with SGU or the SG1 movie. Hmm. It better be one of them otherwise I'm going to be annoyed at them for peaking my curiosity just for it to go nowhere.

Also (man I'm long-winded tonight) Jason Momoa kicks booty with death scenes and the like. In Broken Ties with the bed strapped withdrawal scenes -- completely awesome. And then his death scene in this epi - you are the man, Jason. Bravo.

[Yvie]

I was completely unspoiled so I enjoyed the epi quite a bit. Plot conveniences aside, it was exciting and indeed had an epic feel to it. I'm with all of you who have suggested it be a 2 or 3 part arc. That really would have kicked it up. But I felt every second of the episode and was on the edge of my seat throughout most of it.

I also really liked how many Stargate characters they threw into the episode. That helped make it feel "big" although I would have happily done without if it meant that even in the finale, Teyla would stop being overlooked. I know that in 1 hour some things have to give but the poor girl's been there since the beginning and always seems to get the short end of the stick--very disappointing.

The highlight for me was seeing the team come together on the hive ship. That's the pure essence of the team--down but not out and willing to take it to the end. It helps me to forget the weird attempt at sentiment in the last scenes. It was fine but could have been done better. Still, overall, a nice end to a good run.

[the fifth man]

A very fitting end to a wonderful show. EATG packed a lot into forty-some minutes, but overall, did it really well. And that ending was amazing. I really can't wait for the SGA movie now.

[JackO'Neill]

Also (man I'm long-winded tonight) Jason Momoa kicks booty with death scenes and the like. In Broken Ties with the bed strapped withdrawal scenes -- completely awesome. And then his death scene in this epi - you are the man, Jason. Bravo.

& that scene also became meaningless & annoying bravo writers bravo

[EliHitchcock]

It was definitely a good episode, action packed, entertaining, etc, but for a SERIES finale, it lacked that special flare. A lot of people are comparing this episode to Unending... My favorite part of Unending was the playful banter at the end of the episode where the team finishes the season off by entering the gate, doing what they've been doing for the whole series. The end scene of Enemy just didn't seem that special, and there was no team feeling there.

Even though these episodes weren't a finale, I consider the last episodes of SG-1 season 8, The Reckoning, Threads, and Moebius to the ideal way a series could possibly end. You've got an action packed thriller in Reckoning destroying the main bad guy once and for all. Followed by Threads, which ties up a few loose ends left in the series. And lastly, a "fun" episode, Moebius. I would have liked Atlantis to end the exact same way, but instead of 5 episodes, it was just one!

[Infernorhythm]

Also (man I'm long-winded tonight) Jason Momoa kicks booty with death scenes and the like. In Broken Ties with the bed strapped withdrawal scenes -- completely awesome. And then his death scene in this epi - you are the man, Jason. Bravo.

More proof that the cast is freaking amazing!

Rachael Lutrell: The Kindred, Prodigal, great, great stuff.
Jason Momoa: Sateda, Broken Ties, this, the man rocks.
David Hewlett: Uh, The Shrine anyone?
Joe Flannigan: Vegas, Search and Rescue, the list goes on.

Cast these guys in a big name TV series, please.

[ventuscarmen]

Ok, I really liked it - but now i'm going to pick on it

Why did they try to fit EVERYTHING into 43 minutes? That was an epic storyline...packed into not enough time.

The 'wormhole drive' was way too much of a deus ex machina - it would have been better if they had been fluffily mentioning research into it all season (or were they and i'm just thick?)

Why send people through when they realized that the wormhole went to the hive ship? (and how were the wraith that dumb?) Why not just position a jumper at the gate and fire a couple dozen drones into it? Sure, Sheppard was there on his kamikaze mission but Atlantis didn't know that...

That was SG-1's chair!!!! (i'm sorry, i'm nuts but there it is) I can't believe they destroyed it!! With a couple of darts! After the main plot focus on SG-1 to get that chair! Ugh! I'm insulted. Jack's chair.

What is this about a 'top secret mission' for the Odyssey? It can't be for the new movie, can it? Because Carter was on earth...? I want to know where it was....

And...I think that's it....for now...

[TragicComedy]

& that scene also became meaningless & annoying bravo writers bravo

Hey if this was a book or even a movie, sure - I'd agree with you. BUT I know that movie(s) are in the future and I'd much rather have Ronon there than have a well-played death. And if it was Ronon's final bow, he deserves something bigger than getting stabbed in the lung. Please.

He'd have to go like he did in Last Man (which was awesome dying side by side with Todd) or in some other awesome way.

[sg-1fanintn]

Although SG-1 is my first love, Atlantis always worked for me. It worked for me from the very first ep to the very last one.

I think the finale was a fabulous, suspenseful ep, and I enjoyed it immensely. I tried to stay away from spoilers on it so I could evaluate it without all the pre-info to which I normally allow myself to be exposed.

I do have some questions though. I'd love to see what others think. Two are major plot questions. The others are just nitpicky wonderings:

1. Since this air battle took place over North America...should we assume the secret of the stargate will go public now? We can't assume the "flying fireball" spotted over the Pacific is the only thing anyone saw, can we? I have a feeling quite a few people probably spotted the activity between us and the Wraith...and thought they were all UFOs. Wonder what the fallout will be?
2. If the ancient chair was destroyed, and it was at Area 51, should we also assume that all of Area 51 is now toast?

and the three minor questions:

1. Why didn't they name it the "George Hammond" or simply "The Hammond," instead of the "General Hammond?" The name doesn't really seem to flow to me.
2. Why hasn't Davis been promoted?
3. Why didn't Sam's BDUs fit better?

I'm just interested in seeing what others think. And I agree with those who say this story could have made a good two- or three-parter.

Ok...it has been a long work week...but that's what I have for now.

I will miss Atlantis immensely. Thanks to cast and crew for five great years of entertainment! But I'm looking forward to the movies that are ahead.

[JackO'Neill]

Hey if this was a book or even a movie, sure - I'd agree with you. BUT I know that movie(s) are in the future and I'd much rather have Ronon there than have a well-played death. And if it was Ronon's final bow, he deserves something bigger than getting stabbed in the lung. Please

I still say that scene should have been done differently. Have him just surrounded by Wraith unable to attack back. Killing him was absolutely ****ing pointless

[TragicComedy]

That was SG-1's chair!!!! (i'm sorry, i'm nuts but there it is) I can't believe they destroyed it!! With a couple of darts! After the main plot focus on SG-1 to get that chair! Ugh! I'm insulted. Jack's chair.


I'm glad to see I'm not the only one freaking out about them destroying the chair...and I love that you called it Jack's chair.

[TragicComedy]

I still say that scene should have been done differently. Have him just surrounded by Wraith unable to attack back. Killing him was absolutely ****ing pointless

I dunno. It led nicely into Amelia's scene later which gives you the idea they've been spending time together with how somber and serious her comment is about the whole thing and the general 'air' around them.

*shrugs* I'm not going to fret about it. I'm too busy being bothered over the whole chair fiasco.

[EvenstarSRV]

A nice wrap-up for the series and an interesting place to jump off from for movies. I enjoyed this episode far more than Vegas, and kinda wished they'd expanded it to a two-parter to perhaps allow for some more emotional beats and a slightly less frenetic pace.

Carter was nice to see, and it'll be interesting to see how her new command will play out in the next SG-1 movie. And naming the ship after Hammond was a nice tribute to Don S. Davis.

Kinda wished there'd been a bit more build-up story-wise, with the super-Hive and wormhole drive plot points kinda appearing out of nowhere, but there were still lots of references to previous episodes to enjoy, with Sheppard's suicide run, flying the city, Ronon reaffirming Atlantis as his home, etc.

I liked seeing Teyla and Ronon staying with the expedition to fight for Earth, Ronon's death scene was done well, and the dogfights were cool to watch, as was Atlantis's reentry.

Congrats to the cast and crew for a great run, and I look forward to the SGA movie. :)

[JackO'Neill]

*shrugs* I'm not going to fret about it. I'm too busy being bothered over the whole chair fiasco.

They should do a flash back scene in the third movie of Jack going nuts about his chair being destroyed

Jack - I dont go nuts
Daniel - Remember when Carter told you your special chair was destroyed

[ventuscarmen]

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one freaking out about them destroying the chair...and I love that you called it Jack's chair.

I'm glad to see that too! I'm upset about the chair. After everything SG-1 went through for that chair it just gets tossed aside...by darts...ugh...

[mkrg]

2. Why hasn't Davis been promoted?
3. Why didn't Sam's BDUs fit better?


Your post just tickled me and I felt compelled to log in and reply.

I've been on the SciFi Forum about this ep and saw an answer to your Question #2. Major Davis is in an administrative position. He doesn't actually hold a command position over others (someone from the military can correct me if I'm wrong about this). I believe the other person said something along the lines of no command, no promotion. It makes sense. He's not doing anything overly fantastic to deserve a promotion... unless you count being totally cool something worthy. I doubt the Air Force would agree, though.

And as for Sam's BDUs... Why don't any BDUs fit better? What I would give to see Daniel in a nice-fitting pair of pants. Yummmm....

Oh and BTW, regarding the chair, here's how I reacted:

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Okay not really but still. That's how I feel. You can't kill the chair, man!

[the fifth man]

I'm glad to see that too! I'm upset about the chair. After everything SG-1 went through for that chair it just gets tossed aside...by darts...ugh...

Well, for the moment, they have Atlantis to help defend Earth. They owe us that much for letting the chair get destroyed.;)

[TragicComedy]

Although SG-1 is my first love, Atlantis always worked for me. It worked for me from the very first ep to the very last one.

I think the finale was a fabulous, suspenseful ep, and I enjoyed it immensely. I tried to stay away from spoilers on it so I could evaluate it without all the pre-info to which I normally allow myself to be exposed.

I do have some questions though. I'd love to see what others think. Two are major plot questions. The others are just nitpicky wonderings:

1. Since this air battle took place over North America...should we assume the secret of the stargate will go public now? We can't assume the "flying fireball" spotted over the Pacific is the only thing anyone saw, can we? I have a feeling quite a few people probably spotted the activity between us and the Wraith...and thought they were all UFOs. Wonder what the fallout will be?

2. If the ancient chair was destroyed, and it was at Area 51, should we also assume that all of Area 51 is now toast?

and the three minor questions:

1. Why didn't they name it the "George Hammond" or simply "The Hammond," instead of the "General Hammond?" The name doesn't really seem to flow to me.
2. Why hasn't Davis been promoted?
3. Why didn't Sam's BDUs fit better?

I'm just interested in seeing what others think. And I agree with those who say this story could have made a good two- or three-parter.

Ok...it has been a long work week...but that's what I have for now.

I will miss Atlantis immensely. Thanks to cast and crew for five great years of entertainment! But I'm looking forward to the movies that are ahead.

I've heard rumor that the 3rd SG1 movie will be about the SGC going public which would just go peachy with that Atlantis ending. It's hard to explain a disappearing fireball away. It would also make Jack's prominence in it make more sense. Though a girls got to hope it won't be all politics.

Oh and technically...to the people of Earth, they would have been UFO's. ;)

Area 51 is a pretty big place I'd imagine. Something probably survived. (Don't quote me on that lol)

Yeah. I agree with you on the renaming. The General Hammond just sounds better but whatever.

I know that there are limited positions available in higher rankings, not sure if that applies to Lt. Colonel's as well. That may be it. I know it's not cuz he's not a good worker. Dude's awesome. Probably works close with Jack too since he's at Homeworld. Meaning they better be casting this guy for the SG1 movie.

If you are implying Sam's got a bun in the oven, I'd seriously doubt it since she's planning on leading the George Hammond. (Yeah, name so doesn't flow for a ship) And ya know, that position just so screws with my fanfic. lol Darn PTB.

[Briangate78]

Ok, I really liked it - but now i'm going to pick on it

Why did they try to fit EVERYTHING into 43 minutes? That was an epic storyline...packed into not enough time.



The show was supposed to be renewed, and well the producers said this was going to be a season finale going into a season 6 premiere. Joe M just commented that on his blog tonight. They would of likely left this ep on a cliffhanger, and start off the new season with the conclusion of course. I think they did wonders for the 43 mins they had.

[JackO'Neill]

Well, for the moment, they have Atlantis to help defend Earth. They owe us that much for letting the chair get destroyed.;)

First Jack gets his Asgard ship destroyed

Now his Ancient chair

Whats next ?

[NK1969]

Great episode, though it felt as if we were rushed through it. It certainly should have been a 2-parter, then maybe I'd be satisfied with it as the series finale.

[TragicComedy]

They should do a flash back scene in the third movie of Jack going nuts about his chair being destroyed

Jack - I dont go nuts
Daniel - Remember when Carter told you your special chair was destroyed


ahahahaha Niiice. "special chair" lol

[EliHitchcock]

An open, non-shielded/iris'ed wormhole into the heart of a giant ship about to attack your homeworld? SEND A TEAM IN? WHAT?
Go grab a naquedah generator, set it to overload, throw in a few flashbangs first and viola, you WIN!

Wow thats a good point... We can blame Woolsey for this, he doesn't have a military mind.


Also another thing was that Atlantis and the Atlantis team didn't do anything to save earth, all they did was save Shepard. Atlantis could have not sent the team into the gate, and they could have never came to Earth and everything would have been alright, so that whole getting two ZPMs, and using wormhole thing, was kinda pointly.


But honestly, there were wayyyyy too many plot holes this episode but I tried to overlook them and just enjoy the episode for what its worth.

[freyr's mother]

I have a feeling atlantis will be staying on earth for 2 reasons:


1.) When they take off, they cant have the cloak, it must be the shield. And people will notice a big burst of pressure like in rising. Also, im pretty sure that the cloak doesnt cover up the sound of the engines.

2.) It has the only functional chair platform. Assuming they didnt move the drones from antarctica and only moved the chair, the drones can be tied into the chair one by one. It will take a long time but its worth it.

[mkrg]

First Jack gets his Asgard ship destroyed

Now his Ancient chair

Whats next ?

Maybe the fish in his pond will disappear? What could be worse than that! Oh wait, he used to fish even if there were no fish. Nevermind.

[TragicComedy]

First Jack gets his Asgard ship destroyed

Now his Ancient chair

Whats next ?

At least Sam didn't destroy it this time ;)

[lemonsandwraithohmy]

Whoa. What an episode?
I completely am at a loss after watching this. My feelings are so mixed up. I can conclude, however, that canceling the show now was a mistake of epic proportions. What gives? They crammed SO much into this ep and I don't feel that they really gave it justice. Very little of the episode was deep and well thought out. Sure, some parts, like Ronon's "death", were beautiful. Also, I liked how they brought back a bunch of the characters we've grown to love over the seasons (or love to hate) like Kavanaugh....Ellis and Cauldwell rocked too.

One thing (just *one* I know) that I haven't seen pointed out as a plot hole....how exactly did the team gate back to Atlantis? Didn't they go to an alpha site or something? I'm a little confused on how the pegasus gate is supposed to take priority or something, and wouldn't it need to be calibrated to work in the milky way? I felt that was SO glossed over. I mean, POOF Ronon magically showed up in the infirmary.

OH, and what was with all the shipping? Rodney ended up with Jenifer. Teyla found her significant other in Kannan, Ronon ended up with Amelia (while cute, it was a bit of a stretch) and John got the shaft AGAIN. The poor guy has lost so much, of all people, I feel like he needed someone to emotionally be there for him.

WHY oh WHY did they kill off Elizabeth?
Sparky forever!!!!!!!

Well, erm, that's my two cents.

It still was admittedly a pretty fine 100th episode. We could've gotten something crappy like Harmony.

[RockyluvsSG]

I like the episode and the last scene (can't believe that MGM emailed that for us...spoiling the possible Ronan death). Fairly sadden that this is the end of the show.

Having Atlantis back on Earth does really up the stake for the TV movies.
Totally agree with you
I just finished watching the episode and was totally excited about it. It was indeed epic and i like the fact that Atlantis is now on Earth.
It just hit me that this is really the end. They put a lot of stuff in that show but I think it came together well.
Honestly though we really needed another season to wrap everything.

[ferrari20092]

EXCELLENT!! I loved this episode sure it was a little rushed, but if this is the problems of this one episode just image what will happen in the movie now! The Writers are just getting me all exciting, I nearly crapped myself when Ronan died.. Holy Crap that was scary.. Now they are stuck on earth, I'm betting more Wraith ships got the message we'll see what happens in the movie!

[Phenom]

I did find it a bit strange that Carter immediately said the chair was destroyed, about 5 seconds after the darts hit. I can't really recall, but doesn't Area 51 descend a bucketload of stories under the ground?? It might have survived.

[RockyluvsSG]

Whoa. What an episode?
I completely am at a loss after watching this. My feelings are so mixed up. I can conclude, however, that canceling the show now was a mistake of epic proportions. What gives? They crammed SO much into this ep and I don't feel that they really gave it justice. Very little of the episode was deep and well thought out. Sure, some parts, like Ronon's "death", were beautiful. Also, I liked how they brought back a bunch of the characters we've grown to love over the seasons (or love to hate) like Kavanaugh....Ellis and Cauldwell rocked too.

One thing (just *one* I know) that I haven't seen pointed out as a plot hole....how exactly did the team gate back to Atlantis? Didn't they go to an alpha site or something? I'm a little confused on how the pegasus gate is supposed to take priority or something, and wouldn't it need to be calibrated to work in the milky way? I felt that was SO glossed over. I mean, POOF Ronon magically showed up in the infirmary.

OH, and what was with all the shipping? Rodney ended up with Jenifer. Teyla found her significant other in Kannan, Ronon ended up with Amelia (while cute, it was a bit of a stretch) and John got the shaft AGAIN. The poor guy has lost so much, of all people, I feel like he needed someone to emotionally be there for him.

WHY oh WHY did they kill off Elizabeth?
Sparky forever!!!!!!!

Well, erm, that's my two cents.

It still was admittedly a pretty fine 100th episode. We could've gotten something crappy like Harmony.
lol about the Harmony thing.

It really was a lot to take in considering the fact that it is a 45 minute show and I loved the reunion thing too:)
We really didn't need to see them gate from the alpha site to earth all the little details were left out in the interest of time I guess; but I do agree cancelling this show a huge mistake!

[KJB07]

I loved it but if they kept Ronin alive it would have been just as good. It's kind of tacky having the person die then come back to life or should i say cliche. Either there dead or they stay alive.

[ladyjanus]

Okay, on the whole I liked it, even though I could happily crush the heads of everyone involved in the the whole cancellation FUBAR.

Couple of nit-picky things...

Wormhole Drive? If youre gonna pull a huge, honking plot twist out of your butt like that, you should AT LEAST take the time to show us how it works/explain the basic workings of the damn thing...

"tell my team I said goodbye" WTF!?!?! Sheesh. Would it have hurt them to let the team have a couple of moments to connect on some basic human emotional level, FCOL... Oh, well, that's a story I'd like someone to get onto the fan fiction sites pretty quick...

On the plus side:

LORNE!!!! He lives!! I was afraid they were gonna take out someone - okay I know they did - but you know what they say, no ever stays dead in science fiction - and Lorne seemed to be an all too easy choice. As mad as I've been about the cancellation, I would have been really pissed if they had bumped off my boy Evan.

So when's the movie coming out?

[RockyluvsSG]

I have a feeling atlantis will be staying on earth for 2 reasons:


1.) When they take off, they cant have the cloak, it must be the shield. And people will notice a big burst of pressure like in rising. Also, im pretty sure that the cloak doesnt cover up the sound of the engines.

2.) It has the only functional chair platform. Assuming they didnt move the drones from antarctica and only moved the chair, the drones can be tied into the chair one by one. It will take a long time but its worth it.
good point but it can't stay there forever eventually people will want to know why there's a quarantine around this area but i'm sure the writers will figure out something.

[Alteran of Atlantis]

I did find it a bit strange that Carter immediately said the chair was destroyed, about 5 seconds after the darts hit. I can't really recall, but doesn't Area 51 descend a bucketload of stories under the ground?? It might have survived.

Hopefully it survived, otherwise Earth is going to be defenseless against the next attack from whoever they piss off next. :p

[Infernorhythm]

They should do a flash back scene in the third movie of Jack going nuts about his chair being destroyed

Jack - I dont go nuts
Daniel - Remember when Carter told you your special chair was destroyed

Oh, oh please, please let this be in the next movie!

On that note, I just hope that they find a way using Atlantis and Asgard tech to replicate a new chair platform. I mean, with Carter, Zelenka, and McKay all on Earth, I imagine they can solve it. Janus's lab might have some useful stuff.

Atlantis is most likely going to head back to Pegasus. I mean, that's where they are connected, that's where the stories are. I expect by the time of the movie they'll have stayed maybe a month or two, repaired, then gone back. I think, judging by the end of this episode, that the movie will probably deal with Atlantis returning to Pegasus. The Wraith are still recovering from the Hoffan drug, the human populations are recovering from the Hoffans and the Asurans, and the Genii and the Travelers are currently the most powerful forces in Pegasus with Atlantis gone. I expect the war between the humans and the Wraith is going to heat up now that the big tech advantage of Atlantis is gone.

[TragicComedy]

So I'll bring up a question I haven't seen yet? (Doesn't mean I didn't miss it in those pesky first six pages)

What side are you on when it comes to Todd? Do you think Sheppard killed him or not?

They left that kind of open. If it goes Vegas style, they'll lock him up til he goes all poet crazy from starvation.

If they go Pegasus wise, they might let him loose since he's their strongest ally (however scary that thought might sometimes be for them).

Or Sheppard might have just killed him which goes well with both Shep's dark persona and his good side - saving Todd from turning into crazy poet Todd.

[JackO'Neill]

Oh, oh please, please let this be in the next movie!

On that note, I just hope that they find a way using Atlantis and Asgard tech to replicate a new chair platform. I mean, with Carter, Zelenka, and McKay all on Earth, I imagine they can solve it. Janus's lab might have some useful stuff.

Atlantis is most likely going to head back to Pegasus. I mean, that's where they are connected, that's where the stories are. I expect by the time of the movie they'll have stayed maybe a month or two, repaired, then gone back. I think, judging by the end of this episode, that the movie will probably deal with Atlantis returning to Pegasus. The Wraith are still recovering from the Hoffan drug, the human populations are recovering from the Hoffans and the Asurans, and the Genii and the Travelers are currently the most powerful forces in Pegasus with Atlantis gone. I expect the war between the humans and the Wraith is going to heat up now that the big tech advantage of Atlantis is gone.

There is no possible logical way for Atlantis to leave Earth with out uncloaking to get the shield up & I am sure the people of San Francisco would here all of the noise the machinery would make & the waves Atlantis would make. There is no way on Earth Atlantis will leave Earth before revealing the Stargate program to the public. But the public might get pissed that Earth's last line of defense might leave so I can't see Atlantis going anywhere

[splintercell56]

Why is it every time their is a battle on, in, or above earth in this show they just make it so convenient to cover it up. I mean come on they get the cloak on in the nick of time...

It would make the show more interesting to bring in more socio-political ramifications by having the world discover hey theirs aliens and this thing called the stargate. Take the $20 tour of Atlantis in the San Fransisco bay, but be careful never know when Todd will show up... or was it bob?

[jelgate]

What side are you on when it comes to Todd? Do you think Sheppard killed him or not? WARNING!!! SGA movie spoilers.Hints point to Todd in the SGA movie

[TragicComedy]

On the plus side:

LORNE!!!! He lives!! I was afraid they were gonna take out someone - okay I know they did - but you know what they say, no ever stays dead in science fiction - and Lorne seemed to be an all too easy choice. As mad as I've been about the cancellation, I would have been really pissed if they had bumped off my boy Evan.


Awww. I've forgotten all about Lorne in the midst of everything else. Love him. Feel bad that his team is always full of red shirts though. How many team members of his must have died by now?? Seriously...guys gotta have a complex.

[Dezdmona]

I was thrilled to bits when Ronan died. Then they brought him back. Pewp.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c180/Dezdmona/razz.gif

Sorry, but Ronon is my favorite SGA character, couldn't let that comment go. :shrug:

[flashtek]

There is no possible logical way for Atlantis to leave Earth with out uncloaking to get the shield up & I am sure the people of San Francisco would here all of the noise the machinery would make & the waves Atlantis would make. There is no way on Earth Atlantis will leave Earth before revealing the Stargate program to the public. But the public might get pissed that Earth's last line of defense might leave so I can't see Atlantis going anywhere

It is a boat... they can be towed.

[TragicComedy]

On that note, I just hope that they find a way using Atlantis and Asgard tech to replicate a new chair platform. I mean, with Carter, Zelenka, and McKay all on Earth, I imagine they can solve it. Janus's lab might have some useful stuff.


You have given me hope where there was none (ok, very little). All that brain power must amount to a chair. Or something just as good. If they can figure out how to move the ancient chair and have it still be it's kick*** self then surely they can....wait. NEW THOUGHT! What if the chair is indestructible like the gate. Which yes I know is not completely indestructible but it's close. Oh yay! I like that thought. I'm sticking with it until proven otherwise!

[JackO'Neill]

So who wants to comment on Joe's blog about the chair ?

[TragicComedy]

WARNING!!! SGA movie spoilers.Hints point to Todd in the SGA movie

Can't say I'm disappointed to hear that :D

[Ruffles]

That. Was. Awesome. I loved it. Other than last week's preview, I was unspoiled for this ep.

Good Stuff:

* Todd - you just can't go wrong here. My love, as always, knows no bounds for his character. His humor, his craftiness, his willingness to trust the Lanteans to do the right thing. I'm delighted he survived "Infection" and doubly delighted to know he'll get to make a return trip to Pegasus onboard Atlantis. I spent every scene he was in trying to see if that feeding maw was on his hand. Never could tell.

* secondary characters - the greatest ever. Lorne, Zelenka, Chuck, Amelia, Walter, Major Davis, Caldwell, Ellis. They have enriched every scene they've been in

* the Wraith transmission from Vegas - great callback to Daedalus Variations and McKay and Mrs. Miller.

* scene with Woolsey, Ronon and Teyla - MUCH love for this. I adore how he acknowledges their contribution to the fight and the expedition's acceptance of them. Don't forget how hard Teyla struggled in S1 for that. It was a nice touch to give them the option of leaving, and even nicer for them to refuse.

* the mention of Hammond - perfect.

* Ronon's death scene - dramatic, visceral, emotional. Teyla and Rodney refusing to leave him. I was screaming at the TV for a moment there. *makes note to apologize to neighbors*

* Sheppard's expression when Teyla tells him about Ronon and the next scene - Sheppard leading the charge to retrieve his body. Makes me wonder why. Was he planning on forcing Todd to bring him back? Could he just not stand the thought of leaving Ronon of all people on a hive ship? Did he not believe Teyla?

* destroying Earth's chair platform - interesting choice. Major impact for future SG-1 stories. Leaves Earth vulnerable to attack. Creates conflict when the expedition wants to take Atlantis back to Pegasus (oh, is that a plot for the SGA movie I see?)

* the Odyssey on a super secret mission (oh, is that a plot for the next SG-1 movie I see?). Just gives me the feel that life isn't necessarily a bed of roses back in the Milky Way

* Sheppard - in charge, disobeying orders (well, sort of), suicide missions (nice callback to The Siege), refusing to leave Ronon behind. He was The Man.

* McKay - I can't decide if my favorite scene was him rushing to Ronon's side or handing over the detonator. This McKay was loyal, strong, and courageous. He might have protested a little about blowing up the ship, but he didn't want to die. He did accept it, though, without panic. Go, Rodney.

* Ronon's acknowledgement that Atlantis is his home. He's been without one for a long time. He even decided to leave once. I'm glad he's putting down roots.

* Ronon and Amelia - I've been hoping they would head this way since that tiny scene in The Prodigal. Not a shipper and not interested in SGA focusing on romance, but Ronon has had such a rough life. He deserves some happiness.

* Rodney and Jennifer - see above.

* Woolsey - he has added so much this season. I've adored watching him become the commander - decisive, respected, capable. It was jarring to me to hear Carter call him "Mr. Woolsey". When exactly did I start thinking of him as "Richard"?


Not so good:

Of course there was some. I'm not blind. Several plot devices. A few rapid explanations to make things work. Not enough Teyla and Ronon. A lot of story in a little time. Makes me wonder where this ep would have ended if S6 had been greenlighted.

I choose not to dwell on these. It's the last episode of my favorite show. I will enjoy what I was given and anxiously await the next installment.


Thoughts on comments I've seen:

Q: Why was Carter in command and not a room full of generals?
A: Because the Wraith showed up WEEKS early.

Q: Why wasn't O'Neill using the chair?
A: Because he would have probably been the one coordinating the attack instead of Carter if the Wraith had been on time.

Q: How did Carson go from being the man too scared to sit in the chair in Rising to the man flying the city and firing drones?
A: Two years of imprisonment by a madman who might kill you and everyone else at any moment probably helped strengthen his nerves and resolve.


Thanks to the writers, cast, and crew. I have enjoyed your work, and I look forward to more. Best wishes on your future endeavors.

[Dmichael]

Area 51 in real life does not go deep underground, as far as I/civilians know. I’m sure Rodney could fabricate another chair in about 10min, no wait did I say 10, I meant 2

[Ruined_puzzle]

...

...

That was it?

Pretty much my reaction.



OH, and what was with all the shipping? Rodney ended up with Jenifer. Teyla found her significant other in Kannan, Ronon ended up with Amelia (while cute, it was a bit of a stretch) and John got the shaft AGAIN. The poor guy has lost so much, of all people, I feel like he needed someone to emotionally be there for him.

WHY oh WHY did they kill off Elizabeth?
Sparky forever!!!!!!!

Well, erm, that's my two cents.

I like that Sheppard ended up alone ;)

All in all the episode was blah. I enjoyed Vegas more. I did like Ronon/Shep BFFness.

[Ncc-72452]

First Reaction: Sobs because one of his favorite shows is over.

Second Reaction: It's one of the better sci-fi finales that I've seen. MUCH better than SG-1's unending.

Other Reactions: I've been waiting for five years to see Atlantis at full power with ZPMs, and when it finally gets there, it can't take out a hiveship on steroids without help. Todd is awesome. Rather than finishing what is started, steroid hiveship decides to spare the Daedalus, Apollo, and Sun Tzu rather than risk missing brunch. Why, why, why, why wouldn't they just finish the ships off rather than leaving active threats to their rear? Carson flying Atlantis... Awesome! Carter's taking command of Hammond... *wipes tear from eye.* Steroid hiveship makes it to Earth just behind Sheppard who had barely stepped through the gate... Maybe they had wormhole drive too??? Quick, lets defend the chair that could wipe out all of the darts in seconds with an outnumbered, novice fighter wing! Awesome dogfight sequence. Shepard channels Tom Cruise in Top Gun.

"Mav's in a flat spin! He's heading out to sea!"

Let's invent a new rule about gates: Pegasus supersedes Milky Way, rather than use an existing rule: gates with DHD's supersede those without just because. Still doesn't explain why Walter couldn't dial out. Oh no! Ronan's dead! Let's revive him rather than use super sensy sensors that can pick up transmissions from AUs to find out how many intruders we have! YAY! Atlantis is here, and she looks AWESOME! Wait, her shields are down to 70% after 1 volley? Are these the same shields that protected an entire planet from a CME? Wait, she's losing??? They detonated a nuke and saved the day!!! Wait, why is the steroid ship breaking up? Hatak shields can fend off nukes, but not drones => drones have more megatons than nukes => steroid hull armor surrounding ship should be intact while soft interior should be swirls of ionized gas. Atlantis coming in hot... why? Power down weapons use power to fly up. Graphic shows them landing near Hawaii... and there's San Fransisco, but they can't see us because we're cloaked... And where was this cloaking power when we were coming in hot??? AWESOME shot of San Fransisco.

Wormhole Drive??????????????????????????

Ah.............. WHAT?????????????????????????????

Final gripe: More power fixes everything. Wraith hyperdrives were technologically inferior, but we just add more power and they work. They don't burn out or overload or anything... Wraith weapons are technologically inferior to Ancient, but we add more power, and its a fight! They don't burn out or overload or anything. Wraith armor is inferior to Ancient shields, but we add more power and ... well, it grows harder... :S Maybe they polarize it. *snickers*

Final Impression: *cries because a smart, talented show has come to an end* I know we're getting a movie, but the series itself is over. The series is gone and isn't coming back; this is a time that isn't coming again. This has been a TV show that I've enjoyed immensely, more than SG-1 and more than BSG. I know I've been kinda rough on the finale, but I did enjoy it. It's just that inconsistencies like this get under my skin.

[TragicComedy]

So who wants to comment on Joe's blog about the chair ?

I haven't read it yet. Going there now.

[TragicComedy]

Okay I must be missing something. I don't see anything about the chair on Joe's blog. What did it say?

[JackO'Neill]

Okay I must be missing something. I don't see anything about the chair on Joe's blog. What did it say?

Um I asked who was going to ask Joe about the chair you read that wrong

[flashtek]

So what super secret mission was the Odyssey on? Will that show up in the movie?

I can't believe I had to find out that Don S. Davis had pasted away from the show! It made the rest of the show sad for me.

I just signed up on Gateworld but have been coming to this site for years now. HUGE SG fan! Completely upset that I've had to watch the final episodes of my two of my favorite shows in the last three years!

[splintercell56]

They don't burn out or overload or anything. Wraith armor is inferior to Ancient shields, but we add more power and ... well, it grows harder... :S Maybe they polarize it. *snickers*

Super Hive Ship Commander* Trip polarize the hull plating.
Michael* I'm dead...
SHSC* Oh yeah oh well just add a ZPM and were golden.

They should have given us a Unending episode and saved this for a SGA movie so they could have given it more time. I feel like they pulled a massive cop-out.

[TragicComedy]

Um I asked who was going to ask Joe about the chair you read that wrong

Oops. My bad.

[Ncc-72452]

Super Hive Ship Commander* Trip polarize the hull plating.
Michael* I'm dead...
SHSC* Oh yeah oh well just add a ZPM and were golden.

They should have given us a Unending episode and saved this for a SGA movie so they could have given it more time. I feel like they pulled a massive cop-out.

LOL! Michael as Trip! I love it!

[Dezdmona]

Can't say I'm disappointed to hear that :D

Me either ;)

[Ruffles]

One thing (just *one* I know) that I haven't seen pointed out as a plot hole....how exactly did the team gate back to Atlantis? Didn't they go to an alpha site or something? I'm a little confused on how the pegasus gate is supposed to take priority or something, and wouldn't it need to be calibrated to work in the milky way? I felt that was SO glossed over. I mean, POOF Ronon magically showed up in the infirmary.

I'm sure they gated from the Alpha site to the SGC. Atlantis would have to disable their gate so that all the off-world SG teams didn't arrive there. A cloaked jumper could have picked him up. Or maybe some snazzy Asgard beam brought them home. Or maybe they took a ferry ride in the harbor and disappeared behind the shield.


What side are you on when it comes to Todd? Do you think Sheppard killed him or not?

Without knowing any spoilers, I say Todd lives. He's too great a character (and a foil for Sheppard) to get rid of. Besides, John may have a dark side, but he's honorable. Todd was upfront with him here (at least so far). No reason to bump him off.


There is no possible logical way for Atlantis to leave Earth with out uncloaking to get the shield up & I am sure the people of San Francisco would here all of the noise the machinery would make & the waves Atlantis would make. There is no way on Earth Atlantis will leave Earth before revealing the Stargate program to the public. But the public might get pissed that Earth's last line of defense might leave so I can't see Atlantis going anywhere

I was not under the impression that Atlantis landed in the San Fransisco bay (the map looked like they were landing near Hawaii). I figured they either floated there or had some way of moving on the water and took the city there on purpose.

When they get ready to leave, they'll motor out to a distant point, restrict the air space, fire up the engines and take off.

[JackO'Neill]

When they get ready to leave, they'll motor out to a distant point, restrict the air space, fire up the engines and take off.


The movements / the water waves / water sounds / engine & machines sounds / fireball in the sky Atlantis will become when it reaches orbit = all to much a simple restricting the space to hide. But these writers are not that great with these types of things

[Ncc-72452]

I'm sure they gated from the Alpha site to the SGC. Atlantis would have to disable their gate so that all the off-world SG teams didn't arrive there. A cloaked jumper could have picked him up. Or maybe some snazzy Asgard beam brought them home. Or maybe they took a ferry ride in the harbor and disappeared behind the shield.



Without knowing any spoilers, I say Todd lives. He's too great a character (and a foil for Sheppard) to get rid of. Besides, John may have a dark side, but he's honorable. Todd was upfront with him here (at least so far). No reason to bump him off.



I was not under the impression that Atlantis landed in the San Fransisco bay (the map looked like they were landing near Hawaii). I figured they either floated there or had some way of moving on the water and took the city there on purpose.

When they get ready to leave, they'll motor out to a distant point, restrict the air space, fire up the engines and take off.

Surfing must've been GOOD that day!!!:)

[TragicComedy]

Surfing must've been GOOD that day!!!:)

:lol:

[gateraid]

I saw it when it was leaked, and posted there, so I'm not going to go over that again. A few points have been raised here:

* the cloak - in Seige III Rodney and Zelenka actually mention displacement in their semi-conversation, so I guess that explains why it has never been obvious in any of the CG stock shots in the last four years.

* in sII, Everett said that with a ZPM, the Daedalus could do the trip in four days. Atlantis had three, so it should at least be able to make it in that amount of time. That's why it was able to get there so quickly. The wormhole drive was only used when the stardrive malfuntioned.

* Carson is #2? I can swallow that (mostly coz I like Carson) but wouldn't it have made more sense to put Lorne in the chair, given that he actually makes regular trips in jumpers and is used to flying all the drones?

* Why did Sheppard go back to earth? There are plenty of 302 pilots on earth - suddenly they're not good enough? Heck, Woolsey could've gone in his place to brief the SGC

* they'd have to drop the cloak to leave take off, for sure, but they don't have to do that in SF harbour. They can take it out in the pacific first.
They could also do what O'Neill did with that exploding Stargate in s6 - lift off the water, then open a hyperspace window and take a small jump and end up in orbit somewhere. Then they would open another window and head off on their way

* not pushing a nuke/overloading generator through the stargate (or firing some drones from a jumper) was dumb dumb dumb

* the wraith were targetting area 51. Did they not think to put someone in the chair? Anyone at all? Presumably someone in the facility would've had the gene

* did anyone else find it amusing that a doctor and a lawyer saved the day?


I did like it (five or six out of ten). Most of my problems with it would have been fixed had it been a two parter. The symbolism of Atlantis being back on earth was lost in the rush.

[splintercell56]

This whole moving the city idea is nice, but will the city fit under the bridge...

[Konrad9]

* in sII, Everett said that with a ZPM, the Daedalus could do the trip in four days. Atlantis had three, so it should at least be able to make it in that amount of time. That's why it was able to get there so quickly. The wormhole drive was only used when the stardrive malfuntioned.

I completely agree, but the plothole it brings up is severely aggravating.

If it's that quick and the Ancients (presumably) had more than 3 little 10,000 year old ZPM's lying around... why didn't they just fly the city to Earth?

[garhkal]

OMG. At the end i was like really... drop the damn cloak!

I was screaming when they said that, as i would have LOVED them to use it as a reason to finally go public on the SGC program, which imo they WOULD have had to do when it showed up uncloaked...


'm also perplexed as to why they moved all the way from the center of the pacific to San Francisco - a most unnecessary risk.

That got me too. When they were showing the location of where atlantis would land, it was slap bang in the middle of the pacific, right north of Guam. No where near the west coast...


BEST. EPISODE. EVER! But it was too short, really deserved to be a two parter.

Or just a 2 hr episode, which is how i prefer SEASON and Series enders to be.


And loved the unseen "wormhole drive" they pulled out of their backsides and didn't even show lol.

Yea.. like where the heck did that come from?


McKay's refusal to abandon Ronon was great,

To me, that showed how muh he has developed... Back in the earlier eps, he would have not hesitated to dodge away somewhere.


-They went back on Ronon's death. That was a good death, and the impact was lessened by just bringing him back like *fingersnap*. Death is cheap to the SG writers.

While i do agree, they cheapened a great death, to me had they not brought him back like they did, they would have found some other way.


-Where was SG-1? Stuck off-world or something? Would've expected them to stick Mitchell in a fighter and send him out with Sheppard.

Good point. This is one 'earth saving' SG1 had no ties too... man they have ta hate themselves.;);)


If Asurans with Ancient technology couldn't detect cloaked jumpers, how could a hive ship? I think that was just convenient writing.

Who is to say the ancients could not? As to the asurans.. perhaps it required actually thinking about someone using it.


How could Ronon have died from just a stab wound? He's had a lot worse before, or are the Wraith knives poison or something like that?

They said it punctured his lung.. Though looking at it, it imo was too low for a lung. maybe a kidney. Or worse, the liver as that WOULD kill.


I so wish the last scene had been them the four principal characters, saying something or doing something to express how much they have gone through together, and how much they care for each other, it would give meaning to the entire series. This was very disappointing and dissatisfying.

Agreed. I just wish it was them 4 and woosley.
But if they wanted a 'big cast', why not also let todd out.. Now that would have been something to see..


The wraith ship in question had a very impersonal feel. These particular wraith were a "faceless" threat that was crushed within 60 minutes. If there were a series of episodes which lead to the finale that gave personality to this particular hive it would have been alot better.

Especially if they had actually shown us more of it's uberness.


Also what was the secret mission cadwell mentioned when they were talking about the location of the ships. Or did I just hear something...

Me thinks it was a deliberate "Slip up" to potentially lead into universe.


- Also love seeing Walter as always.

Same here. But people go on about why Major davis has not had a promotion.. But what about poor walter..


What side are you on when it comes to Todd? Do you think Sheppard killed him or not?

I would be reallllllly peeved if he did kill him. To me that would turn him into a Big evil enemy like character.

[TragicComedy]

* Why did Sheppard go back to earth? There are plenty of 302 pilots on earth - suddenly they're not good enough? Heck, Woolsey could've gone in his place to brief the SGC

Sheppard went back because he was ordered to go back by General O'Neill to use the chair. Which he didn't do! Urg. If he would have he could have droned the Kamikaze Wraith out of the sky but no, they just had to go blow up Jack's chair!

[gateraid]

I completely agree, but the plothole it brings up is severely aggravating.

If it's that quick and the Ancients (presumably) had more than 3 little 10,000 year old ZPM's lying around... why didn't they just fly the city to Earth?
That's actually a really good point. I didn't think of it at all. I guess it was coz the planet was surrounded at the time and they thought they mightn't make it into orbit? Then again, with that logic, why didn't they take one ZPM with them, then in a few years use it to power the earth gate back to atlantis and fly the city out of pegasus?

[Ncc-72452]

That's actually a really good point. I didn't think of it at all. I guess it was coz the planet was surrounded at the time and they thought they mightn't make it into orbit? Then again, with that logic, why didn't they take one ZPM with them, then in a few years use it to power the earth gate back to atlantis and fly the city out of pegasus?

Or, gate a pair of ZPMs to somewhere with an Aurora-class. Keep one in Atlantis to keep it's shields up under the ocean. Install both ZPMs on Aurora. Then use it to attack the orbiting fleet. If a couple of ZPMs on a hive ship can do all that, imagine what some on a technologically superior Ancient ship can do!

[gateraid]

Or, gate a pair of ZPMs to somewhere with an Aurora-class. Keep one in Atlantis to keep it's shields up under the ocean. Install both ZPMs on Aurora. Then use it to attack the orbiting fleet. If a couple of ZPMs on a hive ship can do all that, imagine what some on a technologically superior Ancient ship can do!
But.. but.... then the Ancients would've won the war!

[splintercell56]

Where were the Travelers (That's their name right, the people who live on the spaceships)?

They could have called them for help when engaging the hive in Pegasus, and what about the other Wraith Alliance ships that Todd commanded?

[TragicComedy]

Where were the Travelers (That's their name right, the people who live on the spaceships)?

They could have called them for help when engaging the hive in Pegasus, and what about the other Wraith Alliance ships that Todd commanded?

Contacting the Travelers isn't just a phone call away ya know.

Also, if Todd was to tell the other hives in his alliance about the mutiny...it could inspire further mutiny. Not a good thing.

[gateraid]

Does anyone else think it is a little odd that for a series FINALE there are hardly any posts in the general discussion thread? When the two eps got leaked, another page had appeared by the time you/I'd responded to a something.

Dunno whether that's good or bad :(

[chris777]

PS. For those who hate "Unending," one question, Why? It was such a touching episode. So it wasn't FLASH FLASH BANG BANG, that's not what it was about. It was about the friendships of the SG-1 team.:daniel::cameron::vala::sam::tealc:
It wasnt horrible, but it was another short changing especially with giving the asgard like 3 minutes of screen time then poof they are gone(until atlantis brings them back) And the Mitchell scenes were lame I just didn't buy it. it was ok though.

I just don't understand the mentality of shortchanging your fanbase especially when your planning on continuing the franchise. It is not like there was not plenty of time to start tying up loose threads, but they did there little one shot meaningless episodes, then crammed the finale into 45 minutes. I mean even ark of truth seemed a bit crammed with too many plot threads, though not as bad as enemy at the gate, though I will give enemy the thumbs up of the 2 as it was rip roaring if far fetched.
I will definitely miss it IT mafe me a fan, I remember thinking Atlantis was a second stringer but it made me a fan, other than the lame writing of several episodes , I just feel they could have done a better job of a finale I mean the season finale was 3 parts and the series finale was 1, we were short changed , it was well done, for a 45 minute episode dont ger me wrong ,but withe no less than 6 Keller centric episodes this season alone too much time was spent on her shoving her down our collective throats when they could have worked on a really kick butt series finale that would have done all the characters justice and still have been action action packed. But I will give them this for the time allotted They did an excellent let job even with the plot holes. IT was definitely entertaining, just more in a procedural cliched way, than a well thought out and executed way.

[Ncc-72452]

But.. but.... then the Ancients would've won the war!

LOL!

I have another question. Why didn't the Wraith relay the location of earth to the rest of the Wraith? I'm sure they wanted a nice helping of human for themselves, but surely there was more than enough for everyone? If not on Earth, then on the MANY other planets with yummy morsels numbering in the trillions upon trillions.

[Knight_Hawk]

SGA Team,

I would like to tell you that the last show was great and I enjoyed it. Still, would have been better if it was a two hour show.

I can't understand why they ended the series. I felt they still had a lot to offer even though some of the shows were bad, especially the 2nd to the last one was boring and came totally from left field.

If SGA reads these posts I do want to wish them well and look forward to the movie version when it comes out.

Friday nights will be boring without SGA.

Cheers,

Jim

[TragicComedy]

LOL!

I have another question. Why didn't the Wraith relay the location of earth to the rest of the Wraith? I'm sure they wanted a nice helping of human for themselves, but surely there was more than enough for everyone? If not on Earth, then on the MANY other planets with yummy morsels numbering in the trillions upon trillions.

That's sort of like Ba'al calling up Apophis and saying, "Hey buddy. Take some of my slaves for me. Really. You deserve them." lol

[Atlantis Atheist]

Although, and I am a loyal Rodney/Jennifer shipper (do not throw rotting vegetables), the lines at the end on the balcony with those two -- WTC? They didn't even make sense and were so forced in that scene....I just want them removed from the episode.

I'm with you. I love this pair, but some of the dialog they give them makes me cringe for the actors. McKay saying he's alive and Keller laughing is a cute little snapshot of their attraction to each other, but the "...and I've got you. What else would I need?" gave me a headache from the violent eye-rolling.

Missed it by THAT much.

[Ncc-72452]

That's sort of like Ba'al calling up Apophis and saying, "Hey buddy. Take some of my slaves for me. Really. You deserve them." lol

LOL, True!

I was thinking more along the lines of using starvation as a means of acquiring more followers for the dude's little mutiny.

Hungry? Why wait? Come to the Milky Way. Serve me, and I'll show you the all you can eat buffet of the ten centuries!

[leiasky]

For as much as I completely disliked Vegas, I was shocked to find that I pretty much enjoyed this episode.

The first words out of our mouths when the credits began to roll? "Well, it was loads better than the travesty that was 'Unending'."

It was a good 'team' episode, with all the important, major players having a part. I agree with everyone when they say it was too short. By FAR. There were a lot of things that were glossed over that could have contributed to expanding this episode into a two hour series finale.

I wanted to see the Apollo and Tsun Tzu duke it out with the hive ship. I wanted to see more destruction of Area 51. I wanted to see more scared people. More of a desperate reaction that this super ship was going to totally annihilate Earth. I wanted to see the US and its allies throw every F16 and Mig at those darts to keep them from reaching Area 51. There was enough time. The Hive just sat there for a while before it even moved in on Earth.

I like that the gate on the hive ship superseded the one on Earth and didn't allow them to dial out. I've heard some complain that it should have been more guarded. Well, not really, they never expected Atlantis to fly in and use their gate. Earth's was completely disabled.

And the Odyssey? It couldn't be recalled to defend its planet? Not quite believable. If it's explained away in SGU or the SG-1 movie, perhaps I'll change my view. Otherwise, it was a weak plot hole. And where was the head of Homeworld Security? The world is being threatened and he is - where exactly?

Ronan should have remained dead. It was a good death, a heroic one. And a surprising one. Though being brought back did serve a purpose and the reason was believable. They did need to explain the wormhole drive rather than have it be brought up out of the blue.

With as much as I've listed above that I didn't like, or that could have been added to make the episode MUCH better, and a two-parter. It wasn't as bad as I'd feared and I did enjoy it quite a bit. I'm sure there's all kinds of things I'm missing and will think of (or someone will remind me) later, but that's my initial review after having just seen it. No way can I go back and read 180 replies so far in this thread!

Where was SG-1? Mitchell led the fighters against the Gou'uld when they attacked earth in Lost City. Where was he here? No mention of them was just not believable at all.

Last but certainly not least. . . and really the most important. Mentioning Hammond. It was too quick. It wasn't heartfelt enough. The right people weren't talking about him and mourning him. Sam shouldn't have been talking to Shepherd. She should have been talking to people who knew and loved him. It would have been MUCH more respectful to have been done in the SG-1 movie. It felt too tossed in as a homage, but it fell short of its intent. Far short.

[TragicComedy]

hungry? Why wait?

lol

[chris777]

This should have been the first movie & Vegas should have been the finale
Good point, I have not seen continum but if this had been a movie it could have and i stress "could" depending on the writing been cool, now they have to top it and top it in a manner that is hopefully better written.

[chris777]

i think the whole having atlantis on earth thing is for SGU

while they are working on atlantis to get it back up and running, they discover in the antlantis records detailing the 9th chevron or how to dial destiny.... which leads to SGU !!!

just an idea

sounds like a winner to me

[Floo]

That's sort of like Ba'al calling up Apophis and saying, "Hey buddy. Take some of my slaves for me. Really. You deserve them." lol

Not really, if the wraith once again had plenty of food the civil war would effectively be over.

[chris777]

John got the shaft AGAIN. The poor guy has lost so much, of all people, I feel like he needed someone to emotionally be there for him.


Some of us just end up being "Solitary Men"

not nesesarily out of preference but necessity

[retiredat44]

Last episode was very good. But, hating to throw cold water on it... it's the Last of the SGA show.. it really don't matter what happened,.. unless they tie SGU to SG-1 and SGA.

It was a shocker to see Ronan die... :mckay:

It was nice on a 46" LCD HDTV... ;)would have been even better without the 20minutes of commercials..

[Major_Griff]

Great episode, great finale! I had an uncontrollable nerd-gasm when Altantis battled the Super-Hive, so that was good. Being that this was the series finale, I got all emotional thinking Ronon was dead (I hadn't been on the SGA boards in like three or four weeks so it was plausible that I would not have been spoiled), and thought it incredibly lame that they brought him back (especially since they used the gift of life or whatever which has become the overused escape hatch for death that ascension was in SG-1 [as I predicted after seeing Common Ground btw]), but overall the episode was awesome, loved the fact that they're naming a battle cruiser after Hammond.

10/10!

[chris777]

It was nice on a 46" LCD HDTV... ;)would have been even better without the 20minutes of commercials..

Yeah I got spoiled with the marathon and 30 second commercials, this week, that I kept getting irritated at the 5plus minute commercial breaks.

I should have "borrowed" the rents 42" plasma.

[chris777]

Just how freaking big is a hive ship supposed to be?
That last overhead shot before it was obliterated made it look 5 or 6 times plus as big as atlantis itself.

I knew they were big but are they that big? Or was atlantis just in a lower orbit than they made out.

[SSJPabs]

The episode should have been at least 90 minutes. Ah well, anyhow because of a few sour notes such as keeping SG secret, I have to give it an 8/10 it was better than the SG1 finale, but not by a lot--at least it wasn't a consequence-less time travel story!

[Hong3103]

Great that they are naming a ship after General Hammond. But calling it the "General Hammond...?". Kinda goes against the naming convention. We (the U.S.) have several aircraft carriers named after former presidents and we don't call them the President Lincoln, Kennedy, etc... The George Hammond would be more appropriate.

[Spidey3121]

Is there anyone else here who agrees with me that this episode was terrible? Yes - there have been worse SGA episodes but really this was pretty damn bad -especially for it being a series finale. If they fleshed this story out into the 3 part episode that it felt like it should have been then perhaps it would be a very different story. As was though... bad - just bad.

So Todd is not dead... interesting. Of course his scenes were the best of the episode so i mind as well not complain :-/

Everything just happens so fast though... + the Wraith ship just leaving them stranded before obtaining coordinates to Earth. What are the chances of them receiving those coordinates @ that exact moment?

Then the couple of days/weeks to get back to Atlantis takes a cut scene + there they are. The battle between Earth's ships + the Hive. "O yeah when you were gone they lost". Rodney + Sheppard having the exact thought @ the exact same time... please!! Need a few ZPM's - 5 secs later "We got some!!".

Ronon 'dying' + then... nope - he's alive. I mean i'm glad he wasn't dead b/c that would be a big FU. 1st of all after so many years of tracking Wraith he would not have been the 1 to get the knife in the back. I bet the writers though that was "smart" because we wouldn't expect it.

Then of course Atlantis just jumping back to Earth... i mean where was the suspense in the episode? There was none @ all. They just pitched ideas + the next scene it was done. This story should have never ever been tripped down to fit in 40 minutes of television.

O + Stargate Commands 'scare' of not being able to contact Atlantis @ the end... how many times have they tried to pull that + really - do we think Atlantis crashed + burned? O + i missed 1 or 2 episodes so maybe i did miss something but who was that random chick with Ronan @ the end who lacked any acting talent what-so-ever?

*sigh* Overall... bad - just bad. A terrible way for Atlantis to end it's run. Much worse than SG-1's "Unending"

[Shpinxinator]

The Gate CGI when Sheppard walked into the SGC were awful....truely awful

[OhForCryinOutLoud]

Great episode, great finale! I had an uncontrollable nerd-gasm when Altantis battled the Super-Hive, so that was good. 10/10!

LOL!! Yes, I enjoyed this finale thoroughly! And the use of the classic two-ways-to-get-on-a-giant-ship confusion was wonderful. (How'd I get here? How'd you get here?) I was going to feel extremely ripped off if Ronon was really killed - I'm sick of the habit of killing off main characters just to make it - what, genuine? Bah!

Long Live Atlantis!!

[Zod5000]

[QUOTE=Knight_Hawk;9545419}

Friday nights will be boring without SGA.

Cheers,

Jim[/QUOTE]

Battlestar is on for the next 10 friday's which I'm quite a fan of. I supppose once that wraps up it'll be pretty bland. I miss those one or two years when both stargates and battlestar all ran on the same night. That was good stuff.

[Ozzman]

RUSHED, RUSHED, RUSHED....

Why was this not a two hour special?

it reminded me a bit of SG1's 100th and 200th episodes where they pull out all the stops just cause they can.

However it was still epic. lol I mean epic. Atlantis flys again, they land on earth, just one thing after another lol.

[knightstar76]

I have kept my mouth shut for weeks.... :cool: and now I must say that this was an excellent way to end it... Perfect blend of action and character plot with enough loose ends (w/out killing anyone) that the writers have an almost infinite number of avenues to take for the movies.... The writers also did an excellent job whit the internal and eternal dedication to don S. Davis' character.... Atlantis has returned home after a very very long time.... I am truly looking forward to the movies.... See Ya in the embarkation room....

Peace... Out...
:vortex04:

[Nitegate]

this episode was awesome <Snipped by Mod .No cussing,please !>

[beire]

For me it was a great episode.. ohw ps. i also loved Unending...

[kirkeastmetn]

The only thing i couldn't understand was why if i was watching SGA, why was my tv playing re-runs of independence day, with Sheppard playing Will Smiths role of nuking the mothership, minus the computer virus of course.

[kirkeastmetn]

Just how freaking big is a hive ship supposed to be?
That last overhead shot before it was obliterated made it look 5 or 6 times plus as big as atlantis itself.

I knew they were big but are they that big? Or was atlantis just in a lower orbit than they made out.

Did you miss the part where Mckay explained that the ship was growing.

[g.o.d]

*sigh* Overall... bad - just bad. A terrible way for Atlantis to end it's run. Much worse than SG-1's "Unending"

I don't think it was worse than Unending. It was bad, really bad with so many plot devices that I stop counting them, but at least EATG wasn't as boring as the Unending. I wasn't expecting much from this episode, but still it was below my expectations. Anyway, I'm glad it's over, SGU is on its way and with new two characters revealed, I believe it's not going to be SG:90210. I really doubt SGA will have more than one movie.

[bluealien]

So what do you call Carson being able to fly the city? That is pretty some good damn development if you ask me, even if he is a clone, he still has all the memories and experiences from the original Carson.

I recall in Season one he was scared of that chair.

How can you can that development. It was just a plot device.. when did Carson obtain such piloting skills...is it that easy to fly a city?. He has had no training... the only time we ever saw him in the chair he couldnt even control the drones now he can handle an entire city with such ease.. that's like showing a character who was a medic in the first season doing brain surgery in the last season and calling it character development...



Eatg was faced paced and entertaining but it didnt really contain any character moments or development at all, and it was just like a random bunch of people got thrown together to save the day.

The scene at the end hightlighted that..the only smidgen of emotion or feelings between any of them was the McKeller stuff.. Rodney standing apart from the team just showed how fragmented they had become... there wasnt an ounce of warmth emanating from them... they just stood as stiff as boards.. no team love at all in that last scene.... I had hoped for something more from a team who had fought together and almost died together on a daily basis for the last 5 years... :(

[TraK]

I agree. THis ep was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I'm sad to see it go.

[Linzi]

I loved this episode and felt it was a fitting series finale, though I'm saddened SGA is over and still more than a little irked that it was cancelled, though I became resigned to that decision a long time ago now. Sure, I understand the reasons why, but that doesn't mean I have to like it! ;)

I loved Sheppard in this; loved him at the SGC, loved him flying the F-302, sniffed when he said goodbye to Atlantis. He's a great action hero, who cares for those around him more than for himself, and I really like that about him. Loved him in the F-302 flying suit... :o I liked his scenes with Carter; they have great chemistry, IMO, and it's obvious how much Sheppard respects her. I did like the way EatG tied into Vegas too. I think it's good to watch Vegas followed by EatG.

I didn't expect Ronon to die, though when he was restored again I wasn't surprised. I adored Sheppard's reaction to being told about Ronon. Joe really is the master of facial expressions, and my heart broke for him in that scene. I also liked that, in my opinion, Sheppard led the others back to retrieve Ronon's body... only to find him alive! :lol:

I liked seeing Carter again. She's such a warm character who never disappoints me. :)

Seeing Major Davis was fun too. I've always liked him and he was great here.

I loved the space battle scenes, and seeing the mega hive too. Seeing Atlantis land in the good old US was wonderful, and a fitting end to the episode. I can let the water displacement thing go this time...

Todd was great! I love him to bits. I love also his relationship with Sheppard. There's such a hate thing going on there, yet a grudging mutual respect too. I have no doubt that either one would kill each other if the need arose, without much thought.

All in all, this was a satisfying episode, but rather bittersweet as it was the final ever episode :(

At times this season, especially the Keller centric episode like Identity and the McKeller full Brainstorm, not to forget the rather tedious and disappointing Inquisition, I really did think the writers had run out of steam and ideas. But after Vegas and EatG, I can see there was the potential for an excellent sixth season. It's disappointing that I'll no longer have the opportunity to see Sheppard, McKay, Teyla and Ronon (who are the core of the show, IMO, or at least should be ) on a weekly basis :( The movie is small comfort really, but it's certainly better than nothing.

I did feel EatG was a little rushed. I needed an explanation on the wormhole drive, for example, but I know the show runners didn't expect the show to be cancelled and the episode had already been written. I'd have preferred a two-parter. BUT, I think Mullie and Mallozzi did an excellent job here, and I think this may be my favourite episode of theirs. It also gives me much hope for the movie... if we actually ever get to see it! :lol:


Thanks to Joe, David, Rachel, Jason, Torri, Amanda, Bob, David N, Kavan, Chris H for being at the forefront of such a wonderful show and for making it so special for me over the years. Thanks to the writers too and show runners for producing SGA. It'll always be my favourite show. :)

[huntress]

It was okay. The problem was mainly that they tried to tell a story that needed 90 minutes in only 45. It was a very rushed kind of story telling but it fit fits to the whole fifth season. Good ideas but the execution was anything then stellar. I could have lived with one less episode regarding Keller (the body switch episode was so utterly useless) and turned this into a satisfying two parter. Also the feeling of Atlantis being family wasn't there at all. It was a fast paced, helter skelter action episode and very, very little character interaction. Maybe I am too spoiled by Doctor Who but this wasn't much of a season finale and even less of a decent series finale. I hope the movie will be better then this

[Shan Bruce Lee]

So what super secret mission was the Odyssey on? Will that show up in the movie?

Well it's either a set-up to the next SG-1 movie or SGU... at least that's what I think.

[Shan Bruce Lee]

I was not under the impression that Atlantis landed in the San Fransisco bay (the map looked like they were landing near Hawaii). I figured they either floated there or had some way of moving on the water and took the city there on purpose.

When they get ready to leave, they'll motor out to a distant point, restrict the air space, fire up the engines and take off.

That's what I thought, too. After Davis said something about the city's trajectory they showed the screen pointing to the middle of the ocean and later Woolsey said they raised the cloak before they got too close or something.

[rosey_angel]

OMG that was a terrific ep and a spectacular ending. the plot was great, the effects breath taking (how much do i love the city flying? so freaking much, that's how much), the acting top notch.
i loved how it seemed everyone was there, the only ppl missing of course being ford and lizbeth. tho when shep was waiting for the ship to arrive i half expected him to be dreaming of ford again :)
todd was in fine form. at the end i was sure shep was gonna kill him. i hold onto the hope that they would have shown his death if it happened.
woolsey was superb as always, having to be leader and in charge in life and death situations, but also kind and caring beforehand.
carson was cool, flying the city even tho he was scared. well done ol' boy!
sam was cool, and it's nice to hear where she is now. tears for the renamed ship.
it was nice to see maj davies and walter. it just made sense for them to be in it, imo.
the four mains were fantastic. no doubt about it, they really pulled out their a-games. i wish we could have seen teyla with her baby, just a quick shot of her holding torren before they all set out.

[section31]

The whole series finale was poorly managed. There were too many convenient plot devices like Todd’s spare ZPMs, McKay’s prototpe “wormhole drive” along with a number of important evens that were off screen like the Apollo and Sun Tzu assault and this “wormhole drive jump”. The writers were pulling all the stops on this episdoes. Clearly the episode was too rushed and rediculously fast paced for a 40 minute time slot.

The finale should have started off with Vegas and split Enemey at the Gates into two parts. In Pt1 they should discover the super hive ship and the Apollo and Sun Tzu launched an unsuccessfula attack.In Pt. 2 they discover the gate onboard the hive and destroy the ship. The last 10 minute should then be used to give the characters time to reflect and tie up any loose ends.

This finale could have easily been spread apart into a three parter and I blame the staff for so poorly budgeting their time. The staff knew Season 5 was the last season and they should have made every episode count, but instead they chose to fill the season with a number of pointless episodes that doesn’t add value or advance the plot like:

- The seed
- Broken Ties
- Tracker
- Whispers
- Outsiders (scrap one episode, either Whispers or Outsiders would have been a sufficient Halloween special)
- Identity

The staff did a great diservice to the fans of the franchise and I feel insulted at the way Season 5 was handeled. They should have better prioritezed the episodes and given this series a proper finale. Action and visual effects asside, this was a great dissapointment.

[section31]

Enemy at the Gate: One big WTF moment

The whole series finale was poorly managed. There were too many convenient plot devices like Todd’s spare ZPMs, McKay’s prototpe “wormhole drive” along with a number of important evens that were off screen like the Apollo and Sun Tzu assault and this “wormhole drive jump”. The writers were pulling all the stops on this episdoes. Clearly the episode was too rushed and rediculously fast paced for a 40 minute time slot.

The finale should have started off with Vegas and split Enemey at the Gates into two parts. In Pt1 they should discover the super hive ship and the Apollo and Sun Tzu launched an unsuccessfula attack.In Pt. 2 they discover the gate onboard the hive and destroy the ship. The last 10 minute should then be used to give the characters time to reflect and tie up any loose ends.

This finale could have easily been spread apart into a three parter and I blame the staff for so poorly budgeting their time. The staff knew Season 5 was the last season and they should have made every episode count, but instead they chose to fill the season with a number of pointless episodes that doesn’t add value or advance the plot like:

- The seed
- Broken Ties
- Tracker
- Whispers
- Outsiders (scrap one episode, either Whispers or Outsiders would have been a sufficient Halloween special)
- Identity

The staff did a great diservice to the fans of the franchise and I feel insulted at the way Season 5 was handeled. They should have better prioritezed the episodes and given this series a proper finale. Action and visual effects asside, this was a great dissapointment.

[Zed.P.M.]

The show wasn't cancelled until filming of the 18th episode had already begun. So there goes your theory.

[g.o.d]

so what? instead of focusing on a solid long running story-arc, they decided to make many pointless filler episodes like Identity, BrainDead, Inquisition, Whispers, etc...I'm not suprised that 520 was so rushed

[DaRngATe]

Everything just happens so fast though... + the Wraith ship just leaving them stranded before obtaining coordinates to Earth. What are the chances of them receiving those coordinates @ that exact moment?
you have to watch Vegas to understand that.

EATG was much better the "unending"

[Shan Bruce Lee]

How can you can that development. It was just a plot device.. when did Carson obtain such piloting skills...is it that easy to fly a city?.

You mean the giant city that you fly just by sitting in a chair and thinking?



Eatg was faced paced and entertaining but it didnt really contain any character moments or development at all, and it was just like a random bunch of people got thrown together to save the day.

The scene at the end hightlighted that..the only smidgen of emotion or feelings between any of them was the McKeller stuff.. Rodney standing apart from the team just showed how fragmented they had become... there wasnt an ounce of warmth emanating from them... they just stood as stiff as boards.. no team love at all in that last scene.... I had hoped for something more from a team who had fought together and almost died together on a daily basis for the last 5 years... :(

Rodney was standing right next to Teyla who was standing right next to Sheppard who was standing right next to Ronon...

[section31]

The show wasn't cancelled until filming of the 18th episode had already begun. So there goes your theory.

Well then, given the circumstances I’ll let that one slide…

[bluealien]

I don't think it was worse than Unending. It was bad, really bad with so many plot devices that I stop counting them, but at least EATG wasn't as boring as the Unending. I wasn't expecting much from this episode, but still it was below my expectations. Anyway, I'm glad it's over, SGU is on its way and with new two characters revealed, I believe it's not going to be SG:90210. I really doubt SGA will have more than one movie.

Eatg wasnt horrible in fact it it had been a mid season ep it would have been pretty entertaining even with all the plot holes but as a finale it just summed up a season that lacked any team feel, any direction and any substance.

I'm sorry to see SGA end so badly and I have no hope that SGU will fair any better. It was the writing that ruined SGA, not the actors.. they had a fine bunch of actors who were mostly undersued. SGU in the hands of these same writers won't do any better. Robert Carlisle may be a good actor but he'll have to get some jaw dropping good scripts for me to be remotely interested in tuning in. The actor alone just doesnt appeal to me in the slightest or the young cast so I have even less reason to watch anything Stargate ever again....I don't see the Stargate franchise having much of a future..

[g.o.d]

Eatg wasnt horrible in fact it it had been a mid season ep it would have been pretty entertaining even with all the plot holes but as a finale it just summed up a season that lacked any team feel, any direction and any substance.

I'm sorry to see SGA end so badly and I have no hope that SGU will fair any better. It was the writing that ruined SGA, not the actors.. they had a fine bunch of actors who were mostly undersued. SGU in the hands of these same writers won't do any better. Robert Carlisle may be a good actor but he'll have to get some jaw dropping good scripts for me to be remotely interested in tuning in. The actor alone just doesnt appeal to me in the slightest or the young cast so I have even less reason to watch anything Stargate ever again....I don't see the Stargate franchise having much of a future..
perhaps it's a good thing

[knowles2]

i sought of agree, through I think if they thought it through a lot what did happen need not happen.

For instant I thought the Gate plot device was just to far convenient, It was Todd that planning this from the outset, his scientist traitor was the one to implement it an he would not of been stupid enough not erect shield around the gate.

Todd I could understand him stashing a few ZPMs around, but the whole thing about them being incompatible with Wraith technology was a bit to convenient. And yes they should of explained either in this episode or Vegas and introduce the Chinese vessel and they could of showed it during the Shepperd tore of the AREA 51 facility.

To destroy the vessels I feel they could of used the pathogen instead of a nuclear bomb, then just have the need for them to survive the Wraith until it does it work.

Atlantis could of then been bought in at the end when the Hive was infected and blown it to tiny little pieces, and then do a crash landing somewhere a bit less convenient than American waters, say somewhere on the Chinese mainland,setting a interesting story for the film, A other scene at the end shown the rest of the Wraith joining a war council having receive the same transmission of the super hive.

I just think if they have planned out the season more they could of tied together the episodes a lot more than they did.

[TeacherGal]

Excellent episode. They had a lot to do in only 45 minutes and managed it well. Could have done without the Ronan/Banks stuff at the end. She had no place in that final scene and looked stupid. The rest was very well done, well paced and included so many familiar faces.

Oh, was I the only one who felt the Universe commercial at the end was like salt in the wound?

[DaRngATe]

I agree also...

[knowles2]

Area 51 was frankly a disappointment, civilian buildings now have shields (Brain Storm) which surrounds them and Area 51 supposedly was equip by the Asgard with shields and two darts penetrated it, pathetic, Area 51 is supposedly one of the most heavily defended target on the planet.

Also the whole defence was a bit pathetic given the number of f16s the US have available. And I would of the throught the Russians would constructed their own fleet of 302s and let alone other countries, Britain and France.

This episode should of been use to show that earth have more than enough weapons to destroy the Wraith, instead we were shown to pathetically un prepared for attacks against Earth.

[masterblaster]

Yes it was rushed and did not have enough time and there was a couple of "Deus ex Machina" ploys but my main fault was the killing of Ronon. WHY! He is knifed in the back, dies, is brought back to life, tortured a bit, and then runs for the gate. WHY. How does this advance the show? What purpose?
I did think the landing off the Golden Gate was a bit much.
The ending wasn't too bad, Ronon gets a new sweetie (cute but I couldn't identify her) Rodney McKay has finally admitted Jennifer to his world, is there a wedding and little McKays in the future.
What about poor Teyla, her baby is a galaxy away and hubby is gone (did they ever actually get married?)
When the first film comes out, I hope it is more than just a two hour episode with a bigger budget for special effects.

[bluealien]

You mean the giant city that you fly just by sitting in a chair and thinking?


Its also down to how strong the gene is and you would have to be thinking like a pilot which Carson is not. If it was so easy then why did Carson battle so much just to control the drones but he has no problem with an entire city.


Rodney was standing right next to Teyla who was standing right next to Sheppard who was standing right next to Ronon...

And what does that prove... people who stand next to one another have to care about each other.

[AlphaBlu]

I really enjoyed this episode.

That said, there were some major problems with the episode as a whole:

1. Pacing.
God this episode was rushed. So many things happened that weren't given enough time to happen. This needed to be a two-parter, pure and simple.

2. The Hive Ship.
This is directly related to the pacing. We've had 19 episodes in the Season so far, spent quite a lot of time devoting them to one-off-filler eps, and then for the last episode we're just supposed to accept that this Uber-Hive Ship has just sprung up out of no where over night.

Come on.

This plot line would have been much better served if this ship had been introduced four weeks as ago as an approaching threat. We know it's coming to Atlantis, Vegas happens, and suddenly it's heading towards Earth rather than Atlantis. Que massive series-ending two parter where we chase down the Hive Ship and destroy it in a climactic battle between the city and the ship over Earth.

3. Wormhole Drive
Easily ranking up there with 'explosive tumas' (I loved Sunday, but they were silly), the Wormhole drive enters Stargate Lore as a Deus Ex Machina within a Deus Ex Machina. Let me explain what I mean by that.

I can accept that the city was always going to show up at the end to save the day. It's a big heroic moment with a swelling Atlantis theme, it looks cool, gets the emotions whirring. Ok, fine. It's a Deus Ex Machina that things like that always happen in the nick of time, but that's the drama of the episode, and I can live with that.

But then they go and add the Wormhole Drive, a previously unmentioned completely out of no where piece of technology that acts as a Deus Ex Machina that allows the ultimate Deus Ex Machina of the city arriving at Earth to occur. In other words, the Deus Ex Machina of the Wormhole Drive has to happen before the other Deus Ex Machina can happen.

Come on.

And again this comes down to pacing and also to bad plotting. It's another way of hurrying the story along at absolute breakneck page to squeeze everything into the 40 mins. And as far as bad plotting goes, they created the situation that the Hive Ship could just arrive in a day, so then had to create a new piece of tech to overcome that part of the plot. So something they did to try to raise tension just created an impossible situation that required a Deus Ex Machina to resolve - I'm sorry to Joe and Paul, but that's bad writing. They should be smacked on the knuckles for that one.

3. Air Defence
So Earth's entire defence rests in the hands of a single squadron of 302's? That's it? There's no other air cover whatsoever? I understand that FX budgets are not unlimited, but it just felt like Earth had nothing beyond some dinky fighters to protect against an alien assault.


Overall, Enemy at the Gate is a microcosm of all of Season 5. Season 5 of Atlantis plays out just like Season 7 of SG-1. SG-1's Season 7 is the season I like the least (despite the presence of Fallen/Homecoming, Evolution Part 1&2, Heroes 1&2, Grace and Lost City) because while it's highs are so high, it's lows are so low (Enemy Mine, Revisions and that Ra-forsaken train wreck of an episode, *spits* Space Race *spits*).

Season 5 is the last Atlantis Season, yet we have so many filler eps it's just maddening. Did we need another bodyswapping episode? That's debatable. But did we need another bodyswapping episode as the third-to -last-episode? Of course we didn't. We wanted plot episodes, to build more on the Season's only arc (the cure to Wraith feeding) and maybe just some setup/foreshadowing for this episode so it didn't feel so completely out of the blue.

Enemy At The Gate had many very high highs. Todd was magnificent (as usual). I cheered when Beckett walked into the chair room. I squealed like a little fanboi when Davis, Ellis, Kavanaugh and especially Caldwell showed up. My heart pounded when Atlantis pulled into view between the Hive Ship and earth. I felt the tension as John flew into the Dart bay, and felt the same sense of utter desperation as Carter realised what John was about to do. Fantastic stuff.

But then these flaws come in, and they are very low lows indeed, some lower than others. Wormhole drive, Keller's cameo appearence (though that might make the Keller H8terz happy), the odd feeling from having Banks on the balcony in the final shot, the overly quick resolution of Ronan dying (again, more rushed storytelling) followed by the overly quick death of the traitor Wraith commander (was that Kenny?).

I could nitpick other things, like why the Daedelus only fired a single shot before being blown away, or how they're going to explain away Wormhole Drive in the movie (it could be the next Asgard Beam/internal transmitter plot device if they don't get rid of it quick) but I'll stop and reflect on something else.

This is the last episode of Atlantis, a show that has given us 5 years of (I'd hope) enjoyment, even if the series never managed raise itself above the crafted excellence of the show's first Season 1 (nothing has ever topped The Storm/The Eye, The Brotherhood, Underground, 38 Minutes, Siege I, II and III and the glorious Letters from Pegasus - nothing). It's a show I will miss greatly, as I miss SG-1, and a show I hope continues for a long time in its new movie format.

So let's enjoy Enemy At the Gate for what it is, an unrealistic rushed end to a series that was killed one Season too early, and await more adventures in the coming years.

5/10 (I liked it, I really did, but its flaws are just to big to ignore)

BYE

P.S. Nice tough with General Hammond. The ship would probably called the George Hammond, rather than the General Hammond, but I really thought that was well placed and fitting. :hammond15:

[Shan Bruce Lee]

And what does that prove... people who stand next to one another have to care about each other.

You said he was standing apart from the team... it proves that's wrong

[wraith2cool]

Same here I agree too:)..it's sad to see it go:(.

[JenniferJF]

My thoughts on EatG (which I loved, btw, but I'm not picky. Entertain me and I'll appreciate it):

First, as some have said, I felt it was a far better ending to SGA as a weekly series than Unending was for SG-1. In fact, this episode felt a lot more like an early SG-1 episode, with all the excitement and high-threat and "OMG we're screwed" of those early years. So, in many ways for me, seeing earth defend itself with all sorts of 'new toys' from a full-out attack from an alien ship felt like an ending to the Stargate story on TV, having come almost full circle from SG-1 S1, as much as simply an ending to SGA.

Which brings me to my single biggest complaint. This episode, and Vegas which proceeded it, seemed awfully familiar. Several years ago, as some may recall, there was an episode titled There But for the Grace of God followed by Politics and Within the Serpant's Grasp and I can't help but feel there was a certain similiarity between the story told in those episodes and the one told in Vegas-EatG....

We've got the whole AU thing with an imminent threat to earth from which our reality learns vital coordinates which lead in to an attack in our reality. Then we have the attack on earth in which our team gets on the alien ship to blow it up from the inside, one of the team members dies - only he gets saved by the aliens tech - and then they all escape to the Alpha site through the Gate on the Big Alien Ship.

Yeah. I could have ignored vague similiarites. But there are a few too many parallelisms for my comfort.

Still.

Like I said, I enjoyed it immensely, despite some of the faults already pointed out here (Amelia at the end? Why?) and thought it was a fitting ending to the weekly series. I just wish it weren't all so darn familiar.

[major davis]

The whole series finale was poorly managed. There were too many convenient plot devices like Todd’s spare ZPMs, McKay’s prototpe “wormhole drive” along with a number of important evens that were off screen like the Apollo and Sun Tzu assault and this “wormhole drive jump”. The writers were pulling all the stops on this episdoes. Clearly the episode was too rushed and rediculously fast paced for a 40 minute time slot.

The finale should have started off with Vegas and split Enemey at the Gates into two parts. In Pt1 they should discover the super hive ship and the Apollo and Sun Tzu launched an unsuccessfula attack.In Pt. 2 they discover the gate onboard the hive and destroy the ship. The last 10 minute should then be used to give the characters time to reflect and tie up any loose ends.

This finale could have easily been spread apart into a three parter and I blame the staff for so poorly budgeting their time. The staff knew Season 5 was the last season and they should have made every episode count, but instead they chose to fill the season with a number of pointless episodes that doesn’t add value or advance the plot like:

- The seed
- Broken Ties
- Tracker
- Whispers
- Outsiders (scrap one episode, either Whispers or Outsiders would have been a sufficient Halloween special)
- Identity

The staff did a great diservice to the fans of the franchise and I feel insulted at the way Season 5 was handeled. They should have better prioritezed the episodes and given this series a proper finale. Action and visual effects asside, this was a great dissapointment.

I think youre right, eatg should have been a two hour episode(kinda like lost city)

[VSS]

I did find it a bit strange that Carter immediately said the chair was destroyed, about 5 seconds after the darts hit. I can't really recall, but doesn't Area 51 descend a bucketload of stories under the ground?? It might have survived.

Is that where the ships are built? If so, Carter lost her new command, too.

[Hallnavy]

I also was disapointed with the "destruction" of Area 51
Two lousy darts run into it and it doesn't even blow up or anything really, just smoking like crazy. It's stupid to think that the Chair got destroyed.

It also makes me bad because ALL off-world tech went there and if the Chair got it, then it's safe to say just about everything else did as well...

[Hermiiod]

Area 51 was frankly a disappointment, civilian buildings now have shields (Brain Storm) which surrounds them and Area 51 supposedly was equip by the Asgard with shields and two darts penetrated it, pathetic, Area 51 is supposedly one of the most heavily defended target on the planet.

Also the whole defence was a bit pathetic given the number of f16s the US have available. And I would of the throught the Russians would constructed their own fleet of 302s and let alone other countries, Britain and France.

This episode should of been use to show that earth have more than enough weapons to destroy the Wraith, instead we were shown to pathetically un prepared for attacks against Earth.

I concur. I think that earth, in actuality, could have taken on three of these hive ships with just it's defenses and allies.

[nxcalibur]

Wow! Cool episode, not the best and certainly too short. Could have been an excellent two parter. Concerning the "tradition" to end a season with a cliffhanger, it would have made a great one.
It was nice to see Atlantis up in the air/up in space again but they should have left the city in Pegasus. Or at least they should have had the possibility to get back to Pegasus at the end. Maybe we will see it in a future movie.
One thing I really didn't like was the scene between Woolsey and Keller, although I like her, they could have left out her (almost) "Oh no!"-reaction to the possible vaporization of the city.
All together some good 8 points for the final episode.

Oh yeah right and I really liked the idea to name the new 304 after General Hammond! Excellent way to give credit to an extraordinary character/actor!

[Shaod]

Amazing, but maybe a bit rushed? Felt like watching an episode of SG1. I was so happy to see the SGC.

[RedWolf]

Well with any chance the Ark of Truth also got wasted.

Daniel wanted it destroyed but IOA wanted it studied at Area 51.

[Lahela]

Well with any chance the Ark of Truth also got wasted.

Daniel wanted it destroyed but IOA wanted it studied at Area 51.

Along with the Ark of the Covenant ;)

[The_Daedalus]

Great episode!
But I think there was to many things in only one episode :D