Successor to Weir on Antarctica Base?

[Snowman37]

The third episode being "Thirty Eight Minutes?" I presume you count "Rising" as one episode rather than a two-parter. Yes, the show has a higher gross factor than SG-1, but it's not every episode. You've only just begun. You haven't dived into the meat of the show. At least keep watching until you get to "The Storm" and "The Eye," the mid-season two-parter. You've expressed your frustration with the show not featuring Earth. They're only cut off during the first season. I'll spoil that much if it'll help you get into the show.

[Dave2]

OK, I'll take your word for it, but I sure can't take the gross factor!

The third episode being "Thirty Eight Minutes?" I presume you count "Rising" as one episode rather than a two-parter. Yes, the show has a higher gross factor than SG-1, but it's not every episode. You've only just begun. You haven't dived into the meat of the show. At least keep watching until you get to "The Storm" and "The Eye," the mid-season two-parter. You've expressed your frustration with the show not featuring Earth. They're only cut off during the first season. I'll spoil that much if it'll help you get into the show.

[Snowman37]

If the gross factor is all that's keeping you from watching, I will list episodes where you might want to fast forward over a gross scene. How does that sound? Since you've just started, I'll just go over the first season. First off, I assume you've seen "Thirty Eight Minutes" where Sheppard had the bug on his beck? Moving past that...

Episode 5: Suspicion
One of the Athosians is suspected of being a spy for the Wraith. The Wraith do show up briefly, but I don't there were any gross scenes featured. Unless the Wraith simply appearing counts as gross. It's mostly a who's the spy story, and a good one at that.

Episode 6: Childhood's End
This one's a fun, independent story. Nothing gross that I can recall.

Episode 7: Poisoning the Well
This episode deals with Dr. Beckett helping a people develop a method to make them immune to being fed on by the Wraith. I don't want to say more, because it will spoil the plot. There is one scene that may or may not be gross. Just watch. It's not what you think, and you'll be asking yourself what just happened!

Episode 8: Underground
This episode introduces a potential ally who shifts back and forth between friend and foe depending on the episode. The Wraith do appear, but I can't remember if anyone was fed upon.

Episode 9: Home
Atlantis finally makes a connection to Earth, sending a few representatives home... or did they? This was a very special episode. It also stands as the only episode where Don S. Davis guest starred as General Hammond.

Episodes 10&11: The Storm / The Eye
The big, mid-season two-parter! Aside from people getting shot and one person's arm getting cut, nothing gross. You'd expect the big mid-season two-parter to be all about the Wraith, but the writers went an entirely different direction. For me, this was the show's best story prior to the final episodes (of the season).

Episode 12: The Defiant One
This one is a stand-alone episode, meaning it's not really followed up on. It deals with Sheppard and McKay pitted against an ancient Wraith. There is one, maybe two gross scenes. It's a highlight, because it shows just how dangerous the Wraith are, but it also shows just how resourceful Sheppard is.

Episode 13: Hot Zone
Every science-fiction show has to do an outbreak episode, right? This one doesn't disappoint. The grossest thing you will see is a little blood out of someone's nose, or something like that.

Episode 14: Sanctuary
Nothing gross here, you'll love this episode. It's best if I say no more.

Episode 15: Before I Sleep
Remember the Time Jumper that SG-1 found? This episode explores it's origin!

Episode 16: The Brotherhood
I don't recall anything gross in this episode.

Episode 17: Letters from Pegasus
The Wraith are coming! This episode is a clip show and mostly features the characters making goodbye video diaries to their families and friends. Personally, I'd say you can skip this episode. However, it's worth seeing if you're really invested with the cast.

Episode 18: The Gift
This episode explores Teyla's ability to sense the Wraith. The episode is high on frights, but I don't recall anything gross being displayed.

Episodes 19&20: The Siege, Parts 1&2
It's the two-part season finale. The Wraith besiege Atlantis! Naturally, you're going to see some Wraith action, which means there's bound to be some gross scenes.

I hope this assessment helps. Oh, I almost forgot. If you're wondering when this season takes place in regards to SG-1, it's during that show's 8th season. "Rising" began after "New Order, Part 2," and the Atlantis finale takes place right after SG-1's "Moebius, Part 2."

[Dave2]

Got it. That's good, thanks. I also noticed how SGU takes on a couple of aliens into their team such as that female version of Teal'c.

[Dave2]

Snowman, I just watched Suspicion. Thanks for the advice for episodes that won't gross me out. As a matter of fact I may like it at least as long as I stick to those episodes that won't gross me out. For that matter, I would ask the creators why they had to include episodes in any of their productions that had a gross factor. Unless they assumed there'd be a demand for it. There were a few gross scenes in SG1 which I would have been happy to avoid as well.
On another note, I am not so sure that Weir is the best person to be a commander in such circumstances. Too bad O'Neill isn't around.

If the gross factor is all that's keeping you from watching, I will list episodes where you might want to fast forward over a gross scene. How does that sound? Since you've just started, I'll just go over the first season. First off, I assume you've seen "Thirty Eight Minutes" where Sheppard had the bug on his beck? Moving past that...

Episode 5: Suspicion
One of the Athosians is suspected of being a spy for the Wraith. The Wraith do show up briefly, but I don't there were any gross scenes featured. Unless the Wraith simply appearing counts as gross. It's mostly a who's the spy story, and a good one at that.

Episode 6: Childhood's End
This one's a fun, independent story. Nothing gross that I can recall.

Episode 7: Poisoning the Well
This episode deals with Dr. Beckett helping a people develop a method to make them immune to being fed on by the Wraith. I don't want to say more, because it will spoil the plot. There is one scene that may or may not be gross. Just watch. It's not what you think, and you'll be asking yourself what just happened!

Episode 8: Underground
This episode introduces a potential ally who shifts back and forth between friend and foe depending on the episode. The Wraith do appear, but I can't remember if anyone was fed upon.

Episode 9: Home
Atlantis finally makes a connection to Earth, sending a few representatives home... or did they? This was a very special episode. It also stands as the only episode where Don S. Davis guest starred as General Hammond.

Episodes 10&11: The Storm / The Eye
The big, mid-season two-parter! Aside from people getting shot and one person's arm getting cut, nothing gross. You'd expect the big mid-season two-parter to be all about the Wraith, but the writers went an entirely different direction. For me, this was the show's best story prior to the final episodes (of the season).

Episode 12: The Defiant One
This one is a stand-alone episode, meaning it's not really followed up on. It deals with Sheppard and McKay pitted against an ancient Wraith. There is one, maybe two gross scenes. It's a highlight, because it shows just how dangerous the Wraith are, but it also shows just how resourceful Sheppard is.

Episode 13: Hot Zone
Every science-fiction show has to do an outbreak episode, right? This one doesn't disappoint. The grossest thing you will see is a little blood out of someone's nose, or something like that.

Episode 14: Sanctuary
Nothing gross here, you'll love this episode. It's best if I say no more.

Episode 15: Before I Sleep
Remember the Time Jumper that SG-1 found? This episode explores it's origin!

Episode 16: The Brotherhood
I don't recall anything gross in this episode.

Episode 17: Letters from Pegasus
The Wraith are coming! This episode is a clip show and mostly features the characters making goodbye video diaries to their families and friends. Personally, I'd say you can skip this episode. However, it's worth seeing if you're really invested with the cast.

Episode 18: The Gift
This episode explores Teyla's ability to sense the Wraith. The episode is high on frights, but I don't recall anything gross being displayed.

Episodes 19&20: The Siege, Parts 1&2
It's the two-part season finale. The Wraith besiege Atlantis! Naturally, you're going to see some Wraith action, which means there's bound to be some gross scenes.

I hope this assessment helps. Oh, I almost forgot. If you're wondering when this season takes place in regards to SG-1, it's during that show's 8th season. "Rising" began after "New Order, Part 2," and the Atlantis finale takes place right after SG-1's "Moebius, Part 2."

[Dave2]

Childhood's End is an excellent Stargate episode all around. It's my kind of episode. Really sad though that kids were killing themselves all the time as "elders" for nothing. I couldn't stand McKay before, but now at least I like him, and Sheppard has a certain O'Neill quality about him. It's a nice relief to see innocence and those two cute children in a story instead of gore and the like.

[Snowman37]

Both "Suspicion" and "Childhood's End" are great episodes. I'm glad you enjoyed them as I did. As for gross episodes, try not to skip them. Most episodes with gross scenes are pivotal episodes that drive the show's central story, the war against the Wraith. Are you watching the episodes via DVD? When you come across an episode with the Wraith, just keep the remote control handy to fast forward over a gross scene. Oh, and as for pushing the gore-on-TV limits... The SciFi (Syfy? stupid) network has been known for showing gory low-budget TV horror movies, thinking this is what science-fiction fans want to see. The added gore on the show was likely a network demand. However, think of what the Wraith are... space vampires. A little gore was to be expected. However, I think the show remained pretty light on gore in the long run.

[Dave2]

I see it online but I can forward with the slider. I think i'll go for the nicer episodes and then go back the way you suggst.
I would have liked to see a goa'uld and Wraith go after each other in a prison the way they had the captured wraith in Suspicion. How about a wraith as a host to a goa'uld? Now that's gory!

Both "Suspicion" and "Childhood's End" are great episodes. I'm glad you enjoyed them as I did. As for gross episodes, try not to skip them. Most episodes with gross scenes are pivotal episodes that drive the show's central story, the war against the Wraith. Are you watching the episodes via DVD? When you come across an episode with the Wraith, just keep the remote control handy to fast forward over a gross scene. Oh, and as for pushing the gore-on-TV limits... The SciFi (Syfy? stupid) network has been known for showing gory low-budget TV horror movies, thinking this is what science-fiction fans want to see. The added gore on the show was likely a network demand. However, think of what the Wraith are... space vampires. A little gore was to be expected. However, I think the show remained pretty light on gore in the long run.

[Dave2]

I noticed in Suspicion that Weir said the Althusians had been with them for 3 months. That would mean about 2 episodes per month until Suspicion. One can only assume that there were other activities going on besides the ones being broadcast in the episodes. ;-)

[Dave2]

I forgot to mention something else that's often overlooked and is the most amazing thing about Stargate.
Not only does practically everyone in the Milky Way Galaxy speak modern English, but so do everyone in the Pegasus Galaxy and the replicator and Asgard galaxy!! ;-)

In any case I just saw Poisoning the Well. The ethical issues involved and lack of gore top it off as one of the best episodes in SG1/Atlantis that I have seen yet.

Do we ever get to find out why the vaccine used on the Hoffans was lethal to 50% of the people? The city was very reminiscent of the city where Jonas Quinn lived, in a totally different galaxy.

[The Urban Spaceman]

There are future episodes directly related to the Hoffan drug, but I'm not going to spoil you with confirmation or any details.

[Dave2]

Thanks. Just had some time and watched Storm and Eye. I found them quite boring even with that Golya character who speaks like Leonard Nimoy. Unlike the previous episodes that had some strong ethical and human elements, these episodes seemed like some filler with violence.
Young Sora didn't really belong in the story at all, especially as an assistant commander at barely 20 years old (which is not very realistic) and the fight with Teyla wasn't my cup of tea. And Alden Ford also seemed like a college kid in the puddle jumper with that portion of the story as boring as Shepard's running around endlessly in the city.

But I don't hold it against Snowman37, who is doing a good job of helping along on the episodes. ;-)

There are future episodes directly related to the Hoffan drug, but I'm not going to spoil you with confirmation or any details.

[Snowman37]

Did you get to see "Underground" and "Home?" "The Storm" and "The Eye" are a follow up to "Underground" and play out with more emotional weight if you'd seen the prior episode. "Underground," "The Storm," and "The Eye" are a trilogy of episodes that set up a human nemesis to the Atlantis Expedition. The Geneii. They'll be recurring villains up until the third season. They kind'a dropped off the radar after that. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the storm two-parter. It was one of my favorite stories from the first season. Granted, I love storm-based stories in general, and I loved seeing the city nearly taken by the Geneii. Weir and McKay as prisoners with John Sheppard running about the city... it all reminded me of the movie Die Hard which is probably what the writers were going for.

Though "The Defiant One" features a few gross scenes, it's worth seeing. Basically, you see one or two people fed on by a Wraith, but that's it. I don't want to say more, because it will spoil the suspense at the beginning of the episode. This one's all about thrills and chills.

[Dave2]

Yes, sorry I forgot to mention them. I saw them as well. I wasn't ctazy about Home, and found Storm and Eye boring as I mentioned.

[Snowman37]

"Home" works if you don't immediately figure out they aren't back home on Earth. I also liked that the episode featured Don S. Davis as General Hammond, even if it's just an alien impersonation. It was still fun to see Davis in his only guest appearance on Atlantis.

[Dave2]

Yes, I agree. However it made me wonder at that stage whether in fact it was SGC who supervised Atlantis directly, or whether it was the Pentagon and thereafter O'Neill at Homeworld Security. I realize it's sort of moot because contact with Atlantis was apparently rather sparse.

"Home" works if you don't immediately figure out they aren't back home on Earth. I also liked that the episode featured Don S. Davis as General Hammond, even if it's just an alien impersonation. It was still fun to see Davis in his only guest appearance on Atlantis.

[Snowman37]

Sparse? There's been no contact at all. The first season of Atlantis aired parallel to SG-1's eighth season. At the time, General O'Neill was running the SGC while General Hammond was running Homeworld Security. That's why General Hammond was there, debriefing everyone. What lead me to clue in that something was off was that General Hammond maintained a presence at the base, and General O'Neill was no where to be seen. I kept wondering about that as the characters were picking up on what was going on. Interestingly, I wonder why they never asked Hammond where O'Neill was?

[Dave2]

Hi, Snowman37. Just saw the Defiant One. How was it that the Wraith awoke after 10,000 years, and isn't Shepard directly responsible for the deaths of his two crew members? And since they came to the planet to investigate the ship, why did they just leave now that the Wraith was dead?

It made me think about how careless SG personnel can be, whereby they are often reckless and negligent in terms of facing serious dangers. We saw it often in SG1. We see it in SGA as well.

If the gross factor is all that's keeping you from watching, I will list episodes where you might want to fast forward over a gross scene. How does that sound? Since you've just started, I'll just go over the first season. First off, I assume you've seen "Thirty Eight Minutes" where Sheppard had the bug on his beck? Moving past that...

Episode 5: Suspicion
One of the Athosians is suspected of being a spy for the Wraith. The Wraith do show up briefly, but I don't there were any gross scenes featured. Unless the Wraith simply appearing counts as gross. It's mostly a who's the spy story, and a good one at that.

Episode 6: Childhood's End
This one's a fun, independent story. Nothing gross that I can recall.

Episode 7: Poisoning the Well
This episode deals with Dr. Beckett helping a people develop a method to make them immune to being fed on by the Wraith. I don't want to say more, because it will spoil the plot. There is one scene that may or may not be gross. Just watch. It's not what you think, and you'll be asking yourself what just happened!

Episode 8: Underground
This episode introduces a potential ally who shifts back and forth between friend and foe depending on the episode. The Wraith do appear, but I can't remember if anyone was fed upon.

Episode 9: Home
Atlantis finally makes a connection to Earth, sending a few representatives home... or did they? This was a very special episode. It also stands as the only episode where Don S. Davis guest starred as General Hammond.

Episodes 10&11: The Storm / The Eye
The big, mid-season two-parter! Aside from people getting shot and one person's arm getting cut, nothing gross. You'd expect the big mid-season two-parter to be all about the Wraith, but the writers went an entirely different direction. For me, this was the show's best story prior to the final episodes (of the season).

Episode 12: The Defiant One
This one is a stand-alone episode, meaning it's not really followed up on. It deals with Sheppard and McKay pitted against an ancient Wraith. There is one, maybe two gross scenes. It's a highlight, because it shows just how dangerous the Wraith are, but it also shows just how resourceful Sheppard is.

Episode 13: Hot Zone
Every science-fiction show has to do an outbreak episode, right? This one doesn't disappoint. The grossest thing you will see is a little blood out of someone's nose, or something like that.

Episode 14: Sanctuary
Nothing gross here, you'll love this episode. It's best if I say no more.

Episode 15: Before I Sleep
Remember the Time Jumper that SG-1 found? This episode explores it's origin!

Episode 16: The Brotherhood
I don't recall anything gross in this episode.

Episode 17: Letters from Pegasus
The Wraith are coming! This episode is a clip show and mostly features the characters making goodbye video diaries to their families and friends. Personally, I'd say you can skip this episode. However, it's worth seeing if you're really invested with the cast.

Episode 18: The Gift
This episode explores Teyla's ability to sense the Wraith. The episode is high on frights, but I don't recall anything gross being displayed.

Episodes 19&20: The Siege, Parts 1&2
It's the two-part season finale. The Wraith besiege Atlantis! Naturally, you're going to see some Wraith action, which means there's bound to be some gross scenes.

I hope this assessment helps. Oh, I almost forgot. If you're wondering when this season takes place in regards to SG-1, it's during that show's 8th season. "Rising" began after "New Order, Part 2," and the Atlantis finale takes place right after SG-1's "Moebius, Part 2."

[Snowman37]

Hi, Snowman37. Just saw the Defiant One. How was it that the Wraith awoke after 10,000 years, and isn't Shepard directly responsible for the deaths of his two crew members? And since they came to the planet to investigate the ship, why did they just leave now that the Wraith was dead?

Presumably, Sheppard and friends poking around the ship woke the lone Wraith. As for being responsible for the deaths of the two scientists, Sheppard was in charge, so he's absolutely responsible. Been a while since I've seen the episode, but didn't they expect the ship to be a ghost ship? As for leaving, there was an undetectable Wraith, and Sheppard got his butt kicked. No reason to stick around, but... who's to say a science team wasn't sent back later on?

[Dave2]

Well, we run in to the usual cases of recklessness, thoughtlessness and negligence. Who in their right mind would leave to people alone without proper weapons in an unknown vessel on an unknown unpopulated planet while exploring some other area. This is a recurrent "theme" in the SG saga. It led to many unnecessary deaths and problems.
Same thing in the case of Hot Zone. Exploring unknown areas of Atlantis without a Hazmat suit? They were just inviting trouble. By the way, do we ever find out who planted the nanite virus on Atlantis? Human replicators? Not the equivalent of the goa'uld or the Ori, that's for sure. They need humans. Not Wraith.