As I finish SGA

[Wulfmann]

I ponder the manner they wind it down and as in SG1 it does not end as much as fades away.
With the last few episodes (before the one finale) they seem to just throw in some off the wall ideas to fill the gaps until they finish it off (I assume they are affixed to SGU at this point)

SG1 was not that different really but with SG1 they did a better wrap up (those are always hard to do really well) in "Ark of Truth" but then gave the entire series a proper send off with "Continuum" which was, IMO, the single best episode of SG1 and a worth while stand alone movie.

Sadly, having watched SGA once and this being #2 for me I already know this fine series ends on a whimper and deserved better for the cast, and those of us that enjoy watching the gang gate around the Pegasus Galaxy.
In reality and again, IMO, this ended with season 4 and the first couple 5 episodes but while most episodes were just single story ideas I would bet most would agree that that was better than ending at 4

Wulfmann

[Lythisrose]

As much as I liked some of the episodes in Season 5, I always had the feeling that the writers were each given a "vanity" episode or something in that last year. I think that Gero got Brainstorm, Mallozzi got Whispers, Wright got The Shrine, Cooper got Vegas, etc. Some worked better than others but it didn't make for a cohesive, satisfying last season for the series. I still love Atlantis, but I do feel it deserved a better ending (i.e, a Season 6 ).

[Wulfmann]

Or at least its own version of "Continuum"

Wulfmann

[Snowman37]

The show went out as SG-1 did in that there was a last-minute cancellation. That's why there was no build-up to a big finale. Rather, the fifth season was episodic business as usual, and then... bam, series finale! "Enemy at the Gate" was to be the 100th episode and fifth season finale. It was always going to be a stand-alone episode, and probably not a two-parter. How can the 100th episode be Part 2 of a two-parter? Anyway, I don't know if the cancellation announcement came before or after filming. Regardless, the season finale was able to conveniently serve as a series finale.

What was so bad about the finale? If anything, my only issue was that we didn't get to see the city splash down on Earth.

[Wulfmann]

I will being watching "Vegas" and "Enemy at the Gate" tonight (Seems like a cameo of Jude Law and/or Ed Harris would have been nice) so will comment later having a fresh perspective on that as a series ender

Wulfmann

[Hyndara71]

As much as I still love the show I think I'm mostly with you, Wolfmann. Nearly half of the episodes in season 5 are unwatchable without the growing need to punish something. And especially this whole McKeller crap ... Urgh!
EatG I will never watch again, that's a poor excuse for an episode and surely no proper ending or show-finale. And when you talk with fans you will quickly learn that the most share this thought about EatG.
Vegas has a plothole as big as Atlantis in the middle of the ep but there I'm more able to forgive this failure.

And yes, I'm with about "the writers were up to Universe". At least they have paid for letting Atlantis jump the shark *evil grin*.
Well, said this I'm sad again that it's over.

[blueray]

i personally think that they should have got rite of Vegas (pointless episode) and have enemy at the gate be a two parter.

[DigiFluid]

Vegas was one of the best episodes they ever did. But EatG was friggin' terrible. It definitely should've been a two-parter, and for god's sake seeded a few hints about what was coming earlier in the season so it was just totally out of the blue. It's not even like that would be unheard-of, they did it every other season the show was on the air.

Season 5 does have a few bright spots though. The Daedalus Variations was one of the best episodes of the entire series IMO. Whispers had some pretty good potential even though it fell a bit flat near the end. The mid-season two-parter was pretty excellent and set up plenty to explore later (but which of course we never got). And two thumbs up for Vegas, of course.

[Lythisrose]

I think Vegas should have happened earlier in the season and that bit of info about the signal traveling to other realities would have been percolating through to the end of the season. Eliminate one or two of the remaining eps (Brainstorm and Identity come to mind) and make EaTG a two or even three parter. Since Vegas is my favorite episode of the series, I'd never advocate getting rid of it, but the finale of the season/series should have had more than one hour to play out.

[Snowman37]

Care to fill me in on why "Vegas" was such a great episode? We didn't seem the show's prime characters crossover to the parallel world featured in "Vegas," so what was the point? As for Earth's location broadcasted to parallel worlds, lame, and convoluted. Why not just say that Todd's underling stole Earth's coordinates from Todd as he did the ZPM hive? That'd make a lot more sense, no?

[Lythisrose]

For me, as a Sheppard fan, Vegas was a terrific character piece for him. Not our Sheppard, but what our Sheppard could have become if things had taken just a small turn. I think I was starved for backstory on him and this was valuable for that reason. It also showcased JF in a season that seemed devoted to the glory of McKay and Keller (love McKay, but enough is enough). While missing Teyla and Ronon greatly, I did find the alternate versions of the characters we did see fascinating. I loved the music, the mood, the look of the episode, the desolation and sadness... the Wraith in this one were particularly good (Todd and Vegas Wraith).

So I suppose I liked it so very much as a character study, not as a furtherance of the plot. That is why I feel it should have been much earlier in the season, the last few episodes should have been devoted to the season/series climax and therefore why I see no need for Brainstorm or Identity to even exist.

[Snowman37]

A "John Sheppard" character-driven episode would have been fine, but placing it in an alternate episode kills the point, because it's not our Sheppard.

[Lythisrose]

A "John Sheppard" character-driven episode would have been fine, but placing it in an alternate episode kills the point, because it's not our Sheppard.

Maybe it did kill the point for you, but it didn't for me in the least. I could see our Sheppard in that Sheppard, see our characters in those characters and it was very poignant for me to see what John's life could have become. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

[EdenSG]

Vegas was one of the best episodes they ever did. But EatG was friggin' terrible. It definitely should've been a two-parter, and for god's sake seeded a few hints about what was coming earlier in the season so it was just totally out of the blue. It's not even like that would be unheard-of, they did it every other season the show was on the air.

Season 5 does have a few bright spots though. The Daedalus Variations was one of the best episodes of the entire series IMO. Whispers had some pretty good potential even though it fell a bit flat near the end. The mid-season two-parter was pretty excellent and set up plenty to explore later (but which of course we never got). And two thumbs up for Vegas, of course.

I didn't love Vegas at first but really love it now.

I enjoyed EaTG but did think it was rushed with plot points popping up from the shadows. But the one thing I wonder about that ep if it was really supposed to end at that point. I know JM said the story was the same but they did tweek it a bit when the show was cancelled.

If there had been a season 6 I wonder if they had thought about, or if it would have made more sense to end the ep 5 - 10 minutes earlier. It would have been another cliffhanger but they could have ended it at the point where it looked like Sheppard was going to crash in the desert or when he was going on into the hive ship and on the Pegasus side they could have ended as the city was going to attempt to use the wormhole drive to return to Earth. They could have used that extra 5-10 minutes to help the script flow better, and fill in some plot points.

[Wulfmann]

After watching Vegas and E@TG I feel E@TG should have been a two hour run time movie.

One thing I always liked about SGA is they took the time to allow things to play out in a way you could see the details, the read between the lines were expressed not something you ran past and had to ponder later.
Not so with this one "we have to wrap this up fast" episode

Vegas was, IMO, one of the best single episodes of SGA, perhaps the best of all.
It relates to all others by the message sent by the wraith which makes it relevant (if that is really required to do something very well as an excuse)

E@TG was a decent wrap up it was just lacking in content the in between the lines stuff so prevalent in the series.

It also should have been more SG complete. Both series
Had this event actually happened Tealc, Jackson, Col Mitchel, Vala and Gen O'neil would have been included in the defense of earth and with a two hour run finale a super wrap up was possible and would have been a crown jewel to the two series.

I know, I am asking a lot even too much but it would have been the right way to do it.
Apparently, they did not want to be bothered

Wulfmann

[DigiFluid]

Oh I wouldn't go so far as to say they didn't want to be bothered. As far as we've been told, there's even a completed script for the post-series Atlantis movie Extinction. But due to a combination of factors (chiefly among them, MGM was flat broke for an extended period of time when the movie was slotted to be made), it just never materialized.

[Snowman37]

But the one thing I wonder about that ep if it was really supposed to end at that point. I know JM said the story was the same but they did tweek it a bit when the show was cancelled.

If there had been a season 6 I wonder if they had thought about, or if it would have made more sense to end the ep 5 - 10 minutes earlier. It would have been another cliffhanger but they could have ended it at the point where it looked like Sheppard was going to crash in the desert or when he was going on into the hive ship and on the Pegasus side they could have ended as the city was going to attempt to use the wormhole drive to return to Earth. They could have used that extra 5-10 minutes to help the script flow better, and fill in some plot points.

Huh, I never thought about that. Interesting!

It also should have been more SG complete. Both series
Had this event actually happened Tealc, Jackson, Col Mitchel, Vala and Gen O'neil would have been included in the defense of earth and with a two hour run finale a super wrap up was possible and would have been a crown jewel to the two series.

The finale should be about the Atlantis Expedition saving the Earth, not SG-1 rescuing the expedition from the Wraith. Interesting idea, though. Realistically, too many SG-1 characters competing with screen time from the Atlantis cast. Further, who's to say Teal'c's still with the SGC? He spent 60 years away from his people. "Midway" implied that he'd left the SGC. "He was part of SG-1 for ten years." Was, as in past tense. If he were still with the team, Carter'd have phrased that differently, no? For me, having Colonel Carter and Major Davis at the SGC was more than enough to represent the SG-1 side of the coin. Speaking of Major Davis, why hasn't that man ever been promoted???

[Wulfmann]

I did not mean SG1 should have taken the lead I meant it would be logical they would have come back for this event. Certainly the SG1 team would have been recalled whatever form Mitchel's team would be so at the very least Mitchel would have been involved.
Just playing the idea; stargates are real and therefore logic would dictate; train of thought

Wulfmann

[Snowman37]

From a story telling point of view, yes, it would make sense to involve General Landry and the SG-1 team. Perhaps "Enemy at the Gate" might have worked better as a movie or trilogy of episodes? Regardless, as a 42-minute episode, there simply wouldn't have been time to involve more than one or two SG-1 characters. Involving Carter and Davis was more than enough.

[python490]

SGA didn't conclude properly. End of Season 5 gave it a subtle ending if you knew the show was cancelled but lets say that you had no clue that it was I think a person would be like "Ok where is the next season" I think this has to do with the Atlantis film that was promised but in fact was a lie. THe Ark of Truth for me is the end of SG-1 Continuum was a good side adventure (even though it can be seen as the end).Basically they send the same message IMHO. Atlantis should have a direct to DVD film to conclude it also.