Did TPTB focus on McKay (and McKeller) destroy Stargate Atlantis in your opinion.

[Cautious Explorer]

The larger problem was the overuse of McKay.... and the sidelining of the rest of the cast... McKeller was just the final straw for me....and of course that could be fixed.... the writers admit they love to write for only one character and this was pretty obvious.. how deplorable.. maybe Brad Wright could have taken on some new writers instead of dumping characters because the present writers didnt know what to do with them...all SGA needed was some imaginative and creative writing and that is something one should expect from any professional writers... Brad Wright lost interest in SGA and it was pretty obvious in season 5 that the show had lost direction, and again this could have been avoided with a little bit of care and attention to all the cast... SGA had plenty of potential left and if half the attention was put into developing the characters that tptb seem to be putting into SGU... SGA could have remained on the air for many more years...

I agree. SGA started out with so much potential, most especially it's cast. I fell in love with the characters and that's what kept me hanging in there until the bitter end. SGA is far from unsalvagable. If only TPTB would go back to their original premise.

TPTB need to let go of their obsession with McKay (and by extension Keller) and drop the SG-1 crutch. I watched SGA because it was so different from SG-1, but then they almost immediately turned around and began to dismantle everything that made SGA special. Atlantis was full of less-than-perfect characters, cut off from Earth and trying to survive on their own in a strange new galaxy. What a relief that there was no opportunity to show the dingy SGC, dwell on the endlessly dull IOA and Earth politics or require everyone to be larger than life. But that didn't last long. Reconnection with Earth, more and more SG-1/SGC involvement, bigger and better weapons and ships to weaken the threat of the enemies and make our heroes seem larger than life until by the end of season five they were practically all superheroes.

What would it take to fix it? Let them get cut off from Earth again. Let the Wraith grow stronger and stop being the Keystone Cops of Pegasus. Let McKay step back so other characters can shine. No more improving on what the Ancients did or instantaneous understanding of every piece of technology they come across. Let them make some allies that aren't Todd or any other Wraith faction. Stop substituting CGI and explosions for creative stories and clever dialog. In short, bring back the characters that were so charmingly overwhelmed, outnumbered and imperfect in earlier seasons and let them go out and explore the Pegasus galaxy. And stop rehashing SG-1. Let SGA be its own show.

If TPTB put forth a bit of effort and welcomed some new blood into the production offices, I think they could do it.

[Everlovin]

I agree. SGA started out with so much potential, most especially it's cast. I fell in love with the characters and that's what kept me hanging in there until the bitter end. SGA is far from unsalvagable. If only TPTB would go back to their original premise.

TPTB need to let go of their obsession with McKay (and by extension Keller) and drop the SG-1 crutch. I watched SGA because it was so different from SG-1, but then they almost immediately turned around and began to dismantle everything that made SGA special. Atlantis was full of less-than-perfect characters, cut off from Earth and trying to survive on their own in a strange new galaxy. What a relief that there was no opportunity to show the dingy SGC, dwell on the endlessly dull IOA and Earth politics or require everyone to be larger than life. But that didn't last long. Reconnection with Earth, more and more SG-1/SGC involvement, bigger and better weapons and ships to weaken the threat of the enemies and make our heroes seem larger than life until by the end of season five they were practically all superheroes.

What would it take to fix it? Let them get cut off from Earth again. Let the Wraith grow stronger and stop being the Keystone Cops of Pegasus. Let McKay step back so other characters can shine. No more improving on what the Ancients did or instantaneous understanding of every piece of technology they come across. Let them make some allies that aren't Todd or any other Wraith faction. Stop substituting CGI and explosions for creative stories and clever dialog. In short, bring back the characters that were so charmingly overwhelmed, outnumbered and imperfect in earlier seasons and let them go out and explore the Pegasus galaxy. And stop rehashing SG-1. Let SGA be its own show.

If TPTB put forth a bit of effort and welcomed some new blood into the production offices, I think they could do it.

Totally green for that. Really, that was when SGA ceased to be the "OMG what are they going to do next!!" And it became less intense.

Personally, I think the reconnection with Earth was what hurt Teyla's character more than anything. When Colonel Everett walked in and said thanks but no thanks there was little left for her to do. And toward the end, it seemed that everybody forgot that she was an integral part of the team.

The wraith got unscary. Instead of enemies, they became allies ?? What's up with that?

[Rac80]

I believe it was actually Hewlett himself's suggestion. He auditioned for the SGA scientist's spot: A Dr. Ingram and while he was doing he mentioned "You know, this could easily be that character I already played."

Oh and 48 Hours was written by Robert C Cooper and he was probably thrilled about it. They would have had to pay him a fee for every episode of Atlantis they used MacKay in. (Its one of the reasons why Star Trek Voyager's Tom Parris wasn't the character McNeill played in TNG)

well yet another reason for me to dislike DH, I really REALLY didn't like the character! I thought bring an annoying jerk to SGA was a cop-out. I am sure they could have written a better character.

Totally green for that. Really, that was when SGA ceased to be the "OMG what are they going to do next!!" And it became less intense.

Personally, I think the reconnection with Earth was what hurt Teyla's character more than anything. When Colonel Everett walked in and said thanks but no thanks there was little left for her to do. And toward the end, it seemed that everybody forgot that she was an integral part of the team.

The wraith got unscary. Instead of enemies, they became allies ?? What's up with that?

yep the wraith were easy to kill, what happened to teyla's telepathy? well what can I say, if it didn't feature mckay or mckeller the writers forgot about it!

[jelgate]

well yet another reason for me to dislike DH, I really REALLY didn't like the character! I thought bring an annoying jerk to SGA was a cop-out. I am sure they could have written a better character.



yep the wraith were easy to kill, what happened to teyla's telepathy? well what can I say, if it didn't feature mckay or mckeller the writers forgot about it!

I don't think they forget about it but The Gift kind of shows that Teyla shouldn't make a telepathic contact with a Wraith unless it extremely nesscarry

[Khentkawes]

yep the wraith were easy to kill, what happened to teyla's telepathy? well what can I say, if it didn't feature mckay or mckeller the writers forgot about it!

*cough*inconsistent writing*cough*

[GateFanSamJack]

McKay took up a lot of screen time and Keller seemed inserted into stories at times, but
McKeller, the relationship, didn't take up that much screen time across Season 5 as a whole. However, McKeller did take up significant screen time in the last episodes and that was very important screen time for the series.

I don't really have much opinion on whether it was a good or bad thing--just chiming in on where the screen time went.

[slurredspeech]

However, McKeller did take up significant screen time in the last episodes and that was very important screen time for the series.

Dude! That's what baffled me the most. They knew they had these last few episodes to wrap all the (important) loose ends and have a fantastic build-up to the series finale, and they waste it away. And do Brain Storm? O_o

Talk about 45 minutes of missing the point of the show completely. Besides, the whole McKeller thing, for me, came so far out of the left field it made me a man.

[Everlovin]

I don't think they forget about it but The Gift kind of shows that Teyla shouldn't make a telepathic contact with a Wraith unless it extremely nesscarry

The telepathy sure. But in Outsiders, the wraith took them by surprise? Why didn't Teyla sense the wraith nearby? Shame on tptb for forgetting that basic ability of her character.

[jelgate]

The telepathy sure. But in Outsiders, the wraith took them by surprise? Why didn't Teyla sense the wraith nearby? Shame on tptb for forgetting that basic ability of her character.

Simple. McCollough forgot about Teyla's Wraith ability. I call it the Wallpaper Syndrome. Its hard for them remeber the traits of walllpaper

[Starrtom]

No. Atlantis is a textbook case of failed potential from beginning to end, no single character or relationship is responsible for how bad it was.

I am with you there 100%, after season 1 it just didn't get any better. Without a doubt in my mind FAILED POTENTIAL.

[jyh]

In SG-1 they focused on relationships. Romances as well as friendships. Sam/Jack early on and later Daniel/Vala. They built on the friendships between all of the characters.

Must disagree with this statement. On SG-1, the Sam/Jack relationship was only a very minor element of the show, and never explicit. And i found the Daniel/Vala "interplay" to be quite annoying, especially when Vala first appeared. Luckily they toned it down after that first season she was on. (I'm not a shipper... can you tell?)

[jyh]

I wish they could have done it like they did in SG-1. Carter/Jack had moments but it didn't ruin the show, or take anything away.

I don't think keller/Mckay had anything to go off of anyways, they didn't feel "right"

It just felt rushed, and they didn't have any real time together.

Agreed. the 'relationship' just came out of nowhere. One episode McKay was about to propose to that botanist (katie?), and next thing you know Katie is out the airlock and he's jonesing after Keller. Didn't make a lick of sense. (Just like the last episode, with Ronan and that unknown woman who'd had maybe three lines all season.)

[GSRgategirl923]

Yupp.
Plain and Simple.

[Everlovin]

Must disagree with this statement. On SG-1, the Sam/Jack relationship was only a very minor element of the show, and never explicit. And i found the Daniel/Vala "interplay" to be quite annoying, especially when Vala first appeared. Luckily they toned it down after that first season she was on. (I'm not a shipper... can you tell?)

OT, I know, but SG-1 still developed and continued the friendships on the team. On SGA, the friendships were virtually forgotten about.

[jyh]

OT, I know, but SG-1 still developed and continued the friendships on the team. On SGA, the friendships were virtually forgotten about.

True, I did mean to agree with you on the close friendsihps of SG-1. Personally I think the Jack/Daniel relationship was fascinating. They really were more like brothers than they thought. On SGA, I think they should have developed the Teyla/Ronan friendship more. They were close and had a lot in common. I think it might have been better to hint (note I said "hint," not show) at a relationship between the two of them. They could have had Kanaan get killed and Ronan would have respectfully filled in to help out, and leave it vague and undeveloped. As for other friendships, I liked Sheppard/Ronan and even Sheppard/McKay. Heck, I would have liked to have seen some genuine friendship from McKay toward Zelenka.