The Siege, Part 1 (119)

[alaskannut]

ROFLMAO!!!
'nuf said my friend!

[Stargate Agent]

I wonder what would happen if someone made a show that was 100% correct on the science level?? Would deticated fans be COed from bickering and nitpicking on the subities of a show....?

[AtlantisRising]

*has read every post thus far*
Ugh, headache. Note to self; dont do that again. very stupid.

I have a question. What was the symbol that kept appearing behinf Weir and Zelenka when he was showing her the simulation of how the city would be destroyed.

I wonder... If they overloaded a generator next to the gate, could that not produce enough of a blast to take out the city? I doubt it, that would be WAY to easy a plot device.

I taped the episode so I can watch it before the Finale next monday. EEE, im so excited!!!

[Ohper]

I have a question. What was the symbol that kept appearing behinf Weir and Zelenka when he was showing her the simulation of how the city would be destroyed.

Do you mean the thing on the blue display?

This?:



It looks like a fancy Ancient screensaver to me.

[watcher652]

Random comments.

I'm surprised there aren't more comments about the special effects. They were totally awesome! The weapons platform was superb! The Puddle Jumper docking and undocking with the platform was beautifully done, so realistic! And of course an exploding hive ship is always welcome. And even the exploding weapons platform was good, although I was really distressed to see it go.

Yeah! Zelenka gets a first name! I think it's Radek, too. His voice got a little deeper when he was explaining the self destruction to Weir. That was kinda odd. Mmm, he looks good when he combs his hair and takes his glasses off.

You go Teyla! That Bates really needed a punch, even if he was doing his job and had a point.

Knowing David Hewlett is a scifi geek, I hope he had fun in that space suit. At least before it got to be a pain to move around in.

Love those "cranberry" jumpsuits.

Halling is nuts if he thinks the Wraith won't use any of Atlantis.

Having seen the TV Guide Channel special, I'm happy that it was McKay and not Hewlett letting out that yell as he fell to the floor. I think he would have been even more seriously hurt if he fell from that height with the gravity at 100%, so it must have been at least a little slow to reach 100%. Falling McKay was *not* a special effect.

Damn, I thought for sure there would be some sort of transportation device on that weapons platform. Why would the Ancients have something that would take so long to get to? Can you imagine the Ancients spending 15 hours in a Puddle Jumper? That doesn't seem to be very good military planning. If what Zelenka said is true tht it was the last of several dozen, I can't see traveling from platform to the platforms only by Jumper. Even a remote controlled weapon would need to be maintained.

Love that 3 story set used for the weapons platform interior.

Ancients use touch panel screens. OK, I'm slow, I never noticed it before.

How could anybody think Teyla beat up Bates when she didn't even have a scratch on her when Sheppard and Ford were questioning her? And why was Sheppard letting Ford do the questioning? For practice?

Heh - Miller: You're the best one to fix it, sir. McKay: Hmm, flatter the dead man. Good.

Hey, Miller called McKay Sir!

Scientists. They still carry pencils. I guess you can tell when you're coming to the end of your pencil, you can't tell when your pen may run out of ink. And if you don't have a space pen, you can't write upside down with a regular pen but you can with a pencil. Pens don't work well in no-grav, either.

Wonder what Miller's specialty is.

Love how McKay was bumping into things in no-grav. Floating McKay was very good.

Ooo, it's that alien tracking thingy from Sanctuary.

Ugh, Wraith mind meld, gah!

Oh, no, Peter! This sucks! There have been more scientists killed than military. 8 scientists and 5 military have died. Not good.

Exploding platform look really good.

The only good Wraith is a dead Wraith.

[Mio]

One thing I hated about this episode.

No one suggested Pulling an entire Ancient Terminal, or at least hunting rigerously for some kind of Ancient data storage device.

Based on what Zelenka said, it's reasonable to assume that the database backed itself up to each terminal, correct? The terminals aren't that large, given how superior Atlanean storage technology must be. In fact, If it takes every hard drive we have to store 8% of the database, It's likely that the Ancients could fit their whole database on a crystal the size of a small computer, at the very most.

[Purpleyin]

I was sad to see him go. I expected him to take out another hive ship by sacraficing himself but I guess he never got the chance. He is the most prominent UK character on stargate, right? I wonder how the UK fans feel about this.

As a UK fan I'm devasted! But not just becasue he's British - I realy liked the potential for him and they finally gave him development and whooph - dead, or so they'd like us to believe.
Fortunately I don't beleive, I still hope...

I posted a question about Grodin's future up to the Ask Joe thread. Maybe we'll get a reply?

Just because Grodin's last known place to be was obliterated doesn't mean he's dead.
Come on, this is scifi we're talking about.

There are as I see it so far 9 possibilities.

1. He's dead, he blew up - end of story - bit of angst
2. Someone helped him ascend - though I find that option a bit cheap and don't want to see it - rather have him dead than that be used.

The next 3 are based on what if the Wraith 'culled' the station - I admit its unlikely and I would have to look back and see if there is any evidence in the special effects in the scene to show any beaming off. But should that have happened I see three possible outcomes.
3. He's a tasty snack for them.
4. He ends up being experimented on much like the rumours for another character and appears in later seasons.
5. Considering the Wraith might know that Bob, their spy on Atlantis is dead, they might keep and interrogate Grodin. Obviously if he was kept on the hive ship and if those got destroyed in the seige then he's die there instead of where they all think he did, but if somehow he remained with the Wraith I could well see them using him to gain the advantage against humans, to learn of the technology etc once they realise the human threat is a bit more serious - all presuming that everyone on Atlantis wins the fight of course.

6. There was alifepod Grodin got to. He does know the systems well and maybe he looked it up and got to it in the nick of time - and it might have got missed in the explosion and debris. If it got hit by debris and he was unconscious then that would explain why he didn't radio to say he was still alive.

7. If the station had some odd portected thing like a lifepod - with everything but that core bit being obliterated and it just looking like a large enough part to be big bit of debris (there did seem to be some large chunks afterwards too)

8. Back to what if he found something on the schematics - maybe there's a transporter down to a base on that planet nearby. Hard to believe since they never mentioned anything Atlantean on the planet in The Defiant One, only that damaged Wraith ship.

9. Same as above, but maybe to another station like that or a different safe planet?

I know some are far fetched but I think they aren't all so. The one i'd most like to see done would be 5.

[Purpleyin]

Zelenka seemed to be able to speak to Weir without too much trouble though

Dang, I guess thats proof against the idea of his crush on her, unless he's getting more confident.
i haven't sen any Zelenka/Weir shipping but I can well imagine it.

[Purpleyin]

Hey, who wants to get some Teyla/Bates shipping going.

"You're a security threat!"
"You're insulting my people!"

They stare, then kiss passionately. Music swells.

-IMF

Actually I know someone who seems to ship those two, starting from Suspicion.
She wrote a fic or two I think.

There's a thread for it here on an Atlantis forum.
http://ancientscity.proboards33.com/...num=1105633220

[Purpleyin]

It's a shame Grodin was killed but I hope he gets replaced with an English character that isn't a posh sterotype like he was, someone more down to earth that doesn't talk liike the Americans think we do or should, how bout Simon Pegg as the new English rep?

Whereas I don't agree that it was bad to have Grodin be posh (since they shouldn't have to go for not-posh just becuase others usually go for posh british - sometimes trying too hard to be PC is just as bad IMO)
But the other comment of yours...
ROTFLOL.
My god that's an insane and yet insanely funny idea.
Would have made me choke if I'd been eating/drinking when I read that!

[Purpleyin]

One thing that was nice to see was the defense platform explosion being 3D rather than the usual explode on a 2D plane as used to happen in Star Trek.
The special effects are really good, nice wraith hive ships and love the odd spiky sputnik crossed with a snowflake design of the Ancient platform, kudos to the people who work so hard on these things.

[AlphaBlu]

I still hold out hope that the satilite had a built in escape pod thing that separates the main control bit from the rest of it in case of a direct attack.

BYE

[aAnubiSs]

The second I saw the interior I always thought there were rings in the octagonal in the center.

[Major Tyler]

8. Back to what if he found something on the schematics - maybe there's a transporter down to a base on that planet nearby. Hard to believe since they never mentioned anything Atlantean on the planet in The Defiant One, only that damaged Wraith ship.

I like this one, maybe have a few episodes of him trying to survive alone with no way to communicate long distance. Or he just beamed into the rear compartment of the PJ and got knocked out...Rodney and Miller will find him on their way to the loo.

[Ugly Pig]

And forth from the bellybutton of the beast came

PIGGY'S USELESS OPINION
of 'The Siege'

Okay, things are getting tense now. I really can't wait to find out what will happen... At the moment, Atlantis is defenseless and the two Wraith hive ships will be there shortly. But at least they managed to take one out - something I had definately not expected.

I had also not expected to lose the Ancient defense satelite this soon. And... I was not expecting Peter Grodin to die. I knew we'd lose someone, but I was almost positive it would be Bates. Guess I was wrong.

While watching it, my brother commented that his respect for Bates grows with each episode. I can't help but agree. I couldn't stand him in 'Suspicion', but I rather like him now. And, he's right. After what happened in 'The Gift', they should be more careful about what they let Teyla see... Not because she can't be trusted, but because it can't be determined with absolute certainty that the Wraith can't see everything she can see. (I should say, though, that I was pleasantly surprised to see Sheppard telling Teyla off for punching Bates, rather than predictably taking her side.)

Anyway - despite the building tension and the tragic loss of Peter, there were some nice funny bits in there. McKay/Zelenka banter in the beginning, "Bob" the Wraith and some brief snippets of McKay/Grodin banter later on - unfortunately, it will be the last time.

It's hard to judge this episode on its own merits, because it feels mostly like build-up to part 2. But based on what we've seen so far, I think we are in for a great season ender! And now - to wait in agony for a week. Oh, the humanity!