Reviews / Articles - Stargate Atlantis Season 5

[morjana]

SGA - GateWorld: Connor Trinneer Video & Audio Interview:



http://forum.gateworld.net/showpost....postcount=2521

[fumblesmcstupid]

Ooohh Mr. Sharpie is ganna have fun with this Cover Of SGA (Mustaches, Devil horns, Vampire teeth) hee hee

[morjana]

SGA - Pink Raygun: Review and Recap - 'Enemy at the Gate':

At Pink Raygun:

(Please follow the link for the complete recap and review.)

Stargate Atlantis: Enemy at the Gate

By Wolfen Moondaughter

I know I’m terribly overdue with this, the final edition of this Stargate Atlantis recap-and-review column. Part of it is due to other commitments, of course (and the lure of other fandoms, like Underworld), but there’s also the simple fact of this being then end. I’m reluctant to say goodbye, coupled with the odd conundrum of not being satisfied enough with the finale to have been eager to watch it again. Creature of dichotomy, me.

Don’t get me wrong: I didn’t hate this Paul Mullie-penned episode. But even bearing in mind that it was intended to only be a season-ender, not a series-ender, it still wasn’t all that satisfactory from my view, being a bit lacking in the sort of character interaction that was the reason I watched the series in the first place, as well as there being a couple of plot points that made me rather unhappy and some logic issues that left me frustrated. It also felt very rushed, having too much story packed into forty-five minutes, and some of the story elements were a bit too convenient. Carson was rather wasted here, worse than in “Identity”, although I guess I should be glad he was there at all. (Poor Weir fans!) I will at least concede that the ep was exciting overall; I found myself worrying for the characters even though I’d seen a spoiler-shot of the end, with all of them together! And at least we saw Todd and Sam again! (And didn’t have much of Keller, although I feel bad for the Keller fans, and if not for McKeller I might even have been miffed at her lack). But “Adrift” did a better job of packing a lot of story into a short amount of time without sacrificing those great interactions between the characters, and “BAMSR” was a tremendous team effort while also being an epic moment in the series. “First Strike”, “Search and Rescue”, “The Prodigal”, and “Last Man” were also all better “event” episodes in my eyes.

As just an episode, “EatG” was, truthfully, pretty good; as the season-ender it was intended to be, though, it was mediocre, and as a series-ender, it unfortunately bites. Granted, it wasn’t actually meant to be that last, but even if we had another season, I think I would have felt a little let-down. Well, I do at least feel marginally better about it now than I did the night of the original airing; maybe it will grow more on me. At any rate, would that all show’s writing staffs would take the Mutant Enemy approach to writing: treat every season-ender as a series-ender.

**massive snippage**

Well, there’s really not anything more for me to say that I haven’t said already. I do still want to see the movie — perhaps in some ways now more than ever now, in the hopes that I’ll be better satisfied. Again, not saying that I hated the ep. It’s just that I want to be able to look at the end and say “That was fantastic!!”, not simply “It was okay.” But even though I can’t end this column on quite the high-note I wished for, I am grateful to the cast and crew for making me think, for giving me something to be passionate about, for all the good times I’ve had in the fandom, and the good friends I’ve made because of it. And I especially want to thank David Hewlett and Joe Flanigan for creating one of the most enthralling relationships in fiction!

And now, after having done detailed recap-review columns for six TV shows, I think I’m going to go into “retirement” from the ongoing TV column scene for a while and concentrate on original fiction. But don’t worry, you’ll still see me dabble in entertainment journalism here and there, even if I’m a bit less verbose. And I’ll probably still be doing my Tart Time Machine column (a different sort of column from this one) over at Sequential Tart for a goodly while. I want to thank Pink Raygun for giving me space to vent my spleen and squee my heart out. Happy viewing, everyone!

[morjana]

SGA (mentioned) - SFX Magazine: Sci-Fi TV Spin-Offs:

At SFX Magazine:

(Please follow the link for the complete article.)

Friday January 30, 2009

A Brief History Of Sci-Fi TV Spin-Offs

With Battlestar Galactica nearly over, everybody’s beginning to wonder what its spin off – Caprica – might be like. One thing’s for sure – it can’t be any worse than Galactica 1980, the spin-off from the original series. You remember, the one in which Galactica found Earth, featuring the flying, invisible motorbikes, super-powered kids and Cylons being knocked out by microwave ovens. Possibly the worst SF TV series ever made (though Crime Traveller is worth considering).

There have been a number of other embarrassingly dud sci-fi TV spin-offs: Highlander: The Raven (it’s like Highlander… but with a woman!), Team Knight Rider (it’s like Knight Rider… but with five Knight Riders!) and K9 and Company (it’s like a cash-strapped Midsomer Murders with an electronic mutt that gets stuck in the mud!)*. On the whole, though, telefantasy has proven remarkably resistant to the laws of diminishing returns. Although shows like Star Trek Voyager, Enterprise, Ashes to Ashes and Stargate Atlantis are clearly not up to the standards of their progenitors, they're still decent enough additions to their respective franchises and don't besmirch the memory of the originals. And in some cases – Angel, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Xena: warrior Princess, The Bionic Woman – you could even argue they're better than the shows that inspired them. (* You could also put the terminally dull Babylon 5 spin-off Crusade in this category but then you run the risk of the comments section being clogged up with B5 fans pointing out that it was all the fault of network interference, and that if J Michael Straczynski had been left to his own devices it would have been the televisual equivalent of Hamlet and deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. That doesn't, however, explain Legend of the Rangers).

**snippage**

[morjana]

SGA - Total SciFi: Review - 'Vegas':

At Total SciFi:

(Please follow the link for the complete review.)

Posted on Friday 30 January 2009

Stargate Atlantis: Vegas (season 5, episode 19)


TV episode review
US airdate 2 January 2009 (Sci Fi Channel)


VERDICT: 9/10

... It’s CSI: Atlantis (actually the working title of the episode) and as befits the stylish direction and editing of the CSI franchise, series stalwart Robert C. Cooper (who here writes and directs) makes use of every technique at his disposal with a consummate flourish. It’s all very filmic and looks stunning.

This means that the episode stands out both visually and thematically from the rest of the season. Unfortunately, that may mean some viewers hate it. But it can’t be denied that it looks great by any objective standard, and if you ignore the fact it isn’t immediately identifiable as Atlantis it is actually a clever and very enjoyable romp.

Whether such tricksiness is desirable in the penultimate episode ever is debatable, but taken as a standalone it’s great – and it even manages to set up the jeopardy for the final ever episode rather neatly.

... It may be different – and that’s not necessarily ideal as the show comes to a close - but surprisingly, this whole scenario works to near perfection. -- Brigid Cherry

[morjana]

SGA - Enemy at the Gate Polls:

At GateWorld:

Do you think "Enemy At the Gate" was a satisfying series finale?

* Yes! It was just about perfect.

* Yes, but it was missing something.

* No, but it came close.

* No! It wasn't satisfying at all.

~~**~~**

At Slice of SciFi:

Polls

Did the Series Finale of “Stargate Atlantis” Please or Upset You?

February 1, 2009 by Sam Sloan

After five seasons of "Stargate Atlantis," the series celebrated its 100th episode and said goodbye. Did the series finale give a fitting end to this fan favorite as it leaves television and sets out for movies?

* Yes. The ending was a perfect way to end its television run.

* The ending was......meh. But OK.

* I was disappointed but it won't prevent me from purchasing future Atlantis movies.

* No! The series finale ruined it for me and I will never watch Atlantis again, on TV or film.

[morjana]

Stargate Atlantis - MGM Stargate: Video: Stargate Hits The Road: Osoyoos, BC Canada:



http://forum.gateworld.net/showpost....38&postcount=1

[morjana]

SGA - Fantasy Magazine: Crossing Lines: Stargate Atlantis — The End:

At Fantasy Magazine:

(Please follow the link for the complete article.)

Crossing Lines: Stargate Atlantis — The End Has Come…And It’s Not Pretty

by Naamen Gobert Tilahun

February 4th, 2009

I want to acknowledge that my last column infuriated more than a few folks. Some had some valid complaints, some were just too obsessed with Joe Flanigan’s gravity defying hair to listen to reason but this is a new column, the last column on Stargate: Atlantis (at least until the movie comes out!) and I have a lot to say and possibly more folks to piss off, so let’s get cracking!

... In accordance with my inability to watch “Identity”, I resent John Sheppard for “Vegas”. Now, I know I’m going to get a lot more anger because of this opinion, but “Vegas” was an excuse for Flanigan to play a maverick cowboy cop, like Dirty Harry or similar. Before I go any further let me say that production value wise this episode was the absolute best of the season bar none. This makes sense as this episode was actually filmed last so they simply blew the remainder of the budget on making this episode look amazing. I don’t begrudge that choice but part of me wonders if they couldn’t have used that money to hire some new writers and make the season better overall.

... “Enemy at the Gates” — one word: underwhelmed. I thought the tie in to the previous episode was very well done and I applauded the return of Todd the Wraith but I think the episode felt supremely rushed. It was like it should have been a two hour show finale and it wasn’t. There were so many things going on in 43 minutes and I felt rushed along by the story as opposed to carried along with it.

... So the show, in my opinion, ended with a whimper instead of a bang. But given a season that was more lows than highs I can’t say I’m surprised by that at all.

[morjana]

SGA - MGM Studios Lion's Roar Newsletter Feb '09:



From the February 2009 MGM Studios Lion's Roar email newsletter:

THANK YOU STARGATE FANS FOR 5 INCREDIBLE YEARS!

Stay tuned for more adventures from the city of Atlantis!

Stargate Atlantis Official Site

[morjana]

SGA - Total SciFi: Review - 'Enemy at the Gate':

At Total SciFi:

(Please follow the link for the complete review.)

Posted on Wednesday 04 February 2009

Stargate Atlantis: Enemy at the Gate (season 5, episode 20)

TV episode review
US airdate 9 January 2009 (Sci Fi Channel)

VERDICT: 8/10

... Satisfyingly, if not a little sadly, this is an episode that manages to neatly end the run of Atlantis while setting up some novel avenues for future one-offs and also perhaps offering a tantalising clue to the new spin-off series. There is a strong sense of pacing throughout the episode, with a slow burn and a few rollercoaster highs before an astonishing climax. And as befits a series that is renowned for its brilliant effects work, the set pieces are spectacular.

... There may have been some blips in this final series, but it’s really good to know that the production teams can still deliver episodes that come up above par. The future looks promising. Roll on Stargate Universe… -- Brigid Cherry

[morjana]

SG1/SGA - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: TV Q&A with Rob Owen:

At the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, PA):

(Please follow the link for the complete column.)

TV Q&A with Rob Owen

Friday, February 06, 2009

Submit your question to Rob Owen

This week's TV Q&A responds to questions about "Stargate Atlantis," "Mind of Mencia" and Kristine Sorensen's blinking belt. As always, thanks for reading, and keep those questions coming.

-- Rob Owen, Post-Gazette TV editor

Q: I am a fan of "Stargate Atlantis" and missed the final episode on Jan. 9. Do you know if the Sci Fi Channel will repeat this and if so when? They have always replayed these episodes the following week but after the Jan 9 airing, they haven't had the show on.

-- Debbie, 50, Brentwood

Rob: Sci Fi has no current plans to re-play the "Stargate Atlantis" finale and it doesn't appear that full episodes are online at Hulu.com.

But "Stargate SG-1" fans take note: Two new direct-to-DVD movies have their Sci Fi Channel premieres soon. On March 27, "Stargate: The Ark of Truth" (9 p.m.) premieres, followed on April 3 by "Stargate Continuum" (9 p.m.).

[morjana]

SGA - Square Galaxy: Reasons for Stargate Atlantis failure:

With many thanks to SF Signal for the heads up.

At Square Galaxy:

(Please follow the link for the complete article.)

February 9th, 2009

Reasons for Stargate Atlantis failure

Sci-Fi show, Stargate Atlantis, endured 5 seasons before it was canceled. While I felt slightly empty after its predecessor, Stargate SG-1, got canceled after 11 seasons, my reaction to the end of Atlantis was much more subdued. I never felt like Atlantis really got going as an excellent Sci-Fi series.

Much of the problems behind the show’s failure was that it seemed like the producers were trying to follow a Sci-Fi formula rather than breaking free and creating something original. I believe originality and exploration of new ideas is one of the attractive features drawing fans to Science-Fiction television. With various technologies, episode plots, and series developments, Stargate Atlantis followed more than it lead.

... Stargate Atlantis, while at times was interesting and many episodes illustrated great Sci-Fi drama, the series as a hole slowly failed itself into cancellation because they forgot what it takes to be a great TV show, and what it takes to be a great Sci-Fi series.

[morjana]

Stargate Atlantis - SciFi.com - Watch FULL episodes of SGA on SciFi Rewind!:

http://forum.gateworld.net/showpost....19&postcount=1

[morjana]

SG1/SGA/SGU: Stargate Official Magazine Issue 27 - Amanda Tapping Interview:

http://forum.gateworld.net/showpost....&postcount=546

[prion]

http://www.cbc.ca/kids/reviews/2009/..._atlantis.html

Stargate: Atlantis
Reviewed By: Luke
Location: Denfield, ON
Rating: 4 out of 5


I am reviewing the Tv show Stargate: Atlantis, this show Follows the
adventures of Lieutenant-Colonel John sheppard, Dr. Rodney McKay, Ronon Dex, and
Teyla, They are a team of explorers in the Pegasus Galaxy.

REST AT LINK ABOVE