Stargate Rewatch!

[bookwormjules]

I just realised I have watched the first 2 seasons of SG-A
Only 11 episodes into SG-1 s10.

Im not a big fan of SG-A season one anyway. It gets good fast but there is the whole bumping into aliens in another Galaxy who look and talk just like us.

There is also that stupid scene where Teyla (trained in Eskrima) walks TOWARDS a wraith shooting until the bullets run out and then despite the fact that SHOOTING a clip into it didnt stop it, she decides to hit it with sticks.

How did she survive long enough for the Stargate Atlantis seriese to start if she did stuff like this?

I don't think she or her people actively fought the Wraith. It seems they moved around and hid from them. I think the stick fighting was more to avoid having the life sucked out of her, than to kill the Wraith and that did work.

I'm still far behind, still on Season 10. There needs to be more hours in the day, so I can do everything I need to do.

[poundpuppy29]

I will start season 2 of SGA tonight

[ZRFTS]

Stargate Atlantis: Season 1

Stargate Atlantis certainty had it's humble beginnings; originally starting off as a continuation of SG-1, this show progressed until it became it's own Spinoff which ran concurrently with SG-1. The first season obviously had a lot riding on it; it had to satisfy long-time Stargate fans, it had to amaze the public and it also had to live up to the expectations of which the hype was based on. I wasn't around during the time when the show aired but as a first time viewer I was chewing my nails, hoping that this season would live up to expectations and from what I witnessed; it did. Things started off rather impressively with the two-parter pilot episode "Rising" which both serves as an episode which introduces Atlantis and the Pegasus galaxy and as a movie-like epic which has tons of cinematic wonder, exceptionally portrayed action and nice character interaction. The Stargate team have a certain nack when it comes to things like this and it shows, utilizing every trick in the book to make it both masterful as possible while also setting up expectations for what would become the series, their efforts pays off as it would be the most viewed episode of SGA ever, with no other episode surpassing it during the duration of the run.

The characters who would comprise the Atlantis crew are introduced nicely here, throughout the first season we get accustomed to the antics of Sheppard the military leader guy, McKay the scientist, Weir the leader, Ford the other military guy, Teyla the alien buttkicker and Dr. Weir the leader of the expedition; In the beginning they're satisfactory enough, Weir is established as a cross between General Hammond and the girl next door and her brash attitude combined with her compassion and her determination makes her a character worth investing in; in fact she is my favorite character of the show so far. Sheppard and McKay make a unimpressive impact the first time around, seeming more focused on getting themselves noticed rather then being characters but in comparing the two, I'd say McKay is worse mainly because he grates on the nerves. Things do improve for the characters as the show goes on; Shephard manages to find his groove halfway in the season, establishing himself to be a brash, cocky leader with a heart of gold and McKay manages to be more tolerable the further we get into the season but he still manages to be annoying; for McKay to shine as a character, he has to be less annoying. Ford & Teyla are mainly in the background for much of the season but as they progresses, they both get some moments to shine ("The Gift" being one of Teyla's finest moments as she utilizes the moment to both flesh out her character and flesh out the Wraith at the same time.), showcasing the skills, aspects and traits that make them an integral part of SGA. Then there are the minor characters like Beckett, Bates and the other scientists who serve to provide that secondary element to Atlantis; they serve their roles well but I'm impressed by the tons of moments where they become something more then secondary characters, where they get their chance to shine. I really like the fact they're not treating them like throwaways.

There are various new colonies/races introduced in the series and most of them are good but there are three who manage to become prominent fixtures in the series. The Wraith are obviously SGA's bad guy but their goth architecture and Asian influences are something that serve to introduce an unsettling mood that makes them different from the Gou'ald; they provide a sense of uncertainty and fear that more then fits the series with their massive numbers and their unstoppable presence, and the fact we don't know anything about them and they work together as a society makes them deadly force... Then there are the Genii who are introduced as a potential ally in one episode ("Underground") then manage to be a minorly persistent enemy; their presence is somewhat deadly but these guys are barely made out to be the threat they insist they are; instead they serve the role of those who contribute to homages. That's good for those who want to see the Genii prove themselves as a threat but to see them be used as homage roles is a bit unsettling, that's not to say they do badly in their roles but to see an entire colony be used as cannon fodder is a bit sad; you think that for an intelligent society they would treat their people less like cannon fodder and more like human beings. The Athosians are the alien society of the show, with their own society that includes a certain bond and a certain social structure; they're ever so present in Atlantis, giving it life and making it more then just a base of operations. In many episodes, we see them going through their routines of life and in all of those routines (preparing, farming, dealing with racial tensions), they provide a sense of depth to an alien society and to many episodes as a whole, making them more then just a bunch of people roaming around Atlantis.

Atlantis's inaugural season contains some pretty amazing stuff that helps to set this season apart from at least the first season of SG-1. (which I admit was a bit rocky but enjoyable nonetheless.) "Poisoning the Well" utilizes the Wraith to provide what I think is a fine moral plot involving ethics that will have viewers on their toes, also putting a nice focus on Dr. Beckett that adds tons of character to someone who I thought was pretty neglected. Then there's the episode which involves the Ancients themselves, the aforementioned "Before I Sleep" which is a nice concept story in that it involves Weir, Ancients and a bit of their history; many say it's a masterpiece but there are certain things that prevented it from reaching the top, still... what they did satisfied our desire for the ancients and what they did for Weir was wonderful as they gave her the opportunity to provide one of the best performances of the season. "Home" can be considered the Season's "format-bender" involving a concept with is unique and giving fans scenes of our people at home; it's impressive on paper but it's not impressive on screen, mainly due to the fact that the episode loses it's substance after a while. For those of you desiring action, there's "The Eye" and 2 parts of "The Siege" saga that will satisfy you. "The Eye's" preceding episode "The Storm" is somewhat boring, even when involving exciting stuff and doesn't grab your attention for most of it's running time but it is an exhilarating experience where the characters are at the top of their game and the action is exhilarating and heart pounding, managing to utilize a Die Hard homage to the best of their abilities. "The Siege" is what can be considered the end of the season, packing in so much stuff at once that there's barely any room for anything else; it has everything a season finale could have, action, amazing character interactions, fanservice and the best part is; these two parts will have you salivating for Part 3, which is next season.

Then there are the stuff that has been done before or is common ground at best. "Childhood's End" is an episode where they encounter a unique society where everybody is under the age of 24; while it does have some entertaining moments, this feels like something SG-1 passed on. Same goes to "Hot Zone" which involves the usual virus running amok in Atlantis; the character interactions do make it worth watching but it's ultimately meh. "Thirty-Eight Minutes" is an episode which fans seem to like but it doesn't seem to be as enjoyable as it seems, it does have some character moments but for much of the run time barely anything is happening; another one is "The Defiant One" which is also liked by many but ends up in a lull of dull mediocrity and wasted potential; it's cool for a while but there is only so much you can do with a standoff and the situations in general. The likability of these episodes vary from person to person, you may like seeing these episodes with the Atlantis crew or you may want something different; I'm not expecting them to forgo these types of plots completely but it felt like many of them were bland. That doesn't mean that the others are as well; "The Brotherhood" is a decent Indiana Jones homage that contains the adventure Stargate is known for, a mystery which is well thought-of, some cinematic wonder and action which both serves the homage and excites the audience, it does take a bit too long to get going and the ending irks me but once it gets going, it's an amazing experience. "Sanctuary" involves a romance between Shephard and a mysterious human and while it is disappointing at some scale, the thing that makes the episode is Rodney; who's jealousy turns this episode into an instant guilty pleasure. There are episodes here that prove if anything they can be surprisingly good.

The main draw for the series is obviously the city of Atlantis, the history of the Ancients and the Pegasus galaxy all around us and we get various bits in these episodes, even if it's something minor and common like a containment system and even if the focus is minor themselves. It's satisfying to know that in nearly every episode, they're discovering things that have seemingly been left untouched for years and all sorts of surprises; that alone makes the investment worth it since they're actually doing something that builds on the history of the world and taking it one step at a time, not being confined to just one place. The looks at societies from around the galaxy serve to play into the whole difference thing the show has going on; compared to SG-1, most of these societies are in a ruined or sheltered state. It nicely reflects how twisted this galaxy is with tons of topy-turvy stuff going on, societies with questionable policies, ethics and everything really; it doesn't push the grey area as hard but it does give you some food for thought and as a plus, it brings back the old feelings of SG-1 when it was about exploring planets and fearing the unknown. There's a nice focus on social issues throughout the season as episodes like "Suspicion" and "Hide and Seek" give you a glimpse of these issues that plague society as it is, sure they involve something else as the main plot but the wonder here is how these people react, how the issue is explored; it truly gives some depth and life to Atlantis as a whole and it's truly something that makes Atlantis more then just an SG-1 spinoff.

So anyway, the first season of Stargate Atlantis manages to do well for itself... It's not the best first season ever but it's starts the series in a nice fashion; this season manages to be entertaining and engaging with it's focus on Ancient history, character interactions and action/adventure, a good number of episodes manage to be good uses of your time while a small number of episodes manage to be classics/must sees that show what SGA is capable of. However, there are the episodes which are nothing special depending on how you look at them and there are some weak moments that manage to drag the season down. However, it starts with a bang, varies a bit in the middle and ends with a bang; it's inaugural first season is something you won't regret watching.

7.0/10

Best Episodes: "Rising (Parts 1 & 2)", "Suspicion", "Poisoning the Well", "The Eye", "Before I Sleep", "The Gift", "The Siege (Parts 1 & 2)"

[ZRFTS]

For review reference purposes.

Season 1:

Rising (Part 1) (8.5/10)
Rising (Part 2) (9.0/10)
Hide And Seek (7.5/10)
Thirty-Eight Minutes (6.0/10)
Suspicion (8.5/10)
Childhood's End (6.5/10)
Poisoning the Well (10/10)
Underground (7.5/10)
Home (8.0/10)
The Storm (7.0/10)
The Eye (10/10)
The Defiant One (4.5/10)
Hot Zone (5.0/10)
Sanctuary (7.5/10)
Before I Sleep (9.0/10)
The Brotherhood (8.5/10)
Letters From Pegasus (6.0/10)
The Gift (10/10)
The Siege (Part 1) (9.0/10)
The Siege (Part 2) (10/10)

[h4eafy]

Stargate Atlantis: Season 1

(Edited this out becasue its so long)

Best Episodes: "Rising (Parts 1 & 2)", "Suspicion", "Poisoning the Well", "The Eye", "Before I Sleep", "The Gift", "The Siege (Parts 1 & 2)"

Wow, you should have your own blog with these in it.

Im watching SG-1 S10E14, the shroud.
This is one of my favourites.

[Chelle DB]

Ok, done my SGA season 2 vote thingy - so much harder than with SG1 and I still have season 2 of SGU to watch but I think I may be absent when voting for that comes around so Im holding back for now. I miss all the shows though - wish they could do a movie a year for each show.

[Vanysh]

I'm so far behind on this Rewatch. I just started season 1 of SG:1. My goal is to catch up with everyone by the time you start the 4th season of SG:A

I think this Rewatch thing is fantastic! A great way to get everyone excited for the show again!

[Vanysh]

By the way, on Netflix the first season's episodes seem to be out of order in certain places. Has anyone else noticed this?

[Trig]

Right just finished season 4 of SGA, I'm gonna take a bit of a break for a few weeks, new job and loads to do at my old job before I hand over to the new guy..

[FlySolo]

Even though I just finished rewatching SG-1 again today, I just I'll have another go

[ThreeFriesShortOfaHappyMeal]

*spoiler warning*

Is it just me, or does Atlantis start to sink after Weir and Beckett are gone? Oh the possibilities if Torri Higginson had stayed on as a recurring baddie in season 4, it is something i often think about.

[jelgate]

*spoiler warning*

Is it just me, or does Atlantis start to sink after Weir and Beckett are gone? Oh the possibilities if Torri Higginson had stayed on as a recurring baddie in season 4, it is something i often think about.

Its just you. S4 was better than S2 and S3 but S5 was the worst

[poundpuppy29]

Its just you. S4 was better than S2 and S3 but S5 was the worst

season 4 was horrible and season 5 was not as bad for me but season 3 was my favorite it lost something when Elizabeth was gone and Carson only in few episodes wasn't good either.

[blueray]

i agree, season 3 is my favorite too. i can't wait for this rewatch to get there

[mathpiglet]

i agree, season 3 is my favorite too. i can't wait for this rewatch to get there

August!