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Rising, Part 2 (102)

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    Joe Mallozzi's notes on this episode:
    RISING II (102)

    Part 1 is the wind up and the pitch while Part 2 is the base-clearing grand slam that hits it out of the park. The sequence of the city of Atlantis rising from ocean’s depths is one of the most stirring moments in all of Stargate. Hmmm. That sounds like a great idea for a future post: Top 10 Moments in Stargate History. Well, in my books, Atlantis’s resurfacing would rank right up there.

    Ah, the puddle jumpers. Brad had been pitching the idea of these compact hips capable of gate-travel as far back as SG-1?s seventh season. And the new show was the perfect opportunity to introduce them. As much as I thought the SG-1 gate superior to its Atlantis counterpart, SGA jumpers beat the hell out of both the F-302?s and those clunky cargo ships.

    Ah, Jinto. We hardly knew you. As often happens in television, certain characters pop and are developed (ie. Where’d that Zelenka guy come from?) while others eventually fade into obscurity. The character of Jinto has the distinction of falling into the latter category for no other reason than: 1. He was a kid and 2. He was Athosian. While interesting, Teyla’s people became a less important part of the narrative as the series developed and so, they eventually left Atlantis to make their homes on the mainland and, later, off-world. As for Jinto, not much is known about following the events of those early episodes. I like to think that he became a productive member of Athosian society, settling down with his long-time sweetheart and eventually fathering two boys, Torren (named after Teyla’s fathter) and Toran (named after the Athosian who the wraith queen feasts upon in this episode). Alternately, I like to imagine he spent his years deep in the bowels of Atlantis, playing an protracted game of Hide and Seek following the episode of the same name, convinced he had the best hiding place ever – until his skeletal remains were discovered by an exploratory crew sometime in season four.

    Speaking of evolving elements, two particular wraith attributes are in full display in this episode but appear to fade as the series progresses. 1. When our heroes are being harassed by wraith darts, they begin to glimpse ghostly images. We learn that these images are hallucinations being created by the wraith to confuse them. They’re, it turns out, a weaker manifestation of the queen’s mind controlling abilities. The reason we eventually lost this ability was because it was, essentially, a mind trick – and once it stood revealed as such, there wasn’t much traction to be gained by going back to it either for the wraith (as an effective tool to be used against us) or the writers (as a dramatic element). 2. The wraith are damn hard to kill! It takes multiple rounds to put them down for the count. And yet, in subsequent episodes, a couple of shots will do the trick. What gives? The answer: switching to more devastating armor-piercing rounds.
    http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...sing-i-and-ii/
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      Rising (Part 2)

      If Part 1 was the setup/mystery then Part 2 must be the payoff/action; this part also aims to do to our unknown enemy what they did to the Gou'ald in "Children of the Gods" and that is to establish them as a really credible threat but here's the twist, they made them deadlier then ever. Oh, and they got a cool name; the Wraith. I mean how cool is that?

      Everything about this episode screams heart-pounding action, from the way the enemies are taken to the "are they there, aren't they?" feeling to even the gun shots and random explosions; it seems like there is an attempt to make it as chaotic as possible and though there are many times where it doesn't come through, they are making an effort since this is supposed to be different from SG1 and all. It's not limited to off-world as well; there is some action in Atlantis pertaining to imminent failure and the like and they really manage to showcase that tension all the way up (even using technobabble to further it) until the end where what happens that will both surprise you and be expected. Alot of the action is close ups of the guys and shots of their expressions as they call out military terms, shots as they attempt to kill the enemies and static scenes that more then not represents the rush and the danger that they're feeling right now which means that it's classic Stargate; almost anybody can get into the action and feel it but here's where the problem comes in, there isn't much that separates these guys from the average SG-1 crew, yet... There isn't anything that separates Shephard from O'Neill but his dialog and his actions do suggest that with time, he can become his own character action wise; same goes to all of the other guys because showing individuality from the mothership is the only way the show will survive.

      They also present the whole "rescue mission" thing in mostly the same way, with shots that clearly shows them sneaking in, snooping around, looking for enemies, preparing stuff and just hoping that the plan goes through a-okay. It's a somewhat enjoyable experience mainly because we're watching these new guys explore the dark Wraith base of mystery and danger, filled to the brim with unexpectedness and clock-ticking and when the stuff does hit the fan, it gives a tremendous payoff that shows exactly what SG is capable of when it's focused and inspired. Shephard's actions and dialog help to add to the situation and to prevent many of the scenes from becoming boring, because you don't want your lose your audience during the most pivotal part of the episode do you? The near-death stuff is also a delight to see all that escaping and the attempts to dial the gate and get back to Atlantis come to fruition; (that space battle is one of the few in Stargate which are decent as it's both satisfying and purposeful.) it just brings a smile to your face doesn't it.


      Doesn't it?

      It's establishment of the Wraith as SGA's bad guy is deeper then it was in Part 1 (to the point where it takes up most of the episode), and for good reason. This episode shows us some of the inner workings of the Wraith, their culture, their genders, their intentions, their abilities, their ships and even some of their tactics; if you've seen SG-1 then you know who the Gou'ald are and if you're seeing SGA for the first time in history then you'll definitely notice the differences, everything feels more realer, more philosophical, more Gothic, more mysterious, more altruistic and definitely more powerful/unstoppable then it's predecessors. Their looks are very scary with their greenish-white on white look, their uniforms are more serious then they are funny, their methodology (involving a skeleton no less) is clear and they create a certain sense of paranoia that'll have viewers questioning themselves. All of this is good because they have to differentiate themselves from the Gou'ald however they can, otherwise the series itself would just be seen as a clone of SG-1 and nothing more; though there are some times where the Wraith seem no more like a Gou'ald clone/cliche sci-fi bad guy, the Wraith themselves mostly succeed in separating themselves from their Gou'ald brethren.

      The lighting, CGI and detail featured in this episode is mostly amazing; it's clear that the creators knew what to do in order to showcase the beauty and scale that is Atlantis, with tons of warm colors, sunset motifs, water-based reflection shots, shots showing a specific element of Atlantis, and even certain nighttime shots. The lighting really reflects the situation at hand while managing to maintain a hint of realism on the side; in conversation scenes, you get sunset shining down the actors faces while they talk and nighttime when they're just talking, in action scenes you either get modest brightness or in the case of the later part of the episode, deep blue hues that suggest awkwardness and hopelessness; they know how to make the lighting just shine on the surfaces, reflect the characters and even hint at the appropriate situation even when there's no action going on, it's just a beaut to look at. Though there are some scenes where the entire thing feels unconvincing; as in the CGI doesn't entirely mix in with real-life, a jarring cut between the set and CGI, some things being out of scale and the occasional CGI error but for the most part, the special effects team manages to make this thing look very good with the budget that they have; this is certainly an impressive example of what anybody can do if they put their hearts and minds to it.


      True beauty.

      The characters themselves act mostly the same as they do in Part 1; but this time some of them are making different impacts on me. I'm starting to see Shephard as his own character, motivated, determined to follow through with promises, just an all around good guy. There is a visible attempt behind the actor to try to come up with as many catchphrases as possible, detracting from his character but the parts where he acts determined, the parts where he shows heart, the parts where he's confrontational, that's where Shephard lies in the SGA realm; there's also seems to be a romance brewing between Taylor (who's character is still undefined but is given some development) and Shephard which I hope will be explored sooner or later, they look very cute together. Dr. Weir is surprisingly better then she was in the first act, managing to show more emotion, sternness, empathy and leadership then ever before; the scenes with Shephard are the ones where it comes out the most as she manages to come across as a more modest/emotional General Hammond, one where she's hard but she has some amount of softness when it comes to situations like this; she yells sure but she manages to find some common ground, which is what will ultimately make people flock to Dr. Weir like birds aside from her character plus her acting which I thought was very decent. The others are mostly okay; Rodney is still 50/50 for me though he is starting to come across as annoying. (there's still time David, there's still time.)

      Lastly, we can't forget about the stuff that's introduced... Yes even more stuff is introduced though much of it pertains to those ships we've seen in the beginning; through this episode, we learn of how they work, what they're capable of and what potential lies with these things. There is also something introduced that relates to people who've seen the 1994 directors cut of "Stargate", stuff that'll also provide possibilities and represent the differences of the universe that they're in as a whole; we also can't forget about the people from the village, the very people who'll be inhabiting Atlantis. I like that it reminds me of DS9 and with both the people the multicultural people from Earth and the people from the Village; it'll provide a ton of situations and it'll ensure that SGA is different from SG-1 in terms of both technology, possibilities, civilizations and bad guys.


      Just imagine...

      So while one part is good, the other is better with it's action packed pace and it's truly deadly feeling; it won't have you out of the seat much but when it does, it's a thrill to watch. The stuff shown here manages to establish the bad guy while leaving you with some really classic SG action that does not disappoint and the stuff here does not indicate that it'll be a Stargate clone; sure, it has much of the same basis but there are certain things that make Atlantis different from SG-1. Both parts combined however manages to make an impressive debut for such an ambitious series; it effectively shows you what this series will consist of, unfamiliar worlds, characters from across the globe, asian influences, action abound, mystery, the scale of Atlantis and a bad guy who's presence cannot be denied. It works really well as a movie, giving us great cinematic shots, decent buildup, a reason to invest in the characters and a satisfying ending as well, there are some scenes that are cringeworthy but those are outnumbered by the scenes that make us laugh and make us cry. There is some feeling that this could of been better then the combined parts but overall it manages to entertain the people who watched it on it's premiere day and launch the series in an impressive way and in the end, isn't that what's supposed to matter?

      9.0/10
      Back from the grave.

      Comment


        Starting my SGA rewatch. I say rewatch but in reality i never saw them all in chronological order and iv missed a full 2 seasons so looking forward to enjoying SGA episode by episode. So far so good,1st episode which iv seen before but im paying close attention this time round,lol. Does anyone else think maybe the reason both SG1 and SGA folded is cos they were running in tandem?Maybe MGM could only afford one at a time,etc?I read from Peter Jackson interview today that he says The Hobbit nearly didnt happen cos MGM were going bust and thats when he stepped in as director after del torro pulled out,etc.

        I do wonder if running SGA and SG1 at same time maybe was over ambitious considering the size of the audience.If the size of the audience wasnt the issue then what was? Mucho Gracias to the guy who put the whole of SGA on a kat.ph with all the SGA extras included!OK,time to get re-watching.Cheers
        O'Neill: So, what's your impression of Alar?
        Teal'c: That he is concealing something.
        O'Neill: Like what?
        Teal'c: I am unsure. He is concealing it.

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          The Wraith was really creepy the first time around. That's what I love about this show. We don't seem to have a chance, but pull it off anyway. Great show. Weir was cool in this one.

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            I tried to get my mother into this series. Unfortunately, she said it was too intense for her. She also didn't think any of the characters were 'good looking' and the wraiths totally freaked her out. Oh well.

            Comment


              Haha yes, I always get these reactions when I show them wraith. "Ewwl they're ugly!!"
              Pay them no attention they're awesome *said a wraithfan*

              I recently rewatched the show as well, paying attention and it's a pity that stuff like the wraith making you see things isn't continued in later seasons. I mean, they look and act a lot stronger here. As for Atlantis team I like McKay the most, he's funny the way he squeels XD and he's an amazing scientist doing things I could only dream of...
              I like Ford, I think it's sad what they done to him because he could have been a great value to the series. I like the scene in the puddle jumper with him.
              On your knees human!! *hiss*

              Comment


                I like Gate Ship 1 better. Puddle Jumper sounds like they wet themselves. Love the vampires just wish they were less evil. Being that advance you would think they could find some other way to eat without having to kill people.

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                  Originally posted by Thorthewraith View Post
                  Haha yes, I always get these reactions when I show them wraith. "Ewwl they're ugly!!"
                  Pay them no attention they're awesome *said a wraithfan*

                  I recently rewatched the show as well, paying attention and it's a pity that stuff like the wraith making you see things isn't continued in later seasons. I mean, they look and act a lot stronger here..
                  Perhaps the wraith felt that continuing to use them against us was counter productive as our minds were stronger than other humans they encountered, and figured we would eventually overcome them..??

                  Comment


                    I've just started watching Atlantis (it's popped up on Netflix). It's also my first time watching it. At the risk of being flayed alive, after getting through all ten seasons of SG-1 in a ridiculously short time and absolutely loving it, I'm struggling with Atlantis.

                    My overall reaction to the pilot was... meh.

                    It just feels a little forced, though it has its moments. McKay has always been an a**, but a likable one nonetheless so that's a plus. I am not liking Sheppard. Could they not even give him a name other than John? Jack is the diminutive form of John, so essentially, he is also a Jack! I love O'Neill so much that it doesn't take much prompting to start drawing comparisons, but I really don't want to be encouraged to do that.

                    I realise SG-1 had a bit of an advantage because anyone who watched the film prior to the series was already introduced to the characters of Daniel and Jack and had already gotten to know them and like them. It didn't feel like you were starting off with a whole new show, more like getting reacquainted with old friends. Atlantis is definitely a whole new show, but I felt like they could've spent more time in the pilot letting us get to know some of the new characters.

                    So, overall I think it has potential. I'm gonna stick around for the first season and then go from there.
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                    sig by Jper

                    "It's just a little airborne... It's still good, it's still good!"

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                      I already seen all of SGA, hmmm well I think I did now. Maybe I missed few but I don't feel it is as strong as SG1. I can go through a couple of SG1 but never more than 1 episode of SGA at a time. To put in perspective I thing B5 and BSG were 10 times better than SG1. Those I find more intellectual and less cartoony.

                      I would say SGA is like sour candy. Good in small doses . SG1 is like chocolate. If you aren't careful you'll eat the entire bag. B5 and BSG are like good steaks. You just savor the crap out of them.

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                        Originally posted by Baron Of Hell View Post
                        I like Gate Ship 1 better. Puddle Jumper sounds like they wet themselves. .
                        never thought of it that way, that is funny
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                          So yeah.....just started watching Atlantis last night. Am doing it intertwined with SG-1 for the first few seasons (have already seen SG1).

                          I enjoyed this! It was a combined episode for me, since it was on DVD.

                          The highlight, for me, was seeing Atlantis rising and everybody's reaction to it. That was a series of great shots.

                          I liked the interplay between Col. Sumner and Sheppard--the hard*ss vs the maverick. I sort of felt sorry for the Colonel when he died--what a way to go. I did like how he, at the end, trusted Sheppard to do what had to be done....but that might just gnaw at Sheppard for a while.

                          Overall, great casting and a great start. Favourite characters so far are Sheppard and Beckett--reminds me a lot of Scotty on the rebooted ST movies.
                          Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons; for you are Crunchy and good with Ketchup.

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                            Originally posted by Meaghan View Post
                            So yeah.....just started watching Atlantis last night. Am doing it intertwined with SG-1 for the first few seasons (have already seen SG1).

                            I enjoyed this! It was a combined episode for me, since it was on DVD.

                            The highlight, for me, was seeing Atlantis rising and everybody's reaction to it. That was a series of great shots.

                            I liked the interplay between Col. Sumner and Sheppard--the hard*ss vs the maverick. I sort of felt sorry for the Colonel when he died--what a way to go. I did like how he, at the end, trusted Sheppard to do what had to be done....but that might just gnaw at Sheppard for a while.

                            Overall, great casting and a great start. Favourite characters so far are Sheppard and Beckett--reminds me a lot of Scotty on the rebooted ST movies.
                            That's fairly ironic since it was reported when they were casting the first film that he may have auditioned to play Scotty.
                            Please do me a huge favour and help me be with the love of my life.

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                              Originally posted by P-90_177 View Post
                              That's fairly ironic since it was reported when they were casting the first film that he may have auditioned to play Scotty.
                              Really? Can't say I'm surprised after these episodes....he'd have been great in them. I love Simon Pegg's portrayal of Scotty, and this actor looks like he's similar to Pegg in that way.
                              Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons; for you are Crunchy and good with Ketchup.

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                                Originally posted by Meaghan View Post
                                Really? Can't say I'm surprised after these episodes....he'd have been great in them. I love Simon Pegg's portrayal of Scotty, and this actor looks like he's similar to Pegg in that way.
                                He is still in the film. It's a blink and you'll miss it role but he's there.
                                Please do me a huge favour and help me be with the love of my life.

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