S5: Critique and Contemplations

[KatG]

Welcome to the new S5: Critique and Contemplations thread.


Did you find Season 5 of SGA less than enjoyable? Do you feel that certain things could have been done better? Do you wish that things had been done differently? If so, this is the thread for you.

This thread is for OPEN DISCUSSION of season five of Atlantis. ALL opinions are welcome in this thread and they must follow some ground rules.

They must be respectful towards the show, its creators and others.

They must be on topic.

They must follow the ‘express and move on’ part of the CVS. This thread is for discussion, if you have no desire to discuss but only wish to vent the same opinion/statement over and over then please find somewhere else to do that.

Pejorative and discriminatory terms and statements are off topic. This includes things like ‘McIcky’ ‘McGagme’ and others. (Terms on the inappropriate list can change at any point in time at the discretion of the moderation team.)

Other fans, their feelings or discussions are OFF TOPIC. This thread is to discuss season five, not other fans. You want to whinge about, complain about, discuss or pick on other fans, you go somewhere else.

There will be no bashing of other fans, the show or its characters. Whether or not a post is ‘Bashing’ will be determined by the moderator on duty at the time.

This thread is for general discussion of season five. If you want to go into in depth discussion of one particular aspect of the season, please find the appropriate thread for that and do not derail this one with in depth discussion of a singular aspect of the show.

‘Off Topic’ will be enforced, and ‘off topic’ includes chit chat of a personal nature, fluff or anything else the moderator on duty deems as not being about season five.

If the moderators find that they have to spend a lot of time moderating this thread, because posters can't follow the rules set out, the thread will be closed and no new ones will be started.

[Briangate78]

So, it only took the end of SGA to get a thread like this. Oh well better late than never.

I just wanted to share this review I wrote on some internet sites that sell the Season 5 DVD....

Stargate Atlantis entering it's 5th season was filled with a lot of suspense, action, drama, and even the good ol Stargte comedy like Rodney delivering Teyla's baby. The show had a solid first part with the brilliant special effects of "Daedalus Variations" and the heart-felt tear jerker "Ghost in the Machine" and "The Shrine". Our friendly or foe wraith Todd makes a great appearance in "The Queen" where Teyla goes through a transformations.

The mid-season 2 parter was epic with a special guest appearance by Michael Shanks to fufill his role as Daniel Jackson. If you are a SG-1 and SGA fan it was an epic episode with a shocking discovery.

As the 2nd half progresses we get epic eps like "The Prodgial" which features an epic scene with Sheppard, Michael, and Teyla fighting on the balcony outskirt of the city Atlantis. Another worthy nod was "Outsiders" which features another episode of the returned Carson Becektt and gives a classic SGA feel with the character interactions. Best line, Mckay: "It's not a volkswagon Carson". Also a shot out at "Remnants" which dives into 3 characters, Woolsey, Sheppard, and Mckay, and features a clever plot twist.

The 2nd half dragged a little with the fueled shipping and relationship of Mckeller. I think that was the only downfall to the season. It felt a little rushed and forced but was not overkill in the season.

The series ends with the last 2 eps. A CSI feel Atlantis taking place in Vegas, titled, um "Vegas". Cool and interesting music selections from Producer Robert Cooper featuring, "Marilyn Manson", "The Rolling Stones", and "Johnny Cash". A very unique episode that really captures the heart and personality of one John Sheppard.

The series/season finale was rushed because of MGM's decision to replace Atlantis with Stargate Universe. A lot of fans were upset because Atlantis was still performing very well in ratings. So the producers, with no slots in their eps, had to quickly come up with a 100ep/Season finale/Series Finale all in one. Did they do it? Well not all the way. It should of been a 2-parter for a lot of fans taste, but it was a very good episode. Felt more like a season finale.

Season 5 was not the best season, but it was up there. Now with a Stargate Atlantis movie in the works and scheduled for a 2010 release it should be interesting how they continue the story where Season 5 left off this past Winter.

Your Thoughts?

[Lahela]

I think you like the word epic Seriously though, it's a pretty accurate description of the season for a lot of fans, IMO. There were certainly some who found it more disappointing than that, some less. Personally, I found the shipping aspect of S5 to be too much, too fast and too much of a departure from formula. I guess my major gripe with the ship aspect of the season is that it was such a departure - if it had been a part of the show from that start then it would have felt more natural than it did, but there was little to no ship in the first three seasons, then it was touched on in season 4 but I felt it was overdone in season 5 to the detriment of the show.

[Linda06]

S5 was a bit of a hit and a miss...There were a couple of great eps, but there were so many misses. It started of so promisingly with the great Search and Rescue. But then it never really lived up to the great opening it had. Eps like Daedalus variations, Outsiders and Infection were pretty good eps, good ol' team eps that was sadly missing a lot this season. Sure there were some plotholes in them but because of the serious lack of team eps and the team working together it was good to see eps like this I guess.

I didn't mind season 5 too much up until we hit the dreaded Shrine ep And the start of the romance from hell Why they felt the need to have another "Rodney is dying ep" is beyond me That's when S5 started going downhill. Whispers was just bad, very bad. And the mid season two parter wasn't that great either. For a start Teyla was pretty redundant. Especially in TLT where she was yet again the "babysitter" to the city And this is the start of "where is Teyla" questions

Teyla was great in The Queen though and I loved her interaction with Todd. The only thing that bothered me was when she was fighting the wraith dude, she is a capable warrior yet she gets flung around like a ragdoll...But this one was written by my writing god So i can forgive that little mishap

Inquisiton, Teyla, Ronon and Rodney may as well have not been in the ep for all the good they were

Teyla actually gets something to do in Prodigal, even if it is hloding the baby for most of it But at least she gets to kick Michael off the balcony

Didn't see Remnants, but I believe Teyla and Ronon for that matter were pretty redundant in this ep too..

Brain storm....Well I think the less said about this ep the better. I've had more fun getting teeth pulled. AND.....The start of the worse romance in TV history....And membership into the mile high club

Identity, Pretty redundant Teyla again, I didn't even notice she was even there till I saw her holding the drip Plus whoever thought that scene at the end with Rodney and Radek was funny need their heads examined, I thought it was shocking the way Rodney treated Radek and if I was him I would have shot him

Vegas, the worse ep of the entire stargate franchise And there have been some stinkers...So the penultimate ep of the series and they couldn't even be bothered to include two of their main characters in it huh The wraith are there, heck even Todd is there (which I still don't understand ) and they didn't bring along their two resident wraith experts for the party

EatG was ok, way too rushed. Too many plotholes, And why in gods name they thought it'd be a good idea to have one of the final scenes with Rodney and Keller cuddling together is beyond me. Off to the side, away from his team mates. That last part is the story of the season.

It didn't feel like stargate, the team acted like strangers most of the time. Half the season was the McKeller show, with far far too much focus on Rodney yet again which has happened in every season

So in other words it's been a bad season overall with the exception of the odd ep here and there.

All this is my opinion and not fact. Just so we're clear

[Linda06]

I think you like the word epic Seriously though, it's a pretty accurate description of the season for a lot of fans, IMO. There were certainly some who found it more disappointing than that, some less. Personally, I found the shipping aspect of S5 to be too much, too fast and too much of a departure from formula. I guess my major gripe with the ship aspect of the season is that it was such a departure - if it had been a part of the show from that start then it would have felt more natural than it did, but there was little to no ship in the first three seasons, then it was touched on in season 4 but I felt it was overdone in season 5 to the detriment of the show.

The ship just seemed to appear outta no where. If they want to put romance in the show at least develop it properly. Don't clutch it out of fresh air

And choose a pairing that actually works and has chemistry

Just my opinion

[Lahela]

The ship just seemed to appear outta no where. If they want to put romance in the show at least develop it properly. Don't clutch it out of fresh air

And choose a pairing that actually works and has chemistry

Just my opinion

And one I happen to share

[GoSpikey]

Liiiiiiiiiiiiiinda, I think you could have used just *one* more!

And of course they're gonna do ships, there's water all around Atlantis, is there not?

[Rac80]

I admit I began to lose interest in the show as soon as it became Mckay focused. it didn 't matter to me if it was focusing on his love life or his whining, it was simply too much mckay for me. I never found him to be an attractive character and the more mckay specific eps they made as season 5 continued the less I watched. I only watched the mid-season two part because of michael shanks (and the baaaad asgard!), it had nothing to do with mckay. As the characters of Ronon and Teyla were turned to wallpaper I lost interest in the show as well. It was team show, not the mckay show.

[jelgate]

The ship just seemed to appear outta no where. If they want to put romance in the show at least develop it properly. Don't clutch it out of fresh air

And choose a pairing that actually works and has chemistry

Just my opinion

That seems to be the problem with all Stargate ships not just McKeller. Their is no proper development and ships are all over the place. But we have had this discussion before little goldfish.. A good ship to me takes seasons to develop with subtle hints along the way

[Linda06]

Liiiiiiiiiiiiiinda, I think you could have used just *one* more!

And of course they're gonna do ships, there's water all around Atlantis, is there not?

One more what?

Well I wouldn't have had a problem if it were those kinds of ships

That seems to be the problem with all Stargate ships not just McKeller. Their is no proper development and ships are all over the place. But we have had this discussion before little goldfish.. A good ship to me takes seasons to develop with subtle hints along the way

True that...They should watch DS9 if they wanna learn how to develop romance properly, eh

[Killdeer]

That seems to be the problem with all Stargate ships not just McKeller. Their is no proper development and ships are all over the place. But we have had this discussion before little goldfish.. A good ship to me takes seasons to develop with subtle hints along the way

Agreed - Stargate is abysmal at doing any ships IMO.

The whole thing with what pairing has "chemistry" is purely in the eye of the beholder, IMO. It's like beauty in that way. But I think, chemistry or not, the McKeller ship was handled very badly. Personally, I was fine with it in the beginning, but the writers' hamfisted approach to it in S5 ruined it for me, similar to what happened with the Daniel/Vala overkill, another pairing I initially enjoyed.

[kali1]

I respect the show and the creators....just not 'certain' people that took the show over. That hasn't been earned imo.

[Scary Kitty]

That seems to be the problem with all Stargate ships not just McKeller. Their is no proper development and ships are all over the place. But we have had this discussion before little goldfish.. A good ship to me takes seasons to develop with subtle hints along the way

There were a couple of potential ships that appeared to be taking such an approach in Seasons 1 - 3; had they been allowed to continue on that course in Seasons 4 and 5 instead of being dumped down the drain, it's possible things might have been different and we wouldn't be having this particular conversation now.

Then again, given the "hamfisted approach" (in Killdeer's esteemed words) to McKeller as well as the last-minute Ronon/Amelia, perhaps not. A shame, that.

[Killdeer]

^^LOL - actually not my words. I think someone on my LJ flist used that description, even though they tend to favor the ship anyway.

[fumblesmcstupid]

The ONLY positive thing that happened in Season 5 was the rescue of Teyla and the birth of Torren.

They NEVER explained what happened to the Athosians GOOD enough for me. a few shots and everything was Okey-dokey??? Really????

The destruction of a friendship (Ronon and Rodney) was not needed. I was very shocked that the writers would ruin a friendship of theses two men over a woman. I was angered by the actions of the two men so much that as a fan of the show I never watched them with same affection as I did before.

The introduction the the romance *shudder* from Hades was not needed. (enough said)

The unimaginative death of Michael was not needed. Who ever had written the episode must have just watched Star Trek 3 because all I thought of was Kirk saying to the Klingon "I have had enough of you" when Teyla stomped on Michaels fingers. Then He (like the Klingon) fell to his death. (minus the lava)


The MURDERING of Elizabeth was just WRONG!

The Super-Duper Hive ship was just eyerolling.

The Introduction of the laughable warp/stardrive/doohiky was embarrassing.

Part one of my critique.