The Siege, Part 2 (120)

[Buzz Lightyear]

Humm, seems like we, three, all had the same idea, but BUZZ was the first past the post, so to speak. I agree cannot stand the Everett idoit. He grated on my nerves the whole darn time. Especially, when they were in the holographic room and his little confrontation with Sheppard. I so hope that wraith does some nasty life draining from him.

Surprisingly, I actually grew to appreciate his style of command. Kudos to the writers Mallozzi and Mullie for creating a multi-faceted character in such limited screen time.

We may not like his arrogance but he had good and logical reasons for all of his actions.

He initially cut Dr. Weir out of the loop because this was a war scenario and Weir's established reputation was as a diplomat and negotiator. He isn't aware of how Weir has grown and become a more well-rounded leader of people, until she shows him.

His distrust of Sheppard is also logical. Everyone who has read his file knows he doesn't always respect the chain of command. And we know first hand from Shep's insubordinate actions in Atlantis how true that can be. Also if one of your best friends was killed in the way Colonel Sumner was, wouldn't you be a bit suspicious and angry at the person partially responsible, especially one with Sheppard's military record?

His distrust of Teyla? Again logical. But Everett also is flexible and is constantly re-evaluating the situation, hence his acceptance of Teyla's offer of help later.

The space mines stratagem was a bust but not even those who had more experience dealing with the Wraith were able to predict their asteroids tactic.

Clearly both the SGC and the Pentagon tried to be as prepared as possible by sending as many troops as they could on short notice in whom the Ancient gene therapy worked, including Everett, the task force commander. I presume Beckett's research data on the gene therapy was already available on Earth or was sent back in "Letters From Pegasus".

[alz0rz]

I think I speak for everyone when I say this episode was amazing. I'll get some screen captures up soon.

[queenselqet31]

Queen and Marty,

Calm down, the Manitoban in us all, tell us not to display our infighting with non-Manitobans.

Plus, its warm and nice outside, play nice in the snow.

No. There's yellow in the snow. Too much to be any good...

Oh, and The Siege Pt. 2 was cool.

[Buzz Lightyear]

But half the reason I don't like him is because his character is poorly conceived. And I'll thump anyone who says "It's only his first ep!" He seems too inconsistent from scene-to-scene. Sometimes even WITHIN a scene he's changing, and there's no flow to it. It'as as if his dialogue was written by three different people who didn't compare notes.

Take the harcore military no-BS attitude of O'Neil from the movie, throw in O'Neill's sarcasm and filter them through Peter DeLuise and... well, you still don't come close, but it gives you an idea of how odd the character sounds. And there's just something about his VOICE that doesn't scan right, either.

He's unbelievably stereotypical. No, scratch that, he's flat-out unbelievable. The cutesy "I'll buy you a drink" wasn't even that cute. It was condescending, stupid, and a blatant attempt at amusifying an unpalatable character.

Totally disagree. Didn't get that feeling about Everett at all. His drink comment is a gruff military way of saying "you've got my respect", nothing more, nothing less, and certainly not cute, as you say. I've already stated my general impressions elsewhere, so I'll wait for a few military folks to comment on whether his character was believable or not.

Bates was back to his unpleasantly over-paranoid, rabid dog routine which is so overpowering it almost drowns out the very valid points he was trying to make. The folks who wrote this also wrote Suspicion, the only other ep when Bates has been ridiculously overboard in his otherwise legitimate concerns. They should try watching the eps they don't write- they might get a better idea of how the character should/could be done. (and there's an in joke in that for some people) Bates is a good character. I hate to see him being abused and blown out of proportion. He's had some good eps and I hope he'll have some more in S2.

Security-wise, I'd rather have Bates in my corner than Sheppard. He's been right that Teyla has been a security liability, albeit through no fault of her own. Although not proven, the Wraith could well have found out about the alpha site from Teyla's "mind meld" experiences. At this point, no one knows about the Wraith infiltrator yet.

The fight between Bates and Teyla was shocking... all the more so because I find it unbelieveable that Teyla would loose her cool like that. It was a rather blatant attempt to set up a red herring... as was finding Bates unconscious later on. That was another unbelieveable point. Why in the nine hells would a wraith EVER leave a victim beaten and unconscious... but still alive and un-fed upon? Trying to hide? Well, a comatose soldier is hardly likely to pass unnoticed and I doubt Bob knew enought about what was happening to surmise that people would suspect Teyla... and even that would only work for a while. Feed off him and stuff his body in the rafters. Or heck, tie a weight to him and toss him overboard- less chance of him being found and it might be a while before anyone realises he's missing.

Occam's Razor. The simplest theory is usually the correct one. The Wraith would not leave Bates alive, therefore, where Bates was found was not where the initial fight took place. More than likely, Bates gave as good as he got and both parties retreated. Only difference is, the Wraith have Wolverine's mutant healing ability.

And why wouldn't Teyla lose her cool? Being accused of (in her mind) being a Wraith collaborator is a major insult.

[Kalinda]

NOOOOOO!!!!

Aww, man.. they left us with everyone's fate being uncertain!

I have some guesses about what may happen, but we'll just have to wait and see... in July, right? That's usually when new seasons come out, eh?

Some things about the episode -- I loved the amazing effects; like those neat shots of the city and the battles... would've been sweet to watch it on a huge TV =D

Adding the Genii made an interesting twist.. or I thought it was going to - when they threatened to keep Doctor Weir, I thought that would've made an uber twist if they'd done it. I guess they really didn't add too much to the episode, thjough, besides the information that the Genii aren't in danger from the Wraith anymore.. at least not YET.. hehe..

Of course, the actual ending was a pretty big cliffhanger >< I also hope that the Genii remain an enemy of the people of Atlantis for a while, they're pretty cool and give us something else besides the Wraith ^_^

This definatley topped part 1, although I think that on the DVD they should stick the two together, that'd be cool =)

So, 10/10 - great episode - can't wait for season 2

[joanne1138]

I did a long commentry-ramble on LiveJournal during the great and terrible absence and I started out with the words 'Kill! Kill him!' not far from Everetts name every time I mentioned him... but by the end I had grown somewhat attached to him. I do not understand it. All I want is for it to go away because I do not WANT to like him. *shrug*

Lots of Dr Zelenka which is always nice. VFX were lovely! Especially when the Wraith dart was burning up and it crashed into the ocean. The swooping city shots were nice, very detailed. What else... the chair was very much there and being its pretty self.

By the way, how many jumpers are left. I could've sworn there were four and when four were shown in the montage sequence I jumped up and down for the joy of continuity... but then in a later shot five were shown in the bay. Mistake or are there actually five left?

All in all I wouls give it a 4 stars. Anything that will make me type four pages of ramble-commentry willingly deserves 4 stars.

[Quinn Mallory]

I am rather disappointed that nothing got resolved by the end of this episode. Don't get me wrong. I loved the episode and its plot twists and stuff (although it was rather obvious that the plans were not going to work). I would have just liked to see more thing resolved such as the wraith hive ships blow up or something and then we can still be leave hanging as to who have survived, etc.).

I just hope that season 2 doesn't start with the Prometheus popping in to save the day. That would be rather lame although I am sure the Prometheus will be involved somehow.

I enjoyed the episode but I just hate being left with the empty feeling of having to wait until the summer. When you build up the entire second half of the season on this final attack, I think you have got to resolve this a bit more than what they have done.

[Hatcheter]

I thought "Seige, pt1" was great. Part Two, however, was probably the best hour of television I've ever seen!

After a poor dubbing job in the opening scenes, I grew to like Everett. (Does it sound to anyone else like PDL re-recorded those lines?) He was the man with the plan, and didn't want to waste any time implementing it. While trying to cut Weir out of the loop wasn't the best idea, he wasn't disrespectful about it. He relieved her of command in proper military fashion (including saluting her), then set about his job.

The night battle over Atlantis made me shiver. When it began, it was like watching Baghdad on CNN, circa '91 or '03. Except in Atlantis, they were hitting things.

And I think I growled audibly when I saw "to be continued". I can't wait until July to see how this ends!

[ShadowMaat]

(Does it sound to anyone else like PDL re-recorded those lines?)

Yes!! It was very weird. But I found nothing at all to like about the character, "following military protocol" or not.

[CrackedButter]

I thought Everett was a class act and he was damn near perfect in what the writers intended. My dad is ex military and has some of those traits. Such as getting things done when needed to and his "buy you a drink remark". His salute to Weir was a sign of respect, who else has ever saluted Weir out of respect in the show? Just that alone could of been enough. His voice sounded great but it was different.

A military man in command is their to get things done no questions asked, just like Sheppard said, he is trying to set up a chain of command. His area isn't politics and people problems, that Weirs forte. Notice how they were much better together rather than apart. Notice Lt. Ford has no trouble with him, and quickly knew who was in charge.

I damn well love tho character and hope he stays AND in charge with Weir. Each both doing their thing. They showed they could in this episode.

Shepperd btw is going to be rescued by the earth ship (guessing). Since earth has a puddlejumper they could of known about its cloak abilities and thus might well pick him out at the last moment with a timely teleport. (For those who get the joke, can I say teleport?)

One thing I didn't like was the loss of mines, they should of kept at least one. Plus while I could understand they wanted to send more through the gate from earth, but in a small time as possible (to save energy), I think they could of brought more power generation with them. Seemed a kop out when they were running into problems later on. Since they read the reports, they should of known they had aleady lost a generator in the nanites episode.

Anybody notice, Everett went with the term "Puddlejumper" and not Timeship, didn't question it? Also you could tell he knew about the Genii when it was mentioned. He certainly read his stuff.

I wonder if this ship has a hanger bay full of the 302's?

[Lt. Elliot]

My Review for "The Seige: Part 2" Yay yay yay (don't ask, too much sugar!)

Things I Liked:
1. When the Stargate activated and then McKay was like "It's Stargate command". YAY EARTH!
2. Everett owes Weir a drink...I smell some new shippers, especially toward the end of the episode?
3. Sheppard is so brave when he's like I know what I have to do. And Weir was like, alright.
4. Weir off-world! And we go to see her negotiating a second time (first being with the system lords in "New Order: Part 1 and 2"
5. The rail guns.
6. Atlantis when all the power was shut down and then the lights in the sky just lit up the whole city,
7. Throughout the whole episode, when they kept showing the outside of the city and moving from part to part.
8. Everett and Larry (the Wraith!). I didn't like Everett.
9. The Athosians wanting to help fight.

Thing's I Didn't Like:
1. Everett. Hate the man more than the Wraith. I mean...he's acting sucked and he was a jerk to Weir and McKay.
2. NO DAEDULUS! I so wanted to see it soooo bad!
3. The fight scenes weren't as exciting as I thought they would be.
4. Cliffhanger episode.
5. At the end, everyone is either dead, knocked out, or about to die (Sheppard).
6. NO DAEDULUS!

Good Quotes/Moments:
THE WHOLE THING! All 43 minutes of it from beginning to end!!

So a 10/10 no doubt. Only 6 more months till Season 2. I can deal. I know I can.

[Easter Lily]

What a nail-biter... I was on the edge of whatever seat I was on during most of the episode... and in the tradition of every Stargate season finale, it ended with (*surprise, surprise*) a cliffhanger.
Atlantis has exceeded my expectations... I really didn't expect TPTB to be able to maintain the tension for four straight episodes... it so un-Stargate ... I almost didn't want to watch it for fear of wanting more...

Colonel Everett seemed pretty much the Sumner clone... not one to suffer fools gladly... it doesn't sound like most people were convinced by his Southern air... I didn't mind him... I thought he acted fairly consistently as the military stereotype who reeks of overweening arrogance and then later softens when he realises that this is no normal military situation... I was grinning inwardly when Rodney took him down a peg or two later... came close to cheering actually...
It was nice to see Sheppard stick up for Weir in front of Everett... it really showed how much he has grown in his attitude towards Weir's leadership since Hot Zone.

When Sheppard runs off to do his thing at the end... I thought... "that is so Sheppard... that is something he would do... it is very consistent with who he is all throughout the first season." I think it exemplifies his attitude and actions in Hot Zone very effectively. On another forum someone accused Sheppard of being selfish and thoughtless in his decision making process... but I think far from being selfish, Sheppard has very good intentions... to the point of being self-sacrificing... that is his blind spot... he cares too much and he is a man of action. He is not one to standby and do nothing if he feels he has the power to make things happen.

Weir did well in this episode too... I thought the Genii were going to cause problems again... but almost cheered again when Weir told the commander to "get off his high horse" (so to speak). It was pretty gutsy... once again it shows growth in her journey as leader of the expedition... shows how much she has had to adapt to the circumstances around her...

Some nice banter between Zelenka and Rodney... it was important for us to see how much of a toll the situation had taken on both of them... ie the need for stimulants... that created a sense of weariness and urgency for me. Hopefully we'll continue to see more of Zelenka in Season 2.

It was a wonderful episode all in all (the drama, the excitement, the danger so close at hand)... it reminded me of how much I'm going to miss Atlantis during the hiatus...

[ShadowMaat]

it doesn't sound like most people were convinced by his Southern air...

Maybe if he'd kept the Southern accent consistently. It seemed like the actor kept forgetting to do it- sometimes Everett had an accent, sometimes he didn't and his voice still didn't sound right.

I think it's funny that someone else thought he sounded like PDL at times, too.

I wasn't convinced by any aspect of this character. And I'll agree with him being a clone of Sumner. But while I understand that stereotypes are stereotypes because people do tend to behave in certain ways, I'm getting a bit sick of the gung-ho hooyah military stereotype. I didn't like it in Sumner and I like it even less in Everett.

His confrontation with Shep about his "good friend" annoyed me, too. But then, EVERYTHING about him annoyed me. Ye gods, who knew someone could actually make the female wraith look GOOD...

[CrackedButter]

Maybe if he'd kept the Southern accent consistently. It seemed like the actor kept forgetting to do it- sometimes Everett had an accent, sometimes he didn't and his voice still didn't sound right.

I think it's funny that someone else thought he sounded like PDL at times, too.

I wasn't convinced by any aspect of this character. And I'll agree with him being a clone of Sumner. But while I understand that stereotypes are stereotypes because people do tend to behave in certain ways, I'm getting a bit sick of the gung-ho hooyah military stereotype. I didn't like it in Sumner and I like it even less in Everett.

His confrontation with Shep about his "good friend" annoyed me, too. But then, EVERYTHING about him annoyed me. Ye gods, who knew someone could actually make the female wraith look GOOD...

They are not clones.

Sumner was not gung ho either and the fact that they made Everett a Southerner should of been a clear enough signal that he was different to Sumner as well.

Sumner was always hesitant with having Weir as an equal before the fan was hit with something. Everett had no issues with her at all. He is military and thought military, he was respectful and held nothing against her either. He was even gracious to her at times, like with offering the chair back.

[joanne1138]

He is military and thought military, he was respectful and held nothing against her either.

He largly ignored her until Sheppard coerced him into letting her into the meeting, because she was civilian. I call that holding something against her. He was somewhat condescending to her also, later on.

It not that I really hate him now, but his first few scenes gave me murderous urges. I'm indifferent towards him now. With time (although I suspect from his last scene, he does not have much of that) I may work up to something in the region of like.