2004 |
20 50 minute episodes |
SF elements |
hostile alien contact; FTL travel |
Review |
It's difficult starting a new series spun off from an existing successful one. Some succeed ( Angel , for example), but most fail ( Crusade springs to mind). Stargate Atlantis is one of the successes. The premise is simple: a group of scientists and soldiers leave Earth for a trip to the lost Ancient city of Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy, hoping to find technology to help in the war against the Goa'uld. But it will be a one-way trip unless they can find a power source to open their Stargate for their return. Once there, they discover an even bigger threat to humanity: the Wraith. The team struggle with advanced technology, limited numbers of personnel, and a galaxy full of people who have been harvested by the Wraith for generations. The series takes a few episodes to get going, for the characters to shake down. It manages not to fall into the trap of a strict "planet of the week" structure, but has just a few set pieces, with an arc that builds up to a fantastic climactic battle against the Wraith, and a nail-biting cliff-hanger. Roll on season 2! |
Rating: 3 |
[ unmissable | great stuff | worth watching | mind candy | waste of time | unfinishable ] |
reviewed 18 September 2005