For the first time ever, fans can catch up on season 3 before
season 4 begins on Sci Fi!
.com
----
With Stargate SG-1 now permanently off the data screen
(except for a TV movie or two) after ten productive seasons, it
appears that the e of the universe is now the responsibility
of the Stargate Atlantis crew. Based on the latter's third
season, whose 20 episodes (plus a wealth of bonus features) are
made available here on five discs, we're in good hands.
Three years into it, Atlantis has retained numerous familiar
elements while continuing to evolve steadily. The core cast is
intact, with the cocky wiseacre-hero Lt. Col. John Sheppard (Joe
Flanigan) and the egotistical, neurotic genius Dr. Rodney McKay
(David Hewlett) still the most entertaining of the bunch; as the
series explores the characters' personal lives and backstories,
we even meet (in "McKay and Mrs. Miller") the latter's sister,
who's every bit the wiz that he is. On the other hand, the roles
of team leader Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson) and members
Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) and Ronon Dex (Jason Momoa) are neither
especially well-written nor well-played. The return of Richard
Dean Anderson (and his sense of humor) as General Jack O'Neill,
the SG-1 mainstay during most of its run, for a few cameos is
most welcome, as is the presence of the Wraith, the series'
principal villains (SG-1 fans will also recognize the "sentient
machines" known as the Replicators from that series). With their
flowing white locks, cat-like eyes, pale, almost translucent
skin, ultra-fine black leather dusters, and, in one case, shades
that would make a Hollywood hipster envious, the Wraith remain
the coolest bad guys on the sci-fi scene. We already knew that
they feed on humans, but this season brings some startling new
revelations, particularly in "Common Ground," an excellent
episode that finds Sheppard and a Wraith (Christopher Heyerdahl)
forming an unlikely alliance against a mutual enemy; we also
witness the return of the Wraith known as Michael (Connor
Trinneer), who was the subject of the Atlantis team's ongoing
"retro-virus" experiment (designed to make Wraiths human) in
Season Two and plays a significant recurring role in Season
Three. Other developments are apparent as well, but most dramatic
of all is the death of one of the team's key members.
Stargate Atlantis isn't the most original TV show ever created;
in fact, elements of The Running Man, Alien, The Abyss, Enemy
Mine, and other sci-fi works are sometimes so obvious that the
characters themselves mention them in dialogue. But as always,
the action sequences, special effects, models, and other
technical elements are first-rate, as are the bonus features,
which include episode commentaries, featurettes, and photo
galleries. --Sam Graham
Beyond Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Third Season
Stargate SG-1 Complete DVD Series (
/gp/series/813/ref=pd_serl_dvd/103-8428573-9535801?ie=UTF8&edition=dvd
)
Stargate Atlantis Books (
/s/ref=sr_nr_i_0/103-8428573-9535801?ie=UTF8&rs=&keywords=stargate%20atlantis&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Astargate%20atlantis%2Ci%3Astripbooks
)
Stargate Toys and Games (
/s/ref=nb_ss_t/103-8428573-9535801?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dtoys-and-games&field-keywords=stargate&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
)
Stills from Stargate Atlantis: The Complete Third Season