STARGATE ATLANTIS

THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

YEAR RELEASED: 2004

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: violence

Rated:

I am not an enormous fan of sci-fi shows. I did not grow up on George Lucas or the Star Trek franchise, so it is rare that I find a sci-fi film that I can sink my teeth into. It just so happens that Stargate Atlantis is the one exception.

The secret military branch of the US government is heading up an expedition to travel by the Stargate into the Pegasus Galaxy, a collection of yet-unexplored planets thousands of light years away from earth. In command of the team is Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson), who is eager to explore the city of Atlantis, the last known civilization of a race of super-humans known as the "ancients." In the midst of an arctic expedition to unearth some of the ancient's technology on earth, she discovers that Colonel John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) is a descendent of the ancients. He is removed from the military, briefed, and given the opportunity to accompany them on what might be a one-way trip to Atlantis. Curious to discover new worlds, he accompanies the  brainy Dr. McKay (David Hewlett), courageous Lt. Ford (Rainbow Francks), and Scottish Dr. Beckett (Paul McGillion) through the Stargate.

On the other side is an advanced civilization lost for over ten thousand years, but the arrival of humans threatens the delicate balance and powers up the city's source of energy, causing its protective shields to weaken. Atlantis is beneath the sea, and any effort to inhabit her endangers the city to flooding. Once that problem is solved, it is on to the next series of dangerous adventures, including the ultimate discovery of the Wraith. Hideous, inhuman creatures that live by draining the life force from mankind, they are one of the most powerful adversaries in the galaxy. Trapped in Atlantis with no way to return to earth, it is up to Sheppard and his friends, including the beautiful native Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) to find some source of energy to power the shields, search out intelligent and friendly life forms, and ultimately arm against the Wraith.

If you are a fan of SGI, it's likely that you can just coast right into this spin-off series without losing any steam. Several characters from the original make guest appearances -- Jack O'Neal, and Sam Carter among them. But even if you're not very familiar with SGI, it's not hard to follow Atlantis. The characters are independent of the original show and it can stand alone without much effort. It has excellent character development, very little angst, and tight, impressive writing. I've rarely run across such a talented effort that works in every way possible. The cast have a lot of chemistry and work off one another well. The lines are snappy and funny, and no two characters sound alike. And even though the genre has been much over-used, everything about this show seems unique and new simply because of its approach. Plus, they have some nasty villains. If the sight of a pale, snake-like, part-vampire Queen Wraith with brilliant red hair doesn't give you the willies, nothing will. I have to give them kudos for the scare-factor involved.

Best of all, there really are not a lot of content issues in the first season. Profanities pop up every now and again in strenuous situations, but are never pervasive. (Beckett does like saying "bloody" a lot.) There are maybe four mild innuendos in total. Teyla wears a few midriff-revealing outfits. In fact the only thing going against it is the violence, which isn't at all bad for a show in the genre but might make it a little too gruesome for younger children. Wraiths drain the life from their victims, causing the person to age rapidly and deteriorate. Because they are difficult to kill, the Atlantis crew drill them with bullets whenever possible. Emotionally, the concept of humans being fed on, and put in frozen storage lockers for later meals, is rather disturbing. In one late episode, villagers can be heard screaming in terror in the background as Wraith ships beam them up in mid-flight.

There are occasional human scraps. It's implied that a man has been mildly tortured for information. A virus breaks out and causes humans to spit up blood after suffering brain aneurisms. There are also references to different religions. The inhabitants of one planet worship a goddess. When it is assumed that Teyla might die on a mission, her people ask permission to comfort her with readings of her faith. There's never much exploration of it, and the series focuses on its characters and their situations more. There are some really fun episodes, as well as a few that will make your skin crawl. But be forewarned, just about everyone is in peril at the season finale, which will leave you running to the video store for more.