"STARGATE ATLANTIS: SEASON FIVE"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ****1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Joe Flanigan as LT. COL. JOHN SHEPPARD David Hewlett as DR. RODNEY MCKAY Rachel Luttrell as TEYLA EMMAGAN Jason Momoa as RONON DEX Jewel Staite as DR. JENNIFER KELLER Robert Picardo as RICHARD WOOLSEY Christopher Heyerdahl as TODD THE WRAITH Not Rated Studio: MGM Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
“Stargate Atlantis,” a spin-off of the long-running, popular science fiction series “Stargate SG-1,” wrapped up its five year run this past season, now available on DVD. As with the previous season, the Atlantis team sees some changes, mainly with Richard Woolsey (Robert Picardo) taking over as team leader from Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping). This season wraps up most of the dealings in the Pegasus Galaxy, in particular, finding an end to the Wraith problem – both everyday Wraith and hybrids in the hand of Michael. It’s a darker season, and ends with a bang.
WHAT I LIKED
I have been a fan of the “Stargate” universe ever since I started watching “Atlantis” in season two. Since then, I have devoured all things “Stargate Atlantis” and even went back and caught up on all ten seasons of “Stargate SG-1.” It’s terribly sad to see “Atlantis” end, especially since the show was in such a great stride in this season.
However, having an ending point in sight has helped flesh out some characters, in particular some of the relationships with the folks on the Atlantis team. It’s nice to see how Rodney McKay has grown over the years, and he even has a shot at romance, which gives us nerds hope. Romance is also dabbled into with Ronon and Sheppard, as well as Teyla dealing with a baby and some tragedy with the folks from her home world.
Robert Picardo was a great replacement for Samantha Carter, considering she never quite fit in with the Atlantis crowd. Going from an SG-1 member to a more administrative position put her in a weird place. Picardo fits in so much better as a stuffy administrator, but he also has been given a chance to grow into the real-world experiences of the Pegasus Galaxy and now realizes why rules aren’t always followed.
One of the best parts of this season has been how it deals with the supporting cast. Not only do we get to see a return of Dr. Beckett (or at least a version of him), but we also get a nice cameo episode with Michael Shanks as SG-1’s Daniel Jackson. The character of Todd the Wraith (Christopher Heyerdahl) is expanded upon, and Michael the Wraith hybrid is presented as a formidable foe for the Atlantis team.
I can’t say that I wanted to see this series come to an end because it was one of my guilty pleasures on Friday nights, but it was still a lot of fun to watch.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
My biggest problem with the last season of “Stargate Atlantis” was that the last five or six episodes were a bit frustrating. The showrunners knew that the season was coming to an end, but they didn’t milk the continuing storyline of the Pegasus Galaxy for all it was worth in the remaining episodes. Similar to how “Battlestar Galactica” ended its run this season, we got a handful of stand-alone episodes when we could have spent more time delving into the ongoing storyline of Michael, Todd and the various enemies to the human race in this galaxy.
DVD FEATURES
So many series come on strong with awesome special features on their first couple seasons only to piddle out in the later ones. Fortunately, the “Stargate Atlantis” series offers plenty of bonus content on the DVDs. Damn near every episode has a commentary track featuring the directors, producers and cast. Like previous seasons, each disc includes Mission Directives, which delve into the behind-the-scenes of select episodes.
Each disc also contains photo and design galleries along with some deleted scenes. Various behind-the-scenes featurettes include “Showdown! Ronon v. Tyre,” “Bringing the Seed to Life,” “Tricks of the Trade: Submerging the Stargate,” “Joe Flanigan: A Conversation with the Colonel,” “Dr. Jackson Goes to Atlantis,” “Building a Humanoid,” “The Life and Death of Michael Kenmore,” “Stargate Atlantis Goes to Vegas” and a look inside the Stargate costume department.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
“Stargate Atlantis” fans, naturally.
