It will probably be next year by the time I’ve finished rounding up all of last years TV, probably why the Pie Man television awards is a better format. Still, I thought I’d make some comments on some series.
Incidentally, Reilly 2040 has done his own version on his blog, I heartily recommend you check it out (Obviously not you Reilly 2040, you being my main reader and all)
Anyway, one show which completely failed to register on either my awards or Reilly’s was Stargate Atlantis, which is odd considering it was its final season. To be honest, it was because for a large part this season was a little bit meh.
Atlantis always did suffer from padding, not network mandated; just it tended to run on the formula of
- wrap up cliff-hanger from previous season
- Padding episodes
- Mid season arc
- Padding
- Final arc leading to season cliff-hanger
It worked, provided the previous, next and mid season arcs were good enough, it’s just that this season wasn’t particularly memorable. The wrap-up and conclusion to the season opener wasn’t bad, and the slowly developing arc with Todd the wraith was fun, but in general I struggle to remember any of it. One thing I will say is that Robert Picardo was a breath of fresh air to Atlantis, finally having a leader who could genuinely cause a little friction compared to Weir’s “No Col Sheppard, don’t do that or I’ll cry”
And that’s really it, in the end I’ll miss Ronin being hard, I’ll miss Sheppard and I’ll miss Rodney McCay and his rather charming romance with Dr Keller.
On the other hand we have Universe starting this year, which looked iffy, like Stargate Voyager, but then the announcement that it featured none other than Robert Carlyle has sparked some pretty serious interest. With an Atlantis TV movie as well I’ll still be following the Stargate crews for at least another year.
I think the thing for me that kept Atlantis off my radar was more its dependibility. Yes it rarely made you leap off your seat and cry "Nooooooo!!!!!!" and wait nervously for next week, however it was always enjoyable. I knew that every week I could watch an episode of Atlantis, and walk away happy.
ReplyDeleteUnless it was a Teyla episode. Always just found her dull.
I'm finding that losing Atlantis has more been a slow burn thing. The season ended as it normally would, and its only been as we come to the point where we'd normally have had some new episodes, that the absence of Rodney and co has become more keenly felt.
Nice ending though. Granted, there's still the issue of the Wraith munching their way through the Pegasus Galaxy (surely the topic for the upcoming DVD movie), but something about ending with Atlantis back on Earth, just felt right.
I imagine the big, invisible alien city is wrecking havoc on the shipping lanes though.
True, basically atlantis have said "Up yours pegasus, wraith are your problem"
ReplyDeleteI'd really like as an idea in Universe, taht the Stargate programme has gone public and that atlantis is now a nation in its own right.
Tayla was dull though. You are right, I'm missing atlantis a little, just feel like there should be some stargate on.
Not long to go thankfully. October for Universe on Sky One.
ReplyDeleteThere's been talk of quite a few SG-1 guest stars in the first season, but I'm holding out for some Atlantis guest stars as well. Although anyone other than Rodney or Zelenka might be a stretch to fit in. Shep probably depends on how the TV movie leaves Atlantis.
I'd almost expect Rodney, surely an expert on aincients must be consulted on occasion. Rumour in Universe is that they'll use that body occupying device that SG1 used during the Ori arcs, you know, the quantum leap esque one, so we may have Universe peope inhabiting SG1/Atlantis bodies or an SG1/Atlantis bod occupying a Universe persons body for a story.
ReplyDeleteIf this shows up twice then E-Mail replying to feeds works