Stargate Atlantis

[Ubik]

Well, I finished up with SGA last night. Season 5 all done and dusted. I was greatly amused by the CSI homage / spoof, although it felt like a bit of a gimmick and a quick way to generate another episode. The conclusion of the series; ermmm, felt a bit rushed and like any other ‘big explosions’ season finale. In some ways, I’m glad it ended because they could have easily spun it out for another 2-3 seasons in the same way, and I would have probably watched it, cause I’m sad like that.

Personally, I thought SGU had waaay more scope to be interesting, but I do understand why fans had an issue with the heavy handedness of its 'gritty' tone after the happy go lucky 'problem of the week' nature of SGA.

[Looney]

the episode structure is like a cardboard cut out.

I feel that is true for most of the Stargate Franchise. That is one of their biggest failures. Not that I feel SG-1 was a failure, but when it started going downhill the cardboard cut out didn't help slow the roll.

[Ubik]

I just noticed something really amusing. Almost every episode, with 3:20 remaining, so about 40 mins in THE PROBLEM OF THE WEEK IS SOLVED!

Every episode! It's a fun show but, the episode structure is like a cardboard cut out.

[phazedout]

We discussed that and Michael *does* return, the use of the retro virus is explored later in the season and the remifications from it for much of the season 3 and 4 arcs (in addition to some new villains).

please listen to our thoughts on it Ubik, you will see how we are puzzled by the very aspects of carson's motivations as you have raised here, it is a fun 45 or so minutes , plus we appreciate adidtional downlaods and listeneers. I told Mike you might want to come on, since you are (if memory serves) residing in Britain it should be easy to arrange times. I am good for recordin gup to about 19:00 BST.

Phaze

[Ubik]

I watched S2E18 ('Michael') last night, and it's perhaps the first episode I’ve seen that raises some interesting ethical questions, then sadly fails to do anything particularly interesting with them. It’s the one with the wraith who is temporarily reverted back to his human form by using the retro virus. Is it just me, or could this have been a really good episode if they’d focused more on: Are they right to deny Michael self-determination if he does want to revert to being a wraith? War crimes anyone? Questionable medical grounds? Can the wraith become human if handled more tactfully?

Dr. Carson spends a lot of time looking worried, but never really voices any real objections, which surprised me somewhat. It would have been a nice way to explore medical ethics, or I dunno… his character!?! Do you think Dr. Stephen Franklin would have put up with that kind of crap? Huh!? Do you!? He would have gotten real angry, there would have been world class indignation.

I was disappointed that this wasn’t really tackled in any depth. In the end we get a simple resolution that seems to amount to ‘oh… he’s a wraith again, so we can shoot at him and try to kill him’.

I did, however, like that Michael hesitates when offered the chance to feed on Teyla, but we never really know what his actions might have been if uninterrupted. I read on wikipedia that this episode got the lowest ratings of the season, which is a real shame. Even taking into account the above mentioned flaws, it stood out as more interesting. Or at least, having the potential to be more interesting.

It just reminds me how unique B5 was, in the way that it didn’t back away from hard questions. Even if you hate ‘Believers’, it’s still a shining example of not opting for an ‘easy out’ resolution that keeps everyone smiling.

[Looney]

the Genii are somewhat dull adversaries.

LOONEY
(JUMPS OUT FROM BEHIND A TREE)
I DISAGREE!

LOONEY disappears behind the the tree.

I thought the show suffered because they didn't give the Genii more of a role. I loved the dynamic of the Genii as adversaries because they were a desperate people who were less advanced, but very determined. Villains like the Genii are who the show should have focused on instead of the Vampires, I mean the Wraith. Don't get me wrong I think the show needed powerful villains who weren't the Goa'uld, but the Wraith too campy. I liked the hive aspect. I liked the hibernation bit, but what they did and even their appearance was borderline silly.

[Ubik]

why not listen to an episode after you watch the relevant one?

Cool. I'll give that a go tonight.

[phazedout]

why not listen to an episode after you watch the relevant one?

[Ubik]

The developing friendship between Rodney and Carson is nice to watch, there are larger arcs in the show and thinks really got interesting in season 3, stick with it, you could come in with us on some later episodes of s03 if you like.

Would be cool to join you guys to discuss an S3 episode, I expect it won't be too long and I'll be there. I tend to watch a few episodes per evening just to chill out, although more that one is probably verging on procrastination in front of Netflix!

[phazedout]

I consider kolya a more than worth avesery, plus, how dare you defame Colm Meaney.

Plus, Ronan is fun as the t'eulc analogue, although my personal experince of Jason Mamoa is that of a drunken idiot.

But admittedly it was one encounter at dragon con 2012 so I may be incorrect there.

The developing friendship between Rodney and Carson is nice to watch, there are larger arcs in the show and thinks really got interesting in season 3, stick with it, you could come in with us on some later episodes of s03 if you like.
Phaze
on the "stuffed, beyond stuffiness and off to the IESAF pub quiz this evening " ID

[Ubik]

I'm well into season 2 now and am getting a bit bored of the repeating plot devices. Team goes to planet, bad things happen, science or Col. Sheppard save the day in the final ten minutes!

Also, the Wraith and the Genii are somewhat dull adversaries. Best episode so far has been Rodney stuck in a sunken jumper on the seabed halucinating Samantha Carter. Says a lot really doesn't it.

[phazedout]

We will be covering SGU when we are done with SGA.

[Ubik]

We discuss sga every other week over on gatecast, we are currently in season 3, would you like to join us for an episode discussion? wander over to http://gatecast.co.uk and check out the schedule.

Phaze, I'll check that out.

I can imagine that anyone with a critical eye would find much to discuss. There are a few things that kinda bug me about SGA (apart from the above mentioned 'eureka' moment problem resolution). The other is the strangely diminishing strength of the Wraith. When the team first encounter the wraith they’re practically invincible, then they gradually seem to get easier and easier to kill with a few bursts of machine gun fire. Perhaps this is due to their ‘limited’ feeding grounds with so many hive ships awakened.

All that said, I’m loathe to really pick holes in SGA as I don’t really view it as ‘serious’ TV, it’s just a bit of fun, which is where the SG shows excel. It’s the kind of thing I watch to unwind.

I can understand why SGU really turned off long term SG fans, it’s because it’s essentially an easy going show, which SGU wasn’t. The attempt to emulate BSG was obvious from the go get, but I think SGU was still my favourite of the whole franchise by the time it hit the end of the second season.

[Looney]

So, I felt like some throwaway Sci-fi, just for light entertainment. I've been working my way through SGA on Netflix. It's fun enough, and it's worth it just for Rodney.

One thing that has really begun to bug me is that almost every single problem/episodal crisis is solved by some 'eureka' scientific or medical moment.

It's made me realise that B5 really did break the mould in term of things very rarely being solved by 'inverting the phase polarity of the flux capacitor to modulate the shields to 90hz thereby solving the problem of the week'.

It's crazy that so much episodal SF TV STILL reverts back to that old addage.

Zelenka and McKay are my favorites. I also like Beckett, Woolsey, Caldwell, and of course Carter. And yes Ubik is right. One huge problem with Stargate as a whole, almost every episode as a 'eureka' moment.

[phazedout]

We discuss sga every other week over on gatecast, we are currently in season 3, would you like to join us for an episode discussion? wander over to http://gatecast.co.uk and check out the schedule.