What do you get when you create a spin-off from one of the world's most successful Sci-Fi shows? Well, if the starting show in question is Stargate-Sg1 turns out what you get is something of a rather bland series that occasionally has flashes of top notch story telling.
That show is Stargate : Atlantis. After five years Atlantis is to be cancelled, news that was met not with outrage and surprise but rather with shrugs and murmurs about it probably being about time.
The main problem here was that the show failed to ever really stamp a real identity of it's own, it always seemed like Sg-1's little brother always anxious for attention. In fact the template was so similar despite the differing galaxies to it's parent show that you could be forgive for not realising which one you were watching.
For example the Wraith were a similar threat to the G'ould for a long time and just as they began to really become distinct they suddenly got sidelined in favour of the uninspired machinations of a new race of Replicators. Thank goodness then for Micheal, who fulfills the role of nemesis with aplomb even if he has become saddled with a tiresome quest for a tiresome woman's baby.
The inclusion, under-use and subsequent removal of Carter highlights Atlantis shoe shuffling as it tried to strike out by itself now it's parent was feet up in repeat retirement land. Although the swap for Wosely seems promising, you can't help but feel that he two will fade into the background.
If not for the banter between McKay and Shepard it's more than likely that the show would have been cancelled a long time ago, but their constant interplay does often serve to undermine the action and drama. We never genuinely believe it they are in danger, at all.
Elsewhere Teyla is just plain dull, Dr Carson has been cruelly frozen, Dr Kellar will never now get time to really develop (tho' Miss Staite is a welcome face on the cast!), Forrest never did develop and vanished just as he threatened to get interesting and Ronan is Teal'c with a different haircut.
So with Atlantis on the way out what do we have next? We have the incoming Stargate : Universe, which from the details release sounds very much like (worryingly so in fact) Stargate does Voyager. Who thought they could come up with a concept that makes TimeGate sound like a good idea.
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