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As Lt. Aiden Ford recovers from a near-fatal encounter with
a Wraith, the team's new ship, the Daedulus, arrives
to defend Atlantis from the Wraith onslaught. But it may be
too late when the team discovers that an even larger armada
is on the way...
The
Siege - Part III, sees Mitch Pileggi (The X-Files's
Walter Skinner) sign on as Col. Steven Caldwell, the captain
of the Daedulus. This episode also sees a dramatic
change for one of the regular characters on the show. I have
to admit to not being sure, at first, how I felt about this.
But, to be honest, this gives the show an edge and helps to
bring some much needed jeopardy to the show.
This
episode also sees a vast improvement in the special effects
over last year. Listening to the audio commentary it is revealed
that James Tichenor (who was responsible for the majority
of the effects on SG-1) is now the show's visual effects
supervisor. And it shows.
All
in all, this is a pretty good start to the show's second season.
The Daedulus is infected by a Wraith computer virus
that threatens everyone on board. Can McKay come up with a
solution in time? Or will they all become food for the Wraith...?
The
Intruder is a bit of a cheap shot really. The plot is
almost identical to the Season
Four SG-1 episode Entity. But,
instead of a M.A.L.P being the hiding place for the virus,
it's the Daedalus's F-302s. It's also ironic that Peter DeLuise
directs this episode - as he originally wrote Entity.
Basically,
a virus has infected the Daedulus's computer. It's
gained control of most of the systems before the crew realise,
and starts broadcasting a distress signal towards the Wraith
homeworld. The crew are sitting ducks until Shepphard comes
up with a plan to stop the broadcast. Then the virus instructs
the Daedulus to fly towards the nearest sun. With time
running out McKay must come up with a plan before the Wraith
arrive or the crew are killed by radiation poisoning.
While
this is an enjoyable romp, it's still a cheap rip-off and
I can't believe the writer managed to get away with it.
The
audio commentary with director Peter DeLuise and SG-1's
Gary Jones (who plays Walter Harriman) is amusing - even though
it's odd that Jones should be commenting on a series he wasn't
involved with. Their gag about "space poop" is most
amusing. Basically, as poop is flushed out into space, DeLuise
and Jones wonder why enemies don't have a space poop detector
that can follow the path of space poop back to any ship they
are tracking.
Sheppard and his team attempt to locate Lieutenant Ford but
get more than they bargain for when they find themselves held
captive by a former soldier who is being hunted by The Wraith...
In
Runner we are introduced to the show's new regular cast
member in the form of Ronon. It looks like this character
is going to provide some additional benefits as well as problems
for the Atlantis crew. As he's had to fight to keep himself
alive, trusting no one, it's surely only a matter of time
before there is a stand off and Ronon has a problem with being
given orders.
There's
some much needed light relief as McKay moans about the radiation
levels on the planet and spends his time walking all over
the place wearing a heavy radiation suit.
The
audio commentary with director Martin Wood and David Hewlett
(McKay) is amusing. I especially enjoyed hearing about Hewlett's
experience of being hung upside down just after he'd stuffed
his face.
While off world McKay and Lt. Cadman are captured by a Wraith
dart. The vessel is shot down before it can make it through
the stargate. A technical glitch in retrieving the two members
of Atlantis forces McKay and Cadman to coexist inside McKay's
body...
Duet
features
the infamous McKay/Beckett kiss scene. The entire episode
is played for laughs and works really well. The whole episode
rests on the shoulders of Hewlett - if his acting had been
even slightly off then the whole episode wouldn't have worked.
Thankfully he turns in a magnificent performance.
It
was interesting to learn, in the audio commentary, that actor
David Nykl went to clown college - although, that may have
been another off-the wall DeLuise gag. Also, DeLuise admits
that he paid homage to Little Britain in this episode.
Extras
on this release, as well as the audio commentaries, include
Mission Directive: The Intruders (11 minute behind
the scenes look at the filming of The Intruders with
DeLuise; Mission Directive: The Siege - Part III (11
minute look at the making of The Siege - Part III with
Martin Wood; and a photo gallery.
It's
good to see that the producers are not afraid to shake things
up in this season. Hopefully this should ensure that the show
stays fresh. This collection certainly includes a nice mix
of episodes.
Pete
Boomer
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