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Along with Dr. Weir, Sheppard's team discovers a technologically
advanced city whose people appear to have a past history with
Atlantis. But while they hope to form a coalition against
the Wraith, the city's leader has other plans for Atlantis...
Progeny
is an interesting episode that revisits one of Stargate's
old enemies. I won't spoil which one for you, but needless
to say that it's pretty obvious that the Atlantis crew win
through and that, the ending won't see the end to the threat.
There's
a great scene where McKay is getting so frustrated with having
to do everything he asks: "Why don't I just go on these
missions alone?"
Andy
Mikita (director) and Mark Savela (VFX supervisor) provide
an interesting audio commentary which, it's not surprising
to learn, mainly deals with the visual effects in this episode.
Dr. Weir awakens to find herself back on Earth in a psychiatric
hospital. Even worse, she learns that a car crash killed her
boyfriend and that her experience of the entire Atlantis expedition
was merely a hallucination...
The
Real World is one of those sci-fi cliché episodes.
This has been done numerous times before in other shows and
I couldn't help thinking: "Okay, when are we going to
go back to Atlantis and find Weir is having her mind probed
by an alien species; discover she is dreaming; or suffering
from an alien hallucinogenic virus?"
Needless
to say it's not spoiling anything to reveal that one of the
above is correct. However, despite the fact we know that Weir
will be okay, there is some serious jeopardy played out in
this episode. And for fans who are still reeling from the
fact that Rainbow Francks's Aiden Ford left the show in the
second series, and that another of the regular cast is to
bow out in this season, nothing is certain in Atlantis
- which is probably why it appeals to fans worldwide.
An
average story that manages to be much more than the sum of
its parts.
Sheppard is kidnapped by the Genii and taken to an unfamiliar
planet, where he's held prisoner by an old nemesis. Only by
forming an unlikely alliance with another prisoner does Sheppard
stand a chance of escaping alive...
Common
Ground is an interesting episode - even though I generally
dislike it when sci-fi shows try to humanise their alien threats.
We've seen this with Star Trek and the Klingons, Jem'Hadar,
and the Borg. While previous episodes in Atlantis have
dealt with this enemy (I don't want to spoil anything for
viewers who have yet to see this episode), and shown their
human side, Common Ground goes a lot further - and
shows us yet another side to this alien threat.
This
episode also sees the return of a couple of characters and
it's interesting to see that they don't really take centre
stage. Instead the writing concentrates more on the relationship
between Sheppard and the other prisoner. However, as there
is no real "Previously on Atlantis" segment
at the start of this episode, a lot of casual fans may feel
a little lost.
William
Waring (director) and Brenton Spencer (director of photography)
provide an audio commentary that gives away a major spoiler
for a future episode that reuses some of the characters in
this episode. I'd seriously avoid listening to it for that
reason alone.
When Rodney's estranged mathematician sister Jeanie comes
to Atlantis, her warnings about an experiment's effect on
other universes come true, and an alternate Dr. McKay arrives
from another universe to beg the team to stop their tests
- or risk destroying his world...
McKay
and Mrs. Miller stars Kate Hewlett, the real life sister
of David Hewlett - so the on screen chemistry is already there.
This is a great episode, but is not played entirely for laughs
as you might expect with a McKay heavy episode.
There
is nod and a wink to The
Terminator as the alternate Rodney appears,
in that famous crouching position, on Atlantis.
What's
also impressive is how, on the whole, a lot of the effects
shots were their are two Rodney's on screen at the same time
are pretty seamless. Normally shots like this stick out a
mile, but almost immediately you believe that there are two
different actors on screen.
Martin
Gero (producer / writer) and Martin Wood (director / supervising
producer) provide an interesting commentary (easily the most
enjoyable on this disc) that claims that one of the most costly
visual effects the show's ever done appears in this episode
- the simple looking beaming effect. Also Gero reveals that
originally the parallel universe McKay was going to sport
a moustache - as an in-joke to all those Trek episodes
where the alternate universe characters have facial hair to
show which is which.
Extras include the three audio commentaries already mentioned;
Mission Directive: "Progeny" featuring Andy Mikita
(11 min behind the scenes on the episode Progeny);
Profile on: Rachel Luttrell (15 minute interview and
clips with Luttrell who plays Teyla Emmagan. However, I strongly
suggest you skip this until you've seen all the episodes in
this season, as it includes a major (and I mean MAJOR) spoiler);
and stills gallery and production design gallery.
Pete
Boomer
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