My thoughts on Atlantis, because I'm sure everyone wants to know

[thegrrrl2002]

I enjoyed it. It had some good moments, some bad moments, and one or two almost brilliant moments. Not bad for a premiere, considering they had a lot of exposition to cover and new baddies to be introduced.

Quick, random thoughts:
I liked Weir in this, liked her a lot. That moment in the control room, when the gate was activated and Jack told her to go--she looked so scared and excited and bug-eyed that I just adored her. It was a great moment for her.

So, could they have beaten us over the head any more with the Sheppard Is A Maverick bit? By the third time it was mentioned I was rolling my eyes, but I have to admit, I really dig the character. It's not because I think he's way cute, honest. It's not. I think it has something to do with the Jimmy Steward-esque delivery. But the moment he really worked for me was when he shot Colonel Sumner.

Teyla wasn't quite as annoying as I was afraid she was going to be. But I'm not exactly warming up to her, either.

McKay! McKay! He got so beautifully pissy over the renaming of the Gateship. I love him.

The doc was okay, love the accent, but I thought he was a little goofy and over the top. I liked that he was afraid of the technology, though. But...goofy.

Lieutenant Ford didn't get much to do, but I enjoyed all his scenes, particularly those with Sheppard in the gateship/puddlejumper. They seem to play well together. Hmmm.

Notice I haven't mentioned the actual story yet. It was okay, had it's slow moments, the obvious exposition and setup stuff, like certain things being a little too convenient--they could work all that ancient technology so easily, and the wraith just happen to attack the planet they gate to, they find friendly natives very quickly, etc. And I find the wraith more annoying than scary. Sort of a one-note. Yeah, okay, you're the evilest thing ever. Right. I think they're trying just a little too hard.

So, overall, I'm really looking forward to the rest of the season, the new stories, and watching the actors get comfortable with their characters. Should be interesting.

Comments

[destina.livejournal.com]

Awww, see, you have a good icon. And I don't. Darn it, I'll have to get on that tomorrow. *g*

Teyla wasn't quite as annoying as I was afraid she was going to be. But I'm not exactly warming up to her, either.

I don't actively dislike her. Yet. But it could still go either way.

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

Iconage is very important, isn't it?

The whole necklace thing with Teyla didn't work for me at all. Yeah, you dropped a necklace, and yeah, Sheppard found it. Cue big dramatic music and much gazing.

Huh?

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

I like to pretend they're doing fucking awful 'ship on Atlantis to make us all see how comparatively unshite S/J is. Heh.

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

Oh, like that's going to work. :P

[thenightsfall]

I don't think we're exactly sympatico on the characters - see my LJ exposition of the ep :g: - but the Wraith... Yeah. Before we knew a host could survive being separated from its symbiote, before the Goa'uld got too campy and the Jaffa became too humanized to seem the ultimate evil in the universe... In the first few seasons of SG-1, they came close to seeming the ultimate evil. But the Wraith... What are they going to do to you? Kill you and eat you, yeah, apparently, but I'd take that over spending thousands of years in my own body with absolutely no control over it or my life.

So far, the Wraith don't exactly have me quaking in my boots, but mayhap more inherent evilness will be revealed. :cue ominous spooky music:

Personally? My greatest fear is that all my fave J/D authors will get hooked on this show and jump ship! 'Cause, y'know, they can't do that! I've only just discovered Stargate SG-1 and J/D! ; )

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

I'm interested to see if they develop the whole Wraith storyline like they did with the Goa'uld, or if they just turn out to be one-note evil beings. I like all the political machinations of the System Lords, and that they fight amongst themselves. And that they're always planning *something.*

[thenightsfall]

Yeah, I agree that the Wraith have the potential to be very one-note evilness. With the Goa'uld, you do have different personalities and agendas going on, lots of politics and subterfuge and stabbing others in the back, etc. They make you think and wonder, trying to figure out what's really going on, plus there was all that longstanding personal angle with Daniel and Teal'c and Jack that added a whole other level to the Goa'uld as The Enemy, something that isn't there with the Wraith.

Someone likened the Wraith to the hive mentality of ST's Borg, and that did seem to be the case, as did their sharing the same one motivation in their actions. So, yeah, that's not promising for a lot of complexity and subtlety or surprises from the Wraith as the main enemy.

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping that since they've been around for so many years (millions?) that will give them an opportunity to have an interesting history, at least.

[wickdzoot.livejournal.com]

You know, I think you're exactly right about my issues with Sheppard. Not that they're big issues, and it is, after all, the dreaded exposition pilot, where all things must be delineated.

I personally find the Wraith pretty fucking scary, too. A) regenerative abilities, B) regenerative abilities linked to the life sucking abilities, C) obviously no concept of environmental protection if they feed to the point they have to put everyone in stasis to let the 'herd' build back up, and D) looking for more human worlds.

Works for me. Scarier than the Goa'uld, you ask me.

[thegrrrl2002.livejournal.com]

So, this Sheppard guy, seems like he doesn't always play by the rules. Just a feeling I'm getting. ::snorts::

I thought the wrath were creepy until the magenta-haired one starting going on and on during the torture scene with Sumner. Wraith Exposition Time. I think the scene went on a little too long or something. Or maybe it was just the effect of cramming so much story into two hours, when I really wanted to know more about the characters. I think if they use the wraith well, there can be some real scary potential.

[wickdzoot.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah, the ego exposition was sorta built in to the dreaded exposition pilot thing, but potential, whoot, what potential.

[gypsy86.livejournal.com]

yeah at the moment during the torture scene where Sumner realizes they gasp! eat people I snickered. Whoops.

But see then, she figures out their from another planet the Wraith have never been too, and we've got billions of "happy meals with legs" and I started rooting for Sumner to resist.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

The doc was okay, love the accent, but I thought he was a little goofy and over the top. I liked that he was afraid of the technology, though. But...goofy.

Like all Scottish people, he likes undying disembodied hands. I'm glad they left that in as it's true to the culture.

[corilannam.livejournal.com]

But the moment he really worked for me was when he shot Colonel Sumner.

That was the moment that won me over. It was like, okay, yeah, he might just be the real thing after that.

McKay! McKay! He got so beautifully pissy over the renaming of the Gateship. I love him.

Oh, me, too. And I loved that whole sequence -- the first moment when I felt like they might really gel as a team.

Lieutenant Ford didn't get much to do, but I enjoyed all his scenes, particularly those with Sheppard in the gateship/puddlejumper. They seem to play well together. Hmmm.

Yes, hmmm. They're no Jack and Daniel, of course, but I do sense a certain potential for cuteness.

[sheron]

That moment in the control room, when the gate was activated and Jack told her to go--she looked so scared and excited and bug-eyed that I just adored her.

That was a great moment for her. If she has more of those I could really like her.

I like Sheppard's character because he's so thrown into this without any prep. I just wish we could see some stress for him, and I mean beyound the guilt over the Colonel. He flew that ship for a damn long time and yeah, he was sweating, but if they don't explore possible problems with interfacing alien technology with human brain I'll be dissapointed.

I liked the doc, he was just so goofy.

Am I the only one who assumed when the red-hair girl said that they're "merely the caretakers" that their 'sleeping masters' will be far more dangerous? Possibly different aliens altogether but employing the Wraith like Goa'uld employ Jaffa?