Feb 062016
 

Tracker

In the ninth episode of the season “Tracker” we meet a new runner named Kiryk played by Mike Dopud. Dr Keller is going to visit a world where the local village is in need of some basic treatment, Rodney decides to tag along and to his annoyance so does Ronon. As Jennifer examines a native woman the boys go to the local tavern and when they return Jennifer is missing and Ronon attempts to track her movements. He discovers she was taken by a single individual and the pursue but are foiled by some clever traps being set. Keeler learns that she has been taken to provide treatment for a young girl who the Runner is protecting but the Wraith turn up and now it’s a question who will get to their quarry first.

Tracker (29)

There isn’t a lot to say about Tracker since the story is fairly basic but it is an episode that focuses on character and we get that in spades with the performance of Mike and Jewel, the dynamic is well written and performed especially when we compare the portrayal of Keller in the earlier episode Missing, lots of character growth for the doctor. It’s not to say there isn’t plenty going on, the added impetus provided by the arrival of the Wraith sets up some good set piece action sequences and it’s interesting to see another Runner and his particular skill set aided by the alien transportation device. It also goes without saying that the woodland used to film the episode looked spectacular with some great shots captured and the commentary track for the episode goes into detail the issues which they had to overcome on this location shoot.

Tracker overall is an above average episode, not quite in the top tier but well worth a rewatch and of course we get to see Mike return the Stargate franchise in the second season of Universe.

This weeks podcast promo is for Nutty Bites the ever entertaining chat themed roundtable which discusses all things geek. Next week we are joined by Thomas for “First Contact” the first episode in a two parter where a new to the Pegasus alien species is introduced and who seriously shake things up, well whenever Daniel visits things happen 🙂

Thanks to Levi, Mack and Steve for the feedback, always appreciated and we’d love to get more so don’t be shy if you have something to say, you can email us or use this sites contact forms and we are also on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter so plenty of options.

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Jan 302016
 

The Queen

The Queen is the focal point of a Wraith Hive, the grand alliance is still struggling to deal with the emergence of Atlantis but unlike before there are Wraith who deal directly with the humans who now control the great city. In this episode the team approach a hive on a diplomatic mission, they board and are greeted by Todd and around a table filled with food (Todd at the farmer earlier). They discuss the use of the latest version of the retrovirus which could eliminate the need for Wraith to feed on humans and take sustenance from ordinary food. Todd is sceptical but agrees that it could give his hive an advantage but without the consent of the Queen who dominates the alliance nothing can be done. The only way to approach the ruling Queen with the idea of the retrovirus would be through another Queen and as Teyla has Wraith DNA it is decided that she will undergo drastic procedures to turn her into a Wraith at least in the short term.

TheQueen

After much deliberation Teyla undergoes the surgery and is transformed into a Wraith Queen. Todd teaches her some of the basics she needs to know as well as making her understand that attitude and confidence is everything when dealing with Wraith let alone another Queen. They board the Queen’s hive which then jumps into hyperspace and after some uneasy introductions Teyla is invited to discuss her purpose for the visit but Todd seizes his chance and drives a knife into her throat and as the alarms sound he jams the knife into Teyla’s hand. As the Wraith and Drones rush in Teyla plays her part shouting down descent and proclaiming that any Queen who could die so easy was not worthy of leading the alliance and now she is the Queen of this ship. The Wraith commander is not happy but accepts the new dynamic but then messages arrives telling of an incursion of one of their feeding grounds by another hive, Teyla reluctantly agrees to leave their position (knowing John and Co will have more trouble finding them) but a Queen would not ignore this incursion. Upon arrival she immediately orders an attack against the trespasser and Todd is unable to stop the wholesale slaughter of Wraith pilots and crews but even as things turn bad she is saved when the puddle jumper arrives via the Stargate and puts six drones into the opposing hive. Alas they are then captured and Teyla tells them to bide their time but is overheard by the commander who attempts to kill her, she defends herself and Todd finishes him off. She now has total control of the hive which she leaves in the capable hands of Todd with the promise to the crew that she is still their Queen and will protect them, she takes her leave with a warning to Todd that if he does anything stupid she can return and take command once again.

I think you may glean that I quite liked The Queen, it’s an excellent story giving the Wraith a lot more depth and opens up their society a little more. It also makes good use of the long term narrative of some Athosians being “tainted” by Wraith DNA and even offers the possibility that the Wraith and the humans are not as different as was indicated from the pilot of Atlantis and subsequent Wraith specific episodes. The makeup and prosthetics were stellar, the transformation of Teyla was spectacular and Rachel’s performance as she wrapped the cloak of her Wraith Queen persona around her was a sight to behold. Christopher was as ever wonderful as the uber intelligent and manipulative Todd and lets not forget Kenny either 🙂

Many thanks to Ian for joining us on the sunday afternoon to record this episode, he will return later in the season and thanks for the feedback over on google+ as well as continued support on Twitter and Facebook. This weeks promo is for the SciFi Diner podcast and next week we are taking a look at Tracker.

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Jan 232016
 

Whispers begins with events in a small village a year before a team from Atlantis arrives, we see two locals walking in the dark mist shrouded night and come across someone sitting on the ground, they approach and a creature is revealed which lunges at them killing one almost immediately. The other man escapes buts runs into a man wearing a gas mask who proceeds to attack him. We jump to the current time frame to find John and Carson walking through the woods and meet up with a SG team commanded by Major Teldy, introduction are made and we learn that one of Michael’s labs has been discovered in the nearby caverns. They soon realise this was the site of some early genetic experiments which may have back fired and left the nearby village devoid of life, most of this is confirmed by a local man named Mirellus who speaks of Demons in the mist. They decide to spend the night in the village but Sheppard, Teldy and Captain Vega head out to the nearby settlement for some supplies where they encounter something in the mist which reaches out and grabs Vega, they find her body soon after and then double time it back and discover all the stasis pods in the lab are now open. Carson, Dr Porter and Sgt. Mehra are a little on edge after hearing the commotion and Mehra goes out to investigate, after some time Carson then leaves and when they return Dr Porter is missing.

Events continue to spiral out of control but with each encounter some knowledge of these “demons” is discovered and they decide to set a trap at the village’s well using a laptop emitting a signal which will bring the demons into a killzone. John however is attacked while setting the C4 and in the commotion it blows and the team open up with their P90’s leaving all the demons dead. They all return to the lab and discover a well disguised door, they open it and find another room full of empty pods and they begin to be stalked by the remainder of Michael’s experiments but in the confined space the automatic weapons make light work of culling the demons. The episode wraps with a bookend of Carson, John and Rodney with Rodney mildly upset he knows nothing about a certain Dr Porter but at least Carson is staying in Pegasus so yay:)

Whispers is one of my favourite episodes of Stargate Atlantis, it’s incredibly atmospheric and wonderfully produced thanks to the clever idea of using a tent inside the studio which allowed them to film in simulated heavy fog/mist. That’s not all though, we finally see a bunch of female SGC members who just happen to be on the same team and each of them do credit to their rank and the SGC, granted the US military at the time was not overly keen on front line female soldiers but the need for intelligent and resourceful members of the SGC should have meant a great percentage of women serving than we were presented with over the years. Considering we only got the single episode/adventure of the team comprising of Major Teldy, Captain Vega (RIP), Sgt. Mehra and Dr Porter they left a very definite mark on the fanbase and who knows a sixth season or tv movie could have made good use of these characters.

Many thanks to Andrew for joining us again for this episode, he will return for at least two more before we movie onto Universe. Thanks to Brad for the feedback and to everyone that has kept in touch or supported the podcast on Twitter, Google+, Tumblr and Facebook. This weeks promo is for The Rusted Robot and next week we are going to be watching another excellent episode “The Queen”.

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Jan 162016
 

In The Shrine Rodney McKay develops a degenerative brain condition and within days his mental faculties decline with startling abruptness. Initially they believe a mission to a failed research camp which had been destroyed by a flood coupled with spending hours soaking wet and cold on top of the Stargate was the root cause but only Rodney was affected. However Jennifer with help from the Pegasus natives identifies the condition as “Second Childhood” a known condition in the Pegasus galaxy which is caused by a parasite that embeds itself in the brain and creates similar symptoms as Alzheimer’s. Jeannie is brought to Atlantis to say her goodbyes to Rodney and Ronon approaches her with his own experience of the condition which had affected his grandfather.  It seems there is a shrine that has the capability to nullify the symptoms for one day allowing the sufferer to spend quality time with their family and friends. Jeannie decides to take Rodney to this Shrine despite Jennifer’s scientific doubts but they have to get past the Wraith outpost, fortunate the Wraith are a little dumb or complacent.
The Shrine

When they enter the Shrine it’s effect is felt quickly and Rodney regains his sensors, he is alarmed at the news but Jennifer identifies the radiation source being emitted from the Ancient device in the cave. She correctly speculates that this causes the parasite to shrink (for a time) but maybe with it in a tightly controlled area of the brain the option to surgically remove it although with limited tools it will require a lot of skill and some luck.

The Shrine is considered one of the best episodes of Stargate Atlantis and a firm fan favourite, it also gains a lot of praise for David who gave us a Rodney McKay so very different than what we were accustomed too, it was also interesting to see the dynamic between Pegasus folklore and Earth scientific method clash although that was more for effect than a plot element that was going to be explored in depth. It was also great to see Kate return to the show for her final appearance as Jeannie Miller and it was heart breaking to and inspiring to see Rodney confess his feelings to Jennifer even if he needed the security blanket of a video recording to express himself.

Many thanks to Andrew who joined my early one sunday (Alan was at a convention) and he will be returning next week for the episode Whispers. This weeks podcast promo is for Tuning Into Scifi TV so click the link and pay them a visit. Thanks to everyone who took the time to listen to the bonus shows over the holidays and once again thanks to all those that voted in the poll, the Stargate box of goodies is on it’s way to Jodi in New York 🙂

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Dec 272015
 

Points of Origin is the second volume of Stargate SG1 and Atlantis stories under the heading of The Travellers’ Tales as edited by Sally Malcolm. This edition consists of ten stories by various authors and covers many themes and characters. I’ve avoided any spoilers but obviously some plot elements will be discussed but will certainly not ruin your reading experience.

Points Of Origin

Points Of Origin

The novel opens up with a story about General George Hammond as he takes command of the complex deep with Cheyenne Mountain codenamed Stairway To Heaven. He is not the go get ’em kind of officer but has achieved his rank through hard work and excelling in his duties, reliable and trustworthy are his traits. He is to oversee the closure of this facility and then he will retire and enjoy the rest of his days with his friends and family. He opens up a file belonging to a Captain Samantha Carter and a chill runs down his spine, memories long forgotten come rushing back from a few days back in 1969. This story really kicked off the anthology well, we learn some of the major events in the life and career of Hammond and some character tie ins that had be smiling like an idiot.

Sheppard awakes in the medical bay as Kellar looking down at him asks again, what is your name, please tell me your name and he answers her and reassures her and she in turns reassures him that all is well, just checking. John talks to Carter and they discuss a recent mission where the team investigated a mysterious “dead” city but he finds it difficult to explain the events that occurred. Something happened in this alien place and the gate diagnostics show anomalies but Sheppard cannot quite explain  the missing time no matter how McKay presses him for more information and the revelation presents more questions than answers. Peter gave us a rather dark Atlantis story which would have worked well as a standalone episode and while most readers will always say they want all the answers leaving things with a huge question mark worked very well for this story.

Dr Janet Fraiser enters the SGC to find the usual suspects, Jack being a very bad patient and Siler once again being bandaged up but a mission is being assigned with a need for some medical support and Janet and her team volunteer to tag along with SG1 although Jack is staying behind undergoing his long overdue medical. On the planet her team begin the investigation of a disease which is affecting the local population made more complicated by the military conflict currently ongoing with a neighbouring state. This story is very good for fans of Janet, we learn more about her relationship with Cassandra as well as her medical and leadership skills and her first experience of the Stargate and assignment to the SGC, the untold stories often fill in gaps we never even knew needed filling.

Sateda before the fall, Specialist Ronon Dex along with his friends have left the training camps for his world’s military and journey across his homeland by train heading towards the capitol. They make an unexpected stop near a small community which has been hit by an earthquake, there are deaths and injuries and the soldiers are offering aid, the nearby dam seems to have survived intact but the locals claim an ancient statue has been stolen and that caused the earth tremors. Ronon, Ara and Tyre despite some doubts over the importance of the statue are sent to investigate the theft (Travellers are suspect) and to return it before the next quake hits and destroys the dam. Iron Horse really hit the spot, again offering background to characters in this case Ronon and a number of Satedans we do meet in the series proper and giving us an insight into Sateda and it’s similarities to Earth.

Things are humming along at the SGC with the sole exception of Daniel falling asleep at the most inconvenient times much to the amusement of everyone, Jack takes Daniel back to his Daniel’s home and he immediately falls asleep leaving Jack to do some minor housework, it’s all good until a couple of Jaffa break into the house demanding the location of their Lord Osiris or the one name Daaneel. At this time though Osiris has been removed from Sarah Gardener and she is once again embracing life and currently on a shopping spree with Janet and things start to get hilariously complicated when Teal’c turns up, the Sam with Pete in tow arrive and finally Sarah and Janet wonder into Daniel’s home. This is comedic story and the slapstick ramps up throughout, you just know they’ll all be laughing about the events in Daniel’s home for years despite the unfortunate events in the back yard:)

Zelenka briefs the Atlantis personnel on a discovery made in the system’s asteroid belt, an object which is not made up of the naturally occurring elements within the belt so the team board a jumper to investigate and they find something very familiar but not listed on any inventory of Atlantis but things are not what they seem and events soon conspire towards the destruction of Atlantis. I can’t go into too much detail about the plot but that aside this story works very well for the characterisation of Rodney and the guilt he still feels over a significant event not that long ago, there is plenty of tension and good banter between the characters.

After the events in the SGC when Carter was taken over by an Entity from P9C-372 it’s obvious to anyone that knows Jack then he is disturbed by his actions, Sam is ordered to take off her work and relax off base. The Tok’ra and an SGC team gate in having suffered casualties and Hammond calls in Colonel Dave Dixon to add support to SG1 and the other teams as the Tok’ra reveal that Chronos is hell bent on recovering an element known as B’tac’nesh which only occurs naturally under very rare conditions but is prized for it’s destructive capabilities. The SGC teams and Tok’ra head towards the planet and find only death and ruins and then the Jaffa appear and fighting begins. Karen provides a welcome return for Colonel Dixon as played by Adam Baldwin in the series and while the plot is important to set up the events they turn out to be not that important, this is a story dealing with Jack and his emotions towards Sam including the guilt he feels having chosen to “kill” her when she was controlled by the Entity. A very good character piece without the more shippy language you would have got if Sam and Jack had been together rather than Jack opening up to Dixon.

The Asgard came to an abrupt end in the final episode of Stargate SG1 and in this story we learn an awful lot about the events that led up to the choices these powerful and wise aliens made knowing they were doomed and that their legacy had to endure. Hermiod who we met onboard the Daedalus (you remember the rather sarcastic one) makes a final report to the high council about his time serving with the humans in addition to well kinda journal entries during his mission which included investigating a Hive which the find floating in the void. Hermiod learns much about himself and the Atlantis personnel while this mission plays out and the I’ll admit the final sentence left me teary eyed:)

Jack returns to his cabin in Minnesota to take some time and adjust to not being in command of SG1 anymore and is rather surprised to see a rather larger mountain overlooking the local town which was not there the last time he visited his home away from home, maybe like the fish in his small lake things are not quite the same on the world post ancient Egypt travels. As Jack interacts with the local townsfolk he notices some people who had family now don’t seem to recall them and so he calls in the rest of SG1 to investigate. Piper’s Song is classic alien in a small town narrative almost in the same vein as some of the classic scifi “b” movies of yesteryear as Jack knows something is wrong but can not understand what but of course once Sam and the rest of the gang bring their intellect and experience to the fore the mountain is revealed to be something quite different and the clock is ticking if they are to save many of the townsfolk.

Sam has just accepted command of Atlantis and is a little worried she may not be upto the job, she’s worked under two very different styles of command one of the more hands on Jack O’Neill and the other sit back and let the people do their thing from General Hammond and General Landry infact a note from Jack offered up command advice along the lines of the latter despite his inability not to poke his nose into all things. Colonel Sheppard and his team are on a mission to Talaverna to not only trade for their famed wine but to visit a reported Ancient shrine which is said to ascend the worthy but is it as simple as that? This story delves deep into the psyche of Sam Carter as she adjusts to command and learning to trust her people, it takes time and there are many false steps but the characterisation is spot on and we get a good mystery involving the Ancients.

Points Of Origin is another excellent addition to the Stargate books as released by Stargate Novels / Fandemonium and is currently offered as an ebook and paperback.

Dec 052015
 

avatar The team are travelling towards a space gate in orbit around a world that has potential for a new alpha site despite the flying monkeys which seemed to have given the visit a bit of excitement. As they approach the jumper starts to malfunction with energy surges and all control is lost, the jumper collides with the gate and without power is entering a decaying orbit. It’s their lucky day though, power returns and they limp back to Atlantis but they can not find anything wrong. The city itself then begins to experience power surges and all power dies except for Rodney’s laptop which begins to communicate via text and reveals that an entity calling itself Elizabeth Weir is asking for help, you know a Ghost In The Machine.

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It turns out that after the fall of the Asurans the last few remaining replicators were from the faction that were attempting to ascend, they found a technological solution which converted themselves into energy but unfortunately it only allowed them to remain in subspace devoid of real experience. Weir went in search of help and came across the puddle jumper and hitched a ride back to Atlantis. The Ancient technology used to create Fran is taken over by Weir and her consciousness is put into the Fran template and all seems well until the remaining Asurans arrive. Atlantis is forced to allow them to manifest and build bodies for themselves with some conditions. Of course the Asurans have their own agenda or at least one of them does and Weir is forced to choose sides and in a final farewell she leads the Asurans through the Stargate to a new world knowing it would be the end of her and her people.

Ghost in the Machine was used primarily to tie up some loose ends and it’s a pity Torri Higginson wasn’t able to return. Michelle once again did a mighty fine job probably more so than her first appearance on the show as Fran. We did get some good character stuff from Rodney and it has to be said most of the characters that had known Elizabeth were allowed some good interaction with this version and Woolsey gets another lesson into what command is all about and how honor and integrity can lead to sacrifice. Ghost In The Machine is yet another solid episode in the final season, drawing on the shows mythology and maybe be design putting a bow on those pesky loose threads and while Ghost In The Machine is certainly not an original plot it has it’s moments and overall works very well.

Many thanks to Miles, Mack, Dan and Levi for the feedback and emails, appreciated as was the five star itunes review from Melissa (host of the Upper Pylon 2 Podcast). Once again thanks to Brad for getting up early to join us for the recording of the show and as would have it a Ghost in the Machine caused the first recording session to be cancelled, we got this on the second try. This weeks promo is for the Dune Saga podcast, next week will be the first of this seasons bonus shows and I’ve not decided which so it’ll be a surprise, tune in and find out:)

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Nov 282015
 

avatar A starship appears in orbit above Atlantis, the early warning systems failed to detect its approach and to confuse matters they are getting the automated friend or for response indicating that the ship is the Daedalus, however they confirm that ship is days away from Earth on it’s return journey from Pegasus. The team take a jumper and they discover a carbon copy of the Daedalus however it shows signs of extensive battle damage and no one is onboard, well there are four bodies and they do look rather familiar.

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A strange energy signature is detected and McKay discovers that the ship has an additional drive system, he realises it is intended to jump the ship between alternate realities and that this Daedalus is not from their universe. Alas the drive is in a loop and when it’s energy capacitors are fully charged it automatically jumps, who knows how long they “other” team were onboard or how far away from their home they were before conditions killed them. Each reality poses it’s own problems for the ship and the team including a sun eating it’s system, aliens hell bent on destroying another Atlantis and one where there is no live at all on the planet and not Atlantis either. McKay finally figures out that while he can not stop the ship from jumping he can reverse its course and if they survive the sun going nova and the aliens once again they can leave the ship when they reach their reality and let the ship do it’s thing, of course complications arise when the landing bay and jumpers are destroyed by those pesky aliens but not to worry they have a plan.

The Daedalus Variations is a well crafted episode which makes good use of story elements introduced on Atlantis earlier and certainly in the scifi genre as a whole. There is some excellent space combat sequences, really old school dog fighting in and around the Daedalus and again all the CGI done in house both for budgetary reasons as well as showing the talents of the Stargate artists. There is not a huge amount of pressure put on the actors in terms of what the story needs from the characters but we get some good humorous moments and some cheesy ones it has to be said but overall The Daedalus Variations is a solid episode early in the final season of the show.

Thank you very much to Thomas for joining us this week for The Daedalus Variations an episode he chose and he’ll be returning in 2016, this weeks promo is for Treks In Sci-Fi and next week we are back with Ghost In The Machine and the return of a character but in another guise. As always we’d love to hear what you think and don’t forget the Stargate SG1 top ten episodes poll is still open:)

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Nov 212015
 

avatar Ronon and Teyla are off world when they come across a body in the woods, as they approach hidden traps are sprung and in the chaos they are both stunned, Teyla is left and Ronon abducted by an old friend who as is the norm came back to bite him. The tracker Ronon carries is not active so the suggestion is made to contact Solen Sincha another Satedan who may have some information on Tyre the man who kidnapped Ronon. They learn that his Wraith masters have abandoned him and maybe by giving them Ronon a former runner he will regain their favour and this is exactly what is happening. Ronon is given to the Wraith who begins the torture procedure in the effort to get Ronon addicted to the surge of life energy after they kill him, they succeed and Ronon pledges his loyalty to the Wraith. Information arrives about a Wraith lab on the planet Sarif Sur so Tyre and the team mount a raid but they are captured and it seems Tyre has betrayed them but it’s a ruse and when he gets the opportunity he breaks John, Teyla and Rodney out and the battle commences. The Wraith is captured and when threatened with the explosives planted earlier he agrees to release them when Tyre says he will stay behind and hand over the detonator when the team are free, however Tyre redeems his honour by destroying the lab and saving his friend Ronon who still has a long road ahead to purge his system of the enzyme and reverse the mental conditioning.

Broken Ties (5)

Broken Ties is an episode which quickly brings the talents of Mark Dacascos back to Stargate, an accomplished and well trained fighter he is more than capable of holding his own acting wise and bringing a level of reality to a staged action sequence, nothing quite beats being able to use the primary actor for the majority of a stunt. While the dynamic between Ronon and Tyre was certainly the focal point and allowed Jason to dig deep into his own talents to bring to the screen another facet of Ronon we also got the dilemma Teyla was having to deal with being a new mother want to remain at her childs side but having the drive to be the guardian for all. In an episode that had some strong themes it’s surprising we got the usual amount of comedic elements scattered throughout the episode, Woolsey is the major foil for such things as his character settles into the group dynamic and if you need that extra giggle then Rodney in a bubble bath serves it’s purpose.

We want to thank Tim for joining us for this episode, he replied to a tweet on the night of recording so we invited him to join us and he said yes so everything worked out great. You can hear Tim on Partial Nerdity and Unchartered Territories two podcasts that I listen too on a weekly basis. We also would like to thank everyone that has voted in the poll which at the time I write this is 94 people, if we get over 100 giving us their Stargate SG1 top ten episodes we’ll throw in another prize for the draw with our thanks. This weeks promo is for British Invaders a podcast that looks at old UK television shows with a scifi/fantasy/genre leaning and next week we are going to be taking a look at The Daedalus Variations with Thomas, we hope you can join us for that.

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Nov 142015
 

avatar A month after the events at Michael’s complex the new head of the expedition in Pegasus arrives via the Daedalus, Mr Richard Woolsey beams down and makes an awkward introduction, it doesn’t bode well. Dr Keller it sees is having some health issues and awakes at her desk to find her hand covered in goo but dismisses it, she is still looking into reviving Carson and when Woolsey is informed of her progress he simply states that at some point you’re going to have to gamble, her research pays off as Carson is unfrozen and the new drug injected into his system stabilizes it, things are looking up. The next morning Teyla is worried the no one has heard from Jennifer and when they access her room they find her in bed with some sort of alien growth covering part of her body. Carson tries to surgical remove it but it reacts and threatens the health of Jennifer so all they can do is attempt to divine its source as it looks like something Carson had seen Michael working with.

The Seed (11)

Things are going from bad to worse as this organic hybrid material spreads across her bedroom and buries itself into the structure of the city tapping into local power sources to increase its growth, as it approaches one of the main ZPM power conduites the question is posed in terms of sacrificing one for the benefit of all especially after Radek is attacked by a tentacle when investigating it’s growth in a support tunnel deep within the city. Carson identifies a virus in Jennifer’s system sourced from work undertaken by Michael however it does look like it was an accidental exposure and Carson has developed a counter agent but it has to be injected directly into her flesh and to get there someone has to get past the alien growth which they now know is a baby Hive ship.

Can Jennifer be saved, who will risk the gauntlet and has this been a good first week in the job for Mr Woolsey?

The Seed is considered (or so it seemed to me) to be a victim of some great episodes around it, in many ways it has the feel of an early season episode with a gimmick of the week and ultimately no real consequence but to be fair they are allowed to not hit the proverbial home room with every episode. For fans of Carson the episode pays off, a good example of his talents and commitment to his patients and of course John and Ronon get to do the hero thing, not demanding it has to be said but well produced as is the whole episode. The commentary on the DVD/Blu-ray goes into some of the issues with so much use of visual effects and practical elements for the alien growth and is well worth a listen and despite some negative opinions it was still a fun episode.

Thanks to Brad for joining us for this episode, we had some technical issues but didn’t lose any of the recording which is always the silver lining. We got some feedback over on our Facebook page so thanks to Brad and Steve for that. This weeks promo is for Generations Geek the father/daughter all things geek and genre podcast and next week we are taking a look at the third episode of the final season “Broken Ties”.

Don’t forget we also have the ongoing poll for your favourite ten episodes of Stargate SG1

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Nov 072015
 

avatar2In the aftermath of the explosion which brought down Michael’s complex rescue units in three jumpers arrive from Atlantis and begin to look for survivors, a number of people are trapped in the debris including Ronon, John, Evan and Rodney. John is seriously hurt with a piece of rebar through his side and Evan has a broken leg, Ronon and Rodney are bashed and bruised but are actively seeking a way out. Michael light years away gets an automated message from his complex and jumps to hyperspace intent on intercepting those that oppose him and Rodney still with some of the tech he salvaged realises a mayday had been sent and when he and Evan are rescued he informs Carter who begins the preparations to leave. The cruiser arrives in orbit and a dart does a fly by of the complex, Captain Vega shoots it down and the jumpers cloak and flee into orbit leaving John and Ronon behind, for now. Michael sends a team down in the hopes of capturing some prisoners but the Daedalus brings the fight to Michael and the two ships do battle and both are badly damaged. A stalemate exists as they don’t want to kill Teyla who is on the cruiser so they draw the darts away with a 302 attack and a cloaked jumper enters the hangar bay of the wraith ship. The team find Teyla, Rodney stays behind and delivers the baby while John and Ronon blow up the power generator for the hyperdrive and they all escape using a wraith dart, the cruiser is then destroyed and they return to Atlantis where Sam is ordered to return to Earth where she is relieved of her command.

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Search And Rescue has a lot of work to do since the season four cliffhanger left pretty much everyone in peril of death, infact more people should have died after all the complex was destroyed and the amount of rubble falling on the teams should not have left any survivors but it did and alas it was no real surprise. That said the practical set for the debris field was excellent, Captain Vega was seriously kick ass and the CGI used to bring Michael into play was absolutely beautiful. All ready there is enough good stuff in the first part of the episode to forgive them the obvious flaws in the story and thankfully the trend continues as the Daedalus and the Cruiser go head to head and finally the can shoot straight and a tried and trusted method of sneaking on a Wraith ship is employed. Having Rodney deliver the baby was a stroke of genius and again made up for the destruction of the hyperdrive power generators which should really have taken the ship with it but there were some comedic and dramatic moments leading up to their escape. The humour continues with John in the infirmary and finally the sting in the tail as Sam and the audience get the ice water thrown over them as she is replaced by Mr Woolsey!

Search And Rescue is an excellent opener for the fifth and final season of Stargate Atlantis with everything we love about the show there is spades and yet setting ever higher standards in CGI and Set design as well as cinematography and storytelling. We can only look forward to more of the same as the season goes on.

This weeks promo is for Tuning Into Scifi TV and next week we are going to be taking a look at the second episode of the season “The Seed” and Brad will be joining us for that. Thank you to Miles for the feedback from the other week and we also have our Stargate SG1 Top Ten Favourite episode poll ongoing, we hope you take part because there could be a prize at the end of it and not forgetting we all want to know what the fans of SG1 consider the best episodes. If you want to get in touch with us then there many ways, comments on the website or email work great or you can leave comments over on Facebook, Twitter or Google +, we hope you do:)

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Oct 242015
 

avatar2 John returns to Atlantis but not quite the one he intended, the sky is blood red casting ominous shadows across the city and as he walks to a balcony he sees the infinite desert shimmering under a sun very different to the one he left behind earlier that day. John calls across the cities communications channels and someone that sounds very much like Rodney replies that it worked he gets directions to the hologram room and is met be a much older Rodney who drops the bombshell that John has travelled 48,000 years into the future and may be the last human in this galaxy and maybe the universe. Rodney goes onto explain the events which occurred after John went missing including the loss of Teyla, the widespread use of the Hoffan drug and the galaxy spanning assault on the Wraith by Michael’s hybrids. Atlantis was eventually abandoned but not before Ronon died in battle and Sam with the command of her own Starship losing her command and life when taking out three hives. Jennifer passed thanks to the constant exposure to the Hoffan drug which spurred McKay to really explore the possibility of reaching across time to aid John in the hopes that information could be provided which would alter the events and save millions of lives.

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The Last Man is an epic season finale which deals with the manipulation of a timeline to change events which lead to what amounted to incredibly negative consequences. Rodney for all his posturing made it pretty clear the need to give Jennifer a chance of life was his driving force although you can’t really blame him for not devoting his life to a very far fetched attempt to rescue John. The episode contained some very beautiful visual effects and yet didn’t scrimp on character pieces, this is an episode that strikes a perfect balance in a series nay franchise that always set a standard.

A big thank you to Thomas for joining us for this fourth season finale and the podcast promo for a show on my ipod playlist is The Babylon Project, they are on a hiatus at the moment but will return. Next week it’s the season wrap up show along with the results for the poll, we hope you join us for that:)

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Oct 172015
 

avatar2 A simple case of poor timing means Atlantis continues the search for Teyla who was kidnapped by Michael so he can get access to her unborn and use its genetic material to enhance his hybrid creations, an unexpected bonus leaves Atlantis with an extra doctor who turns out to be a clone, it was a busy day. So Dr Carson Beckett is back on Atlantis unaware that he is a clone and that the original has died and also that Elizabeth was dead and worse of all his dear old mother also thinks he is dead, not much of a homecoming for the good Doctor. Dr Keller is able to prove to Carson that he is indeed cloned from the original albeit it with a fundamental flaw, science to the rescue and he is able to provide the coordinates to a potential facility used by Michael, the team investigates and they capture one of Michael’s soldiers and in return for safety in the Milky Way he provides the location of where Teyla will be heading. Meanwhile Teyla is indeed being held at that facility, Kanaan the father of her child is there but he has been altered by Michael to be little more than a slave but the remaining survivors of New Athos are also there and Teyla is reunited with Halling and other friends. The combat teams from Atlantis raid the complex, a huge firefight breaks out and in the chaos Carson and Teyla flee but are cornered by Michael who has created his “army” with inhibitors so they can never turn on him, Carson is unable to shoot Michael and Teyla is once again take by Michael as he escapes the planet in his cruiser. Carson now knowing there is no immediate cure for the degeneration of his cloned tissues enters into an Ancient stasis chamber, a final goodbye and he is gone again and maybe return when a cure is found.

The Kindred Part 2 (16)The Kindred Part 2 is a strong second episode of this two parter, plenty of pyrotechnics and stunt work when adds to the action quota for the episode but an awful lot of well written character pieces, it’s rather brutal how hard it was for Rodney to explain to clone Carson exactly what he was and what had been happening in the meantime and having Sam have serious reservations also worked well, she didn’t know Carson so there was no prior emotional ties to hamper her immediate concerns. Michael as per usual was well played by Connor and he no doubt appreciated the story moving the character away from the traditional look of the Wraith, less time in makeup and an easier time of it when filming scenes in 45 degree temperatures. A solid episode as the fourth season comes close to it’s end and interesting to hear that this story was bumped forward in the shooting schedule to allow Rachel to have her child, credit to Rachel who was obvious very close to term when filming many of the scenes which could not have been very comfortable.

Many thanks to Brad for joining me on this episode, once again Real Life is proving a little more complex for Alan at this time when it comes to record but things are settling down now he is in work and looking for his own place. We’ve recorded all the shows now for season 4 and will be looking at some bonus shows for the upcoming holidays and starting the fifth season, the two Stargate SG1 movies may be pushed to early 2016 and of course soon after we’ll be starting Universe.

This weeks promo is for The Batcave Podcast and excellent show for fans of the 1966 classic tv series and next week we are back with the season four finale “The Last Man”, we’d love to know what you think about the episode and our show so any feedback would be most welcome.

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Oct 102015
 

avatar Teyla is having dreams of the father of her child bidding her to come and rescue him and the rest of the Athosians who went missing months before, in the dream he gives her a necklace which he bought for her on an off world market, it’s a clue to their location. Teyla along with the team visit the world and discover a stall selling jewellry and trinkets and he reveals that a trader has been bringing him good quality goods for a few weeks and he is due back soon. Meanwhile Dr Keller is investigating a disease which is spreading quickly across a number of worlds, it seems a mystery but eventually they discover it’s a variant of the Hoffan drug and they take a trip to that world in search of some clues but there was nothing to be found after the Wraith wiped the population out yet it seems someone has been there since. Teyla along with Major Lorne and his team return to the trading world and capture the rogue trader, he agrees to take them to the burial site where he has been acquiring these “goods” but on arrival a Wraith dart arrives and scoops up Teyla, it seems it was a trap to capture her all along. Once again Todd uses the Wraith tracker to arrange a meeting with John and after some friendly accusations a mutually beneficial agreement is made, Todd needs to understand the Hoffan drug and develop a cure for his hive and the team need his resources to find Teyla. It pays off when Todd informs that they chatter between Wraith worshippers indicates a member of Atlantis is being held prisoner, the location is given and the team along with the Daedalus pay it a visit. In the complex a big fire fight takes place and in orbit a Wraith cruiser jumps in, it’s Michael’s ship and a captured bad guys indicates Michael is returning with his latest prize, John tells the Daedalus to capture the cruiser but it escapes but if Teyla was onboard why did the guards fight so hard to defend this prison? The break into the final cell and well a surprise is waiting for them, it was no lie that Michael was indeed holding a member of Atlantis prisoner just not the one they expected…

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The Kindred is a two part story filmed a little earlier in the production cycle to allow Rachel to be fully involved before taking time off from the show to have her child, she is very pregnant and a lot of credit has to be given for the commitment she showed in what was an intensive episode for her character. The story itself makes full use of all the little things we know about the Wraith and Michael in particular so nothing feels out of place except perhaps for how resilient Michael is, the guy is a born survivor and no matter how hard you squish him he always springs back. I liked how Carter was very reluctant to believe Teyla and her dreams not having direct experience of the events that shaped Teyla into who she is now but surprised how on the fence her other friends were but she got what she wanted alas so did Michael. As for the surprise ending of the episode well the fact that kept that underwraps really paid off, it was a serious WTF moment and in the second part of the story it’s all going to get explained in a way that is most satisfying.

The Kindred Part 1 sets the scene as well as being a very good piece of Stargate storytelling and it’s good to seeing Rachel really getting to be center stage, more of the same next week in the second part so a lot to look forward too. This weeks promo is for the Saturday B Movie Reel and next week are going to watch The Kindred Part 2 and Brad will be joining me for that, we hope you can join us as well and let us know what you think of the episode and our show.

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Oct 032015
 

avatar2 Teyla returns from Earth after an interview with a new IOA rep Mr James Coolidge, Ronon is facing the same and he seems calm about it but Sam is having doubts and recruits Teal’c to Atlantis to offer some insight and his experience to Ronon, however Ronon is in no mood to be tutored on dealing with the IOA on Earth and after drawing his weapon on Teal’c the two retire to the gym for some hand to hand diplomacy. After about an hour of the two beating the crap out of each other Sam breaks the fight up and the two get ready to travel to Earth via the intergalactic gate bridge with a 24 hour stop off at Midway station. Unbeknown to them a Wraith cruiser has landed on a planet which hosts one of the Stargates used in the bridge and hacked into the system (perhaps with knowledge gleaned from Todd’s time in the city) and a force of warriors gate to Midway and brutally take it over. Dr Lee and two other SGC personnel (Dr Kavanagh is one) prevent the immediate travel onto Earth which allows Ronon and Teal’c to do what they are best at but eventually the Earth gate is accessed and a device sent through followed by more warriors, Ronon and Teal’c pursue.

 

John and his team access the bridge via a Stargate that is further into the system than the compromised one and bring the fight to Midway and eventually kill all but one of the Wraith after venting the atmosphere, John is trapped and dying but has to fight off the final Wraith while the rest of the SGC personnel abandon Midway in a jumper, it wouldn’t be Stargate if a new toy doesn’t get blown up within a few episodes. This time it’s the fault of Kavanagh who had tried to override the lockout and tipped a booby trap one Rodney had carefully avoided so boom Midway is no more and the survivors are adrift for a week waiting patiently for rescue.

Midway is a top notch action based episode, the armours, stuntman and cgi specialists really went to town and produced some excellent close quarter combat set pieces, praise to Christopher and Jason for doing some fantastic work as well and of course Bill and Ben (yeah I know) for their banter. I’ve got to offer my thanks to Brad for joining me on the podcast as Alan was in the middle of his move and of course a tip of the hat to Bill for his itunes review. Speaking of which we’d love a few more so don’t be shy, if you listen via itunes then rate the show and gives us a review, we would be very appreciative. This weeks promo is for The Starling Tribune the podcast I listen to for all me Arrow chat and information and next week we are going to be looking at the Atlantis episode The Kindred Part 1.

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Sep 262015
 

avatar2 Sam, Jennifer and Rodney pay a visit to M5V-801 to confirm to the local population that the mining work the Genii forced upon them two decades previously was going to have grave consequences for their settlements. However on their way the grounds collapse and the three of them find themselves in an unknown abandoned mining complex with little to help them escape. They try to improvise a number of ways to reach the glimpse of sunlight far above their heads but the results are all negative and bring a fresh collection of injuries and the situation continues to get worse. The building they are in is on long stilts which are slowly giving way as the load increase thanks to soil pouring into it from above but maybe the way out is to be found by going deeper rather than higher.

Trio is very much a character piece, pretty much a one location show and allows the already established dynamic between Rodney and Sam to flourish making it very easy to ease Jennifer into the group and a by product is that it opens up the possibility of a relationship between Rodney and Jennifer especially after he made so much of a mess with Katie a few weeks before. The show was also intended to be a bottle episode, limited sets and guest stars but logistically it turned into a nightmare, very complex set pieces and a lot of CGI to removes wire work from the scenes where it was impossible to use doubles. Overall though while at times it can feel a little stretched the story is entertaining and offers up a lot to the regular viewer of Atlantis, maybe not so much to a first timer viewer.

Many thanks to Phil for joining me on this show, this was his first time on Gatecast but since it was recorded in January 2014 not the first time you’ve heard an episode he has been on. This weeks promo is for the Sci-Fi Movie Podcast and next week we are going to be joined by Brad for the excellent Midway, let us know what you think since it’s been gratifying to get some feedback these last couple of weeks:)

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