Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3825 in TV Series Season Video on Demand
• Released on: 2009-02-08

Customer Reviews

Torn
I am torn when it comes to seeing the end of this show. On the one hand I am very sorry to see it go, but on the other hand I am glad they quit while they were ahead. Seasons 1-3 of Atlantis were AMAZING, but season 4 started to see a slow slide from what they had offered us earlier in the series and by season 5 I saw the danger of it becoming the next Stargate SG-1 season 9 which, in my opinion only, was the WORST of all ten seasons.

Season 5 (and season 4, too, I think) saw a slow decline of the well-written character-based stories. In seasons 1-3 we got so many good story lines that really saw the evolution of characters, deepened their backgrounds and really helped to flesh out the characters and get us to know, love or hate them. However, season 5 really didn't do a whole lot with that and instead focused more on scrambling to wrap up a few loose ends. I do appreciate that they didn't leave some of the stories dangling uselessly, but I wish they could have done that with a little more character development as well.

I will not complain about the last episode however. I shall obviously give away no details here, but I was pleased with the final episode of the season/series. There were a few holes and a few quick fixes that I could have done without or that I could have done with a little more explanation, but all together I thought it was a fitting end to the show.

Now, having said all that I have previously, I cannot WAIT to have this on DVD. I have all four seasons available right now and love them and even though season 5, I think, is not the best of the series, I still would not be happy without it completing my collection of Stargate seasons (once I have season 5 I will have all fifteen seasons of the Stargate franchise). I am also very keen to see when and if they release this upcoming SGA movie they have promised us. The SG-1 movies were good (with Continuum being the best of the two, I think) and I would like to see them succeed with SGA movies, as well.

Why End the Show???
Why end the show? Can't it last till Season 9 like SG-1? (And it's so much better than SG-1.) If the producers or TV networks are concerned about its profitability, I suggest they run Seasons 1-3 on TV again, but with SUBTITLES this time. Give it a chance! I'm sure it will generate huge viewership (like Buffy) that it can go even for 10 seasons. Seasons 1-3 are really the best! I don't remember having watched anything better.
I think everyone would agree that we watched this show because it was fun! That was mostly lost in Season 4. In Seasons 1-3, many complained about the main cast: wanting more development for Teyla, Ronon being a "wooden" actor, Weir not being an appealing leader. Well, the directors listened to them and made BAADD decisions to accommodate them. They killed off Dr. Weir, even the good Dr. Beckett! Then they made the story "darker", the future "bleak". That's why we lost some of the sense of "fun" in Seasons 4 & 5.
1st, I'd like to clarify to the directors: Though we like the thrill of having a character be in grave danger, we don't really want them killed! SG-1 became a favorite because they kept their main cast till the end. (Same with Buffy.) In Season 3, when the Atlantis cast were just starting to "gel", the directors chose to change them over ...and over. When something is already good, just stick with it. Don't mess with what's already great. If you need more storylines, just give the characters more background, to give them more depth. We loved it when we learned that McKay had a sister and when Sheppard went to his dad's funeral.
In Season 4, Dr. Keller became the chief doctor, and so began the downhill trend of Season 4, because she cannot seem to solve anything. Thankfully, in Season 5 they chose to match her with one of the main characters in the show. (She's really good in such roles. She played her role well as a pining admirer and gifted mechanic in "Firefly".) Then they brought Dr. Beckett back again to accomplish the brilliant solutions (which we expect from him) to save the day.
When Dr. Weir went missing, they replaced her with military personnel, and it was like a choke-hold was put on Atlantis. One of the main reasons SG-Atlantis is better than SG-1 is because the group is out of the direct control of the military, and a female (meaning more compassionate and principled) is making the main decisions. They can get away with not following protocols because they are doing "what's right". If the networks or producers continue the show, I hope they get a civilian leader again who is also female so she can play off against both Sheppard and McKay. Or bring back Dr. Weir?
Also, I have to say that because reviews keep on mentioning how we love McKay, that doesn't mean we don't like Sheppard. The Colonel is cute, endearing, very intelligent and even funny. We need his kind of personality, his "do-it-now" ideas and actions in the many crises they faced. We like both of them. Don't bring down one or the other. Though McKay is really something special; he made his character so interesting that he stole the show (like Michael Fox did with Family Ties).
Then there's Teyla. Thankfully, they did not pair her with any one in the team. Sheppard and Ronon needed a friend, and she is a great friend to both. We liked it when her role was expanded to using her ability as a significant tactic in the fight with the Wraith. But it was overplayed when she went undercover as a Queen. The writers should know when not to heed the critics. Her small stature made that episode absurd, and it's embarrassing to make her play that role. A Queen is supposed to be tall and strong. (They are going to bear the next generation of Wraiths after all.) The idea of Teyla having a family of her own is wonderful. If only her husband is a tribal chieftain, someone her equal, not a heavy baggage which she should not have had at all. And Ronon, whatever others may say, is a necessary part of the show. When he joined the team, that's when we felt secure that they can have a confrontation with the Wraiths. What's more, that's also the time when the show really reached its peak; and we can see the actors also enjoying while acting in their roles.
We watched Seasons 1-3 again during Christmas vacations 2008, and found the stories as entertaining. It was such great fun!

STARGATE ATLANTIS SEASON 5
LOVE IT, WILL REALLY MISS THIS SHOW, CAN'T UNDERSTAND SFIFI FOR THE CANCEL. THEY DON'T LISTEN TO THE AUDIENCE.