Stargate Reviews

So last Friday was the premiere of the second half of this current season's episodes for both Stargate Series on Sci-Fi. Without further ado, the reviews!

Stargate: SG-1--"Gemini"

What we have here is an episode which would seem to fit several cliches...duplicate of one of the main stars? Check. Double-crossing up the ying-yang? Check. (Yet) Another way to make a former enemy more dangerous? Check.

But, I've long felt that Stargate's main strength is in taking cliches and finding new ways around them. Yes, we knew Repli-Carter would betray the team, but to be honest, her betrayl of Fifth was a bit surprising.

Perhaps the most intriquing part of the episode was in how Repli-Carter was able to fool the team. Her insistance on being destroyed forced the team to hold back and not give her what she wanted. Though O'Neill probably would have come out shooting, Repli-Carter was able to fully fool her doppleganger.

Fifth, overall, was not a great choice for the main Replicator villain. Sure the betrayl of the team gave him motivation, but we never saw much past that and as Sam pointed out, he was still, emotinally, a child. But Repli-Carter seems to be much more than that and seems to have grander plans, ones that saw the destruction of Fifth and her now being impervious to the Asgardian weapon.

Speaking of the Asgardian weapon, as cool as it was, it was a bit of a deux-es-machina ending to "New World Order" and one which is probably best kept to the side. Like the Kull-Warrior weapon from last season, this one is perhaps best used only sporadically, or else future Replicator episodes would be pretty boring. Nice to hear from Thor this episode and though I'll miss Fifth (I think he could have developed into a better character), you have to admit, the possibilities for the writers throwing us a curveball with Repli-Carter showing up out of the blue is greater now that they won't have to announce a seperate actor in the titles. Like with Thor, since Michael Shanks voices him, he can appear in episodes as a surprise without tipping us off.

And I think that's probably a good idea to go with, sort of like the big reveal in DS9's "In Purgatory's Shadow" when we learned that the Bashir from the past handful of episodes (including a pivitol one in which Odo regained his shape-shifting abilities) was a Founder and the real Bashir was locked away, a definitate "Holy &^%!" moment for me. Think about it, in the future revealing that Repli-Carter found a way to fool the sensors and has been acting as Sam for a handful of episodes, giving the Replicators vast information on Stargate Command and maybe even...the location of Atlantis (in other words, yeah Earth might be a tasty treat, and the Goa'uld might make for a few nice meals, but we know where the buffet table is located...).

I tend to be harsh on Atlantis, because I feel it's too paint-by-numbers, but I really like what it's doing for SG-1. Somehow, the fact that we're getting a larger view of the Universe works well for SG-1. The deal with the ZPM earlier this season, for a example, and now Carter and Daniel's conversation about sending the Prometheus to Atlantis. Not only does it foreshadow Daniel's being on the Prometheus next episode, but it nicely dovetails into what I think they are building towards with Atlantis' season-finale.

Overall, I think this was a great start to the second half of the season and I think that starting off with a self-contained episode was a good choice. While it's fun to wait for the cliffhanger (like we did last year with the "Evolution" two-parter, this episode really got the second half to a great start, without having to conclude a previous episode.

Lastly, once again we get an episode that focuses on either Earth or the Alpha Site. I wish these guys could get out more. But I love this new Alpha site and it's good to see their getting their money's worth for the set!

I'll give this one a "B" for the fact that it did have a lot of cliches, but it still kept me guessing. Great work by Amanda Tapping and I wish more could have been done with Teal'c, but as always, Christopher Judge put in a great performance. Looking forward to the next bunch of episodes!

Atlantis: The Eye

When you accept that the general conceit for this two parter is a "Die Hard," "Under Siege," etc. type of plot, the episode becomes a lot of fun.

Even fun, for me, was seeing Ford in action. I think Rainbow Francks has the ability to be the breakout star of the show, aside from Joe Flanigan. Seeing Ford in action was great, as I think he got the short end of the stick in the first part of the season. The same goes for Teyla, who, I think this was the first time I really liked her as a character.

Beckett and McKay are fun, as always and Weir had some good scenes as well. I think this is the first episode the cast really "clicked" with me.

To his credit though, Koyla was a pretty smart villain who just got outclassed. He didn't go overboard as similar type villains tend to do and he kept on doing the smart things. No "Evil Overlord" type decision making.

Sora on the otherhand, less so. She wanted revenge and she got Pwned by Teyla. Though it was developed over several episodes, I still was a bit disappointed that a situation was set up for a girl/girl fight. It seems in shows and movies if there are two female characters (one on each side), they will ineveitably fight it out as the males go head to head. Not saying it wasn't a great scene, but if Teyla beat a male Genii, it would have been less cliche.

And in the end, it still wasn't a full victory for the Atlantis team, as the Genii did leave with the supplies they originally sought out to get. Tensions between the Atlantis team and the Genii should be interesting to watch. Hopefully though, we'll see a more concilitory Genii from now on.

Though one of the better episodes so far, I'm still waiting for the "great" episodes to come and episodes which will really seperate Atlantis from being a paint-by-numbers SG-1 clone. Until then, they'd do well to keep the characterization up and keep shining the spotlight on Ford, Teyla, Weir, and Beckett and less on Shep and McKay, who are in danger of getting on my nerves from over-exposure. Dialing them back a bit will keep me intersted in their characters a lot longer than having them be the focus of even more episodes.

Overall, a "B" as the cliched plot and all brought down my grade a bit.

Energon Omega Supreme Short Review

Got Energon Omega Supreme today for the second night of Hanukah.

Omega Supreme: As a robot, Omega Supreme is one big pile of metal. His main gimmicks are the rotating "guns" on his top left shoulder, one of which is his only missile launcher. When one of the "guns" are rotated, the other one follows suit. His right arm has a "cockpit" on the shoulder and his arm can be pushed forward by pushing on a lever. Additional guns are located on his left leg and on his right arm. His head is able to be detached and transformed into a seperate robot.

Construction Drone: For lack of a better term, OM's entire right side can transform into a sort of crane/train type thing. Except for wheels, no new gimmicks are available in this mode.

Battlestation: Again, for lack of a better term, his entire left side becomes a sort of battle platform. Changing the head of OM can give you a "cockpit" for this mode.

Joined Vehicle Mode: The Construction side can lock into the battle side for one long constfuction/battle "train." My main problem with this is that the lock isn't too stable and if you try to pull the train by the front or push it too hard from the back, it will break apart.

Powerlinx Omega Supreme: Is very much like regular Omega Supreme with two differences: One, Energon Optimus Prime's drones can attach to both legs, the right arm and the right shoulder. Optimus himself can fit inside Omega Supreme's body. It's visually impressive, to some degree, but Optimus' head looks comically small in it. Sort of like when a boy tries on an adult's footall uniform with and is lost in the shoulder pads of said uniform.

Overall: Like most bigger Transformers, Omega Supreme is loaded with gimmicks and short on posability. The modes are fun and the transformation is rather complicated, full of twists and turns and folding parts into compartments. The combining with Optimus Prime is a neat feature and is a sight to behold, but is a bit lacking. If OM is anything like last year's large TF, Unicron, you'll find him for 1/2 price starting after the holiday season and marked down even more in the late Spring/Early Summer of 2005. At a marked down price, OM would be a great purchase.

Comics Reviews from the Past Month

I just picked up about a month's worth of comics, so it's time to add them to my reviews!

The Ultimates 2 #1: This was a "freebie" from my comic shop and I do have to say, otherwise I would not have picked it up. I got the TPB of the first Ultimates arc and while it was interesting, I'm not a huge fan of the Marvel Universe and by extension, the Ultimate Universe. There are so many other collections I want to get, that collecting more Ultimate titles usually only leaves me thinking "gee, I could have gotten X instead."

There isn't much action in this issue. Even the action scenes, few and far between are brief and one is completely off panel. This is mainly a "character" issue and a way to set up the next few story lines. At that it excels, there are clearly a few plots simmering, including public opinion of heroes being used in Military missions (even if they are described as "humanitarian missions"), Captain America and the Wasp's relationship, the Hulk, Thor and the possible future attack by Loki, etc.

It's interesting, but at the same time, I didn't feel any need to pick up issue #2. Should I get to a point where I feel I've gotten enough of the other collections to warrant diving back into the Ultimate Universe again, I think Ultimates would be high on the list to collect first.

Overall: 7.0 out of 10.0

JLA #108: In 1998 I stopped collecting monthly books, but over the next few years I collected the rest of Grant Morrison's run of JLA in TPB and most of Mark Waid's run. After that, the title didn't hold any interest for me, until it was announced that Kurt Busiek would be writing an arc (which was later extended to him taking over the title full time).

I first read Kurt's work on Avengers and Iron Man when he took over those titles following Heroes Reborn. I had only read an issue or two of both titles before that point, but he made me care about those characters. Again, I dropped them in 1998 along with my other monthly titles, but the Avengers (due to the lack of collections of Busiek's run on Iron Man) is among those titles I mentioned above as the ones I'm eager to collect the TPBs of.

So I was excited to hear he was taking over JLA. Last issue really dampened that enthusiasm, as it was the first part of a multi-issue arc, but had only minor bits that seemed to relate to the story Busiek intended to tell. To be truthful, it felt like he had somehow unearthed an idea for a one-shot JLA story and wedged in the Crime Syndicate of Amerika and the Cosmic Egg from JLA/Avengers into that idea.

This issue does not feature the JLA at all. It's mainly a focus on the world of the CSA, which is my first glimpse into the lives of these characters (introduced in yet another book I want to pick up, the Prestige Format JLA: Earth 2). It's interesting, but takes a nosedive as Busiek also delves into the workings of the Anti-Matter World of Qward. I am familiar with Qward due to it's prominence in the Silver Age of Green Lantern.

But to be honest, Busiek's take on Qward is...confusing. It's a warrior world, with a...unique form of politics that isn't well defined. Characters are introduced, but I don't feel any connection to them and Ron Garney's art, which has been critiqued as being not as good as his former work on Captain America doesn't help.

Still, I am intrigued now in the arc and it's enough to keep me picking up the next issue, but it's a far cry from what I expected. Hopefully Busiek can take the remaining issues of the arc and renew my faith.

Overall: 7.5 out of 10.0

Superman #211: When I first started reading the arc, I realized two things...1) it would take the full arc to really judge the merits of this story and 2) that the ending of the story could very well make or break it.

Those two thoughts are still in my head, but with each issue and the (painfully) slow leaking of clues I have to say, even if the entire thing ends up turning out to be a big pile of impacted fecal matter, the story has kept me interested with each passing issue.

The main thing I was surprised with this issue was how much I enjoyed the action. Again, since the beginning of the arc, I found that the "downtimes" in the story arc were really Brian Azzarello's strong point and until now, I have not really enjoyed the action in the issue.

But the Wonder Woman/Superman fight was entertaining, especially since it showed how serious Superman had become and really showed him letting loose more than he did before Lois vanished.

Still, despite my enjoyment of the action, it was, once again, the dialogue between Superman and Father Leone that I enjoyed most.

The next issue promises to show us what happened to those who Vanished as now, Superman and his Fortress were taken. I hope it also gives us some clues as to what's going on, because I'm getting antsy for some answers, which, as of so far, are missing.

Overall: 8.5 out of 10.0

Flash #216: The end of the Identity Crisis tie-in, proves this might as well have been a Rogue War prelude, which is a good thing. Often times "tie-in" issues disrupt the current flow of a title, but Geoff Johns works this tie-in into the upcoming Flash arc seamlessly.

The revelation that some of the Reformed Rogues may have been nudged by The Top is an intersting one, but at the same time, I'd hate to see them return to being Rogues. I enjoy the conflicted Heatwave and it would be a shame to see Piper returned to his villanous routes after all the work that previous Flash writers and Geoff have put into his character. Lastly, there is a new Trickster, who is an interesting character in his own right, if for no other reason then his youthful stupidity, so it'd be a shame to see him pushed aside for Jesse to return to the role, especially since the reformed Jesse is such an interesting character.

Overall: 9.0 out of 10.0

Superman/Batman #14: Once again, I am faced with a title by a writer I am a fan of, who has disappointed me. I felt the first arc on this title was great, sure it had big plot holes and a good amount of head-scratching moments, not yet fully explained, but it was FUN! The following issue was fun in its own way, but the title really went downhill with the Supergirl arc, which wrapped last issue.

Still, I held out hope for this arc. I wasn't disappointed this time. It's not an original idea, having Superman and Batman take over the world and have remnants of current heroes fight back (this issue: Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, and Uncle Sam).

However, the means in which this world came about is pretty novel, as the original (read: Pre-Crisis) opposite numbers of the Legionnaires Three (Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl), Cosmic King, Lightning Lord, and Saturn Queen, come back in time to "adopt" Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne.

My only problem with the storyline so far is that by the narration, it seems that Superman (if not Batman also) is aware of the previous time line, but seems so blase about it. I guess Loeb is making a "nature vs. nurture" argument here, but the lack of compassion over what was supposed to be is striking. I guess that's the point, but it's still hard to hear Superman say it.

Overall: 9.0 out of 10.0

Teen Titans #18: Again, another not so novel concept, one that even has parallels to the Superman/Batman plot shows up, but how it's handled makes all the difference.

This time around, the world seems under the auspices of the Titans, who rule with what seems like an Iron Hand. But this time it's not the Legion of Super-Villains who change things, it's an ambiguous Crisis which turns the Teen Titans of today into the Fascists Titans of Tomorrow.

What makes the arc is the innocence of the younger members of the current Titans facing their dark futures. There is also an impending sense of inevitability, especially when Tim confronts his future self. Given the developments in the Bat-titles and Identity Crisis it seems more than possible that Tim could turn into his future self. And given Conner's questionable genetic stock (the Lex Luthor half, at least), it's also possible that he could turn, especially since Luthor never saw himself as evil, but rather more of a champion of the normal man.

It's one of Geoff's strong suits to inject his arcs with huge doses of characterization and this arc is no different.

Overall: 9.5 out of 10.0

JSA #67: The highlight of this issue is not the autopsy, but rather the great characterization Geoff invests in these characters. It's clear that Sue's death has affected them all and the form their grief and fear takes is interesting, especially with Jay, who snaps at Pieter so readily.

After reading Flash and Identity Crisis, I was amazed at how seamlessly the three titles meshed. Especially with Mirror Master's admittance that he has nothing to do with Sue's death.

Overall: 9.5 out of 10.0

Identity Crisis #6: Like issue #4, recent threads are resolved and things seem to be going one way, until Brad Meltzer pulls out the stops and starts us on another track altogether. Tim's grief is well played, especially the shedding of his outfit before he cradles his father's body.

Also nice is the development of Owen, who is now the new Captain Boomerang. Especially the scene where he tries to see his father's body and is already accused of being a Rogue. Again, the tie-ins with JSA and Flash work well, as we learn over in Flash how Captain Cold helps Owen take over the mantle of Captain Boomerang.

The big reveal in this issue is yet another controversial secret of the JLA's past, this time what they were willing to do to one of their own. I really hope that this is followed up at some point in the titles, especially in JLA...

Overall: 9.5 out of 10.0

Adam Strange #3: My highest praise for this book can be expressed in this way: at the point when Adam Strange is to be brought before a Thanagarian Court, I was a bit worried. I thought "I really hope that this isn't postponed to next issue and dragged out for the course of that issue."

To my surprise the Court and the following Execution were addressed in this issue, with the latter being the cliffhanger.

Adam's discovery is an interesting one, as swapping star systems is not something easily done, even in comics. Someone big is behind this and usually "Big" and "Cosmic" means Darkseid, but the question arises, why would he do this? Part of me hopes it isn't Darkseid, but that doesn't leave many suspects.

Also intersting is Adam and the Thanagarians. Though they view humans as weak in general, it seems that Adam is enough to impress the Wing Commander, if not others. It's not hard to see her helping Adam to escape, but even if that does happen, so appears to have placed a tracker in Adam's Zeta Beam Device, so I doubt she will help out of the pure goodness of her heart.

Andy Diggle has a knack for telling stories in such a way that they seem the antithesis of de-compressed storytelling and yet, he is able to inject just as much, if not more, characterization than in the stories that rely on multiple pages of conversation to aid in the storytelling.

Overall: 10.0 out of 10.0

Green Lantern: Rebirth #2: For what this title is attempting to do, it would get an automatic "10.0" from me, but Geoff isn't resting on letting the purpose of this miniseries sell it, it's full of plot and characterization and a slowly unweaving story that seeks to explain and (in some eyes) repair the past 10 years of the GL mythos.

There are just too many great moments in this story to recount here. Every page is a wonder to behold and if it's not the characterization that's grabbing me, it's the tension that builds due to the unweaving story.

While the conclusion of this mini-series will be what makes or breaks it for the Kyle fans and for those who simply don't want to see Hal get away with what he did scott-free, it seems that in the first two issues, Geoff has invested so much into the series that it's hard to see a reason why they'll be disappointed, at least with the way Hal is returned to the role of Green Lantern. Kyle's fate might be the main point of contention, but that is a closely guarded secret, as it should be.

Overall 10.0 out of 10.0 for what's it's doing and more so for the fact that it earns the grade I'd be willing to give it even if it sucked! ;)

Back Again

I've had a myriad of personal problems occur, which has made Blogging low down on the totem-pole of my priorities.

Still, it is an escape of sorts from said personal problems, so I'm going to try to post more frequently, though we'll see how frequently that ends up being.

Comic Review: Ranking the week (August 25, 2004)

Only got two issues this week:

2. Superman #208: I said, in my review of #207 that I don't think Azzarello's strengths lie in the action sequences. The fight with Equus bored me. What drew me into this arc was the strength of the dialogue between Superman and the Priest. We're back to that this week, but first we get a bit with Mr. Orr and the Priest. I like the fact that the Priest is now seemingly questioning Superman, he seemed to be much more of an impartial observer in previous issues. Definitely a major improvement over last week and despite what I thought from the cover image, I'm glad there was no fight with the JLA. I enjoyed the disagreement much more than seeing another super-hero vs. friends fight. Overall: 9 out of 10

1. Flash #213: One of the major changes Mark Waid made to the Flash was the introduction of the Speed Force. Love it or hate it, it's an integral part of the Flash nowadays. And I personally like it and felt it was missing from the title since the start of “Ignition.” So I was happy to see the return of the Speed Force in this issue, especially with a villain (one without super-speed to boot) make use of it. Certainly made for a challenge for Wally. It was fun to see Wally being interrogated by Chrye and Morillo, but I really wanted Flash to let them in on the secret. But then again, I'm not sure it would have made things easier. One last note: Bring on Identity Crisis! Overall: 9.5 out of 10.

Rating for the week: 9.25

I also got a few of the Julie Schwartz memorial issues from the past few weeks (I still need to pick up the ones with Superman, the Atom, and the JLA. Reviews of the ones I've gotten forthcoming.

Rating Microwave Meal Instructions

For those wondering, I'm kind of borrowing the idea for this post from The Book of Ratings, so I encourage you to

head over there and read their stuff (which is both thought provoking and hilarious!). I promise there stuff is a lot funnier then the following:

I've been eating a lot of microwave meals lately and it struck me...when did making a meal become so complicated? Venting, stirring, letting sit, etc. What happened to throwing it in the microwave and hitting a few buttons?

Pizza Silver Discs: I love these things, they’re really mostly grey, but the point of them is to somehow re-direct the microwaves to hit the pizza more efficiently. Shoddy science and messing with the direction in which microwaves travel, brilliant!. Now that’s how I want to cook my meal, with as many microwave rays going in as many directions as possible! A

Rotate Dish: This seems to be left over from days of yore when most microwaves didn’t have the rotating dish in the middle. The directions call for you to cook the meal a certain amount of time, then stop it, manually rotate it, and continue cooking. Seems to me we’re pandering to the people who refuse to get out of the 80’s. D

Stir: As above, this step requires you to cook for a certain amount of time, then stop it, perform the stated action, and then continue cooking. Annoying, but at least it’s not something most modern microwaves do for you already. Most annoying is the fact that the remaining cooking time is 1 minute or less, requiring you to sit around twiddling your thumbs in front of the microwave for that minute, since there’s not much time to do much else. C

Peel Back Cover: Now we come to the section where various products tell you different ways to vent your product. This is the lamest of the three options. Basically, pull the plastic cover back an inch or so and let cook. Yeah. C

Cut Slit in Cover: Slightly cooler is when they ask you to cut a slit in the cover. Of course, they never specify how big of a slit they mean. Some will direct you where to cut the slit (over the vegetables, for instance), but they never tell you whether to cut a huge gash in the cover or whether to cut it only an inch. B

Poke Holes in Cover: My favorite of the venting options. Basically, take a fork or a knife and stab the cover a few times. Great for relieving stress! Again, no specifications are given on how many holes, so I fear I may be venting too much on particularly stressful days. A

Let Sit in Microwave: Again, someone who knows more about the science of microwaves then I determined it’s best to let the meal sit in the microwave before eating, instead of taking it out and exposing it to the air. Again, shoddy science, but without the cool disc sending microwaves bouncing this way and that. C

And there you have it folks, good eating!

August 21, 2004: Justice League Unlimited Review

Second week in a row I haven't watched Teen Titans. I have it on tape though, so eventually...

"Hawk and Dove"

This is one of those reviews where you're still not sure what to make of the episode. I enjoyed it when I watched it, but I enjoy almost all JL episodes. There's a lot wrong with this episode, but it's hard to pinpoint exactly what...

In a nutshell, that crazy Greek God of War, Ares is making trouble. He had Hepheustus design an armored robot, which Ares gives to one side in the Kasnian Civil War. J'onn is aware of the hostilities and has Wonder Woman, busy beating up some punks, gather the brothers Hawk and Dove to head out there and make everyone play nice.

Okay, the good: Voice acting is once again top-notch, with Michael York playing a deliciously evil Ares, Ed Asner a slimy, honry Hephestus, Jason Hervey as the Peacenik Don Hall/Dove, and Fred Savage as the War Hawk Hank Hall/Hawk. I expected the roles of the former "Wonder Years" brothers to be switched, the always annoying Wayne as Hawk and the introspective Kevin as Dove. And yet, after you see this episode, you wonder how they would have pulled that off.

The scene with Hephestus and Diana was great. He mentions he made the armor for Diana's mother and sees that Diana "fills it out" better. He even taunts her with the weakness he puts in all his creators, even her armor.

Lastly, it was nice to see Kasnia again after last season's "Maid of Honor" and a few other mentions of it in both Justice League and the Batman: Myster of the Batwoman movie.

Mixed: J'onn's comments to Diana. First, he refers to humans as if Diana is not a human. Which is perfect and odd at the same time. On one hand Diana is human, but on the other hand, she was created from clay. An odd dichtomy and not as easily distinguishable as Superman being an alien, but posing as a Human. And it is an Amazonian trait to seperate themselves from "Man's World." I think that J'onn said it to goad Diana and make her realize her recent actions were further seperating her from being fully human.

What I'm really mixed about is J'onn's comments about Diana being more aggressive lately. It certainly fits with the comic characterization of her as a Warrior first. However, I do wonder if the writers didn't decide to take this path with Diana to fill in the role vacated by Hawkgirl of the more savage member

Hawk and Dove were mixed too, good characters in a plot that seems custom made for them, coincidentally.

The Bad: First, aside from their fight in the bar (leaving their questionale uses of their powers aside) we really don't get much of an introduction to them. As someone who's heard of Hawk and Dove, but really hasn't seen them in action, I do wonder what exactly their powers are. It seems that they are enhanced speed and strength, but can they rival the Flash and/or Superman? Also a line or two of how they got their powers would have been nice.

As I said earlier, also problamatic was the fact that they seemed too perfect for the job. Hawk's aggression was needed to highlight the problems with the are and Dove was needed to provide the solution at the end.

Also I didn't really like the robot. The fights with it reminded me a lot of the JLA versus Vandal Savage's war machines in "A Savage Time." Also, Ares came off as annoying and not a real threat after all. The resolution was too easy and there isn't much to make me want to watch the episode again.

It's a "C" episode for me. Which is a shame, because I thought the previous 3 episodes were great.

August 20, 2004 Stargate: SG-1 and Atlantis Reviews

Had a bit of a busy weekend and when I had time at the computer yesterday, it was crawling at a snail's pace. Oh well.

Stargate: SG-1

"Affinity"

Another episode, another spotlight on Teal'c. First, the best part of the episode, the teaser. It's a nice day in Colorado when a car goes to park on the side of the street and is rear-ended. Meek Parking Guy is suddenly confronted by Macho Rear-Ender (make all the jokes you see fit here...) and a few of his friends. Things don't look good for Meek Parking Guy. Words are said, accusations of not using a blinker are made, and a beat-down is iminent...

Enter Teal'c, dressed like Superfly and with music blaring in the background. Teal'c tries to defend Meek Parking Guy and move things to the point where they share insurance information and make like good little citizens. Macho Rear-Ender isn't having it and what follows is embarrasing for him and his friends. Teal'c actually manages to stop a punch with the top of his head. And yet, the guys still come after him.

A Government Watch Group of some sort has words with O'Neill about this...seems like this isn't the only incident Tealc's been a part of since he got his new apartment. But Teal'c isn't too concerned, especially because he's eyeing his neighbor and protecting her from her drunk boyfriend. That soon develops into Teal'c showing her Jaffa Martial Arts and her getting close to Teal'c. Of course, she goes back to the drunk boyfriend and he ends up dying...with Teal'c a main suspect.

Meanwhile, Pete, Carter's man from last season wants to transfer to be closer to Sam and even pops the question. Carter is conflicted (and even gives her view on how society forces single women to hurry up and find someone, but not too fast, because he's got to be perfect...) and avoids Pete, but when she realizes he could help clear Teal'c's name, she goes to him for help.

I was surprised by this episode. I really thought there was going to be more going on with Teal'c's latest chick, but they went in a different direction. The second best part of the episode, for me at least, where Carter's chats with Daniel and Teal'c (where her aforementioned diatribe came from) and later with Jack about relationships.

The one with Jack is one of Stargate's more touching scenes. She doesn't know how to handle being a wife and possibly a mother and then going through the gate. It says a lot about Sam how even being married with a child, she can't see herself not being on the SG team. Despite the ruse in "New Order," Sam wouldn't be living on a farm with Pete. She then asks Jack what would have happened if things had been different for him. He replies that he wouldn't be there. And he leaves it at that. While there is debate over what he meant, it seemed clear to me he was referring to what got him into the Stargate program in the first place, his death wish and being the logical choice for a suicide mission.

Stargate seems to be a franchise which is embracing cliches and knowing when to use them as a ruse and when to just go with them. Several plot points seemed cliched, but the episode's end was a surprise for me. Still, once again, it's the characters that make this show worth watching and this episode definately had soe great character moments.

An A episode, definately.

Stargate: Atlantis

"Poisoning the Well"

For the first time in weeks, I actually liked the SG-1 episode better...

Immediately I found it annoying that another alien world not only spoke English, but seemed to favor fashions which seemed to be inspried by both the Civial War era (the Chancellor) and WW II (the Army guys). I'm all for parallel development, but I think there's a limit...

To sum things up, this alien race may have found a weapon to use against the Wraiths...a vaccine which makes humans immune to the Wraith's feeding. So Dr. Beckett is brought onboard to help. The team packs up their Wraith Prisoner (from "Suspicions") and off they go. The prisoner dies from complications after absorbing some of the drug from an alien chosen to be their test subject. But when the test subject dies also, it seems the drug might have a nasty side-effect on humanoids...that side effect being death.

The plot, to be honest bored me. Similarly with Camulus on SG-1, it seemed a good plot device was wasted only a few episodes later, this time with the Wraith prisoner. The aliens seemed to elicit memories of the aliens in SG-1's "The Other Side," namely guys who've had it rough and yet, at the end of the episode, you don't feel so bad for them.

Lastly on the negatives were both Weir and Teyla. It seems the show doesn't have much to do with them. They're there and scenes with them scream that the writers needed to give them something to say and do to justify their paychecks, more than they had some really original ideas for the characters. Teyla is falling quickly from a character I was interested in and thought had great potential to a sideline character. Weir, after her great scene in "Thirty-Eight" Minutes has become a character who's also just there. I think Hammond was much more of a presence and I hope the writers realize this.

There were some good points to this episode...Sheppard was witty as ever, at one point calling Becketts their "Dr. McCoy" due to his fear of Stargate Travel. Later he taunts the Wraith Prisoner and when he wouldn't give a name, Sheppard names him "Steve." Also good was more of Dr. Beckett, probably my third favorite character, behind Sheppard and Ford (McKay is 4th). Speaking of Ford, he had a great scene in the Jumper as he eys the Wraith Prisoner, clearly not happy to be stuck in a Jumper with the creature.

This one gets a "B" from me and part of me thinks I'm being generous.

Is There Anybody Out There?

Okay, I've posted the link here from a few places and the comments section is opened to everyone, I believe, so if you're out there lurking, please drop me a comment either to this post if you've got a general comment, or if you'd like to specifically remark about one of my previous postings, please feel free to leave a comment there.

And don't be afraid to give me criticism, either for my opinions or for my style of writing, or anything else. I always said I am writing this for myself, but I do want to know other people are reading it.

Thanks in advance for your time and your comments!