Review: Stargate: SG1 801 – 802, Stargate: Atlantis 101 – 102
High quality science fiction is becoming rare these days. And that’s why when one series spawns another, I’m there to witness it, hoping it’s something good. Stargate: SG1 I gave up on many years ago. With these crossover episodes, I remember why. The character are just as stiff as 8 years ago. No development, no depth. Storywise, they’re even more amazing than before. Amazingly stupendous, that is. The writers are clearly writing them in their sleep. Story turns are everywhere, just simple solutions to get out of the holes they dug earlier themselves. With so many jumps from here to there, there’s not really any room for dialogue that actually feels like a dialogue.
So enter a spin-off. Atlantis is clearly from the same makers, as it’s cliche-ridden, with yet another simple and highly predictable storyline. Again, no time for sensible dialogue, and hence, no sense of depth. Drama isn’t an issue here either, and luckily, the actors don’t have an awful lot of acting to do. In dire situations, a frown is enough, and the writers whisk them away, out of harm’s way.
This all makes Stargate one of the most generic shows on air, able to stay exactly the same after all those years, holding the same future for Atlantis, playing it safe. Too bad though the writers don’t know if you don’t have anything to lose, you don’t have anything to gain.