The Storm

DVD, Stargate Atlantis S1 (The Storm)

After seeing the previous episode, 'Underground,' I speculated we might see the Genii and Colm Meaney's Cowen again, but I didn't expect it immediately! It's actually only the one scene for Meaney, with the spotlight firmly on his star military commander, Kolya, who's tough enough to take on three opponents at stick fighting and win (he even hurts the female in the group, that's how tough he is!). It's a shame Meaney doesn't have a bigger role, but I imagine they just had this scene tacked onto the production of the first episode so they didn't have to pay such a big star for two episodes (although Robert Davi, the baddie of Bond film 'Licence To Kill,' is Kolya, so it's not like they're shy about using film stars!), or maybe his schedule was too busy to commit to two, or more. That's because rather than this being a two-parter, it ends on a cliffhanger, so either 'Underground' was the prequel and now we're into a two-parter, or it's an ongoing story, it's all up in the air at this stage. It does make things interesting - although Kolya isn't that compelling a character he forces Sheppard into a stalemate with Weir and McKay as hostages, her life about to be forfeit unless Sheppard capitulates. It reminds me of the end of the first season of 'Stargate Universe' which went on to do a similar tale of outsiders leading a strike force to take over, and even 'Invasive Procedures' from 'DS9,' another tale where a storm forces the base to be evacuated, leaving the way open for a small band to infiltrate and take the facility, while those left behind try all they can to thwart their enemies.

I didn't feel the place had much atmosphere, unlike DS9, perhaps too bright and always with the small chambers or corridors, never really exhibiting the vast scale - the closest we come is in McKay telling the Major he'll have to run to get to the thing he has to get to in order to set up the city to protect itself from the coming storm. I have to say, when I first saw the title I wondered if it referred to The Wraith, and perhaps the attack was going to come at this early stage, but it's a literal evocation of the episode's theme, which is the mega-storm that threatens to engulf Atlantis, forcing the Athosians to be evacuated from the mainland as well as all but a skeleton crew in the control centre of the city. There is a moment when Sheppard is shouting against the gale when communicating via radio to control, but apart from that there isn't a great deal of a stormy impression, except for those stuck in the Puddle-Jumpers back on the mainland. Sheppard doesn't come off to well, either - aside from a good hero moment of taking down the two Genii soldiers sent to kill him once he's finished his task, he comes close to causing Weir's death, and also gets on the wrong side of Smeadon and his people, threatening their leader when he demands something of value in exchange for temporary sanctuary, which wasn't the most diplomatic reaction.

He does get to do a spot of 'Die Hard' reenactment when taking out the baddies and setting them up to fail, hiding the C4, but I'd have liked to have seen them go further with that (and maybe they will in the next part). I still don't see why they didn't simply traipse off to another planet - they mentioned that they're uninhabited for a reason, but it was weak story logic, and have they really made no other allies at all? Only enemies or those that want to exploit their position? I also thought Teyla's people were supposed to be farmers, but here the crux of their slow evac is due to them being hunters and they're all out hunting. True, crops don't magically appear out of nowhere and they may have secondary hunting skills for when they have no crops… but why strand Ford, Teyla and Dr. Beckett unless they're going to use them to come flying in and save the day when the storm has dissipated. It's not really trying to do anything surprising, and that's okay, part of the charm of 'Stargate' is its comforting familiarity in the realm of sci-fi. You always know where you are and it makes up for unoriginality with pretty locations and entertaining characters (Dr. Weir's line in response to double-act McKay and the Czech Dr. Zelenka when they propose harnessing the power of the storm, is my favourite: "You want to build a windmill?"), but you can see what's coming with the embittered Sora, whose Father, Tyrus, Cowen accused Teyla of killing, as she's unhappy with Kolya's uncompromising methods, killing when it's unnecessary. She's sure to turn the tables eventually.

It remains to be seen how well this story will play out, but I foresee a one on one battle between Kolya and Sheppard, with the Jumper crew charging to the rescue of the city at the last minute. I was confused at first by the Athosian Smeadon lulls into a false sense of security in order to steal his 'gate operating device (why let the Athosians have one?), as I didn't get who he was or what faction he represented, though it soon became apparent. It's funny to hear the humans referred to as Atlanteans, and I had to agree in part with Kolya's scepticism that Weir's lot are the best hope for the galaxy as they have the Ancient gene - who's to say some of the Genii don't, they're all human genetically, after all. I was also surprised to hear Weir call the Ring Transporter merely a Transporter, as if they'd decided to drop all pretence: yes, we nicked this from Trek so why call it something different!

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