Doppelganger

DVD, Stargate Atlantis S4 (Doppelganger)

We've had 'touching crystal to unleash alien life form' before, so I was pleased to find that, thanks to Carter being here, she can cite various references to things 'SG-1' faced, including that memorable first season episode, and I didn't vividly recall all the plots that were mentioned so it made me want to rewatch 'SG-1' again as it's been many years since I went through those early seasons. I think they also mentioned Dwight Schultz's episode ('The Gamekeeper'), though in some ways this did all remind me why the 'Stargate' franchise always seemed like a less effective play on the Trek one, but that wasn't the only influence on this particular story as we get clear connections to the film 'Alien,' it's outright spoken about in dialogue, but then there's also original 'Star Trek' when you have Sheppard fighting an evil version of himself (he even asks Teyla at one point if this version had a goatee which is an in-joke about the fact Spock famously wore one as the Mirror Universe version of the character), but then it ends more like 'The Matrix' with two characters fighting in a different reality where physics don't necessarily apply, and you could even say the mention of the creature feeding on fear or anger was another connection to 'TOS.'

All that being said, I didn't feel they ever fully achieved the levels of paranoia and uncertainty that Trek had often done so well. It's not because there was no horror element to it, but they were once again demonstrating the pushing the envelope of what was acceptable in a relatively family based sci-fi series, what with the chest-bursting and violence. Where they failed was in creating atmosphere and escalating tension. Maybe it's the sets that are too light and spacious, or perhaps it's down to the acting, but it may simply be that atmosphere isn't the forte of the writers, while they have been more successful, certainly since last season, of generating a familial atmosphere, something they achieved in moments during this episode, such as the lovely final scene where each of our characters show up at the new 'alfresco' dining area which looks out over the city, since they can't sleep. I think part of it is that whenever there are dream-based stories, you expect the lines to be blurred, and when characters ostensibly wake up you're anticipating it turning out that they're actually still asleep, so when it happens it isn't exactly surprising, though I suppose if this was your first big sci-fi series you would be surprised.

What I did find a slight surprise was that the title didn't actually give away the plot too much, because that word conjures up images of duplicates, which is what I assumed would happen. Instead, it's only one entity jumping from person to person, and they do show that it has the power to scare someone to death since we see the beloved character, Dr. Kate Heightmeyer, advising her last patient. Okay, she wasn't one of the beloved characters (I much prefer Dr. Keller, who had quite a lot to do in this story, and I really hope they never kill off Zelenka!), but it's always sad when they get rid of any familiar face. Major Lorne is another one that appears as if to remind us there are one or two recurring characters that haven't been offed yet, so watch out! I was half expecting her death to be another event that hadn't really happened, but unfortunately it did and Kate is out. Otherwise the story was fairly simple - I liked the references to other events (but my favourite was Rodney mentioning the Commodore 64 computer, which wouldn't mean anything to people under a certain age, but for those of us who were alive in the Eighties, it brings a warm glow of nostalgia - for me, my first ever computer!), but as I said, the fear factor wasn't anywhere as high as the gore factor, and while I love a good creepy episode in which reality is bent beyond breaking point, this doesn't come close to some of the Trek greats ('The Thaw' from 'Voyager' being arguably the scariest episode of Trek ever, not just for the content, but the ideas and the horrifying sense of being at the mercy of something malevolent).

I'm glad we're getting to see a story that isn't tied into any ongoing plots, isn't building any lore or trying to be anything other than a standalone, even if it is the kind I've seen many times before, it's good to see how these characters will react. My only concern was that Carter doesn't seem quite as forceful and comfortable in the leadership position, and as I've noted before, I think she works best when she's being the science whizz and solving problems. It's hard to see her stand back and delegate, and while it makes sense for her character's promotion, it's going to take some serious getting used to. I don't believe she's clicked yet in that role on this series and I'm even wondering if it might have been better for Weir to remain rather than have this stunt casting. But we have yet to see her truly interact with the 'Atlantis' characters other than being the boss, and I'm sure it took time for Weir to bed in, too. It's just strange that such a (truly), beloved character as Carter isn't brilliant right out of the gate (or Stargate!). I'd love to know the behind-the-scenes story of how this all came about and what the other cast members thought about it, and why Amanda Tapping agreed. But the actress and character hasn't yet been challenged sufficiently (other than Ronon not accepting her at first), to bring out her mettle and show what kind of a leader she is. I hope it happens soon.

**