Stargate Atlantis: Change Is All Around
Out with Someone Old, In with Someone New
Stargate Atlantis fans, calm yourselves, because what we’ve been waiting for finally arrives tonight. That would be the fifth season, of course, which begins at 10pm EST with “Search and Rescue,” the conclusion to the fourth-season finale “The Last Man.”
During the first half of the two-parter, megalomaniacal Wraith-human hybrid Michael whisked Teyla away to an unknown location, precipitating the Atlantis crew’s urgent and increasingly desperate search for the pregnant Athosian. The fifth season opens to reveal that four members of the search team — Sheppard and Ronon, as well as McKay and Lorne — are trapped beneath the rocky debris of Michael’s destroyed compound, while Teyla remains in the hands of her captor.
This dire situation provides the setting for much of the episode as Colonel Samantha Carter, Dr. Jennifer Keller, and crew members rush to find and retrieve all five of their endangered colleagues before Michael’s minions get to them first. Yes, it’s entirely predictable who will survive the dilemma, but the knowledge doesn’t make the action any less exciting to watch.
Tonight’s episode does more than just resolve the predicament left over from last season, however; it also sets the stage for a significant change of command. As attentive fans know, Amanda Tapping, who plays Colonel Carter, is leaving Stargate Atlantis after just one season in order to executive produce and star in Sci Fi Channel’s forthcoming adaptation of the Web series Sanctuary.
Tapping’s impending exit has made it possible for a new expedition leader to come onboard, Robert Picardo‘s familiar Stargate character Richard Woolsey. The season premiere indicates the transition will not be smooth for Carter, Woolsey, or those under their command, which is good for viewers since the more dramatic tension there is, the more intense the plots will be.
“Search and Rescue,” also makes it clear that more changes are in store for the series beyond the evolving leadership. Jewel Staite‘s Dr. Keller seems to have finally settled in and become an integral member of the group, and there are definitely many adjustments ahead for Teyla as her responsibilities inevitably shift. It’s going to be very interesting to see how the series’ altered course plays out; yet the fact that Stargate Atlantis will celebrate its 100th episode this season proves the show will deliver, no matter what happens.
Stargate Atlantis will air Fridays on the Sci Fi Channel at 10pm EST
Stargate Atlantis photo courtesy of Eike Schroter/Sci Fi Channel
