Sci-Fi Showdown GATE-TO-GATE - Week 1 (07.14.06)

Welcome to week 1 of the KHYRON.NET Sci-Fi Showdown, Gate-to-Gate edition.

Over the past year, the Sci-Fi Showdown has been following the new seasons of the Sci Fi Channel's Sci Fi Friday lineup. It has been stated here many times the powerhouse combo of Stargate Sg-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Battlestar Galactica compose the 3 best consecutive hours on television.

For those that missed out on the Winter Season Showdown, get caught up with the Awards Spectacular.

What began as an attempt to compare the entertainment value of each week's individual episodes has since evolved into a full-blown showdown of epic proportions. However, for this latest Summer Season, the Sci Fi Channel has decided to shake things up a bit. Abandoning the split seasons of last year, Battlestar Galactica Season 3 will instead be debuting in October. So, until then, the Showdown will be focusing on The Gates.

Over the next 10 weeks, Gate-to-Gate will bring you episode summaries, reviews, and commentary for Stargate Sg-1 and Stargate Atlantis. Check back each Monday for regularly scheduled updates.

So, without further adieu, let's see what Week 1 had to offer...

Stargate Sg-1 ("Flesh and Blood")

When we last left off on Stargate Sg-1, things weren't looking so hot for team. In their last-stand effort against the invading Ori crusade, the Earth/Asgard/Jaffa/Lucian coalition was powerless to stop them. With Col. Carter floating helplessly through space and the rest of the team feared dead, it was a depressing season finale.

In episode 10.1, "Flesh and Blood," the story picks up right from the cliffhanger. Drifting in space, Carter (Amanda Tapping) is relieved to discover that Mitchell (Ben Browder) escaped the doomed ship Korolev before it was destroyed. Meanwhile Teal'c (Christopher Judge), aboard a heavily damaged Lucian Alliance mothership, is tortured for convincing the Alliance to assist in the futile engagement.

At the close of season 9, I was afraid we would see another Michael Shanks-esque death-ascension-rebirth plot from when he decided to return to the show after his character was killed off. I was sure at least some of the Sg-1 team were killed in battle against the Ori. But thankfully they avoided that sinkhole by explaining how each member was able to miraculously escape their demise. Its amazing how Sg-1 can always manage to do that...

In his escape, Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) found himself aboard one of the Ori vessels. Trapped and unable to contact anyone on radio, he runs into Vala (Claudia Black) who had just given birth to her daughter. But of course it couldn't just be a normal birth--no, the kid ages 10 years in a matter of hours and has the knowledge of the Ori hard-wired into her brain. I cringed for a moment when the kid was revealed, having been turned off by the previous Stargate child actor, Cameron Bright. With the character's fast growth rate however, it meant that there was a new actress just about every scene. They all performed well though, helping to bring out the creepiness of super-girl.

The last act of the episode takes the action to the Jaffa world of Chulac. For some reason, the Ori have chosen it as the place for the first ground invasion. In its defense, the now freed Teal'c and crew race to the scene. But after their plan to destroy the Ori ship fails, it seems the ground war is inevitable.

As far as premiers go, "Flesh and Blood" worked on just about every level. Starting the record-breaking 10th season, Sg-1 still proved that it can be as exciting and funny as ever. Only time will tell how the addition of Vala's daughter will effect the plot, but I think I like where this season is going. 10 seasons long and still going strong, Stargate Sg-1 is a winner.

Rating: 8/10

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Stargate Atlantis - (No Man's Land)

Still finding its niche, Atlantis' second season saw a steady improvement in episode quality. Although it may have taken a back-seat to Sg-1 and Galactica in last season's Sci Fi Showdown, it is still worthy to bear the Stargate title.

In episode 3.1, "No Man's Land," 2 Wraith hiveships are advancing towards Earth at a hurried pace. Trapped inside one of them, Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) and Ronon (Jason Momoa) struggle to free themselves. Meanwhile, Sheppard (Joe Flanigan)--who has secretly attached his F-302 fighter to one of the hiveships--waits for best time to strike.

From the beginning of the episode, I could already tell this will be an enjoyable season. No longer just the new guys of Sci Fi Friday, the Atlantis cast has really come together in the past season. The comedic dialogue between McKay and Ronon when they were attempting to escape the Wraith cocoons was a perfect example of Atlantis at its best. Like Sg-1, you'll get better results if you keep in mind that Atlantis is essentially a comedy hidden under special effects.

The highlight of the episode for me was the Sheppard flashback montage. After debating whether or not it would be possible to attack the hiveships while in hyper-space, he remembers back to a lunch table discussion he had with McKay and Zelenka regarding theoretical physics--during which he found himself more interested in a good looking female sitting across from them. The comedy of Stargate is usually buried tongue-in-cheek into the dialogue, so it was hilarious to see such an overtly comical moment. Good stuff.

As the episode continued, Dr. Weir (Torri Higginson) returned to Earth in order to meet with International Oversight Advisory and answer to her failure of keeping the location of our galaxy a secret from the Wraith. While her friends are a galaxy away--fighting for their lives--Weir finds herself fighting the uselessness of the bureaucratic IOA.

Bringing the season 3 opener to a close, the Daedalus and Orion make desperate attack to stop the hiveships. However, after the Orion is destroyed, the crew of the Daedalus find themselves in a crippled ship quickly running low on oxygen. In a last-ditch effort for survival, the remaining hiveship is flooded with the anti-Wraith retro virus and taken over by Sheppard and his boarding party.

I enjoyed this episode more than any Atlantis episode in recent memory. If this is to be what can be expected from season 3, I think we're all in for a treat. If season 10 is going to be the last for Sg-1 (something I highly doubt), I can rest assured that the legacy will be carried on in good hands.

With a premier that I feel rivaled that of Sg-1's, I can't wait for the rest of season 3.

Rating: 9/10

Thus concludes Week 1 of the Sci-Fi Showdown Gate-to-Gate review. Check back each Monday for new Showdowns.

~Khyron