Stargate: Atlantis (TV Series) Thirty Eight Minutes (2004) User Reviews

Character building episode

[fig-75275 · 8/10 · 14 March 2021]

I liked this episode much more than the first two. I thought that it helped establish the new characters a lot more, especially Weir. I liked the way that the crew of the Puddle Jumper were in a seemingly impossible situation, but they never stopped trying different things. The weakest part was that it wasn't terribly clear what they were doing back on the planet from Rising in the first place.

Good start to a great series

[prjct · 7/10 · 9 September 2018]

Shepherds team goes back to the Wraith have to find it gone. They are attacked and flee through the space gate. Only one small issue, the jumper has been damaged and is wedged halfway in. Then there is the relatively minor issue of Shepard having the like sucked out of him by a... "Cling-on" there are now two ticking clocks. Shepherd is dying fast, and McKay answers the long standing question amongst SG fans, "What happens if something is half through the event horizon and the gate shuts down. The answer, Oblivion. Atlantis shows it is able to compete with SG1 in it's 3rd episode. I might rate this higher is dialogue about the structural integrity of jumpers didn't contradict later episodes, but it was a fun premises and let us get to know our characters better. It is Ford's time to shine in this episode while he risks his life to save everyone. Certainly not the best episode of Atlantis but it was a great early episode. I give it a 7 because it creates continuity problems later showing a lack of foresight on the writers part and because while it was used well here I'm not a big fan of starting in the middle and backtracking. If not for those two problems, I'd say it's a nine.

"Thirty Eight Minutes"

[allmoviesfan · 8/10 · 10 April 2024]

A good episode with plenty of action.

The Atlantis mission crew are in strife yet again. Sheppard gets attacked by a bug that has attached itself to him and is slowly killing him. No fun. "The ugliest damn tick you've ever seen," Sheppard reports.

Worse, the puddle jumper that he is on with a small detachment was damaged during an escape from a Wraith contingent and when they try to go back through the Stargate to get Sheppard the medical assistance he needs, they get stuck. Half in an half out of the Stargate, time is running out to get the entire craft through before they are literally cut in half.

As the title aptly suggests, they have thirty-eight minutes to figure it all out.

Stupid character behavior (minor spoiler)

[SandandSlopes · 6/10 · 29 January 2024]

So they have an opportunity to take a weapon that can kill the enemy aliens but they lay it back on a table instead of taking it back for study? Terrible writing. Could have at least taken it and studied it over a few seasons to figure it out or whatever. I hate terrible plot gaps like this.

Duplicating to meet the stupid number of character requirements. So they have an opportunity to take a weapon that can kill the enemy aliens but they lay it back on a table instead of taking it back for study? Terrible writing. Could have at least taken it and studied it over a few seasons to figure it out or whatever. I hate terrible plot gaps like this.

frustrating to watch

[Moe-yasmine · 3/10 · 6 April 2017]

I don't know who directed or wrote this script. The dynamic seems to be that the characters argue among each other. is there no other way to tell this story besides constant bickering. they are trapped in a deadly situation and all they can do is argue and fight among each other like children in high school. I just finished SG1 and this atlantis is vastly inferior to it.

The SG Atlantis Writers Made 38 Minutes Seem a Lifetime

[fcabanski · 1/10 · 7 November 2015]

The Wraith are awake. They're hungry. The whole galaxy is in danger.

But we don't get to see any of that. We see a bug stuck to Shepherd, and we see a ship pushed through a Stargate.

Not just yawn, but YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWNNNNNNNNN.

If the show got any slower, it would be going in reverse. The SG-1 producers/writers usually followed big episodes with meaningless, boring episodes. One big reason was saving money on effects, sets, and costumes. By the time Atlantis rolled along, the producers/writers had perfected the technique.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the Wraith featured prominently in this episode, or at least their fighting method featured. Maybe the Wraith bored the original Atlanteans to death.

Filler at best.

[loki-69333 · 3/10 · 23 September 2020]

This is a heavy FF episode, I broke the skip button in fact, while I did watch the opening sequence that was the best part of the show. I do like the MD and that it's a he, not a lot of male MD's in sci-fi anymore.

Forty Three Minutes Wasted

[ComradWinston · 4/10 · 1 January 2021]

An entire episode of pointless arguing in which nothing important happens.

Brand new series - SG 1's bug bite was way better

[Kepart · 1/10 · 24 June 2022]

I was severely disappointed with this episode. Very little are shown of the new alien villains, the Wraith, which I was hoping to see. But oh, the bugs are much more dangerous! If the bugs are so bad, why don't they bite the Wraiths in their sleep? It was way too obvious the cast were fiddling with props. Couldn't we have not gotten some more, well just more. Maybe the bug gets stuck on his eye instead and sharts green stuff. For a brand new series, they should have had more solid storytelling. This episode could have been a filler later on.

38 means death in numerology

[ThunderKing6 · 3/10 · 13 August 2021]

Honestly, I had no idea what was going on.

This episode seemed incoherent. Its not sure how to tell a proper story. Plus the show has too much grey, and it makes the show looks bland.