Like many people, I am wary of spin-offs, so I started watching Atlantis with the nagging suspicion that this was merely an opportunity to pimp up SG-1 --and lose all contact with reality. But I started watching this and I got hooked right away.
Not because of the plot, honestly. Nothing wrong with it, mind, but for a while it feels like SG-1 without SG-1. They find a mission, go through the Stargate and chaos ensues. New planets, new enemy, new blunders... same old, same old. But I tend to think that at this stage it's more of a signature tone (or a running gag) than a lack of imagination. I mean, SGU did try to go new places and look how that turned out. Still, the Wraith do seem less interesting than the Goa'uld: less creepy, more gory. Classic monsters. But Rising remains quite enjoyable, nicely paced, and it manages to introduce quite a number of new elements, so I am quite content to let anything develop from here.
As for characters, obviously this is a tricky bit with a spin off. A few old friends are here on loan to facilitate the transition, but mostly we are starting afresh (unless you count McKay, who hardly features among my favourite characters at this stage). Besides, while SG-1 managed to run for a while with a very limited cast, Atlantis immediately starts juggling military personnel, civilian contractors (from all around the world) and Pegasus natives. It is no mean feat that by the end of the episode you can more or less remember everybody and have one or two traits clearly defined. A bit too clear-cut maybe, but once again, I am sure that the show will in time refine them and give them a few quirks --and that the actors will each add their own touch to their character. So far, I am willing to be part of the team.
But what really, really got me was the setting. In the end, the main difference between Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1, is Atlantis itself. The Lost City clearly functions as a whole character, a whole plot in itself. The visuals are simply astonishing, and they are wonderfully supported by the eerie, magical background themes. And even in the middle of various disasters, the show takes some time to give us a few glimpses of the place and its potential. So yes, in contrast with the hyper-functional, hyper-realistic, almost squalid setting of the SGC, Atlantis is a bright, shiny new toy meant to lure the audience in. But what a toy. Clearly this does not bear watching while ironing your laundry or peeling potatoes. It is further removed from reality than SG-1 was, sci-fi with an extra dose of fantastic (or is it fantasy?) at times, but isn't that a given for a series called Atlantis, set in the Pegasus galaxy?
Not because of the plot, honestly. Nothing wrong with it, mind, but for a while it feels like SG-1 without SG-1. They find a mission, go through the Stargate and chaos ensues. New planets, new enemy, new blunders... same old, same old. But I tend to think that at this stage it's more of a signature tone (or a running gag) than a lack of imagination. I mean, SGU did try to go new places and look how that turned out. Still, the Wraith do seem less interesting than the Goa'uld: less creepy, more gory. Classic monsters. But Rising remains quite enjoyable, nicely paced, and it manages to introduce quite a number of new elements, so I am quite content to let anything develop from here.
As for characters, obviously this is a tricky bit with a spin off. A few old friends are here on loan to facilitate the transition, but mostly we are starting afresh (unless you count McKay, who hardly features among my favourite characters at this stage). Besides, while SG-1 managed to run for a while with a very limited cast, Atlantis immediately starts juggling military personnel, civilian contractors (from all around the world) and Pegasus natives. It is no mean feat that by the end of the episode you can more or less remember everybody and have one or two traits clearly defined. A bit too clear-cut maybe, but once again, I am sure that the show will in time refine them and give them a few quirks --and that the actors will each add their own touch to their character. So far, I am willing to be part of the team.
But what really, really got me was the setting. In the end, the main difference between Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1, is Atlantis itself. The Lost City clearly functions as a whole character, a whole plot in itself. The visuals are simply astonishing, and they are wonderfully supported by the eerie, magical background themes. And even in the middle of various disasters, the show takes some time to give us a few glimpses of the place and its potential. So yes, in contrast with the hyper-functional, hyper-realistic, almost squalid setting of the SGC, Atlantis is a bright, shiny new toy meant to lure the audience in. But what a toy. Clearly this does not bear watching while ironing your laundry or peeling potatoes. It is further removed from reality than SG-1 was, sci-fi with an extra dose of fantastic (or is it fantasy?) at times, but isn't that a given for a series called Atlantis, set in the Pegasus galaxy?