520 - Enemy at the Gate Options Rating

[StarFighter]

I'd have doubted that the hive would have contacted any others, well that's if they are still playing with the whole Wraith civil war/against one another storyline. Afterall, if you had food shortages and knew the location of a vast supply of food, would you share it with your enemies?

I still kind of wish Atlantis had landed in front of people, finally let people know that these things do actually exist. This whole keeping things under wrap is just... well getting old now. But then consider that my point of view, seeing as how Universe is supposed to be distancing itself from Earth (that will last one season) it would have been nice to let the general public know the truth.

Btw, anyone know if they still write Atlantis novels?

I actually thought they were going to end up being exposed to the general public in this final episode but I like how they were able to keep hidden. I think at this point in the game revealing the Stargate program to the public would open up a whole bunch of questions and with the final episode they wouldn't be able to properly explain or wrap that up.

One more nitpick I had with this final episode was when in the very last scene I believe Woolsy welcomes Ronon to Earth. Ronon has already visited Earth with Shepard in a previous episode. So I thought that was weird.

[Dafmeister]

I quite enjoyed this episode, it wasn't brilliant but it wasn't bad. The whole episode seemed like a convenient plot device - Todd and his ZPMs, the wormhole drive (which would conveniently drain most of their power and a stupid addition at this point IMO), the chair being moved after 5 years then destroyed. The premise of the episode was good but I don't think it was well written.

[JC1]

Well, I enjoyed it more than the SG1 final. Atlantis has always done action episodes well, so why not go out with action packed episode. Besides, it's a little late in the game for a character development or team bonding episode. And to be fair it was an entertaining action adventure episode that I've always liked stargate for.

There were a few things I didn't like though. The wormhole drive, out of nowhere. How would that even work? The Ori needed a supergate, to move ships through a wormhole. Yet Mckay came up something a lot better, in his spare time. I also thought Earths defence of Area 51 was fairly pathetic. It's the USAF; they have more than a few F302's. Why weren't there F15'S, F16'S and such sent up? And Earths most powerful ship, the Odyssey, missing on some vague top secret mission.

Minor nitpicks though, except for the wormhole drive, as it pretty much makes hyperspace travel obsolete. I did like the Earth ship been named after Hammond though, that was a nice touch. And the Wraiths super hive ship actually helps explain a bit better how they could have beaten the Ancients.

In the end it was one of the better series finals. And I’m glad there’s going to be at least one Atlantis movie.

[IndyJan]

I quite enjoyed this episode, it wasn't brilliant but it wasn't bad. The whole episode seemed like a convenient plot device - Todd and his ZPMs, the wormhole drive (which would conveniently drain most of their power and a stupid addition at this point IMO), the chair being moved after 5 years then destroyed. The premise of the episode was good but I don't think it was well written.

It was written by M & M and that should say it all.

[hawkes]

I actually thought they were going to end up being exposed to the general public in this final episode but I like how they were able to keep hidden. I think at this point in the game revealing the Stargate program to the public would open up a whole bunch of questions and with the final episode they wouldn't be able to properly explain or wrap that up.

Yeah that's true. And with there being just the one Atlantis movie being made focusing on how people took the news wouldn't make for a good plot, lol. Still a shame.

Btw, what's the deal with all the M & M hate? I don't visit often here these days so i might have missed what they'd done wrong.

[Dafmeister]

Btw, what's the deal with all the M & M hate? I don't visit often here these days so i might have missed what they'd done wrong.

It started with Mallozzi's blog on Gateworld. He would antagonise fans and cause huge arguments, up to the point where it was shut down. He started his own blog after this and the same thing happened. He is a smug, self satisfied asshole who has pretty much fu**ed up a lot of the later seasons of SG-1 and Atlantis during his time as executive producer. The one thing that pisses a lot of people off is that he has said in his blogs that he only writes episodes that he likes and if the fans like them it is a bonus - he doesn't care about the fans.

[StarFighter]

There were a few things I didn't like though. The wormhole drive, out of nowhere. How would that even work? The Ori needed a supergate, to move ships through a wormhole. Yet Mckay came up something a lot better, in his spare time. I also thought Earths defence of Area 51 was fairly pathetic. It's the USAF; they have more than a few F302's. Why weren't there F15'S, F16'S and such sent up? And Earths most powerful ship, the Odyssey, missing on some vague top secret mission.

I totally agree about the wormhole drive. It was just some thing pulled out of nowhere to solve a problem. Sort of weak.

Also the chair being destroyed at Area 51 simply by a kamakazi attack was equally as lame. Wouldn't they have the chair deep underground to prevent a simple attack?

It was a decent episode but there were some really weak spots.

[JTMAG1]

Oh. Now I see the problem with havign Vegas so close to the series finale. It just served as a reminder of how uninspired Stargate Atlantis has become.

Yes, Vegas lacked substance, but at least it compensated with style. Enemy at the Gate lacked either. It was just... there. Lots of big explosions and CGI sequences, cod emotional moments (they had me rolling my eyes at the "Ronon is dead" scenario, not shocked), loads of SG1 reminders... and, erm. well, Todd. And just about every other character ever seen in SGA with the exception of Ford and Weir.

Seen it all before, not very interesting, not setting any sort of landmark (I mean, Earth people don't even know what happened, there isn't a chance of even trying to work out a stupid cover stry a-la Lost City)... it was just... there.

Thank you very much, you said exactly what I was thinking.

This episode felt rushed together. A story like this should have been down the way that the Siege was done... over 2 or 3 episodes.

[StarFighter]

This episode felt rushed together. A story like this should have been down the way that the Siege was done... over 2 or 3 episodes.

I agree but there is no way they could ever top The Siege set of episodes. Those were just awesome. The plot, the tech, the suspense. They couldn't top that.

[Invisible Painting]

I agree but there is no way they could ever top The Siege set of episodes. Those were just awesome. The plot, the tech, the suspense. They couldn't top that.

It doesn't mean don't try But yeah, this story should have been set over 2-3 episodes, they could have gone into things in a lot more depth and not just rushed an ending. It was 3/4 of the episode set up, 1/4 returning things to normal. An 'everything is ok' ending. What we got I didn't dislike especially, only it could have and probably should have been longer. I.e get rid of Infection and Identity shuffle Vegas to Infections place, and have the last three episodes dedicated to this story and the developments it had. Make a bigger deal out of the Wraiths travel to Earth, make a bigger deal out of the attack on Earth, have a few attempts to stop the Hives fail before the nuke scenario. Have Earth lose a ship in the battle with it (that seriously needs to happen more), and given that it's the last episode, have them lose a character. Yeah I know there will be a movie or two, but just have Ronan stay gone, it would have had more impact and made the fact that the Hive was attacking Earth a bigger deal by having a personal loss to it.

Oh and get rid of the instant teleport device they randomly pulled out of their arse. Seriously would it have been any different had they just said 'yep we got the hyperdrive working again'?

Liked the Hammond reference though...

[JTMAG1]

Oh Yes, the "wormhole drive". You mean, all this time, the Ori didn't even need a supergate to gate to different galaxies. All you needed was a wormhole drive, and there you go...

And then, you just plant the city in the San Francisco Bay, and there isn't some huge tidal wave, or an enormous amount of sound to alert every to the landing?

The more I think about it, the more disapointed I am with this episode.

[StarFighter]

Oh Yes, the "wormhole drive". You mean, all this time, the Ori didn't even need a supergate to gate to different galaxies. All you needed was a wormhole drive, and there you go...

And then, you just plant the city in the San Francisco Bay, and there isn't some huge tidal wave, or an enormous amount of sound to alert every to the landing?

The more I think about it, the more disapointed I am with this episode.

I think the map of where Atlantis's splash down would be showed that it would be landing in the middle of the Pacific. When they show SF Bay I just assumed they somehow drifted there.

We all seem to hate that Wormhole drive that just popped up out of nowhere. For obvious reasons. An amazing piece of tech that even the ancients couldn't get to work but of course somehow humans are able to get it working in the nick of time.

But lets not forget that 2 ZPM's also come out of nowhere.

[Invisible Painting]

But lets not forget that 2 ZPM's also come out of nowhere.

I've got no problem with this bit as if you watch Spoils of War you can see the bag containing at least 3 ZPM's, so they did establish at the time that they snatched more then one.

[StarFighter]

I've got no problem with this bit as if you watch Spoils of War you can see the bag containing at least 3 ZPM's, so they did establish at the time that they snatched more then one.

I had to go back and look up this episode. It takes place in the middle of the 4th season. Is it the episode where they finally defeat the replicators by sucking them into the homeworld? I don't ever remember the Wraith getting ZPM's.

[Dave312]

The more I think about it, the more disapointed I am with this episode.

Then don't think and all will be good

Fantastic episode. Really couldn't more ask for a final. Like everyone else has said already, this wormhole drive was bit of a let down. What they should have done is made this episode a 2 parter and then included some sort of lead up to this drive. Maybe include them testing it out, rather than just saying that it was very risky, but it then working like a charm.

I do have one other nitpick with the whole message from another reality thing. Stargate has always used the assumption that every outcome will happen in an alternate reality. So what happens if we consider a reality where the Wraith was able to fully send his message in the previous episode? Then shouldn't that message also be sent to 'our' reality and hence all the wraith find out the location of Earth?

EDIT: Its the following episode StarFighter.

This post has been edited by Dave312: Jan 16th 2009, 8:12 PM

[JTMAG1]

Then don't think and all will be good

Fantastic episode. Really couldn't more ask for a final. Like everyone else has said already, this wormhole drive was bit of a let down. What they should have done is made this episode a 2 parter and then included some sort of lead up to this drive. Maybe include them testing it out, rather than just saying that it was very risky, but it then working like a charm.

I do have one other nitpick with the whole message from another reality thing. Stargate has always used the assumption that every outcome will happen in an alternate reality. So what happens if we consider a reality where the Wraith was able to fully send his message in the previous episode? Then shouldn't that message also be sent to 'our' reality and hence all the wraith find out the location of Earth?

Unless our's is the reality where we only got one of the messages due some unseen circumstances...

[hawkes]

I might be wrong, but didn't he get the message out anway? That being the location of Earth? I mean there wasn't much more to be added than send more ships...

As for this being a three parter, i do agree there and definately something that was along the lines of the siege episodes. Instead of just one super powered ship, make it a fleet, something that three earth ships couldn't deal with and would still be disabled/destroyed with ease and be believeable. It would have made for a much better season then of having the build up to those episodes, the Wraith finally getting beyond that whole civil war to get to a new feeding location and giving Atlantis an actual ongoing storyline that it seemed to once have. Having watched the repeats of the first series, it's kind of strange how the feel of the show seemed to change... but then SG1 had the same happen.

Oh and thanks for the information on the M hate, makes sense now. I never understood how people like that get jobs in TV, there's no business sense in annoying and turning off your viewers :|

[Revan]

Oh Yes, the "wormhole drive". You mean, all this time, the Ori didn't even need a supergate to gate to different galaxies. All you needed was a wormhole drive, and there you go...

And then, you just plant the city in the San Francisco Bay, and there isn't some huge tidal wave, or an enormous amount of sound to alert every to the landing?

Well the Ancients never got the original design to work... seemed like a deus ex machina to me.

That's why the Navy quarantined the bay.

[Invisible Painting]

Mr Paul Mullie (I.e. writer of the episode):

Some people have complained that it was a bit of a deus ex-machina, to which I don’t really have much of a defense. At one point, Brad was thinking about using this as a set-up for a similar drive in Stargate Universe, but he’s since changed his mind. But since it IS set up now, Joe and I do intend to use it as part of the story for the Atlantis movie.

[StarFighter]

Interesting that we will be seeing more of this new wormhole drive.

[IndyJan]

Mr Paul Mullie (I.e. writer of the episode):

Well this quote did come from Mullie, rather than Malozzi, so who knows. I just dislike it when something is used and then forgotten, and it came out of left field.

[J&S4Ever]

Hawkes, I agree that the shields on Atlantis seemed to fail fast considering they had all 3 ZPM's powering the city. It didn't seem to make much sense. The hive ship only had 1 ZPM powering it's weapons and Atlantis was powering shields using 3 ZPM's. It was a little off that the shields failed so quickly but I guess that is what they needed to create suspense in the final battle.

Well, I think that maybe the wormhole drive used up a lot of the ZPM's enegry???? Also, the hive was throwing some pretty powerful punches with that ZPM they had.

I enjoyed the last two eps of the series, the return of old characters and Atlantis to Earth.

Pegasus? The Wraith? What will happen?

There might be other Atlantis type cities out there...Remember the episode "The Tower"?

The Asgard Faction? Might they have a copy of Thor with them? Not likely, but you never know.

Oh so many loose ends!!!! Might make a good movie....any of them!!!!

[Auntie Em!]

Fantastic episode. I do not follow spoilers so had absolutely no ideal that the show had been cancelled. It was a total shock to me. Sad, as I was finally getting into the show and enjoying it.

I was also unaware that Don Davis had died and thought that it was odd that they put that Hammond had died in the episode. Now it makes total sense and I find it touching.

[Heru-ER]

very bad its series finale but why some other sites like tv.com says status Returning series??