Review: Stargate Atlantis - Season 5 Premiere on Sci Fi

Stargate Atlantis is one of those shows that I enjoy watching, but don't always watch. I’ve just never gotten fully invested in the Stargate Universe since the first few seasons of SG-1. But it makes for some good Friday night viewing, especially during the summer months. I usually end up watching a handful of episodes a season.

For you big fans of the show, I don't think you'll be disappointed with this first episode. It has a good bit of action and the requisite humor. I mean, how can you go wrong with lots of space battles and rescue missions.

The ending is abrupt though, with Colonel Carter heading back to Earth for review by the IOA and then finding out that she is going to be replaced by Woolsey, played by Robert Picardo (Star Trek: Voyager). How things move forward with a new, more by-the-book, leader should be interesting.

Watch Stargate Atlantis Episodes

A secret group of scientists have discovered the location of the famous lost city of Atlantis, but it's not on Earth. It's located in another galaxy altogether, the Pegasus galaxy. Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off from the highly successful Stargate SG-1 series, follows a multinational scientific and military group, lead by Diplomat Dr. Elizabeth Weir (played by actress Torri Higginson), headed on a one way trip to Atlantis. Their mission: to investigate the secrets of Atlantis, a city now known to have been built by ancient powerful beings, and bring whatever they discover back to Earth. They will be all on their own, with no means to return, with no means of rescue or support, unless they can find the technology they need in Atlantis to return them to Earth.

Once in Atlantis, the group finds the city abandoned; asleep for tens of thousands of years, and no power source left for a return home. They must find a power source within Atlantis' own Pegasus galaxy using the same Stargate system that got them there or they will be stranded forever. On the first planet they visit, they accidentally waken a new, powerful, and more evil enemy than human kind has ever faced, the Wraith. And the Wraith are hungry for humans!

Follow the extraordinary adventures of an SGA team lead by Major John Sheppard (played by actor Joe Flanigan), and his team made up by his second in command Lt. Aiden Ford (played by actor Rainbow Sun Francks), and the Astrophysicist/Scientist Dr. Rodney McKay (played by actor David Hewlett, reprising the role he played in Stargate SG-1). Joining the team will be Teyla Emmagan (played by actress Rachel Luttrell), a beautiful, exotic, and strong-willed woman from the Pegasus galaxy.

Man who attacked 'Stargate Atlantis' star gets five-year prison sentence

A bit of criminal justice news today in Los Angeles that will interest fans of "Stargate Atlantis" and Jason Momoa, who played Ronon Dex on the SyFy series for 78 episodes and reprises the role in the upcoming made-for-TV film "Stargate: Extinction." Our sister blog L.A. Now reports that the man who attacked Momoa at a local bar last year has been sentenced. There's an excerpt below.

A man who struck one of the stars of the TV show "Stargate Atlantis” in the face with a beer glass -- and left the actor needing 140 stitches -- pleaded no contest to assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to five years in state prison.

In addition, Dominic Bando admitted an allegation of great bodily injury to actor Jason Momoa, according to Deputy Dist. Atty. Guillermo Santiso.

Atlantis Season Five premieres in U.S. syndication this week

The final season of Stargate Atlantis is headed for the syndication market in the United States, airing on local broadcast stations all over the country starting this week! "Search and Rescue" will premiere in most cities during the weekend of September 19 and 20.

Season Five brought more changes to the show's cast, including a new expedition commander in Richard Woolsey (Robert Picardo). Jewel Staite ("Jennifer Keller") also went from recurring to a full-time cast member.

The season tied up some long-standing story arcs for the series, while also introducing new villains and new problems for the Atlantis team. In the big mid-season two-parter, Michael Shanks guest stars as Dr. Daniel Jackson.

The production team had intended on continuing on to a sixth season, but the studio and network instead decided to end the series and send it to direct-to-DVD movies — the first of which is still waiting to be produced.

The Stargate franchise has dominated the drama category in syndication for the past 11 years. We assume that Stargate Universe will follow SGA and make its syndication bow next year — though there is no official word from MGM yet.

Check your local listings to find out when and where Stargate Atlantis airs in your town. Broadcasters typically air the show on Saturday and/or Sunday. You can find the complete syndication schedule for the 2009-2010 season exclusively at GateWorld!