An IvanF, IVT, No-Name Whiner, HomePage Production... November 2008: IvanF's Noname Brand News and Reviews Website...

- NoName.Mycrowsoft.com -
"Where do you want to Crow today?"

- IvanF's Mycrowsoft Noname Brand Website -
- noname writing online since May 2002 -

- Welcome to IvanF's IVT No-Name Brand Website -
- noname television, film and video game reviews -

Wow, the writers are so clever. From space vampires, now they've gone to space zombies? Whoa, so original. I'm so impressed...

With that said, I guess Infection wasn't a bad episode after we got the man-chewing Wraith out of the way. Once the episode lost the B-type horror kind of feel it was going for in the first half, it became a well knit story about the total team trying to survive at any cost. I liked that, and it helped that Todd was there to improve the mood as well. Sure, it was odd how he seemed so demanding of the SGA team when he was the one who tried to kill them all on the Daedalus, and he's the one who not only stole Keller's gene therapy but also earth's encryption codes and who knows what else. But I guess when he's faced with disease and a slow agonizing death for the first time in ten thousand years or so, I'd be a bit cranky coming out of that pod too. The face off he had with Sheppard, where we raised his hand only to realize it was no longer a threat, was one of the most well acted scenes in the season so far. The tension there was great, and the mutual hate yet respect between the both of them has provided one of the best characterizations for the series ever since it first started in Common Ground...

I mentioned that Infection was a team episode, but it definitely didn't feel that way in the first half. Teyla got to spout out some generic lines of not sensing any Wraith, Ronon got to talk his usual bluff of killing everyone onboard, and Rodney simply sat there looking at screens and giving Keller backrubs of all things. Things changed for the better part in the second half though, where Keller finally seemed somewhat useful in showing compassion and understanding with Todd and Rodney got to give his patented "oh shit" look when the Hive was splitting in two, all while Ronon and Teyla got to kick ass and take names while ripping apart zombie Wraith with their weapons. How can I really complain about that surefire combination? Sure, the CG effects for the Wraith Hive Ship crashing into the ocean were sub-par and definitely looked like the production crew were trying to save money for the finale, but the whole event itself was enjoyable to watch and you could definitely feel the team spirit in the sense that every member was concerned for one another. I do have my complaints, like Teyla not getting any screen time in with Todd (even after The Queen), but I really did enjoy the latter half of Infection for the most part...

Plot-wise, it makes sense that something would go wrong with the gene therapy on first try, although Todd should have been smarter than to give it to all his crew at first glance. And I appreciated the talks on the other side of the bubble, how Ronon and Woolsey to some extent were thinking of using Keller's treatment as a bioweapon against the Wraith. In fact, unlike Beckett's retrovirus, it seems that Keller has found an effective method of slowly but surely eliminating Wraith Hive Ships, as they seem vulnerable to the cancers indirectly caused by her cure. This is all interesting stuff to add to the Wraith mythos on the series, if only Atlantis wasn't ending this year. I guess the question now is, what becomes of Todd? A few episodes ago, he was questioning whether he would even be a Wraith anymore once his ability to feed on humans was gone. Now what will happen to him? Will the Queen Iratus Bug cure him of the gene therapy along with the cancer, or will he remain different and ousted amongst the rest of the Wraith like Michael was? The difference is, Todd is progressive thinking and he definitely keeps his word in regards to thanking Sheppard for all his respect and help. Todd chose to be different, he chose to evolve, and if only there was another season of Atlantis, I'd love to see how that pans out for the future of the Wraith...

Once again, there were definitely flaws in the formula of Infection. I could've done without the obvious red shirt who didn't even get to fire off a round before he was eaten alive. I could have done without the Aliens-esque search sequence when it came to the zombie Wraith showing on the Ancient Life Sense Detector. And I wish Teyla, Ronon and Rodney all got better parts to play, when really it was only Sheppard and Keller who got any significant speech time in with Todd. But dammit, how can I fault an episode in the end where zombie Wraith are shot left, right and center, and an entire Wraith Hive Ship was split in half?...

Infection wasn't a great episode, but it was far from a blight or cancer on the series. It didn't help the series-ending sort of arc I was hoping for, but it definitely did bring together the team the way that they should be when all is said and done...

Only three episodes of Atlantis left to go. What you leave behind, and all good things...

I think it's safe to say that whoever wrote the plot to Brain Storm probably had his own version of a brain fart, though not for the exact reasons that anti-shippers would most readily attest to...

The reality is that maybe I wouldn't have minded this episode if I never heard of the politics behind it, but it just disappoints me how Atlantis was forced to have an episode dealing with Global Warming simply because the people at SciFi told them to. It's not like I disagree with promoting the fight against global warming, I just don't like how this agenda was shoved down our throats when all I want every single week is some good gun-slinging alien action. This is the same kind of bullshit that makes me cringe every time I try to watch a Battlestar Galatica episode that obviously showed off that the American Cylons had no 'plan' in Iraq. I like to keep my news in the newspapers and my entertainment in the television, thank you very much...

With that said, Brain Storm wasn't a horrible episode, it definitely had a few redeeming qualities. It was nice to see Bill Nye again along with whats-his-name (the other guy with a TV show). And Rodney McKay once again stole the show and the thunder, first with his smarts and then with his axe-totting manly ways. But to be honest, I really don't remember much from Brain Storm already, that's how little thought and brain-storming went into the episode in the first place. If anything, all I do recall is being annoyed at Jennifer Keller for always being the moral high ground person. I know she must've encountered her fair share of snarky bickering at medical school and modern research labs, yet she always is written as the perfect little innocent girl, shocked and disgusted how scientists can't work together to save their lives. While that may be a decent commentary on the way the real world works in regards to failed solutions for the planet, in which case both money and ego get in the way, I couldn't help but roll my eyes every time that Jennifer Keller rolled her own at the others. I'm sorry, but I like characters with flaws like McKay, so a flawless girl like Keller just seems so damn lost and misguided on the series...

Then of course, we got to their star-studded romance. I'm no anti-shipper between the both of them, I even think they make a reasonably cute couple. But it is kind of annoying how we had a whole episode dedicated to it, just like I couldn't stand Trio or whatever that episode was named last season (with Carter as the third wheel). I do think McKay and Jennifer have a bit of chemistry, and the kiss between them was reasonably sweet. But Stargate has never done full episodes based on romance well whatsoever in its entire history of two or more galaxies. I don't mind this kind of stuff in the background, like the Daniel and Vala romance was in the last two seasons of SG-1, but for it to take the forefront in an already boring episode about storm fronts and quantum heat sinks? I don't know, I just felt that this was yet another brain fart on the writers' behalf...

To me, this was the Family Ties of Atlantis, in comparison to how poorly SG-1 went off the air thanks to a lot of bad filler episodes along the end stretch of the way. I would have less animosity towards Brain Storm if only this wasn't the last season of Atlantis, if only the rest of the team were somewhat involved, and if only a political agenda wasn't shoved our way. But what's done is done, and at least McKay finally got to join the mile high club (unless having sex in an Ancient spaceship with Katie Brown counts)...

I would have a lot less complaints if only Keller looked cute as hell. Yet somehow, they even botched that up, and made the skinniest girl ever from Serenity into someone who, err, how can I say this nicely? Looked right for McKay in the end afterall. I mean seriously, WTF?...

Y2kk Update: - Smallville: Bride small Smallville Week in Review (Spoilers...) -

Wow, is this the first time I have ever been impressed by a Smallville November sweeps episode? Is this the first time I have ever been left satisfied and hoping for more after a goddam Smallville winter cliffhanger? Has this been the first fucking season of the series where I actually want there to be another fucking year? WTF?...

"Doomsday on a Smallville budget actually looks... respectable? I actually like an episode with... Lana fucking Lang? Seriously, it's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine?!? WTF?"...

I don't use the word "epic" much for Smallville, but that's exactly how Bride felt. So often, I've been let down by television shows dealing with marriage, but Smallville literally took the cake. Now sure, they ripped off a few cliff notes from Cloverfield, minus the slushie and weird Star Trek ads. But for the most part, the ambiguity from the short camcorder clips that we saw helped develop the suspense for the big showdown at the end. And although the fight was merely a tease for what's to come, I can't say I walked away disappointed. Clark absolutely got his ass kicked, first by a man made of stone and next by a literal rock, and I couldn't have been happier. Hell, even Jimmy the Bimmy put up a better fight than Superman did, and strangely enough, that felt appropriate considering who they were fighting against and that this was Jimmy's big day. For the first time in almost an eternity, I didn't mind the annoying as hell photographer one bit. Sure, maybe that was helped by the fact I laughed my guts out when he had his ripped out from his stomach, but hey, any positive reaction is better than the usual...

The simple fact that a low-budget television show made a plastic suit actually resemble the threat known as Doomsday was amazing enough. But the other fact how I actually enjoyed this episode despite the fact that Lana fucking Lang filled the headlines with her ranting and whining? Wow, what has the world come to, who would've ever thought? But it's true, there was a huge emo-elephant hanging in the room, and I didn't mind her scenes with Clark to get that old baggage finally out of the way. Can it be guaranteed that I won't hate her for the rest of the episodes she stays on the show? Absolutely not, but at least it helps that her new hair style is a lot more beautiful to me than her old one was. And besides, it's just standard decent television to break up the true love between Clark and Lois for the old flame bullshit known as Lana Lang. We're meant to somewhat hate her in this plotline, similar to when she was a bitch working with Lex Luthor. And if anything, Kristen Kreuk actually does well in this kind of role, even going so far as to give us comic relief with her Chun Li routine there. I didn't love her performance whatsoever, but for the first time in the longest of whiles, I actually accepted and even appreciated her goddam existence. WTF?...

Clark Kent's best moment was when he was too dumb to even try his superspeed against Doomsday, but he definitely had a lot of decent moments as well when it came to Lois Lane. The both of them are finally showing the kind of chemistry I saw in them when Erica Durance was first introduced onto the show, and it's about damn time. It wasn't just the near kiss between them that actually had meaning, it was just the way they actually looked at each other when she was walking down those stairs. There was more passion and more feeling in those scenes than Clark ever had with Lana Lang, and I've got to say that I really appreciate how the writers have gone down the path of Lois and Clark. Even the little moments off to the side, like Oliver Queen consoling Lois Lane about her deep feelings for the man of steel, gave a real sense of "Superman" to this episode that I really honestly enjoyed. Sure, we had some weird, non-canon event of Chloe Sullivan marrying Jimmy the Bimmy of all morons, with Doomsday crashing the party long before the death of Superman. But there was just something about Lois and Clark here that made Bride feel like a real extension to the comic book mythos, the kind of which I've been demanding for seven long and painful years...

Even though this episode had so many parallel storylines, from Lois and Clark to Clark vs Doomsday, it was also really Chloe and Jimmy's chance to shine. Well, Jimmy didn't shine, except for the blood spewing out from his guts. But Chloe? Wow, especially when it came to the lingerie, she was absolutely stunning. And seriously, Allison Mack seemed so happy this episode, her smile was absolutely breath-taking almost as if she was marrying the man of her dreams in real life. How can I really fault the actress for anything after putting eight of the years of her life into a show that has only now shown any sort of promise? Every single moment she was on screen she was beaming, and I guess so was I. Even when Lana came into the wedding room and made her return, the look on Chloe's face made me forget all about the emo-angst that was soon to come. Hell, just the little touches in Bride, with the way that Chloe looked at him when Clark showed her the flower that he's kept for so many years? There was a lot of thought and work and meaning put into an episode like Bride, and I really think it paid off. Not only did it make the writers look genius, not only did it make Clark not look like an idiot, but it made Chloe look like a true blushing bride. She was absolutely beautiful all dressed in white, even when frozen in ice and covered in nanites. Really, what else can I say?...

So many times in the past, I have been disappointed by an episode dealing with a wedding. So many times in the past, I've been disappointed by an episode dealing with a monster lurking in the shadows. So many times in the goddam past, I've been disappointed with Lana fucking goddam Lang. And so many times in the past? I've been disappointed by goddam fucking Smallville...

But the eighth season of the show continues to surprise and prove me wrong time after time again. For the first time ever for the series, I don't want a winter hiatus, I don't want a break. I didn't want the episodes to end...

I mean, Smallville has been... respectable?... and engaging?... and meaningful?... WTF?...

Seriously, it really must be the end of the world. And strangely enough, I feel fine?...

The whole Stargate Atlantis team didn't even get to meet up together until the very end of this episode, yet Remnants very much felt like a total team effort and definitely another highlight in this great and final season of Stargate Atlantis...

On the John Sheppard side of things, the plotline could have been a bit stronger in terms of consequences. I mean here we had an episode where the Colonel was literally beating himself up in his own personal Fight Club, but we never do figure out what he hates himself for, and we never do realize what he's running away from. No matter what though, it was a great acting performance by Joe Flanigan, and it was great to see Kolya again even if he was just a mirage. Last week was a great send-off for Connor Trinneer, and Remnants was a much better finish for the Genii evil mastermind than death-by-Lucius ever was. Here we got that ruthless Kolya again, not hesitating to cut off Sheppard's hand simply so he could pilot a Puddle Jumper. Sure, it was merely John's image of Kolya that he was projecting, but we still got a lot of great character moments between the two of them that really gave the fifth and final season of Atlantis another sense of closure. And really, in all honesty, I've missed the old Kirkin' and pimpin' John Sheppard, so it was great to see him "volunteer" for this mission just to watch over a young lady in short shorts. The embarrassment on his face when he realized he was duped by an ancient hallucination was great, but the smile he grinned when he later saw the same dumbfounded look on McKay was even more priceless...

Now, I didn't realize it at first glance but by the middle of this episode, I knew something was strange with Zelenka in the sense he never really touched anything or did anything of consequence. I definitely got a Fight Club or Sixth Sense from it all, and pegged him as another hallucination long before McKay did. Even so, I've got to give props to the writers for doing an astounding job on creating a "fake" Zelenka that felt as real to the genuine article as possible. I loved the out-of-the-blue moments when he complemented McKay, just to get Rodney the ego and spirit to start looking for the ancient artifact himself. The banter between the two of them was fun and enjoyable, just like it is with the real Zelenka in turn. And poor Rodney, thinking he was all left out from seeing visions and hallucinations from the ancient device, only to be caught off-guard with his "cool" or whatever statement when all was said and done. Ha, you've got to love a story where the big-headed scientist at the end thinks he's simply too intelligent to con, only for himself to be the very last one to be let in on the joke. Who would've known that extinct silicon-based lifeforms had such a sense of humour?...

The Prodigal was a good showing for Richard Woolsey, but I'm going to go out on a limb and argue that Remnants was perhaps the best episode that Robert Picardo has done on Atlantis so far. I felt bad for him, I really did when he realized that the uber-attractive British woman (who Cameron Mitchell already had under his resume, might I add) was just a manifestation of his lonely subconscious. Seriously, I've had a lot of hallucinations and real women tell me the same thing, and believe me that it ain't a welcome feeling (...). What we saw in Remnants was the best true Richard Woolsey moment since he donned on a suit to get "more comfortable". He didn't back down from politics and the IOU, he showed compassionate care for everyone on the base, and he made the selfless and Stargate decision in giving that silicon-based civilization a second chance to rebuild. He really was a fully fleshed out, human-feeling leader in Remnants, more so than Colonel Carter ever got to demonstrate when she was in charge. And the final scene, when he joined the rest of the cast and crew for a meal in the messhall, was exactly the kind of togetherness sense of closure you want to feel from the final season of Stargate Atlantis...

Now sure, there were definitely some flaws with Remnants. Where were Teyla and Ronon again, why were they completely ignored? Why was the AI so particularly cruel with Sheppard, when it could read his mind and know that he has shown compassion for so many alien lifeforms besides the Wraith in the past? And while it was a nice decision to let the silicon-based lifeform grow on another planet instead of stealing their technology (our compassion did help lead to earth getting all Tok'ra and Asgard technology in the end, afterall), why couldn't they simply take the knowledge from the device after the seeding process had already begun? That was the same kind of blind spot in writing that left me wondering back on SG-1 why Daniel was too stupid to come up with a compromise with the Gadmeer. If anything, Remnants was a bit too similar to that season four episode long ago for its own good, but I can't help but give my praise to the Atlantis writers anyways, for giving us some great scenes with Kolya once more along with a really hot British brunette. Loved the accent, loved the uniform. And oh, poor Chuck...

The SGA team didn't show up on the same screen until the very last scene of this episode, yet Remnants felt like one of the most refreshing team-based episodes I've felt all season long. And the sense of awe and wonder that Sheppard, McKay and Woolsey all felt when they saw the aliens' true form, was exactly the kind of wonder and awe and feeling of exploration that I used to love from SG-1 so very much...

Remnants wasn't one of the greatest episodes of Stargate ever written, but it truly was one of the most endearing...

... and it also reminded me of just why I fell in love with the series in the first place...

Y2kk Update: - Smallville: Abyss small Smallville Week in Review (Spoilers...) -

Ah, guess it was inevitable. Finally a misstep or chink in the invincible armour of the eighth season of Smallville...

"I honestly don't remember anything from this episode. Was that Jor'El's doing, or was it really that bad? God, I wish I didn't have to remember Jimmy..."

Abyss wouldn't have been a bad episode in any other season, compared to the usual shit trite that was once force-fed down our throats. But for the current amazing season of Smallville? It was definitely a mistake and misstep, although I do admit it sets up future arcs very well. I mean, it's always great to see more of Chloe, or to see more of Chlovage if you know what I mean. But I guess there was just something so annoyingly emo about Abyss, almost as if Lana was the one on screen somehow, whenever it came to Chloe running around and begging for help. We got a few good scenes here and there with her, but most of them were flashbacks that have nothing to do with the current season arc at hand. I liked seeing little Chloe and Clark back when they first became friends, but there was no real emotional resonance for anything else in this episode. I guess I never really felt the threat of Chloe losing her memories and going emo evil for good. In fact, I felt happy for her that she was actually able to forget all about Lana fucking Lang and Jimmy the fucking Bimmy in her mind. I almost envied her, really...

Clark made a very debatable call at the end of this episode, and somehow I just don't feel he made the right one. Chloe will be in danger no matter what she knows, hasn't he learned that already? Even if she didn't know Clark's secret, that wouldn't have stopped her from getting screwed by Brainiac at times in previous seasons, or getting captured by Lex's minions when it comes to her powers. So what the fuck was with the mind rape at the end, dictating what she should or should not know in her existence? Why not just create a whole new fairy-tale of a life for her then, rewrite history so she becomes a movie star or gets it on with Lois Lane like we kept hoping she would in seasons past? Clark was a decent friend for the better part of the episode, but his decision at the end really came out of left field for the context of the show. He may not want people to know his secret, for both their safety and his own as well, but it doesn't give him the right to play God with people's minds, which is the only thing that a human has in equality with those goddam stuck-up Kryptonians of planets-past...

Besides that, I don't really remember anything from this episode at all. It wasn't bad per say, it just wasn't very entertaining. I don't even recall if Lois Lane was in this episode, that's how empty-minded I feel about it now. Davis was there, being stalkerish and creepy as always, acting out how I wish I could be with the cute girls I've had crushes on in the past. I do admit, Crashdown and Chlovage have a lot more chemistry together than Chloe and Jimmy probably will ever have, and I do like where this season arc seems to be going (where Brainiac is the, um, brains inside Chloe, and he's putting the brawn in Doomsday to form a very literally horny tag team). But Abyss itself was just a filler episode that feels disappointing compared to the rest of the season. In previous years, I would've probably rated Abyss as average or above, but it just doesn't cut it in a season where Smallville has been showing off the potential it had all those lifetimes ago...

I know, I know, I'm almost a month late on this review. You'd think I would've written it sooner, considering I've had enough free time while laid off from work. But I dunno, I've had no real feeling to write for a while now, I just wanted to sit back and enjoy what television I could...

It's a shame I didn't write my review for this episode when it was still fresh in my mind. I really liked The Prodigal, I was even thinking at the time that it could be my favourite episode of Atlantis' fifth season so far. I mean, some criticized Michael for being an idiot in this episode, not slicing off Ronon's head before he could wake up from the stun blast, or for being too stupid not to just take Teyla's child and leave everyone there to die (he really should've brought a bomb with him). But the thing that I most enjoyed about The Prodigal was that it had a poor man's Shakespearean feel to it, in the sense that Michael was so hell-bent on vengeance more than anything else, that his anger and his feelings for Teyla turned into classic tragic flaws that ultimately led to his undoing. I even liked how Connor Trinneer got to play a bit of the sympathy card this episode with such strong scenes with Teyla, whether was trying to convince her to join him or leave her to rot wherever she was hiding.

Some also criticized this episode that it was too "cliche epic", but how is that a bad thing for a series that has been a bit too campy and formulative as of late? Michael's last stand on top of the Atlantis tower was amazingly well shot, cinematography-wise, and the look on his face when Teyla showed up to finish him off was simply priceless and memorable. Besides that, how could I not love all the action we got in the rest of the episode? Ronon may have lost his 'bout with Michael, but the choreography was great and he certainly held his own aside from a few lucky shots from the hybrid. And how could I not love his reaction when whats-her-name (that gate techie girl) showed off her real kick-boxing skills and looked fucking smokin' hot while doing so? The Prodigal was a great send-off for Connor Trinneer, if only because he got to prove how badass he was, bringing John Sheppard to the brink in an epic one-on-one fight. Michael knew that this was his last stand, and he gave it his all in what was perhaps the most thrilling choreography sequence that Atlantis has done in years. In all honesty, I was impressed.

Pretty much every character had a great role to play in The Prodigal, and it's just unfortunate it's been too many weeks since the episode aired for me to remember everyone's contributions clearly. Ronon got to kick ass and then take a well deserved nap, Sheppard got to rip Michael a new one with his favourite G36 Assault Rifle, and Teyla finally got another episode to shine when it came to protecting her son and showing disgust whenever it came to Michael. Dr. McKay and Dr. Zelenka provided great moments of comic relief, whether it was about saluting Sheppard for one final suicide run or bickering at one another over the use of "stun bubble". Robert Picardo even got to play the hero a bit by trying to save Teyla and her son the best he could, offering to lead the way, leading to a painful injury and an even more painfully acute mission briefing by Ronon in the end. I forget if Dr. Keller was involved in any way, but all I do recall is that not a single actor or actress involved in The Prodigal was ignored or shunned in any single manner. Hell, even Major Lorne got to make an impact on the end result, even if he went down for the stun bubble count faster than Mr. Woolsey even did...

It was just the little things in this episode that I adored, it was the little touches from start to finish that I really do remember well. I already mentioned the small little comedy bit when it came to Ronon and mission reports, but what about Sheppard and McKay with their friendly round of racing cars? What about Teyla getting a moment to enjoy her son's presence in peace, as the smile she had on her face when the kid finally went to sleep was priceless? And like I mentioned before, how can I not respect this episode when Connor Trinneer finally got the role and send-off he truly did deserve from the show? He's a great actor but he hasn't had many great episodes to run with in Atlantis. But the very moment he first appeared on screen here in The Prodigal, the very moment we saw his weakness when it came to his feelings for Teyla, then I just felt there was something special in the writing here in this episode. It wasn't Shakespeare by any means, but it was epic and poetic with a true sense of justice to it. This was a great way to end off the Michael arc, and I'm just glad they pulled it through in the last season of Atlantis. It really gave both the character and the series a sense of closure...

Now I know, I know, I wish I had written about this episode weeks ago when it first aired. You think I would've, considering how much I loved it back then. But considering all this time has passed and I still feel this was one of the best episodes of Atlantis ever made?...

Y2kk Update: - Smallville: Bloodline small Smallville Week in Review (Spoilers...) -

I know I've said it before, but before a certain somebody comes back to ruin things in November sweeps, I've got to say it again. This season of Smallville has been absolutely the best and brightest year for the series so far. I can't help but remain impressed, time after time, week after week, that such a shit show has suddenly managed to become decent and relevant, and Bloodline was certainly no different. WTF?

"So, that's where Kara was this whole time? Hot and sweaty and helpless and alone? Wait, how then is the Phantom Zone a bad thing exactly? WTF?"...

Alright, so Bloodline wasn't the greatest episode worth sacrificing your blood kin for, but it starred the return of Kara Kent, which definitely earns a couple thumbs up and something else from a guy like me. She was mostly wasted last season, yet still overshadowed most other characters with her hots and personality until they turned Kara into a complete blonde of an idiot by season's end. Here in Bloodline, it was nice to see that she had enough respect for humanity to not screw over the people of earth simply for her freedom. Of course, as soon as her darling cousin comes back into her life, she becomes an idiot all over again and leaves in search for some bottled city of Kandor. I enjoyed her return, if only because the primary colours look so damn hot the way she wears them. A lot of little moments were rushed or missing, such as her animosity towards the Martian Manhunter or even a meaningful hello from Chloe, but I still enjoyed this episode for what it was worth. I still find it dumb that the writers wrote Kara off at the end of last season, but at least they had the dignity and respect to give her a decent send-off here...

Clark Kent without powers has happened literally a dozen times every single season, but it seemed to be more poignant here in Bloodline than the usual shit. Here in the Phantom Zone, he sacrificed his health and his freedom to protect the cave to get Lois back to safety, and he refused to leave Kara even though she was willing to die for him. It's the little moments in the series that make Clark Kent into the hero that he is, super-powered or not, and somehow I just found it more engrossing here than normal while Lois was complaining about being alien abductees. Of course, then the boy wonder got his ass kicked by said girl with newly acquired superpowers, rushing into the hospital with no plan whatsoever but to make a huge hole in the wall with his carcass. Eh, I could've used a better conclusion to the story, but I still thought Clark proved quite a bit of worth while in the black and winter tundras of the forgotten prison of his people. I wasn't a big fan of the Phantom Zone nor its inhabitants from previous seasons, but I've always liked the concept from the root comic book material itself, and I think the writers did it quite a bit of justice for a short cameo at least in the season...

Lois Lane was once again back on her game with quite a few clever quips and all. Like I mentioned before, I enjoyed her time together with Clark in the Phantom Zone, as something between those two actors now just seems to click. However, Erica Durance's most impressive moments were also probably her creepiest, as her "love" for her son when possessed was strange and foreign in sort of an erotic yet believable way. The script itself was hokey, with Crashdown Bloome apparently now the son of Zod and all that crap, but the actress helped deliver the lines in a way that didn't sound so forced and far-fetched. And besides that, can I really be blamed when I was kind of turned on as she collapsed over Clark on that dented car of theirs? Superpowered fights are kinky, pretty much, what else can I say?...

There were definitely some flaws in this episode, naturally. Once again, Tess Mercer proved to be just a shadow of Lex Luthor, really proving that the show has lost all its appeal in terms of multi-dimensional villains like Lionel and his son used to provide. I did like her brief moment with Oliver Queen (though apparently she can't tell it's him underneath those shades... meh, whatever, it's the DC universe), but the two still haven't built up enough background and chemistry to yield anything more than a slight chuckle from my side of things. Once again, Justin Hartley was kind of the weakest link of the bunch. He just seems distant and generic when going over his lines, as he was completely outclassed in terms of acting when Chloe was trying to convince him to help her cause. Of course, it was a nice change of pace to get his ass kicked by super Chloiac or whatever. And I suppose if there was one moment that sold me again on The Green Arrow, it was his heart to heart talk with Clark at the end of the episode...

As for the real point of Bloodline in the grand central arc of things? So, the writers have now decided that Doomsday will be the son of General Zod, which is an alright adjustment to canon I suppose. And thanks to this, it's inevitable that Davis and Chloiac will eventually get together in some form or another, considering Brainiac was always meant to help out the Zod family in whatever ways he can. While I'm still not sure whether I like this dark twist for everyone's favourite Allison Mack, I've got to admit that overall, I'm enjoying this arc and I can't wait for the inevitable fight between Clark and Doomsday. I just hope we don't lose cute and adorable Chloe in the process, that's all...

Bloodline wasn't nearly as strong of an episode as Identity was for the Smallville mythos, or even as powerful as Prey was for setting up the animosity arc for the season. But once again, Smallville has provided yet another strong showing for the series, and seriously, how many weeks in a row has it been now? WTF?...

I'm sure things will change a few episodes down the road. The writers and the CW have a nasty habit of screwing shit up come ratings time...

Y2kk Update: - Smallville: Identity small Smallville Week in Review (Spoilers...) -

Wow, can it be? After seven years of torture, has Smallville finally found its purpose, its meaning, its identity? WTF?...

"Clark loves Lois, Lois loves Clark, and Chloe is hot enough to cause a heart attack. What is this, an actual show based on Superman? What is this, a series I'd actually watch? WTF?"...

Really, Identity wasn't just one of the best overall episodes of Smallville ever made, but it provided for the series a newfound identity that actually made the show feel like a worthy counterpart to the root comic material for the first time in ages. I couldn't help but smile a slick little grin when Clark was zipping up Lois' dress, only for her to smile in return when her memory of the moment was revisited. I couldn't help but wince away along with Clark when Lois made her promise to unmask the good samaritan of a hero in Metropolis, exactly as her character should have been doing since the start. Hell, even Jimmy the Bimmy was tolerable in this episode, actually growing a brain long enough to realize that Clark Kent constantly disappearing in a blink of an eye might have something to do with that blur he caught on camera. Of course, he reverted back to his dumbass self when he forgot that there could be more than one frickin' hero in Metropolis, but whatever, that's the Jimmy Olsen we know and actually don't mind from the comics...

There were definitely a few weak links in this episode, don't get me wrong. I still see nothing threatening from Tess except a pretty face that has a lot more hair than Michael Rosenbaum ever had on the show. It's just not working for her to be some badass evil slut, and perhaps the writers should retool her so that instead of being Lex with breasts, she's more of a villain in a moral shade of gray who simply does wrong things against her conscience from her love for Luthor. And on the flip side of the rich and powerful, I just didn't feel anything for Oliver Queen in Identity, except for perhaps those three fine ladies he was pimping and feeling out on his jet. Justin Hartley is a decent actor as the Green Arrow, but he still is missing that extra emphasis when it comes to his acting as Oliver Queen. I didn't connect with his story here at all, as he seemed like a poor man's Clark when it came to his emo-ranting and whining about his parents being killed off by Lionel Luthor. He did earn some points when he donned back the Green Arrow costume, but I still couldn't help but cringe when he just didn't seem believable in his talk with Kent afterwards...

Gotta agree with Clark on one thing though. The cape looked ridiculous. And it shows something about Smallville genuinely connecting to the Superman mythos and its audience, when even I got a chuckle at Oliver's suggestion that Clark should try the outfit on sometime...

What can I say about Smallville this season? It's provided a full 180 degree turn from the last season, which had no direction or character development of any consequence whatsoever. Yet this year, here we have a Clark Kent who isn't brooding about his bitch of a love life 24/7, but rather going out and saving people, hoping for absolutely no fame or glory from it whatsoever. Here we had talks between him and Chloe about having a secret identity, of bringing hope to the masses, of Clark Kent's destiny finally manifesting true. This is the Superman we've been waiting for, so why has it taken eight frickin' years of Smallville to finally get to the point that the producers promised when the series was first conceived? When it came to all the little touches in this episode, from Clark's jealousy over Lois' date or simply the talk Chloe and him had about loyalty and secrecy, I really enjoyed Identity probably more than any other Smallville episode overall since Run. Ironically, it was Bart Allen from Run that would've made a much better "alter-ego" for Clark at the end, saving Jimmy the Bimmy's lowly ass, than anyone else. That would've finally brought the series full circle, and back to the point where I thought Smallville had a lot of hope all those years ago...

Like I mentioned before, even Jimmy had his moments, although I don't get how Clark Kent would be too stupid to blur his way out of the building before "speeding" Jimmy could even get through the front door. Chloe though was the real X-factor of this episode, or should I call her "Chloiac" from now on? Was it really her in charge of her faculties and actions when she knowingly sentenced that meteor freak to either a coma or death? Did she really do it for Clark, or did she commit murder because those nanites in her brain told her to do so? It's going to be an interesting season from here on in, just when I thought her wedding to Jimmy would bore me to tears. Though seriously, does she even need Brainiac's mental powers to kill a man on sight? Because wow, if just touching her arm could make a man overload, just imagine if she went all the fucking way. It would certainly be the way I would prefer to go out if given a choice, no doubt...

Identity wasn't merely a good episode, in the same vein as all the other decent episodes of this season of Smallville have been. No, this episode was actually the cornerstone, a rock and foundation, that we wish the show had been built upon all those years ago...

I haven't felt this excited for the series since... well, ever, actually. Seriously, WTF?...

The only thing more exciting, would be Chloiac touching me somewhere private too...

Yay, another clip-show. The strange thing is though, if this was back during season one of Atlantis, I'd actually be happy for another set of clips...

Inquisition wasn't a bad episode by any means, at least not in relation to other clip shows from the past. It was about on par with SG-1's Disclosure, but far below the more classic ones like Citizen Joe or Atlantis' own Letters from Pegasus. SGA has shown years in the past exactly how to make a good clip-show, although I have no idea how it "saved" the series money when they even used a ton of CG effects to show a Wraith culling of a planet. Here in Inquisition, we got nothing more than yet another generic Medieval village setting and a force field that came out of nowhere. It wasn't a bad clip show by any means, but it certainly was disappointing...

In fact, why did it have to be a clip show in the first place? What was probably the most disconcerting, was the fact that neither Teyla nor Ronon got to spend any time in front of the governing tribunal, even though they themselves would probably have the most to say about the Atlantis expedition. Why were they not involved, and why wasn't Rodney allowed to babble in front of the honourable threesome for hours without end? Instead, this episode was merely the Sheppard and Woolsey show, with a bunch of explosions from previous episodes littered in between. There really was no reason to make this a clip-show, when there was plenty of material to just have the actors read off of blue screens in a darkly lit room, filmed with a grainy SD-quality video camera. It would've easily saved money then, and the episode really would've felt a lot more real and grittier as a result, so why didn't the writers do that? That's my own inquisition if asked, I think...

There are definitely a lot of fans on the net who wanted the heads of the Atlantis team to be cut off or shot on sight, simply because of all the ignorant gaffes the team has made over the years. While to these fans, I'd simply say that if they want serious consequences and emo-serious writing, they should just watch the Iraq-war wannabe shit from BSG over and over again, instead of Stargate when SG-1 and Atlantis have never been anything more than fun and fluffy, Sci-Fi cannon fodder in the past. Still, it's hard to not admit that the SGA team has really made a lot of dumbass mistakes in the past, and if Inquisition was good for anything, it was that these points were raised at all on the series. Sure, a lot of fans were disgusted that the Sheppard and Woolsey cared so little for this Pegasus Galaxy United Nations that they toasted off their bribed victory with a cigar. But hey, that's politics for you, no matter which galaxy you're in. In any real world, if that's what the fans want, there's always a hidden agenda for power...

Dr. Weir said it herself in the very first episode of Atlantis, that venturing out into the Pegasus Galaxy would surely cause a lot of future angst and turmoil. In SG-1's Lost City, the same character (albeit different actress) even claimed that the United States' Manifest Destiny cannot continue out into the stars, especially behind the global public's backs. Now sure, it's hard to blame the SGA team for waking up the Wraith when a) they themselves were attacked and they were simply trying to get back their own people, and b) they were new to the galaxy and had no concept at the time of who or what exactly the Wraith were. Atlantis could definitely be blamed for ignorance, but it was only a matter of time until the Wraith woke themselves up again anyhew, and some would argue that it was better to fight the Wraith now when the food supply was low rather than let the endless generations of cullings continue into the future. The trial had a good point though, that since the waking of the Wraith, the people of earth have acted like a dictatorship, making unilateral decisions about the fate of the Pegasus Galaxy without consulting anyone who actually lives there. In the end, the war against the Wraith may be won, but the survivors may not be so grateful that their galaxy would be decimated and ruined for at least the lifetime of their children, without even being asked if a victory at all costs was what they wanted in the first place...

The Atlantis team has been pretty damn dumb on past occasions since Rising, and I've definitely complained about that on this website of mine. It's hard to fault them for the Replicators though, considering a) they were targetting earth so we activated the Wraith war in our own defence, and b) it makes no sense that the writers let the Replicators alter their own base code when McKay's changes were never uploaded to them in the first place (WTF?). Then again, they did find that nanite disease in Hot Zone that specifically targeted only humans, making it somewhat obvious to any viewer out there that the Replicators' main tactic against the Wraith was to destroy their food supply, which is probably why the Ancients shut their experiment down with force. But hey, as long as the tribunal never figures that out, and as long as we get planet destroying explosions in CG, who the fuck cares?...

The absolute worst mistake that Atlantis and the writers ever made on the show though, besides the entire second season that is, was the advent of Michael. I mean seriously, who in their right mind would create a human out of a Wraith and then be so stupid as to let him escape instead of killing him on sight? It's arguable that as a Wraith scientist, Michael could've done just as much damage if he wasn't captured and shown the light about hybrids and shit like that, but it's still the team's fault for not securing him when they had him in the first place. I really would prefer if the entire second season of SGA was wiped out from orbit and that includes Michael, even though I love Connor from Enterprise as an actor. It was just so mind-bogglingly irresponsible what the Atlantis team did that it still makes me roll my eyes to this very day. How on earth the writers thought they could get away with such a gaffe, I will never know. If anyone should be put on trial, it's whoever wrote that fucking Michael episode in the first place, uggh...

The trial itself was mostly boring, but the only plus we got out of this episode was Richard Woolsey proving exactly why he's on the show. Robert Picardo is a great actor, and he clearly knew what he was talking about in the spotlight, even when faced with a hot psycho bitch who just wanted revenge for her family. He tried to argue the point that the SGA team has been trying to fix their own mistakes (as Michael was essentially the Osama Bin Laden of the Pegasus Galaxy), but of course that didn't sway the vote any more than Dubya Bush going into Iraq to 'fix' his father's earlier mistake did. That kind of argument obviously doesn't settle well with the people the US claims to "save" here on earth...

It's just that, it was obvious that the tribunal wouldn't be that fucking dumb to side against Atlantis. Not only do we have the most powerful Ancient city-ship ever made at our disposal, not only do we have all the technology of the Asgard in our own fleet of uber-advanced warships, not only do the Wraith fear and respect us enough to become our allies when opportunity demands it, but we also have the most superior infantry fighting force in two galaxies combined. If Sheppard is right and the Replicators took out a dozen Hive Ships, then directly and indirectly, the Atlantis expedition has eliminated about twenty-five Hive Ships by my last count. How the hell could anyone with a brain possibly side against and make an enemy of clearly the only true threat to the Wraith they've ever known? The people of Pegasus couldn't be that stupid, unless the writer from Michael came back to write this episode, at least...

Overall, Inquisition was a disappointment, even for a clip-show. But it definitely did raise a lot of good questions, although I seriously doubt any fanatic on the net who obsesses over this stuff would suddenly not want the SGA team's heads on a platter...

I was hoping for a nice close to the SGA story, or the wormhole if you will. Letters from Pegasus was probably the best clip-show I've ever seen from any show, and I was hoping that Atlantis could make lighting strike a second time before it leaves this world...

Well, they could always make a Stargate Atlantis movie into a goddam clip-show and sell it for $29, I guess...

... but I'm sure there would be angry pitch-forks and an inquisition into that...

Y2kk Update: - Smallville: Prey small Smallville Week in Review (Spoilers...) -

Wow, I never thought I'd actually be anticipating a future episode of Smallville, but Prey somehow helped to make that happen...

"Ben is Glory, and Glory is Ben... Now, do we think there's some sort of connection between Ben and Glory? How about Davis and Doomsday? WTF?"...

Ha, I couldn't help but be reminded of Buffy Season 5 when it came to this whole Davis Bloome thing on Smallville. Here we have pretty much identical scenarios, with an absolute god-like beast hidden within the seemingly benign form of a male nurse or doctor. The thing is, while you could almost argue that Smallville was ripping off its old Joss Whedon counterpart, I can't help but froth in anticipation of the inevitable battle between Clark Kent and Doomsday. Now I'm sure the fight will be rendered impotent thanks to the budget and writers on the show, if the past has been any indication, but Prey definitely gave me hope that big things are coming our way anyhew. Doomsday is the only character I know of to have critically wounded Superman without the use of some lame-ass magic voodoo, so how the hell can't the DC fanboy within me be hoping that the two have a classic bout later on in the season, perhaps even in the Smallville series finale?...

Prey was a set-up episode all the way through, and thus didn't have much content of its own. But the atmosphere of the episode was undeniably one of the best and most chilling I've ever experienced from Smallville before, and I never expected this from a series that was so juvenile and teeny bopper feeling before. I almost felt terrible for Davis when he started to realize that there was a monster inside of him, one capable of murder and destruction beyond anything he can believe. I've never been a fan of the actor, but he definitely did a convincing job here of conveying fear that he was the killer behind all those gruesome deaths. I could do without his angsting over Chloe, but even that felt a lot more tolerable than his earlier days as Crashdown. And if indeed the writers are going to go with a Ben and Glory sort of deal from Buffy, that should mean that Doomsday's only weakness is his human component. Clark Kent would never kill an innocent man, but someone else could definitely cross that line, whether it's Chloe Sullivan or even Lionel Luthor back from the grave...

I was also impressed at how Clark Kent was finally embracing his destiny and proactively trying to save the people of Metropolis. Some of his scenes with Chloe felt far too out of the ordinary though with his newfound obsession, as Clark has never been the type of guy to ignore his close friends in the past, and I'm not sure if I liked how badass he was trying to be with stealing the names of the meteor freaks that had trusted Chloe with their identities. Part of me was convinced that this conflict between Clark and Chloe was far too forced and out of left field, but at the same time, it was a long time coming. Just like with Buffy season four, a rift did start forming between the both of them as soon as college started, but it seems the writers had completely forgot about that element up until this season. Now, Chloe is getting married while Clark was embracing his greater destiny, so it's only natural for their agendas to eventually collide. I'm not sure if I enjoyed the spat between the both of them, but I will admit that it was well acted by both parties and decently well written, which was probably a first for the Smallville writers when it comes to actual angst...

Prey was a set-up episode like I mentioned before, but for what it was worth, it had a lot of strong characters and a lot of decent dialogue. I was especially impressed at Martian Manhunter's return as a Metropolis Police Detective, as he really was a sage and wise voice that reminded me of what Jor'El should've been at the Fortress of Solitude. Definitely a lot has been missing from this series since Jonathan Kent was kicked off the show, but having the Martian Manhunter there helped heal the rift just a bit. Even Jimmy the Bimmy in Prey wasn't that much of a nuisance, although it was helped by the fact he got choked out by the freak of the week, shadow MWAHAHA guy. Jimmy was exactly who he should be in the DC comics world, a guy who idolizes the saviour of Superman but is willing to do anything to figure out his secret identity. That's what I'm liking about this new season of Smallville, that even if Lois Lane isn't in every single episode, life at the Daily Planet really is starting to resemble the DC universe that we know and love. Sure, having Mercy Graves in charge in Smallville or having Doomsday stuck in some loser BSG pilot's body may go against the canon of the comics, but the feel and atmosphere of these stories really does feel true to the spirit of the source...

Prey, in all honesty, may lead to nothing more than another lame ass episode in the future where Clark and Doomsday only connect on one slow motion Matrix punch. But until that disappointing day arrives, I personally thought Prey had one of the best atmospheres that any Smallville episode has ever had. Just the sight of the crucifix at the end was enough to make me want more...

For once, I am Smallville's bitch. For once, I am Smallville's prey. What the fuck is wrong with me?...

Ben is Glory, and Glory is Ben... Davis is Doomsday and, I actually like Smallville? Seriously, WTF?...

I'll keep this simple: Carson Beckett should NOT be an outsider to the main cast and crew...

Outsiders was a basic episode of the regular SGA mold. There was absolutely nothing special about it, nothing to stand out and be worthwhile amongst the endless other filler episodes of the season, except for one reason and one reason alone. Carson Beckett is a great character, played by a great actor, and it's still such a shame that he hasn't returned as a regular cast member on the base. There was only one truly memorable scene in this entire episode, and that was when Beckett and McKay were squishing together snug and tight in that Wraith Dart canopy. The comedy and banter between the two spoke volumes about the heart and soul that has been missing from the Atlantis expedition ever since the third season of the show. Jewel Staite may be brilliant eye-candy, but losing Carson Beckett truly was one of the biggest mistakes that the Stargate writers have ever made in their lives...

The episode was written poorly to the point where I was bored by the Hoffan drug plot ten seconds in, and yet still Carson managed to make me smile. Ha, sure it sounds like I have a man-crush on him, but even horribly scripted scenes like of the doctor fending off endless waves of Wraith by simply shooting out in the open as if he were Teal'c, still felt like tried and true Atlantis at the core because he and McKay were in it together. I'm sorry, but the moment when he stood up against the Wraith and swore to do no harm as a doctor was one of the most definitive character developments throughout this entire season so far. If only McKay and Daniel Jackson had risked their lives just one week prior by swearing the same oath, maybe the Travelers wouldn't have lost two thousand of their people in a Stargate explosion? Even the little things, like Beckett giving that ol' Canadian-Scottish smirk of his when McKay lied through his teeth about not having a crush on a certain other doctor, gave Outsiders the kind of warmth and old skool feeling that I truly do miss from Atlantis. This was probably the weakest written episode yet in terms of plot featuring Carson returned from the grave, but it was also the most true to the character and greatest testament to the soul that he once was...

The rest of the cast, besides Beckett and McKay, were largely ignored in this episode however, which was one of the reasons why I didn't like Outsiders overall on a whole. We were once again back in an earth-looking settlement, so much so that the badasses of the village even had hillbilly shotguns in tow, yet Teyla and Ronon had no interaction with any of the townsfolk but to blink their eyes and point their weapons. I'm still confused as to why both characters are so largely being ignored this season. Maybe Rachel has an excuse, considering she just had her child and she already put a lot of effort into The Queen, but what's Ronon's excuse? Why have the writers marginalized him to simply the third spoke on the threesome and tiresome love triangle of a wheel? Thank goodness that ended last week, yet we still got mindless and silent Ronon here instead...

Sheppard did get to take charge (or plant the C4 charges, really), and he did it in a dark kind of way that surprised me. I'm not sure if I liked that sort of feeling in Stargate, of the leader of the team willingly leading a group of unknowing and unsuspecting idiots to their sacrificial deaths, but it can be argued that the village badasses had it coming (it was their choice to take the key and lead the Wraith to the mines). Still, I'm surprised that Sheppard would allow such collateral damage without even trying to save some of those townsfolk with a confined firefight in the mines. Why reduce the place to rubble with C4 (the safe solution, but not the Stargate solution), when P90's probably would've made short work of the Wraith in those tight corridors anyways? Even worse, the Colonel coerced the town leader into sending his own people to the slaughter. Now don't get me wrong, I obviously see the convenience and logic in simply luring the Wraith to a bomb, but that's never really been Sheppard's way. Why introduce such a dark and controversial solution in an episode where Beckett and McKay go romping together in a Wraith Dart canopy, restricted only by weight? WTF?...

To me, Outsiders will always remain exactly as the title says, as an outsider to the rest of the decent episodes of Stargate Atlantis. The writing was poor and the plot was merely filler. Hell, Sheppard and his team didn't even have a plan to get Beckett and Rodney off of the Wraith Hive Ship, even though he promised that he would. Wasupwidat?...

But if there was any saving grace to this episode, it was the return of Carson Beckett. So matter how badly the writers screwed up his lines and his character's life, it's always great to see McGillion back and working with David Hewlett like before...

Why on earth the producers decided to kill off his character along with the heart and soul of the SGA team, I may never know...

Y2kk Update: - Smallville: Committed small Smallville Week in Review (Spoilers...) -

It may be the last season of the series, but somehow I find myself committed to it week after week...

"A kryptonite watch? Seriously? A Saw V rip-off working in a fine jewelry store, chooses a puke green rock as his Rolex? WTF?"...

Okay, so maybe the villain of the week wasn't exactly up to par. But in all seriousness, while I expect plenty of fans to have left the series as soon as John Glover and Michael Rosenbaum left the show, I kind of feel bad for them. I mean, it may have taken seven horrible years of sin and pain and punishment to have gotten to the point where we are, but finally Smallville as a series has grown up to be a decent step-in to the real Superman. Committed wasn't a great episode by any means, but it continued the great banter between Lois and Clark that we got in Instinct last week, and you could even feel real chemistry between Tom Welling and Erica Durance as well...

I wasn't a real fan of the electric chair scene, kryptonite watch and all (and since when has Clark been able to fight back at point blank range when there's that fucking meteor rock on his lap?), but I won't deny that there was a connection between the both of them when Lois admitted her feelings for Clark. The rest beauty of this episode though was when the two of them were pretending to be a couple, to weed the villain of the week out. It was just a string of simple scenes together, of Lois trying to be all sweet and adorable while Clark was rolling his eyes in the background, but somehow the comedy and the banter worked. I can't help but admit I was smiling a wide Superman grin when Oliver Queen had that mystified look in his eye at the both of them looking for an engagement ring. It was all so stupid, yet well enough written that it really did feel like Smallville was growing up to be the true tale of Metropolis...

I didn't care for much else in the episode though. Oliver Queen's scenes with Tess weren't nearly as hot and seductive as I was hoping they would be, as their little Donatello-bo stick fight was poorly choreographed and not nearly playful enough to matter. I already forget what Chloe did all episode, probably because she was stuck by Jimmy the Bimmy's side the whole night through. I guess I Saw the handcuffs coming, and I suppose some of their electric chair moments were decent enough if not electrifying. I was surprised even that the both of them were released by the psycho of the month, but nothing about their storyline really rang true to me. It's obvious that Chloe and Jimmy are not meant to be together, and his horrible reveal of a "secret" (of his parents being bums) was one of the most grating moments of Smallville since Lana last left the show. For the first time really, Chloe was meaningless to me in an episode, and it was the core of Lois and Clark that meant something to this small Smallville review of mine. Seriously, WTF?...

Like I said earlier, it may have taken over seven fucking years of this series to grow up, but finally I find myself committed once more...

Was it worth the wait? Hell no, probably not, considering this series sent me to hell and back for seven fucking years...

But what can I say? For one year at least, when asked the question, I think I'm in love...

Where do I begin with The Lost Tribe? I loved First Contact the week before, and thus my expectations for its conclusion were a bit too high. I don't know if that's all though, if that's the only reason why I'm disappointed. The Lost Tribe was a good episode, but it could've been so much more...

First, let me talk about the lost tribe themselves, the Asgard I mean. I admit, my jaw hit the floor when it was revealed that the little grey men from the Ida Galaxy were the new baddies of the season, and I especially liked the touch of the Fifth Race music returning with a dark twist. But then it hit me, it all just felt like such a cop-out by the writers to me. Yes, it makes plenty of sense that there would be a rogue faction of the Asgard who would exile themselves to conduct experiments in private. I'm not one of those guys who automatically assume that all little grey aliens are great and noble peacemakers. What I'm disappointed at though is their reasoning for wanting to destroy the Wraith. The Asgard, as McKay put it, are one of the most intelligent and wise species ever to evolve in the known universe, yet the only course of action they could think of was to annihilate the Wraith at the cost of millions of innocent lives? I'm not saying the Aterro Device was a bad idea to achieve their goal, it's just that there were much more easier methods of getting what they wanted, like asking Atlantis for shelter or even asking earth for help to leave the galaxy. Why be hellbent on genocide and steal from the very people who could've helped them in the first place? WTF?...

I can't also help but be so disappointed in the end climax of The Lost Tribe. I know that these new Asgard's technology is ten thousand years older than the Ida Galaxy ones in SG-1, thus it makes sense they wouldn't have beam transporters or even Beliskner-quality motherships at their disposal. They've been hidden in isolation for so long, building exoskeletons in case they would have to face the Wraith one-on-one, and hobbling around with essentially transport ships for their bodies and minds. I get it, but it still doesn't help with the disappointment of how badly the Asgard got owned by even a single Traveller ship at the end. Thanks to Sheppard and his evasive maneuvers I guess, not one but two Asgard vessels were destroyed before barely even leaving a dent on the stupid A-wing and FireFly crossover. It was just such a disappointing climax to how unstoppable of a force they seemed to be in First Contact, that's all...

Speaking of stupidity, I might as well mention Todd suddenly losing his brain and deciding to ram the Aterro facility with the Daedalus, potentially inciting a full out war with his only true allies in the galaxy. Why stoop to such pathetic lows when a villain of his calibre should have realized he could attack the facility with reprogrammed F-302 fighters or even beam down a couple of nukes? Why did the best bad guy on the show suddenly become such a cowardly idiot? I thought he trusted Sheppard on his word that the expedition team was not guilty of turning on the device, or was that simply a ploy on Todd's behalf? I know the Aterro Device scared him out of his wits, but he even could have risked sending troops down first manually in the Wraith transport rather than just making complete enemies out of the people of earth. WTF?...

As for the Aterro Device itself? I've got to admit, it's a pretty crafty idea of Janus', building a device that would effectively eliminate the Wraith's ability to move about the galaxy in ships. Even compared to such other Ancient uber-devices in the past (the Window of Opportunity time loop device, the Dakara matter-disrupter thingy, and even Atlantis itself at full power), Janus definitely had the right idea in building this end-game machine of his. And to be honest, it's actually a benefit that it disrupts Stargates, considering that would effectively prevent the Wraith from moving anywhere in the galaxy at all during the war. So really, why bother turning it off when it would have been so much easier to build a virus or device to shut down every Stargate in the Pegasus Galaxy first? In the past, all other Ancient superweapons during the war were either ineffective or incomplete, but this one here by Janus actually worked on every single level imaginable. Probably the most idiotic thing that Pegasus Galaxy Ancients ever did was just leave Stargates everywhere without any security system to keep some level of control. I mean seriously, who builds a 'road' network in the modern age that any enemy can take advantage of with the press of a button? WTF?...

And oh, ol' Danny boy, how we missed you so. Carter got booted off the show as a 'victim of her own success', as Soldier Sam eliminated the Asuran Replicators and the Michael hybrids along with perhaps half of the Wraith fleet on her watch. Now that the Pegasus Galaxy was essentially devoid of true threats, of course our favourite daring archaeologist had to come about and bring a little excitement back into everyone's lives. It's almost like a running joke now, although I kind of enjoy it actually. When the US ended the Cold War with the Soviet Union, there was Daniel to make first contact with the Goa'uld and start a galactic war. When the Goa'uld finally fell, who else but Daniel Jackson decided to venture out into a galaxy far, far away and encounter the happy folk of the Ori? It was Dr. Jackson who discovered the location of Atlantis and thus opened earth up to attack by the Wraith. And ha, now he's back to fix Carter's lack of mistakes, introducing the SGA team to evil Asgards who are now severely pissed that we ruined their plans for galactic domination. Sure, I sound a bit negative about all this, but really, a Stargate episode canonically cannot be good unless a) Daniel Jackson meets a new enemy, b) Daniel Jackson dies, or c) both (which happens more often than not). Can't wait to see what he does in the next Stargate SG-1 movie...

Well, that's the thing about The Lost Tribe. I keep ranting on and on about its plotpoints, because I really felt like it was great for those but terrible for character development. This was the episode where most of the action came from Dr. Keller trying to be a hero, sporting a P90 and sacrificing herself for the good of the ship. Ronon was a complete idiot with his tactics, highlighting Jennifer as the only sane one amongst the bunch, as she turned out to be the hero who saved the day and got the rest of the Daedalus crew out of sealed storage. I don't mind Keller, I really don't, but it has become such a strange phenomenon how much we the audience seemed to have Jewel Staite fed down our throats. While I certainly wouldn't mind the inverse of that situation, I still didn't like how the entire team dynamic was essentially missing in action here in The Lost Tribe, partially because Jennifer Keller overshadowed every other "hero" on the show. Probably the only part I enjoyed with her was when she looked so lost in translation in Daedalus engineering, meanwhile the obvious Kaylee-wannabe over on the Traveller ship was sporting her best Jewel Staite impression she could manage...

Like I said, the worst part of The Lost Tribe was that the team was so separate and distinct from one another. Ronon was just an idiot, randomly shooting shit over on the Daedalus, potentially causing Todd's stupidity with the collision course crap later on in the episode. Keller was just there, trying to look cute but with puffed up hair that seriously overwhelmed the parts of her body I'd much rather be staring at. Teyla had a couple random cameos, I forget what she did otherwise like most episodes ever made. I forgot to mention Zelenka in First Contact even though he did a great job, especially when arguing that there was no way to dumb down the math for Mr. MENSA to understand, but he was bland here in The Lost Tribe in all his awkwardness with a 15-year old Kaylee girl...

And Sheppard? Besides just staring at the cute Traveller chick or pining over Larrin the bitch, all he did was sit in the cockpit of the FireFly and pretend like he was a leaf in the wind. Probably the only decent scene featuring any of the above characters was when Todd had them by the balls, or Woolsey by the neck at least. Like I mentioned earlier, even Todd the Wraith felt like an idiot with how he was written in this episode, but at least we got a chuckle out of seeing him wrap his arm around Robert Picardo like they were best holographic friends. And oh right, where the fuck was Colonel Caldwell? What the hell happened to him, he's too lazy and busy with demons to get back on the bridge? WTF?...

There was truly one saving grace to The Lost Tribe, and that alone made this episode into something decent and average for me. Daniel Jackson may not have felt like Daniel Jackson, and Dr. McKay may not have felt exactly like Dr. McKay, but the both of them together were an absolute riot and I personally enjoyed all the banter they shared. Whether it was panicking over empty suits or showing care for one another in Iron Man rip-off moments, I really do wish they bring back the dynamic between the both of them one of these days...

Even alone, the writers did a decent job with the two actors. Probably the best moments of The Lost Tribe and the closest ones to having our true Daniel back, were when he was arguing to the Asgard that they it was wrong what they were doing (although why he didn't offer a solution to them, like giving them a ride out of Pegasus, I will never know). Yeah, it still makes no sense to me why the evil Asgard would make suits with helmets that detach when obviously their giant heads could never fit in them, but hey, it was a good look on Rodney and I "respect" that. I thought Daniel and Rodney's moments together were great, even at the end with the bonding over the fruit cup and McKay's refusal to give out compliments except to the dying. I really didn't like any other character but the two of them here in The Lost Tribe, and sure, I guess I still didn't really feel Daniel was the old Daniel of SG-1. But hey, I had a good time watching both actors go to action, if that sounds good at least. They got me to laugh, and that's really the only real reason why I enjoyed The Lost Tribe for what it was...

First Contact was a great episode, much like the Star Trek movie of the same name. The Lost Tribe though? Well, at least it wasn't Insurrection quality. Let's just call it Stargate Generations then, considering the Daniel Jackson cameo and all...

I expected a lot more from this episode. What I got instead were tons of plot holes, idiotic decisions made by the characters, and a complete lack of team dynamic. At least I got a laugh out of it all, some intentional and some not. Good ol' Daniel, some things just never change...

Considering how stellar the fifth and final season of Atlantis has been so far? I wouldn't mind if The Lost Tribe was forgotten and lost...

Y2kk Update: - Smallville: Instinct small Smallville Week in Review (Spoilers...) -

Alright, I admit, my first instinct was to turn the channel. I'm just happy that I didn't...

Smallville is not normally known for having good, kinky episodes. I mean, I remember being turned on by Chloe wearing nothing but a football jersey one year, but besides that, has there ever been hope for romance or sex on the series whatsoever?...

This season though has certainly been something out of this world, at least by Smallville's standards. I never thought an episode based on Maxima in the Smallville universe would work with the current writers on the show, but apparently this eighth season helps make it all happen in a way that doesn't turn me off women forever in my goddam life...

"Hot damn at the chemistry not just between Lois and Clark, but Chloe and fucking Tess. Seriously, what is with Chloe and her ability to look hot with any woman? I want that power. Hot fucking damn, WTF?"...

The passion between Chloe and Tess, you could cut it with a knife and shoot it as a porn video. Seriously, the stare the two of them shared was more intense than pretty much any romance ever in the history of this series, and I would gladly continue watching season eight if the two of them ever got together. I mean, if Chloe's new powers are any indication that there's a part of Brainiac in her somewhere, then certainly he himself wouldn't mind some of that Tess action? Besides that, I don't really remember what Chloe did in this episode except spout off random comic book knowledge of Maxima, pretend like she doesn't still feel something for Clark Kent, and prove once more that her relationship with Jimmy is nothing more than a farce. At this point in time, I'd much more believe that she would run away with Tess than anything else. And that certainly would make the eighth season of the show into the best Smallville ever, not like that means much but still...

The real strength of Instinct though was between Lois and Clark. I may not remember many of the scenes they shared any longer, but I do recall the deer in the headlights stare she gave when that elevator door opened with Clark all over Maxima. And really, for maybe the first ever time since the first season she was introduced, I didn't see Erica Durance in that hallway but rather Lois Lane, the real character meant to be the soulmate of Clark Kent. It was uncanny really as Maxima was right, in that briefest of moments you could actually feel the chemistry and bond between both of the would-be Superman characters. And thankfully, unlike all the forced Lana tripe that we got in previous years, the farm house speech at the end of the show didn't make me want to rip out my eyes and ears. Especially in recent weeks, I myself can relate to Clark, wondering if my soulmate would pass me by or that I'd be too blind to notice her, and I felt Lois remembering what Maxima had told her was definitely good use of dramatic irony in that regard. It also helps that we viewers know the future, that these two are meant to be together, and that finally this series is steering on the right track for the first time in eight bloody hell years...

Maxima was a good addition, although it was kind of disappointing that she did not give Oliver Queen a heart-attack or join the Justice League like she will someday. Hey, I'm always for hot looking alien babes who pull a Species and spread them legs for a mate, but I just didn't feel this actress was hot or seductive enough for the role. Then again, she certainly helped lift more than the elevator when she got it on with Clark in the Daily Planet, but I just didn't feel anything else towards her when it came to cheating Jimmy the Bimmy or any other guy. Hell, I didn't even read any lesbos vibes from her when she was with Tess, what's up with that? I did enjoy her one on one time with Lois Lane however, or that smile she gave as the commando team had her pinned down with laser sights. There were definitely some parts of Maxima that made Smallville feel like the immature teen angst series it's always been known for, yet there were also moments that reminded me of the more mature kind of comic book fun that films like Iron Man bring to the fold. Instinct really was simply a fun episode that I enjoyed for the hell of it, brain cells be damned...

The only thing I'm worried about is that Tess Mercer has so far been shown to be a very weak villain. Now sure, it's nice she's picked up from Lex the concussion count that all us viewers were keeping track of, but getting her knocked out like a rag doll really isn't the best way to show her villainous stuff. Kick-boxing was rather kick-ass, if only to prove that this was Mercy Graves that we were dealing with her, and I do like her sense of loyalty and conviction towards the nemesis of the man of steel. However, getting her ass kicked and then losing the Kryptonian crystal just wasn't very badass of her to begin with. Now the question is, who is the real villain of the season? Was "X" really Lex Luthor behind the scenes, Chloe with schizophrenia, or Professor X showing the Smallville writers how a comic book series should really be done?...

Instinct was just smart, stupid fun. I enjoyed this episode if only because of Lois and Clark, and if only for Chloe and Tess and the dreams that may come. Tom Welling has really improved this season, and I'll definitely give him credit for that. I like how the writers have made him proactive, I respect how they're trying to make him a hero. I could do without more of the Chloe and Clark angst, as the letter from way back in season one may have been a nice nostalgic touch but seems so out of place in the new season after all these years. I could also do without more Jimmy, that goes without saying as well. I can however, ask for more scenes between Clark and Lois in the episodes to come, as that really seems to be the pillar that's driving Tom Welling into being a far better actor that he was last year. His banter with her is great, and it's helping Smallville Season Eight to be the first damn year of the show that I can actually not be so embarrassed to admit I watch to friends...

I admit, my first instinct this season was to run far far away, with Lex Luthor gone and Lionel Luthor nowhere on the show. But sometimes I guess, instincts are wrong...

Y2kk Update: - Smallville: Toxic small Smallville Week in Review (Spoilers...) -

I may not be a fan of Tess Mercer, or Mercy Graves, or whatever her name may be. But hot damn, was she ever hot in them Vancouver jungles...

"Oliver Queen got both Lois Lane AND Tess Mercer? Talk about a Mercer Report, hot fucking damn. I need to become a billionaire. WTF?"...

From the previews last week of this being an Oliver Queen origins story, I had high hopes for Toxic. And when it came to Tess Mercer with her tossed up hair, definitely some things did soar high. But when it came to Oliver Queen though, the story just wasn't as strong as I was hoping it would have been. Granted, there's not much a show with Smallville's budget could've done to tell the beginnings of an archer in green tights who got stranded on a jungle island for months or years. But really, couldn't they have shown a bit more than just the guy talking to slugs and shooting a bunch of arrows, as if I could learn to survive on a desert island with no food but hot women without any real effort whatsoever?...

Plus, a lot of the other parts of the episode just felt cheap, and I'm not just talking about the David bloom-lighting jungle set. I mean seriously, Crashdown was bragging about adrenaline as "modern medicine" when it came to curing some random poison? What the fuck does he think the cure for cancer is then, a warm blanket and cup of chicken soup? No wonder he failed at Caprica first aid. WTF?...

As an "origins" episode for Tess Mercer too (and I put that lightly, since we really don't know when or how this island scenario factored into her whole joining Lex Luthor thing), I was disappointed in everything but how sweaty and sweet her tight top was. What did we really learn about her, besides that she obviously gets the hots for billionaire men who have slugs sucking away at his man-nipples? In the present day, she merely killed a man that nobody gave a shit about, then drove away with absolutely the most cheesy license plate I've ever seen. At least from Oliver, we learned that her character most likely is based on Mercy Graves from the cartoon (or Miss Tessmacher, the Amazonian comic equivalent). But besides that, and the fact that she got Oliver Queen pretty pissed off at Clark Kent for that whole Lionel Luthor loyalty debacle, we still don't know anything about Tess, and unfortunately I am starting to lose my patience with novelty. Except if she continues to look as hot as she did in the jungles of BC, that is...

Toxic turned out alright from the other usual suspects, namely Chloe and Lois Lane whenever they dragged along Clark Kent for the ride. Unfortunately, they were just a small part of the episode, with Chloe flirting away with David Bloome while Jimmy was nowhere in sight, and Lois Lane was getting the emotional support from her new work partner while getting to stare at the suddenly slug-less pecks of her old lover. Really, what else can I comment about the three? Chloe's story got moved a bit when she revealed her newfound powers to Clark, with dumb old Kent suddenly jealous that he couldn't read nearly as fast (I'm surprised that dumbass is literate at all). Besides that though, this episode was built on the idea that Oliver Queen's backstory could keep it afloat on the island, but except for his confrontation with Clark at the end about fear and justice, Toxic seemed more like poison than a goddam gift to me...

Of course, I personally wouldn't mind if Tess Mercer and Evangeline from Lost got stuck on an island together, with only each other for warmth during the fiery, harsh and stormy nights. But since that's not what we got, as what we saw instead were gratuitous shots of Oliver Queen trying to replace Tom Welling if push comes to Michael Rosenbaum shove next year?...

Yeah, sorry. Some teeny-boppers may be happy, but it was all rather toxic to me. Hopefully the next episode will get back on track. Otherwise, shoot me up with some goddam adrenaline already...

Why, why does this have to be Stargate Atlantis' final season? This year has so far been one of the best the series has ever produced, and First Contact was definitely no exception. Hell, I'd even argue that it was the best mid-season finale that Atlantis has written since the Genii were a threat in The Storm. Why must cancellations always turn out so ironic, that they wipe out television when it's at its very best? WTF?...

I haven't really talked about the cancellation of Stargate Atlantis yet, simply because there's not much to say. The second season of the show was shit, and the fourth season was barely any better. The quality of the show has been so hit and miss over the years that I don't blame Sci-Fi for canning the series in favour of a hipper, more trendy piece of shit that will probably try to be closer to the new Battlestar Galactica. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not necessarily ones of those old-timers who think SGU will turn out as brutally embarrassing as the "youth" clip in SG-1's 200th episode was (partially because I sadly thought that part was cool). And if by copying Battlestar Galactica, the Stargate writers mean to bring Grace Park back into the fold, then sign me the fuck up for Universe...

It's just that, I'm still reeling over the loss of SG-1, and now we're losing Atlantis when it's finally refinding its groove? I know it's mainly the Sheppard and McKay show (with guest apperances by Carson Beckett), with random other useless characters having decent episodes sprinkled here and there, but SGA is still one of the best Sci-Fi sources of entertainment that I have ever enjoyed. I don't want it to end, not when episodes like First Contact introduce new badass enemies along with some familiar old faces back into the mix...

The new villains in First Contact may not really be bad guys for all we know, but they certainly acted like it the way they tore through Atlantis as if the base were paper. Judging from their ship being able to pass through the city shield, either these aliens were using a giant Ancient Puddle Jumper or were once very close allies with the Lantians, enough so to have shared technology. Then again, I don't think we've ever seen any commando-type aliens of this kind of badass nature before at least, except for those annoying Kull Warriors back in SG-1 that were far too invulnerable at the start and then became one hit kill wonders by the end. To be honest, does anyone else get a hint of Norse Viking-ness from the helmets those guys were wearing? Then again, I don't know of any vikings who would hell-jump out of an air-ship, crash land into a city-ship, then show some absolute badassery shield technology to prove that humanity does have a match out there for infantry combat. I for one am extremely excited to find out who these guys are when the Lost Tribe airs in a couple of weeks. Although judging from the name of the title, I can already infer a few guesses as to whom they are (giant fuzzy Furlings from 200, please... k thx bye)...

First Contact was also a special episode thanks to the return of Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson. The only problem was, he really didn't act like Daniel Jackson. To be honest, I don't really know who he was or what he was trying to be, though thank God he didn't turn out to emulate his 24 shitfest of a spy counterpart. Danny-boy here was far too giddy at the start, but not in the sweet-speaking, quick-talking sort of manner that we've become accustomed to over ten or more years. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed his return to the Stargate small screen, especially considering it came along with that old SG-1 music that I'm still so nostalgic for, even though Continuum came out not long ago. Daniel definitely had his fair share of great moments in First Contact, whether he was playing the comic relief in claiming he does what he does for money, or whether he was trying to play the hopeless diplomat yet again by reasoning with the Borg in blue. And yet, the Daniel we got here was simply not the Daniel that we had back in SG-1 and the latest Stargate films. How or why that is, I'm not sure, although I did see a nice glimmer of his true self when he fell through the secret wall and onto his glasses in pain. Somehow, that scene had an old-skool SG-1 musical vibe to it that I really did enjoy. Maybe Daniel just doesn't feel like Daniel unless he dies?...

McKay was the other half of the dynamic duo in this episode, although in part he was reverted back to his old self from SG-1. There was no need for him to be so jealous over Daniel Jackson coming to Atlantis to correct him on his work, but that is how the old Rodney McKay would've acted if this were an episode of SG-1. Still, Meredith managed to earn his fair share of starlite moments, whether he was getting a little revenge on Daniel Jackson when it came to the puzzle of the missing wall, or whether he was widening his eyes at the end game machine that Janus had created all those millennia ago. Daniel may not have been the Daniel Jackson we knew, and Rodney McKay may have felt a little off too (except when he was getting shot by the Kull Warrior wannabes, that is). But the two actors together still put on a great show that made First Contact into probably the best mid-season finale that Stargate Atlantis has ever done. I'm just happy and feeling lucky that we don't have to wait months for the conclusion, otherwise I'd have to go back to the SG-1 archives for my future fix between the both of them...

The rest of the cast didn't have nearly as much to do, although everyone contributed in some manner or another. Teyla was simply there, but she got to look like a badass MILF when trying to gun down the intruders with the god-powerful P90. Sheppard was bored most of the time running the base while resting his eyes, but when it came to the invasion from a race that apparently can open hyperspace windows in atmospheres, he was back on the top of his game with a badass G36 locked and loaded in his hands. The two of them provided one of the coolest ground battle scenes that Atlantis has produced in the entire series, and that says a lot when you compare to such gems like Sateda or Midway or even Teyla's stick fighting way back in season one. If only Ronan wasn't stuck doing nothing on the Daedalus, besides apparently making the smooth moves on Keller while Rodney was stuck babysitting back on base, then the entire main cast and crew really could've felt like they contributed to the whole. The only real flaw of First Contact was that there wasn't really the feeling of the team...

On the Daedalus, we got a bit of comic relief with Woolsey playing the emergency holographic speech writer, looking like a goof of a politician in the process. I'm not sure if I particularly liked this direction the writers are going for, essentially turning Robert Picardo from a stern and respectable leader into a goofy sort of laugh on the side, but meh, his scenes still made me smile. Dr. Keller was simply there, I forget what she attributed except for perhaps eye candy as Michael Shanks pretended not to notice the uber-cute Jewel Staite in the hallways. She did have a few decent interactions with Todd though, specifically when it came to the future of his race. I think Todd said it best as to why they were afraid of change, of changing who they are. "What would we do, what would we be?", he asked. He wasn't nearly as dominant of a figure or as charming of a personality as he was back in The Queen, but the simple fact that he showed up to honour his side of the deal from that episode was enough to continue his legacy as the best villain that SGA has to date. Besides the goddam Sci-Fi big-wigs cancelling the show, I mean...

We finally have Todd as a true face that the fans can loathe yet sympathize and relate to unlike any other Atlantis villain to date. With the introduction of these new battle armoured bad guys, we finally have a new villain that is mysterious and powerful and interesting enough to make me watch intently for several seasons more. Dammit, the Sheppard and McKay dynamic duo of Batman and Robin lore (in almost all aspects, according to some parts of the internet...) is probably the best in the Stargate universe next to the original O'Neill and Daniel Jackson pairing, and both of the actors are still in their primes. So why the hell is the show being cancelled now of all years? WTF?...

Well, at least, Stargate Atlantis is really going out on top, with hopefully a movie or two afterwards to wrap things up. It just won't be the same though, alas. Ark of Truth was shit, while Continuum was a nice overall diversion but still not the real thing...

I will miss Stargate Atlantis as much as I do SG-1. Unless that is, Universe gives me a copy of Grace Park as due compensation, of course...

So here's to fuzzy Furling baddies along with awesome cell phone service on at least 200 other planets...

And here's to Stargate Atlantis, as we cherish the last half of its final season for as long as we can...