WHAT IS STARGATE ATLANTIS?
The year was 2004. Stargate SG1 was going strong and had well secured it's place in the scifi establishment with a well known group of characters and familiar feel. However, ever since it's first season, SG1 creator Brad Wright had an idea for a spin off. Season 7 of SG1 was supposed to set this spin off up then hand the baton over. However as Season 8 of SG1 was secured, the two shows instead wound up coexisting and to an extent interconnecting in a double bill. First SG1, then Atlantis.
The show opened with the Ancient city of Atlantis still appearing to be lost, seemingly no longer in Antartica. However when Daniel Jackson managed to track it to the Pegasus galaxy, Dr Elizabeth Weir the ex-diplomat who ran the Antartica Stargate research facility decided to form a large international team for an expedition out to Atlantis's new home in the Pegasus glaxy through the Stargate in the hope of unlocking the secrets of the Ancients.
Weir was one of two people headed to Atlantis that were already familiar to SG1 fans - having previously been the commander of the SGC for a short period from late season 7 to early season 8. The other was scientist Rodney McKay, a Canadian who had previously driven Sam Carter insane.
Once on Atlantis it wasn't long before the Atlantis expedition wound up having to deal with the Wraith, a vampire-like species that sucked life force out of their victims, effectivly aging them towards death. Feared by all in the Pegasus galaxy, the Wraith had previously forced the Ancients out of Pegasus 10000 years previously and it wasn't long before the Atlantis expedition had an unexpected fight on their hands.
Cut off from Earth due to power constraints, Weir set up teams to explore the Pegasus galaxy through the local Stargate network both on foot and through Ancient 'Puddle jumper' spacecraft that can travel through Stargates that are placed in orbit of some planets. The headline team was led by USAF Major John Sheppard and completeted by Canadian Dr Rodney McKay, US Marine Lt Aiden Ford and Teyla Emmagen, a female leading member in the society of Athosians, the first Pegasus-native race that the Atlantis expedition made contact with. At the start of Season 2, Ford's gotten himself hooked on a Wraith enzyme and gone AWOL with a puddle jumper, see the News section for how that situation's going to settle.
During season 1, the Atlantis expedition did make contact with a variety of races, but only one further contact was of note and it was for the wrong reasons. The Genii have relied on deception to survive the Wraith, a rural lifestyle being a front for a more militaristic nature. Arrogant and paranoid, the Genii want Atlantis, are uninterested in an alliance with the people of Earth and will stop at nothing to get their own victory over the Wraith - particularly including forcing Weir and crew back home.
With one season already under it's belt, Atlantis is proving to be chilled like it's stablemate SG1 but with a younger cast and slightly darker edge it has developed it's own feel and should easily be able to stand on it's own feet once SG1 eventually fades away.
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