Stargate: Atlantis 2.20: "Allies"

Written by Martin Gero
Directed by Andy Mikita

In which Michael’s Wraith hive comes to Atlantis with an offer of truce and an opportunity to change the dynamics of the Pegasus Galaxy forever, but not all is as it seems…


If there’s one thing that bugs me, more than anything, it’s when intelligent characters are written to make incredibly stupid decisions for the purposes of generating drama and suspense. This is why I can’t stand most horror films. Even moderately stupid people can figure out when they’re being fooled, especially when a known enemy comes knocking, looking to make nice. That’s the way I feel about this finale, even if I like a number of elements within the overall story.

Keep in mind that Team Atlantis just recently dealt with its own gullibility in “Coup D’Etat”. At that point, they thought they could eliminate a larger threat through an alliance with a former enemy, and of course, it turned out that they were operating with limited information from a questionable source. It would have been nice if that had taught Team Atlantis a lesson, but that was asking a bit too much.

I’ve always held the opinion that the underlying message of the “Stargate” franchise is that humanity may be better off staying the hell home. A lot of situations within the franchise are created when humans (namely, the SGC) won’t leave well enough alone, and enemies are awakened in the process. That’s fun on a certain level, but sooner or later, one would hope that a more cautious approach might come along.

In this case, I’m annoyed that Ronon and Teyla are the only ones who seem to recognize the massive downside to this little alliance. Weir and the others seem to get past their own fears and worries a bit too quickly, and frankly, it’s all too easy to figure out what the Wraith want out of the deal. But even if those goals were less than obvious, why didn’t anyone work out the fact that Michael had every reason to screw them over, and look for the ulterior motive?

As I said, I found a lot to like about the episode. I like Michael, I really like the Wraith supermodel (especially how she flips her hair, as if everyone should know how hot she is!), and it’s a lot of fun to watch McKay interact with Wraith, especially when they look like they want to eat him for being so damned arrogant. All of the characters get a moment to shine, especially Beckett and Zelenka, who make quite a comic pair. The production is very strong; it’s just that the story itself relies on a massive suspension of disbelief.

Part of me thinks it would be damned funny if the Wraith arrived in the Milky Way in near-Earth space just in time to run into those four Ori attack cruisers that arrived in the “SG-1” finale! What if the Wraith technology can rip through those apparently impenetrable Ori shields? What if the fate of the Milky Way requires Weir and her team to take a more proactive stance? Yeah, I know it’s unlikely, but one can dream!

One other problem I have with the finale is that it doesn’t leave me with the thrill that I had with the end of “The Siege: Part II”. I was genuinely interested in how the siege would be resolved, since it had a long build to that point of desperation. This season stumbled into the finale, from my point of view, and I really don’t find myself wondering how the situation will be resolved. I know the Wraith acted to take Atlantis out of the equation, and that there’s personal jeopardy involved for many characters, but it left me somewhat cold. Compared to the massive implications of the “SG-1” and “BSG” season finales, this seems a bit underwhelming.

Of course, that what I thought of the entire second season, so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I can only hope that the Wraith Civil War leads to a more complex plot arc for the third season, and that the Atlantis team can act a bit more proactively. For two seasons now, the humans on Atlantis have been hunkered down, and since they precipitated the Wraith awakening, it’s time they do something about it. The hints about the retrovirus are promising, since it could bring back the ethical issues raised in “Michael”, but it’s only a start. It might be better if another threat or competing power were to arise, thus giving Team Atlantis opportunity. For now, I look towards the third season with hope and not a little trepidation.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4

Final Rating: 7/10

(Season 2 Final Average: 6.8)