Stargate: Atlantis 3.3: "Irresistible"
Written by Carl Binder
Directed by Martin Wood
Before I discuss this particular episode, I have to repeat my usual disclaimer. Yes, I know how television works, and that not every episode has to be some deep exploration of the series’ mythology. Yes, I know that it’s not a crime to have a whimsical episode. And yes, I am capable of sitting back and enjoying a show for what it is.
However, that doesn’t mean that series shouldn’t have standards. And much like last season’s “The Tower”, this episode fails to meet the standards set by the first season. In fact, this episode would have been a fairly embarrassing addition to any early “SG-1” season, which had their share of poorly conceived “humorous” episodes. It really has nothing to do with anything, and unlike some of the more worthy humorous episodes, there is no insight into a given character to justify the time and effort.
This reminds me a lot of the difference between the almost literary humor of the early seasons of “X-Files” and the terrible “comedic” material in the later seasons. One type of episode was incredibly funny, but remarkably insightful; the other often sought cheap laughs at the expense of established character histories. This episode actually fell right in between the two extremes. It said nothing about the characters, added nothing to the season as a whole (that I could readily perceive), yet presented a cliché of a plot so thin as to require nothing to change.
Lucius was a one-note character, and it quickly became boring to watch the inevitable play out. It might have worked better if it fell into the Whedon-esque style: starting with the funny and sliding right into the disturbing. As Lucius set everyone against Sheppard, I was waiting for things to turn ugly. Instead, they never went as far as they could (or should) have. There was never a sense that Sheppard was in real danger; it was just a matter of how hard it would be for him to set things right.
Instead of exploring how this addictive personality might lead to the unearthing of underlying tensions or reveal aspects of characters that might play into future plot threads, this was staged and written like a standard sitcom. And since I hate most sitcoms, it’s no surprise that this episode left me cold. Any episode originally titled “Delicious Fat Guy” is an episode that should be reconsidered almost immediately. What’s worse is that Lucius is supposed to be a recurring guest character. My worries about this season, based on this episode, have risen exponentially.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Recent episodes cover the “Stargate: Atlantis”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 1/2
Style: 0/4
Final Rating: 4/10
Directed by Martin Wood
Before I discuss this particular episode, I have to repeat my usual disclaimer. Yes, I know how television works, and that not every episode has to be some deep exploration of the series’ mythology. Yes, I know that it’s not a crime to have a whimsical episode. And yes, I am capable of sitting back and enjoying a show for what it is.
However, that doesn’t mean that series shouldn’t have standards. And much like last season’s “The Tower”, this episode fails to meet the standards set by the first season. In fact, this episode would have been a fairly embarrassing addition to any early “SG-1” season, which had their share of poorly conceived “humorous” episodes. It really has nothing to do with anything, and unlike some of the more worthy humorous episodes, there is no insight into a given character to justify the time and effort.
This reminds me a lot of the difference between the almost literary humor of the early seasons of “X-Files” and the terrible “comedic” material in the later seasons. One type of episode was incredibly funny, but remarkably insightful; the other often sought cheap laughs at the expense of established character histories. This episode actually fell right in between the two extremes. It said nothing about the characters, added nothing to the season as a whole (that I could readily perceive), yet presented a cliché of a plot so thin as to require nothing to change.
Lucius was a one-note character, and it quickly became boring to watch the inevitable play out. It might have worked better if it fell into the Whedon-esque style: starting with the funny and sliding right into the disturbing. As Lucius set everyone against Sheppard, I was waiting for things to turn ugly. Instead, they never went as far as they could (or should) have. There was never a sense that Sheppard was in real danger; it was just a matter of how hard it would be for him to set things right.
Instead of exploring how this addictive personality might lead to the unearthing of underlying tensions or reveal aspects of characters that might play into future plot threads, this was staged and written like a standard sitcom. And since I hate most sitcoms, it’s no surprise that this episode left me cold. Any episode originally titled “Delicious Fat Guy” is an episode that should be reconsidered almost immediately. What’s worse is that Lucius is supposed to be a recurring guest character. My worries about this season, based on this episode, have risen exponentially.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Recent episodes cover the “Stargate: Atlantis”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 1/2
Style: 0/4
Final Rating: 4/10
posted by John Keegan | 17:36
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