TV Review: Stargate Atlantis 5.12 – Outsiders
Posted by Kevin Carr (kevin@filmschoolrejects.com) on October 19, 2008
Stargate: Atlantis, SciFi, Airs Friday 9/8c
Episode: “Outsiders” (Season Five, Episode 12)
Synopsis: Dr. Beckett (Paul McGillion) is offworld helping survivors of Michael’s Hoffan plague that have taken refuge in a village. However, while the Atlantis team is assisting him, a Wraith scouting team visits the village and demands they turn over the plague refugees. The villagers struggle with the decision to comply or be destroyed by the Wraith. Meanwhile, the Atlantis team is betrayed by a friend, leading to the capture of Beckett and Rodney (David Hewlett).
Review: Here’s another episode that proves that David Hewlett is possibly the most versatile actor on Stargate: Atlantis. He can be paired with anyone – from Lt. Cadmen to Daniel Jackson – and he always makes the scene more interesting. Here, we have a chance to see him interact with Paul McGillion when Rodney and Beckett are being held by the Wraith.
Fans of Dr. Beckett (and you know who you are, those of you who made www.SaveCarsonBeckett.com popular) will be thrilled that he’s taken a front seat in this adventure. After he was killed in Season Three, the outlook was mighty grim for his character. But thanks to fan support and showrunners who are famous for listening to their fan base, Beckett has been able to return to the Stargate universe (for which I give McGillion props for coming back to the fold, unlike Torri Higginson, who abandoned her post and declined to return as Elizabeth Weir this season). In this episode, Beckett even gets a chance to be a badass to the Wraith and actually fire a weapon without whining… well, at least without whining too much.
The last several shows have been more heavily integrated into the end game storyline for the television series, featuring crucial elements to the Wraith-human alliance and how things are going to impact the end of the show. This episode is more of a throw-back to Seasons One and Two in which the Atlantis team faces challenges during an away mission in a village. Still, with the Hoffan virus (which makes the infected human poisonous to Wraith) as a key plot point, the dark shadow of the hybrid Michael continues to be in the background.
As I said before, this episode had a clear focus on Dr. Beckett and gave some closure for his rabid fans who were so angered to see him killed off two years ago. And considering a secret is revealed about his character that is integral to the overall storyline, that makes this episode significant. It’s not the height of the season, but it was still enjoyable to watch for the Stargate fan.
Up Next: A coalition of different civilizations around the Pegasus Galaxy put the Atlantis team on trial for crimes against humanity.
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Did you watch Stargate: Atlantis this week? If so, feel free to discuss below.
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