Stargate Atlantis

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Stargate Atlantis
Image:SGA-poster.jpg
First-season Stargate Atlantis regular characters. From left to right: Aiden Ford, Teyla Emmagan, John Sheppard, Elizabeth Weir and Rodney McKay.
Format Science fiction
Run time approx. 45 minutes per episode
Creator Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper
Starring Joe Flanigan
Torri Higginson
Paul McGillion
David Hewlett
Rachel Luttrell
Rainbow Sun Francks
Jason Momoa
Country United States, Canada
Network Sci Fi Channel
Original run July 16, 2004 – present
No. of episodes 27, as of August 26, 2005

Stargate Atlantis is a spin-off from the television series Stargate SG-1, which was based on the film Stargate (1994). It premiered on the US Sci Fi Channel on July 16, 2004. The events of Stargate Atlantis follow the cliffhanger Stargate SG-1 seventh season finale Lost City, and the Season 8 premiere New Order (although the latter is only mildly important to the plot of Atlantis) .

Stargate Atlantis premiered with "Rising", a movie-style two-part episode, which guest starred Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks and Robert Patrick.

Atlantis was originally intended to succeed Stargate SG-1, after its seventh season and a second feature movie. When SG-1 was renewed for an eighth season, the intended movie became the episode "Lost City" and the setting of Stargate Atlantis was moved to the Pegasus galaxy.

As of October 24th 2005, Stargate Atlantis has been offically renewed for a third season by the Sci-Fi channel.

Contents

Summary

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

See Stargate for a more general summary of the universe this series is set in, and Stargate SG-1 for how events have transpired to get the plot to Atlantis.

In Stargate SG-1 seventh season finale "Lost City", the SG-1 found an outpost made by the race known as the Ancients in Antarctica. After the events of Stargate SG-1 eight season opener "New World", an international team is sent to investigate the to outpost. Soon, Dr. Jackson discovers the location of the greatest city created by the Ancients, Atlantis.

The series follows the adventures of a group of scientists and soldiers that take a possibly one-way trip to this lost city of Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. Like the SG teams of Stargate SG-1, the new team's use of the Stargate has brought humanity into contact with other cultures, some human and some alien, some friendly and some quite hostile.

Races

Human civilizations

Main article: Human civilizations in Stargate Atlantis

Upon their arrival in the Pegasus galaxy, the Ancients seeded several planets with human life. Most of these planet's civilizations are pre-industrial, but a few have developed more advanced technology. Major human civilizations include:

  • Athosians: A pre-industrial civilization, the Athosians were the first Pegasus natives the Atlantis expedition encountered. After their planet was culled by the Wraith, they moved to Atlantis.
  • Tau'ri: Humans from Earth who came to the Pegasus galaxy in search of the mythical city of the Ancients, Atlantis.
  • Genii: An advanced, militaristic culture with a technology level similar to mid-20th century Earth, that hide under the mask of simple, Amish-like farmers.

Non-human races

Main article: Alien races in the Stargate universe#Pegasus galaxy aliens

Ancients (Alterans)

Main article: Ancient (Stargate)

A highly technologically advanced race that once existed on Earth and other planets throughout the Milky Way galaxy, the Ancients are the builders of the Stargates. The Ancients moved from Earth to the planet in the Pegasus galaxy where Stargate Atlantis is set (see The City below), taking their spacefaring city Atlantis with them, in order to spread new life. In the new galaxy, they faced an enemy, the Wraith, who despite their inferior technology overwhelmed the Ancients with their strength of numbers. Besieged in Atlantis, the remaining Ancients retreated to Earth, passing on not only the legend of Atlantis but also their "Ancient gene" to the Greeks. A small fraction of the terrestrial human race still express the gene ("Ancient Technology Activation", or ATA) that allows them to use Ancient technology, most prominently Major John Sheppard of the Terrestrial human expedition team. Dr. Carson Beckett of the Terrestrial human expedition team is experimenting with transferring the ATA gene expression by means of in vivo retroviral gene therapy.

Wraith

Main article: Wraith (Stargate)

This hive-based species drove the Ancients out of the Pegasus galaxy around 8000 BC, and are currently the antagonists of Stargate Atlantis. They maintain thousands of worlds populated by humans as a source of food, as they feed off the life force of other beings. The Wraith follow a cyclical feeding pattern: they lay in a dormant/hibernation stage for many years or generations, then sweep through the Pegasus galaxy to "cull their human herd", and finally stop when there are just enough surviving humans to maintain a breeding population for the next culling cycle. Although their technology is highly advanced and parallels many Ancient technologies (the similarity between Wraith Darts and Ancient jumpers, for example), the Wraith forced the Ancients to abandon the Pegasus Galaxy mainly by strength of numbers.

Planets

Main article: List of Stargate planets#Pegasus galaxy

The city

Main article: Atlantis (Stargate)

The city of Atlantis hosts much of the action in the series and is the source of much of the technology which the characters employ. Atlantis still holds many secrets from her new human inhabitants.

The technology

Main article: Technology in the Stargate universe#Stargate Atlantis Technology

The characters on Stargate Atlantis use both Ancient and human SGC technology, which is a mix of native human developments, adapted Goa'uld techonology and gifts from the Asgard.

Cast

ST = Security Team member

Regular Characters
      • Lt. Col. John Sheppard (Earth, ST/USAF) –   Joe Flanigan
      • Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Earth, US) –   Torri Higginson
      • Dr. Rodney McKay (Earth, CAN) –   David Hewlett
      • Teyla Emmagan (Athos) –   Rachel Luttrell
      • Dr. Carson Beckett (Earth, UK/Scotland) –   Paul McGillion (2005-, recurring previously)
      • Ronon Dex (Atteria) –   Jason Momoa (2005-)
 
Recurring Characters - Earthlings
      • Lt. Aiden Ford (Earth, ST/USMC) –   Rainbow Sun Francks (2005-, regular previously)
      • Col. Steven Caldwell (Earth, ST/USAF) –   Mitch Pileggi (2005-)
      • Sgt. Bates (Earth, ST/USMC) –   Dean Marshall
      • Sgt. Stackhouse (Earth, ST/USMC) –   Boyan Vukelic
      • Dr. Radek Zelenka (Earth, CZ) –   David Nykl
      • Dr. Kavanagh (Earth, US) –   Ben Cotton
      • Dr. Kate Heightmeyer (Earth, US) –   Claire Rankin (2005-)
      • Major Lorne (Earth, ST/USAF) –   Kavan Smith (2005-)
 
Recurring Characters - Non-Earthlings
      • Halling (Athos) –   Christopher Heyerdahl
      • Jinto (Athos) –   Reece Thompson
      • Cmdr. Acastus Kolya (Genii) –   Robert Davi
      • Cowen (Genii) –   Colm Meaney
      • Sora (Genii) –   Erin Chambers

For complete character lists, including dead characters, see:

Episodes

Main article: List of Stargate Atlantis episodes

As of September 2005, Stargate Atlantis is in the middle of its second season, with 30 episodes broadcasted. For a complete list, see List of Stargate Atlantis episodes.

Broadcasters

Trivia

  • This series follows the formula established by Stargate SG-1 in which often times major events (namely the introduction of a villain) are the fault of human curiosity. Including:
  • Rodney McKay is highly allergic to citrus.

External links

Stargate series
Stargate movie | Stargate SG-1 | Stargate Infinity | Stargate Atlantis
Aliens | Humans | Planets | Technology
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