Stargate Atlantis Rewatch: The Eye
Atlantis in a hurricane (Photo from GateWorld.net)
The Eye
Written by Martin Gero
Directed by Martin Wood
Guest starring Robert Davi (Commander Acastus Kolya), Erin Chambers (Sora), Ryan Robbins (Ladon), Paul McGillion (Dr. Beckett)
WARNING: SPOILERS ABOUND!
Summary
With the Genii holding the city, and a killer storm heading straight for Atlantis, Sheppard must outwit the ruthless Commander Kolya and save Weir, McKay and the city. (Part 2 of 2)
General Impressions
Atlantis looks very creepy and goth floating on a stormy sea with a hurricane approaching and ominous music playing in the background, so more great special effects and music for this episode. Even the jumper on the mainland getting pummeled by rain is convincing. The score is perfect for each scene. It’s dramatic and dark until the danger has passed, and our heroes have triumphed once again. The deep, percussive notes that play under the scene in which Sheppard raises the gate shield, leaving 55 Genii troops to die in the wormhole are chilling. It’s like there’s a beat for each impact against the energy shield, and we know that those are people getting killed.
This episode is about Sheppard and Kolya. Sure, there are tense scenes for Weir and McKay in the city, and Ford, Beckett and Tayla on the mainland and then in the city. The threat to Weir and McKay seems very real, but are they really going to kill off those two characters (or one of them)? Not so early in the first season when we’re still getting to know the characters. However, this is a personal duel between Sheppard and Kolya, played out through the entire city.
The Good
Sheppard deciding what to do by asking himself, “What would McKay do?” I can see the rubber bracelets with WWMD on them.
The Genii are smart. These aren’t just a bunch of bumbling enemy mooks who are intimidated by advanced technology. They’re efficient, professional, and have a guy who can figure out Atlantis’ systems. Unfortunately, other than Kolya, in later episodes they suffer from reduced monster difficulty and become little more than target practice for Sheppard.
And the pushing the jeopardy thing to the very last second was done very well and fit with the story. I’ve mentioned before my distaste for ticking clock plots because they can be so predictable, always pushing it to the very last second or two. I guess it’s not a ticking clock plot without it doing that, but…yeah.
The Bad
When the eye of the storm first arrives on the mainland, it doesn’t occur to anyone on board the jumper that they’re now in the eye. Hurricanes have eyes, centers of dead calm about which the storm revolves. Most people know that. It’s only after they step outside and look at the sky that Ford declares it the eye, and Beckett provides an explanation to Tayla of what the eye of a storm is. I don’t know, it was obvious to me, even without the episode being named The Eye.
I may be off base with this—after all, her father was left for dead on a hive—but Sora was really annoying. In one breath she’s trying to convince Kolya not kill people in Atlantis and in the next she’s talking about killing Tayla. Then there’s her assertion that all of Atlantis’ weapons and supplies are “what’s rightfully ours”. How so, missy? Just because you want something really bad, doesn’t make it “rightfully yours” if it belongs to somebody else. What happened to her father was awful, but the Genii betrayed us first, and her father revealed his position to the Wraith.
The Awesome
Uh…everything? We see a dark side of Sheppard that we’ve never seen before. He raises the gate shield, leaving 55 soldiers to die. He matches Kolya for cold blooded ruthlessness, blow for blow. While what he did was horrible, that’s war. As the Genii soldier Sora tells Kolya, “Defending his home and people, Commander. As we would.” Still, it’s a little scary knowing Sheppard can be so ruthless.
The Genii and Kolya never panic or waiver in their resolve or get progressively dumber or easier to beat as the episode progresses, as sometimes happens on this show. Kolya remains a worthy enemy from start to finish.
The knife fight between Tayla and Sora is totally cool. Tayla kicks ass. Lots and lots of ass. We don’t get to see her being a badass quite as much as the series progresses, but here in the first season she gets to kick a lot of ass.
Oh, and great shot, Sheppard, taking down Kolya even though he’s using Weir as a shield.
And the score again. As in The Storm, it’s perfect.
Rating
10 out of 10. OMG this episode was just made of awesome. I’ll say this just one last time: Robert Davi’s Kolya is tremendous, and so is Joel Goldsmith’s score.
