Stargate Rewatch: The Storm

KAAAAAHHHHHHNNNNN--I mean, KOLYAAAAAAA! (Photo from GateWorld.net)

The Storm

Story by Jill Blotevogel
Teleplay by Martin Gero
Guest starring Robert Davi (Commander Acastus Kolya), Erin Chambers (Sora), Ryan Robbins (Ladon), Paul McGillion (Dr. Beckett), Michael Puttonen, Colm Meaney (Cowen), David Nykl (Dr. Zelenka), Don Ackerman (Doran), Cory Monteith (Genii Private), Colin Corrigan (Guard), Jason Diablo (Guard), Lauro Chartrand (Genii Soldier)

WARNING: SPOILERS ABOUND!

Summary
A ruthless Genii commander takes advantage of a killer storm that prompts a massive evacuation of Atlantis, leaving only a small a team left behind to convert lightning into a power source for the city’s shields. (Part one of two)

General Impressions
The view of the storm from above was simply gorgeous. Then again, I love pictures of planets and spend more time than I should on the NASA website. I love me my space porn.

The Genii commander Kolya (Robert Davi) is a fantastic bad guy. Unlike the nigh invincible Wraith, Kolya is human and similarly armed as our heroes. He’s smart and ruthless and a terrific match for Sheppard. What I really like about Kolya is, unlike the Wraith in later seasons, he is never anything but an enemy. He never becomes an ally of convenience and he never succumbs to Sheppard’s charm. He enters Atlantis and immediately shoots two guys without blinking. Cold. Robert Davi is really intense. I could watch him all day.

Loved Sheppard seeking clarification on how theoretical their success is from McKay: “Like dinosaurs turned into birds theoretically, or theory of relativity theoretically?” And Rodney’s response: “What?! Uh…sort of in between.”

Rodney is a jerk ass. Just saying. He’s a real jerk in this episode, especially to Zalenka.

The Good
The special effects in this episode are beautiful. The views of the ocean and the approaching storm are gorgeous. I love storms, though I’ve never experienced a hurricane (not that I want to). We also get to see parts of Atlantis we haven’t seen yet.

This is the kind of episode I love: Lots of drama and suspense with a bit of action thrown in, as well.

Oh, and Sheppard gets a Kaaaaahhhhhnnnn! moment.

The Bad
No complaints for this episode.

The Awesome
Robert Davi’s amazing Commander Acastus Kolya. As when we first met the Genii (Underground) it’s obvious that they’re used to being a great power and they want to be a great power again. To do that, they need more sophisticated weapons and some ships. Kolya is a match, not just for Sheppard, but for Dr. Weir and Dr. McKay, as well. I’d say there’s real doubt about whether Sheppard can beat him, but he is one of the big heroes of the city, so it’s a safe bet Sheppard survives, and our heroes get their city back without having to give the Genii what they want (except for those boxes of medical supplies they manage to get through the gate near the end).

The score is beautiful and appropriate in every scene. This episode and The Eye are scored like a major motion picture, not a weekly TV show. Joel Goldsmith is made of awesome.

Rating
10 out of 10 for a compelling bad guy, gorgeous SFX and real drama and suspense. This is one of my favorite episodes, if only for Robert Davi.