Stargate Atlantis Rewatch: Coup D’etat
It's Chief O'Brien & Henry the werewolf! (Photo from Gateworld.net)
Coup D’etat
WRITTEN BY: Martin Gero
DIRECTED BY: Martin Wood
GUEST STARRING: Ryan Robbins (Ladon Radim), Kavan Smith (Lorne), Sonja Bennett (Dahlia Radim), Colm Meaney (Cowen), Penelope Corrin (Dr. Lindsay)
WARNING: SPOILERS ABOUND!
Summary
After an SG team goes missing, the Atlantis expedition finds itself in the middle of a Genii coup.
General Impressions
The Genii are back. We have about a season and a half to go before they become nameless, expendable enemy mooks, but for now they’re still a cunning, dangerous enemy who actually have names, motivations and backstories and such. Oh, but these aren’t just any Genii in this episode, either: It’s Chief O’Brien from Star Trek and Henry the woobie werewolf from Sanctuary!
I love how this episode opens up: The nighttime village is creepy, and the dialog builds up tension until Sheppard finds a burned corpse with dog tags around its neck. The first time I saw this episode, I got a knot in my stomach, thinking they might actually have killed off Major Lorne (and I’ve mentioned in previous reviews how much I love Major Lorne).
The tension and jeopardy in the rest of the episode kept me on the edge of my seat most of the time, except for the part where I knew there was no way they were going to kill off Sheppard after they went to so much trouble to make him our point of view character in the pilot episode. I also liked the episode’s resolution, with the expedition saving Laden’s sister’s life and winning over the new Genii leader. And of course, I was relieved that Lorne hadn’t been killed off.
The Good
The opening scene with Sheppard’s team searching for Lorne’s team through a creepy, deserted nighttime village, only to find a burned corpse wearing dog tags. It was visually very striking and tense. I liked the shot right into the beam of Ronon’s flashlight as he shines it onto the corpse. Very horror movie. Or CSI, perhaps? No, no one’s wearing sunglasses.
And when we find out who they really are, it's even sadder. (Photo from Gateworld.net)
I like the pre-mookified Genii. They’re a real threat who aren’t above using our guys in their internal political struggles. Also, they’re clever enough to realize how the jumpers work, who in the Atlantis expedition can fly them, and why. Ladon is even working on his own version of the ATA gene therapy that Dr. Beckett came up with. Sadly, we never hear another peep about it for the rest of the series, and the Genii suffer severe reduced monster difficulty by season four.
I also liked Tayla and Ronon getting some independent screen time, investigating that business with Lorne and his team and figuring out what might really have happened to them. Tayla even gets to sound like someone who is the leader of her people, trained in martial arts and strategy. Pity they don’t let her do that too often. I’ve never liked how Tayla got demoted from leader of her people to the afterthought on Sheppard’s team.
They signed them for me at Comic Con! (Photo from Gateworld.net)
The Bad
Again with the aliens having alien writing but speaking fluent English (see photo, above). You’d think I’d be over that by now, but I’m not. It bugs me. But then, I’m kind of a language geek and love it every time the aliens in Stargate don’t speak English. Like in The Gift when Tayla is inside a Wraith’s head, and we hear Wraith language for a bit. That was great. Or when Hermiod mutters to himself in Asgard (even if all it is, is English run backward), or the Jaffa and Goa’uld speaking that evolved ancient Egyptian from the first Stargate movie.
I really need to let the language thing go.
The Awesome
A compelling mystery, political intrigue, and a cunning, ruthless enemy. And Colm Meaney and Ryan Robbins are in this episode! I loved Colm Meaney in Star Trek, and love Ryan Robbins in Sanctuary. I have a serious crush on Henry the werewolf. As Ladon Radim, we never really know for sure if we can trust him, and we’re not really sure until nearly the end of the episode which Genii leader is the good guy and which isn’t. I really loved the twist with Ladon at the end, even if it meant nuking a guy.
Don't mess with Ladon Radim, or he'll nuke your ass. (Photo from Gateworld.net)
Colm Meaney is, as always, amazing as the diabolical, utterly cold-blooded Cowen. His absolute disregard of his people’s lives in favor of technology and power is chilling. No wonder Ladon had no qualms about nuking this guy. Of course, Ladon was going to leave Sheppard and his men to get nuked with Cowen, so maybe he’s no better than Cowen in the ruthlessness department.
Rating
10 out of 10. I really loved this episode.
“That’s Lieutenant Colonel Errand Boy to you.” (Photo from Gateworld.net)
