Stargate Atlantis Rewatch: Inferno

The Teranis Stargate gets sucked into a super volcano (Photo from GateWorld.net)

Inferno

WRITTEN BY: Carl Binder
DIRECTED BY: Peter DeLuise
GUEST STARRING: Kevin McNulty (Chancellor Lycus), Brandy Ledford (Norina), David Nykl (Radek Zelenka), Mitch Pileggi (Colonel Caldwell)

WARNING: SPOILERS ABOUND!

Summary
Sheppard’s team comes to the aid of a people who live in an Ancient facility built into a volcano that chooses their visit to erupt. Oh, and they have an Ancient warship.

General Impressions
First of all, I’ll just get this off my chest: I love Norina’s lavender dress. There, I said it. Her frock is adorable.

Nice frock! (Photo from GateWorld.net

This episode had a lot of strong science and a lot of McKay, which always makes for a good episode in my book, especially when the poor guy is trying to score with a hot woman who (like most of the women on this show) has the hots for Sheppard.

The Good
It’s so much fun when Rodney talks like a documentary. I’m fascinated (and frankly terrified) by the super volcano under Yellowstone National Park. If that thing goes, I can kiss my country—and my life—goodbye. So here’s hoping it stays quite for a few thousand years more.

Way to go with the science. I geeked out throughout this episode.

The conversation between Weir and Sheppard about Rodney’s attempts to hook up with the hot Taranan scientist lady is hilarious:

SHEPPARD: Uh, I’m gonna get back there now–uh, make sure he’s not distracted.

WEIR: Distracted?

SHEPPARD: Ah, well, the lead scientist, uh, she’s very, um…

WEIR: … hot?

SHEPPARD: I was gonna say attractive. But McKay is acting very, uh…

WEIR: … smitten?

SHEPPARD: I was gonna say pathetic.

WEIR: Wait. I should head back with you and begin negotiations with the Taranan leader. What’s he like?

SHEPPARD: Oh, you know. He’s a guy. Didn’t pay much attention. Sorry!

The Bad
Oh, another bull-headed leader who thinks the folks from the expedition have a devious plan to take his stuff, and a pack of ignorant natives who refuse to believe big earthquakes and the air full of ash can possibly hurt them. Maybe I’m spoiled by my own world, but are people really that stupid? At least the bull-headed leader apologized and let us borrow his snazzy Ancient warship.

As usual, I’m bothered by aliens speaking English and by the notion that our Earth tech can interface with any alien tech it comes across. I cringe every time I see Rodney plug his laptop into any Ancient or Wraith computer he comes across.

The Awesome

The special effects are amazing. The Stargate being consumed by lava looked so cool. And I loved the look of the Orion, especially the bit where it gets ejected from the planet by the eruption. It’s practically Steampunk. Oh, and that view of the super volcano from space is spectacular and demonstrates just how huge it is.

The super volcano from space (Photo from GateWorld.net)

The jeopardy just keeps getting ramped up with the Stargate getting buried, the groups getting cut off from each other, the volcano sending aftershocks throughout the base, the people in the Orion and the base being shielded from Deadalus’ transporters, the base sealing the doors, leaving the people trapped. Oh, and there’s a Wraith ship on its way to Atlantis. It just keeps going from bad to worse in classic Stargate fashion. Awesome!

Jules Verne designed this ship! (Photo from GateWorld.net)

Rating
8 out of 10. Rodney, fantastic special effects, and a Steampunky ship.