Don’t worry Joss, I’ll try to keep my infringement into your (albeit disputed) territory to a minimum. ;)

Like SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis seems to have been granted a full repreive from the abundant criticism that surrounds science fiction plotlines today. Apart from Joss’ wise and inspective ramblings, I rarely hear anything bad at all about the show, but was the first season so great? No; I don’t think so. It surpassed expectations, perhaps, but not excellence. However, this is not the first show whose first season hasn’t been outstanding while later ones have. So, can we expect great things from season two?

The second season is traditionally where programmes find their footing. However, in a slight difference to the usual formula, whereby the show merely expands upon its past precendent, the creators of Atlantis seem to have embraced SG-1’s desire to keep everything moving and changing. The most notable point, is, of course, that the control structure will now be based upon the military, instead of a civillian science team with military support. Within the context of the script it made sense; nonetheless, I found the arrival of Colonel Everet to be intrusive and him to be equally abrasive. Perhaps this is an attempt to stir up some, shall we say, more ‘animated’ debate within the Gateroom in future and thus boost ratings — if so, then the Atlantis script writers are more desperate than I thought. Alternatively, it may be an opportunity for expanding the character interactions to see how different people can react to the stresses and turmoils of a new (and somewhat less sympathetic) commanding officer. Hopefully, much of the conflict we saw building in the last episode of the first season will be dealt with once immediate pressures of an impending Wraith attack are off.

That aside, some top-par storylines seem to be on the horizon. Like SG-1, the producers are apparently reasoning that now that the audience are used to the enemies it’s time to bring out the full back-story. These episodes can be fascinating, as they reveal reasons and uncover secrets. Much like the FAQ page of an excellent website, they answer queries that you probably had from the beginning, or possibly (if you’re one of our few ‘lower-calibre’ readers) never realised that you had. These may include “Where did the Wraith come from?” and “Why did the Ancients move from our beloved Earth to the Pegasus Galaxy?” — both answered in an episode in the new season. Unfortunately for Joss, questions on reasons for the new style of Stargate design appear to remain untouched.

It’s not just the Wraith and Atlanteans that will be getting episodes, either. Both the Genii and the creators of the mysterious nanobot virus that appeared in ‘Hot Zone’ (Stargate: Atlantis, season 1 episode 13) should be up for a plot or two. What’s more, we can expect plenty of action to compliment the more intellectual storylines. Kicking off, as it were, with the conclusion to ‘The Siege’ triology. Without wishing to spoil things too much, we see a number of important events occur, including the arrival of the Daedalus, the sister-ship of the Prometheus (which featured in a number of later Stargate: SG-1 episodes), a battle involving a number of Wraith vessels, a rush to restore the Atlantis shield, et cetera — expect lots of top-class CGI.

As Joss noted, we lose a character (Lieutenant Ford) from his status as a regular. But we do gain a few characters to make up for his loss. Aside from the new colonel, it seems unlikely that any could be as pointless or boring as him, but with so many new arrivals it may be unwise to jump to conclusions. Most interestingly, an Asgard arrives aboard the Daedalus. What sort of information or insight he can offer will be fascinating, as we should remember that at one point in the distant past, the Ancients and Asgard (along with a couple of other races) were part of a ‘great alliance’.

Will Stargate: Atlantis‘ second season excel where the first season did not? Does it add the right new elements while retaining the old ones which worked? I think so; the people behind the Stargate shows really seem to be able to cater to what people out here want. Some top quality episodes are on their way. Let’s hope that Atlantis uses this opportunity to take off.

Look out for a closer look on the Genii’s role in The Siege, Part II, from Joss in the near future.