One phrase I can’t get past in Stargate Atlantis The First Season [official website] is the constant use of the phrase: Wraith culling. To pronounce that you need to say “rayyy-th” (as in ray of light), not wraith as it is actually spelled. Apparently the Ancients didn’t know how to spell phonetically. These repulsive Wraith creatures put their mishapen hand on your chest and literally suck years from your life. This is called feeding. Creepy.

Oh yeah.

The Stargate for the uninitiated like me (I’ve never watched or seen Stargate SG-1) is a gigantic circular object that allows travelling through wormholes to other places including planets and galaxies very quickly. You simply “dial up” a coordinate into the Stargate and walk through this gelantenous goo.

(Oddly, nobody is ever icked up with this cyberplasm that sort of reminded me of Ghostbusters)

The Atlantis part comes in when a team of Stargate travellers venture to this galaxy where the Ancients existed, a group of humans who were wiped out by the Wraith or ascended into a greater plane of existence. This turns out to be a one way trip as the Atlantians as they start calling themselves end up in the Ancient’s underwater city.

Unfortunately Atlantis doesn’t stay underwater — not enough power. Seems awful convenient that the power ran low just as the earthmen, er Atlantians, arrive some 10,000 years later but then the city rises itself above the sea. And then the rest of the episodes are spent trying to find more of the Zero Point Modules (ZPM’s) to power Atlantis so they can put up a shield to protect against the pending big Wrath culling. The culling where multiple Wraith hive ships have been awoken and are making their trek across the galaxy on a sinister mission.

A little Googling informed me that there is already a Season 2 in the bag and a Season 3 has been ordered. Season 2 isn’t out on DVD yet, but I’ll be there when for a store culling when it arrives. If you enjoy sci-fi TV like Star Trek, then Stargate Atlantis is well worth culling. Grade: A.

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