REVIEW: Last two episodes of 'Stargate Atlantis' highlight its strengths, weaknesses as a viable sci fi series

Not necessarily billed as a two-part series finale, the last two connected episodes of "Stargate Atlantis" said a lot about a science fiction series that had its share of hits and misses.

The CSI-like "Vegas" was able to one last time tell a character-driven story about a John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) from another reality, a police detective who does not seem to lead a very interesting life mainly because he is never presented with much of an opportunity to prove himself aside from a valiant stint as a pilot in Afghanistan.

Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) from the reality in question comes off as obsessed with this man who for no apparent reason ends up leading another version of the Atlantis team instead of himself.

The episode essentially has that reality's Sheppard prove his rarely-tapped potential as a hero in stopping The Wraith from sending their brethren in the series' base reality tactical information about Earth.

Problematic about "Vegas" is that it is simply a creative new way to show how Sheppard is a good man with not many personal demons to explore. That is essentially what made him not interesting enough to carry the whole series.

"Enemy at the Gate" was more of an action-based episode set up by "Vegas."

One of several great aspects of this episode was the writers' consideration in having Richard Woolsey (Robert Picardo) ask Teyla Emmagan (Rachel Luttrell) and Ronon Dex (Jason Momoa) whether they would be willing to sit out the defense of a planet outside of their immediate interests and including the consequence of having the Ancient chair in a place that violates the real-life Antarctic non-proliferation treaty.

"Stargate Atlantis" is based in the contemporary, real-life world, after all.

Yet another great aspect of the final episode was the innovation and implementation of wormhole drive, a means of space travel that makes hyperspace seem like the outmoded VCR of the science fiction world.

Adding a false, but very real sense of danger and finality about what was going on during the episode was the possibility that Ronon might not survive this last mission.

What could have been exploited more throughout the series was the tactical elephant in the room that the show's writers finally revealed - that Wraith technology utilizes an inefficient power source.

Which raises the question as to why the team was not more on the offensive against The Wraith all along considering that they had the full capabilities of Atlantis and the weapons Earth inherited from The Asgard before they committed mass suicide.

It seems as though the writers were too accustomed to writing for SG-1, which was significantly outgunned throughout most of the series against the Goa'uld.

Or perhaps the reason why The Wraith were mostly defeated early on during the series was that Earth was a victim of its own success in terms of the advanced technology SG-1 acquired in The Milky Way Galaxy.

Both points are valid.

Though, this revelation about The Wraith is a great way to drive a final episode and briefly embolden the team's primary enemy, which was hitherto nothing more than a few hives.

At the same time, the solution to stopping the Zero Point Module-emboldened hive heading to Earth was very similar to the "Stargate SG-1" Season 8 episode, "Threads," in which Baal helps the team retrofit the Dakara superweapon so that its energy can travel through every stargate in the galaxy and destroy all Replicators.

Todd (Brendan Penny), who is very much like the overly self-interested Ba'al, did the same except that he provided the Atlantis team with a ZPM instead of a gate network retrofit.

Although it is a small point, that the last episode was in defense of Earth instead of Atlantis made it somewhat seem like another episode of "Stargate SG-1," albeit a good one.