While its long-running stablemate, Stargate SG-1 has been grabbing most of the attention this year due to its impending last ever episode, Stargate Atlantis continues to provide able support. From later next year, it will of course strike out on its own, unless another mooted spin-off comes to pass.
This week’s broadcast is the halfway point of season three, which also marks its 50th episode. In the US, both Stargate series take a midseason break, so this is a big two-part story to ensure you’ll tune in when it comes back. For the US, this isn’t until April, but Sky One should resume with the rest of season three early in 2007, so the UK will then be ahead of the States!
This major episode is called The Return (Part 1). Dr McKay tests the chain of interlinked Stargates for the first time, which in theory allows travellers to reach all the way across the Pegasus galaxy to the Milky Way and back to Earth in half an hour. While trying this out, the team discover a ship piloted by the Ancients moving at near-light speed. It seems that these Ancients are en route to Atlantis (the place they built) and would very much like their city back...
Recurring guest stars include Robert Picardo, Mitch Pileggi, SG-1’s Beau Bridges and, to the delight of old-school SG-1 fans, Richard Dean Anderson himself in a special appearance. It’s been a pleasure to see both Stargate series in high definition for the first time and in particular, this week’s sounds like one not to miss.
Read about another recent HD sci-fi highlight here: Review – Torchwood: Out of Time, BBC HD, 10pm, Sunday
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