Outcast Review

February 3rd, 2008   Filed Under Episode Reviews  

John learns some sad news from Earth, his father has passed away. John goes to Earth, with some support from Ronon, to go to the funeral. Though, as you can expect, things don’t go as planned. John and Ronon learn that a replicator has been created on Earth using the programming which Rodney and Jeannie originally created. That replicator’s on the run, for his life, and it’s up to John and Ronon to get hold of him again.

After last week’s episode I was hoping for a more team oriented episode, but again we’re given another episode with less of the actual Atlantis team and just a double feature of John and Ronon instead. I always find it funny seeing Ronon on Earth. The last time it happened, Miller’s Crossing, there didn’t even seem to be a real reason why Ronon was there. Sure this time they cloaked it with Ronon going to Earth to support John, in his time of grieving, but it still felt like a stretch to me. Though I will now openly admit that it’s rather great seeing Jason all trussed up in a suit as Ronon, it’s a great look for him.

Enough of the fickle stuff, back to the episode. John’s backstory was interesting, and while it wasn’t initially clear why we needed to know some of the things about his ex-wife, it came clear in the end, even if it was a bit fudged. And we barely know anything about John’s history, so four seasons in, it was about time we find something out.

Sadly I wasn’t happy with more of the replicator stuff. It feels like this season there’s barely been an episode without a replicator in it. They were the best nemesis on SG-1, though retreading the same ground on Atlantis is getting boring now. There I said it, boring. Boring mostly because nothing new has really been added. Give us something new and I’ll quite happily watch more.

There were some good bits in this episode. The action was brilliant, and it’s great seeing Ronon back being the action hero he is. Though it’s a shame that’s all he’s really been this season. Jason’s a fine actor and he deserves to do a bit more than look angry, bruised or angry, bruised and with a gun.

Sadly I figured out the “twist” very early on - the fact that there were two replicators. I find myself constantly searching for a “twist” early on in most Atlantis episodes, and it’s getting predictable now. Though the resolution of what they did with her was different and a nice change.

All in all there were some great performances from everyone, as usual, great action pieces and the final fight between the replicators was lovely to see and well choreographed, though sadly Atlantis doesn’t feel like it’s stepping up at all for me. It feels like it’s happy just being average.

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