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First Strike (Stargate Atlantis)
Encyclopedia
"First Strike" is the 60th episode and the third season
finale of the science fiction
television series Stargate Atlantis
. The episode originally aired in Canada on February 5, 2007 on The Movie Network
, and subsequently aired March 14 on Sky One
in the United Kingdom, and June 22 on the United States Sci Fi Channel
. It was written by executive producer
Martin Gero
, and directed by Martin Wood
. The episode is the first of a three-parter, in which the new Earth ship Apollo arrives at Atlantis to conduct a preemptive strike against the Asurans before they can launch a fleet to attack Earth
.
"First Strike" was a beginning to a new direction for the series. It aired alongside "Unending
", the series finale of Stargate SG-1
. At the time it was considered the best episode the producers have done, and featured one of the longest visual effects sequences in the series. The episode earned Stargate Atlantis the strongest ratings since the mid-season hiatus, and was generally well received.
. Its commander, Abe Ellis (Michael Beach
), informs the Expedition that recon missions have discovered the Asurans building ships on their homeworld, which the IOA believe will be used to attack Earth
. As the ships are built from only conventional materials, Apollo has been assigned to destroy them in a preemptive strike, using the new "Horizon" weapons delivery system. Apollo successfully carries out the mission over the objections of Weir
(Torri Higginson
), who feels her authority being increasingly sidelined.
Soon after Apollo returns to Atlantis, the Asurans retaliate by launching a Stargate
satellite that fires an energy beam, disabling the Apollo before zeroing in on Atlantis. The beam will deplete the city's shield in just under 30 hours, and with the satellite and its active Stargate over the city, the Expedition cannot evacuate using their own Stargate. McKay
(David Hewlett
) and Zelenka
(David Nykl
) submerge the city to mitigate the effect of the beam, but this only buys them nine more hours before the city is destroyed.
Realizing that the only way to save Atlantis is to move the city out of the satellite's range, McKay and Sheppard
(Joe Flanigan
) decide to use their one Zero Point Module and the geothermal power station found in "Submersion" to power the stardrive. Lorne
(Kavan Smith
) and a squadron of F-302s are sent to temporarily block the beam using a large moon fragment, so that shield power can be redirected into the stardrive. However, the beam resumes as the city lifts off, briefly grazing the central tower before the shield can be restored. Weir is severely injured and is taken to the infirmary by Beckett's
replacement, Jennifer Keller
(Jewel Staite
). Atlantis jumps into hyperspace, but the stardrive unexpectedly shuts down well before they reach their destination. McKay realizes that they are marooned in deep space, with only 24 hours before the shield runs out of power and the city's occupants are exposed to space.
"First Strike" first surfaced on September 2006. It was conceived after the completion of the mid-season two-parter, "The Return", where writer Martin Gero
wanted Atlantis leave the planet, but didn't know how and why it would happen until the episode was written. Gero also wanted Atlantis damaged and drop out of hyperspace into deep space by the end, so the following episode "Adrift
" would follow. The Stargate satellite was originally meant to be a moon-sized satellite sent to destroy Lantea, but was dropped in favour for the Stargate satellite to destroy Atlantis, since a previous episode "Echoes" involved the saving of Lantea, and Brad Wright
deemed its proposed destruction inappropriate. The scene where Weir thought her leadership challenged was needed to be written, since there were several instances in past episodes where the military step in as leaders. The scene where Ronon Dex
says he needs to learn more science was written to parallel Ronon's appearance in only a few scenes. Gero also wrote the Fantastic Four
into the scene, where Sheppard
compared Teyla Emmagan
to the Invisible Woman
, paralleling the lack of Teyla's appearance as well.
"First Strike" introduced Jewel Staite
as Jennifer Keller
. Staite was originally cast because the producers loved her appearance as Ellia, a Wraith
adolescent in season two episode "Instinct". Gero created the character to not take over Carson Beckett
, but to fill in for him, and thought it endearing to have Keller uncomfortable in her new position. She was originally meant to be a Canadian
character, but because fellow executive producer Paul Mullie
thought there were already enough Canadian characters, she was turned into an American instead. The third season saw less of Mitch Pileggi
as Colonel Caldwell, commander of the Daedalus, due to other commitments (including Day Break
). The writers didn't want to kill him off, so they chose to introduce a new character instead, which was where the Apollo was introduced, as well as Abe Ellis, the ship's commander. Gero added a list of actors that would be suitable to play him. When Michael Beach
was suggested, the crew decided to go with him. However, Beach wasn't familiar with the Stargate
franchise, and was compelled to join the series by his mother, who was a fan. David Ogden Stiers
again guest starred as Oberoth. Stiers actually drove from Los Angeles
to Vancouver
, though he was only wanted for one scene. A retired Colonel of the United States Air Force
and his wife made cameo appearances.
noted that he asked "all the right questions." The scene showing McKay and Zelenka below the horizon was filmed from above by Brad Wright
's request, though Gero and Wood wanted the scene shot horizontally. The one scene featuring Stiers as Oberoth was the conversation between him and Weir, which was filmed on the same large room, only Stiers and Torri Higginson
had their back to each other around five to ten feet apart.
Three camera angles were used during Lorne's scene in the F-302. To save costs, one of the camera angles was operated by Kavan Smith
himself, who held it on his lap. Elsewhere, the producers wanted to make the control chair rotate as Sheppard flies the city to make it different than any other actions involving the control chair. A stunt towards the end of the episode was used where Weir gets thrown after the beam grazes the tower. The stunt was not originally approved by the producers. A stuntwoman doubled Higginson as Weir during the sequence. The scene was rehearsed several times before filming the actual sequence. During the actual sequence, the stuntwoman wore a plastic mask to prevent the flying glass from injuring her face.
. Gero wrote the scene involving the minute long sequence where the Horizon weapon fires from the Apollo to the Asuran homeworld. He made contact with Mark Savela to see if it could be done; Savela was up to the challenge. The sequence was costly, since the visual effects team had to make a 3D world that would last a minute long to ensure that the sequence followed Gero's script. The sequences where Atlantis takes off from the bottom of the ocean were stock footage from "Rising
", with the shield and beam added on. Another reason to keep the scenes was because the writers liked the scene to be reused. Another visual effect was used to switch Keller's flag patch from Canadian to American, since the decision to have Keller an American character was made after filming.
"First Strike" earned a household rating of 1.5, representing just below 2 million viewers; 1.1 million from the 25-54 demographic, and 986,000 from the 18-49 demographic. It was the strongest rating for the series since the 1.6 rating from "The Return, Part 1". This placed Stargate Atlantis the Sci Fi Channel's second most viewed series, losing only to Stargate SG-1
's final episode "Unending
", which achieved a household rating of 1.7, representing 2.2 million viewers; and was placed fifth for Cable television for the day it aired. "First Strike" was also given a syndication rating of 0.6. It also received a fan rating of 9.29 out of 10, and a GateWorld
rating of 3 out of 4 stars. The episode was considered the biggest the producers have done for series at the time. According to Joe Flanigan
(John Sheppard
), the episode would start a new direction for Atlantis.
Jason Van Horn of IGN
rated the episode an "impressive" 8.2 out of a possible 10, where the episode was praised for its visual effects and tension after the cliffhanger
, which he thought would make the wait for its conclusion in the fourth season "even harder to handle," though surprised to see Beckett's replacement, Jennifer Keller
introduced in this episode, which in Horn's thought would please the fans of Firefly
. Critical Myth rated the episode 9 out of 10. It was noted for Weir's struggle to maintain her leadership, which was covered earlier in the series since the introduction of Colonel Caldwell, though the topic should have been covered earlier in the season. Ian Calcutt of HDTV UK noted the although the episode had many parallels with the SG-1 finale, "First Strike" made a "cracking" finale for the third season of Stargate Atlantis. Brett Love of TV Squad considered the episode a classic season finale, and liked the introductions of Keller and Ellis to the storyline, as well as stating the return of the Asurans as a welcoming one. Brigit Cherry of Total Sci-Fi rated the episode 9/10, commented that though the premise seems simple, the plot was fast-moving and efficient, and appreciated the episode's visual effects, stating that Atlantis is an "exceptionally strong Stargate brand in its own right."
Stargate Atlantis (season 3)
Season three of Stargate Atlantis, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on July 21, 2006 on the US-American Sci Fi Channel. The third season concluded after 20 episodes on February 5, 2007 on the Canadian The Movie Network. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Robert C....
finale of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
television series Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
. The episode originally aired in Canada on February 5, 2007 on The Movie Network
The Movie Network
The Movie Network is a Canadian English language Category A premium television service, owned by Astral Media. The service is licensed to operate east of the Ontario-Manitoba border, excluding the territories...
, and subsequently aired March 14 on Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
in the United Kingdom, and June 22 on the United States Sci Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
. It was written by executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
Martin Gero
Martin Gero
Martin Gero is a Canadian screenwriter and co-executive producer for Stargate Atlantis.Born in Switzerland, Gero spent much of his childhood in Ottawa, Ontario. He attended Canterbury High School for the Arts and Ryerson University in Toronto...
, and directed by Martin Wood
Martin Wood
Martin Wood is a Canadian television director who has been directing since the mid 1990s. Specializing in science fiction, where he is best known for his work as a director and producer on Stargate SG-1 , as well as its spin-off series Stargate Atlantis .-Career:Martin Wood began his television...
. The episode is the first of a three-parter, in which the new Earth ship Apollo arrives at Atlantis to conduct a preemptive strike against the Asurans before they can launch a fleet to attack Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
.
"First Strike" was a beginning to a new direction for the series. It aired alongside "Unending
Unending
"Unending" is the season finale of the tenth season and series finale of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, and the show's two-hundred sixteenth episode overall. Written and directed by Robert C. Cooper, the episode originally premiered in the United Kingdom on Sky One on March...
", the series finale of Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
. At the time it was considered the best episode the producers have done, and featured one of the longest visual effects sequences in the series. The episode earned Stargate Atlantis the strongest ratings since the mid-season hiatus, and was generally well received.
Plot
The newest Earth warship, Apollo, arrives at AtlantisAtlantis (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the spin-off of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis is a city-sized starship originally located in the Pegasus galaxy. Atlantis serves as the base of operations for the main characters, from which they explore other planets through the Stargate...
. Its commander, Abe Ellis (Michael Beach
Michael Beach
-Biography:Beach was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, of Cape Verdean descent. He attended the prestigious Noble & Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts on scholarship from ABC . He was introduced to acting when he was sidelined by a lacrosse injury during high school by a classmate...
), informs the Expedition that recon missions have discovered the Asurans building ships on their homeworld, which the IOA believe will be used to attack Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. As the ships are built from only conventional materials, Apollo has been assigned to destroy them in a preemptive strike, using the new "Horizon" weapons delivery system. Apollo successfully carries out the mission over the objections of Weir
Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)
Dr. Elizabeth Weir is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate Atlantis, a military science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in...
(Torri Higginson
Torri Higginson
Sarah Victoria "Torri" Higginson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles in the TekWar movies and series, The English Patient, Bliss, and Stargate Atlantis...
), who feels her authority being increasingly sidelined.
Soon after Apollo returns to Atlantis, the Asurans retaliate by launching a Stargate
Stargate (device)
A Stargate is a portal device within the Stargate fictional universe that allows practical, rapid travel between two distant locations. The devices first appear in the 1994 Roland Emmerich film Stargate, and thereafter in the television series Stargate SG-1 and its spin-offs...
satellite that fires an energy beam, disabling the Apollo before zeroing in on Atlantis. The beam will deplete the city's shield in just under 30 hours, and with the satellite and its active Stargate over the city, the Expedition cannot evacuate using their own Stargate. McKay
Rodney McKay
Doctor Meredith Rodney McKay, Ph.D, is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two military science fiction television shows about a military team exploring two galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices...
(David Hewlett
David Hewlett
David Ian Hewlett is an English-born Canadian actor best known for his role as Dr. Meredith Rodney McKay on the science fiction television shows Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:...
) and Zelenka
Radek Zelenka
Dr. Radek Zelenka is a fictional character in the television series Stargate Atlantis, portrayed by David Nykl. He is a scientist from the Czech Republic and a member of the original expedition from Earth to the Ancient city of Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy. His expertise on Ancient technology is...
(David Nykl
David Nykl
David Nykl is a Czech Canadian actor of film, television, commercials and theater.After the Soviet invasion in 1968, he and his family left then-Communist Czechoslovakia for Canada...
) submerge the city to mitigate the effect of the beam, but this only buys them nine more hours before the city is destroyed.
Realizing that the only way to save Atlantis is to move the city out of the satellite's range, McKay and Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
(Joe Flanigan
Joe Flanigan
Joe Flanigan is an American television actor best known for his portrayal of the character Major/Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:Flanigan was born Joseph Dunnigan III in Los Angeles, California...
) decide to use their one Zero Point Module and the geothermal power station found in "Submersion" to power the stardrive. Lorne
Evan Lorne
Evan Lorne is a fictional character in the Canadian–American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two military science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
(Kavan Smith
Kavan Smith
Kavan Joel Smith is a Canadian actor best known for playing Major Evan Lorne in Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1 and for his recurring role as Agent Jed Garrity in The 4400.-Biography:...
) and a squadron of F-302s are sent to temporarily block the beam using a large moon fragment, so that shield power can be redirected into the stardrive. However, the beam resumes as the city lifts off, briefly grazing the central tower before the shield can be restored. Weir is severely injured and is taken to the infirmary by Beckett's
Carson Beckett
Dr. Carson Beckett is a fictional Scottish character in the Canadian-American science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1. He is portrayed by Scottish-born Canadian actor Paul McGillion, who previously played Dr. Ernest Littlefield in the first season of...
replacement, Jennifer Keller
Jennifer Keller
Dr. Jennifer Keller is a fictional character from the Canadian-American military science fiction series Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off series to Stargate SG-1. She is played by Canadian actress Jewel Staite, who previously played the Wraith Ellia in season two episode "Instinct"...
(Jewel Staite
Jewel Staite
Jewel Belair Staite is a Canadian actress, who portrayed Catalina in Space Cases, Kaylee Frye in Firefly and Serenity, and Dr. Jennifer Keller on Stargate Atlantis.-Personal life:...
). Atlantis jumps into hyperspace, but the stardrive unexpectedly shuts down well before they reach their destination. McKay realizes that they are marooned in deep space, with only 24 hours before the shield runs out of power and the city's occupants are exposed to space.
Writing and casting
Martin Gero
Martin Gero is a Canadian screenwriter and co-executive producer for Stargate Atlantis.Born in Switzerland, Gero spent much of his childhood in Ottawa, Ontario. He attended Canterbury High School for the Arts and Ryerson University in Toronto...
wanted Atlantis leave the planet, but didn't know how and why it would happen until the episode was written. Gero also wanted Atlantis damaged and drop out of hyperspace into deep space by the end, so the following episode "Adrift
Adrift (Stargate Atlantis)
"Adrift" is the 61st episode and the fourth season premiere of the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis. The episode first aired in the United States on September 28, 2007 on the Sci Fi Channel, and subsequently aired October 9 on Sky One in the United Kingdom. It was written by...
" would follow. The Stargate satellite was originally meant to be a moon-sized satellite sent to destroy Lantea, but was dropped in favour for the Stargate satellite to destroy Atlantis, since a previous episode "Echoes" involved the saving of Lantea, and Brad Wright
Brad Wright
Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe...
deemed its proposed destruction inappropriate. The scene where Weir thought her leadership challenged was needed to be written, since there were several instances in past episodes where the military step in as leaders. The scene where Ronon Dex
Ronon Dex
Ronon Dex is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis. Played by Jason Momoa, he is a Satedan, a civilization from the Pegasus Galaxy who had a technological level comparable to Earth in the mid-20th century but met the fate of all advanced civilizations in...
says he needs to learn more science was written to parallel Ronon's appearance in only a few scenes. Gero also wrote the Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
into the scene, where Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
compared Teyla Emmagan
Teyla Emmagan
Teyla Emmagan was a primary fictional character played by Rachel Luttrell in the science fiction series, Stargate Atlantis. In the show, she is the daughter of Tagan, and was a leader of a village on the planet Athos...
to the Invisible Woman
Invisible Woman
Susan "Sue" Storm Richards is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superheroine created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #1 in November 1961, and was the first female superhero created by Marvel in the Silver Age of Comics...
, paralleling the lack of Teyla's appearance as well.
Jewel Staite
Jewel Belair Staite is a Canadian actress, who portrayed Catalina in Space Cases, Kaylee Frye in Firefly and Serenity, and Dr. Jennifer Keller on Stargate Atlantis.-Personal life:...
as Jennifer Keller
Jennifer Keller
Dr. Jennifer Keller is a fictional character from the Canadian-American military science fiction series Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off series to Stargate SG-1. She is played by Canadian actress Jewel Staite, who previously played the Wraith Ellia in season two episode "Instinct"...
. Staite was originally cast because the producers loved her appearance as Ellia, a Wraith
Wraith (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the Wraith are the original enemy alien species, first introduced in the pilot episode . In the series, they are a vampire-like telepathic race who feed on the "life-force" of humans, and are the dominant power in the Pegasus galaxy...
adolescent in season two episode "Instinct". Gero created the character to not take over Carson Beckett
Carson Beckett
Dr. Carson Beckett is a fictional Scottish character in the Canadian-American science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1. He is portrayed by Scottish-born Canadian actor Paul McGillion, who previously played Dr. Ernest Littlefield in the first season of...
, but to fill in for him, and thought it endearing to have Keller uncomfortable in her new position. She was originally meant to be a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
character, but because fellow executive producer Paul Mullie
Paul Mullie
Paul Mullie is a screenwriter and producer. He is credited for writing episodes of Stargate Atlantis, Largo Winch, and Stargate SG-1...
thought there were already enough Canadian characters, she was turned into an American instead. The third season saw less of Mitch Pileggi
Mitch Pileggi
Mitchell Craig "Mitch" Pileggi is an American actor. Pileggi is known for playing FBI assistant director Walter Skinner on the long-running popular series The X-Files. He also had a recurring role on Stargate Atlantis as Col. Steven Caldwell...
as Colonel Caldwell, commander of the Daedalus, due to other commitments (including Day Break
Day Break
Day Break is a television program for which one 13-episode season was produced. The series starred Taye Diggs as Detective Brett Hopper, who is framed for the murder of Assistant District Attorney Alberto Garza. Due to a time loop, Hopper lives the same day over and over...
). The writers didn't want to kill him off, so they chose to introduce a new character instead, which was where the Apollo was introduced, as well as Abe Ellis, the ship's commander. Gero added a list of actors that would be suitable to play him. When Michael Beach
Michael Beach
-Biography:Beach was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, of Cape Verdean descent. He attended the prestigious Noble & Greenough School in Dedham, Massachusetts on scholarship from ABC . He was introduced to acting when he was sidelined by a lacrosse injury during high school by a classmate...
was suggested, the crew decided to go with him. However, Beach wasn't familiar with the Stargate
Stargate
Stargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly...
franchise, and was compelled to join the series by his mother, who was a fan. David Ogden Stiers
David Ogden Stiers
David Ogden Stiers is an American actor, director, vocal actor, and musician, noted for his roles in Disney movies, as well as his performances in the television series M*A*S*H as Major Charles Emerson Winchester III and the science fiction drama The Dead Zone as Reverend Gene Purdy...
again guest starred as Oberoth. Stiers actually drove from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, though he was only wanted for one scene. A retired Colonel of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and his wife made cameo appearances.
Filming
The episode was filmed during the end of September/ beginning of October, 2006. One of the first scenes, where Keller talks to Weir was done on one long take. In the middle of the scene, the two entered an Atlantis transporter to another floor. The scene was filmed on the same floor, and during the time on the transporter, around 40 people quickly redecorated the hallway. The first scene Michael Beach appeared in was the conference at the beginning of the episode. Despite his lack of knowledge to the series, Beach still acted the scene in one take, where the writers were convinced at his acting style. Beach also asked several questions about the direction and characteristics of his character. Martin WoodMartin Wood
Martin Wood is a Canadian television director who has been directing since the mid 1990s. Specializing in science fiction, where he is best known for his work as a director and producer on Stargate SG-1 , as well as its spin-off series Stargate Atlantis .-Career:Martin Wood began his television...
noted that he asked "all the right questions." The scene showing McKay and Zelenka below the horizon was filmed from above by Brad Wright
Brad Wright
Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe...
's request, though Gero and Wood wanted the scene shot horizontally. The one scene featuring Stiers as Oberoth was the conversation between him and Weir, which was filmed on the same large room, only Stiers and Torri Higginson
Torri Higginson
Sarah Victoria "Torri" Higginson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles in the TekWar movies and series, The English Patient, Bliss, and Stargate Atlantis...
had their back to each other around five to ten feet apart.
Three camera angles were used during Lorne's scene in the F-302. To save costs, one of the camera angles was operated by Kavan Smith
Kavan Smith
Kavan Joel Smith is a Canadian actor best known for playing Major Evan Lorne in Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1 and for his recurring role as Agent Jed Garrity in The 4400.-Biography:...
himself, who held it on his lap. Elsewhere, the producers wanted to make the control chair rotate as Sheppard flies the city to make it different than any other actions involving the control chair. A stunt towards the end of the episode was used where Weir gets thrown after the beam grazes the tower. The stunt was not originally approved by the producers. A stuntwoman doubled Higginson as Weir during the sequence. The scene was rehearsed several times before filming the actual sequence. During the actual sequence, the stuntwoman wore a plastic mask to prevent the flying glass from injuring her face.
Visual effects
The episode's visual effects were produced by Rainmaker Digital EffectsRainmaker Digital Effects
Rainmaker, headquartered in Vancouver, Canada and maintaining an office in Los Angeles, California, is an award-winning visual effects, 3D animation and post-production company with a 28 year history in feature film, television, commercials, and games...
. Gero wrote the scene involving the minute long sequence where the Horizon weapon fires from the Apollo to the Asuran homeworld. He made contact with Mark Savela to see if it could be done; Savela was up to the challenge. The sequence was costly, since the visual effects team had to make a 3D world that would last a minute long to ensure that the sequence followed Gero's script. The sequences where Atlantis takes off from the bottom of the ocean were stock footage from "Rising
Rising (Stargate Atlantis)
"Rising" is the pilot episode for season one of the military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a Canadian-American spin off series of Stargate SG-1. The episodes were written by executive producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, the episodes were directed by Martin Wood...
", with the shield and beam added on. Another reason to keep the scenes was because the writers liked the scene to be reused. Another visual effect was used to switch Keller's flag patch from Canadian to American, since the decision to have Keller an American character was made after filming.
Reception
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
's final episode "Unending
Unending
"Unending" is the season finale of the tenth season and series finale of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, and the show's two-hundred sixteenth episode overall. Written and directed by Robert C. Cooper, the episode originally premiered in the United Kingdom on Sky One on March...
", which achieved a household rating of 1.7, representing 2.2 million viewers; and was placed fifth for Cable television for the day it aired. "First Strike" was also given a syndication rating of 0.6. It also received a fan rating of 9.29 out of 10, and a GateWorld
GateWorld
Stargate fandom is a community of people actively interested in the military science fiction film Stargate and the television shows Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Infinity , Stargate Atlantis , Stargate Universe and their spin offs...
rating of 3 out of 4 stars. The episode was considered the biggest the producers have done for series at the time. According to Joe Flanigan
Joe Flanigan
Joe Flanigan is an American television actor best known for his portrayal of the character Major/Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:Flanigan was born Joseph Dunnigan III in Los Angeles, California...
(John Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
), the episode would start a new direction for Atlantis.
Jason Van Horn of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
rated the episode an "impressive" 8.2 out of a possible 10, where the episode was praised for its visual effects and tension after the cliffhanger
Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
, which he thought would make the wait for its conclusion in the fourth season "even harder to handle," though surprised to see Beckett's replacement, Jennifer Keller
Jennifer Keller
Dr. Jennifer Keller is a fictional character from the Canadian-American military science fiction series Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off series to Stargate SG-1. She is played by Canadian actress Jewel Staite, who previously played the Wraith Ellia in season two episode "Instinct"...
introduced in this episode, which in Horn's thought would please the fans of Firefly
Firefly (TV series)
Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear....
. Critical Myth rated the episode 9 out of 10. It was noted for Weir's struggle to maintain her leadership, which was covered earlier in the series since the introduction of Colonel Caldwell, though the topic should have been covered earlier in the season. Ian Calcutt of HDTV UK noted the although the episode had many parallels with the SG-1 finale, "First Strike" made a "cracking" finale for the third season of Stargate Atlantis. Brett Love of TV Squad considered the episode a classic season finale, and liked the introductions of Keller and Ellis to the storyline, as well as stating the return of the Asurans as a welcoming one. Brigit Cherry of Total Sci-Fi rated the episode 9/10, commented that though the premise seems simple, the plot was fast-moving and efficient, and appreciated the episode's visual effects, stating that Atlantis is an "exceptionally strong Stargate brand in its own right."
External links
- First Strike at mgm.com
- First Strike on scifi.comSci Fi Channel (United States)Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...