STARGATE ATLANTIS
Season 4 Volume 4
DVD Review by Nigel A. Messenger

UK Release Date: 14 July 2008
UK certificate: 12

Stars: Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett, Rachel Luttrell, Amanda Tapping, Jewel Staite, Jason Momoa, David Nykl

Review:

The fourth disc in Season 4 once again delivers the goods with a variety of episodes featuring our heroic team with two episodes being particularly outstanding in completely different ways.

QUARANTINE starts us off in an interesting episode which sees cast regulars paired off whilst sealed into different parts of the city. Carter gets to know Zelenka a little better although she probably would have preferred not to and Rodney's relationship with Katie unintentionally comes to a close.

TRIO the last of the episodes on this disc also see a group trapped together although in totally different circumstances. Carter, Rodney and Keller hold the viewers attention well as they repeatedly attempt to escaped from a collapsed underground mine.

One of the best episodes here however starts off with a premise that I must admit looked a little silly at the beginning. Who would have thought that Sheppard and Rodney escorting a child princess on a fairytale quest would prove to deliver some of the most comedic situations yet to come out of this entire series! HARMONY is such an enjoyable adventure you really have to watch it to understand what I mean. Joe Flanigan (Sheppard) and David Hewlett (Rodney) play this just right so as to get every last bit of fun out of their characters when faced with sharing so much screen time with child actress Jodelle Ferland (Harmony). They play it straight while an extremely well scripted episode storyline delivers the laughs with the funniest ending that I think I have seen in en episode of ATLANTIS. I hit freeze-frame on the DVD player just to look again at the painting on the castle wall at the end of the episode. A real treat for STARGATE ATLANTIS fans!

OUTCAST is another excellent episode and probably one of the best Earth based storys in the series to date. Most of the story takes place on Earth and mainly features regulars Sheppard and Ronon. The story delves deeper into Sheppard's past than has previously been revealed introducing his estranged brother and a ex-wife. The episode also features STARGATE SG-1 regular Dr Lee (Bill Dow) as well as recognisable guest stars from some other TV shows Kari Wuhrer (SLIDERS), Dylan Neal (BLOOD TIES) and Emma Lahana (POWER RANGERS).

QUARANTINE
As a quarantine alert locks down Atlantis, everyone is isolated into different parts of the city. Sheppard is trapped with Teyla, Rodney is with his girlfriend Katie, Carter is trapped in an elevator with Zelenka and Ronon is in the infirmary with Keller.

HARMONY
Whilst visiting another planet Sheppard and Rodney are asked to accompany a princess on a ritual quest. However the princess turns out to be a precocious young girl and her quest through the forest is plagued by one of her sisters who has sent a team of soldiers to assassinate her. To make matters worse the forest is inhabited by a deadly 'monster' which in fact is generated by Atlantian technology.

OUTCAST
Sheppard returns to Earth to attend his fathers funeral and as a gesture of friendship is accompanied by Ronon. It's the first time Sheppard has visited his family for some years and his presence is viewed with suspicion by his estranged brother Dave (Dylan Neal, BLOOD TIES). To make matters worse he receives information that a human form replicator is loose on Earth, but Ava (Emma Lahana) the beautiful woman who gives him the information has secrets of her own. Shepperd is forced to seek the help of his ex-wife Nancy (Kari Wuhrer, SLIDERS).

TRIO
On a mission off-world on a geologically unstable planet, Carter, Rodney and Keller accidentally fall into an abandoned mine and become trapped. As earthquakes on the planet worsen they make repeated attempts to escape. Being the only male in the group Rodney tries to put on a brave face while the most qualified Carter is injured on one attempt. They all have to pull together in a final death defying effort to survive.

DVD EXTRAS

Special Features:
Mission Directive: Quarantine with Martin Wood
Mission Directive: Outcast with Andy Mikita
The Making of Trio
Commentaries with cast and crew

Language: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, Commentary 2.0
Main Feature Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 (16x9 FF)