I hope this is going for $4.99 at Wal-Mart because it could not be worth any more than that..  We seem to be getting further away from genuine Stargate material by leaps and bounds with each new spin-off. Now that they’ve almost entirely given up on the actual gate with this branch there’s not much of a point in trying to tie the next SG series in at all. They should just make up some adventure about a team of military scientists who shrink themselves and daringly explore the human body and call it Stargate: Innerspace. Some idiot sci-fi fetishist critic will call it a “bold, daring new series” or some horseballs and it’ll be given even more production funding than the ridiculous amount doled out to this show.

SG: Atlantis clocks in with a lower interest value than Star Trek Voyager, which I believed to be hitherto impossible for a big studio space adventure series. On top of having only slightly better than porn quality acting this wafty bung juice features a plot that’s so predictably dull it’s about as effective as trying to stab somebody with the Earth. It’s a good thing they have deep pockets for CG effects because otherwise they would have been canceled already. Sadly here we are on season 2. You’ve still got the slackest excuse for Hollywood military operatives I’ve seen in years battling space shark-looking people who feed by slapping people in the chest for a nutrient leeching high-five. The Todd would be proud.

As for extra content, I’m happy for the ample supply of included goodies but saddened that it’s a show like this that is given such a treatment. You get commentary audio tracks for every episode, photo galleries, video profiles for the actors, and a slew of other featurettes that focus on various materials that make up the fabric of the show. There’s a good deal of material to absorb if you’re so inclined. As such I have to award some praise to the creators for doing something right. Don’t buy it. With so many better shows out there on DVD, don’t even rent this one. That goes especially for anyone who bothered to watch the first season. Use the time you would otherwise spend with Stargate: Atlantis – Volume 2 to discover or further enjoy a better show.

C- (1.83) for a bland show with its own money bin

B (3.30) for a pretty well stocked DVD bundle