DVD review (region 2)
Starring Joe Flanigan, Rachel Luttrell, Jason Momoa, Jewel Staite, Robert Picardo and David Hewlett
Release date Volumes 1-4: Out now; Volume 5: 6 July 2009; Complete box set: 10 August 2009

The battle against the Wraith reaches an epic conclusion in this, the final outing for the Atlantis team…

Season 5 begins with a bang - literally - as Sheppard, Lorne, McKay and Ronan are forced to wait for the Atlantis team to rescue them from the ruins of Michael’s lab (blown up in the finale of Season 4). Alerted to the Daedalus’s presence, villain Michael returns to finish them off - giving the team a chance to attempt a rescue of the pregnant Teyla, being held prisoner on his ship.

Guest star Amanda Tapping (Col. Sam Carter) leads the rescue mission on both fronts, only to be called back to account for her year as leader – paving the way for the return of Commander Richard Woolsey (Robert Picardo) as leader of the Atlantis team.

As you would expect with so much to tie up, the final series of Atlantis is occasionally patchy (Episode 13, Inquisition, springs to mind), but the majority of these adventures are of a high standard. This season even features the return of some familiar faces – as well as Tapping, there’s Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson and Dr. Carson Beckett (Paul McGillion, who somehow always reminds me of Star Trek’s Scotty, as played by James Doohan) – with the mid-season two–parter standing out as a particular favourite.

The finale features the creation of a new SuperHive, which the Daedalus attempts to destroy, sustaining heavy damage in the attempt. The SuperHive, meanwhile, jumps into hyperspace and makes for Earth, leaving the Atlantis team to follow – thus neatly setting up a possible premise for the upcoming, latest incarnation of the franchise, Stargate Universe.

Special features on each volume include an array of audio commentaries, mission directives, photo galleries and more.

Purchasers of Season 5 Volume 1 will also receive an exclusive decoder card that will enable the viewer to uncover all the Atlantis glyph symbols on the inside of each volume. Once all the glyphs have been identified, fans can log onto www.dvdatlantis.com to access the Restricted Area, which will be updated with new content, competitions, unique downloads etc. Marie O’Regan

VERDICT: 8/10
A sometimes bumpy but mostly fun, ride, Season 5 will leave viewers ready to embark on the upcoming Stargate Universe.

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