Stargate Atlantis Season 2

Easily the best science fiction on television, watching Stargate on DVD will make you appreciate that it’s really wasted on TV.

The second season of the second incarnation of Stargate is pretty well the most fun you can have with your clothes on. While its special effects are well wrought, its television budget clearly precluded its relying upon them – its creators have had to fall back on sharp writing, talented actors and clever plots.

Perhaps the most noticeable aspect of these episodes on DVD is their continuity. Viewed on the SciFi channel, they were incessantly interrupted by some of the most obnoxious commercials yet devised by the trolls of commerce – even fast-forwarding through the breaks disrupted the flow of the stories considerably. Watched in their entirety, they’re perfect micro-movies.

…and you don’t have to wait a week to see what happens next.

The DVD collection includes a generous mixture of additional material – interviews with the actors and writers, a variety of documentaries about the production of the show and other appeals to serious fans. The video and audio quality are impeccable. The thin-package box will be a treat for everyone who bought the first nine sets of Stargate in their original obese packaging.

The only drawback is that it’ll be a year ‘til season three…