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So Amanda Tapping is leaving the city of the ancients behind to pursue the weird, the bizarre and the supernatural? Well, that’s okay … because “Stargate: Atlantis” was beginning to feel too much like "SG-1" anyway.

Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Tapping as an actress and Carter was a fantastic character on "SG-1." Some of my all time favorite episodes remain the Carter-centric ones -- to me “In The Line Of Duty,” “Jolinar’s Memories” and “Divide And Conquer” represents the best the series has to offer. But on "Atlantis," Carter doesn’t seem to do anything aside from wander the corridors, chirp in at briefings from time to time and pretend to hold some kind of authority in the expedition.

Dr. Weir (Torri Higginson) on the other hand always kept the series moving and fresh and actually brought something to the table. As a chief negotiator, her skills were integral to the early days of the series where all things ancient were exciting and new. Higginson was perfect for the job and the series did suffer a substantial blow with absence in the latest season (even if she is lurking around somewhere in the background as a potential baddie).

. "Atlantis" was at its best back in those early days ... you know the ones, where even the simplest task was a challenge. Take for example “The Storm.” In this two-parter, Atlantis was invaded by Genii forces as the city was being evacuated as a result of a massive storm. Without a ZPM, the city’s residents were unable to raise the shields or dial home to Earth and were vulnerable to attack from what can only be considered a technologically inferior race. Both episodes are gripping from start to finish and everyone played a part. Now though, if the rain gets to rough they plug in the ZPM and wait it out.

In the third season the series took another step in "SG-1’s" direction with the recycling of some old villains from the parent series. With so many stories focused on the Wraith, "Atlantis" certainly needed some new baddies to mix things up a bit from time to time. Replicators however don’t represent the best the writers can come up with.

. As Lego spiders they were only mildly entertaining but when they eventually “evolved” into human form, they reached the point where they were as cruel, wicked and every bit as fascinating as the Goa’uld themselves. Something not even the Ori managed to achieve. The human robots story was done to death on "SG-1" and was finally given a satisfying conclusion at the end of the eighth season so why rework on the spin-off series?

Since then, the show has taken on a host of second hand plot devices including Earth-based tales revolving around The Trust. The shadowy cabal will never be as entertaining as the N.I.D. in "SG-1" and the most recent episode, “Outcast,” proved this as Col. Sheppard (Joe Flannigan) returned to Earth after the death of his father and is quickly caught up in a conspiracy involving contraband Replicator technologies.

While this episode wasn’t exactly a yawn-fest, it’s not why I enjoy watching “Atlantis” as a series. I want to see the team trying to unravel ancient technology, dealing with the Wraith, Michael Kenmore (Connor Trineer), Genii, Travellers and exploring a new Galaxy of new planets that all coincidentally look like the Vancouver forests.

The show is called “Stargate: Atlantis” for a reason so lets keep the stories in Pegasus. Earth is "SG-1’s" territory, and Replicators are its villains.

Alan Stanley Blair is the assistant news editor for Airlock Alpha and its sister site Rabid Doll. Contributing from his home country of Scotland, he is currently studying for a diploma in freelance journalism and can be reached at anytime at
ablair@airlockalpha.com.