Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

An alternate look into the future before everything resets for the finale ending

Stargate has produced some fantastic alternative timeline and universe stories and The Last Man is the latest engaging tale to fall into that category. It focuses on the ‘what if’ scenario of it all going horribly wrong for the expedition in Atlantis and for the Pegasus Galaxy but focusing primarily on character stories rather than simply the overarching result. There is much to recommend it but the final act feels rushed and tagged on in comparison to the rest as though simply done for shock factor and to provide the requisite cliff-hanger of a season finale than to contribute in a meaningful way to the story.

I admit that I’ve always loved the stories examining the ‘what ifs’ from There but for the Grace of God from SG1, and Before I Sleep from the SGA back-catalogue remains a personal favourite episode. As a ‘what if’ story the majority of The Last Man delivers as holographic McKay relates to Sheppard the sad events in the timeline that he is seeking to change; Teyla’s death, Sam’s and Ronon’s sacrifices, and McKay’s own fleeting personal happiness with Keller after some interesting IOA politics drive them both from Atlantis, cut short by tragedy. Success comes from the focus on the individual character stories that provide action and emotion.

Ronon in particular gets a great story; one that emphasises his own leadership qualities and his growth not only in working with Todd (fabulous moment of them both freezing weapons inches away from each other) but in finally stopping running to achieve his mission. Equally Keller’s dedication to her humanitarian efforts makes her character shine and fully form as a ‘hero’ in a way she has perhaps failed to do in previous episodes; her interaction as McKay’s romantic interest is believable and actually makes her much more personable. It was also great to see Sam utilised as the technical whiz-kid, never-say-die soldier leading again as opposed to a leader with those traits kept in the background. While I understand the balance had to change given the position within the overall SGA character set, here is a more recognisable Sam, and as an SG1 fan it did feel like welcoming an old friend home.

More than just engaging the audience though through the characters, the focus on their fates imbues the story with emotion as McKay’s own love and respect for his former team-mates seeps out in the flashbacks. His dismay and regret on finding Teyla; the respect for Ronon; the grief yet pride in talking about Sam. Only Michael gets short-changed, painted as a comic book villain which perhaps is a true reflection of how geeky Batman-loving McKay sees him in the end. The raw emotion in the previous episode of having to tell Clone Carson the fate of the original and Weir is muted here but evident nevertheless – a wonderful piece of acting by David Hewlett. Joe Flanigan provides a wonderful foil as Sheppard listens and prompts with his own increasing desperation to get back to his past and prevent the events from happening evident. However, Hewlett steals the show as he delivers an older, and entirely believable McKay who has been battered by events if not completely broken; his arrogance muted by loss after loss. There is real heartache behind his obsession to change the past to find a different future for himself and his friends.

That whole segment of Sheppard and hologram McKay simply walking the empty corridors of Atlantis and talking has a wonderfully haunting quality; Sheppard’s footsteps echo, there is an eeriness in the quiet and the shadows. The red and orange tinged future contrasts sharply with the flashbacks which seem darker and more forbidding because of that. My only main complaint with this whole segment is the special effects when Sheppard first sees Atlantis under sand dunes before the camera pans out – for that moment it lacks believability. After that, with the wider shots, the difference is startling and ‘wow.’

Unfortunately, the problem for me begins with the sudden arrival of Sheppard back in the past. The audience sees nothing of the difficulties McKay suddenly worried about with the sun dying, the shields having to maintain atmosphere, the wormhole engaging at the right moment to send Sheppard back. There seems to have been a set-up for a different ending. Maybe it was felt there wasn’t enough punch in that cliff-hanger for a finale…I think I would have preferred something else to the one we got. It is true that the exploding building is dramatic; it’s also a little cliché. Less will they survive as how will they survive to continue their adventures? It reminded me too much of the old camp Batman and Robin TV series from the Sixties where the heroes are left in dire straits only to implausibly get free in the first few minutes of the following episode. The note was jarring given the emotional resonance of the rest.

In conclusion

Overall, the episode has many great qualities and definitely engages the audience through excellent focus on the characters through McKay’s eyes, and a tour de force performance by David Hewlett backed up by the rest of cast and crew.

It is perhaps indicative of this fourth season as a whole: the cast and crew delivering good work with the occasional glitch around production; excellent attention in the main to the characters and providing stories which invite the audience to care for them, yet some missteps in story-telling here and there. The planning, pacing and executing of character and story arcs definitely needs to improve although the idea of less stand alone and more arcs is a welcomed approach. Overall this has been a good season, and The Last Man keeps up the standard. Bring on Season 5!