"Rising"
Stargate Atlantis episode
John Sheppard arrives in Atlantis
Production
Writer	Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright
Director	Martin Wood
Budget	5 million USD
Production no.	101 and 102
Length	43min (each episode) 86min (put together)
Original airdate(s)	July 16, 2004
Guest stars
Robert Patrick as Marshall Sumner Richard Dean Anderson as Jack O'Neill Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson Ona Grauer as Ayiana Paul McGillion as Carson Beckett Craig Veroni as Peter Grodin Garwin Sanford as Simon Christopher Heyerdahl as Halling Dan Shea as Siler Reece Thompson as Jinto Dean Marshall as Bates James Lafazanos as Wraith Andee Frizzell as The Keeper
Chronology
← Preceded by	Followed by →
—	"Hide and Seek"
List of season 1 episodes List of Stargate Atlantis episodes

"Rising" is the pilot episode for season one of the military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a Canadian-American spin off series of Stargate SG-1. The episodes was written by executive producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, the episodes was directed by Martin Wood. The episodes is the series strongest episode to date in season 1 (and the whole series) on Nielsen household ratings. The episode got strong reviews from major media publishers worldwide.

"Rising" is about the establishment of the Atlantis expedition, it follows Major John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and Colonel Marshall Sumner (Robert Patrick) and their mission to the Pegasus Galaxy in part one. The second part is about the awakening of the Wraith and freeing prisoners of war from them. The pilot has various guest stars from Stargate SG-1 as for example Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and Siler (Dan Shea) among others.

[edit] Plot

[edit] Part 1

The technologically advanced Ancient race from Stargate SG-1 series voyaged to the Pegasus Galaxy from Earth via a colossal starship to spread new life. The city of Atlantis served as a maneuvering station as well as a base of operations. Their mission was unsuccessful and they met a terrible new enemy called the Wraith, the Ancients lost the war and Atlantis was submerged under the ocean.

Discovering evidence of the Ancients journey to another galaxy, a large team of scientists and military personnel, led by diplomat Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson) examine residual technology in an Antarctic outpost with hopes to travel to Atlantis, thereby discovering any knowledge left behind and unraveling the mystery of the abrupt disappearance of its citizens. With the assistance of Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) and Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) they are able to travel to Atlantis through the Stargate.

Using an Ancient power resource known as the Zero Point Module (ZPM) to supply the energy essential for the unusually extended wormhole, an assembly of volunteer representatives from many different countries joins the Atlantis expedition under the command of Colonel Marshall Sumner (Robert Patrick) of the United States Marine Corps. Shortly after crossing, Dr. McKay determines that because of the immediate depletion of power due to their arrival, the protective shield will imminently collapse leaving nothing to defend the city from the ocean. Without enough energy to return to Earth, a squadron including Colonel Sumner, Major Sheppard, and Lieutenant Aiden Ford (Rainbow Sun Francks) travels to a random planet for help. The local villagers, led by Teyla Emmagan (Rachel Luttrell), are permitted to breed for generations before being systematically harvested by the Wraith. They assist the strangers, but as Colonel Sumner arranges an exploration of a vacant Ancient settlement, three Wraith starships travel through the Athosian Stargate to begin herding the planet’s human inhabitants.

[edit] Part 2

The Wraith starships head toward the village and start attacking. The military personnel start attacking the starships, but are eventually outmaneuvered by the Wraith. Back in Atlantis the shield is getting weaker and the remaining personnel there receive immediate orders to evacuate. Before they are able to press the gate address John Sheppard and the Athosian villagers comes through the Stargate. Rather than taking on water, the city rises to the ocean surface. The captured military personnel and Athosian villagers wake up in a Wraith cell, three Wraith starts picking out one prisoner at the time. After tracking where the Wraith hideout is, Rodney McKay reveals to Sheppard that he can use one of the spaceships. In the meantime, Carson Beckett shows Elizabeth Weir what he found out about the Wraith DNA and their body build up.

Weir authorizes the rescue mission led by Sheppard, he assembles a team with Aiden Ford through the Stargate. They eventually find the location of the Wraith base, Marshall Sumner is in the meantime confronted by a Wraith woman. She tells him about their race and then uses her telepathic abilities to find out about Earth which she hopes to use as a new feeding ground for her race. At the meantime Sheppard and Ford are in the Wraith base and trying to locate the survivors from the Wraith attack. When he sees what the Wraith have done to Sumner, he shoots him dead. Ford locates the others survivors and lead them out of hostile territory.

The remaining soldiers outside the base are attacked by Wraith Darts, but the ships are not able to capture any of them. Sheppard and the remaining military personnel leave the planet and fight their way back to Atlantis. In the evening Sheppard, Ford and Weir talk about their situation and Sheppard apologizes because he hasn't made them any friends. However Weir then shows him the Athosians and Teyla Emmagan agrees with her since they will help them find more friends. In the end Weir asks Sheppard what members he wants in his team since they have to go out there.

[edit] Production

Cooper, writer and executive producer for the show with Wright

The pilot episodes, "Rising (part one and two)" was written by Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright, and directed by Martin Wood. The Pemberton Glacier in British Columbia doubles for Antarctica during the opening flying sequence.^[1] The Antarctic scenes in the start of the episode was filmed in Vancouver, Canada.^[2] The budget for the two parter episodes was estimated around $5 million US dollars. Rodney McKay was actually supposed to be African-Canadian under the name Dr. Benjamin Ingram, this didn't stop David Hewlett auditioning. The producers eventually came to a solution where Ingram would be replaced by McKay from the former Stargate SG-1 series. The character Teyla Emmagan was originally named "Mikala" in the early drafts of the Stargate Atlantis script.^[3] At the end of February, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) announced the inclusion of Robert Patrick's character Marshall Sumner. The official announcement said that he would only be featured in part one, but was later extended to part one and two.^[4] In January, 2004 the Stargate producers announced including Jack O'Neill (portrayed by Richard Dean Anderson) and Daniel Jackson (portrayed by Michael Shanks) in the two hour premiere pilot episode to make it easier for fans to relate to.^[5]

Stargate Atlantis was supposed to be set on present day Earth, after Stargate SG-1 was canceled. This didn't happened and Stargate Atlantis was released while Stargate SG-1 was still airing, so the story arc was set in a new galaxy under the name, Pegasus. The story was set in another galaxy so the two running series would not collide with each others and to stop plot interferences.^[3] For "Rising", the Pemberton Glacier in British Columbia doubles for Antarctica during the opening flying sequence.^[1]

[edit] Reception

Director Martin Wood at Comic Con 2007

"Rising" is Stargate Atlantis strongest episode to date, gaining 3.2 on the Nielson Ratings.^[6] The episode was the most watched episode ever broadcasted by Sci Fi Channel gathering over 4 million viewers in the United States according to Variety Magazine in 2004, but was beaten by Warehouse 13 in 2009.^[7] In the United Kingdom, it was viewed by 1.28 million people, placing it first in the most viewed shows in Sky One for the week.^[8] The two part pilot episodes were released on DVD format after its initially broadcast on TV.^[9] The pilot episode was awarded a Gemini Award in the category Best Visual Effects.^[10] The episodes were also nominated for an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series",^[11] a Leo Award for "Best Production Design in a Dramatic Series",^[12] and a Visual Effects Society Award for "Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Series".^[13] The original and first release date of "Rising (Part 1)" was on July 16, 2004 and was released internationally on September 19, 2005.^[3] "Rising (Part 2)" was released at the same time as part 1 in the United States, but was released internationally on September 26, 2006.^[14]

David Nusair from Reel Film Reviews said "as a pilot episode, there's no denying that "Rising" gets the job done," commenting to the one episode release of the pilot on DVD format.^[9] IGN reviewer Filip Vukcevic gave the episode, DVD 6 out of 10 and said "while this pilot does have promise, it doesn't appear to deliver anything but average sci-fi fare. Hopefully the series itself has more spice."^[15] Dan Heaton from Digitally Obsessed said "Rising provides a strong introduction to an original series that retains the positive aspects of its predecessor but does not simply copy its success," and gave the episode an A.^[16] Taylor Brown when reviewing the Rising (part 1) from GateWorld said "as a pilot episode, "Rising" gives viewers a lot of hope for the series to come," the episode was given 4 out of 5 stars.^[3] Virginia Heffernan from The New York Times called the episode "Dull" and further commented that it was "Relic of our own unenlightened time." But said that the show could win fans with its "Lavish special effects".^[17]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rising

• Rising at the Internet Movie Database
• Rising at scifi.com
• Rising at mgm.com