Customer Reviews

Stargate Atlantis - The Complete Third Season

5 star:		(75)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For my money, the third season of Stargate Atlantis is the best thus far. All of the seasons have been somewhat hit-and-miss, in terms of episode quality, but I think season three brings a wealth of much-needed character development. We learn more about the mysterious Sheppard in "Phantoms" and the taciturn Ronon Dex in "Sateda," while the episodes "McKay and Mrs. Miller" and "The Tao of Rodney" provide new dimensions to the brilliant and blustery Rodney McKay. McKay's character arc alone -- looking from his original guest appearances years ago on SG-1 to the newest Atlantis offerings -- is staggering, and David Hewlett greatly deserves the praise he's received for his performance. Outside of something like Firefly, I think it's rare to see a show in this genre explore so much of the characters' backstories, and it's gratifying to see it finally happening for SGA.

Teyla is certainly underutilized, and I hope that this season will bring new depths to her character. From what I've heard, there is definitely the opportunity for that to happen.

I just finished watching the third season DVD set, and while Stargate Atlantis is still my favorite Sci-Fi show, I was rather disapointed.

Here's why.

(Warning! Spoilers below!)

First, story arc failure. I was expecting a huge advancement in the story arc concerning the Wraith, but it just didn't happen. Sure, they appear in a few good episodes, but it didn't seem like the story with respect to them in particular moved at all.

Second, killing off Dr. Beckett. I really liked him. Maybe I'm dating myself a bit here, but he was kind of like Scotty and McCoy rolled together but with a cooler head. This very lovable character will be missed.

Third, rehashing the replicators. With an entirely new galaxy as our backdrop for this series, why do the replicator thing all over again? It was original enough on Stargate SG-1, but I was amazed that Atlantis started a story arc with replicators too. Are they going creatively bankrupt already?

Fourth, rehashing old sci-fi standbys, like the "weird alien thingy or disease that causes loyal comrades to start killing each other". Did the original Star Trek do this in the episode "The Naked Time" and wasn't it done again by Star Trek Next Generation as the second or third episode in that series?

Fifth, bringing back a whole ship full of "ancients" just to kill them all off by the end of the two part episode. So, the "ancients" have gone from being a great and mysterious race of humanoids from the past to an expediant plot device. We can create them and destroy them at will just to get and episode or two. Couldn't an "ancient" or two have been spared and used as secondary characters? Wouldn't that have been interesting? They could have helped explore the rest of the city. Their ship could have been recovered. There's so much that could have been done with them that wasn't.

Sixth, lack of character development. Tayla could be a full-fledged warrior princess with a rich heritage and tons of wisdom, but she seems little more than a pretty (to say the least) face with a great body who never uses contractions (reminds me of Barbara Eden in I Dream of Jeanie) and tilts her head a lot. And then there's Ronan the Monotone Macho man who does nothing for me but must appeal to a certain demographic so he's still there.

Still, the season ended with a special effects spectacular and a tightly written script that showed just what the Atlantis team is capable of. And, of course there's the wealth of special features and commentaries that you get as part of the standard package with Stargate franchise DVD sets, and that greatly adds to the value of the set.

I haven't seen any of season four. Here's hoping.

Warning! There are multiple spoilers in the following review!

I've watched STARGATE ATLANTIS from the beginning and have more or less enjoyed it from the start. I definitely plan on continuing to watch it, but I have some concerns about the show that I'm convinced have to be addressed for it to continue to be worth watching.

First and foremost, ATLANTIS has always had and continues to have serious cast problems. They have now had three complete seasons to address these problems and while they have played with it some, most of their decisions have been odd at best. I really like Joe Flannigan as Sheppard and David Hewlett as Rodney, but beyond that the cast is mainly made up of liabilities. There was one other actor I liked a lot on the show, Paul McGillion as Beckett, but inexplicably in remaking the cast they chose to kill off one of the few strong characters on the show. Rachel Luttrell as Teyla is more baffling. Her character has never been very interesting, but I'm not convinced that Luttrell is untalented. I suspect that for whatever reason the writers have simply not been willing or able to come up with any interesting arcs for her (apart from having an interesting connection to the wraiths, which by and large has been underutilized). My hope is that they will rethink Teyla and either do both her and us a favor and kill her off, or become more aggressive in writing her character and give her some significant arcs and character development. Jason Momoa as Ronon, however, is probably a lost cause. He is perhaps the most wooden actor on television today and they have done virtually nothing of interest with his character. David Nykl, however, is good as Zelenka. I always enjoy his scenes with Rodney. Finally, I really want to like Torri Higginson (not least because she bears a scary resemblance to an ex-girlfriend of mine). I love shows that feature strong and interesting female characters, but after three years she remains yet another character with whom they've been unable to do very much. In her case, however, it appears that the producers have decided to either write her out of the show entirely or reduce her merely to a recurring character. I will continue to watch and sometimes enjoy STARGATE ATLANTIS, but they really need to do some serious rehabilitation.

Some help is on the way. We know that Amanda Tapping and her character Samantha Carter will be moving over from the cancelled STARGATE SG-1 to become the new head of the Atlantis project. I think she will bring more strength to the role than Torri Higginson did. Normally I would also applaud the casting of Jewel Staite as the new base doctor. I loved her on FIREFLY as Kaylee, but I still regret Beckett's leaving the show. But I honestly feel that the cast needs several more major changes. The show has had to rely far too heavily on Sheppard and Rodney.

The end of Season Three did, however, leave hope for new and better things. Atlantis has emerged as the name not of a location that cannot be moved, but of a truly mobile city that can relocate . . . well, to anywhere. The season ends with the city blasting off into space. I'm anxious to see what happens next. But whatever they do, I would like to see the show continue the risks it started taking in Season Three. Killing Beckett was an abominable mistake (especially given that there were some other characters who could have been killed with far greater profit to the show), but it at least started giving the show something that both it and SG-1 have always lacked: a body count. The good adventure shows have body counts. SG-1 had next to none. The only truly heartbreaking death in ten seasons was when Dr. Frasier was killed. It is no accident that that the episode in which that occurred was one of the finest in the series' run. If you don't have a body count, you get no sense of danger. On shows like BUFFY, LOST, and BATTLESTAR GALACTIC they have killed off some important characters. As a result when a character is in danger you get a degree of danger that you never, ever get on ATLANTIS or SG-1. Well, at least until they killed off Beckett and at least seriously injured Weir. I dearly hope they continue doing this in the future.

I also hope that we see Season Four taking the stories of the Wraith and the replicators to newer and more complex levels. The series has had some great moments over the first three seasons, especially when they let situations get really desperate. Hopefully they will continue to do this.

While Season Three frequently left me wanting more due to the weaknesses in the overall cast, there were some great moments. The season finale (both SG-1 and ATLANTIS have had some fine season enders) was splendid. And the season featured what may be my favorite episode of the entire series so far in "Common Ground," in which the Genii kidnap Sheppard and enclose him with a wraith who is allowed to feed on no one else. Christopher Heyerdahl has played several wraiths on the series, but in this episode he was allowed to give this particular wraith a dignity and complexity not allowed any other wraith with the exception of Michael. He gradually drains the life out of Sheppard out of sheer necessity before the two of them, cooperating as human and wraith never have before, manage to escape from the Genii. Then, in a moment that could lead to interesting plot developments in the future, we discover that the wraiths cannot only drain another creature of life, they can also imbue them with it, and as a sign of comradeship he heals Sheppard. I want arcs like this one! On a host of other series some of the most interesting characters have been those who came over from the other side. On STAR TREK: VOYAGER, we had Seven of Nine; on BUFFY we had Angel, Anya, and Spike; currently on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA we have Sharon Agathon and (possibly) Caprica Six; and on SG-1 we had Teal'c. I think it would be fascinating if they could do something like that with a wraith.

So I wait for the beginning of Season Four with some nervousness. The show has some weaknesses and problems, but they are fixable. The series has not lost any of its potential. But until we see how the new city in the air Atlantis works in terms of story and how the new cast changes affect the chemistry we won't know for sure. One thing is for certain. Season Four should bear little resemblance to any of the first three seasons.

Season 3's main achievement is with the characters. The team was likable enough before, but in season 3, they become absolutely endearing thanks to this season's outstanding job with character development. Ronon wasn't a favorite of mine before, but it's all changed after watching "Sateda", one of best episodes of the series so far with "Common Ground".

Unfortunately, just when the season is almost over and you're cheering the producers for having achieved the perfect chemistry among the SGA team members, you get hit over the head with "Sunday". I only get to watch SGA when the DVDs are out, so I was totally unprepared for the shocking ending which left me speechless at first, then very sad, and finally very upset with the producers. What were they thinking? Who in the world first came up with such a "brilliant" idea?

Season 3 is excellent, you will love the characters, but I wonder what season 4 will be like. I heard Sam was joining the cast. Amanda Tapping is adorable, but - please don't hurt me - I find her flawless supergenius-to-the-rescue character too unidimensional and boring. I much prefer flawed multidimensional characters like SG-1 Vala (Claudia Black). As for Jewel, I have seen very little of her yet since I don't get to watch Season 4, but I simply can't imagine her as the new chief medical officer. She was a much better fit in Firefly. One can only hope Season 4 will be at least as good as this season, but when there are people in charge making decisions like killing the most lovable character of the show and, to make matters worse, replace him with someone totally unbelievable in the same role, I'm not holding my breath.

Season 3, Episode 1: No Man's Land
Original Air Date: 14 July 2006
Two Wraith Hive ships have captured Dr. McKay and Ronon and are on their way to Earth. It is up to Colonel Sheppard to rescue them and figure out a way to stop the Wraith from reaching a "new feeding ground".


Season 3, Episode 2: Misbegotten
Original Air Date: 21 July 2006
After turning a Wraith hive ship crew into humans, the Atlantis team must decide on their fate. Meanwhile, Dr. Weir finds herself under the scrutiny of Richard Woolsey and the I.O.A.

Season 3, Episode 3: Irresistible
Original Air Date: 28 July 2006
A man from another world has an unusual effect on the Atlantis team, causing them to behave strangely. The few unaffected team members must uncover the cause.

Season 3, Episode 4: Sateda
Original Air Date: 4 August 2006
Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon come under attack on a forested world. Ronon, realizing that he has been on the planet before, learns that his earlier visit came with harsh consequences.

Season 3, Episode 5: Progeny
Original Air Date: 11 August 2006
The Atlantis expedition encounters a highly advanced race, the Asurans whom they at first believe to be the Ancients. However, this new race is just a new face of an old nemesis.

Season 3, Episode 6: The Real World
Original Air Date: 18 August 2006
Dr Weir finds herself on Earth where, to everyone else, the Atlantis Expedition was just her delusion.

Season 3, Episode 7: Common Ground
Original Air Date: 25 August 2006
John Sheppard is captured by the evil Kolya of the Genii and imprisoned in a cell adjacent to a Wraith as Dr. Weir negotiates for his release.

Season 3, Episode 8: McKay and Mrs. Miller
Original Air Date: 8 September 2006
When his sister Jeannie comes up with a vital mathematical proof, Rodney returns to Earth to visit his sister Jeannie and take her to Atlantis. But things become complicated when another Rodney McKay from a parallel universe arrives.

Season 3, Episode 9: Phantoms
Original Air Date: 15 September 2006
Sheppard and Ronon find themselves under the influence of a Wraith mind-altering device that threatens to force the entire team to kill--each other!

Season 3, Episode 10: The Return: Part 1
Original Air Date: 22 September 2006
While testing a chain of Stargates that will allow travel from Atlantis to Earth in about 30 minutes (the "McKay-Carter Intergalactic Gate Bridge"), McKay, Sheppard and the team discover an Ancient ship traveling at almost the speed of light.

When Dr. Weir talks to the travelers, she is surprised by their request that the expedition members vacate the city of Atlantis.

Season 3, Episode 11: The Return: Part 2
Original Air Date: 20 November 2006
Major General Jack O'Neill's mission to defend Atlantis fails as he and Richard Woolsey are taken prisoner during an Asuran assault on the city.

Sheppard's team, Dr. Weir and Dr. Carson steal a Jumper from Stargate Command on Earth and come back to Pegasus galaxy with a plan to retake Atlantis.

Season 3, Episode 12: Echoes
Original Air Date: 27 November 2006
The whales of Lantea congregate around the city and the inhabitants of Atlantis begin to suffer ill effects. Are they there to communicate or attack?

Season 3, Episode 13: Irresponsible
Original Air Date: 4 December 2006
The team investigate rumors of an invincible hero off-world, only to find Lucius Lavin again manipulating a hapless village.

Season 3, Episode 14: Tao of Rodney
Original Air Date: 11 December 2006
While shutting down systems in Atlantis, McKay is zapped by a strange Ancient machine. He begins to have superpowers, but things are never as they seem, and Rodney and the team must race against his mutations to save his life.

Season 3, Episode 15: The Game
Original Air Date: 18 December 2006
To while away the hours, Sheppard and McKay have been secretly competing against one another in a real-time strategy game they discovered on Atlantis. To their surprise, they discover that this is more than just a game....

Season 3, Episode 16: The Ark
Original Air Date: 8 January 2007
The Atlantis team uncovers the last survivors of a civilization who have been placed in suspended animation aboard a space station. As some of the people awaken, problems from the past threaten to destroy everyone on the station, including Sheppard.

Season 3, Episode 17: Sunday
Original Air Date: 15 January 2007
Almost every member of the Atlantis expedition has a day off. Some of them are enjoying their free time or are catching up on some old work. The Sunday, a day like no other, suddenly turns bad and it appears that a lot of people are in danger.

Season 3, Episode 18: Submersion
Original Air Date: 22 January 2007
The team goes searching for an alternate power source beneath the surface of the Lantean ocean. When arriving at the power plant, Teyla senses a Wraith nearby.

Season 3, Episode 19: Vengeance
Original Air Date: 29 January 2007
After losing contact with the new Taranin (the people rescued by the Atlantis team when a super volcano threatened to destroy their planet) settlement, Sheppard's team leaves to investigate. Finding the town deserted, they move to investigate an extensive subterranean tunnel system. What they find there holds dark tidings for the entire Pegasus Galaxy.

Season 3, Episode 20: First Strike 1
Original Air Date: 5 February 2007
After learning the Asurians are building a fleet of ships, Earth sends it's newest ship, the Apollo, under the command of Colonel Abe Ellis to initiate a preemptive first strike to stop them from attacking Atlantis or worse, Earth itself.

The series just seems to be getting better each time. New twists, old friends showing up (well Michael isn't really a freind per-say), and it never seems to get too old. The Series leads up once again to a suspensful ending where you can't wait till it it comes back on to see what happens next.

I loved all these series from start to finish. Just wish they hadn't terminated it so quickly. It could have easily run on and on. Bad move as far as I am concerned.

I would rate season 3 as one of the best of Stargate Atlantis. Of the twenty episodes, I would rate nearly half of them as among my favorite from the entire series. Rodney McKay is my favorite character and since season 3 is a very McKay-centric episode, one can understand why I rate it among my favorites. I thought the character development (especially of McKay's character) was extensive, but season 3 did not shy away from the dramatic, the action-packed or the tragic.

Season 3 probably had the highest combination of episodes that ranged from the hilarious to the tragic, from the frightening to the bittersweet. Though I do rate season 1 and 2 as equal to season 3, I also believe that season 3 was the peak of Atlantis's performance. I didn't get much better than this.

Season 3 of Stargate Atlantis, seemingly following tradition, is significantly worse than season 2. The storylines have become more contrived than ever, while the characters--although mostly unchanged--are bothersome. This is the Rodney season; even though there are only two Rodney-centered episodes, he is the one who always finds the answers, even to problems that others should solve instead.

Lt. Col. John Sheppard is Jack O'Neill Jr., as he was last season; even though he professed in season 2's `Coup D'Etat' that he `coulda been Mensa', he does anything but show it, instead working with the single talent of skillful piloting. Dr. Elizabeth Weir becomes almost paranoid in certain episodes; "They're trying to undermine me, Teyla!" she insists at one point--however, one can understand why `they' would try to undermine her, since there are times when she takes action instead of talking, as well as times when she insists on talking instead of taking action! Dr. Rodney McKay is his usual sunny self, condescendingly snapping at whoever disagrees with him. Teyla becomes almost useless in this season with barely anything to say; when she does speak, she is less than convincing. Ronon--reticent as usual--is the most likeable of all the characters, being the least changed from his original self. Dr. Carson Beckett, instead of being sincere as he was last season, becomes rather weak-willed at times.

The episodes:

No Man's Land--6 of 10--We pick up where season 2's `Allies' left off, with Wraith ships heading for Earth and the team trapped aboard them. The entire situation results in a brilliantly computer-generated battle. However, Col. Steven Caldwell, commander of the Earth ship Daedalus, gives us no reasons as to why he was chosen to command the ship; his tactics are less than stellar in several parts of the episode, such as when he wastes almost every single bomb that the ship has!

Misbegotten--5 of 10--Now that the Wraith on the hive ship have been turned into humans, the team dumps them on a deserted planet. Not one of Atlantis' crowning glories; after all, they should know that the Wraith can figure things out in minutes. Dr. Beckett is strangely foolish, while the others are simply stupid. All in all, this is a terrible ending to a potentially good cliffhanger.

Irresistible--5 of 10--In an obvious Star Trek imitation, the team comes upon a man--think Harry Mudd--whose fellow villagers simply adore him, even though he's a fool. Sheppard supposedly has a cold in this episode, although he demonstrates it rarely in the form of brief coughs and sneezes. Because of the very irritating nature of the man they meet, this episode is less than it could be.

Sateda--8 of 10--A figure apparently from Ronon's past brings him to his now-dead homeworld, forcing him to play a deadly game while looking against his will into his tragic and bloodstained past. Even with the surprising lack of explanations, this episode has movie-style action that never fails to thrill. We also see a long-lost scrap of Ronon's past, giving us a peek into his character.

Progeny--6 of 10--The team dials an address--which the Ancient database specifically said not to dial--and finds an advanced civilization that is much more than it seems to be. Unfortunately, this episode isn't as good as it sounds, because of the simple fact that the advanced civilization is based on something that has already been done in Stargate SG-1. It's true that some viewers haven't seen SG-1, but nonetheless I can't enjoy episodes featuring storylines that have already been used, especially in the original Stargate show.

The Real World--7 of 10--Dr. Weir wakes up in a mental hospital and is told that her entire life is a product of her imagination. This hoary old chestnut of a story has been done in Smallville, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and even The Dead Zone! However, the treatment of this episode makes it fairly enjoyable.

Common Ground--6 of 10--Sheppard is captured by an old nemesis, and is fed upon by a Wraith bit by bit. If it weren't for the identity of the nemesis, this story would be good. Nonetheless, the person who captures Sheppard was once a very interesting character, until he was changed to be the usual villain with the usual demands. For any fans of his, this is disappointing--especially since Sheppard is captured by way of a harpoon shot into his bulletproof vest!

McKay and Mrs. Miller--5 of 10--Rodney's sister Jeannie comes to Atlantis to help the former out. This episode is bad for two simple reasons: 1) The entire episode is based on another episode that ended in disaster and 2) Jeannie is equally as annoying as Rodney in a different way. She tells all and sundry that Rodney's real first name is Meredith, making him the butt of jokes, and teases him immensely; of course, Rodney doesn't take kindly to being teased, and makes everyone else's lives miserable by being twice as surly as usual. If it weren't for that, this episode would be at least bearable but, as usual, Rodney wrecks it!

Phantoms--8 of 10--One of the better episodes--the team finds a suspended Wraith experiment, which then makes them hallucinate all sorts of things, most of which are dredged up from the backs of their minds. There are some times when even the viewer can't distinguish between fantasy and reality, which keeps one on the edge of one's seat.

The Return, Part I--6 of 10--The Daedalus finds an Ancient ship traveling as fast as it can towards Atlantis, and helps the crew get back to the city. There, the Ancients proclaim that anyone and everyone living there are not needed whatsoever and should leave, as fast as possible. Of course, this results in retrospectives for the main characters and annoyance for the audience--basically, the Ancients think that, just because they have more control over the city, they can kick out the humans there. The only satisfying part of this episode is when the Ancients get their just desserts.

The Return, Part II--6 of 10--Now that enemies have taken over the city, Sheppard and friends must take it back. Yet another episode where they have to clean up the Ancients' mess! The plans they make to take back Atlantis are not half bad, but one can't help but think of what would've happened if the Ancients hadn't come around in the first place...

Echoes--4 of 10--Teyla sees strange figures wandering the halls and must find out who and what they are. This episode has the potential to be an intriguing mystery, but one thing puts a damper on it--everyone believes that the Ancients are trying to warn them of something! The Ancients have never warned anyone of anything, but according to our friends in the city, they have suddenly begun to worry for humans and are now wandering around purposefully, speaking a foreign language. It's very implausible that everyone would believe such a thing, given the attitude of Ancients in the past.

Irresponsible--4 of 10--The team runs across Lucius (Harry Mudd II from `Irresistible'), and finds that he's gotten himself into more trouble. If I were to choose between the two episodes, I would without doubt choose the first one--Irresponsible is terrible. The enemy who appears is amazingly dislikeable, even more so than his other appearance in `Common Ground', and Lucius is a pale, annoying version of Harry Mudd.

Tao of Rodney--8 of 10--Rodney is changed by a device and becomes almost Ascended, with incredible mind powers. If the main character of this episode were Teyla, Ronon, or even Sheppard, this episode would get a 10--the storyline is extremely interesting and has several touching moments. However, we all know by now that whatever happens to make Rodney a better person will never work, and so we watch this episode knowing that he'll be back to his usual self in the next one.

The Game--3 of 10--The team finds two villages that are part of an Ancient experiment, in which the people change their lives based on instructions from a console that is controlled by someone on Atlantis. It turns out that Sheppard and Rodney have each been `governing' one of the villages. This episode has extraordinary potential, but falls flat on its face. The leaders of the villages have horribly enhanced versions of Sheppard and Rodney's weak points; Dr. Weir suddenly becomes silent at the time when she is most needed; and, to make things even worse, the episode is resolved in a totally inexplicable manner! By far, the most awful of all season 3 episodes.

The Ark--4 of 10--The team finds an entire civilization locked within a stasis device, where they will rest, safe from the Wraith, until brought back into reality. Unfortunately, the people who are accidentally `resurrected' are the worst examples of the civilization--one is depressed and gets the team into almost irreversible trouble, whereas the other spends his time talking ceaselessly of the `ten thousand souls' that are in the device. Another episode with potential that was not utilized...

Sunday--6 of 10--Two scientists are infected with exploding tumors (thanks to yet another botched Ancient device) and in a race against time, Dr. Beckett must help them; every Atlantis fan already knows that this is Beckett's last and worst episode. The very event that dooms him is something that, with proper actions, he could have avoided! Naturally, the Ancients caused the problems here, as usual. Beckett's search for someone to go fishing with him, though, is an entertaining little piece that becomes bittersweet in the end.

Submersion--4 of 10--An underwater drilling platform is discovered near Atlantis and, while exploring it, the team is attacked by a Wraith queen. This is, quite frankly, a ludicrous episode--the queen, although not having fed for centuries, manages to swim near the seafloor under enormous water pressures. In the meantime, Teyla feebly lets herself fall into a very bad situation, unlike the warrior woman she's supposed to be. Those two points make the episode extremely weak.

Vengeance--4 of 10--Michael returns, this time experimenting with humans and Iratus bugs (the genesis of the Wraith). Since Michael is unsurprisingly a very gifted scientist, we in the audience can see it all coming. The people that he chooses for his experiment decided, for no apparent reason, to build their small and simple settlement upon a vast network of creepy abandoned tunnels. To top it all off, Sheppard has a chance to capture Michael and instead passes right by him. The only remotely good part of this episode is Ronon, who--when Sheppard tells him not to kill Michael--retorts by saying something to the effect of "No! He's caused enough trouble already, and I'm going to kill him this time."

First Strike--5 of 10--The enemies from `Progeny' return, with a weapon designed to destroy Atlantis. This episode is crammed full of mistakes--Dr. Weir insists on using diplomacy when it's obvious that it won't work; the Apollo, a new Earth ship, arrives with a mission that does nothing but inflame the situation; Atlantis does quite a few things in an effort to escape from its pursuer, all of which simply serve to make things harder; etc. etc. I, for one, have no idea how anything will be resolved in the beginning of season 4.

After 2 seasons of plodding along, Atlantis really picks up for its 3rd season.

Characters start to feel more fleshed out, with developments in their lifes and not feeling like the cardboard cut outs of the previous 2 seasons.


I wont give away any of the plots etc but there are a good couple of running b plots that show up every now and then, something season one and two had a lack of.

IN short, if you had given up on atlantis, season 3 is worth watching as it almost feels like its started again afresh.