Letters from Pegasus

Season 1, Episode 17, Aired
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Episode Summary

With a brief opportunity to send a data transmission to Earth, members of the Atlantis expedition compose video messages home to their loved ones. Meanwhile, Sheppard and Teyla use the Stargate to take a Jumper to do some reconnaissance on the approaching Wraith fleet.
8.7
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Fan Episode Reviews (13)

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  • Engaging the viewer emotionally

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By JesperBoesen, Dec 01, 2011 Report Abuse
    I have to be honest and say that actually I didn't give much for the characters of Shepard, Weir, Ford and Teyla. It's up to ones tastes though. And I really don't like flashback episodes. Maybe it's the hard cuts from high action scenes to quiet emotional scenes?
    The other characters even the supporting ones are right up my alley though.
    I was thinking about giving this episode a lower score BUT there, in the words of Mckay, IS gold in there.
    It's the little things. Selenkas retelling of the wonder of their expedition. Weirs letters to the families of lost members. Mckays short, but to the point, message to his sister. These few golden moments, which moved me, lifts the entire episode to a solid 9.moreless

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    9.0
    "Superb"
    By TrueTvWatcher, Sep 23, 2010 Report Abuse
    This episode was heavy with character development. It was very interesting to see the different characters sending messages to their families, or in the case of some to stargate command on earth. We got to see the regular faces as well as some new characters, or people from the background. It was neat to see how each person said what they needed too, and how different cultures have different expectations to live up to, in the case of the asian scientist who told her family she works for a great, honorable scientist, aka McKay, haha. The Wraith were culling a world, and Sheppard along with Teyla were doing some recon and saving a family close to Teyla. The Wraith force is overwhelming and the future certainly looks uncertain. The family along with others were saved. There was a strange beam of light or energy seemingly emminating from the planet, so hope we find out what it was!moreless

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  • Here is a clip episode that is not just a clip episode, but becomes a really great episode of the first season.

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By sparkplugloy, Sep 20, 2010 Report Abuse
    The episode has a double storyline. One follows Sheppard and Teyla scouting the arrival of the Wraith on a planet and finding themselves being the powerless witnesses of an atrocious attack, although, due to their number and duty to come back to Atlantis to warn those still on the base of the number of spaceshifts, cruisers, darths, etc, coming, they can not intervene. Yet, they manage to save some refugees.

    Sheppard's sudden unwillingless to do it at all cost is finally not useful, but is interesting
    to consider. Usually, he is the one who wants to save the people at all cost, but this time,
    not only is the future of the planet that stake, but also the entire's galaxy, and maybe Earth.

    Back on Atlantis, they decide to send a SOS to Earth. Sending a 1.3 second message to Earth
    will use lots of energy, but they really need to do it. As the required information takes only 0.3
    second, they decide to let the scientists, engineers, enlisted and officers send a video to their loved ones. Through clips of the previous episodes, each of them send a personal message - taking into account security clearance - which is a good character development. Some messages are touching, others are funny.

    Overall, this is a good clip episode, because it has a purpose beside lowering the budget. It adds
    to the suspense until the last episode and the arrival of the Wraith, and allows the viewer to learn more about the characters.
    moreless

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  • This was a good episode with the team finding a way to send a message to SGC.

    7.8
    "Good"
    By Ross_99, Sep 20, 2010 Report Abuse
    The team thinks of ideas with the impending Wraith attack. Dr McKay says about his idea to send a data burst that will last 1.5 seconds but can include teribytes of data and the wormhole will be able to connect for long enough to be able to send the message to let SGC no what is going on and hopefully be able to send help. All in all an episode that was vital to the rest of the season.moreless

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  • Humor humor humor.....yes, that is a MUST in every sci-fi show and this episode is a great example. The brilliant David Hewlett just cracks you up :D

    10
    "Perfect"
    By dimjim, Sep 20, 2010 Report Abuse
    I've seen every episode of the Star Treks: TNG, Voyager, DS9, Enterprise pluss Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, StarGate SG1 and Atlantis. And I must say, that the episodes I find most envigorating are the ones with a humoristic appeal. Letters from Pegasus is just that. Sci-fi and comedy mixed into one great package. The good scottish doctor, Carson Beckett (Paul McGillion) and Doctor Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) make up the larger portion of the excellent comedy featured in this great sci-fi series. This one is so far my favourite episode amongst these highly addictive, greatly entertaining television broadcasts and gets the highest possible score.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • Here is the translation of Zelenka's video message: There is a "failsafe" mechanism on the ocean floor. With big power it ripped off the anchor of town from the bottom of ocean. We were ... we were afraid ... were ... were ... we were afraid. Unbelievable. What is happening, and that noise. The whole city was trembling as if it was an earthquake. That was something unbelievable. And suddenly we were moving. All the city was ascending, ascending up, up to the surface. That, that was something unbelievable. And the towers punched through the surface of water and we were going up, up. Waters, waves, waterfalls. All that water was falling down from that heights and we were shot up, absolutely on the top, and suddenly sun. Sun was simply shining to all windows. I will remember it to my death. Take care, darling. Edit
    • Goof: Considering all the precautions taken with security clearance a number of mistakes are made. The highly classified naquadah generator is clearly visible behind Dr. Zelenka and numerous members of the team have "Atlantis" clearly visible on the shoulder of their jackets in their personal messages. Edit
    • During the Wraith culling, one of the ships drops a beacon that fires a large blue beam skyward. Sgt. Bates refers to the same thing happening on the Alpha Site in the next episode, "The Gift". The purpose of this beam is not stated in either episode and has not been used since. Edit

  • Notes

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  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • McKay: My sister. Ford, if you cut everything else, just, um, keep this part, OK? Jeannie? This is your brother, Rodney ... obviously! I wanna s-say, um ... I wanna say something. Uh ... family is important. I-I've come to realize that because the people here have become a sort of a ... kind of a surrogate family to me. Now, I know what you're thinking: I've never really been the poster child for that kind of sentiment but, uh, when ... when one's contemplating ones own demise, one tends to see things more clearly. I really do wish you the best, you know, and I'm sorry we weren't closer. Perhaps, um ... if by chance I make it out of this, perhaps one day we can be, and I would like that. Edit
    • Ford: You talked for an hour? McKay: You see, I found it rather therapeutic, actually. Now, I'm fairly confident I've come up with several valuable insights -- in fact, I'm sure of it -- but, uh, I've only slept six hours in the last few days, so, um ... Ford: Who's it for? McKay: Humanity in general; my sister ... Look, I don't expect you to cut it down to just a few minutes. I mean, there is gold in here -- so just make sure mine's last and that way, if it gets cut off, fine, but if the Gate holds the connection a few extra milliseconds, then we won't have wasted the time. Edit
    • Zelenka: (long speech in Czech, with hand motions, obviously describing the rising of Atlantis from the ocean floor) Ford: You didn't say anything that would require security clearance, did you? Zelenka: Security clearance? Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Title: The title of this episode was inspired by the 1987 PBS TV documentary Dear America: Letters from Vietnam. Edit
    • McKay: Always wanted to see Ghandi. Gandhi was based on the true story of the man of the same name. The title role was played by the British actor Ben Kingsley. Edit
    • McKay: Never saw Grease, even though I had a thing for Olivia Newton John when I was a kid. Grease was a phenomenally successful musical film which starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Edit

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