Stargate Atlantis began it's 4th season with a pretty big bang. I made a point to watch it live (although I recorded it as well) which is something I rarely do anymore. Appointment TV is a thing of the past for me since the invention of the DVR but this was a premiere I was really looking forward to. The show did not disappoint.

I'm most impressed with the direction the writers are taking to write Elizabeth Weir out of the show. Hopefully the arc won't end with her dying because the situation they've created with her just seems ripe with possibilities for additional stories in season 5 (which hopefully the show will get). I'm also a big fan of Carter so I'm thrilled to see her crossing over to Atlantis. I can't wait till next week when she'll have more to do.

The sequence that impressed me most was the jump Sheppard and Zelenka had to take. The 360 the camera did as they crossed the chasm was some of the best CGI I've seen on TV in a long time. I also enjoyed the Asteroids bit and the chance to see some of the background characters getting their moment in the sun.

The episode was an absolute blast. Regardless of whether or not you like sci-fi... the show offered up moral and ethical dilemmas and huge action sequences. There was plenty of drama and lots of touching moments. The episode had something for everyone.

I also had the chance to catch Ghost Whisperer, Moonlight, and the premiere of Numbers last night. Ghost Whisperer continues to be an hour of enjoyable television but it's not something I kick myself over if I miss. Numbers was fun with motion picture director Tony Scott at the helm. You could tell the show was faster paced than usual and Val Kilmer was a nice touch as the baddie. Moonlight, however... yikes. I wanted to like this show. Really I did. But the opening sequence was inane. The voice over drove me nuts and I cared nothing for the female lead. There were a few moments of promise but not enough to get me to record this one again. Maybe once the behind the scene stuff evens out so will the show - if it lives that long.

I also caught up with Grey's Anatomy and CSI. Both were pretty good first eppies for the season but CSI gets the edge. They really put the Sara Sidle character through the ringer. Harrowing stuff. I'm mildly claustrophobic so the scene with Sara trapped under the car with a flash flood raging around her gave me the willies. I hope Jojora Fox got paid well for that. Not to mention that the character got tasered, jumped out of a moving car, and wandered through 110 degree heat in the desert after managing to free herself from the car. I'll remember all that the next time I have a bad day. Kinda puts things in perspective... On a side note - I was surprised at how much I hated to see Louise Lombard's character reduced to recurring. I guess I liked her more than I thought. I know she had a pilot over at ABC but I don't think it got picked up. Maybe she'll be back to opening credit status before the season's over.

In contrast, the lighter touch seemed to be back on Grey's after last season's heavy and often depressing episodes. I do, however, want to smack Meredith for ignoring her sister. I thought I was going to hate the Lexi character but I wound up really liking her. I think she will be fun to watch. Especially in her scenes with George. I was also worried about all the new interns coming in but I found them to be refreshing for the most part.

Finally - I tried to watch the pilot for K-Ville and just couldn't do it. I was pretty bored from the get go. I do applaud them for shooting on location in New Orleans. The backdrop of the city is intriguing enough but once you toss in the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina you should have a recipe for awesome drama. I'm just not feeling the love, though. I'll wish this one the best, however - for the city's sake.