I love Stargate as much as the next guy, and that's why I'm honest when they mess up. This should have been a two-part episode, with several preceding episodes to lead up to it.
For example:
The wraith figuring out how to make a super hive by integrating a ZPM should have been its own episode.
Atlantis sending a team to recover additional ZPMs based on Todd's intel should have been its own episode.
Atlantis testing and implementing the "wormhole drive" should have been its own episode.
Once all of that excess info was extracted and the show was given an hour and a half finale, there would be plenty of time in the episode for a couple good ship battles between the hive and Earth's various warships, and ultimately a realistic final battle between Atlantis and the hive, rather than Atlantis just suddenly having the ability to travel across the universe with barely any risk and a single nuke destroying the ship instantly.
(Not to mention I really think we should have gotten a bit more closure on Ford. It would have been really nice to team up with him in the finale, with him either finally getting off the Wraith enzyme or dying, as a nice bookend to his story.
On top of that, there was no time at the end for necessary closure for any of the characters. Realistically, we should have seen Teyla go back to be with Kanaan and Torren among her people. Most everyone else would likely remain on Atlantis, but more time would have given more time for Rodney/Jennifer to talk about their future, Sheppard to get another well-deserved promotion, and a handful of other ways to wrap up the show.
For example:
The wraith figuring out how to make a super hive by integrating a ZPM should have been its own episode.
Atlantis sending a team to recover additional ZPMs based on Todd's intel should have been its own episode.
Atlantis testing and implementing the "wormhole drive" should have been its own episode.
Once all of that excess info was extracted and the show was given an hour and a half finale, there would be plenty of time in the episode for a couple good ship battles between the hive and Earth's various warships, and ultimately a realistic final battle between Atlantis and the hive, rather than Atlantis just suddenly having the ability to travel across the universe with barely any risk and a single nuke destroying the ship instantly.
(Not to mention I really think we should have gotten a bit more closure on Ford. It would have been really nice to team up with him in the finale, with him either finally getting off the Wraith enzyme or dying, as a nice bookend to his story.
On top of that, there was no time at the end for necessary closure for any of the characters. Realistically, we should have seen Teyla go back to be with Kanaan and Torren among her people. Most everyone else would likely remain on Atlantis, but more time would have given more time for Rodney/Jennifer to talk about their future, Sheppard to get another well-deserved promotion, and a handful of other ways to wrap up the show.