What is your take on the cast ...

Question: What is your take on the cast changes on Stargate Atlantis? I'm personally pretty happy that SG-1's Amanda Tapping is making the trip to Atlantis. It seemed pretty inevitable: Someone was going to cross over after Torri Higginson's role was minimized. Anyway, as an objective party who's never been all that entrenched in the series, what is your opinion? Also, have you heard the theory that Higginson wanted out of her contract?
Answer: I honestly don't know the circumstances of this cast change, but churn like this is inevitable on just about any long-running show — although experience has told me that any time a major change happens on a cult sci-fi/fantasy series, there will be some outcry. (Remember the fuss when Michael Shanks left SG-1 for a season? I certainly do!) From where I sit, as a detached observer who never got deeply involved in either series (they're enjoyable but, to me, not habit-forming), this all makes perfect sense. I think of Worf migrating from Star Trek: The Next Generation to its spin-off Deep Space Nine after TNG went off the air. Enhancing the spin-off with a popular character from the mother ship is TV 101. Since it doesn't look like the overall Stargate franchise is going away anytime soon, this should also serve to appease SG-1 fans who wished that show could've last forever.