Rodney (David Hewlett) needs help with the database research and Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) returns with info on Janus which may lead them to his secret lab on Atlantis where he conducted research. It's on "an isle of solitude within the city walls." He thinks it's probably in one of the hallways.
Woolsey (Richard Picardo) has to meet Todd (Christopher Heyerdahl) and his Hive for a negotiation and Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) wants to attend too, but Sheppard is his second in command and must remain here. Woolsey: "Try not to blow her up while I'm gone." Sheppard: "No promises." Hey I was a bit slow on the uptake but this is what happened whilst Woolsey is away!
Jennifer (Jewel Staite) must also go and for this reason Ronon (Jason Momoa) tags along as he doesn't trust the Wraith.
Daniel ponders the possibility of a remote location for the lab and notices the missing sconces from the wall which fell when Atlantis was flooded. The sconces made a different tone when touched. Daniel believes it's a puzzle and they must be activated in order. Rodney has a go at pushing the wall and Daniel falls though. The sconces were akin to a controlled harmonic magnetic resonance but better. The lab is discovered and a red light activates, sending a signal to another device on a distant planet.
Woolsey has a speech all prepared as the day deserves some recognition, cos the Wraith are big on speeches, as long as they can devour the host afterwards. Ha.
Sheppard is impressed with the wall and wonders what would happen if you're in the middle of the wall and the sound goes off. Rodney can't wait to answer that the wall would break your body. He found that amusing too. Sheppard thinks he and Daniel make a good team but neither one agrees. Rodney comments Sheppard could have been in MENSA and they both laugh. Yeah it's great making fun of the guy who'll save your butts!
The Daedalus meets Todd who ignores the speech. He doubts the plan will be effective and wants to drop the pleasantries to work. Daniel posits everything is a competition with Rodney who didn't believe Daniel would find anything. Daniel was ridiculed for his theories which turned out to be true, as was Rodney. Yet none of them signed on to be famous. Daniel jokes he did it for the money, which prompts Rodney to ask how much he earns, knew that was coming.
A hyperspace window opens and a ship approaches Atlantis, penetrating the shield. Amelia (Sharon Taylor) comments Ancient ships have the ability to do just that. Three aliens in spacesuits fly and enter the city, stealing the device with the red light, as as well as abducting Daniel and Rodney. One alien is shot and is left behind.
Zelenka (David Nykl) analyzes the suited DB under the medical scanner as it reacted to Rodney's ATA gene. Sheppard and Rodney, wherever he is now, explain what happened in different ways which was funny since Rodney's would be more scientifically biased. Rodney needs to think of something. He always does, but not when it comes to an escape plan. Zelenka finds an EM field is disrupting the scanner. Sheppard believes they've made first contact and he should cut the suit open. A light activates on the suit and explodes.
Jennifer talks of the data showing the treatment will work and asks if Todd wants it too. It's for all their benefit as the Wraith rely on humans to feed. Jennifer thinks, rather naively, the human/Wraith war is over. Todd asks what they would then become. The suited aliens want the device to work and Rodney thinks they're probably in another secret Janus lab. Rodney takes over once again, as is in his nature, ha.
Zelenka is having problems dumbing down the math to explain to Sheppard what's happening. Rodney thinsk it's an endgame machine spelling the end of the Wraith once and for all. Each race has different hyperdrives and if the device works safely then the Wraith hyperdrives and ships will be ripped apart. Daniel knows there must be a catch as it can't be that simple. Rodney refers to it as unforeseen side-effects. Last time they were in such a position they destroyed the solar system. Daniel suggests they reason with them. They are given one hour or Daniel will be killed. Daniel wonders why they wear suits and does it protect them. That's the key to figuring out who they are. Well since Daniel came up with that theory you can bet it's someone/something he's encountered before. A bit of a clue really. Trust Daniel to think of that.
There's no gate on the planet to get near the Daedalus with a jumper. Daniel tells Rodney not to do this as they have a choice. The device works and has side-effects. Todd receives a message from his Hive. They are under attack by a rival Hive and the ship exploded when it went into hyperspace. Todd realizes the Attero device has been found. Ronon sees Wraith on board. Rodney locates the log entry for the side-effects affecting the Galaxy and Atlantis. Would the aliens really say, "step away from the device?"
Zelenka recods a power spike from the event horizon and the gate can't be closed, which could result in an explosion if the power builds up. The shield is collapsed around the gate and the blast mustn't be looked at. Zelenka can block off the radiation and the gate explodes with Sheppard and Zelenka still there.
Great to see a well-loved character in Daniel back on our screens and in the show just to give him and Rodney a chance to play off each other. Okay, well that's one reason and to provide some eye candy for the rest of us shallow lot as Sheppard isn't enough! Daniel was missed (as was Michael) and here there's planty covered to sink your teeth into. Not least of which is Rodney's ever-present rivalry and Daniel was right when he said everything's a competition to him.
Ronon with Jennifer and he still hasn't won her over yet but we know she's more interested in Rodney. As for the first contact with aliens, who turned out to be - oh wait; it's not revealed in this part, I pre-empted myself. What I wanted to say was that with Daniel here we should have an inkling towards who was really under the suit. But alas I was just enjoying the journey with Daniel around and got carried away. At least he was brought back seeing as this was the final season. A shame since Stargate: Atlantis could have gone for at least ten seasons like its sister show.
The Daniel/Rodney plot was more interesting than the Wraith plot about being given the new treatment to stop them feeding on humans. Clearly the two were tied in together, with Todd thinking he's been double crossed when the ships explode. Yet this isn't the only far-reaching consequences of the device.
Luckily Sheppard was on hand at Atlantis to help out and Ronon was on the Daedalus. The cliff-hanger wasn't much since Sheppard is a lead character so nothing could happen to him or to Zelenka, since he was needed around to help too as Rodney wasn't. It made for some thrilling action once again as Sheppard takes charge and bears the brunt of the exploding gate. This being a clue as to what was happening all over the Pegasus Galaxy with the use of the device, unbeknown to Rodney and Daniel.
Chuck (Chuck Campbell) reads 'The Martian General's Daughter' by Theodore Judson and Dusty (Janina Gavankar) was also reading this in 5.7 Whispers. The city was flooded by the hurricane in season 1 episodes The Storm and The Eye.
Michael Shanks in an interview with The Ledger spoke of "the most cryptic and enigmatic pitch of the story I've ever heard...'You go to Atlantis and something happens and Daniel has to help everybody to get rid of the bad guys that are coming'...Stargate is like old home. It's always nice to be able to revisit that universe and those individuals and to play that character again."
No comments:
Post a Comment