Childhood's End (Stargate Atlantis episode)

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Stargate Atlantis episode
“Childhood's End”
cast photo
Original Air Date	August 13, 2004
Season	1
Episode #	6
Production #	1.06
Writer(s)	Martin Gero
Director	David Winning
Guest star(s)	Courtenay J. Stevens Dominic Zamprogna
Episode Order
Previous	Next
"Suspicion"	"Poisoning the Well"

Childhood's End is episode 6 of the first season of Stargate Atlantis. The episode first aired on August 13, 2004. Its first syndicated airing was on October 24, 2005. This episode was written by Martin Gero. It was directed by David Winning.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

Plot

While surveying an unexplored planet, (M7G-677) with his team, John Sheppard detects a power source coming from the planet which doesn't appear to be technologically developed. When they try to investigate, the Puddle Jumper loses power and crashes. McKay quickly determines that the disturbance is an electromagnetic field which renders all technology inoperable.

They attempt to determine the location of the field's power source among ancient ruins and are attacked by a tribe of children armed with bows and arrows. The children take them to see the village elders whom, to their surprise, are not elderly but in their twenties. They are the oldest of their people. Their leader, Keras, is twenty-four and approaching his twenty-fifth birthday. On that day he will kill himself as tradition dictates. The tradition was enacted several generations before as a means of protecting themselves from the Wraith and it appears to have worked. The Wraith have not visited the planet since the ritual suicides began.

McKay realizes however, that the Wraith have likely not returned due to the electromagnetic field rendering their technology inoperable. McKay, accompanied by two very young members of the tribe, returns to the ruins to find the device powering the field. He disables the device, and finds a ZPM at its source. With the field disabled, he is able to communicate with Sheppard, requesting that he be allowed to return to Atlantis to study the device. Teyla opposes the device’s removal as it is the only thing protecting the people from the Wraith.

McKay returns to Atlantis where Dr. Weir chides him for having removed the device. He learns that the ZPM is not full and useless to Atlantis as its ability to power the field is enhanced by the planet's electromagnetic field. It also protects a limited area, thus explaining the suicide pact which keeps the population low enough to stay within the protected area. Weir orders McKay to return the device.

On the planet, Keras is preparing for his ceremony when Sheppard notices that a Wraith subspace transmitter on a shrine with a dead Wraith body is glowing, indicating it is currently active. He destroys it but knows the signal has been sent and the Wraith will soon arrive. McKay tries to replace the device but is unable to reactivate it. Teyla and Ford advise him to hurry as the device protects the planet from the coming Wraith.

Keras' second in command, Ares demands that Sheppard and his team leave so that the ceremony can be completed. Keras offers to accompany them back to the Stargate before his ceremony. Ares sends out a hunting party to make sure none of them remain. Sheppard tries to buy time with Keras as McKay tries to fix the device.

As Ares' hunting party arrives to make sure they leave, a Wraith probe appears and scans the area and the puddle jumper. Ares believes that Sheppard and his team are responsible for the return of the Wraith. He sends Neleus and two others to retrieve McKay.

They find McKay in the city with the device as the Wraith probe approaches. McKay manages to activate the device and the probe is disabled, convincing Neleus and the others that it is in fact the shield that protects them and not the suicide pact. Ares becomes impatient with Sheppard and attempts to shoot him, but Keras defends him and is struck by the arrow meant for Sheppard. Neleus and the others return to with McKay and inform Ares about the device.

Sheppard uses the puddle jumpers medical kit to help Keras. McKay informs them all, that he has managed to expand the shield's range by 50 percent allowing the population to expand comfortably, eliminating the need for the suicides.

Previous Episode: "Suspicion"

Next Episode: "Poisoning the Well"