Stargate Atlantis

<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Stargate Atlantis
cast photo
Original Run	July 16, 2004 to present
No. of Episodes	60 (to date)
Genre(s)	Space Opera
Creator(s)	Brad Wright Robert C. Cooper
Exec. Producer(s)	Brad Wright Robert C. Cooper Joseph Mallozzi Paul Mullie
Starring	Joe Flanigan Torri Higginson David Hewlett Rachel Luttrell Jason Momoa Jewel Staite
Country of Origin	Canada United States
Original Channel	Sci Fi Channel

Cast

In the series' first season Torri Higginson portrayed expedition leader Elizabeth Weir. The main reconnaissance team was comprised of Major John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan), a pilot in the US Air Force; Lieutenant Aiden Ford (Rainbow Sun Francks) Doctor Rodney McKay (David Hewlett), a Canadian astrophysicist and Rachel Luttrell a Pegasus galaxy native, Teyla Emmagan. Rodney McKay previously appeared on Stargate SG-1 in the same role. Also appearing in the series was Paul McGillion as medical Dr. Carson Beckett. Mitch Pileggi played the recurring role of Colonel Steven Caldwell and David Nykl portrayed Czech scientist Radek Zelenka.

Rainbow Sun's role was reduced to recurring in the series' second season and his place on the team was taken by Pegasus Galaxy native, and former Runner, Ronon Dex (Jason Momoa). David Nykl took on a slightly more prominent recurring role in season 2.

In the series' third season, Paul McGillion's character Dr. Beckett was killed and he was replaced as expedition chief medical doctor by Jewel Staite in the role of Dr. Jennifer Keller. Staite's recurring role became a regular one in the series' fifth season. In the series' fourth season, Torri Higginson's role was reduced to recurring and Amanda Tapping took over her role as head of the expedition, reprising her SG-1 role as Col. Samantha Carter.

Having fulfilled her contract with the series, Tapping is slated to be replaced by Robert Picardo in the series' fifth season as head of the expedition reprising his role of Richard Woolsey. Picardo has played the role in several episodes of SG-1 and Atlantis. Tapping will appear in five episodes of season five. Also joining the cast in the fifth season is Leela Savasta who will portray the recurring role of Captain Alison Porter. Paul McGillion will also reprise his role as Dr. Carson Beckett.

Connection to Stargate SG-1

Atlantis picks up at the end of SG-1's seventh season. The shows do not run in parallell in terms of their timelines per episode but there have been several crossovers. Atlantis' connection to Earth is through Stargate Command where the IOA often relays orders through General Hank Landry, commander of the SGC.

Unlike Stargate Command, which is mainly under the control of the U.S. Military, the Atlantis expedition is overseen by the IOA which is a civilian organiztion that represents International interests. As such, Dr. Weir is accountable, not to the SGC, but the IOA. Military defense of Atlantis is, however, provided by the U.S. Military, and Major John Sheppard was made the Military Commander of the city following the death of Colonel Marshall Sumner.

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.

Episode Guide

Season 1

In season 1, Dr. Weir leads her team to Atlantis only to discover they lack the power to support the city. Their search for a Zero Point Module leads them to the planet Athos where they gain new friends in Teyla Emmagan and the Athosians but they awaken a terrible enemy, the Wraith. They discover several Pegasus Galaxy cultures all of whom have been greatly affected by the Wraith. They almost lose the city to the Genii and eventually battle the Wraith for the survival of Atlantis.

Season 2

In season 2, the expedition successfully thwart the Wraith with the help of the Daedalus. They lose one of their own, Aiden Ford, but gain a new ally in Ronon Dex. They find out more about the Ancients and ascension and discover two Ancient cities which, though damaged, prove an asset to Atlantis. Dr. Beckett begins to formulate a means to turn the Wraith from foe to friend but they soon realize their methods may have done them more harm than good.

Season 3

In season 3, the Wraith begin to make their way to Earth and to stop them, the Atlantis expedition must risk the Daedalus and the Orion. They almost lose everything but manage to stop the Wraith. The Genii return and Atlantis makes a new enemy, more dangerous than the Wraith in the Asurans.

When a living ship of Ancients returns to reclaim Atlantis, the expedition is evicted but soon return after the Asurans attack. Sheppard's team manages to oust the replicators but the threat doesn't end there. The Asurans begin building ships capable of reaching Earth and Eath plans a preemptive strike to take out their facilities. The Asurans strike back with an attack on Atlantis that forces the city to leave the planet and head into space.

Season 4

Season 4 picks up where season 3 leaves off with Atlantis in space and in danger of running out of air as the ZPM depletes. Dr. Weir is severely injured but recovers thanks to nanite technology. The team manages to steal a ZPM from the Replicators' homeworld but they are forced to leave Weir behind. They also manage to reactivate the Replicator code to destroy the Wraith. But while the replicators initially begin to wipe out the Wraith in direct combat, the expedition must face the consequences of their decision when the machines begin to wipe out human worlds in order to deprive the Wraith of their food source.

The Expedition is forced to once again make an alliance with the Wraith to destroy the replicators once and for all and ultimately succeed in destroying the machines and their homeworld.

In season 4 it is revealed that the Wraith defeated the Ancients by cloning their warriors using genetic material from their queens. The energy source to power their cloning facilities during the 100-year war was gained from Ancient ZPMs taken from Lantean war ships. They attempted a second cloning operation to replenish their numbers but the facility was destroyed by Sheppard's team.

Teyla Emmagan became pregnant and her people, and with them the father of her child, Kanaan, were mysteriously taken from their new homeworld. The perpetrator was later revealed to be Michael who took his experiments to a new level, using the Athosians to create human-wraith hybrids with the intention of eventually wiping out both Wraith and humans from the galaxy. To complete his task he intended to use Teyla and Kanaan's child to complete his plan and kidnapped her.

After an accidental trip to the future caused Sheppard to witness the consequences of failure to rescue Teyla, he and a reconnaissance team raided one of Michael's facility to find her but found themselves in a booby trapped facility that collapsed on them.

The fourth season was released on DVD on July 8, 2008.