While the team searches for a ZPM off-world, Elizabeth and Zelenka deal with a Wraith dart nearing Atlantis.
Last time on Stargate Atlantis: The Elizabeth of an alternate timeline took the long way to the present.
On the Search
In a stone structure, beige-clad priests running from the Wraith ‘beams’. One hooded guy grabs a brown bag; he and another man have sealed a chamber and it turns out that they’re only ones left in the brotherhood. Frazzled, they start to head for the courtyard where Wraith darts are flying overhead. They get beamed up and there’s a quick time lapse to show the structure falling into ruin.
Rodney is pleased to be researching with a brunette woman in purple, whose name is Allina. John, Ford, and Teyla are in good spirits at a nearby table. Rodney comes over to tell them to be more serious as he exposits about how they’re supposed to be searching for ZPMs. His stress quiets the others.
There’s an establishing shot of Atlantis being gorgeous as usual. In the conference room, Rodney is speaking with Elizabeth about the Sudarian society. John is seated nearby, his arms crossed. It turns out that they have a lost valued object, the Potentia, which they didn’t know how to use. Rodney does a bit more exposition about how, based off an old image, it seems to be a ZPM that they were gifted by the Ancients with for safe-keeping way back when.
In the underground Genii base, there is a guy pulling on a shirt… and he has a healed-over wound on one shoulder. Another brown-haired guy comes over to check on the living Kolya, who now has some scruff. Two younger still-shirtless guys head off. The other guy, Pranos, reports to Kolya about how their spies have been watching the Atlantean teams from a distance. Chief Cowen has other priorities and wouldn’t send Kolya after whatever Sheppard’s team is up to anyway. Kolya is upset as he wants payback.
Zelenka is annoyed with a younger man at the main control console. The TV Tropes recap page revealed that this other guy is Chuck and will go to be a reoccurring character as well. There is a flash of light on the big screen and Zelenka grips in Czech (which the commentary translates to him being meta). However, whatever he sees on the big screen makes him stressed.
In a hallway, he has told Elizabeth that they have “deep space sensors” and he’s concerned about why they suddenly came to the forefront. She ends up having to shoo him off when he lingers- nicely, but she does so.
Allina exposits about how they were fifteen Brotherhood members in the past. Another brunette, Sanir, is nearby. Nine stone markers must be united to show the hiding spot, but they only have three so far. John looks them over and thinks they show “an Ancient numbering system”. Rodney is impressed with Allina, making John annoyed. Allina does more exposition, leading Rodney to have an idea so they both do exposition now. Getting out a map, Rodney learns the stones’ placements from Allina so he can mark the spots with a marker. It turns out that it’s the start of a grid. John opts for them to split up to find the rest of the stones.
Kolya and two other Genii men are trekking in the woods. Pranos is on ‘our’ right, but Kolya’s left. His plan is to let them find the stuff and then they’ll take it from them. As seen above, Kolya looks the part of a well-intentioned extremist rather than the soldier he was in the previous two-parter.
Sanir and Allina have a quick conversation about the Potentia and whether or not they should give it to these strangers from ‘the city of the ancestors’. They and Rodney do a dig at a spot. Elsewhere, Teyla, John, and Ford dig as well. There is a quick montage of finding various boxes containing more stone markers.
Later, they have all gathered in the dark monastery. Allina exposits on an old map on the wall and attempts to flirt with Rodney, but it flies over his head. She suggests that they could repair the map together, leading Rodney to tell her that she can call him by name instead of saying ‘doctor’. He’s exhausted from the dig. When Allina asks about growing up in Atlantis, Rodney corrects her about how they’re originally from Earth. Unwittingly, he has just caused the episode’s end but he’s too exhausted to notice much. Allina tells him to go get some sleep.
Rodney heads past his teammates. John is snarky, leading Ford to spell out to Rodney that Allina has a crush on him. Teyla and John are both amused by this. In the background, Allina and Sanir are having a conversation of their own. Rodney is confused on what to do, so John suggests he rest up before doing anything.
Delving Deep
The next day, outside, Rodney and Allina have pieced together the order of the eight stones they now have. The central stone is still missing. Awkwardly Rodney rambles. John comes over to be annoyed about the lack of progress. Just then, Ford finds something. They’ve found a large stone ‘cap’ under the dirt. It’s from the Brotherhood and there are Ancient writings on it. Rodney translates that it’s a warning that only the Brotherhood should enter the “forbidden chamber”.
They set up a rig of sorts to shift the large stone out of the way. Ford drops some activated glowsticks into the drop and they can now see the bottom. Everybody is uneasy, so Rodney suggests that Sheppard ought to go first.
Kolya and his two guys are spying on the group with a telescope. More Genii soldiers are in the background.
Sanir is lighting candles down in the chamber as Rodney is being lowered down. Ford is still up top and decides to stay there to be on guard. The group looks around the space uneasily. Allina and Rodney start to piece together things. Rodney puts his hands on the two ‘hand slots’ on either side of a pedestal to no effect.
It’s sunset at Atlantis. Elizabeth is on the balcony of friendship when Zelenka finds her. They head back into the main area for exposition: a potentially modified Wraith dart is heading towards Atlantis and will be here in less than a half-hour.
Ford gets hit in the neck by a dart and collapses after a few moments.
Down below, the others try to theorize that it’s a six-way Gate address. Allina and Rodney don’t recognize where it could be. Right now, they suspect the ninth stone is on another planet.
Six Genii soldiers are approaching the spot, but Ford turns out to be conscious and takes out a few guys and ends up using another as a human shield. The others below heard the shots to their worry.
John points his gun upward. The ‘human shield’ elbows Ford in the face, evidently knocking him out for real. Kolya speaks up and John is not okay to learn of his survival. When Kolya comes into view, the two men snark at each other. Rodney is visibly stressed out. It turns out that the Daganians told the Genii that the Atlanteans are searching for a ZPM.
Allina ends up slapping Sanir for telling the Genii about the ZPM. John claims that ZPMs would only work on Atlantis, but Kolya understandably rather hear that from a Genii scientist. And to be more exact, ZPMs are compatible with Ancient technology but I suppose finding a way to create Genii-Ancient hybrid technology isn’t impossible as Earth-Ancient hybrid technology exists.
Teyla spells out that they don’t have the ninth stone yet, leading Kolya to be snarky. Rodney voices his theory so Kolya ‘asks’ after Rodney’s arm. Coming into view, Rodney is prickly and it turns out that Rodney has a plan to ‘help’ the Genii. John doesn’t like it, but evidently doesn’t have a better one.
Kolya has conditions and gives his word. John is skeptical about how trustworthy he is but Rodney knows that they don’t have a choice.
Into the Open Air
Elizabeth and Zelenka are frazzled, as on top of everything else Sheppard’s team is off-radio. The latter wonders who’ll drive the third puddle jumper. The camera cuts to Bates and Carson Beckett in a puddle jumper. The Scotsman frets, “I can barely make it to the mainland and back without crashin’. For the last time, I’m a doctor, not a bloody fighter pilot.”
A stressed Bates snaps right back at him. Carson is anxious but does start up the puddle jumper, which rises up the ‘tunnel’ to the sky. Elizabeth, in the control area, states, “Good luck, Carson.”
“Thanks, I’ll need it.”
Over on the planet, Rodney is trying to start up the Gate. Allina is there. Kolya’s friend has Rodney at gunpoint. Kolya tries to get Rodney to get going, leading Rodney to exposit and show off the map. Suddenly Allina has an idea.
Elizabeth and Zelenka are stressed out. The three puddle jumpers are leaving Atlantis.
Bates asks Carson, “You ready?”
“No, I’m not ready.”
“You’re gonna do fine.”
“Is ‘fine’ gonna be good enough?”
A Wraith dart is incoming, and soon takes out the puddle jumper that Markham and Smith were in so it can continue towards Atlantis.
Allina and Rodney are back at the map in the monastery and she does exposition. Kolya is standing nearby. Pranos has his gun out still but seems interested in what they’re saying, while Kolya is growing impatient.
The other two puddle jumpers are pursuing the Wraith dart in the city. Bates and Carson are uneasy as the Wraith dart is scanning the city.
Rodney has set up a laser device as they try figuring out where the last stone must be. It seems to be a large area to search but then Rodney gets out another laser device to narrow it down. Rodney and Allina continue expositing.
The Wraith dart takes off upward. Carson remains stressed and then the Wraith dart self-destructs. Bates is relieved but Carson is still stressed out. Elizabeth tells them to head back to the city.
When Rodney asks for a knife, the two Genii men are silent and still. Rodney points out, “You all have guns. Someone give me a knife.”
He snaps his fingers and holds out that hand. Thankfully, Kolya seems largely amused and the other guy gives Rodney a knife. Allina is afraid when Rodney nears the map… but Rodney has figured out that the ninth stone is behind the map.
Cutting open a narrow strip, Rodney pulls out the ninth stone. Kolya is pleased by this progress.
John is stressed down in the chamber, while Ford is drowsy and Teyla is alert (she turns out have a hidden knife although the Genii guys took their weaponry and radios). Suddenly I’m vaguely reminded that Ronon will similarly have a lot of weapons on him at least once. It’s an old gag, but it’s always amusing to me. Ford has a few “flash-bangs” so John has an idea.
There are three Genii guys at the entrance to the underground chamber. As they head back towards there, Rodney asks Kolya about if they want Sora back. Kolya shrugs it off as the Genii don’t make deals with “terrorists”. Rodney is affronted and stressed while Kolya is stubborn and cynical.
Underground
Atlantis is deceptively serene. In the control area, Elizabeth is getting information from Bates and Carson; there is another guy nearby. Zelenka realizes that the Wraith dart was a “scout” and that it did send information back to the Wraith. As he keeps expositing, the others grow uneasy.
John, Teyla, and Ford have their hands on the back of their heads in the chamber. Rodney, Allina, the guy, and Kolya have gathered around the pedestal. Kolya thinks Rodney suspecting that it’s too easy to just go ‘one to nine’ in the order means he’s just stalling so he tells his friend to take over handling it as the other guys come down. Pranos puts the stone down and puts his hands down- poisoned thingies rise up briefly, causing him to collapse.
Kolya checks and realizes he’s dead. Rodney insists that he did try to warn them that it was more complicated than that but Kolya overruled him. Not arguing the point, Kolya decides that Rodney has a few tries to get it right… with John going first.
John and Rodney are understandably stressed out, while Kolya is growing annoyed. Rodney apologizes and John is irritated. Ford and Teyla are watching on nervously. John has a realization that this is a 3 by 3 grid, so they can put the numbered stones in an order so every row and column adds up to 15. He knows about this due to having taken a Mensa test; this tidbit distracts and astonishes Rodney.
Here’s a visual aid for you guys of what it looks like:
PIC OF VISUAL AID
Once they’ve set the order up, John uneasily puts his hands in the slots as Rodney watches on worriedly. The ZPM ‘pops’ out of its hiding spot. Kolya approaches the device. John looks over at Teyla and Ford, the latter triggering the mostly-buried flash-bang while the trio covers their ears and closes their eyes. John then takes on Kolya, Teyla uses her knife on a guy, and Ford takes on another guy. Neither Rodney nor Allina are okay.
Rodney manages to get ahold of the ZPM. They decide to leave the guys there and have villagers come get them in an hour. Kolya thinks that John should kill him. Aiming a Genii gun at him, John warns Kolya off from messing with him again.
As they head off back towards the Gate, John mentions that he passed the Mensa test. The locals end up surrounding the group as Allina wants to keep the ZPM for their society. She spells out to Rodney that the Brotherhood was somewhat reformed after the original one was all culled by the Wraith and she is the current “master handler”. John wants the ZPM to protect Atlantis. Allina now knows that they’re not the ancestors.
Rodney wants to keep Atlantis from falling to the Wraith. Allina takes the ZPM from his hands and she plans to hide the Potentia on another world. Firmly telling them that it’s time for them to go, she walks off. Rodney and John exchange stressed looks.
Later, as they head up the stairs between the Gate area and the control area, Elizabeth has been told by the quartet what happened to them. John is stunned to learn what happened to Atlantis while they were gone, particularly the deaths of Markham and Smith. Zelenka is in the area as Elizabeth admits that the Wraith dart scanned them. John is not happy to learn what happened in the over twelve hours that they were gone.
Rodney is more startled to learn that they have “deep space sensors”. Elizabeth and Zelenka have learned something else: that three Wraith ships are heading towards Atlantis and at this speed will arrive in less than two weeks.
Conclusion
This was a great episode, with the puzzle aspect taking on an actual plot thanks to the return of Kolya. It seems that he has a vendetta against Sheppard now- at times, he seems like a shadow archetype to the major. Both are brave, good with tactics, natural leaders, and are absolutely vicious when crossed. It seems like that too much time has passed since the Ancients left Atlantis for alternate Elizabeth’s note to have been much help as they haven’t found any ZPMs yet.
Martin Wood, Martin Gero, and David Hewlett do the commentary together. They confirm that the monastery set here was also used in “It’s Good to be King” and confirm that this is Chuck the Technician’s introduction. It’s spelled out that Pranos and Kolya are the only Genii involved with this mission, while the other guys are recruited locals. I’m vaguely amused that they consider this a stand-alone episode as it centers on the ongoing Atlantis-Genii and Atlantis-Wraith feuds, as well as the heroes’ ongoing search for ZPMs.
John’s talent with math has been seen before in “Rising” and “Home”, as acknowledged by the commentary. The fact that he passed a Mensa test but didn’t join the group just highlights that John, like Jack, downplays his intelligence.
I get where the natives are coming from, but I have a bad feeling about whether or not the Ancients would even care about them safeguarding the Potentia for all those millennia- that’s even after the huge if about them returning at all. At least the Atlantis team didn’t lie about why they wanted to find it; they seemed to have learned their lesson after “Childhood’s End” about deceiving the natives about ZPMs.
It was wonderful to see Zelenka and Carson yet again as I enjoy both characters greatly. It’ll be interesting to see when Chuck returns.
And yes, it’s vaguely amusing that the importance of the number fifteen happens in episode sixteen.
Next time on Stargate Atlantis: The expedition members make videos to send back to Earth.
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