Check out the individual Season 5 review here.
Season 5, Episode 1 – Aired: 7/11/2008 – Search and Rescue (2)
Colonel Carter attempts to lead a rescue mission to save several trapped Atlantis team members, unaware that Michael is closing in on their position with a heavy cruiser.
Much of this episode takes place in the rubble of Michael’s destroyed complex, where many of the Atlantis personnel are trapped in the ruins, including Sheppard, Ronon and McKay. But the action eventually leads aboard Michael’s ship where the team has to rescue Teyla and her newborn son. Hewlett shines as an exasperated McKay who has to deliver Teyla’s baby. It’s a solid episode, but probably the least of the season premieres.
Season 5, Episode 2 – Aired: 7/18/2008 – The Seed
After Dr. Keller removes Beckett from stasis, she gets infected with a dangerous entity that begins taking over Atlantis.
This is simply a bizarre episode where Keller gets infected by a Wraith hive ship of all things. Just weird.
Season 5, Episode 3 – Aired: 7/25/2008 – Broken Ties
Ronon is captured by his former friend Tyre, who plans to turn him over to the Wraith to get back in their good graces.
Good wrap up to the previous season’s storyline between Ronon and Tyre, as Ronon is betrayed by his friend and delivered to the Wraith, where Ronon is converted into a Wraith worshipper, and Tyre has tom detox from the enzyme in order to save his friend. You thought heroin detox was bad, you haven’t tripped on Wraith enzyme and then had to come off of it. Wow.
Season 5, Episode 4 – Aired: 8/1/2008 – The Daedalus Variations
Sheppard’s team finds the Earth ship Daedalus abandoned and without power.
This is a multiple realities episode where the team gets trapped on an alternate Daedalus that has been skipping dimensions. A new race of bad guys is introduced this episode, and I firmly believe, that if the show had continued for more seasons, they would have probably been the new bad guys as the Wraith had essentially been played out by then.
Season 5, Episode 5 – Aired: 8/15/2008 – Ghost in the Machine
When Sheppard and his team are about to return from an off world mission with their Puddle Jumper, the systems of the Jumper go crazy. Barely able to return to Atlantis, the Jumper seems to infect the city’s systems with what seems to be a computer virus.
Season 5, Episode 6 – Aired: 8/22/2008 – The Shrine
McKay begins to lose his memory after contracting the Pegasus version of Alzheimer’s called “Second Childhood.”
I’ve gone on about this episode in my previous review of Season 5. It’s one of the best of the entire series and features stellar work by Hewlett as McKay. Easily his best episode of the entire series run. Just a really heartfelt installment. Really enjoyed it. Key scene: Sheppard and McKay sharing beers on the Atlantis docks, knowing that Rodney is slipping away and he can’t be saved.
Season 5, Episode 7 – Aired: 9/5/2008 – Whispers
Sheppard and Beckett are terrorized by deadly creatures on a planet housing one of Michael’s research facilities.
If there was an episode that was like The Descent, this is it, as the team finds themselves on a planet with remnants from one of Michael’s experiments. The creatures hunt by sound and are blind.
Season 5, Episode 8 – Aired: 9/12/2008 – The Queen
Sheppard’s team accompanies Todd the Wraith on a mission to negotiate an alliance with another Hive with Teyla playing a key role when she’s surgically altered to be a Wraith Queen.
Season 5, Episode 9 – Aired: 9/19/2008 – Tracker
Keller is abducted on a trip off world to help a wraith-threatened village, and it’s up to Ronon and McKay to find her. However it soon emerges that her abductor is, in fact, a Runner.
Season 5, Episode 10 – Aired: 9/26/2008 – First Contact (1)
Daniel Jackson visits Atlantis to do some research on the Ancient scientist Janus.
Season 5, Episode 11 – Aired: 10/10/2008 – The Lost Tribe (2)
Sheppard must rescue McKay and Daniel Jackson from an Ancient laboratory that belonged to Janus before Todd, who has hijacked the Daedalus, gets there first.
These two episodes were a welcome return for Daniel Jackson to the series, and a major surprise for who the villains were. The plot basically involves the villains’ use of a device that negates Wraith hyperdrive technology, but has an explosive side effect regarding the Stargates. Good effect of a Stargate going boom in the Atlantis control tower and a space battle in the second episode. McKay and Daniel also have good interplay.
Season 5, Episode 12 – Aired: 10/17/2008 – Outsiders
When the Wraith discover that a small group of survivors of Michael’s release of the modified Hoffan drug are hiding among the population of a village on another planet, Sheppard and his team must convince the entire village to evacuate before a Hive Ship arrives.
Season 5, Episode 13 – Aired: 10/24/2008 – Inquisition
When Sheppard and his team are brought to trial by a Coalition of human worlds for what they claim are crimes against the people of the galaxy, it’s up to Woolsey’s legal expertise to clear their names.
Season 5, Episode 14 – Aired: 11/7/2008 – The Prodigal
Michael besieges Atlantis in an attempt to kidnap Teyla’s infant child.
Satisfying conclusion to Michael’s story arc, and a good Teyla-centric episode.
Season 5, Episode 15 – Aired: 11/14/2008 – Remnants
While exploring the mainland of Atlantis’ planet, Sheppard is captured by a foe believed to be long dead. Meanwhile, Woolsey’s job is at risk and he has an important decision to make and McKay and Zelenka make an interesting undersea discovery.
This was a rare clunker episode and featured masquerading aliens as an old foe.
Season 5, Episode 16 – Aired: 11/21/2008 – Brain Storm
McKay returns to Earth to witness the unveiling of his rival’s latest breakthrough.
Season 5, Episode 17 – Aired: 12/5/2008 – Infection
When a Wraith Hive Ship arrives in orbit above Atlantis and sends a distress message, Sheppard takes a team to investigate and discovers that the Wraith have been infected with a strange disease.
Season 5, Episode 18 – Aired: 12/12/2008 – Identity
A thief uses an Ancient transfer device to switch her consciousness with Dr. Keller. While she attempts to escape Atlantis, Dr. Keller must deal with the thief’s accomplices and angry villagers on her trail.
Season 5, Episode 19 – Aired: 1/2/2009 – Vegas
Detective John Sheppard investigates a series of unusual murders in Las Vegas.
Quite a departure for the series. This took place in the alternate reality that the alternate McKay was from in the “McKay and Mrs. Miller” episode. Actual location shooting in Vegas and a pretty good story, showing a burned out Sheppard as a cop tracking down a Wraith who’s on a bender in Vegas. Before he’s caught, the Wraith sends out a signal that has consequences for Atlantis in our reality.
Season 5, Episode 20 – Aired: 1/9/2009 – Enemy at the Gate
Todd informs Atlantis that a rogue Wraith has acquired several ZPMs to power a formidable new Hive ship. When the Daedalus engages it in battle but is unable to defeat it, the team gets a message indicating it is headed to Earth.
I rewatched this and enjoyed it just a bit more than before, although the shortfalls of things that we would have liked to see, like the Super Hive engaging the Apollo and Sun-Tzu in battle, plus the fabled wormhole drive that Atlantis uses to instantly get to Earth. Obviously those things were sacrificed due to budget or time or both, because Atlantis wasn’t in the habit of skimming on the effects. This was a satisfying ending to the show, which should have had at least one more season. If I didn’t like Stargate: Universe, I’d be a bit more perturbed that Atlantis was gone. I thought that the show got past the cast shakeups with Higginson, Tapping and finally Picardo. Having Atlantis back on Earth could have opened up an entire new avenue for storytelling. I hope they follow through on plans for an Atlantis movie.