This past week, we learned that Stargate Atlantis would come to an end at the conclusion of this fifth season. I can't say that I'm much surprised. The fourth season was generally sub par and the producers had been talking up a new Stargate series that they wanted to make, but not concurrently with Atlantis. The writing was on the wall and it finally happened. Atlantis cancelled (but to be continued in TV/DVD movie form) and a new series will start up next year. If this had happened last season, I wouldn't have cared much, but this new season shows some promise, so I think it will be sad to see Atlantis go.

I must admit that at the start of "The Shrine," I couldn't help but laugh. Anyone who saw Tropic Thunder can't help but chuckle at David Hewlett's portrayal of a mentally degenerative McKay. From that point, I thought I would really find this episode laughable, but it turned out not so bad, actually. The basic premise was that upon returning from a disastrous mission, McKay contracted a strange parasite in his brain. As this creature grows, it affects the memory of the host, a condition called Second Childhood by Pegasus Galaxy natives. McKay's sister Jeannie shows up to say goodbye, as everyone believes there is nothing that can be done. Not so, according to Ronon. He tells the story of a shrine that temporarily cured his grandfather from the same illness a long time ago. After some bickering, they arrive on the planet in question, avoiding the Wraith who are now set up there, and bring McKay to the shrine. Its radiation causes the parasite to shrink, briefly bringing back the old McKay. The gang tells him that they just wanted to say their goodbyes and that he will die shortly anyway, but McKay wants nothing to do with this. They realize that the radiation is hurting the parasite, so Dr. Keller attempts some field surgery to try and extract it. She sedates McKay and bores a hole in his head with a drill, after which the parasite tries escaping to get away from the radiation. Once out of his head, Ronon shoots the parasite and McKay is saved.

This Won't Hurt...But A Lot!

Like I said, I at first thought this was going to be the David Hewlett showcase episode, where he tries to show the viewers his acting range. However, that didn't last as much of the episode as I thought, mostly coming back via the videotape sessions he recorded to document his descent. McKay's memory loss resulted in a great scene that I wish we'd see more of, as when he and Sheppard share some beers overlooking the ocean. It's character moments like these that Atlantis has been missing for a while, especially between its two principle characters, who are honestly the only people worth watching on this show anymore.

Some things bothered me, though. Firstly, the rules of how stargates operate. Last week, they opened up a gate that led directly to space and they all were not sucked out from the vacuum. But then this week, they don't want to open the gate because they're afraid Atlantis would get flooded, since the other gate was underwater? Something doesn't make sense here. Next, I don't feel that the shrine was adequately explained. Did I miss something or do we not know how or why this thing was radiating something that shrinks that parasite? And last, I understand that they don't want to spend the money dressing up extras as Wraith, but the Wraith threat on the shrine's planet was somewhat laughable in their invisibility.

Despite these grumbles, the episode was pretty entertaining and reminded me why I like some of these characters in the first place. The videos documenting McKay's illness were a nice touch, but it was plainly obvious that it would be used as a device for McKay to reveal his (rather sudden) feelings for Keller. Why those feelings are so strong for a new character that has shown little to no likeability, I couldn't explain, but they're there and they're out. Personally, I liked it better when he was with Katie Brown, but then again, I'm not writing the show.

Score