Condemned (Stargate Atlantis)
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| “Condemned” | |
|---|---|
| Stargate Atlantis episode | |
 |
|
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 5 |
| Guest stars | Darcy Belsher as Eldon Christian Bocher as Torrell Alan C. Peterson as Magistrate Kavan Smith as Major Lorne Kyla Anderson as Marin James Lafazanos as Wraith |
| Written by | Sean Carley & Carl Binder |
| Directed by | Peter DeLuise |
| Production no. | 205 |
| Original airdate | August 12, 2005 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Duet" | "Trinity" |
| Episode chronology | |
"Condemned" is an episode of the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis.
[edit] Plot
The episode starts with Sheppard's team flying with a Puddle Jumper through the Stargate on an unknown world. In the forest over which they fly they see smoke and find a small camp, however no people. Suddenly some people hiding in the bushes attack them with arrows and small explosives but when Sheppard calls to them they stop firing. The team then wants to retreat but the people then fire again. Suddenly some sort of airplane arrives, covers Sheppard's team and literally blows away some of the attackers. This gives the team the possibility to escape to their Puddle Jumper, in which they are contacted by the plane to follow them.
The team is led into a city where they are greeted by a woman named Marin who tells them that the island on which the Stargate is located is used as a penal colony. Afterwards they meet the magistrate who reveals to them that they use the island as a prison so that the Wraith can feed on the prisoners. In exchange the people on Olesia (the planet's name) have reached a high grade of technology. After further talking Sheppard contacts Dr. Weir and informs her about the situation. They agree to talk about trading agreements with the Olesians.
Later the team flies back to the gate but during the flight the Jumper is attacked with some primitive explosives. One of them hits the Jumper and Sheppard is forced to crash-land. When they leave the Jumper they are taken prisoner by the prisoners. While the SG team is tied in a small flat, the prisoners try the new weapons and afterwards their leader Torrell orders Rodney McKay to fix the Jumper. He agrees to do so when Torrell threatens to kill him. Rodney then meets Eldon, who developed the explosives for the prisoners and now shall help him with the Jumper. Also Torrell threatens to kill one after another of Rodney's team members if he can't fix the ship.
Meanwhile in Atlantis Weir plans to search for Sheppard's team and together with Major Lorne and a team flies with a Jumper to Olesia. There Rodney works on their Jumper while talking with Elron, who says that he is innocent. Rodney then finds out that the main power-distribution has been damaged. Because he says that he can't repair it, Torrell orders him to choose who of his friends will die first. When he doesn't do he is left in the flat. Elron then tells them that most people on the island are innocent but were sent there nevertheless so that the Wraith have enough to feed on.
In the Olesian city Weir in the meantime meets the magistrate and they talk about the missing team and the magistrate agrees to search for them. Back on the island the team is freed by Elron who wants to escape with them and they agree. They then run to the Jumper where they plan to take out the guards. Suddenly the gate activates and a Wraith dart flies through. This leads the guards away and the team is able to enter the Jumper. In the city Weir and her team are informed about the arrival of the Wraith but the magistrate promises to search for them again when the Wraith have left.
Later the magistrate meets with a single Wraith which came in the dart and it is revealed that the magistrate and his predecessors have an agreement with him to give him enough food and in exchange they are spared from culling. The Wraith tell the magistrate that he needs to augment the population on the island to give the Wraith more people to feed onto and the magistrate promises to do so. Afterwards the Wraith leaves the planet.
Meanwhile Weir and her team are informed by Marin that the magistrate ordered many people to be arrested to augment the population on the island but then the magistrate appears and accuses her of lying. He orders her to be arrested but Weir protects her and ends the alliance with the Olesians. Then she and her team leave.
Back on the island Rodney still tries to repair the Jumper while the others attack the returning guards. Although they are able to defeat some of them they are soon confronted by the other prisoners with their own weapons right in the moment when Rodney is able to fix the DHD. Torrell wants to come with them to Atlantis but Sheppard won't let him. Suddenly a Wraith cruiser appears and Sheppard orders Rodney to dial the gate. However the energy is gone again but Rodney is able to activate the weapons which allows Sheppard to fire a single Drone weapon on the cruiser, which damages the ship. Weir and her team see that and contact Sheppard. He tells her to dial the gate to one of the possible Alpha sites. Afterwards all the prisoners leave the planet through the gate. Next the Jumper dials Atlantis and under fire from the cruiser Sheppard's team is able to get through the gate. In the end a cruiser is seen arriving at the city, much to the shock of the magistrate.
[edit] Notes
- Alan C. Peterson (Magistrate) previously played Canon in Stargate SG-1s Demons.
- The Government building is actually the 4400-Center from The 4400.
- This episode bears similarities with the Stargate SG-1 episode Prisoners.
- The main idea of this episode, i.e. using criminals as a shield to the general population, was explored in Larry Niven's "Known space" universe. In that universe organ implants technology was perfected, the only barrier to longevity was the lack of enough "spare parts". The solution was to use felons convicted to death as source for the missing organs. When there were not enough convicted ones, the range of the death-punished felonies was broadened (to include bad driving and tax).
- Paul McGillion does not appear in this episode.
