The Game (Stargate Atlantis)

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“The Game”
Stargate Atlantis episode
Geldar's weapons head to Hallona.
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 15
Guest stars	Laura Harris as Nola
Written by	Don Whitehead, Holly Henderson, & Carl Binder
Directed by	Will Waring
Production no.	316
Original airdate	December 18, 2006
Episode chronology
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"Tao of Rodney"	"The Ark"
Episode chronology

"The Game" is an episode from Season 3 of the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis..

[edit] Plot

John Sheppard and Rodney McKay go head-to-head in an Atlantis computer game, where they each develop villages on opposite sides of a river in competition with one another (much like in the old Populous video game from Bullfrog Productions). For two years now McKay has been pushing his town ("Geldar") to develop technologically.

But what the two do not realize is that this is no game. Their villages, and all the people in them, are real, living on a planet somewhere in the Pegasus Galaxy.

When the team discovers this and visits the planet through the Stargate, they are met by Nola, who immediately recognizes Rodney as their "Oracle." She explains that their people were given life thousands of years ago, but then their Oracle ceased all communications — apparently an Atlantean, interrupted by the war with the Wraith. Unknowingly, Rodney picked up where he left off.

With a satellite network in orbit to track their development and Ancient technology to communicate with Atlantis, their civilization has all the markings of an Atlantean social experiment. While McKay stays with Nola, Sheppard takes Teyla and Ronon to check out his own country across the river.

There they meet Baden, the aggressive leader of Hallona, whom Sheppard had been encouraging to build up his military. He reveals that at the command of Geldar's Oracle, the Geldareans have begun mining for valuable coal under his town. He believes that the proper response is to launch an attack.

The two leaders are brought back to Atlantis to learn about the Ancient technology and to have their dispute mediated by Dr. Weir, but things look grim. Thanks to Sheppard and McKay's "game," the two peoples now stand on the brink of war.

[edit] Notes

• In the beginning of the episode, the team 'discusses' an ethical dilemma which "Katie Brown brought up over dinner (with McKay) the other night". This marks the first mention of Dr. Brown since "Duet."
• The hairstyle of the Geldar leader, Nola, closely resembles that of Samantha Carter, short and blonde. Many other Geldars share this similar trait. This trait was "configured" by McKay early in the "game".
• Geldar is the last name of a girl that McKay had an interest in during his college years, Teresa Geldar. He apparently went on two dates with the girl in question but Sheppard doubts that fact.
• There are dozens of countries all over the Pegasus Galaxy under scrutiny from the Ancient Sociology Experiment satellites that relay information back to Atlantis' Game Room.
• The scientifically advanced Geldar dress in and use light colours for their nation, whereas the warlike Hallonan nation wear and use dark colours.
• The Geldar national flag was modelled after the Canadian flag with Rodney McKay's face in the place of the maple leaf in the centre.
• Major Lorne and Dr. Radek Zelenka also try their hand at the "game" for a brief period of time before Dr. Weir orders the device deactivated, removed from the power grid and the game room sealed.
• When Rodney and Nola are in the mess hall, Nola is eating blue jello and she comments on how delicious it is. This is another reference to Samantha Carter, who is often seen eating blue jello.
• McKay passed on some of his personal phobias to the people of Geldar, warning them of the "toxicity" of citrus and the dangers of the Sun.
• This episode was filmed out of order – it was 16th in the production order, but was aired 15th.