Stargate Atlantis Season 2

Stargate Atlantis Season 2
Last DVD set of Season 2
Country of origin	USA Canada
No. of episodes	20
Broadcast
Original channel	Sci Fi Channel
Original run	July 15, 2005 — January 30, 2006
Home video release
DVD release
Region 1	March 6, 2007
Region 2	February 26, 2007
Region 4	November 8, 2006
Season chronology
Season 1 Season 3
List of episodes

The second season of the television series Stargate Atlantis commenced airing on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on July 15, 2005, concluded on The Movie Network in Canada on January 30, 2006, and contained 20 episodes. The show itself is a spin off of its sister show, Stargate SG-1. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, who also served as executive producers. Season two regular cast members include Joe Flanigan, Torri Higginson, Jason Momoa, Rachel Luttrell, Paul McGillion, and David Hewlett as Dr. Rodney McKay.

The second season focuses on the Atlantis Expedition making the Wraith think the city was destroyed, and make semi-regular contact with Earth. The central plot of the second season is the development of Dr. Beckett's retrovirus, which can, theoretically, turn a Wraith into a human.

Production

"Runner" is the last episode where Rainbow Sun Francks (portrayed Aiden Ford) is credited as a regular cast member. Jason Momoa joins the main cast in this episode. While rehearsing scenes for "Duet" where Cadman has control of McKay's body, Jamie Ray Newman would do a scene first, and then David Hewlett would try to mimic her movements, cadence, accent, etc. Alan C. Peterson, who played the Magistrate in "Condemned", previously played Canon in Stargate SG-1s "Demons". The episode title of "Trinity" is a reference to the Trinity test. The outdoors parts of "Instinct" were filmed on location at Lynn Valley Canyon, North Vancouver. Jewel Staite, who played Kaylee Frye on the cult Sci-Fi show Firefly, is the second Firefly cast member to guest star on a Stargate series, the first being Adam Baldwin in Stargate SG-1 episode "Heroes". She would later go on to play Dr. Keller as a recurring guest star at the end of Season 3, continuing into Season 4 prior to becoming a series regular in season 5.

"Conversion" was actress Rachel Luttrell's first on-screen kissing scene. Her parents were present for the kiss. Every scene in "Aurora" where Ronon appears in the environmental suit had to be played by a body double because Jason Momoa's head would not fit in the helmet. The title of "The Long Goodbye" is an homage to Raymond Chandler's 1954 novel The Long Goodbye. "Coup d'Etat" was supposed to feature the return of Acastus Kolya (last seen in "The Brotherhood"), but because of conflicts with Robert Davi's schedule it was rewritten to feature Kolya's second in command Ladon instead. For "Allies", Brent Stait took over the role of Michael throughout the episode. Conner provided the voice after the crew felt it 'needed' it.

Release and reception

The strongest episodes on the Nielsen ratings were "The Siege" and "Instinct", "The Siege" was the only episode in the season that was able to get a syndication rating. The lowest rated episode in the season was "Michael". "The Hive" was nominated for a Gemini Award in the category "Best Sound in a Dramatic Series" in 2006. For "Grace Under Pressure", Joel Goldsmith was nominated for an Emmy in the category "Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)".

Don Houston from DVD Talk said that the second season did "rise to the occasion" and surpassed its sister show Stargate SG-1. ComingSoon reviewer Scott Chitwood said that is "should satisfy" viewers, but commented that it didn't have the same quality as Battlestar Galactica and gave the series 6 out of 10 and the DVD package 8 out of 10. June L. from Monsters and Critics (M&C) gave the season 4 out of 5 and said that it was a "pleasure to watch the stories", compared to other new science fiction shows which depends on blood and violence. Dan Heaton from Digitally Obsessed said that the season suffered an "identity crisis," but was throughout good and entertaining because of the good acting among others.

Cast

Main characters

Actor	Character	Number of episodes
Joe Flanigan	Major/Lt Col John Sheppard	20 episodes
Torri Higginson	Dr. Elizabeth Weir	20 episodes
Rachel Luttrell	Teyla Emmagan	19 episodes
Rainbow Sun Francks	First Lt. Aiden Ford	5 episodes (Main on 1-3, Guest on 10 and 11)
Jason Momoa	Ronon Dex	17 episodes
With Paul McGillion	Dr. Carson Beckett	16 episodes (Guest on 1-3, Main onwards)
and David Hewlett	Dr. Rodney McKay	20 episodes

Recurring characters

Actor	Character	Number of episodes
Mitch Pileggi	Colonel Steven Caldwell	11 episodes
Chuck Campbell	Chuck	11 episodes
David Nykl	Dr. Radek Zelenka	10 episodes
Kavan Smith	Major Evan Lorne	8 episodes
Trevor Devall	voice of Hermiod	5 episodes
Kirby Morrow	Captain Dave Kleinman	4 episodes
Anne Openshaw	Captain Megan Cooper	3 episodes
Claire Rankin	Dr. Kate Heightmeyer	2 episodes
Ellie Harvie	Dr. Lindsey Novak	2 episodes
Aaron Abrams	Kanayo	2 episodes
Andee Frizzell	Wraith Queen	2 episodes
James Lafazanos	Wraith	2 episodes
Connor Trinneer	Michael Kenmore	2 episodes
Beau Bridges	Major General Hank Landry	2 episodes
Gerry Durand	Sgt. Frank Levine	2 episodes
Jaime Ray Newman	Lt. Laura Cadman	2 episodes
Heather Doerksen	Captain/Major Pat Meyers	2 episodes

Episodes

Image	Title	Number	Airdate	Planet(s)	Race(s)	Enemies
	"The Siege", Part 3 (Part 3 of 3)	2.01	July 15, 2005	Lantea	Asgards, Wraith	Wraith
	The Daedalus arrives to defend Atlantis from the Wraith onslaught, but it may not be enough when the team discovers that an even larger armada is on the way.
	"The Intruder"	2.02	July 22, 2005	Earth, Lantea	Asgards	Wraith computer virus
	The Daedalus is infected by a Wraith computer virus, while members of the expedition hope to return to Earth.
	"Runner"	2.03	July 29, 2005	Lantea, P3M-736	Satedan, Wraith	Aiden Ford
	Sheppard and his team attempt to locate Lieutenant Ford, only to find themselves captives of a former soldier who is being hunted by the Wraith.
	"Duet"	2.04	August 5, 2005	Lantea, Thenora	Wraith	N/A
	A run-in with a Wraith Dart leaves the consciousness of a precocious Atlantis security officer trapped in Dr. McKay's mind.
	"Condemned"	2.05	August 12, 2005	Lantea, Olesia	Olesians, Wraith	Torrell, Magistrate
	The Atlantis team finds a culture that lives in relative safety from the Wraith, because they hand over their criminals to the Wraith — and crash-land in the volatile penal colony.
	"Trinity"	2.06	August 19, 2005	Belkan, Doranda, Lantea	Belkans, Satedans	N/A
	McKay puts the team at risk when he tries to perfect unfinished Ancient technology that wiped out a civilization. Ronon Dex discovers that he is not the lone survivor from his world.
	"Instinct"	2.07	August 26, 2005	Lantea, Zaddik's planet	Zaddik's people, Wraith	Ellia, Daimos
	The team discovers a young Wraith girl who has been raised by a human, and is in hiding from the people of her human village in fear of her life.
	"Conversion"	2.08	September 9, 2005	Lantea, Unnamed	Iratus bug	John Sheppard
	Colonel Sheppard begins to undergo a disturbing physical transformation after being exposed to Beckett's anti-Wraith drug.
	"Aurora"	2.09	September 23, 2005	Lantea	Ancients	Trebal, Wraith
	When the team finds an Ancient warship adrift on the edge of the galaxy, its crew still alive, Colonel Sheppard enters their virtual reality stasis to communicate with them.
	"The Lost Boys" (Part 1 of 2)	2.10	September 23, 2005	Ford's planet, Lantea	Genii, Wraith	Ford's Coalition
	The team is captured by the missing Lieutenant Ford, who is now leading a group of young men who are taking the Wraith enzyme — and who wants the team's help in a suicide attack against a hive ship.
	"The Hive" (Part 2 of 2)	2.11	November 22, 2005	Edowin, Ford's planet, Lantea	Wraith	Wraith Queen
	Colonel Sheppard and his team find themselves prisoners of the Wraith following Ford's attack on a hive ship. Dr. McKay goes to great lengths to help them.
	"Epiphany"	2.12	November 29, 2005	Lantea, Planet of the Cloister	People of the Cloister	Sanctuary Beast
	Sheppard finds himself on a planet where time passes more rapidly, with no way to contact his team or return to Atlantis.
	"Critical Mass"	2.13	December 6, 2005	Earth, Lantea	Athosian, Goa'uld, Wraith	The Trust, Caldwell's Goa'uld
	When an operative of the Trust plants a bomb in Atlantis, the team must find a spy within their own ranks before the Wraith arrive and discover the city.
	"Grace Under Pressure"	2.14	December 13, 2005	Lantea	Flagisallus	N/A
	When Dr. McKay is trapped underwater in a sinking Puddle Jumper, his only chance for survival may be an hallucination of Samantha Carter.
	"The Tower"	2.15	December 20, 2005	Lantea, Lord Protector's Planet	Lord Protector's people	Otho
	The team finds a world that possesses Ancient defense technology, where Colonel Sheppard finds himself a pawn in the rivalry between the heirs to the throne.
	"The Long Goodbye"	2.16	January 2, 2006	Kohal system, Lantea	Phoebus' people, Thalan's people	Phoebus, Thalan
	The team discovers two pods that contain the minds of alien beings, who take control of Weir and Sheppard's bodies to continue their personal war.
	"Coup d'Etat"	2.17	January 9, 2006	M1K-177, Genii homeworld, Lantea, M6R-867, Unnamed	Genii	Cowen
	After a team from Atlantis goes missing, the expedition finds itself in the middle of a Genii coup.
	"Michael"	2.18	January 16, 2006	Lantea, Pegasus Alpha Site, Unnamed	Human-form Wraith, Wraith	Michael Kenmore
	An amnesiac young Lieutenant in Atlantis suffers from disturbing nightmares that he is a Wraith, only to make a shocking discovery about himself.
	"Inferno"	2.19	January 23, 2006	Lantea, Taranis	Taranian	N/A
	Sheppard's team meets a civilization about to be destroyed by a super-volcano, and is trapped there when the Stargate is destroyed during the evacuation.
	"Allies" (Part 1 of 3)	2.20	January 30, 2006	Lantea	Human-form Wraith, Wraith	Hive Queen
	Michael and his Wraith faction arrive at Atlantis to propose an alliance, hoping to use the retrovirus to transform their Wraith enemies into prey.