Midway

"Midway" is the seventeenth episode of the fourth season of Stargate: Atlantis.

Synopsis
Teal'c arrives in Atlantis to teach Ronon Dex on how to deal with International Oversight Advisory interviews. At first, the two don't get along, but end up having to work together, when they learn that the Wraith have figured out a way to infiltrate the Midway space station, and ultimately, Earth.

Previously on Stargate: Atlantis
Dr. Rodney McKay partially invented the McKay/Carter Intergalactic Gate Bridge, and explains the process to the crew of the Daedalus. 34 Gates from both Pegasus and Milky Way Stargate systems have been placed in the void between the two galaxies. From one side, the individual could just gate from Atlantis to Earth can dial the Midway space station, where a macro was designed to store the individual in its buffer and send them across seventeen Gates to the Midway station, where a similar macro can send him or her through the other seventeen gates. The process would take a little over thirty minutes. Now, the station is completely operational.

Plot
Teyla Emmagan has just returned from an interview with the International Oversight Advisory at Stargate Command. She tells Colonel Samantha Carter and Lt. Colonel John Sheppard of her harrowing experience, since she was warned about James Coolidge, who was brusque and arrogant towards any alien members of the Stargate Program. She also tells them that he felt distracted with her pregnancy, and kept calling her "honey". After she leaves, the two colonels are wondering what to do next, since Ronon Dex's interview is next, and his temper could cause "tsunamis" against Coolidge. Carter however, has an idea. Since his interview is not for three days, she calls for some assistance to teach Ronon, Teal'c.

Carter welcomes him to Atlantis, and notices his change in hair style. After awing at the site of the Ancient city, Teal'c finally meets Ronon, who is sparring with someone, and easily beats him. Carter introduces him to Teal'c to help him through the interview process. However, it is obvious that Ronon does not trust him, even after the two are left alone to become better acquainted.

Later, the two meet in the mess hall, where Ronon tells Teal'c that he has dealt with the IOA before, and knows how to handle interviews, despite Teal'c's warnings that Coolidge is far less pleasant than Richard Woolsey. They then proceed to talk about other topics, namely what happened on Sateda several years ago. Ronon explains that his people never gave up in fighting them, and they all fought until they were all dead, or captured. When Teal'c accused him of leading the Wraith to Sateda, an angered Ronon stood up, and aimed his weapon point blank at Teal'c's head. Teal'c tells him that this question would be what he will face in the upcoming interview, and trusts that Ronon won't aim his gun next time. Sheppard comes in and orders Ronon to drop the gun. He then tells them to go to the gym and teach each other how to fight.

During their sparring session, they attract a large crowd, who are betting on who would win, since the two have been sparring for an hour, with no breaks, and no sign of who is winning. Carter sees the brutal sparring match, where she decides to break it off, announcing the fight as a draw. Afterwards, both Ronon and Teal'c leave Atlantis for the Midway space station to get to Earth. But before Ronon leaves, Sheppard tells him to just think about what Teal'c has said, since he is over a hundred years old and knows how to handle himself. Meanwhile, as they leave, on the arid planet of M4F-788, a group of Wraith are preparing an attack somewhere.

Ronon and Teal'c arrive at the Midway station. Dr. Bill Lee is working with Scott Dempster and Dr. Peter Kavanagh on familiarizing themselves on Midway's systems. Lee greets Ronon and Teal'c and shows them their quarters, since they have to share. He also tells them of the 24 hour quarantine. As they enter the quarters, they both decide on taking the bottom bunk, before staring at each other.

Meanwhile, back in Atlantis, Dr. Rodney McKay discovers that the McKay/Carter Intergalactic Gate Bridge is down, and is working on restoring it. In horror, Sheppard thinks that Ronon and Teal'c have gated to one of the Spacegates and are dead in space. McKay assures him that the malfunction is coming from M4F-788, so in all likelihood, they are just stranded on that planet. However, they do not know that Wraith are there, and are actually gating to the Midway station.

On Midway, Lee notices the unscheduled activation of the Pegasus Gate, and can only watch in horror as the Wraith come through the gate and overpower and stun the guards. Soon, they enter the room where he, Dempster and Kavanagh are in, and hold them. Meanwhile, Ronon and Teal'c are watching The Three Stooges on the TV, when they hear the alarm. When the two come to investigate, they notice the Wraith. Ronon kills two of them, and wonders what the Wraith are doing. Teal'c asks the same question and investigate further, and proceed to the armory. The Wraith Commander orders one of his technicians to Gate to Earth, but there's a problem, they cannot access the Gate system because of a lock-out command. The technician tries to hack the code, but in order to reach the code faster, the Commander feeds on Dempster.

McKay is finally able to dial to M4F-788, because someone dialed out of 788's gate to prevent them from dialing in. Sheppard thinks that if Ronon and Teal'c are in the planet, nothing will stop them from dialing back. They send a MALP to investigate the planet. At first, they find nothing, but as they pan back and forth they see a Dial Home Device with Wraith technology, and a Wraith cruiser, before the MALP is destroyed by a Wraith guard. They deduce that the Wraith have infiltrated the Midway station, and think that "Todd" is involved, since he had plenty of time to hack into their computer systems while he was a prisoner. With the Daedalus out of reach, they decide to send a team to take back Midway, by gating to M6R-125, a planet near 788, so they could reconfigure the macro and then gate to the Midway station.

The Commander has fed on Dempster, who is now dead. He then plans on feeding on Kavanagh, who reacts by fainting. He then plans to feed on Lee instead, but stops when his technician hacks in, meaning they can now Gate to Earth. In the SGC, their Gate dials, and CMSgt. Walter Harriman receives Midway's IDC, and opens the Iris. They then see a large orb arriving, which discharges a blue pulse wave that knocks out everyone on the base. The Wraith now have control of the entire base.

Meanwhile, on the Midway station, Ronon and Teal'c see Wraith going through to Earth. They agree to follow them and kill them all. As they approach the Gate, the Commander shuts it down, but the two have made it through. They find the Wraith bomb, with several unconscious soldiers, and no sign of the Wraith. In the Stargate Operations room, they find several Wraith through CCTV cameras, trying to break out. Teal'c notes that the Wraith device has effectively locked down the entire base, so no one gets out.

Sheppard, McKay and a strike team ready a strike to take back the base. On the station, the Wraith notice the Pegasus Gate activating. The Commander did not expect reinforcements so soon, and sees humans entering. Sheppard radios Ronon and Teal'c not realizing they are actually stopping Wraith in the SGC. Sheppard's team is cornered by Wraith, but they open fire and are eventually able to kill them all. A screen activates in front of Sheppard, revealing the commander. He confirms to Sheppard that he got the information from "Todd". The Commander doesn't take Sheppard's threat kindly, and responds by sending in the second wave. Sheppard tells the marines to guard the gate and kill anything going through, while he, McKay and two marines make it to the control room, where they kill the Wraith, but the Commander has disappeared. Lee and Kavanagh are rescued. Unfortunately, they can't close the Stargate, and more Wraith are infiltrating the Midway base.

Back in the SGC, Ronon notices Teal'c says "indeed" a lot, which Teal'c says that he has indeed not noticed. They then find several Wraith, and succeed in killing or stunning them all. In the process, Ronon gets into a struggle with one, but it is killed by Teal'c firing Ronon's Particle magnum. He shows a great interest in obtaining one. They then pass a room, and hear a noise. They investigate and find Coolidge, who has regained consciousness. He tells both of them to send him to a radio for assistance when he learns of the Wraith incursion and that the two "aliens" are the only two dispatching them. On the way, the trio encounter more Wraith, Ronon and Teal'c shoot and kill all of them, but Coolidge has fled due to the gunfire, and his fear. The two split up to find him.

Kavanagh regains consciousness and is able to shut down the Gate by using the critical systems bypass. However, McKay tells him that the Wraith have tampered with that idea, sabotaging it so that shutting down the gate initiates Midway's self-destruct, with 10 minutes until the station blows up. McKay radios Sheppard, who tells them that there is a Puddle Jumper in case of an emergency such as this. They plan to evacuate, but Wraith are surrounding the control room. Sheppard finds more Wraith and kills some of them, before he is outnumbered and retreats. When the marine team is overrun by the incoming Wraith (and presumed dead), Sheppard tells McKay to vent the station's atmosphere, which McKay reluctantly agrees to do. McKay starts venting the station, and Sheppard tries to find safety. However, as he is about to, the Commander shows up and they get into a struggle. Sheppard manages to get his sidearm and kills him. Unfortunately, with most of the air gone, Sheppard struggles to stand up and continue.

In the SGC control room, Ronon finds Coolidge, who has contacted the military, who have been ordered to destroy the SGC base, which Coolidge won't abort until every Wraith is dead. He also wants Ronon, and a group of SGC personnel who have just awakened, to escape in an escape hatch. However, Ronon sees Teal'c in trouble and goes to his assistance, against Coolidge's wishes. Ronon rushes to Teal'c's aid, and fights off some of the Wraith. He takes out a pipe and kills one of the warriors. Teal'c loses a battle and is pushed to the wall, where the Wraith starts to feed on him, but a few seconds later, Ronon jams the pipe through the Wraith, killing him. They now both believe that all the Wraith in the base are dead.

On Midway, McKay re-pressurizes the base, as all the Wraith are now dead from lack of oxygen. The team runs to the escape pod modified Jumper, but on the way, McKay hears breathing noises from a space suit near the Jumper. It is Sheppard, who hid in one of the suits to survive. They are surprised to see Sheppard alive. With just seconds to go, Sheppard pilots the Jumper and flies out before Midway is destroyed.

In the SGC, now the Wraith threat has disappeared, Ronon goes for his interview. Coolidge asks him if he feels he can fulfill the duties of an SG team member with diligence, integrity, and respect for those in authority over him. When Ronon says yes, Coolidge looks at the fellow IOA members, then merely says "good enough for me". With the interview over, Ronon tells Teal'c that the IOA committee said he is everything they're looking for, and that he didn't threaten them with his weapon. Now that events have finished, Ronon is beamed aboard to the Daedalus to check out the status of the Midway station which has not responded to any communications since the attack began.

About a week or two later, the Jumper is still drifting in the massive void between the two galaxies, where Lee and Kavanagh argue about the movie Pearl Harbor, which Kavanagh likes. McKay snaps at them, and tells them that they never shut their mouths the entire time. The team then experience a shudder. The rear hatch opens, revealing Ronon, who tells them that they are on board the Daedalus' in the 302 bay. Ronon wonders where Sheppard is, since he didn't hear the radio call. McKay opens the door to the front section, where McKay says that after just a day, he sealed himself in. Sheppard is asleep, wearing a pair of headphones. Ronon wakes him up, and tells him that the IOA has approved him for active duty. The Daedalus then jumps into hyperspace, heading back to Atlantis.

Notable Quotes
(Carter, Sheppard and Teyla discuss her interview)

Carter: How'd the interview go?

Teyla: Exactly as you said it would. The new member of the IOA, Mr. Coolidge, was somewhat brusque and arrogant. He insisted on doing most of the questioning himself.

Carter: Yeah, I thought he would. These interviews were the first item on his agenda.

Sheppard: Probably just a new guy marking his territory.

Teyla: Yes, well, he is clearly distrustful of aliens participating in any aspect of the Stargate programme, let alone being active team members.

Sheppard: But you changed his mind, right?

Teyla: I hope so, although he did seem distracted by my current condition.

Carter: Really? I informed the IOA of your pregnancy.

Teyla: Yes. They knew, and most of the members were actually quite supportive, but Mr. Coolidge, his demeanour toward women differs from his demeanour toward men. He kept calling me "honey." I admit, the urge to inflict harm on this man was quite strong. But I managed to refrain from doing so.

Sheppard: Good call. Bad idea to run around beatin' the crap out of people with a baby on the way.

Teal'c: Tell me of Sateda.

Ronon: What do you want to know?

Teal'c: When did the Wraith destroy it?

Ronon: Years ago.

Teal'c: Your army was unable to fight?

Ronon: Oh, we fought back. The battle lasted days.

Teal'c: And when you finally surrendered, what did the Wraith do then?

Ronon: We didn't surrender. We fought until every one of us was either dead or captured.

Teal'c: So tell me then. Is it true that negligence on your part is what first alerted the Wraith to your presence? That your reckless actions brought about the deaths of thousands of innocent...

Ronon: (violently slides his tray off the table and aims his blast gun to Teal'c's head) THAT'S A LIE!!!

Teal'c: (calmly) Indeed it is. Yet should such a question arise during your interview, I trust you will not respond in a similar manner. You do, after all, know how to "play the game".

Ronon: He was fed on by the Wraith. That's not a good way to go.

Teal'c: Indeed.

Ronon: You say that a lot.

Teal'c: What?

Ronon: "Indeed".

Teal'c: Do I?

Ronon: Yeah.

Teal'c: I had not noticed.

(Sheppard looks down at Kavanagh lying on the floor.)

Sheppard: Is he dead?

Lee: Fainted.

Sheppard: Figures.

(Teal'c kills a Wraith with Ronon's weapon and is about to hand it to him)

Teal'c: I would very much like to have a weapon such as this.

Ronon: Yeah. (snatches it off him) Get in line.

Teal'c: Excellent timing.

Ronon: Indeed.

Teal'c: Well?

Ronon: I'm exactly the kind of team member they want out there fighting the Wraith. Their words, not mine.

Teal'c: And you did not hold a weapon to their heads?

Ronon: I did not.

Teal'c: I am pleased.

Ronon: Yeah, well I had a good coach.

Teal'c: Indeed.

Goofs
(Not eight: The Stargate isn't dialling another gate system, and sort-of does count as inside the Milky Way)
 * Before Ronon Dex and Teal'c leave for Earth to follow the Wraith, Teal'c says that he hears the Milky Way Stargate being dialed. However, the sound of the Gate activation is from the Pegasus gate system, not the Milky Way's. The same thing happens a few minutes earlier when the Milky Way gate is activated.
 * One of the SF Guards on Midway space station reaches for his gun before the Wraith come through the Stargate. This is a production error based on either the actor who played that SF reached too early or the event horizon of the gate was placed just in front of where it should have been.
 * When Ronon and Teal'c are leaving the Armory, the stock of Teal'c's G36K is folded and the 30-round magazine is in his left hand and no round has been loaded. As he's still talking to Ronon as they exit the armory and he's caught mid-sentence to engage the Wraith, the stock is unfolded, the magazine is locked and loaded, and his left hand is grasping the vertical fore grip. Only Ronon has readied his weapon in that manner after Teal'c previously handed it and its ammunition to him.
 * When Ronon and Teal'c enter the Milky Way gate on Midway, all nine chevrons on the Stargate are lit when only seven should be.
 * Walter should have closed the Iris once the stun device came through.
 * Atlantis could have easily dialed Earth using their ZPM and entered Midway quicker than they did or at the very least warned Earth.