Search and Rescue

"Search and Rescue" is the first episode of the fifth season of Stargate Atlantis.

Synopsis
John Sheppard and his team are trapped under the rubble of Michael's base in order to rescue Teyla Emmagan. As Samantha Carter launches a team to rescue the rescuers, little do they know that Michael is also searching the planet for the survivors.

Previously on Stargate Atlantis
Teyla Emmagan received several visions from Kanaan to rescue the Athosians. However, her search led to her capture, where the kidnapper was revealed, Michael Kenmore. Kanaan has turned into a Hybrid, and made him connect with Teyla in order to capture. She also learned that her baby will play an important role in Michael's research. During her captivity, she was able to reach into Kanaan when Michael was not around. Meanwhile, in an effort to rescue her, John Sheppard was involved in a freak accident and travelled 48,000 years in the future. The hologram of Rodney McKay told him a way to get back, and to go to the address Michael planned to deliver Teyla's baby and kill her. However, back in the present when they go into Michael's lab, they discover that it was booby trapped, and self-destructed, leaving several team members trapped.

Plot
John Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan are in Atlantis, dressed in evening wear. They decide to celebrate on something, but Sheppard wonders what for. Teyla says that this is for rescuing her. However, Sheppard does not remember, and notices the candles beside him are catching fire. He later sees Lieutenant Aiden Ford, who tells him that he doesn't remember rescuing Teyla, because he never did rescue her, like he did to Ford. Sheppard is suddenly in pain and notices blood soaking through his shirt. This turns out to be some kind of dream.

He regains consciousness back in reality, and notices that he and Ronon Dex are buried under the rubble of Michael's base. The two are in the same room, where Ronon is free and not as injured, but Sheppard is trapped under a beam that won't budge and is seriously injured. Ronon says he tried contacting others, but there is no radio signal. Meanwhile, in another chamber, Doctor Rodney McKay is stuck with Major Evan Lorne. McKay seems fine, but Lorne has broken a leg from the explosion. McKay finds a small opening, and tries to widen it to escape, which only results in more rubble collapsing in. Lorne tells McKay that some of the teams must have evacuated and should dial Atlantis, while the Daedalus is en-route to confirm Sheppard's story, and will arrive in under three hours. McKay is forced to just sit and wait. However, in another star system, where Michael's cruiser is in, Kanaan gives Michael a report that one of their bases self destructed. Knowing that something happened, Michael sends his cruiser into hyperspace to M2S-445.

In Atlantis, they receive an unscheduled off-world Stargate activation. Colonel Samantha Carter descends down the stairs and sees Lieutenant Edison entering Atlantis, covered in dust. He rushed back from Michael's compound and tells her that the compound self destructed. With several people trapped, he requests back-up to help rescue the survivors. Carter calls for a team of combat engineers. Doctor Jennifer Keller is called in to tend to the injured survivors, with the Expedition's new member, Captain Alicia Vega joining in on the operation.

Meanwhile, McKay tries to make himself busy to deal with his claustrophobia, and finds Michael's computer. There he finds out that Michael's "Wiki" is still mostly intact. However, he notices something, and is about to tell Lorne, when he tells him to be quiet, since he hears footsteps. They both call out for help. Meanwhile, Carter and her team read four lifesigns in two locations, and starts searching, where Keller hears Lorne and McKay. They work on getting the two out. McKay tells them to hurry, since he discovered that after the compound blew, a subspace message was sent to his cruiser, meaning he is on his way. They work on it, but the other two survivors are much deeper, so they may rely on the Daedalus' beaming technology. Sheppard and Ronon attempts to move the beam for Sheppard to move around, but is unsuccessful. Sheppard feels stupid, since he knew the whole time the building was booby trapped, but didn't do anything. He then tells, and eventually orders Ronon to leave him behind, but realises that he has no intention of doing so.

Onboard Michael's cruiser, he scans Teyla for her son's condition through the medical scanner, and tells her that he is doing well, and wonders why Teyla is still looking at him bitterly, since he assured her that the child will not be harmed. Teyla wonders that since he mentions her son a lot, he never mentions what is to become of his mother. Michael hesitates at an answer, and is about to tell that he plans to kill her, when Kanaan interrupts and tells him they are almost over the planet. Michael leaves, where Kanaan then releases her. She tells him that they must escape. However, Kanaan tells her that they will kill him if he is seen escaping, despite Teyla telling him that Michael will kill him anyway.

The rescue teams save McKay and Lorne, where they are about to send them back, but Rivers informs Carter that Michael's cruiser exited hyperspace over the planet. Michael notices several life signs combing the debris, looking for survivors. He plans to launch a squadron af darts to capture anyone they find. While a dart tries to take prisoners, Captain Vegas fires her weapon at it, and hits it, where it severely damaged. Keller notes her fine marksmanship, before leaving to the Puddle Jumper. However, as they are about to dial out, the Gate dials in, leaving the team trapped. They cloak the Jumper and fly towards Michael's cruiser. They are tempted at the opportunity to take Teyla back, but can't.

Meanwhile, Sheppard is weaken, and is about to give up hope, when they hear digging noises. A group of people are digging them out. Realising something is wrong, Sheppard wonders if there is a Harris with them, when they answer that he is, despite being off duty for the next month, and would enjoy Duff beer (from The Simpsons), over Oprah ale. They know they are Hybrids and plans to ambush them, and keep shooting until they can't.

The Daedalus arrives at the planet, and finds itself in orbit along with Michael's cruiser. Michael realizes that the Daedalus has arrived, and tries to jump into hyperspace. However, Colonel Steven Caldwell orders Major Kevin Marks to disable its hyperdrive, and the cruiser cannot go anywhere. Just as Michael's drones are about to retrieve Sheppard and Ronon to the cruiser, they are beamed out by the Daedalus. However, as the ship had to drop its shields to beam the survivors, Michael's ship is able to cause considerable damage to it, disabling sublight and hyperdrive engines as well as Asgard Weapons, before they activate the shields again. They are now target practise to Michael's cruiser.

Keller is about to operate on Sheppard. However, he urges Keller to just patch him up so he could rescue Teyla. Keller reluctantly does so. Carter, McKay and Caldwell formulate a plan to strike back at Michael to launch an F-302 attack on Michael's weapons. He will launch fighters to retaliate, which will allow Sheppard's team to sneak in on a cloaked Jumper and rescue Teyla. With Daedalus' shields at under 20%. They rush with the plan. Carter reluctantly allows Sheppard to be on the mission.

The Daedalus launches the 302s to strike against Michael's cruiser. They are able to destroy the ship's weapons, to which Michael launches eight darts in response to combat the 302s. The bay doors open, but quickly closes. Sheppard quickly flies the cloaked Jumper and manages to make their way through. McKay tells Sheppard that he and Ronon can rescue Teyla while Sheppard stays, but he does not agree to it. They arrive and search through the entire cruiser to find Teyla. However, McKay discovers that Michael is far ahead with the hyperdrive repair, and could be re-operational any minute.

Teyla is in her room, where she is sitting, and having difficulty breathing. Her guard hears a noise and sees Sheppard's team, but is gunned down. The team has now found Teyla, and plans to move quickly, but Teyla announces that she had been having contractions for over an hour, and are getting closer each time. Her baby is coming. They try to get her out, but McKay says Michael's hyperdrive is operational. Sheppard and Ronon takes a charge of C-4 and walks down the corridor to the hyperdrive room. Meanwhile, McKay is to look after Teyla, and tries to talk to her about an incident where both he and his Cat once had a kidney stone. However, she has another contraction, and has to have the baby now. Sheppard and Ronon kill the Hybrids guarding the hyperdrive, where they are able to place the C-4, and detonate it from a safe distance. Kanaan investigates, while Michael wonders how the Humans are onboard.

Teyla is laying down and urges a very horrified McKay to deliver her baby. Very reluctantly, he agrees and reaches out his arms to catch the baby. Teyla pushes him out, and McKay catches him. McKay quickly turns from horrified to joyful, and hands Teyla her son. Sheppard and Ronon returns to see what transpired. The five of them leave, only to find that the Jumper has disappeared. They have no idea what happened to it, so they plan to take a dart. There, they encounter Kanaan, who surrenders. Teyla introduces him to their son, and he agrees to help them escape. Sheppard commandeers the dart and beams them all aboard, apart from the baby, as without risking what effect the beam will have to the baby, Sheppard carries him. Sheppard calls the Daedalus, and tells Caldwell that he is free to do whatever he pleases with the cruiser. With the beam weapons back online, he has the ship destroys and leaves for M35-117.

Back in Atlantis, Keller prepares Sheppard for surgery. Carter passes McKay, holding flowers to bring to Teyla and her baby. Carter tells him that she is gating back to Earth to attend the symbiote extraction of the final Ba'al clone, and to head there for an "exhaustive review by the IOA", from her first year of heading Atlantis. Meanwhile, Keller prepares Sheppard for surgery. Sheppard asks Teyla if she planned on the baby's name. She has; Torren John Emmagan, named after her father and John. Carter arrives on Earth and meets Richard Woolsey. However, instead of going for the review, Woolsey says that the IOA is relieving her of command, and he will replace her as the new commander.

Notable quotes
Michael: Well. I guess we're fighting after all.

Caldwell: Major Marks, please make that ship go away.

Marks: Yes, sir. (fires Asgard beam weapons at the ship, destroying it)

Sheppard: I had the chance to save a team member before, and it slipped through my hands, I'm not going to let it happen again.

Sheppard is about to go to surgery and passes Teyla

Sheppard: What are you gonna name the kid?

Teyla: Well, if it's all right with you, I was thinking of Torren John, after my father and after you.

Sheppard: Really? Wow.

Keller: McKay's gonna hate that.

Sheppard: I would be very honoured.

Teyla giving birth on Michael's ship

McKay: So, ummmmm, how are you doing?

Teyla: The pain is very great.

McKay: Oh...yeah I-I had a kidney stone once....incredibly painful....same kinda thing I'm told so yeah I hear you. Actually my cat and I had one at the same time and we were not fun to be around I'll tell you that much. He got his because he was eating too much dry cat food and I got mine because I wasn't drinking enough liquids, so that's why you see me drinking lots of water because I have no desire to experience that kind of pain again.

Teyla: (panting while talking) Fascinating story. Thank you...

Background notes

 * Rodney McKay announces the "Previously on Stargate Atlantis" in the beginning of the episode.
 * Right before Carter leaves Atlantis at the end of the episode, she mentions that the last Ba'al clone has been captured, and SG-1 is expected to put in an appearance at the ceremony. This is the premise for the introduction of Stargate: Continuum, confirming that it will take place shortly after this episode in the timeline.
 * When Sheppard is in the infirmary talking to Teyla and awaiting surgery, he is using a Nintendo DS Lite.

Production

 * On February 8th, Leela Savasta was cast for the role of Alicia Vega.
 * The director's cut was leaked to torrent sites on June 19th, 2008.
 * Rainbow Sun Francks makes a brief cameo as Aiden Ford (Dream Sequence) at the beginning of the episode, his first appearance since The Hive.
 * Amanda Tapping is no longer credited as a regular, and Jewel Staite and Robert Picardo have been placed on the opening credits.