Outsiders

"Outsiders" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of Stargate: Atlantis.

Synopsis
Dr. Carson Beckett, now a traveling doctor in Pegasus comes across a planet, where some of the villagers are refugees from Balar, a planet infected with the Hoffan drug, and destroyed by the Wraith. However, the Wraith arrive on the planet and gives the village an ultimatum, hand over the Balarians, or face destruction of the entire civilization.

Previously on Stargate: Atlantis
The Atlantis expedition encountered a race called the Hoffans, who showed them a drug that can stop the Wraith from feeding on them. However, the feeding Wraith would die, and 50% of the recipients of the drug would also die. The expedition left after hearing the flaws, and ignoring them. The Wraith discovered what they were doing and wiped out the Hoffan race. Four years later, several planets across the Pegasus galaxy were infected with a plague, only to discover that it was a new, improved version of the drug, administered by Michael Kenmore, who stole the Hoffan drug research.

Plot
Dr. Carson Beckett is treating several people on Elson's planet in Pegasus, and just finishes on a little girl, who gives her the bad news that she has to go in for school tomorrow. Later, Lt. Colonel John Sheppard and his team arrive. Sheppard has come to deliver medical supplies to Beckett, to help him treat more of the people. Beckett tells them that the locals have taken in the survivors of the Hoffan drug, from the planet of Balar. He introduces the team to Novo, a Balarian. Beckett tells the team that the supplies won't last long because the Hoffan drug has caused infections in the survivors. Beckett also explains that Balar was wiped out by the Wraith, as some of them went on to wipe out any civilization with the drug in their system. Since they're "poison", they can't risk letting a civilization advance, so they have them destroyed. Outside, they wonder how Carson is doing. He is doing very well, and since several worlds have given him such generous hospitality, he fells like he has made a difference, and doesn't miss Atlantis. However, their conversation is cut short, when they hear screaming. They see nine Wraith warriors arrive in the village, and Sheppard's team takes cover.

The team realize right away that there are no Wraith Darts, and the nine warriors aren't attacking. They then see the Wraith Commander demanding to speak to the village leader. Elson walks up to him. The Commander explains that he knows of certain refugees from a planet they wiped out. He wants the village to turn over the Balarians, and the planet will be safe, but if not, everyone will be killed. The Commander tells the village that by the end of the night, a Hive Ship will arrive to wipe them out. They have until then to make up their mind.

While the Balarian couple, Novo and Sefaris explain to the team that they and the other Balarians are locked out of the meeting between the village leaders, Sheppard tries to go there. Meanwhile, the leaders discuss the fate of the "outsiders". Elson, and Renni decide not to turn them in, since they are guests who have done nothing to the village, and even consider them family. Jervis on the other hand, wants to turn them in, despite Renni telling him that if they do hand over the Balarians, they will be no better than the Wraith. Sheppard enters the council chamber as they are considering the problem, and offers them another option; Rather than hand over their guests, his team can help resettle everyone on another world, in relative safety from the Wraith, more than 600 people. He convinces them that even if they do cooperate with the Wraith, they could destroy the village anyway and destroy them for being an "inconvenience".

Convinced that the Wraith might kill them either way, Elson agrees to the evacuation. Sheppard sends Ronon Dex and Teyla Emmagan to the Stargate, knowing the Wraith have guarded it in order to prevent the village from escaping. The two see a small contingent of Wraith guarding the Gate, and the two prepare to attack them once the rest of the team come. Suddenly the two see dozens more Wraith arrive at the Gate. Ronon and Teyla inform the rest of the team that they can not leave now.

Jervis leaves the council meeting, knowing he has lost the argument to give the Balarians to the Wraith. He takes the law into his own hands, and gathers several other villagers to drive the Balarians out. The men arm themselves with rifles, and begin to capture many of the Balarians in the village. A group with Nova and Sefaris try to evade them, but are surrounded. Sheppard's team arrives at the building where Carson is treating the more seriously injured Balarians and tells Carson that they need to move them out of the village. Suddenly Jervis and his men arrive and attempt to take the rest of the Balarians. During the standoff, Carson confronts Jervis and urges them to kill the Balarians, because he will not relinquish them to him, and they would be better off dying anyway. Jervis and his team are forced to surrender. However, Jervis tells them that the rest of his men have already delivered the first group of Balarians to the Wraith. The team lock up Jervis and his men in the village's jail and decide to move the villagers into the mine for safety.

In the field where the Stargate is, the Balarians, including Novo and Sefaris are circled by the Wraith. The Hive Ship arrives at the planet and the Wraith informs the Balarians that they will be moving soon. Sefaris tries to make a deal with the Wraith; he knows of someone who is very valuable, but will only give him to the Wraith if they let the Balarians go. After the Wraith don't agree, he does it for an exchange of his own life. The Commander agrees. Meanwhile, the village and much of Sheppard's team are in the mine, and call Dr. Rodney McKay and Beckett to hurry up with the packing. The two are almost finished packing more supplies, when the Wraith and Sefaris arrive. The Wraith stuns both Carson and McKay. Sefaris tells the Commander that he has made good on his end of the bargain and wants to be released. However, the Commander goes back on his deal, and takes out a knife, more than likely killing Sefaris.

Beckett and McKay later awaken in a holding cell onboard the Hive Ship. The Wraith Commander arrives and takes them to a laboratory that belonged to their top Wraith Scientist. The Scientist was researching a way to detect the Hoffan Drug before he died. His death was a result of feeding on an infected human, which proved that his experiments had failed. The Wraith tells Carson that if he finishes the research, they will not kill the humans on the planet below.

Meanwhile, upon hearing Beckett and McKay's capture, Sheppard has an idea on who may be responsible. He snakes into the village, and into the jail, where he holds Jervis, pointing his pistol at his neck. He explains the doctors have been captured. Jervis and his men tell him that they didn't have anything to do with this, since Beckett was nothing but good to them. Jervis says that he does know the Balarians are probably behind this.

In the Hive, Carson is working on the research when he stops, and finds something and demands to see the Commander. McKay wants to know what he found, but Carson cannot say. He is then escorted to the Commander's chamber. He tells the Commander that he is not going to finish the research, and will not do his dirty work for him, stating that people will die either way, whether he completes it or not, and isn't scare of what the Commander will do to him. The Wraith, now enraged, feeds on Beckett. However, he is unaffected by the feeding and the Wraith falls to the floor, in pain. Beckett tells the Commander that his Scientist was actually close in detecting the drug, he did a blood test on himself, and discovers that he was infected by the drug too. The Commander dies.

Beckett grabs the Commander's weapon and escapes. He stuns several guards and frees McKay. But before they can exit the lab, they destroy all the Scientist's research. The two men wander through the ship until they find a control console. McKay goes to work and manages to gain control of communications. They contact Sheppard, who tells them to take the ships weapons off line, despite alerting the Wraith to them. McKay works on shutting the weapons down, but the Wraith discover the Commander's dead body, and the two men are then attacked by the Wraith. Carson holds them off while McKay disables the ships weapons. They then flee to the dart bay and attempt to take one of the Darts. Unable to make it work, McKay tells Carson that he has another plan.

On the planet, Elson sneaks into Jervis' holding cell and tells them that he does not trust the Atlanteans anymore, since they don't have a plan. He asks if Jervis can get the Wraith to honor the original deal. Jervis says he will, but he will need to get all of the outsiders at once. Elson tells him that they are all in the mine and gives him the keys to the cell door.

Jervis, his men and the Wraith are marching through the mines, where they arrive at the spot where the outsiders should be, but the room is empty. The new Wraith Commander searches the room, and picks up a block of C-4. Outside the mine, Sheppard detonates the C-4 and a large area of the ground collapses. Sheppard tells Elson that he did a good job, and Ronon asks if he thinks they killed enough Wraith to make a difference.

The team takes out the remaining Wraith guarding the Gate and begin to evacuate the villagers when several Darts arrive. Almost all the people have gone through the gate when Teyla is nearly abducted by a dart, but instead McKay and Beckett beam down. McKay tells her that he programmed the dart to beam them down and not beam people up. They all escape, just before a Dart could scoop them up.

Back at Atlantis, Carson is working on using the enzyme that is keeping him alive to help the survivors of the Hoffan Drug from getting infections. McKay enters to let him know that Major Evan Lorne and his team has found a new planet for the Balarian survivors. Beckett is aware, and plans to leave with them, but Richard Woolsey will not let the information off the base. Because of this, Carson has to work on the enzyme while he can. McKay asks him to have lunch with him, and Beckett reluctantly agrees to. On the way out, Beckett wants to catch up on McKay, and wonders if he is interested in anyone. McKay poorly hides the fact that he is.

Notable Quotes
Wraith Commander: Turn over these outsiders and your lives will be spared. Resist...and you will all die together. The choice is yours.

Sheppard: Jervis taken care of? Teyla: He and his men have been locked up. They will not be giving us any more trouble. Though I do not think it was necessary to stun them. Ronon: Felt good, though.

McKay and Beckett are in a holding cell. McKay: I've got lots of experience escaping from these things. Beckett: You do? McKay: Oh, yeah, yeah. Been in this situation dozens of times, always figured a way out. Beckett: How, exactly? McKay: Ah, let's see. Uh, last time, Teyla was posing as a Queen, so, um... you know, she had us released. Beckett: Not much chance of that happening. McKay: No, I guess not. Beckett: How about the time before that? McKay: Ronon's friend Tyre was pretending to be in league with the Wraith but really he was on our side so... he let us out. Beckett: I'm startin' to sense a pattern here. You've actually never really escaped from one of these cells on your own, have you? McKay: First time for everything, right?

Beckett: So, interested in anyone these days? Rodney: Me? No I'm no-I'm (stutters). Beckett: You're a terrible liar, Dr. McKay. Tell me, tell me, tell me.