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- This episode is part 2 of 3; it is preceded by "This Mortal Coil" and followed by "Spoils of War".
"Be All My Sins Remember'd" is the eleventh episode and midseason premiere of the fourth season of Stargate Atlantis.
Synopsis
With the Asurans undeterred in their effort to wipe out Human populations to defeat the Wraith, the Atlantis Expedition now have a means of tracking their ships and destroy them using the newly acquired plasma beam weapons on their ships. However, their efforts mean that the Asurans have to retreat to their homeworld, only to come back again in bigger numbers. In order to stop them, the Atlantis Expedition, Wraith and the recently discovered Travelers must work together to stop the Asurans once and for all.
Previously on Stargate Atlantis
Rodney McKay was able to reactivate the command to attack the Wraith in the Asuran base code. At first, they were at full fighting force, until a Wraith told them that in order to defeat the Wraith, they started to attack and wipe out Human worlds, and plan to deactive the code by upgrading the Wraith computer virus, but with not much success. Later, the duplicate copy of their team fled from Niam's faction, with a core drive to track every Aurora class warship in the Pegasus Galaxy. McKay has found out, however, that there are around 40 ships in the galaxy.
Plot
Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard and his team ready a mission to M9R-373, to help evacuate the Sions, the planet's inhabitants, since the planet is in the course of the Asurans. Sheppard, however, feels anxious that they had little or no contact with the populations they are evacuating, and needs Ronon Dex and Teyla Emmagan as much as possible, despite Teyla feeling a little ill. As they go to the Stargate, it activates where the populations of another planet come to Atlantis. Lieutenant Kemp from the other side tells Sheppard that he needs Teyla to convince the remainder of the people, as they don't seem 100% convinced. However, suddenly, the Asurans arrive and attack the planet. The Gate deactivates, with no way of reactivating it to the planet, Kemp and the remaining 2,000 people are all dead.
Meanwhile, both the Daedalus and the Apollo arrive from Earth, where Colonels Abe Ellis and Steven Caldwell. They have arrived with the newly acquired Asgard plasma beam weapons to fight the unstoppable Replicators. Doctor Rodney McKay gives a presentation to his progress on the computer virus, but is forced to admit he hasn't progressed much. After that, they plan to go to plan B and use the new weapons. However, McKay insists that it isn't a good plan, since despite the fact that space can incapacitate the Replicators, they could easily be found by other space-ferring races. After a heated argument between McKay and Ellis, they are forced to a compromise, McKay needs 10 hours to perfect the codes. If the solution doesn't come up by then, the ships can use the beam weapons to destroy the ships.
Both ships fire the beam weapons at the Asurans.
McKay is in the lab with the captive Wraith, who has doubts that their task will be completed within 10 hours. He is proven to be correct, as 10 hours later, he still hasn't progressed. Both ships are forced to jump to the co-ordinates of a Replicator Aurora class warship. The Daedalus and Apollo intercepts the Replicator ship the second it exists hyperspace, and test their new Asgard weapons. The Replicator ship is easily destroyed by only a few shots. While Caldwell is confident that their success will continue, Colonel Samantha Carter warns him that there are still thirty seven Replicator warships left and the Replicators have long been known to quickly adapt to new strategies.
A week later, Caldwell reports back to Atlantis for supplies. Over the week, they split up both ships, and with conbined forces, is able to destroy a further six ships. However, as Caldwell prepares to leave again, Sheppards brings him into a briefing, where they since they ahave been taken by surprise, they learn the entire Replicator fleet is retreating to their homeworld, Asuras. They could come back again in larger numbers, meaning the Tau'ri's kill rate is going to seriously drop. Fortunately, this means that now the entire fleet are in their homeworld, they could take out the entire fleet in one area. Unfortunately, the Daedalus and Apollo alone cannot take on the entire fleet by themselves, since they will be outnumbered, not to mention the stray drone weapons firing from the surface.
This means that McKay must finish his anti-Replicator program, since he had more than enough time to come up with an idea. Unfortunately, all of current efforts on the program had failed. He is forced to tell everyone that his idea won't work, until he is struck upon by another idea.
He presents his idea to Sheppard and Carter. Since the Asurans are more than likely immune to the effects of the ARG, instead of interrupting the bonds between each individual Replicator nanite, he could try strengthening their bonds and dial up the attraction between one another. This would make every single nanite in the vicinity merge together into one super-dense blob, a single mass so dense that the Asurans would be rendered inert. To prevent the idea of going back to sneaking into Asuras to upload a new command code to turn the Asurans into a blob, he has a better, easier idea.
He presents them the Nanite creation machine. Since they have the technology to make a Replicator, he can create a small block of nanites to serve as a magnet to attract the nanites and then deliver to the planet's surface where they could just sit and watch them all turn to a blob. However, there is a problem; there will be a delay for all the nanites on the ships to be affected, which will give the Asurans enough time to escape and create a new army. They can't use the Earth ships, since there's only two ships, against a fleet of 30. Sheppard then thinks of a way to get more ships to fight.
They turn to the captive Wraith, who tells them that he can easily send at least another twelve ships to the battle. Howeverm the catch is, in order to convince the Wraith, the prisoner has to convince them personally. The First Atlantis Reconnaissance Team, apart from McKay, escorts the Wraith to a Puddle Jumper and fly to a Spacegate where a fleet of Hive Ships is hanging around. Sheppard warns the Wraith prisoner that if he double crosses them, he dies.
A Puddle Jumper approaches a wraith fleet
The Jumper arrives into the Wraith fleet to convince them to join the battle. They are then given landing instructions, and when they land, several Wraith warriors enter, and instead stuns the team, especially Ronon, and apart from the prisoner.
Meanwhile, in Atlantis, McKay and Radek Zelenka work on creating the block. At first it succeeds, but soon fails, as the block collapses. McKay tries again, and holds it under a force field to keep it in shape. When the field lowers, the block collapses again. Knowing that McKay has disabled too many protocols, there is only one thing he can do. Just as he tells Zelenka, he is called into Section seven, where a Naquadah generator is malfunctioning.
Back in the Jumper, Sheppard regains consciousness, to find the Wraith. He tells John that the Wraith needed to negotiate alone, and then gives him some news; seven Hive Ships have agreed to fight, citing that the rest of the ships were not convinced of the battle's success and that there was a shortage of Wraith Queens. It isn't a lot, but it is a start. The rest of the team later awakens and prepares to leave for Atlantis, where an Aurora class ship exits hyperspace right in front of them. They believe it is the Asurans. However, it is revealed that the ship belongs to the Travelers. Sheppard boards the ship in order to inform Larrin of their plan. He tries to recruit her forces in return for the destruction of a common enemy as well as repairing their commandeered warship. Larrin tells him that she once encountered a world that wasn't culled, but destroyed. While tempted by the offer, Larrin must run it through her governing council first.
FRAN is born.
McKay has finished his idea. He was forced to compromise with the nanites, and tells Zelenka that he has made a full-made Human form Replicator. Zelenka is in shock when a female appearing Replicator says "Hello" at him. After the Jumper arrives, Teyla goes to see Jennifer Keller after she was stunned. After Sheppard wonders why the stunning incident was different, Teyla is forced to admit that she is pregnant, and has been for three months. This news surpirses and infuriates Sheppard, after realizing that after all this time, she was putting herself, and the baby, at risk. As a result, Sheppard takes Teyla off of active duty. Ronon however, congratulates her and knows Kanaan is the father, due to the way she talks about him. He then agrees to go with her to get checked up.
Sheppard tells Carter of Teyla's pregnancy, who then tells him that McKay has been throwing a curve-ball, by creating a Human Replicator. McKay, however, assures them that he has completely disabled most protocols but walking and talking, so she can't replicate or contact the Asurans. Later, the Replicator informs him that the current program will not work fast enough to prevent the Replicators from adapting, creating the "Replicator Godzilla" that the entire team was fearing. However, there is another solution. If the team sets off a half dozen ZPMs around the Replicator mass, they can set off a massive chain reaction that would destroy the mass and the planet.
The allied fleet prepare for the battle.
In the end, Larrin promises that she can provide several ships, that will add up to fourteen ships in total. Once they will arrive, they will hold off the Asuran ships long enough for "FRAN" (the Replicator's name, meaning "Friendly Replicator Android") to beam down and activate, where the nanites will attract each other and turn to the blob, where they will then be destroyed. With the plans finalized, they organize their combined fleets and stage a massive attack on Asuras. The fleet of fourteen ships rendezvous and prepare to move out. While aweing at the sight, Caldwell tells Carter that she remembers doing joint mission with Russia after the Cold war ended, thinking this operation as very similar. With the fleet ready, they jump into hyperspace.
The Battle of Asuras.
While in hyperspace, FRAN is excited in the prospect of stopping the Asurans, despite the fact they she will cease to be when it is finished. They then prepare to beam down to the surface of Asuras, as they are about to arrive. Once they arrive, the fleet immedietly attacks the Asurans, disabling or destroying the ships. As the battle rages on, FRAN, McKay, Ronon, and a team of Marines are beamed down onto the planet. While McKay takes control of the planet's power grid, Fran initiates McKay's program and begins absorbing the Replicator nanites.
In orbit, the allied fleet does all it can to keep the Asuran warships from jumping to hyperspace. One attempts to, but Sheppard, who in the Traveler Aurora ship fires drone weapons at it and destroys it. Unfortunately, the allied ships starts to lose their shield and power, and cannot hold on for much longer. As the Apollo prepares to transfer some of the power from the beam weapons, the firing from the Asurans stops. The Replicator mass gains enough power to begin drawing in the Replicator nanites in orbit. Soon enough, every nanite is part of the massive blob. McKay prepares to overload the ZPMs, but unfortunately, the mass is so heavy, it destroys the main power grid, blacking out the city, meaning the ZPMs can't overload.
As the "Replicator Godzilla" attacks the city, they consider firing nukes into it, which might not do much good. But then Carter discovers that the main ingredient to Replicator nanites, Neutronium, is very common in the soil of the planet. By increasing the attraction of the Replicator mass, McKay can draw the super dense Neutronium into the Replicator mass, making it denser and forcing it to sink to the planet's core. Once the Replicator mass reaches the core, the planet will explode. McKay succeeds, and the blob is sinking into the planet.
The Asuran home planet is destroyed.
The building the marines are in starts to shake violently, and quickly beams aboard the ships. The allied fleet are given co-ordinates to the rendezvous point. They all jump into hyperspace, when seconds later, the planet violently explodes, destroying the Asurans once and for all.
Back on Atlantis, the Travelers amicably depart the city after the Expedition is done fixing their new ship. The Wraith have never showed up at the rendezvous point, leading the Atlantis team to believe that they have gone their separate ways and are now officially enemies again, putting life back to normal. McKay then happily deletes the Replicator homeworld from the Ancient database and agrees with Sheppard on getting a late lunch.
A lone Asuran warship lurking around the debris of Asuras.
Back at the formaer location of Asuras, a lone Aurora class vessel lurks around the debris, scanning for any trace Replicator cells. There are none. It is revealed that commanding the ship is Elizabeth Weir, who is glad to hear that the Replicators are no longer there to hamper her actions and begins to set her plans in motion.
References
Ancients; Anti-Replicator Guns; Apollo; Area 51; Asgard; Asgard plasma beam weapon; Asuran; Asuras; Aurora class warship; Battle of Asuras; Bombs; Bullets; Cold war; Control chair; Culling; Daedalus; Drone weapon; flu; Godzilla; Hive ship; hyperdrive; Hyperspace; Jennifer Keller; Lieutenant Kemp; M1911A1 pistol; M9R-373; Lieutenant Marks; Nanite; Nanite creation machine; Naquadah generator; Neutronium; Niam; Orion; Pregnancy; Puddle Jumper; Russia; Section seven; Sions; Subterranean power grid; Traveler; Traveler energy pistol; Traveler generational ship; Volcano; Wraith; Wraith Queen; Wraith spear gun; Zero Point Module
Notable quotes
The colonels beam into Atlantis
Caldwell: Colonel.
Ellis: Colonel.
Caldwell: (to Carter) Colonel.
Carter: Colonels.
Ellis: (to Sheppard) Colonel.
Sheppard: Colonels.
McKay: What, seriously?
McKay: The systems the Ancients had in place were designed to create fully functional humanoid replicants, right?
Zelenka: Yes.
McKay: Well, turns out that trying to create something much simpler is, ironically, much more difficult. In the end I was forced to compromise.
Zelenka: Wait, you're not suggesting that...
McKay: I know it wasn't part of the plan but it was either this or nothing.
McKay reveals to Zelenka that a Replicator woman is sitting on the nanite creation machine
FRAN: Hello.
Discussing FRAN
McKay: It can't die, it's not alive. It's a programme. I mean, its consciousness is just a bunch of ones and zeroes. I mean, you can call it "she" all you want but it's still just a thing, a prop, a really advanced radio-controlled weapon. I mean, you don't feel sorry for your bullets, do you, your bombs?
McKay talking to FRAN about her to-be fate
McKay: And you're fine with all this?
FRAN: Why would I not be? It's my reason for being.
McKay: Well, I know. It's just that you're gonna cease to be.
FRAN: Yes.
McKay: Well, I just imagined you'd rather keep being than, uh, than not.
FRAN: Certainly you're not worried for me, are you, Doctor?
McKay: No, no, that would be silly.
FRAN: Yes, it would.
McKay: (to Zelenka) Should never have given it speech.
Background notes
- Teyla Emmagan announces the "Previously on Stargate Atlantis" in the beginning of the episode.
- This episode takes place around two months since the events of "Missing", since Teyla learned she was pregnant by the end of the episode and knew about the pregnancy for two months.
- The title of this episode, as well as the title of the preceding episode, "This Mortal Coil", is from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act Three, Scene One, the famous "To Be or Not to Be" soliloquy:
- To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
- For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
- When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
- Must give us pause: there's the respect
- That makes calamity of so long life;
- ...Soft you now!
- The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
- Be all my sins remember'd.
- In a deleted scene, Caldwell and Carter conversed in Hermiod's former work station, speculating he was killed during the extinction of the Asgard on Orilla. It was also revealed that Caldwell was once married, but was divorced.
Productions
- Even though Elizabeth Weir made an appearance at the end of the episode, Torri Higginson was not credited until the closing credits.
- The Nielsen household ratings for this episode was 1.4, the highest rated Stargate Atlantis since "First Strike", which achieved 1.5.
External links
Be All My Sins Remember'd, on Gateworld.net, retrieved 3 July 2007