Michael

This article is about the Stargate: Atlantis episode. For other uses, see Michael (disambiguation).

Michael
Production
Episode	2.18
Production #	218
Original air date	January 16, 2006
Written by	Carl Binder
Directed by	Martin Wood
More Information
Gallery
Transcript
Credits
Chronology
Preceded by	"Coup D'etat"
Followed by	"Inferno"

Template:ATL-2

Gallery

Episode

Transcript

"Michael" is the eighteenth episode in the second season of Stargate: Atlantis.

Synopsis

Lt. Michael Kenmore wakes up with no memories about who he is, after he was supposedly captured by the Wraith. While trying to remember his past life, he notices that everyone is looking at him strangely. Soon, he discovers the hard way that he wasn't captured by the Wraith, but was one himself.

Plot

A man wakes up in the Atlantis infirmary with no recollection of who or where he is. The senior staff of Atlantis tells him that he is Lt. Michael Kenmore and claim that he lost his memory and was injured while attempting to save his team from the Wraith. Dr. Carson Beckett releases Michael back into the general population under the guide of Teyla Emmagan to try to reclaim his lost memories. However, Michael begins dreaming of the Wraith and confides of this in Teyla, who assures him that she, too, has had similar dreams of the Wraith.

File:Michael198.jpg

Michael seeing himself as a Wraith in the mirror

In a briefing of the senior staff, Teyla brings up the issue of telling Michael "the truth," arguing that it is becoming difficult to keep up this "lie". The rest of the staff, however, disagrees with this course of action. Beckett advises that Michael try therapy to eliminate the dreams of the Wraith, stating that they may purely be psychological in origin. At the same time, Ronon Dex is having more difficulty than the rest and twice attacks Michael, once after he pins Teyla in a training exercise, and again in the hall.

File:MichaelFindsEvidence.jpg

Michael finds some evidence about his origins

During another night of no sleep, Michael asks to go to the infirmary for sleeping pills. Beckett, however, has fallen asleep at his desk, and so Michael looks into his logs, finding more suspicious evidence behind everyone's unease around him. So, he takes this evidence back to his room and discovers the truth: he is a Wraith. It turns out that Beckett has nearly perfected the Iratus bug retrovirus and has successfully eliminated the Wraith DNA, provided he administers daily doses of drugs. Because of this development, Lt. Colonel John Sheppard seeks to develop a biological weapon to launch on the Wraith, though Beckett states that he clearly has no means of causing a permanent effect.

File:Ronon Michael.jpg

Ronon attacks Michael.

After this revelation, Michael argues against what the Atlantis team has done to him, stating that they did it for their benefit, rather than his. Michael has also begun to realize that he still has basic Wraith instincts, and while being escorted to the infirmary to receive his daily dose of the drug, he attacks his guard and grabs his gun, then runs off down the corridor, pursued by Ronon and the remaining guards. Security is called. Sgt. Cole finds Michael first and fires at him. Michael returns fire, killing Cole. Attracted to the blood, he puts a finger on the wound, then smells it only to be stunned by Ronon. Sheppard and the team place him in the Atlantis holding cell.

Ronon wants to kill Michael immediately, but the two doctors argue that they are the ones who made him human, they have to treat him as a human. Dr. Elizabeth Weir asks Beckett to increase the dosage after having Michael moved to the new Pegasus Galaxy Alpha Site. They have come this far, they need to learn more about the retrovirus. Beckett, however, begins blaming himself for what has happened, including Cole's death, since it was he who developed and administered the retrovirus in the first place. Weir assures him any fault lies with her since she gave the order to carry out the experiment.

Teyla goes to visit Michael in the cell. He tells her he didn't intend to kill Cole, he only wanted to escape. She informs him of Weir's decision: he must continue taking the drug at a higher dose, hopefully eradicating any Wraith impulses that remain. If he refuses, he will be executed.

File:KenmoreTeyla.jpg

Michael takes Teyla hostage.

Once moved to the Alpha Site, Teyla visits him again, bringing him food. Michael convinces Teyla to release him because she understands him as no one else does, due to her Wraith gene that allows a certain sense between the two of them. Michael then takes Teyla, as a hostage, into the forest, fleeing Sheppard and Ronon who are searching for them now. Michael and Teyla reach the Stargate where he dials an address and takes Teyla through to an unknown planet, however not before Teyla manages to write the address on a stone. On the other side Teyla becomes aware that there are many Wraith on this planet because that is why Michael went there, to return to his own kind.

File:MichaelRevertsBack.jpg

Michael demonstrates his transformation back into the Wraith

In the absence of his injection, Michael's body begins to change, eventually re-developing the organ that allows a wraith to feed on a human. He approaches Teyla with his hand out stretched, intending to feed but seemingly apprehensive. Teyla is not afraid and challenges him to try. Sheppard and Ronon catch up and shoot Michael before he can feed, saving Teyla. They flee as Wraith from the nearby Hive ship arrive and attempt to surround them, leaving an unconscious Michael where he fell. The Wraith carry him away.

Back in Atlantis, the senior staff discuss the situation. The Wraith will now know that Atlantis was not destroyed. Weir says they need to start planning a defense, and Sheppard says they will need more firepower.

Appearances

Appearances for Michael

Locations Lantea Atlantis Atlantis brig Atlantis control tower Atlantis conference room Atlantis infirmary Jumper bay (mentioned) Stargate Operations Atlantis gym Atlantis living quarter Michael Kenmore's quarters Atlantis mess hall Kate Heightmeyer's office Pegasus Alpha Site (Second) Planet (Michael) Scotland (mentioned) Texas (mentioned) Events Tau'ri-Wraith War Capture of Michael Kenmore Skirmish on the Wraith outpost Items Computer Defibrillator Dial Home Device Diabetes (mentioned) DVD EEG FN P90 Personal Defense Weapon Insulin (mentioned) Iratus bug retrovirus Jello Meals ready to eat Particle magnum Physiotherapy Sparring Telepathy Wraith beaming device (mentioned) Wraith handblaster Wraith spear gun Vehicles Hive ship Puddle Jumper Wraith cruiser (mentioned) Sentient Species Athosian Human-form Wraith Satedan Tau'ri Wraith Wraith warrior Creatures Iratus bug Organizations Atlantis expedition Atlantis Reconnaissance 1 United States Air Force United States Marine Corps

Notable Quotes

Beckett: Michael, we believe you may be suffering from what's called generalized dissociative amnesia, which usually occurs as a result of significant trauma.
Michael: Trauma caused by the Wraith?
Beckett: We don't know for certain. Hopefully, over time, your memory will return. In the meantime, we'll do our best to help you fill in the gaps: a wee bit at a time so as not to completely overwhelm you.
Michael: I'm already completely overwhelmed. How much worse can it get?

McKay: (to a commissary staff member) Ah. Hey, what happened to the, um, to the blue jello? My favorite, all of a sudden it's off the menu. What gives? (the man shrugs his shoulder and walks away) Thank you! Ah. Lieutenant Kenmore.
Michael: So they tell me. Call me Michael.
McKay: Michael. Right, yes, of course. Michael.
Michael: I'm sorry. Um, I'm probably supposed to know you but ...
McKay: Right, right, the amnesia. Yes, of course, I heard. I'm, uh, Doctor McKay. Rodney McKay. Doctor.
McKay: So, you've been, um, released, I see.
Michael: Just now, but I have some bodyguards following me around everywhere, and Colonel Sheppard's probably somewhere close by. They wanna keep an eye on me in case I suddenly, um ... freak out.
McKay: Yes, freak out, yes. Well, I don't think you're gonna ... you're not gonna ... You're fine, aren't you?

Sheppard: Lieutenant.
Michael: Colonel.
Sheppard: Where you off to?
Michael: My quarters. Doctor Beckett gave me some pills, help me get some sleep. Thought I'd give 'em a try.
Sheppard: No alcohol or heavy machinery.
Michael: Excuse me?
Sheppard: Nothin'. Sleep well.

Michael: What do you want from me?
Ronon: Just waiting for you to give me a reason to kill you.
Micheal: I guess I should thank you.  You are the only one that has been honest with me from the start.

Ronon: He's changing directions. The tracks are difficult to follow. He's good.
Sheppard: But you, uh, can follow them, right? I mean, that's your thing. (After Ronon turns and looks at him.) Among many other things.

Notes

• The working title for this episode was "Charlie".

• This is the first episode showing the Wraith since the episode "The Hive".

• This is the beginning of the Michael Kenmore arc which ends in "The Prodigal", after he becomes a major threat to the entire Pegasus galaxy, including the Wraith.

• This is the first on screen appearance of the Pegasus Alpha Site that was established in during the Battle of Atlantis after the first Alpha Site was discovered by the Wraith.

• The story of Michael's capture is briefly explained in the novel Stargate Atlantis: Allegiance.

• Connor Trinneer (Michael Kenmore) is best known for playing Charles "Trip" Tucker III on Star Trek: Enterprise. He is the tenth Star Trek veteran to appear in the franchise after Armin Shimerman in "The Nox", Dwight Schultz in "The Gamekeeper", Rene Auberjonois in "The Other Side", Marina Sirtis in "Watergate", John de Lancie in "Ascension", John Billingsley in "The Other Guys", Jolene Blalock in "Birthright", Robert Picardo in "Heroes, Part 2" and Colm Meaney in "Underground".

• James Lafazanos (Michael Kenmore/Wraith Commander) previously played Jimmy in the Stargate: Atlantis episode "Rising", Steve in the episodes "Suspicion" and "Poisoning the Well", Mister Hooper in the episode "The Defiant One", Gordon in the episodes "The Gift", "The Siege, Part 2" and "The Siege, Part 3", Bob in the episode "The Siege, Part 1", Wraith Commander (Runner) in the episode "Runner", Wraith Commander (Condemned) in the episode "Condemned", Wraith Commander (Aurora) in the episode "Aurora" and Wraith Commander (The Lost Boys) in the episodes "The Lost Boys" and "The Hive".

Goofs

• During Michael's rehabilitation he picks up a picture of his 'parents' next to a closed laptop. Seconds later, the security feed shows the laptop open.

• Around the 36 min mark Lt. Colonel John Sheppard and Ronon Dex happen upon the 2 downed officers that were guarding the gate while tracking Michael. It is fairly obvious, by looking past the small trees and shrubbery, that they filmed this part on a set somewhat diminishing the effect as its done indoors rather than outside.

In other languages

• Hungarian: Michael (dubbed from English)

External links

• Michael on GateWorld. (backup link)