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"Quarantine" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of Stargate: Atlantis.

Synopsis[]

A Quarantine lockdown leaves everyone in Atlantis trapped, threatening several relationships in the process. However, some of the team learns that the quarantine lockdown might be nothing more than a false alarm, but it does not matter, as the entire city could be threatened.

Plot[]

It is a normal day in the city of Atlantis, with expedition members performing their usual duties. In the lab, Lt. Colonel John Sheppard plans to play a computer game of golf with Dr. Rodney McKay. However, McKay plans to have lunch with Dr. Katie Brown, but with a surprise. He brought a diamond ring from Earth, and plans to marry Katie, since they had been seeing each other for around two years. Sheppard promises to get him a beer after this to congratulate. McKay then leaves and on the way, passes Teyla Emmagan, now visibly pregnant, who comes to see Sheppard. Meanwhile, Dr. Jennifer Keller sees Ronon Dex, who has yet again injured himself in a sparring session. Also, Colonel Samantha Carter joins Dr. Radek Zelenka in the transporter to the main tower. McKay joins Katie in the botany lab to get some lunch. A nervous McKay then reaches down to get the ring. However, as he is about to, an alarm sounds and the door behind them closes. He is not the only one, the entire city has mysteriously locked down.

Quarantine 1

McKay and Katie Brown stuck in her botany lab.

Sheppard, Keller and Carter separately calls McKay for help in what is going on, but there are no answers. Zelenka notices that communications are down. Meanwhile, McKay explains to Katie that they are in a quarantine lockdown. He tweaked the system after the Kirsan fever outbreak, since the quarantine did not take effect then. Now that he knows what is going on, he needs access to a computer to stop it. However, Katie says he can't since she left the computer and radio in another room, that can't be reached because of the lockdown. In the infirmary, Keller has Ronon help her ready the infirmary, since she knows that this is also a quarantine.

Atlantis transporter 1

Carter and Zelenka stuck in a transporter.

Sheppard and Teyla discover that they are in a "category five" lockdown, the highest level, meaning absolutely everything is out; ventilation, communications, long range sensors, as well as all primary and secondary systems. Teyla then tells Sheppard that she originally came to discuss the future of her position in the team, due to the child. If the rest of the Athosians aren't found, then she may have to pull back, since she doesn't want her son to grow up without a mother. Sheppard then assures her that if something does happen, then Atlantis would be the son's family. Meanwhile, Carter and Zelenka, who are also trapped figure out the quarantine status. Carter starts to doubt if there is a disease outbreak, since everything is down. Their suspicions turn out to be correct, as there was an intense ionospheric storm that day which spiked Atlantis' power, which ultimately caused the city to lock down. They realize it doesn't have anything to do with McKay's changes after all; it is a feature of the new planet they are on. They briefly discuss steps they will have to take to prevent future lockdowns. They also begin to wonder why McKay hasn't figured out the problem yet, not knowing he has no access to a computer.

In the botany lab, Katie and McKay begin to argue about what to do next. Afterwards, McKay decides to cheer her up, but couldn't think of anything, until he notices the Rodneyana villosa, which has fully grown. McKay then starts to feel ill, believing the disease has affected him, not knowing there is no outbreak, and is likely just allergic to some of the shrubbery and plants.

Ronon, who doesn't like sitting around tries to force the door open, tearing up his stitches in the process, but the door still won't budge. Keller frustratingly restitches his wound. They decide to both talk to pass the time. However, she can't find anything to speak to him about. Soon, Keller starts to admit that she is not good at sitting and waiting either, since nothing has happened for a while. Ronon starts to talk about how she reminds him of Melena Omi, his former lover who was killed on Sateda during a Wraith attack several years ago, trying to save her people. Keller tells him that there was nothing he could've done to make her come with him, if she wanted to stay and help her people.

Quarantine 2

Teyla feels her baby kick.

Meanwhile, Sheppard feels unnerved that "in the movies", the pregnant woman always goes into labor, despite Teyla saying that the baby is months away. Sheppard sees McKay's headset on the table, then remembers he has gone to the Botany Lab where there are no computers. Realizing McKay cannot be working on the lockout, Sheppard then plans to hack into McKay's systems, and does so by typing his password, which McKay once told him, because he never thought Sheppard would remember it. He types McKay's password, which happens to be 16431879196842 (a combination of Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and McKay's birth years, and 42, the ultimate answer to life, the universe and everything). There, he discovers that the city has activated a distress signal since the lockdown, which is leaving their position vulnerable. He still can't go to the control room. Teyla's baby then starts kicking. Sheppard plans to blow the door open, but can't find any explosives. With no other option, Sheppard breaks open a window, and plans to climb up to the control room, which is only four levels up. He starts to climb up the central tower.

Quarantine 3

Sheppard wonders what to do next.

Carter and Zelenka are starting to get a little hot, since the ventilation is down, no cool air is coming in. They plan to use the computer to get the transporter door open. However, in the process, a power surge knocks Radek back. The surge also burnt out the RAM, meaning they are now stuck for good. Sheppard continues to climb up Atlantis, and almost falls on one occasion. However, he is able to make it up to the control room balcony and then breaks himself into the control room. There they find a group of technicians frantically working on restoring the ventilation, which they restored on the central tower, and tries to stop the distress call, which is protected by McKay's password. Sheppard is able to get into McKay's system and shuts down the signal. However, there is another problem, since Sheppard broke into the control room, this means that there is a breach in quarantine, which causes all the computers to shut down and the self destruct sequence activates with an unknown time until the timer goes off..

After hearing the destruct sequence, Ronon tries to open the door again, without any success. Since he doesn't have his Particle magnum with him to blow the door open, he plans to find explosives, despite the fact that it is an infirmary, not armory. He then has an idea when Keller mentions the oxygen tanks. He plans to use an oxygen tank and shoot it to blow a hole into the door, similar to how Sheriff Brody stopped the shark in the movie Jaws. However, since there are no guns in the infirmary, he has Keller score some marks into the neck of the tank with medical machinery. Meanwhile, Chuck is able to shut down the alarm, but not the self-destruct sequence. The only way to stop it is to go down six levels, enter the power room and shut down everything to reboot the systems. With half a dozen doors to get through, they plan to blow through them. However, Major Evan Lorne only has one block of C-4. A team of Lorne, Sheppard, Chuck, and Amelia Banks starts to climb down Atlantis.

Quarantine 4

The oxygen tank just passes Keller and Ronon.

McKay is now lying on the ground in the botany lab, and tells Katie that the technicians may have only muted the alarm. There, Katie notices the ring McKay is carrying, and McKay admits that he came to her today to propose to her, but now that he thinks he is dying, says there is not much point in doing so, which upsets Katie a little. In the infirmary, Keller is done marking the oxygen tank. Ronon sets up a contraption, by using a few hospital beds, a scanner and another oxygen tank. From a distance, the two take cover behind a wall, where Ronon then activates the scanner, where the second tank falls onto the end of the other tank, where it acts as a missile, and then bounces off the door, before flying past Keller and Ronon. When they check if the door opened or not, all they saw was the a lot of mess, and the door hasn't opened.

Sheppard and the team are now inside the city, and uses the last of their C-4 to blow a door open. There, Carter and Zelenka hears the noise and shout for help. Sheppard hears them, and he and Lorne help open the transporter door, since they aren't as strong as the other doors. There, the two are briefed on the situation. With no more C-4, they see an air vent, which leads to the power room. Zelenka volunteers, since he is small enough to fit. The team helps him up, and he crawls though the vents.

In the botany lab, McKay is still lying on the floor, with Katie not talking. In the infirmary, Ronon admits to Keller that when she first arrived, he thought she was weak, but has a change of heart since the attempt on scoring the oxygen tank. Keller tells Ronon that there was never a part in her life where she belonged, since she was focused on education more than her personal life when she was younger.

Jennifer Keller 1

Keller and Ronon's almost kiss.

Zelenka falls into the power room, stands up and limps to the control switches and turns them all off. Ronon and Keller are about to kiss, when the power shuts down. When it reboots, the entire city has now become fully operational again, with the lockdown overwritten, and the self-destruct sequence deactivates. This distracts Keller and Ronon from their very near kiss. Meanwhile, McKay is relieved that the doors have opened again, but looks awkwardly at Katie, who is holding the ring.

In the mess hall, the whole team congratulates Radek on his work in shutting down the lockdown, and all owe him a debt of gratitude. Carter also informs them that for 24 hours now, there has been no sign of any ships, Wraith, or otherwise that has detected the signal, and are all in the clear. Ronon tells them that he heard McKay thought there was an actual quarantine, since he was sick, but stops talking when Keller arrives. Sheppard and Teyla then tease Ronon about a possible relationship between him and Keller.

Meanwhile, McKay returns to Katie in the botany lab and admits that after the lock down experience, he has realized that he has "shortcomings" and says he isn't ready for marriage and doesn't want to risk ruining her life until he's worked out his own personal problems. Katie also admits that she's not quite ready for marriage either, and both she and McKay agree to put off the proposal for a future date, and having a raincheck on lunch. As McKay heads to the door, Katie says "bye" with a very sad look on her face, before the door closes.

Appearances[]

Appearances for Quarantine

Locations

Events

  • Quarantine incident

Items

Vehicles

Sentient Species

Languages

Creatures

Organizations

Mentioned

Notable quotes[]

McKay: Hey, it doesn't take much for a good situation to turn ugly. One minute you're happily riding your bicycle back from a senior Lagrangian mechanics mid-terms, you know, the warm breeze in your face. Next thing you know, you're flying through the air because you just hit a pothole.
Brown: Oh, Rodney! Did that happen to you?

(McKay and Katie are in the Botany Lab talking)
Katie: What is it?
McKay: It's nothing...er...oh, hey, isn't that the, erm...
Katie: The Rodneyanavolosa. The plant I named for you.
McKay: Right...er...it's grown.
Katie: Yes, it's really flourished here. I've been kinda doting on it, giving it a little extra TLC (Starts moving her hands up and down it) and it just, just gets bigger and bigger...
(McKay starts coughing uncontrollably)

Sheppard: They would have to know Rodney's password. (pause) Fortunately, I do.
Teyla: He told you his password.
Sheppard: He didn't think I'd remember it. (types it down) 16431879196842. See? Doesn't take a genius.
Teyla: It doesn't?
Sheppard: 1643 is the year Isaac Newton was born, 1879, Einstein, and 1968...
Teyla: The year Rodney was born.
Sheppard: Never underestimate the size of that man's ego.
Teyla: Wait, weren't there other numbers?
Sheppard: Forty two.
Teyla: What is that?
Sheppard: It's the Ultimate Answer to the great question of life, the universe and everything. (Teyla has a blank look on her face)

Teyla: John, what are you doing?.
Sheppard: The control tower is only four floors above us. All I have to do is climb up and I'm in.
Teyla: Climb the tower? Is that even possible?
Sheppard: Sure... Batman did that all the time.

(The self-destruct alarm has gone off. Ronon and Keller are in the infirmary. Ronon is trying to get the door open)
Keller: Ronon, we've already tried. It's not gonna open!
Ronon: We'll just have to blast a hole in it!
Keller: With what? You don't have your gun.
Ronon: Got any C4 in here?
Keller: In the Infirmary?
Ronon: Anything we can use to act as an explosive?
Keller: I don't know, I...er...the oxygen tanks, maybe?
Ronon: Right...like Sheriff Brody did in that movie...Jaws!
Keller: Yeah, I know, I've seen it. What are you...?
(Picks up an oxygen tank)
Ronon: Alright, all we need is a gun to shoot it with. You got one in here?
Keller: Again, Infirmary, not armory.

Zelenka: (In Czech) I'll have the power off in no time. Jesus, that's unbelievable, I'm SUCH a moron! She'll think I'm a total idiot. Well, what else should I do? No, not this again...(groaning) Don't fit here...ugh, this place stinks! (looks down) Jesus [and] Mary... (looks around) Oh tell me it's not happening!"

Cast[]

Main Characters

Guest Stars

Notes[]

  • David Nykl stated in his blog that this episode was the first to be filmed upon the cast and crew's return from the summer break. This is the reason Teyla Emmagan's pregnancy has advanced so far in between episodes.
  • As Sheppard is climbing the tower, when he pulls himself up onto an outcropping the theme from Batman can be heard in the background music.
  • It's later revealed that Dr. Katie Brown misconstrued McKay's actions as a breakup and left for Earth after this episode. The first indications of this are in the beginning scene of the next episode, "Harmony" when McKay and Sheppard quibble about which sister they want to date (Flora, Mardola, or briefly the third more beautiful sister). Although it isn't directly mentioned until Dr. Jennifer Keller and Carter point it out to him in "Trio", after which he turns his attention to Keller.

Goofs[]

  • At 5:36 Jason Momoa visibly shakes the door prop while acting out Ronon's first attempt to pry it open.
  • When Zelenka falls into the Main power room, the display wobbles, showing it is canvas, not solid.
  • When Ronon Dex later tries to force the Atlantis infirmary door open, the metal rod he uses snaps off and falls to the ground. In the next shot, the end of the metal rod is lodged in the crack of the door.

Other languages[]

  • Hungarian: Karantén (Quarantine)
  • German: Quarantäne (Quarantine)
  • French: Quarantaine (Quarantine)

External links[]

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Episodes and Seasons
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Season 5 12345678910111213141516171819202122
Season 6 12345678910111213141516171819202122
Season 7 12345678910111213141516171819202122
Season 8 1234567891011121314151617181920
Season 9 1234567891011121314151617181920
Season 10 1234567891011121314151617181920
Season 1 1234567891011121314151617181920
Season 2 1234567891011121314151617181920
Season 3 1234567891011121314151617181920
Season 4 1234567891011121314151617181920
Season 5 1234567891011121314151617181920
Season 1 1234567891011121314151617181920
Season 2 1234567891011121314151617181920
Season 1 12345678910
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