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The Tower
| The Tower | |
|---|---|
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| Production | |
| Series | |
| Episode | |
| Production # |
215 |
| Original air date |
December 20, 2005 |
| Written by | |
| Directed by | |
| Cast | |
| Guest stars |
Peter Woodward as Otho |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | |
| Followed by | |
| ||||||
| Atlantis Season 2 | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | |
| Season 1 | Season 3 | |||||
"The Tower" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of Stargate: Atlantis.
Contents |
Synopsis
Edit
Lt. Colonel John Sheppard's team visits a planet where they encounter a City-ship buried under foliage, and the central tower is used by the royalty of the planet. The Lord Protector is using an Ancient Control chair to rule over peasants near to the planet. He is dying and his children now compete for the throne.
PlotEdit
Added by Matthew R DunnLt. Colonel John Sheppard's team is on a planet and Dr. Rodney McKay begins complains about the primitive society, when a man named Eldred appears and tells them about the Tower. It supposedly protects them from the Wraith, so he agrees to show it to them. When the team sees it they are surprised to find it looks like the central spire of Atlantis. Back in the village, Eldred tells them that the Tower destroys the Wraith ships by using thousands of lights, which the team recognizes as Drone weapons. This sparks interest as the people in the Tower may have a Zero Point Module. They contact Atlantis and Dr. Elizabeth Weir orders them to find out more.
While McKay checks the Tower, the rest of Sheppard's team intervenes as some soldiers attempt to assault Eldred for his lack of respect. Another man named Otho appears and scans Sheppard's team with an Ancient device, then orders Sheppard to be arrested. Sheppard is then brought into the Tower where he is able to contact the others. He describes the interior of the Tower, which looks like Atlantis except that it is styled like a early modern throne room, mixing baroque and other elements. The throne, Sheppard realizes is actually an Ancient Control chair
Added by UnhappyelfIn the evening Ronon Dex, Teyla Emmagan and McKay eat with Eldred who tells them that they give the Tower half of their harvest. Meanwhile, in the Tower, Sheppard has dinner with the royal court, the Lord Protector reacts badly and is taken away. Later the Protector's daughter, Mara visits Sheppard's assigned quarters and tries to seduce him, revealing that her father wants them to marry.
In the morning, Sheppard talks to Otho, who tells them that one of his duties is to find the best match for the royal bloodline so that the royalty will still be capable of using the Ancient technology. When he had scanned Sheppard the day before, he had found that Sheppard carries the Ancient Technology Activation gene and thus hoped that it will strengthen the royal bloodline. If Mara doesn't become the next leader of her people, it will fall to her brother, Tavius. Sheppard then calls Dr. Carson Beckett to examine the Lord Protector and Otho leads Sheppard to a Puddle Jumper bay. There, Sheppard offers him the Ancient Technology Activation gene therapy to strengthen the ATA gene in the population. Later, Beckett informs Sheppard that the Protector has been poisoned and that nothing can be done to help him.
Added by AscendedAlteranMeanwhile outside the Tower, McKay enters the underground of the city with a young man named Baldric. They find a room filled with racks of Drone weapons but when he activates the systems, the earth begins to shake and the corridor collapses, trapping them inside. They are unable to call for help, so McKay backtracks to the city's Auxiliary control center and begins to access the Ancient mainframe running the city. In order to provide air and regain radio contact, McKay decides to blow a hole in the ceiling with a Drone.
Back in the village, Ronon rescues Petra from the royal guard and in this process kills one of them. This causes a revolt in the village, much to Eldred's shock. Teyla quickly briefs Sheppard on the situation, and he then informs Otho. Suddenly, the villagers hear a bell, which signals that the Lord Protector has died. Otho tells Beckett and Sheppard to leave, at which point Sheppard attempts to bring Mara with him. However, Otho appears and arrests them, revealing that he is the new Lord Protector. He brings them to Tavius, also imprisoned, who reveals that it was Otho who poisoned the Lord Protector.
Meanwhile, McKay contacts Teyla who tells him that he has to find the ZPM or the village will be destroyed by the drones in retaliation for the uprising. In the prison cell, Mara brings Sheppard his radio who contacts McKay and orders him to remove the ZPM because Otho's first act as Lord Protector will be the destruction of the village. As Otho activates the drones, Sheppard orders McKay to activate the city's Stardrive, thus depleting the already weak ZPM. McKay does so and the ZPM is depleted, rendering the drones inert in mid-air and they harmlessly fall to the ground. Sheppard then confronts Otho who attacks him with a knife. During the struggle, Otho is cut by the knife; having poisoned the blade, Otho has inadvertently poisoned himself and dies rather quickly.
Back on Atlantis, Sheppard informs Weir that they have received a supply of new drones and Puddle Jumpers in exchange for medical supplies and a Garage Door Opener. The Atlantis expedition has also offered to help the villagers run things. Weir asked if they offered to make him King; he declined.
ReferencesEdit
Ancient; Ancient Technology Activation gene; Ancient Technology Activation gene therapy; Auxiliary control center; City-ship; Control chair; Drone weapon; Drone weapon storage room; Earthquake; Flashlight; Heads up display; Kidney; Liver; Lord Protector's people; Lord Protector's Planet; Meals ready to eat; Particle magnum; Puddle Jumper; Sensor; Stardrive; Tower; Wraith; Zero Point Module
Notable QuotesEdit
Sheppard: They can't all be planets with cool technology and open minded women.
McKay: I don't see why not.
NotesEdit
- The episode's working title was "Sister City".
- The line about Lt. Colonel John Sheppard turning down being king may be an allusion to the fact that Joe Flanigan's original pitch for "Epiphany" was an episode where he'd be made king, but he was told they already did that in the Stargate SG-1 episode "It's Good to Be King". This is a way to just slip it in.
- The character Baldric that helps Dr. Rodney McKay find an entrance to the lower sections of the Tower may be a reference to the character of the same name in the comedy series Blackadder, the first series of which was based in a medieval court.
- Royal Shakespeare Company alumnus Peter Woodward (Otho) is also known for his portrayal of Technomage Galen in the Babylon 5 series spin-off Crusade.
- Jay Brazeau (Lord Protector) previously played in Harlan in the Stargate SG-1 episodes "Tin Man" and "Double Jeopardy".
- David Bloom (Eldred) previously played Scavenger in the Stargate SG-1 episode "Prisoners" and Spellman in the episode "Fail Safe".
- Mark Gibbon (Lord Protector's Guard) previously played Thor (human image) in the Stargate SG-1 episodes "Thor's Hammer" and "Thor's Chariot" and M'zel in the episodes "Death Knell" and "Endgame".
