The Tower

From SGCommand

Atlantis Season 2
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"The Tower" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of Stargate Atlantis. In this episode the team visits a feudal society with a mysterious tower and an almost Shakespearean royal power struggle ensues.

Contents 1 Plot 1.1 References 2 Notable Quotes 3 Notes 4 External links

[edit] Plot

Sheppard's team is on a planet and Rodney 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 ZPM. They contact Atlantis and Weir orders them to find out more.

While Rodney 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. Rodney has discovered the Tower is merely the main tower of a Lantean City ship, identical to Atlantis. In the throne room, the Lord Protector talks with Sheppard and invites him to dine with them. Afterward, Sheppard contacts his team and orders them to remain quiet.

In the evening Ronon, Teyla and Rodney 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 John carries the ATA 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. Beckett to examine the Lord Protector and Otho leads Sheppard to a Puddle Jumper bay. There, Sheppard offers him the gene therapy to strengthen the ATA gene in the population. Later, Carson informs Sheppard that the Protector has been poisoned and that nothing can be done to help him.

Meanwhile outside the Tower, Rodney 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 Rodney backtracks to the city's secondary operations center and begins to access the Ancient mainframe running the city. In order to provide air and regain radio contact, Rodney decides to blow a hole in the ceiling with a Drone.

Back in the village, Ronon rescues a woman 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 Carson 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, Rodney 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 Rodney 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 Rodney to activate the city's star drive, thus depleting the already weak ZPM. Rodney 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 stabbed 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 an IDC. The Atlantis Expedition has also offered to help the villagers run things. Weir asked if they offered to make him king; he declined.

[edit] References

Drone weapon; The Tower

[edit] Notable Quotes

Sheppard: They can't all be planets with cool technology and open minded women.
McKay: I don't see why not.

[edit] Notes

• 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 appeared in Stargate SG-1 as Harlan. (SG1: "Tin Man", "Double Jeopardy")

• The character Baldrick that helps 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.

[edit] External links

• The Tower on the official Syfy website.
• Official Stargate Atlantis site. MGM. Visited June 8, 2006.
• Transcript from GateWorld. Transcribed by Callie Sullivan. Visited May 14, 2006.
• Summary from GateWorld. Visited[May 14, 2006.
• Gatenoise from Moon-catchin'. Visited June 23, 2006.