The Kindred (Part 2)

Stargate Atlantis Season 4 Episode 19 - Plot: The story behind Carson's incarceration is unveiled, as the Atlantis team works to find and rescue Teyla.

Carson

Understandably, everyone's a little sceptical about Carson's return. They fear he may, intentionally or not, do something to hinder their attempts to find Michael and Teyla. We learn this much, the real Carson did die a year ago in an explosion. This Carson is a clone, who believed he was the real Carson and that he had been in captivity for two years, having been taken following the events of Misbegotten.

There's a problem though. Carson had been receiving regular injections from Michael. His original belief was that these were designed to keep him sedated. In fact, they were designed to keep him alive, as a side effect of the cloning process causes cell decay. Carson begins to suffer organ failure, but is determined to help in the search for Teyla.

Teyla

Teyla is taken to a facility on an abandoned post-cull world. There, she is re-united with the Athosians, before being taken to Michael where he explains his plans for her child. As the child will be the product of two parents with The Gift, Michael believes that it could be vital in his research in to developing Human/Wraith hybrids.

The Atlantis team gets a lead on their location and invades the facility. Following a confrontation with Beckett, Michael escapes with Teyla.

Stasis

Dr. Keller's efforts to save Carson have not been successful and there's no choice but to put him into Stasis while she works to find a way to regenerate his cells.

In an emotional 'see you later', the team gathers to watch him go in to the Stasis Pod, knowing that he may never be revived again.

The review

I'd say this was something of a disappointment following last week's episode. It certainly felt like it was building up to more than this. Maybe the fact that it wasn't our Carson made me a little disenchanted with the episode from the start.

It did pick up towards the end, with some exciting action scenes during the Atlantis team's assault on Michael's facility. It was interesting to see that the Teyla in captivity plot will roll over to another episode. I'd imagine it might even roll over to next season. She certainly appears to be heavily pregnant up to this point. She's already had her baby, but it'd stand to reason that she'd need to take a break away from the show for that reason.

Mixed feelings about putting Carson in to Stasis. On the one hand, it means we're likely to see him again. On the other, it's a rather big dangling plot thread that might never be resolved.

Well this episode floundered for twenty minutes or so, it picked up a head of steam eventually to produce a half satisfying/half frustrating climax.

The season 4 finale is up next!

8 out of 10