AirLockAlpha.com

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the "Outcast" episode of the SciFi Channel series, "Stargate: Atlantis."

“It’s not going to be easy. If this was the movies, we’d dip him into a vat of molten steel or a volcano. You know, the fires from whence he came.” -- Dr. Bill Lee

This week’s episode of "Stargate: Atlantis" is another "buddy" adventure ... this time with Sheppard and Ronon, instead of the previous episode’s Sheppard and McKay team-up. But whereas "Harmony" was mostly comedy, "Outcast" is a little more action/adventure with a touch of "Terminator."

Sheppard is given some bad news by Carter: Sheppard’s father has died. Sheppard heads off the Earth for the wake and Ronon tags along for support, although he would never say that was the reason.

Apparently Sheppard’s dad was a rich "Utilities Mogul" who was not pleased with Sheppard choosing his own career path.

At the wake, Sheppard has three awkward run-ins: his brother Dave (Dylan Neal) with whom he has a strained relationship; his ex-wife Nancy (Kari Wuhrer); and a young female scientist named Ava (Emma Lahana) who works at a company (previously seen in "Miller's Crossing") that has an illegal project creating a human Replicator. Man, going to family events can be a real pain.

With the help of Ava, former Atlantis team member (now IOA agent) Sgt. Bates (Dean Marshall) and Stargate Command’s Dr. Bill Lee (Bill Dow), they track down the Earth-created Replicator. After a big fight for their lives and the discovery of Ava’s secret, Sheppard and Ronon manage to destroy the Replicator.

What Worked

I liked this exploration into Sheppard’s past, which had been hinted at in "Letters From Pegasus." It helps make the character seem richer and more real. It was nice to see Kari Wuhrer ("Sliders") guest star as Sheppard’s ex-wife. We find out why their marriage didn’t last. It was also great to see Bill Dow guest star again.

There were some really nice fight scenes in this episode, especially the big fight at the end.

I really liked how they tied in events from previous episodes this time around, including Sheppard’s past ("Letters From Pegasus"), the company that kidnapped McKay and Jeannie ("Miller's Crossing"), Bates ("Siege") and McKay’s reason he couldn’t go to the funeral ("Childhood's End").

What Didn’t Work

I’m not thrilled that we got another episode without the whole team, but they explained it fairly well. This time with a nice nod to continuity as to why McKay couldn’t join him. It isn’t hard to figure out why Teyla couldn’t be there.

Again with the barely there Carter. Recently, it was announced that Amanda Tapping will leave Atlantis to star on the web series "Sanctuary," which has been picked up by SciFi Channel. I’m thrilled for "Sanctuary" and feel that this is a good choice for both Amanda Tapping and for "Stargate: Atlantis." The biggest weakness this season has been the poor integration of Carter and "dumbing" her down to a fraction of the scientist and soldier she was on "Stargate SG-1."

I’m getting a little tired with the Replicator overkill. They are interesting villains, but I would love to see some new and different threats. This episode had a bit of intended camp feel due to the resemblance with "Terminator." But at least they knew that and had Lee make a reference to the film.

Overall, this wasn’t one of their strongest episodes this season, but the peek at Sheppard’s past and the guest stars helped make it an enjoyable episode.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"Outcast" was written by Alan McCullough with story by Joe Flanigan and directed by Andy Mikita. "Stargate: Atlantis" airs Friday nights at 10 p.m. on the SciFi Channel. The show stars Amanda Tapping, Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett, Rachel Luttrell and Jason Momoa.

Marx Pyle is a staff writer for Airlock Alpha, writing out of Vancouver, B.C. He can be reached at mpyle@airlockalpha.com.