AirLockAlpha.com

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for "The Shrine," the sixth episode of the fifth and final season of "Stargate: Atlantis."

"You're stuck with me, Rodney. Just accept it." -- John Sheppard
"You're a good friend, Arthur." -- Rodney McKay

After being stuck on top of a Stargate in a flooded valley, McKay falls ill. He is stricken with the Pegasus version of Alzheimer's called "Second Childhood" and is quickly losing his memories.

McKay's sister, Jeannie, is brought to Atlantis to say her final goodbyes to her dying brother.

But Ronon has a risky plan. His people know of a shrine located on the planet Talus that would allow McKay to return to normal for one day before he dies.

So the team head off on a dangerous mission hoping to have one last day with the Rodney McKay they all know and love.

What Worked

I thought last week's episode was well written, but this episode is perhaps my favorite of the entire "Atlantis" series and is a contender for my favorite for the entire franchise.

David Hewlett did an absolutely fantastic performance showing great range. It is one of those defining moments for an actor that shows what they can really do. The only other Stargate episode that challenged an actor to this level was the classic "SG-1" episode, "Lifeboat," where Michael Shanks had to play a Daniel Jackson possessed by different people.

I was amazed by the performance, and it gave the rest of the cast something fantastic to work off of. I could feel the sorrow and pain felt by each character as they ached to see their friend becoming a shadow of the man he once was.

The several short videos scattered throughout the episode was well executed and did a great job showing us McKay's decline.

There were two very emotional scenes that stood out for me. The first one was where McKay freaks out when he wakes up alone and runs down the hall yelling Sheppard's name. Sheppard tries to reassure him, and they go out on the pier drinking beer. The conversation between them seemed so real and their friendship is leaps above any that we ever saw on "SG-1."

Another scene that stood out was when Jeannie tries to talk to McKay and she can't keep herself composed. She ran out of the room and started crying. It was great to see Hewlett's real-life sister again on the show, and this was a perfect episode for her to appear. Hopefully we will see Jeannie again in the future.

There were so many great character moments in this episode. I even liked the conversation between Woolsey and the team. Woolsey is skeptical that the shrine actually works and talks about an experience he had with his father who was suffering from Alzheimer's.

Heck, even Ronon had his moment. It showed how much he cared, but still in a way true to his character. He wanted McKay to have an honorable death and was willing to risk his own life to provide that.

And of course the two scenes between McKay and Keller were great and actually gave Jewel something to work with. The fruit cup date was cute and Keller watching the video where McKay confesses his love to her was touching.

Knowing that the show is ending probably effected me even more, because in a way as they are saying goodbye to McKay I know that I will soon have to say goodbye to "Atlantis."

What Didn?t Work

Not much didn't work in this episode. You could argue that the ending was a cop out, but did you really think it would end any other way? Anyway, if you think fan outcry was high when Dr. Frasier or Dr. Beckett died, it would be nothing if McKay died.

Although I liked the developing relationship between McKay and Keller, I'm doubtful it will go anywhere. Stargate writers have had a bad history with writing relationships. Don't get me started with the Carter and O'Neill mess. But it was still some great TV, and I hope the writers surprise me with actually having those two get together. Honestly, Keller is the weakest link in the show right now. This subplot could help out. It is strange, because I'm a big fan of Jewel Staite's work, but this character has just been written too weakly for my taste.

Overall, this was one of the best episodes of "Atlantis" to date. The story and character moments reached a level that is rarely seen in Stargate much less scifi TV in general. I feel that this season is shaping up to be far better than last and perhaps will become the best of the whole five seasons. I regret that Atlantis is ending. I have a hard time believing that they could top these characters that I've grown to care about in the Stargate Universe spin-off. I honestly feel with an introduction of some fresh threats and worlds, the show could easily have one or two more good seasons.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

"The Shrine" was written by Brad Wright and directed by Andy Mikita. "Stargate: Atlantis" airs Friday nights at 10 p.m. on the SciFi Channel. The show stars Joe Flanigan, David Hewlett, Rachel Luttrell, Jason Momoa, Jewel Staite, and Robert Picardo.

Become a master of science-fiction with the "Masters of Science-Fiction" DVD set. Learn how you can win a set of your very own by clicking here.

Feeling a little horrific? Get your daily dose of horror news straight from The Doll, Rabid Doll that is at www.RabidDoll.com.

Hear Michael Hinman on SyFy Radio every Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT at www.BlogTalkRadio.com/SyFyRadio.

Follow Airlock Alpha on Twitter! Add SyFyMichael to your follow list today!

Become a part of the Airlock Alpha Facebook community! Just do a search on "SyFy" and join us!