This post contains spoilers for season 5, episode 6 of “Stargate Atlantis.”
Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) has been a dependable presence throughout five seasons of “Stargate Atlantis.” McKay’s brilliance as an astrophysicist has proven invaluable to the Atlantis crew, who often encounter problems that only an expert of McKay’s caliber can solve. That said, the downside of having someone like him on the team is the constant threat of dealing with jaded condescension (which is an intrinsic part of McKay’s personality). He often belittles people for not being “smart enough” and approaches every problem with an air of exasperation. Despite these flaws, McKay’s presence in “Stargate Atlantis” is essential — beneath layers of egocentric arrogance lies a heart that never hesitates to save innocents or self-sacrifice for the sake of his team.
The fifth and final season of “Stargate Atlantis” wrapped up individual arcs as best as it could, and some episodes shifted focus to particular members of the crew to raise the stakes. In a conversation with GateWorld, Hewlett mentioned his favorite script (which happens to be a Season 5 episode) that was heavily focused on his character:
“My favorite script of all time, I just read: ‘The Shrine of Talus’ — which is [by] Brad Wright. He’s just written this script […] It’s the one that is going to blow everyone away. It’s unbelievable. It’s like a wicked acting piece. Whether I’m supposed to say this or not, Kate [Hewlett] is coming back. We’ve got Jeannie back. And it’s … just brutal. It’s like a total tear-jerker. It’s gonna be neat. And for McKay, it’s fantastic because there’s this whole deterioration thing happening. And it’s the one, without a doubt, that I’m most looking forward to right now.”
In case you’re confused, Hewlett is talking about “The Shrine,” the final season’s sixth episode that revolves around McKay and a serious infectious disease. The actor surely wasn’t exaggerating about the quality of the script, as “The Shrine” emerges as a brilliant “Atlantis” episode with a nuanced central performance by the gifted Hewlett. Let’s dig deeper into this episode to see what makes it so memorable.
Read more: The 10 Most Powerful Star Trek Ships, Ranked
Hewlett delivers a deeply moving performance in this impressive Stargate Atlantis episode
Ronon, Rodney, Teyla, and Sheppard are forced to climb the Stargate after an accident in Stargate Atlantis – Syfy
“The Shrine” opens with McKay being recorded by Dr. Keller (Jewel Staite), as the former has been infected by an unknown disease known as Second Childhood. The symptoms include rapid memory loss, which is why McKay hardly remembers himself or his remarkable accomplishments, causing considerable distress among his colleagues. It is pretty jarring to watch McKay so unguarded, as the amnesia slowly erases everything he stands for, including the unique flaws that inform our perception of him. This is when his sister, Jeannie (played by David Hewlett’s sister, Kate Hewlett), is brought in, as the crew realizes that McKay is going to die at this rate, and that Jeannie deserves to say goodbye to her brother one last time.
Hewlett’s knack for playing an increasingly amnesiac McKay with conviction is the primary reason why “The Shrine” works so well, as this performance channels a depth of character with great subtlety. It is easy to reduce McKay to the condescending genius genre stereotype, but he has always been much more than that. There’s an uncharacteristically raw vulnerability to him in this episode, which is expressed through his dwindling self-esteem and his repressed affection for Dr. Keller. With Jeannie’s presence added to the mix, we have an incredibly emotional story about a man who comes very close to losing himself and everything he holds dear.
“The Shrine” delivers beyond expectations, as McKay’s predicament seems to be tied to the titular location on the planet Talus (which Jason Momoa’s Ronon Dex had journeyed to at some point). Going to this shrine is a last-ditch effort to save McKay, but the crew takes the risk anyway, even though it is now a heavily guarded enemy outpost.
All in all, “The Shrine” is a solid episode that makes us appreciate McKay for who he is, as it earnestly makes us miss his pointed jabs and generally prickly disposition. The tragic consequences of sudden memory erosion are as heartbreaking as one would expect, making the Atlantis crew realize that nothing lasts forever.
If you’re looking for the easiest way to keep up with all the major movie and TV news, why not sign up to our free newsletter?
Read the original article on SlashFilm.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
