Everyone is settling into Atlantis, McKay (David Hewlett) is taking gene therapy from Beckett (Paul McGillion) so he can access Ancient technology, but now he has a problem in Hide and Seek.

Written by Robert C. Cooper from a story by Cooper and Brad Wright, this episode was first broadcast on 23 July, 2004.

McKay is trying out a device that makes him invulnerable, and he and Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) have a lot of fun testing it out. Things get complicated when he can’t take it off, and he can neither eat nor drink.

Weir (Torri Higginson) believes that the device will come off, because the Ancients safeguard everything. Why wouldn’t they safeguard this device?

Meanwhile, the team preps the stargate and the city as a last line of defense against the Wraith.

Around the city, there are strange power outages and malfunctions, and some of the Athosians, who have joined the earth expedition in the city claim to see shadows flitting about. When one of the children goes missing, and the stargate seemingly activates on its own, everyone begins to suspect that there is someone, something else here…

I do like that all the characters get a moment, even as the worldbuilding continues. It leans into being a cast show and attention is paid to everyone.

McKay comes up with a plan to tempt the creature with a ZPM, but it’s a little too intelligent to fall for a simple trap. Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) suggests using a naquadah generator through the stargate. Trapping it on a barren planet instead. But to do that McKay is going to have to trust to the Ancient device to keep him safe one last time.

What is it? We may never know.

Thirty Eight Minutes was written by Brad Wright and it was first broadcast on 30 July, 2004.

When Sheppard is attacked by a bug, his life is hanging in the balance. The team is desperate to get him home, but the puddle jumper gets stuck half in, half out of the orbiting stargate. They’ll have thirty eight minutes to figure out how to get the puddle jumper unstuck before the gate automatically shuts down, and severs the small ship in hand.

The team is comprised of Teyla, Ford, Sheppard, McKay, and a couple of smaller characters. So who’s going to figure out how to save the day?

While Ford looks after Sheppard with advice from Beckett, McKay in the ship, and the big brains back at Atlantis try to figure out how to get the puddle jumper through the gate.

We learn that the bug is probably related to the Wraith, and Weir tries to keep the scientists in line and help the ship.

Oh, and we discover that there is a complete ass in the form of Dr. Kavanagh (Ben Cotton). He may be smart, but good lord, he should not have been given this assignment. And Zelenka (David Nykl) is going to be a lot of fun if he gets thrown into the mix on a reglar basis with McKay and Beckett.

The world is still being built, but it’s being done in a fun, and exciting way. Some great character work, and lots of fun moments.