Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie wrote Home, which debuted on 10 September, 2004.

Sheppard’s (Joe Flanigan) team travel to a mist-enshrouded world, but when they dial the gate to go back to Atlantis, McKay (David Hewlett) makes the discovery that there’s enough energy in the mist field to allow them to dial home.

McKay and Ford (Rainbow Sun Francks) return to the world with the ZPM so that they can dial home and establish contact.

Once it’s done, Sheppard, Weir (Torri Higginon), Teyla (Rachel Luttrell), McKay, and Ford go through, for a visit home, and to debrief Stargate Command. According to the SGC they can return any time they want, because of the technological leaps that have been made on Earth.

And that should let us know, immediately, that something is wrong. And if you weren’t sure before, you can be sure when they are greeted by Hammond (Don S. Davis) as head of the SGC, and not O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson).

So what’s going on here?

As emotional connections are reforged, and things seem to be going really well, they also seem to be going incredibly wrong. Sheppard is the first to truly suspect that something is wrong.

And Hammond delivers the news that they can’t go back to Atlantis after all. There’s no way back.

Through it all Sheppard is the one figuring it out, though he’s playing it loose. And no one is seeing the truth, even when they are interacting with one another.

The truth is, they are still on the mist planet, and they won’t be allowed to leave. Can they find a way to reach an agreement with the life forms on the planet… the mist?

The Storm is the mid-season finale. It first aired on 17 September, 2004. It was written by Martin Gero from a story by Jill E. Blotevogel.

With the discovery that there are two hurricanes, forming one storm, are approaching Atlantis, and the the city is unable to submerge and the shields are still inoperative, other options are needed.

While McKay and Zelenka (David Nykl) try to develop a plan, is there a way to use the storm’s energy to run the shield. Meanwhile, an evacuation plan is created. Sheppard is finally able to negotiate with Smeadon (Micheal Puttonen) of the Manarians.

Teyla, Carson (Paul McGillion) and Ford are helping Teyla’s people on the Atlantis’ planet landmass prepare evacuation. But there is a hunting party still out there. Somewhere.

But Smeadon has plans of his own, reaching out to Cowen (Colm Meaney) of the Genii to let them know Atlantis will be empty. And working with Cowen is the deadly Kolya (Robert Davi), who will lead the assault to grab Atlantis, aided by the lovely Sora (Erin Chambers)

Kolya and his team arrive, and there are only a few people left on Atlantis, and they are easily captured.

Oh but Sheppard is still out there, running around free on Atlantis. And as the storm closes in, and the To Be Continued is on the horizon, Sheppard is preparing to pull a Die Hard, and Weir is looking death in the face as Kolya prepares to kill her.