McKay (David Hewlett), Ford (Rainbow Sun Francks), and Zelenka (David Nykl) are leading a team of scientists through Atlantis to make sure everything is operational after the events of the storm. Unfortunately, two of the scientists seem to be infected with a virus that kills them!

McKay orders a self-regulated quarantine, while they try to figure out what the scientists were exposed to and if it can be contained. Carson (Paul McGillion) suits up in a hazmat suit and leads a medical team to help McKay and his team out.

Hot Zone was written by Martin Gero, and it debuted on 4 February, 2005.

While McKay investigates, Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) are sequestered in a training room, and Weir (Torri Higginson) works to enforce the quarantine…. until someone goes on the run. And that causes a clash between Weir and Sheppard over who has command in the situation. And that’s going to be an issue. I hate that it happened, but I also like that it shows a problem arising between the characters.

And despite best intentions, Sheppard’s decision makes things worse.

Happily McKay and Beckett are able to figure out how to counter the viral agent, which is a good thing, because McKay has been infected. Will they be able to concoct an antidote in time? Of course they will, McKay’s a series regular, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to be a really fun ride.

Character-wise, Ford gets a first name, Aiden and we get a mention of McKay’s sister for the first time.

Sanctuary finds Sheppard’s team, McKay, Teyla, and Ford, in a puddlejumper attempting to elude a couple of Wraith darts, until a strange unknown weapon is fired from a nearby planet. It destroys the darts, and Sheppard is determined to investigate.

Sanctuary was written by Alan Brennert and first aired on 11 February, 2005.

On the planet, Sheppard confers with the civilization’s priestess, Chaya (Leonor Varela) who doesn’t know anything about the protection her planet provides. And that makes sense, because they aren’t particularly advanced. But they have never been attacked by the Wraith, despite being a prime target.

The energy the weapon gave off is powerful enough that McKay believes it must be run by a ZPM. So what’s going on? And will the civilization be receptive to the idea of letting their people find sanctuary there?

Sheppard is convinced that Chaya is somehow the key to everything, including the weapon, and invites her to visit Atlantis. Once there, her true nature is revealed, put together my McKay, and while it means that she can’t help them now, we know what happened to the Ancients, and they may be around in the future.

It’s fun, it’s funny to see McKay call Sheppard on the whole Captain Kirk thing he has going on. The season, and the series is progressing nicely.