Martin Gero launches the first part of the season finale, The Siege: Part 1, which was first broadcast on 18 March, 2005.

The Wraith hiveships and darts are drawing close now, and everyone is aware that they are the line between the attackers and the Wraith’s new goal, reaching Earth, which would be a new food resource for them.

Weir (Torri Higginson) works with Zelenka (David Nykl) and McKay (David Hewlett) to come up with a plan to stop them, which involves activating an Ancient satellite – meaning McKay is doing a spacewalk! or… destroying the city and the gate that would connect to the Milky Way galaxy.

And as the episode progresses, McKay is faced with a horrifying decision.

Halling (Christopher Heyerdahl) visits with Weir to make the argument that no matter what, Atlantis is too important to be destroyed. And this leaves Weir with something to think about. But also she has to put the safety of her people first. But at what cost?

Meanwhle, Bates (Dean Marshall) questions whether Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) should be on active duty. He believes that the Wraith can get information from her, just as she can from them. While Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) supports her, it’s easy to see how people would have doubts.

Those doubts are escalated when Bates is found beaten into a coma.

But it wasn’t Teyla, there’s a Wraith (James Lafazanos) running around Atlantis!!!

The episode races to its conclusion, and it’s inevitable To Be Continued… the weapon only destroys one of the hiveships before detonating. So what is going to happen? We’ll see if Weir’s rousing speech will do enough as the evacuation of Atlantis begins.

Fun, enjoyable, and really leaning into the characters that have developed over the past season, this one is really good.

The Siege: Part 2 aired a week later on 25 March, 2005. It was written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie.

Things seem pretty dire for Atlantis, as everyone gets back to the city and tries to figure out what their options are. Is there anything they can do besides evacuation?

Well, I hope you watched Stargate SG-1, because Stargate Command has recovered a ZPM, and they’ve sent a follow-up military expedition led by Colonel Everett (Clayton Landey). His first job is to relieve Weir of her position, and deactivate the city’s self-destruct.

And they brought back up, the newest ship of the fleet, Daedalus, will arrive in four days.

There’s going to be a number of clashes in this episode. Weir and Everett do not get along at all, and while Sheppard and Ford (Rainbow Sun Francks) are military, they are also loyal to Weir. So how will that play out?

As the Wraith arrive, the siege gets underway with lots of gunfire and VFX. It’s an all out battle for the city as our heroes try to figure out how to save the day. Which could be a suicide mission and involves the chair, puddlejumper’s and a very nervous Carson (Paul McGillion)

Weir goes to the Genii for help, and ends up as a hostage, but continues to work to negotiate a deal, allowing the Genii to test their weapon on the Wraith at no harm to themselves. It works, but there may be just too many Wraith. And while McKay and Zelenka try to figure out what to do, Ford, Sheppard and Everett’s men hunt down Wraith in the city.

This one is just fantastic, and surprise, it ends on a cliffhanger! Sheppard takes a puddlejumper when the gene chair fails with the intention of taking out a hiveship with the Genii weapon, Everett falls to the Wraith, the evacuation is on standby, Teyla is missing, the self-destruct is engaged and Ford comes face to face with the Wraith…

Wow. Helluva way to wrap up season one. Kudos.