Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie penned Irresponsible, which first aired on 27 April, 2007. It saw the return of Richard Kind’s Lucius Lavin. He’s causing problems again, but things are going to get really complicated for Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and the rest with the arrival of Kolya (Robert Davi).

Lucius comes to the attention of the Atlantis expedition again when Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) comes home with reports of a powerful hero. Lucius has been telling stories that sound very familiar, lifted from reports he perused while on Atlantis.

But Beckett (Paul McGillion) confirms that there are no traces of the drug within his system anymore, but he seems to be… invincible? He’s got a personal shield. He also pays for ‘ruffians’ to make an appearance and cause problems for him to solve. Unfortunately, these ruffians are Genii, and they contact Kolya.

Lucius thinks he can confront and take on Kolya, but things go against him pretty quickly. And Kolya is determined to get Sheppard and his team, and doesn’t care what it means doing to Lucius and the village he protects.

He’s able to capture everyone by Sheppard… is there a way for he and Lucius to save the day?

It’s a little goofy and silly, but it’s also fun to see Kind and Davi return to roles that we enjoy seeing them. In fact, it feels like Kolya hasa been gone for awhile, and this episode definitively ties up his character arc.

There’s some fun banter, great beats, and some light character stuff.

Tao of Rodney sees Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) getting himself into trouble again. Written by Damian Kindler, it first aired on 4 May, 2007.

This time around, McKay uses an activated Ancient device that seems to imbue him with powerful abilities. But, of course, there’s a flip side to this gift. If he doesn’t use the abilities to ascend, he will die in short order.

McKay is embracing all of the new abilities, and is able to do so much more than he ever could. But when Weir (Torri Higginson) comes across documentation that reveals that the machine is helped to design people ascend. Is there a way to stop it?

While McKay is working on improving the city, things begin to take dire turns, and while he’s able to help, he’s going to have to make some big decisions before things end. Can he ascend and then return?

He’ll have to learn to calm down and let go first. Can his friends help him find his inner zen? There are some really nice moments in the episode as McKay works to connect with his friends and fellows and perhaps allow him to grow.

But will it be enough? Can McKay find a way out? I really like this episode, and the messages about connection, mental health, and being aware of those in your life. And Hewlett is always a joy to watch on an arc of discovery.