Here we go, the penultimate episode of Stargate: Atlantis. Written and directed by Robert C. Cooper, Vegas first aired on 19 December, 2008.

When another body turns up dead in Las Vegas, and a police detective is called in to investigate. John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan). What’s going on here? The bodies have strange chest wounds, and seem to be drained of life.

It’s pretty easy to figure we’re in an alternate universe, and that a Wraith (Neil Jackson) has made it to Earth. Which means in this reality, the Wraith know where Earth is. And he’s working on a transmitter that can breach realities and let all Wraith know where the planet is.

This is a fun episode, and it openly riffs on CSI. And, of course, we get to see alternate versions of familiar characters. Keller (Jewel Staite) is the local coroner and Woolsey (Robert Picardo) is (not) an FBI agent assigned to the case.

Sheppard is in over his head, with a killer he doesn’t understand and seems to be superhuman. To fill the detective in, Sheppard is taken to a remote location by Woolsey, where McKay (David Hewlett), who works on this universe’s Atlantis project reads him in.

Sheeppard is unsure of the things that are revealed to him, but McKay seems to know a lot. Can Sheppard stop the Wraith? Will he survive his encounter with the Wraith? Will the signal get through?

It does, because that signal will lead directly into the series finale.

This is a really solid episode. It’s smart, entertaining, and moves the narrative of the series forward in a completely unexpected way. And yet it makes sense, considering how often the Stargate franchise has played with alternate universes.

It also has some great needle drops.

Enemy at the Gate. This is it. The series finale. It all came to a close on 8 January, 2009. It was written by Paul Mullie and Joseph Mallozzi.

The Wraith signal got through. And now, a ZPM-enabled Wraith hive ship is headed for Earth. The only thing standing in their way is the Atlantis Expedition. Todd the Wraith (Christopher Heyerdahl) reveals that one of his people has a Wraith ship outfitted with a ZPM, he only comes to Atlantis because he’s been ousted from his position.

Sheppard and his team board the Daedalus and race after the Wraith ship, determined to find and stop it. Save the day, save the Earth. Everything is in the balance.

As things escalate, Sheppard is sent to Earth, and meets with Carter (Amanda Tapping) so that he can man the ancient chair in Antarctica, while Carson (Paul McGillion) will fly Atlantis. The forces are gearing up, and there are familiar faces everywhere.

And we also have to find time to say goodbye to all of the characters. Characters who have grown, and who we have grown with over five seasons.

Tensions are high throughout the episode, there is so much going on, so many things to be wrapped up. There are fan-service moments, but the episode is compelling, entertaining, and damned fun.

Sheppard races to get to the chair even as the attack on Earth begins! How dire will things get before Atlantis arrives? They lose the chair before it can be activated, the gates are down, and Sheppard is ready to sacrifice himself to slow the ship down. Is that what it will come to?

Atlantis opens a gate, but it leads to the Wraith ship, not Earth, so Ronon (Jason Momoa), McKay, Teyla (Rachel Luttrell) and Lorne (Kavan Smith) slip aboard, while Zelanka (David Nykl) uses a new program designed by McKay to get Atlantis to get to its destination quicker.

Damn there is a lot going on! Is everyone going to get through? Will Earth survive? This is a greeat episode to wrap everything up on, and they get so much in to the episode runtime!

Even as the series was winding down, the franchise was gearing up to launch a new series, one that would premiere before the end of 2009, Stargate: Universe. So let’s dial it up.