What’s to come for Stargate Atlantis near the end of the current season? While talking to fans at last month’s Armageddon convention in Auckland, New Zealand, Torri Higginson (“Elizabeth Weir”) and Rainbow Sun Francks (“Aiden Ford”) dropped some hints.

Beware of spoilers in this report.

Convention attendees report:

During the public Q&A, Torri Higginson reported that her character will turn “very dark by the end.” Apparently a similiar attitude shift will happen with Dr. Beckett. Season Two will end with a serious situation, somehow lending itself to the first episode of Season Three — likely taking place on Earth. Major possibilities for crossovers were discussed here.

She also discussed that another ship would be introduced before the end of Season Two to help deal with “transport back and forth.”

Rainbow said that outside of those episodes that will be shown after the winter break (“The Hive”), he will not be seen throughout the rest of Season Two. “As of the end of Season Two, I [Ford] am alive with the possibility of being dead,” he revealed. The situation will allow for the producers to bring him back in the future, but with no guarantees that he really has survived.

Francks recently reported the same news at his GateWorld blog — that he won’t appear in Season Two after “The Hive,” the season’s eleventh episode and the first to air in January following the rerun break.

This story has been revised based on new information received.

(Thanks to Fred Michaels and Kiwigater for reporting!)