Fans of Dr. Carson Beckett rejoice! McGillion has confirmed that he is returning to the series in Season Four, and has been gracious enough to give us a number.

“I came back for two episodes,” Paul told GateWorld. “It was great to be back. It was just like going back home. The crew were so terrific to me and ingratiating, all the producers and the cast. It was great to be back. There’s really some very meaty stuff for Beckett. I think, especially the Save Carson Beckett campaign fans, will be really pleased with what the outcome is. It was so great to be back.”

These appearances, according to Paul, will not be small cameos, but “meaty storylines.” “I’m thrilled! We’ll see where it goes. I don’t know. I really, really hope the show gets picked up for Season Five, for all those folks that work so hard on the show over there. I think it’s a really great show. Regardless where my character lies … I don’t know any details on that yet, but I would certainly be open to the opportunity if given it again.

“There’s not that many great sci-fi shows on television right now,” he said, “and certainly I think it’s a franchise that needs to keep going.”

McGillion is keeping busy on other fronts as well, including a Lifetime movie called “Just Breathe,” featuring Melora Hardin as his love interest. “It was a great movie,” he said. “Anne Wheeler directed it. It’s a complete shift from Beckett, though not Scottish obviously. It’s a drama about a divorce. It’s one of those movies where there’ll be a lot of Kleenexes out.”

Stick with GateWorld for more updates about this episode in the days ahead! New episodes of Stargate Atlantis air every Friday at 10 p.m. Eastern/Pacific on the SCI FI Channel in the United States.