Mid-season cliffhanger is ‘First Contact’

The first half of Stargate Atlantis‘s new season will end with an episode titled “First Contact,” writer-producer Martin Gero told GateWorld in an exclusive interview today. The episode is the first of a two-parter, guest starring Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson.

“The premise is that Daniel shows up in Atlantis to do some research. He’s been excited to come to Atlantis for five years now, and things have finally calmed down on the S.G.C. side to give him some free time. So he’s coming to Atlantis to do some research on Janus. And that’s all I’m going to say.”

Janus, introduced in Season One’s “Before I Sleep,” was an Ancient scientist who fled the city with the last of the Ancients 10,000 years ago, during the first war with the Wraith. Among his inventions is a Puddle Jumper capable of time travel, seen also in SG-1‘s “It’s Good To Be King” and “Moebius.”

Janus (Gildart Jackson)

“First Contact,” however “is not a time travel story,” Gero assured us. Jackson will be doing historical research on Janus and his scientific advancements.

“McKay finds it very frustrating, because McKay feels like he’s followed up any leads that are promising. So McKay is kind of angry — he thinks it’s someone coming over to check his work, basically, and is not the happiest that Daniel is coming to Atlantis. Also McKay is very territorial. He likes being the ‘head Ancient guy.'”

The episode will introduce a major new race to the Pegasus Galaxy, about whom little to nothing is currently known.

As in previous years, the concluding episode (number eleven in the 20-episode fifth season) will bear a different title, rather than a “Part 2.”

Stay tuned to GateWorld for more on “First Contact,” and much more from Vancouver this week! Season Five premieres on SCI FI Channel in the United States this July.