4. LIFELINE
(Season Four, Episode 2)
When the show’s producers chose to write out Dr. Weir after three seasons, they certainly gave the character a magnificent send-off. Deathly injured in the Replicator attack on Atlantis (“First Strike”), Elizabeth’s life is saved only by reactivating dormant Replicator nanites left in her body (see “The Real World”). They rapidly repair her body, but are so integrated into her vital organs that shutting them down would kill her. She is part Replicator now. In “Lifeline,” the team uses this to infiltrate the Replicator homeworld itself, where Elizabeth can wirelessly tap into their shared consciousness and guide the team to their objective.
Not only does Weir (finally) get to go on a dangerous mission and play a key role, but it is here that she sacrifices herself. She is not a passive casualty of the looming war, but actively chooses her fate in order to help the team escape — and, ultimately, to save all of Atlantis. While the decision to take the character out of the show is obviously a controversial one, fans have to admit that Weir goes out in a heroic fashion that is true to who she is.
3. GHOST IN THE MACHINE
(Season Five, Episode 5)
But is anyone really dead in sci-fi? A splinter sect of Replicators seeking to learn the secrets of ascension create a copy of Elizabeth and the rest of the team, and though this mortal Weir is also killed in rescuing the team (“This Mortal Coil”), a Replicator duplicate of her remains. She undergoes a procedure to try and ascend her consciousness, but only loses her Replicator body. She and the others end up disembodied minds floating through subspace. But she manages to find Atlantis, and reconstitute a Replicator body for herself — based on the “FRAN” template (“Be All My Sins Remember’d”).
After that spectacular cliffhanger in Season Four’s “Be All My Sins Remember’d,” the writers intended to bring Torri Higginson back for an on-going arc. But the actress turned down this episode, forcing them to recast the character in order to tie up the dangling plot thread. The Fran template and the ascension storyline worked perfectly, and guest star Michelle Morgan does a fantastic job of “channeling” the heart and soul of Elizabeth Weir. Though it’s not really “our” Elizabeth, there is a sense of familiarity that makes her dubious return — and the fate she chooses for herself, again in the city’s best interests — heartbreaking. While we would have loved to see Torri return, this is a very fitting conclusion for the character we loved for many years.
man, I sorely miss Dr. Wier (Tori H). She is a great actor. SGA started going downhill after she left IMHO.
ghost in the machine? maybe not. But the rest are great!
Go Elizabeth! I’m pleased with GateWorld’s choices, and pleasantly surprised that they didn’t do The Long Goodbye. Because though it had some good action (and that kiss!) it wasn’t Lizzie after all. ;)
this mortal coil, real world, adirft, the long goodbye Torri reprises her role on NCIS january 13
Thanks for this–I really miss Elizabeth’s character. I agree with all the choices, though I think the Ghost in the Machine Elizabeth is the ‘real’ Elizabeth, not a copy. If I remember correctly she explains that she was fully assimilated by her nanites after Oberoth takes her captive in “Lifeline”. And though it was a great story (kudos to Michelle Morgan) I can’t honestly say I agree that it was a fitting conclusion–it will always break my heart that the character’s ending was written as it was.
I was surprised at how much I missed Weir’s character when she was gone. I never was that happy with how she was written, as they never seemed to know what to do with her. But she sure had chemistry with the rest of the cast, and it’s sad to see the writers couldn’t find anything good for a strong woman character like Weir.
I did like The Long Goodbby, it showed Torri’s range. But The Real World has got to be among my least favorite episodes ever done on Atlantis.
Before i sleep is like her best episode
Before I Sleep, The Eye/Storm, Lifeline and Adrift.
I never liked Real World, and I don’t think Ghost in the Machine really counts.
As I sit here watching the marathon, I too am finding it hard to watch episodes with Torri because it reminds me how much I miss her character. Her chemistry with the rest of the cast was great, and I thought she did a lot with what little material she sometimes had. I am also still irritated with the way SF replaced her, and then tried to get her back a year later. Which makes the selection of “Ghost in the Machine” a very poor choice IMO. Nothing against Michelle Morgan, she did a great job. But that was written… Read more »
Ghost in the Machine would have been an outstanding episode if Torri H. had been in it. Her scenes with Shepard and Teyla would have had more emotional weight.
Was such a shame they decided to kill off the character, Atlantis just isn’t the same without Elizabeth!
ghost in the machine should have top1 and the real world certainly shouldn’t be on any top5 lists because it was crap. Then again, I guess there’s not much to pick from if you’re looking for ‘Weir’ episodes lol
Atlantis seemed to have gone down hill after the sudden writing out of Elizabeth and Carson… a note to the writers: DON’T kill off fan favorite main characters!
Actually Season 4 was the best season of Atlantis, because there were very little stand alone eps, there was a lot of drama of lost and returning characters. You felt these characters pain losing their friends while trying to save an entire galaxy from a war between two enemies of Atlantis. I do wish Weir stayed on recurring for Season 5 like Carson did, she really added a lot to the show. Season 5 has been great but has been missing a little spark from Season 4, and one of those is likely Weir. Eps like “Adrift”, “Lifeline”, “Doppleganger”, “This… Read more »
Lifeline and Before I Sleep were definitely the best. I do have to say that Weir was my least favorite character. I agree the writers didn’t really know what to do with her character and I was happy when they wrote the character out.
Well, I really didn’t like TRW much, it kind of bored me, but I can understand why its in this list. I rank Lifeline much higher though, and probably would throw First Strike into the fray. It was a great character ep for Weir.
*sniff* I do miss her :(
While the Real World was Weir heavy, and we get Jack in it, I would have put that further down on the list. Weir has good moment in many episodes, but I can’t think of a better replacement, though.
I do miss Wier, i always felt like she was the voice of the city.
my number 1 was the real world,
i really mis weir :( i almost cried when we lost her at the replicator world,
and my heart was broken when i heared, NO MORE WEIR ! :(
i still mis her!, it is hard to watch the show without her :(
elizabeth was the heart and soul of the city, thanks for including her, especially since i got the impresion that the new producers of sga don’t really appreciate her. they better fix things in the movie, the ending of ghost in the machine was terrible :((
miss weir so much =((
nice choice of epsodes, but i think the long goodbye and no man’s land belong on that list , too
I can agree with kitty, she IS the great leader who found the great city of the ancients, she kept it intact and untouched for 3 years / seasons
the new leaders are screwen around a bit :P
when i saw the gost in the machine,
how it ended, i cried :( !!!!!!
and yes dana, those were good as well ;)
My top five would be Before I Sleep; The Long Goodbye; The Real World; Lifeline; and Be All My Sins Remembered. Actually make that a top six because Progeny was a good Weir one too. Ghost in the Machine is an excellent story but without Torri in the show I couldn’t put it up there.
Thinking about the episodes made me realise they didn’t utilise this character as much as they could have … but then I guess the leaders have never had that much airtime!
Please replace Be All My Sins Remembered in my list with This Mortal Coil – it’s past 3am here and my brain is screaming out go to bed already!
“GHOST IN THE MACHINE”….not Weir….at least not best of Weir for me. Torri was SO amazing. I miss her terribly. She was my favorite character…and so many good ones like The Long Goodbye and Progeny were so much better.
i agree with McKayManiacs92 ghost in the machine not weir. torri is brilliant i totally mis her
If ghost in the machine is not Weir because Higginson didn’t play her, then Weir is in none of the Atlantis episodes. Jessica Steen is the only Weir in that case.
Thanks for the shout out to Wier’s top five episodes. Stargate Atlantis was never the same after she left. But I have to say the Woolsey has grown one me this last season.
“Ghost in the Machine,” the episode that violated Weir’s memory and was painfully, horrible OOC as one of her top episodes? Are you friggin kididng me? The Weir on the show for the first 3 seasons (before Joe Mallozzi took over) would have done anything to protect the city, including dying. And the episode where she leads a bunch of Replicators straight to Atlantisand nearly destroys it is the one you describe as “fitting ending”? THe one that ends with her floating dead in space? That’s what you call a “top episode”? Give me a break. I’m GLAD Torri refused… Read more »
Gitm shouldnt be on the list but I guess she was meant to be Weir. Not much of a Weir fan and The Real World was probably the worst Weir episode and turned Weir into such a boring character. The only episode I would have liked to have seen on the list was The Long Goodbye. Probably the only Weir focused episode I enjoyed. She really kicked ass there. Adrift was another good ep for the character.
Ghost in the Machine? LOL is this a joke? Torri is the actress that defined Weir. Its silly to put a second choice replacement in the top five.
I really wished that they had not killed Elizabeth Weir off. I thought that her character was great, since she was an amazingly strong leader. I don’t think that the writers gave her a big enough part though- her character, especially with Torri Higginson playing her, had so much more to offer.
The episodes where she had the main part in were all amazing!
Ugh… why’d they kill her off. :(
Killing Carson and Weir was the begining of the end. Why this was done GOD knows!!! Weir was the glue of Atlantis she kept them all together and she had that special relationship with Sheppard they balanced each other out the diplomat and the ever so maverick military man. It was never there with Carter as she out ranked him, dont get me wrong I love Carter but the chemisrty just wasnt there and Wosley well again Richard Picado great but WHAT exactly did he EVER do!! I miss Weir from the shows and I fully understand why she didnt… Read more »
I will never, ever understand why they killed this wonderful character, killing in this way also Atlantis itself, because Samantha Carter first and Woolsey then didn’t bring anything new to the series and were both bad leaders. I’m so pissed at the writers for this horrible choice, not to mention the Ghost In The Machine episode, which made me pissed more than ever. And now that I’m waiting for Stargate Extinction, the thought that Weir will not be back, I want to scream “are you mad or what”? Weir was the soul of Atlantis and kill her character was the… Read more »