stargate atlantis 61st episode fourth season premiere science fiction television series stargate atlantis episode aired united_states september subsequently aired october sky united_kingdom written executive producer directed episode continues season finale strike atlantis drops middle deep space hours power left attack visual effects milestone series introduced cast changes season including departure inclusion main cast release incomplete version episode leaked internet release started season drop ratings season finale episode earned series emmy visual effects society award nominations generally received plot forced command atlantis determines power damaged preventing atlantis completing jump planet teams sent patch shield starts collapse resulting deaths team later decides collapse shield cover central tower order conserve power time patch city approaches belt way power lead fleet clear path inexperienced pilots succeed impacts damage control crystals fix jumping midway station colonel carter contacted apollo informing atlantis arrive carter lee eventually decide find city apollo perform small jumps city path augment sensors increase chance finding atlantis medical expertise save asks infected real world orders goes ahead space suits reach controls repair process injured micro atlantis lost power jump furthermore learns order angrily tells having apparently fully recovered regains consciousness learns keeping alive warns saving way bad idea continue working end decides use experimental worked use steal zero point module production surfaced february airing strike march confirmed opening fourth season similar style real world producers kept trying find new ways efforts previous seasons described different introduced balance team based character based episodes completion strike producers thought biggest episode wondered fourth season writing stages wanted episode episode season wanted episode story arc entire season wanted episode time characters like previous season gets injured scene originally meant pick having set nearby atlantis set practical cut wrote state forced command atlantis scene finish sentences parallel arguing wood working set considered scene cliffhanger changed following scene felt better cliffhanger similar return episode season introduced episode appearance finishing appearances seasons sister series stargate carter replace leader episode carter supporting role opposed lead role episode audience opportunity know reluctant accept updated opening title sequence mentioned departure introduction carter casual viewers tip filming scene team perform actual brain surgeon performed procedure head model live feet away directed cast following surgeon nervous scene filming completed surgeon voice removed final cut sequence city travels clearing field producers wanted scene atlantis gets hit odd authentic possible control room cameras screens tables set shaken slightly episode expensive series time visual effects series sequences visual effects team switched stock explosions versions producers wished exceed minute long horizon sequence previous episode scene doors close shield collapsing merely stock footage hot zone cgi shield added producers conceived idea space jump thought cool thinking possibly sequence pulled described jump best visual effects scene team dies collapsing shield performed producers hoped reception episode originally aired near complete version leaked internet aired united_states earned household nielsen rating representing million viewers ages demographic episode decreased viewership percent average ratings half season dropped household rating season premiere man land reasoning fact known series aired time slot according live day rating ratings boosted united_kingdom received viewers placing atlantis number broadcasts sky week ign thought season premiere performed stargate liked episode visual effects sequences action critical lack presence injury episode giving descent rating critical myth rated episode praising direction writers took episode forced command city comparing characters chance prove extreme siege plays described following episode fun praised idea atlantis space wished arc seven episodes nominated awards visual effects team submitted primetime emmy award outstanding special visual effects lost episode nominated sixth annual visual effects society award outstanding visual effects broadcast series lost fight life
Adrift (Stargate Atlantis)