History Recap / StargateAtlantisS01E06ChildhoodsEnd

* SenselessSacrifice: The children have been killing themselves when they turn 25 for over 500 years, believing it's the reason the Wraith have not attacked them, completely unaware that an Ancient EMP field is the ''real'' reason they've been spared. Although it's not ''entirely'' senseless, as whoever set up this situation rather cold-bloodedly arranged the cultural suicide pact to prevent the population growing too far outside the area of the field.

* SenselessSacrifice: The children have been killing themselves when they turn 25 for over 500 years, believing it's the reason the Wraith have not attacked them, completely unaware that an Ancient EMP field is the ''real'' reason they've been spared.

* RockBeatsLaser: The real reason the Wraith haven't bothered attacking this planet in 500 years.

* {{Buffyspeak}}: "Energy field good."

Naturally, Sheppard is [[ValuesDissonance horrified]]. He is distracted, however, by a radio call from [=McKay=], who has found and deactivated the energy shield. What's more, said shield was powered by a ZPM, which the team has been desperately seeking in order to power Atlantis' own shields. [=McKay=] wants to take it back to Atlantis to see if they'll be able to use it, although Sheppard expresses concern at depriving the villagers of their only means of defense. But, really, [[FamousLastWords what's the chance the Wraith will turn up]] in the hour or two it takes to run some tests and get back?

* NeverLand: The episode features a set of villages populated entirely by children (and young adults) because they commit ritual suicide upon turning 24.

* LiteraryAllusionTitle: to Arthur C. Clarke's ''Literature/ChildhoodsEnd'', although the plots are unrelated.

* SenselessSacrifice: The children have been killing themselves when they turn 24 for over 500 years, believing it's the reason the Wraith have not attacked them, completely unaware that an Ancient EMP field is the ''real'' reason they've been spared.

'''Weir:''' Oh my God! How morally superior you must feel!
* YouLookFamiliar: Courtnay Stevens (Keras) previously played Lt. Elliot in three 5th-season episodes of ''SG-1''.

--> '''Ford:''' ''Have you kids ever heard of chocolate?''
--> '''Casta and Cleo:''' ''(headshake)''
--> '''Ford:''' ''Well then, this is gonna be HUGE.''


Sheppard and his team are grounded on an alien planet after their Puddle Jumper is knocked out of the sky by some sort of energy field. They trace the EM disturbance (by its effect on a magnetic compass, since nothing else works) to some ancient ruins, where they are immediately ambushed by a group of children in warpaint. The war band takes them back to their village, where again only children are in evidence. The locals are shocked at the presence of "full-growns" and turn the problem over to the village "elders."

* {{Buffyspeak}}: "Energy field Good."
* CallBack: [=McKay=] reminisces about helping Samantha Carter avert global catastrophe in the ''[[Series/StargateSG1 SG-1]]'' episode [[Recap.StargateSG1S6E1RedemptionPart1 "Redemption"]].

-->'''Sheppard:''' Please tell me you have this working.
-->'''[=McKay=]:''' I don't know what I did. These things are usually plug-and-play. This device must be using an [[UsefulNotes/MicrosoftWindows older version of Windows]].
* TastesLikeFriendship: see page quote.
* TeenageWasteland: Type 2
* TrackingDevice: The Wraith bracelet

-->'''Weir:''' Rodney! We can't just visit planets, take away their defenses, uproot their cultures and bring ‘em all back here to Atlantis.
-->'''[=McKay=]:''' If they have a [=ZedP.M.=], yes we can.
-->'''Weir:''' Oh my God! How morally superior you must feel!

-->'''[=McKay=]:''' I don't know what I did. These things are usually plug-and-play. This device must be using an [[MicrosoftWindows older version of Windows]].

* LiteraryAllusionTitle: to Arthur C. Clarke's ''[[ChildhoodsEnd Childhood's End]]'', although the plots are unrelated.

--> '''Ford:''' ''Have you kids ever heard of [[EverythingsBetterWithChocolate chocolate?]]''

* YouLookFamiliar: Courtnay Stevens (Keras) previously played Lt. Elliot in three 5th-season episodes of ''SG-1''.

The elders all turn out to be 24, still younger than any member of the team (Ford turns out to be 25). The eldest of those, Keras, is the leader, with final say over everything. He explains that their planet has not been visited by the Wraith for 500 years, which is especially good because their religion depends on peaceful death (rather than being eaten alive) in order to gain access to the afterlife. The way the Wraith have been kept away is by the villagers deliberately denying them "a crop worth harvesting" - by ritually killing themselves on the eve of their 25th birthdays. This peaceful death ensures them a place in the afterlife and protects the entire community from the threat of the Wraith.

Back on the base, [=McKay=] discovers that the ZPM is close to being depleted anyway, and is therefore not of much use to Atlantis (although should protect the villages for some time to come). He also figures out that the reason for the suicide pact is a form of population control - to prevent the villagers from straying outside the limited area protected by the energy shield. Dr. Weir manages to convince him to give back the stolen ZPM, despite his objections that the kids would probably be fine, and if not, they could just move them to Atlantis, or even the continent.

* CallBack: [=McKay=] reminisces about helping Samantha Carter avert global catastrophe in the [[Series/StargateSG1 SG-1]] episode [[Recap.StargateSG1S6E1RedemptionPart1 "Redemption"]].
* ChildHater: [=McKay=], played for laughs - so naturally all children love him.

* CallBack: [=McKay=] reminisces about helping Samantha Carter avert global catastrophe in the [[StargateSG1 SG-1]] episode [[Recap.StargateSG1S6E1RedemptionPart1 "Redemption"]].