(S03E04) This has to be one of the best episodes yet. Shep's team starts out on some random planet. Ronon has a bad feeling, and Rodney is his usual pessimistic self. Upon entering the village, someone starts shouting Wraith bringer and things turn ugly. Rodney gets uh, shot with an arrow, and they make off to the gate post-haste. The villagers manage to stun Teyla and Ronon before Shep gets back to help up. In the end, even Shep gets a stun dart in the arm. (oops.)

After nap time, we find out that the backwoods villagers are REALLY backwoods villagers. They've actually called the wraith to come get Ronon. (Seriously, Hi guys you ate my daughter, but I believe you'll leave us alone now.") Meanwhile Rodney's hopped up on Morphine.

Ronon shows off some serious character. He forces the villagers to let him go by actually threatening to take his own life. He finally cracks his shell of cool/angry. It was the most emotion I think he's ever shown.

While Shep and Teyla are getting sent home, the wraith drop by the village. They collect Ronon and enjoy a light village snack while they're visiting. The wraith implant another tracking device in Ronon, and take him home. It looks like we're in for a bit of Ronon hunting.

We're treated to some of Ronon's memories as the episode progresses. We see him in battle, and he even had a girl. Ronon whips up a knife and our first Wraith hunter is on the scene with his glowing night vision eyeballs. Ronon shows just how bad ass he is by making some Wraith sashimi.

McKay tunes Atlantis' sensors to look for a runner transmitter and notices one on Ronon's home world. Back to Ronon, he's busy running from some sort of Wraith probe a'la Batteries not Included. Back on Atlantis, they're trying to figure out how to rescue Ronon. The Stargate's giving them no love, so it'll be a hop in the Daedalus [Thanks Guillermo] and a cloaked jumper.

Ronon is busy stocking up on armor and weapons. I just can't help think of Quake as I watch this part. Ronon pops another Wraith and pulls the classic action move: egg on your enemy with the radio (or alien probe).

More flashbacks and we find out that Ronon tried to send off his wife/girl to be safe during the attack. It seems that he initially fought because he had nowhere else to go. Ronon is one seriously motivated guy, and we're finally finding out why. Ronon follows up the flashback session with some major Wraith whoopin'.

On Daedalus, Teyla and John have a semi one sided chat about what Shep's willing to go through for Ronon. It was actually pretty touching. Ronon got tagged in the leg by the enforcer Wraiths uh, instant cremation with style outfit.

Beckett grills Rodney a bit about his relationship with Ronon, and we get to a really interesting bit. Ronon made his way to a hospital and removes some shrapnel from his leg. During the pain, we get his most painful memories. His lady (a nurse/doctor) just couldn't leave everyone and was killed by an explosion before his eyes. After this intense scene, we see loads of wraith converging.
Just as Ronon calls the head Wraith a coward via handy Wraith probe. Teyla and Shep appear, ready to get Ronon out, but he refuses to leave.

Shep goes for Ronon's plan to kill all the wraith to draw out the bad guy. (He must really like Ronon. My friends usually don't even want to help move furniture.) I had to laugh as McKay and Beckett start arguing over who's going to go help. By the time they finish, all the Wraith are puddles. Ronon is still a bit grumpy, and challenges the head Wraith to come get him.

This part is almost right out of the old west. Ronon's standing in the middle of the street, ready to rumble. Ronon gets hyped up and goes for the big guy... and gets tossed like a salad. Teyla and Shep watch while its happening, but the ending was sweet. Beckett uncloaks the jumper.

Ronon says "I win." and Mr. overbite gets his butt whipped by an Ancient probe. We roll up with a bit more of the geeks being scared of Ronon, ending with a "Thanks Doc" from Ronon just before he passes out.

This was the best episode of Atlantis I've seen in a while. Getting Ronon out from his shell made a great episode. We were treated to Ronon's emotional drive and some of the best action scenes yet. I couldn't help laughing as Shep kept increasing his Wraith kill count.