Stargate Atlantis - "Tao of Rodney" (TV Episode Review #23)

After getting zapped by an Ancient machine that reconfigures his DNA, Rodney McKay gets superpowers!  As he develops his powers and progressively gets smarter and smarter, he is set on the path to ascension.  But there’s a catch: if he does not learn to ascend, he will die.

Another Rodney-centric episode, “Tao of Rodney” relies totally on Rodney’s inner conflict to drive itself forward.  One of the subplots in this episode has Rodney becoming smarter and then developing his own inflated superego, and everybody has to help Rodney not let this superego get to his head.  This leads to some very funny sequences, like when Sheppard is trying to help Rodney meditate but he can’t concentrate.

Notably, this episode aims to show the brainier side of having superpowers rather than the usual action-oriented side (unlike, for example, in the SG-1 episode “Upgrades”).  There are less fight sequences, and more of an emphasis on everyday life situations being “enhanced” by Rodney’s powers.  For example, a common formula of in a typical Atlantis episode is Rodney’s ego getting in the way of the conflict being resolved and Zelenka always trying to keep him in line.  In “Tao of Rodney”, it is deconstructed in a scene where Rodney actually uses his powers to save Zelenka’s life.

The way “Tao of Rodney” gradually reveals him to have superpowers is quite brilliant, too.  It starts by showing subtle hints and then building it up from there.  This lends to some usage of some subtle yet very impressive special effects and editing, especially when on a TV episode budget.  A good example of this is how Rodney’s telekinetic powers are shown, such as when he snatches his tablet from the lunch table or when he picks up Beckett’s donut off his desk.

The episode’s final act, during the last 15 minutes, takes an emotional turn that is all around heartwarming in the end.  Rodney gets to show off his warmer side, as he become more humble doing some selfless acts for Ronon, Teyla, Dr. Weir, and Sheppard before he dies.  We also get to see some softer sides of both Sheppard and Ronon, with how they interact with Rodney in this one—especially Sheppard, whose thread takes the episode in a somewhat more spiritual direction.  As this is a standalone episode, of course we know that Rodney is going to make it in the end.  But for the time being, the way this direction is executed, with Rodney’s character development throughout this episode, succeeds at sucking you in.

“Tao of Rodney” showcases new emotional facets of the Atlantis team as a whole, but especially Rodney McKay, the anchor of this episode (hell, his name is in the title!).  All in all, this is a true standout episode because it presents Stargate Atlantis at its most grounded and heartfelt at the same time.