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Elizabeth Weir (Stargate)
Encyclopedia
Dr. Elizabeth Weir is a fictional character
in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel
television series Stargate Atlantis
, a military science fiction
show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in the Stargate SG-1
season seven
two-parter, "Lost City
". She does not hold any military rank
since she is a civilian. Weir is the leader of the Atlantis expedition
in Stargate Atlantis until the last episode of season three
, entitled "First Strike
".
The character was primarily played by Torri Higginson
, although when introduced in the Stargate SG-1
two-parter "Lost City
", she was played by Jessica Steen
. In the season 5 Atlantis episode "Ghost in the Machine", the consciousness of Elizabeth Weir, having been transferred to sub-space by a group of Replicators hoping to ascend, was transferred to a Replicator template, and portrayed by Michelle Morgan
.
being portrayed by Jessica Steen
. She was put in command of Stargate Command
(SGC) by President Henry Hayes, replacing Major General George Hammond to put a "civilian" face on the organization. Vice-President Kinsey wanted to use Weir as a "puppet" to achieve his goals to gain control of the Stargate program, but the newly promoted Chief of Stargate Command did not allow this.
She was in charge of Stargate Command during Anubis' attack on Earth, and suggested sending Prometheus to Antarctica, in order to defend the newly discovered Ancient outpost. Earth repelled the attack thanks to weapons deployed from the Ancient Chair in the outpost, and Dr. Weir remained head of Stargate Command. After running Stargate Command for a short time, Dr. Weir was put in charge of the Antarctic Research Outpost and its international staff, and General O'Neill took her place in Stargate Command. Weir is replaced by Jack O'Neill
in the eighth season
.
defense facility that had been discovered in Antarctica, the Ancient city of Atlantis
was re-discovered in the Pegasus Galaxy. Dr. Weir was placed in command of the expedition that was sent through the Stargate to explore Atlantis. As a diplomat, Weir sought treaties with the human populated worlds in Pegasus, one of them being the Athosians. There was often tension between her and the leader of the Athosians, and the latter eventually left the city to live on the mainland.
Weir approved several projects throughout Atlantis in season two
including the Wraith retro-virus that she later gave as part of a treaty to a sect of Wraith looking to replace the human food source with Wraith infected by the virus. The retro-virus suppressed the Wraith genetic material in the DNA of a Wraith, leaving only the human DNA. Weir became infected with the consciousness of an alien soldier named Phoebus that was at war with another consciousness called Thalan who also overtook John Sheppard
. Both rampaged through the city, triggering a hostage situation which was caused by the aliens's desire to defeat one another for good. After nearly 24 hours, the rogue consciousnesses were subsequently expelled, resulting in both Sheppard and Weir returning to normal once again.
In season 3, Weir's leadership abilities were questioned by the International Oversight Advisory (IOA) Committee after two Wraith hive ships attempted to attack Earth
. Although she managed to stop both hive ships, the IOA was divided over whether Dr. Weir should be allowed to remain leader of Atlantis
, and it was only with some help from Richard Woolsey
that Weir was able to keep her position. She also unsuccessfully tried to negotiate an alliance with the Asurans
, and was infected with Asuran nanites. They later tried to assimilate her body, and she nearly didn't survive. In the final episode of season 3 ("First Strike
") Weir was critically injured by the Asuran Satellite Weapon, leaving the city without a leader and adrift in space.
The season 4 episode "Adrift
" revealed that Weir had suffered massive injuries. She was later healed by the Asurans
Replicator nanites that were left dormant in her body from when she was infected by Niam. As a result of this treatment, she became part-Replicator (part-Asuran
). She took part in a mission to save Atlantis by stealing a ZPM from the Asurans, and sacrificed herself to allow the team to escape. Before that, however, she was able to control Oberoth and the collective for a short time. She ordered Col. Sheppard to leave her behind and escape. She was left on Asuras, and it was later stated that she was killed by the Asurans shortly afterward. Showrunner Joseph Mallozzi
mentioned the possibility that a Replicator lied or misinformed the Atlantis team when she said that Weir was killed.
An organic copy of Weir, possessing all of her memories and personality, was created by the Replicator
s, along with similar copies of Sheppard, Ronon Dex
, Teyla Emmagan
, and Rodney McKay
. This clone of Weir is believed to have been killed by a contingent of Asurans when she sacrificed herself to allow the original Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla and McKay to escape. At the end of "Be All My Sins Remember'd
", Weir was seen as the commander of an Aurora class ship with what appeared to be a rogue faction of Asurans. After the replicator planet was destroyed, she said, "now we can finally get to work without having to look over our shoulders." Her last appearance is in the episode "Ghost in the Machine", in which she is portrayed by Michelle Morgan
. Here, she and her faction of replicators had found a way to "digitally ascend" by downloading their consciousnesses into subspace. They planned to ascend from there, only to fail miserably. Once they determined that they needed organic bodies to ascend, they sought out technology that would allow them to regain solid form. But when they couldn't find the technology they needed, Elizabeth infiltrated the Atlantis system. She downloaded herself into a F.R.A.N. body and the rest of her faction followed suit. Once Elizabeth convinced Col. Sheppard and Mr. Woolsey that they would not be a threat to Atlantis, they proceeded to work on creating organic bodies into which they could download themselves. However, one member of the replicators believed that he could ascend from a replicator body, and with eons of time he thought he would eventually succeed. The replicator wreaked havoc on Atlantis to escape, but Elizabeth deactivated him before anyone could be hurt. Deciding that the incident proved they could no longer be trusted, she lured the remainder of her faction through a space gate to prevent it from happening again. The episode ends with Elizabeth closing her eyes and drifting through space.
would not be reprising the role of Elizabeth Weir in season 5. Due to Higginson's absence, actress Michelle Morgan
was brought in to replace her in the episode "Ghost in the Machine".
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel
Sci Fi Channel (United States)
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
television series Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
, a military science fiction
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Elizabeth Weir is introduced as a recurring character in the Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
season seven
Stargate SG-1 (season 7)
Season seven of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on June 13, 2003 on Sci Fi. The seventh season concluded after 22 episodes on March 9, 2004 on British Sky One, which overtook the Sci-Fi Channel in mid-season. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan...
two-parter, "Lost City
Lost City (Stargate SG-1)
"Lost City" is the two-part finale to the seventh season of the science fiction television show Stargate SG-1. It was originally intended to be a second Stargate film, and was then to be the show's absolute finale, and finally ended up being the seventh season finale after the series was renewed...
". She does not hold any military rank
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
since she is a civilian. Weir is the leader of the Atlantis expedition
Atlantis (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the spin-off of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis is a city-sized starship originally located in the Pegasus galaxy. Atlantis serves as the base of operations for the main characters, from which they explore other planets through the Stargate...
in Stargate Atlantis until the last episode of season three
Stargate Atlantis (season 3)
Season three of Stargate Atlantis, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on July 21, 2006 on the US-American Sci Fi Channel. The third season concluded after 20 episodes on February 5, 2007 on the Canadian The Movie Network. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Robert C....
, entitled "First Strike
First Strike (Stargate Atlantis)
"First Strike" is the 60th episode and the third season finale of the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis. The episode originally aired in Canada on February 5, 2007 on The Movie Network, and subsequently aired March 14 on Sky One in the United Kingdom, and June 22 on the United...
".
The character was primarily played by Torri Higginson
Torri Higginson
Sarah Victoria "Torri" Higginson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles in the TekWar movies and series, The English Patient, Bliss, and Stargate Atlantis...
, although when introduced in the Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
two-parter "Lost City
Lost City (Stargate SG-1)
"Lost City" is the two-part finale to the seventh season of the science fiction television show Stargate SG-1. It was originally intended to be a second Stargate film, and was then to be the show's absolute finale, and finally ended up being the seventh season finale after the series was renewed...
", she was played by Jessica Steen
Jessica Steen
Jessica Steen is a film and television actress, noted for her roles in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, Homefront, Earth 2, Armageddon, Left Behind: World at War, NCIS, and Flashpoint....
. In the season 5 Atlantis episode "Ghost in the Machine", the consciousness of Elizabeth Weir, having been transferred to sub-space by a group of Replicators hoping to ascend, was transferred to a Replicator template, and portrayed by Michelle Morgan
Michelle Morgan (actress)
Michelle Morgan is a Canadian actress and singer.She is featured in the drama series Heartland as Amy Fleming's older sister Lou on Canadian television and in the 2008 zombie horror film Diary of the Dead...
.
Character arc in Stargate SG-1
Dr. Elizabeth Weir first appears in the episode Lost CityLost City (Stargate SG-1)
"Lost City" is the two-part finale to the seventh season of the science fiction television show Stargate SG-1. It was originally intended to be a second Stargate film, and was then to be the show's absolute finale, and finally ended up being the seventh season finale after the series was renewed...
being portrayed by Jessica Steen
Jessica Steen
Jessica Steen is a film and television actress, noted for her roles in Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, Homefront, Earth 2, Armageddon, Left Behind: World at War, NCIS, and Flashpoint....
. She was put in command of Stargate Command
Stargate Command
The Stargate Program is a fictional top-secret program that plays a key role in the Stargate franchise: it surrounds the operations of the Stargate on Earth. The core of the Stargate Program is Stargate Command , based at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station near Colorado Springs, Colorado...
(SGC) by President Henry Hayes, replacing Major General George Hammond to put a "civilian" face on the organization. Vice-President Kinsey wanted to use Weir as a "puppet" to achieve his goals to gain control of the Stargate program, but the newly promoted Chief of Stargate Command did not allow this.
She was in charge of Stargate Command during Anubis' attack on Earth, and suggested sending Prometheus to Antarctica, in order to defend the newly discovered Ancient outpost. Earth repelled the attack thanks to weapons deployed from the Ancient Chair in the outpost, and Dr. Weir remained head of Stargate Command. After running Stargate Command for a short time, Dr. Weir was put in charge of the Antarctic Research Outpost and its international staff, and General O'Neill took her place in Stargate Command. Weir is replaced by Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
in the eighth season
Stargate SG-1 (season 8)
Season eight of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian military science fiction television series, began airing on July 9, 2004 on the Sci Fi channel. The eighth season concluded on February 22, 2005, after 20 episodes on British Sky One, which overtook the Sci Fi Channel in mid-season...
.
Character arc in Stargate Atlantis
Shortly after Dr. Weir was sent to lead the research envoy studying the AncientAncient (Stargate)
The Ancients are a humanoid race in the fictional Stargate universe. They are called "Ancients" in the Milky Way, but are also known as Lanteans or Ancestors in the Pegasus galaxy and as the Alterans in their home galaxy, and they sometimes call themselves Anquietas in their language...
defense facility that had been discovered in Antarctica, the Ancient city of Atlantis
Atlantis (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the spin-off of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis is a city-sized starship originally located in the Pegasus galaxy. Atlantis serves as the base of operations for the main characters, from which they explore other planets through the Stargate...
was re-discovered in the Pegasus Galaxy. Dr. Weir was placed in command of the expedition that was sent through the Stargate to explore Atlantis. As a diplomat, Weir sought treaties with the human populated worlds in Pegasus, one of them being the Athosians. There was often tension between her and the leader of the Athosians, and the latter eventually left the city to live on the mainland.
Weir approved several projects throughout Atlantis in season two
Stargate Atlantis (season 2)
The second season of the television series Stargate Atlantis commenced airing on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on July 15, 2005, concluded on The Movie Network in Canada on January 30, 2006, and contained 20 episodes. The show itself is a spin off of its sister show, Stargate SG-1. The...
including the Wraith retro-virus that she later gave as part of a treaty to a sect of Wraith looking to replace the human food source with Wraith infected by the virus. The retro-virus suppressed the Wraith genetic material in the DNA of a Wraith, leaving only the human DNA. Weir became infected with the consciousness of an alien soldier named Phoebus that was at war with another consciousness called Thalan who also overtook John Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
. Both rampaged through the city, triggering a hostage situation which was caused by the aliens's desire to defeat one another for good. After nearly 24 hours, the rogue consciousnesses were subsequently expelled, resulting in both Sheppard and Weir returning to normal once again.
In season 3, Weir's leadership abilities were questioned by the International Oversight Advisory (IOA) Committee after two Wraith hive ships attempted to attack Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Although she managed to stop both hive ships, the IOA was divided over whether Dr. Weir should be allowed to remain leader of Atlantis
Atlantis (Stargate)
In the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, the spin-off of Stargate SG-1, Atlantis is a city-sized starship originally located in the Pegasus galaxy. Atlantis serves as the base of operations for the main characters, from which they explore other planets through the Stargate...
, and it was only with some help from Richard Woolsey
Richard Woolsey
Richard Woolsey is a fictional character on the Stargate television franchise about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by Robert Picardo, Woolsey made his first appearance as a member of the NID in "Heroes", an episode of season 7 of Stargate...
that Weir was able to keep her position. She also unsuccessfully tried to negotiate an alliance with the Asurans
Asuran (Stargate)
The Asurans are a fictional race in the science fiction series Stargate Atlantis that bear many similarities to the human-form Replicators of Stargate SG-1. These similarities have led the Asurans to simply be called "Replicators" by other characters on the show...
, and was infected with Asuran nanites. They later tried to assimilate her body, and she nearly didn't survive. In the final episode of season 3 ("First Strike
First Strike (Stargate Atlantis)
"First Strike" is the 60th episode and the third season finale of the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis. The episode originally aired in Canada on February 5, 2007 on The Movie Network, and subsequently aired March 14 on Sky One in the United Kingdom, and June 22 on the United...
") Weir was critically injured by the Asuran Satellite Weapon, leaving the city without a leader and adrift in space.
The season 4 episode "Adrift
Adrift (Stargate Atlantis)
"Adrift" is the 61st episode and the fourth season premiere of the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis. The episode first aired in the United States on September 28, 2007 on the Sci Fi Channel, and subsequently aired October 9 on Sky One in the United Kingdom. It was written by...
" revealed that Weir had suffered massive injuries. She was later healed by the Asurans
Asuran (Stargate)
The Asurans are a fictional race in the science fiction series Stargate Atlantis that bear many similarities to the human-form Replicators of Stargate SG-1. These similarities have led the Asurans to simply be called "Replicators" by other characters on the show...
Replicator nanites that were left dormant in her body from when she was infected by Niam. As a result of this treatment, she became part-Replicator (part-Asuran
Asuran (Stargate)
The Asurans are a fictional race in the science fiction series Stargate Atlantis that bear many similarities to the human-form Replicators of Stargate SG-1. These similarities have led the Asurans to simply be called "Replicators" by other characters on the show...
). She took part in a mission to save Atlantis by stealing a ZPM from the Asurans, and sacrificed herself to allow the team to escape. Before that, however, she was able to control Oberoth and the collective for a short time. She ordered Col. Sheppard to leave her behind and escape. She was left on Asuras, and it was later stated that she was killed by the Asurans shortly afterward. Showrunner Joseph Mallozzi
Joseph Mallozzi
Joseph Mallozzi is a Canadian writer and producer.He is most noted for his contributions to the Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, and Stargate Universe television series. He joined the Stargate production team at the start of Stargate SG-1s fourth season in 2000...
mentioned the possibility that a Replicator lied or misinformed the Atlantis team when she said that Weir was killed.
An organic copy of Weir, possessing all of her memories and personality, was created by the Replicator
Replicator (Stargate)
In the military science fiction series Stargate SG-1, the Replicators are antagonistic self-replicating machines that propagate by ingesting the metals that make up civilizations and use them to create either blocks that form the bug-like version or smaller cells that compose the human-form...
s, along with similar copies of Sheppard, Ronon Dex
Ronon Dex
Ronon Dex is a fictional character in the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis. Played by Jason Momoa, he is a Satedan, a civilization from the Pegasus Galaxy who had a technological level comparable to Earth in the mid-20th century but met the fate of all advanced civilizations in...
, Teyla Emmagan
Teyla Emmagan
Teyla Emmagan was a primary fictional character played by Rachel Luttrell in the science fiction series, Stargate Atlantis. In the show, she is the daughter of Tagan, and was a leader of a village on the planet Athos...
, and Rodney McKay
Rodney McKay
Doctor Meredith Rodney McKay, Ph.D, is a fictional character in the Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two military science fiction television shows about a military team exploring two galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices...
. This clone of Weir is believed to have been killed by a contingent of Asurans when she sacrificed herself to allow the original Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla and McKay to escape. At the end of "Be All My Sins Remember'd
Be All My Sins Remember'd
"Be All My Sins Remember'd" is the 71st episode of the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, and the eleventh episode of the series' fourth season. The episode was written by Atlantis co-executive producer, Martin Gero, his third script of the season, and directed by Andy Mikita...
", Weir was seen as the commander of an Aurora class ship with what appeared to be a rogue faction of Asurans. After the replicator planet was destroyed, she said, "now we can finally get to work without having to look over our shoulders." Her last appearance is in the episode "Ghost in the Machine", in which she is portrayed by Michelle Morgan
Michelle Morgan (actress)
Michelle Morgan is a Canadian actress and singer.She is featured in the drama series Heartland as Amy Fleming's older sister Lou on Canadian television and in the 2008 zombie horror film Diary of the Dead...
. Here, she and her faction of replicators had found a way to "digitally ascend" by downloading their consciousnesses into subspace. They planned to ascend from there, only to fail miserably. Once they determined that they needed organic bodies to ascend, they sought out technology that would allow them to regain solid form. But when they couldn't find the technology they needed, Elizabeth infiltrated the Atlantis system. She downloaded herself into a F.R.A.N. body and the rest of her faction followed suit. Once Elizabeth convinced Col. Sheppard and Mr. Woolsey that they would not be a threat to Atlantis, they proceeded to work on creating organic bodies into which they could download themselves. However, one member of the replicators believed that he could ascend from a replicator body, and with eons of time he thought he would eventually succeed. The replicator wreaked havoc on Atlantis to escape, but Elizabeth deactivated him before anyone could be hurt. Deciding that the incident proved they could no longer be trusted, she lured the remainder of her faction through a space gate to prevent it from happening again. The episode ends with Elizabeth closing her eyes and drifting through space.
Conceptual history
Towards the beginning of February 2008, it was revealed that Torri HigginsonTorri Higginson
Sarah Victoria "Torri" Higginson is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles in the TekWar movies and series, The English Patient, Bliss, and Stargate Atlantis...
would not be reprising the role of Elizabeth Weir in season 5. Due to Higginson's absence, actress Michelle Morgan
Michelle Morgan (actress)
Michelle Morgan is a Canadian actress and singer.She is featured in the drama series Heartland as Amy Fleming's older sister Lou on Canadian television and in the 2008 zombie horror film Diary of the Dead...
was brought in to replace her in the episode "Ghost in the Machine".
External links
- Elizabeth Weir at Stargate wikia
- Elizabeth Weir at scifiSci Fi Channel (United States)Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
.com