If there was one thing that succeeded on Stargate SG-1, it was the magnificent cast dynamic. O'Neill, Carter, Daniel and Teal'c formed a chemistry strong enough to rest the entire show upon. On the other hand, Stargate Atlantis, for all its vast sets, expensive effects and strong plots, seems to lack this team cohesion. The reason? I feel it is a lack of balance.

The character of Dr. Rodney McKay has had two episodes named after him already this season: "The Tao of McKay" and "McKay and Mrs. Miller." Let's contrast that for a moment: How many episodes has the character of Teyla had named after her over the entire series?

None.

In fact, in how many is she actually the central character of the plot? One, maybe two at a push. Certainly not many. ‘Cause let's face it, how useful is her character??

Not very.

On the other hand, there is scarcely an episode of Atlantis where David Hewlett's character does not play a pivotal role in the plot of the episode, and this can often leave other characters feeling redundant.

The producers actually quietly acknowledged this imbalance on-screen in the Season Three finale (which has yet to air in the U.S.). Ronon expresses feeling useless at how he cannot help during various crises that don't involve physical combat, as he feels redundant while McKay is away saving the day. One might argue that McKay cannot contribute in that combat arena, yet his character is frequently used to balance these action scenes with humor. In fact, there's rarely a situation that Rodney's quivering scientific nature cannot adapt itself to. He can solve geeky problems, cower amusingly in gun battles or provide mission information from his Ancient gadgets as they arise. Not that there's anything wrong with being so talented; far from it. He's a strong character who's loved by the fans.

However, he definitely shows up the others' lack of development. For instance, we know about Rodney's family (his sister has even appeared on the show), we know about his mortal allergy to citrus fruit and he gets all the fun side-scenes with fellow scientist Zelenka, to name but one. Without meaning to pick on Teyla again, what do we know about her? She can sense some Wraith and, well, she used to have a relative, but his character passed away soon after appearing on the show. Oh well.
McKay's character looks set to play an even bigger role next season, which will see the departure of one of the cast, and the arrival of a very (for Rodney) familiar face. Rodney will have a dynamic with just about every character on the show. There's the Rodney/Weir friendship dynamic, the Sheppard/Rodney mutual respect, the Rodney/Ronon comedy dynamic, the Rodney/Teyla ... well, there's probably not a dynamic there, it being Teyla.

Alas, I don't mean to turn this into a Teyla-bashing piece. Her character has spades of potential; so do most of the characters in Atlantis. But let's face it, how often do we see Sheppard's genius mathematician trait being used? How many of you even knew he is supposed to be a genius mathematician? The difference is that McKay is the only character whose potential is actually being utilized.

Again, there's nothing wrong with this specifically. It's good to flesh out a character fully -- especially one so popular. However, it appears that the writers of Atlantis are beginning to hinge the very show on Rodney's shoulders. His being an integral part of each plot has become a prerequisite. Why is that a problem? Well, what if Rodney decides to pack up and go home?

It's happened so many times before, and it'll happen so many times again. Stargate Atlantis slowly becomes Stargate McKay. His salary starts to swell, his ego starts to inflate and his mailbox starts to overflow with offers from movie studios. Like so many before him, what if David Hewlett decides it's time to move to film—where the big money is?

Let's entertain, for a moment, the idea that he does indeed leave. Where does that leave the show? Once you pluck out your central character, you're left with a team where none of the dynamics are fully developed, and the writers don't know what to do now that their resident plot-solver is gone. This, as I'm sure you can imagine, is not good. Imagine if Jack Bauer were to leave 24—we'd be left following someone we don't even care about. Then we head down the usual spiral: Falling ratings, increasingly ludicrous plotlines and eventually cancellation.

Okay, so all of this is rather presumptuous, but it has to be said: There's a definite problem here. Rodney McKay, for all his great facets, is a time bomb waiting to explode. Of course, he may stay for the entire series. Maybe in another five years he'll still be wandering around Atlantis bickering with Zelenka or complaining about the number of ZPMs.

I can't help but feel, however, that if you start to focus the stories on McKay, rather than simply using McKay as a vessel through which to tell a story, then you're definitely asking for trouble.

So how do you fix it? I spoke initially of balance, and I think this has to be achieved. Remember, two episodes have already been named after McKay this season. The rest of the cast combined have not had one episode named after any of them during the entire run of the show. Slight imbalance there, I fear.

We know a lot about Rodney—he's funny, he's smart, he's fun to watch. Personally, however, I want to find out something else now. Let's find out about Ronon's past -- what makes him tick? Let's find out about Sheppard. Let's find out about Weir, or Zelenka, or Caldwell. Let's find out about Teyla!?! Oh... um, well, maybe I'm getting a little carried away with myself.

This is all speculative and personal opinion, of course. I'm sure there are those out there who would love a Dr. McKay show; but I feel that if Stargate: Atlantis is to survive for another five or six years, it's going to need to balance the cast. It's going to need to dare to explore the rest of the characters. It's going to need to dare to throw McKay into the background sometimes.

Otherwise, we're left with the Rodney McKay Team. And once Rodney loses his appeal, or leaves, we're left with "the team." Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla: Can you honestly see that surviving at the moment? No, me neither.