Fallen into the Wraith trap, McKay initially resigns to fatal captivity in a cocoon, but Ronon keeps struggling to attempt escaping, or at least taking some Wraith down with them. Sheppard managed to hide his glider on the very hive ship, seeking a way out, surprised to get radio contact with Michael, who seeks revenge after the ingrate queen has him semi-restrained as 'too human' suspect. While they try to sabotage the hive and maybe escape, the Daedalus and Orion race just in time to fight the two hive ships before they may attack earth. Weir is summoned to SGC for a pointless grilling by the International Oversight Advisory, finding them bureaucrats unable to risk a decision beyond questioning what was already done. So she returns, never mind the career risk compared to a Wraith culling. Sheppard manages to reach the Daedalus and his party comes up with a daring plan to overpower the hive with the weaponized retrovirus, despite bombarded damage compromising even their life-support systems.

Sheppard and the others are now in control of the one remaining hive ship with most of the Wraith transformed into human form, courtesy of the retrovirus. They do learn something interesting about female Wraiths, however. After they return to Atlantis, the question becomes one of what to do with the Wraiths who are again human, especially Michael who has proved to be quite helpful. Elizabeth Weir meanwhile is surprised to hear that she is to return to Atlantis as the expedition leader. She will be accompanied however by Richard Woolsey who is to review her leadership and make recommendations to the International Oversight Advisory on whether she should be allowed to continue.

While on a regular mission, Ronan runs into some Satedan friends from his past. As old emotions start to return, new thoughts come with them, one of which involves leaving Atlantis. But could danger be lurking just around the corner?

Sheppard is kidnapped by a group of people living in a starship fleet. They were telling him that they were living on these ships for a long time, due to the war with the Wraith. He was forced to help them make an Ancients ship fly. Sheppard tricked them and flew with the ship, and 3 of the kidnappers.

A transmission from space leads the team to the discovery of a breeding ground for Wraith soldiers.

The IOA is conducting interviews back on Earth to ensure that any personnel serving on Atlantis (in particular, aliens) are suitable for their roles. The episode opens up with a pregnant Teyla having been interviewed and reporting back to Atlantis. Ronon is next. Col. Carter is unsure about Ronon's ability to handle the IOA's interview and therefore asks Teal'c to come to Atlantis in a coaching capacity for Ronon. After a rocky start to their relationship, Ronon and Teal'c return to Earth, via the series of Stargates and a Midway Station, that McKay had previously designed. The Midway Station between the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies serves primarily as a place for those traveling between the galaxies to serve a 24 hour quarantine. While Teal'c and Ronon are serving their quarantine in the extremely cramped Midway Station, it is boarded by the Wraith, via the Stargate, with the intention to travel to Stargate Command on Earth. They achieve this objective, but only with Teal'c and Ronon in tow. What ensues is a battle between the Wraith and the duo of Teal'c and Ronon, for control of Stargate Command.

Slowly, everyone on Atlantis comes to terms with the sudden re-appearance of Dr. Carson Beckett who, he claims, has been Michael's prisoner for some two years. He tells them what he was doing in Michael's laboratory and they set off to find the kidnapped Teyla. Dr. Keller figures out just how he's come to there at all. Sheppard meanwhile has been using all of his contacts to try and locate Teyla but they come across someone from the past. Teyla in turn has found some of the Athosians alive but they are few in number as a result of Michael's experiments. Michael explains to her just what it is he wants from her as well as his own plans for the future.

Sheppard and his team are lured to a planet and are soon put on trial for crimes against the people of the Pegasus galaxy. In flashbacks, the three judge tribunal recounts the indictment against them including the re-awakening of the Wraith and the various missions where at least a few, if not more, innocent bystanders were killed. Sheppard does his best to argue that on balance, fewer were killed by their presence than would have been the case if they had never been there. A least one of the judges is clearly determined to find them guilty while a second seems far more sympathetic. It's left to Richard Woolsey, who has now joined them, to plead the rest of their case. A lawyer by profession, Richard clearly knows how the game is played and focuses on that third judge.