I remember Stargate Atlantis started to go downhill, and upon a rewatch I think this may be it.
After such well written and tightly crafted episodes, this one feels very below par.
The ensemble spark is gone, to make away for another Rodney episode. the trouble is it doesn't do anything for Rodney that hasn't been done before... and in fact isn't great for him because when you add up what he does in this episode he's not as brilliant as he often is. He just makes do until the others arrive.
Then Sam Carter... oh dear... what a forced and strange inclusion. It felt like they owed the actress a favour. Scrap that... she owed them a favour. It was completely unrealistic that even in his state Rodney was seeing her like this - and it did nothing for Sam, just making her look a dozy bimbo to amuse Rodney.
Not a good episode at all.