McGillion: "It feels like coming home"

Actor Paul McGillion has returned to the sets of Stargate Atlantis to reprise his role as Dr. Carson Beckett in two episodes in the back half of Season Four, “The Kindred Part I” and “The Kindred Part II”. Executive producer and writer for Part I of the “return of THAT character” episode, Joseph Mallozzi, even posted pictures of McGillion on the set in his personal blog while the two episodes are currently being filmed.

Dr. Carson BeckettSCI FI WIRE’s Cindy White had a phone conversation with McGillion while he’s in Vancouver and reported it in her article, McGillion Talks Atlantis Return. In the article, McGillion talks about his return to the set after nearly a year away, and said, “Honestly, it feels like coming home.”

The circumstances behind Carson’s return after his death in Season Three’s “Sunday” have not been revealed, but Mallozzi did promise the fans at the Save Carson Beckett Campaign website that “when he returns for the two-parter, it will be Carson Beckett in the flesh.” Mallozzi continued, “Late in season three, we discussed the manner in which the character had been written out and the possible ways in which he could be brought back. I threw out an idea that not only brought Carson back, but answered a very big question I had concerning a late-season arc. In order to lay the groundwork for his possible return, we threaded a subtle hint into one of the late season three episodes. So, if fans want to know how we plan on bringing the good doctor back from the dead, they should seek out the hidden clue when the back half of season three returns to SciFi […] Well, I don’t want to give too much away but I can say it won’t be an AU version of Carson – or a time-hopping Dr. Beckett either.”

Mallozzi has described Part I of “The Kindred” as “Fargo-esque” and has said of Part II, written by Alan McCullough, “There won’t be a dry eye in the house when this one airs.”

McGillion didn’t reveal any secrets about how Carson returns, but did say in the SCI FI WIRE interview, “They gave me a really great storyline. I think the fans will appreciate it. Beckett has a lot to do in the storyline that they’ve given the character. So I’m really happy with it. I think it’s a really great way to bring Beckett back. Without going into any details, because I really can’t, he’s heavily, heavily based in the episodes. They’ll see a lot of Beckett.”

McGillion gives much of the credit for his return to the fans who have organized the Save Carson Beckett Campaign. He said, “A lot of people have called him the heart of Atlantis. And I think the fans really stood behind that and rallied behind the character a lot. So I was flattered and obviously thrilled to come back.” Even after the campaign was started and received a lot of publicity, McGillion still admitted in the interview that he was surprised when he got the call to come back. But now that he’s back for these two episodes, McGillion says, “I don’t know what their plans are for the character or where I’m going to be, but it’s always a pleasure to come back and work on the show, that’s for sure. So I’m not ruling anything out.”

To read the full interview, visit SCI FI WIRE.

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