Judging by the other reviews, this is a terrible episode. I don't agree.
I'm not always averse to flash-back episodes. In the case of Atlantis, there is some justification. Some of the past decisions were highly questionable, and this episode highlights a couple of the really bad ones.
I also felt that it was important to have an episode (or two) to solidify Woolsey's position as leader of Atlantis. His character has a good arc: he started out as "an enemy", one of the political opponents of the Stargate program, and he has had a few good episodes since then. Inquisition is another good one for Woolsey.
I'm not always averse to flash-back episodes. In the case of Atlantis, there is some justification. Some of the past decisions were highly questionable, and this episode highlights a couple of the really bad ones.
I also felt that it was important to have an episode (or two) to solidify Woolsey's position as leader of Atlantis. His character has a good arc: he started out as "an enemy", one of the political opponents of the Stargate program, and he has had a few good episodes since then. Inquisition is another good one for Woolsey.