"The Enemy Within" ( 1 x 03 )

So the pilot's done and over ith and no I can start to see the reality behind this series. Regular episodes are the true test of a television show, since they're what you're stuck with week after week. Now that the cliches are out of the way and the plot established, I can just dive in.

The episode opens in the (what I assume will be) typical manner. The leaders of SG-1 and SG-2 are trying to pick their respective destinations when an intruder tries to get in. It's the Goa'uld (the "Klingons of SG-1", perhaps?). They, of course, fail, but the threat is still on everyone's mind.

Kowalsky (who, if I recall, was parasite'd in the pilot) is having headaches. That's never good. The one thing you learn from these sci-fis is that nothing, I repeat nothing, is ever "just a headache". It's usually an indicator you're either going to be very ill, kill, or be killed.

The title music and opening have changed slightly and are MORE AWESOME now! And Kofia-looking font! Yay! Love it!

We flash back to the General's office. Apparently the big wigs don't want Teal'c to be part of O'Neill's team (WHAT?!) because he's (A) alien (that's racism!) and (B) once part of the enemy (that's generalization!). Being the protagonist and all-around-good-guy, O'Neill jumps to his defense.
I like this because we're getting into ethics territory. Okay, so every sci-fi does this, but it's neat nonetheless.
O'Neill goes to chat with Teal'c, who is coming off to me as the true "outsider" of the cast. He's a nice guy but doesn't quite get the mannerisms of his human counterparts. He's like the Spock/Odo/Data/Seven of Nine of this group. (Probably why he's so freakin' awesome.)
Anyways, O'Neill tries to justify his superiors' actions (right after getting up in his commanding officer's face) but Teal'c doesn't seem to buy it. He recognizes his place, but I think it still upsets him. He's also rather Klingon-ish. It's like if you took the Klingons and the Jem'hadar together and cooled the temper. Still, he seems genuinely interested in Earth.

Meanwhile, Kowalsky goes off his rocker and kills his physician when he goes to see him for his headaches! Oh no! Also, amnesia, so he can't remember what he did! The effects seem to be temporary bursts of loss of control. (Freaky!)

Teal'c finally meets Colonel Kennedy, who'll be debriefing him. Teal'c is also big on honour and formalities, which he's seemed to have picked up on just fine. Kennedy calls this an "informal meeting", but who is he kidding? It's an interrogation.
O'Neill sits in as Teal'c explains the Goa'ulds, if only to be ready to just to the defense. This scene is a bit of a "cheat" with the writing because we get to learn all about this enemy without even having to fight them. But of course important things like weapons and ships are unknown to Teal'c. Basically they're your typical fear-spreading, all-conquering, merciless space empire.
However, they're also like Star Trek's Preservers, in that they set off and created many humanoids on many planets. Again, conveniently explaining why Jaffa, Goa'uld, et cetera all look very human.
And it turns out that this "First world the Goa'uld harvested on that was lost forever" was... wait for it... wait for iiiit....
EARTH! And we're everyone's best hope for a saviour!

Scene changes and we're back with Jackson. He discovers the physician Kowalsky killed stashed above his bed. But it's too late. Kowalsky (under the influence) breaks into the control room and takes Carter hostage. (What is up with all the female hostages?) Of course he snaps out of it and remembers nothing before the damage is done. They're going to try to save him, but it could kill him. Teal'c confirms this. They need to talk to the parasite...
....so they do. Well, they try. The parasite's not happy and wants to go home. Kowalsky snaps back in and, since he was restrained, there's no harm done.

And we're back at the conference table. The big wigs don't want the operation to remove the parasite, but Kowalsky's friends do. The big wigs think that they can get the parasite to "share" its knowledge, but Teal'c and the others hardly believe that. Even General Hammond stands up to Kennedy and demands that his officer be operated on. (Maybe he's not so bad after all.)

The operation ends up going fine, despite Kowalsky's numerous laments of death and hating the thing inside him. The reason it goes so well is that they were able to study Teal'c's Goa'uld parasite, and thus able to find the anesthetic that would work best for it.
Kennedy, however, is now more determined than ever to have Teal'c in a study but Hammond, like O'Neill, jumps to the alien's defense. I find it interesting how quickly everyone's warmed up to him. Maybe he's just cool like that. But Kennedy prevails and now the crew goes after to help their E.T. friend.
Kowalsky requests to thank Teal'c and goes so far as to call him a friend, but of course... that wasn't the true motive.

His eyes FLARE UP and OMG HE'S NOT HUMAN THE PARASITE IS STILL THERE AAAHH!!! And he tries to strangle Teal'c!! Noes! All hell breaks loose again and he's trying to open the stargate and DAMNIT KOWALSKY!
Teal'c stands in his way and they struggle in front of the Stargate, but after that struggle the last of the parasite burns out. Kowalsky's now gone for good - for real, this time. Sad.

The President gives the A-okay for Teal'c to join the mission, and spear in hand, he joins Carter, Jackson, and O'Neill, and they go through the 'Gate to the NEXT ADVENTURE!

So this episode made sense but I was a little disappointed. I wanted space-faring, gate-going adventures, not hanging out in the base. I suppose, though, that in the context of the plot it only makes sense. I'm excited to see more aliens and of course to learn more about Teal'c and his whole people, society, et cetera. So far, so good!

And also, this reminds me of a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. You know, the one where there's the mother parasite infiltrated the Federation and she A'SPLODES when Riker and Picard gun her down in the host? I think it was "The Conspiracy" or something.

PREDICTION FOR NEXT EPISODE
The crew will travel to P3-575 and have to learn to deal with each other.

O'Neill: I'm the captain, so--
Carter: Wait a second. You're not the captain. You're just a colonel. I'm captain.
Jackson: And I'm a scientist!
O'Neill: Shut up, Jackson, nobody likes you.  
Carter: I'm also very well-versed in xenobiology and--
O'Neill: Oh yes, I'm sure you are, even though I'm the one who fought the freakin' aliens the first time.
Jackson: Hey, I lived with them!
Teal'c: (Thinking) Man... these guys are nuts!