“Politics” ( 1 x 21 )

Well, after that stellar episode last night, I doubt this will be nearly as exciting, but I’m still eager to see. The title screen shows O’Neill in full, formal uniform (quite handsome really) and so I’m guessing this will be the political side of SG-1. They touch on it occasionally, but I have a feeling we’ll be diving into the meat of that situation a little more here…

Indeed, we start at the Base, and Daniel’s getting patched up. (Hey, this sounds just like my prediction at the end of the last blog!) The crew seems to doubt his insistence that he traveled to another timeline and saw all this destruction occur. O’Neill seems a little preoccupied with the notion that he and Carter were engaged but she, of course, is more concerned with the idea of an alternate universe in itself.

Hammond walks in with Lt. Col. Samuels. There is to be a hearing about Stargate that day. Apparently a Senator Kinsey took interest in the program, but he’s not so thrilled about the results so far. If the hearing doesn’t go well, the SG program could be shut down. (Hm, remind anyone of NASA’s space shuttle program shutdown due to budget..?)

My prediction… they’re going to have to convince them that they’ve made progress that will and has benefitted humanity. Er, the Tau’ri, anyways.

Here, back in Hammond’s office, we get some answers. The Stargate costs 7.4 billion dollars a year to operate, and this senator was concerned because he didn’t even know what all this money is going to. They showed him it eventually, but as Hammond says, “The plan backfired,” and Kinsey now wants to cut off all Treasury funding.

No more Gate-hopping! Aww!

Down at the Hangout are O’Neill in his uniform, as well as Jackson, Carter, and Teal’c (hi! hi Teal’c! nice to see you haven’t lost your mind this week/reality!). The Senator comes down and says, “So, this is the infamous SG-1.”

Infamous, my butt! They’ve only saved hundreds of lives and took down a freaking Goa’uld that was probably going to target Earth next!

He overall has a very pessimistic view of the whole thing and doesn’t seem to understand the bigger picture behind the ‘Gate, though he does recognize the worth of service to one’s country. His problem seems to be the secrecy of the Stargate, and finds it dangerous, especially considering they rarely bring anything back. However, on the President’s orders, he’ll hear them out.

Carter argues for the scientific wonders of the ‘Gate, and Jackson for the cultural, but Kinsey also seems to believe it to be a “Pandora’s Box” of sorts.

(But Teal’c came from it! How bad can it be, really? Also more awesome people like Quark… er, I mean, the Nox guy, and Bra-tac and stuff.)

O’Neill really takes the argument, though, stating that the “box is already open”, and that there’s really no closing it now. The Goa’uld are a threat, right here, right now. Or at least, they will be very soon. He seems to be inadvertently channeling what Daniel told them all in the infirmary. He and the Senator get into a shouting match, Kinsey once again stating that they should simply close the gate, and then Jackson speaks up that he has “reason to believe” the Goa’uld may already be en route to Earth.

Oo, bad idea, Danny-boy.

The senator doubts what he says, despite Teal’c and Carter and O’Neill all standing up for him.

They then pull out the records for the last year (side note: the first mission was in February) and there’s a flashback to the pilot episode.

Hey, this is actually a pretty good idea, production-wise. If anyone jumped into the series late, they could just watch this and get a little recap of what went down that first episode.

Going on…

The flashback primarily details the scene where O’Neill shouts, “I can save these people!” and Teal’c turn on his own fellow guards and they take them all down, followed by their escape. (I love this scene.) They also recap the final firefight before escaping through the ‘Gate with their refugees.

The point the Senator was trying to make is that he doesn’t think the Goa’uld are that powerful, considering they were able to take down a small plane and a small battalion. Just then, the Stargate whirls to life, and SG-2 is back.

The next flashback is to the beginning of “The Nox” when they were actually all killed by Apophis and his Jaffa. They also flash back to the huge Goa’uld ship that was seen in Daniel’s vision and also the one from “Singularity” which sent a smaller vessel after Teal’c and O’Neill.

Another is to the Crystal civilization, also destroyed by the Goa’uld. Carter’s trying to show Kinsey how the Goa’uld can and have obliterated whole races before.

And then we get a great couple lines from Teal’c. (yay!)

The senator asks him why he “switched sides in the first place, if they’re so strong?” The Jaffa’s response is,
“Because what is right cannot be measured by strength. Your world values freedom. I wish that very same freedom for my people.”

The senator then says, “…that’s your problem…”

(Oh no he didn’t just talk back to my man!)

“…not ours.”

Teal’c gets up (oh, this is serious business now) and tells him what the rest of SG-1 has been saying since the start of this hearing: That it soon will be Earth’s problem. He recognizes the danger of a slave race that does not think for itself. If anything, he knows this through what Daniel saw in the other timeline. He gets right up in the senator’s face and tells him the cold, hard truth. It’s pretty epic. Teal’c’s got “business” written all over his handsome face. Again, an insight into his character. He recognizes what happened on Chulak could happen here, and that’s the last thing he wants: to see another world go down. That’s why he’s here. That’s why he fights alongside SG-1.

The next flashback is to “The Enemy Within”, with Kawalsky trying to get through the Stargate and then Teal’c stopping him. Their concern is, once again, what kind of dangerous disease could come back through – as happened in “The Broca Divide” (the following flashback). O’Neill fairly states that if they hadn’t been through that epidemic, they wouldn’t have found a cure, and they wouldn’t have saved an entire race. So, in sacrifice, they ultimately prevailed for the good of everyone else.

Kinsey still, still is not convinced what they are doing is worthwhile, and goes so far to say that Hammond’s “best isn’t good enough”. (Say what?!) He intends, still, to shut the Stargate down.

Daneil gets up and, against O’Neill’s suggestion, tells the senator about his alternate timeline experience. He pulls out the warning coordinates, and Carter also gets up to defend him. Nonetheless, he vehemently believes that, despite all the warning signs, the Goa’uld will never come. He’s basically called them all crazy idiots and he leaves.

At this time, Teal’c requests to leave

(WHAT, NO, DON’T GO TEAL’C I LOVE YOU I NEED YOU HERE—

I mean, um, the team really needs you! You are a vital asset to SG-1 and they would all be sad if you left!)

and return to Chulak, since it seems Earth no longer has any interest in fighting the Goa’uld. Well, not the Earthlings who matter in the big scheme of things, anyways. O’Neill wants to go with him, but Hammond says he can’t. He’s only allowed to leave the Gate open until the other SG teams return. He dismisses them, and the four look out onto the Stargate…

TO BE CONTINUED.

Final thoughts… All right, so this is obviously a two-parter season finale.This first part really served its purpose pretty well as (A) a re-telling of the past twenty episodes so that the audience doesn't feel lost and (B) as the introduction to what I'm sure will be a killer season finale with a huge cliffhanger. This left us with a pretty big cliffhanger as is. I know that there are nine more seasons, so, DUH, the Stargate’s not going to get shut down. It’s all going to turn out pretty spiffy, but at this point, I have no ideas. I have no predictions. I literally have no clue how they’re going to get around not only the Senator’s, but the President’s orders. Hammond seems to play pretty strictly by the rules, and while O’Neill likes to bend them, he’s good about that as well.

I can see them either finding some sort of loophole, or a catastrophe putting them in a situation where they must use the Stargate. Maybe Teal’c and Jackson do something together. Maybe the Goa’uld do come, and there’s the proof. But if they came, then the rest of the public would know. So many ways this could go! It’s absolutely thrilling! Can’t wait for the next episode!

REFLECTION/PREDICTION THINGY

Hey, what else am I supposed to call it? Anyways, an 18-year-old girl from Nebraska manages to break into Area 52 and talks to the crew about stuff. She’s a total self-insert Mary Sue, by the way.

(Out of breath and chased by several guards, the teenager bursts into the room with the Hangout table.)

Marie: Hey you guys! Hey!

(The four SG-1 members turn away from the window to look in surprise at her as Hammond and several guards also enter.)

Hammond: Don’t move or they’ll shoot!

Marie: (She puts her hands up.) Whoa, dudes! Chillax! I’m just here for moral support. Or something like that. (She glances out of the corner of her eye at Teal’c and grins.) Did anyone ever tell you that you have nice biceps? And deltoids? Among other things, like eyes? I really like them. They’re kind of—

Jackson: Hey, I’m cool too!

(Teal’c merely raises an eyebrow at her.)

Marie: You should say something like, ‘Fascinating,’ every time you lift your eyebrow like that.

Teal’c: …Indeed.

O’Neill: (Clears his throat loudly) Excuse me, Miss, but how the hell did you get in here?!

Carter: That’s a good question, considering this is supposed to be the best-guarded facility in the nation.

Marie: Oh, well, it was quite easy. You see, I just—

Hammond: Now don’t be giving out national secrets! What if someone’s transcribing this!?

Marie: (She sighs in exasperation) Don’t worry, General… sir… whatever. I won’t. (Turns to SG-1) Look, guys, you can’t do this. Teal’c—

Carter: How does she know his name?

Jackson: Beats me.

Marie: - you can’t go off back to Chulak and just leave these guys here! They’d be lost without you. And you, O’Neill, what the heck is your problem?! Stand up! Take a stand! Don’t let some bureaucrat from D.C. boss you around! Jackson, you’re smart! Do something! Same thing with you, Carter! You’re a BAMF! Now, I’m tired of hitting the exclamation button so much, so just DO THESE THINGS and you’ll all be good!

(An awkward silence, complete with crickets which probably shouldn’t be alive this time of year in Colorado, ensues. The girl snaps her fingers and suddenly has on a Star Trek uniform, and she taps her combadge.)

Marie: Ensign Mary Sue – er, Marie, whatever, ready to beam up!

(She disappears in a shimmer of light.)

Teal’c: …What is a ‘BAMF’?