“Singularity” ( 1 x 16 )

 

Yeah! All right! Finally made it! I’m guessing this has to do with a black hole, either real or metaphorical. However, I doubt we will see anyone from Star Trek: Enterprise, but that’s okay. This cast is stellar enough on their own.

Indeed, the first thing that Jackson mentions as they travel to the Stargate to head out is a black hole. Apparently they’re going to a planet where, during an eclipse (OH GOD VISIONS OF Twilight AT THAT WORD) they may be able to see the matter swirling about a… black hole. Turns out that O’Neill’s quite the expert on astronomy. (Remember that telescope in the pilot?)

They exit into an industrialized sort of world where I guess SG-7 is – or should be. But the first thing they see is a man lying dead on the side of the road. They all (except for Teal’c) put on hazmat masks and start looking around the deserted town. Whoa, is there a disease or something? This is kind of freaking me out. And now I won’t be able to tell who’s who. Gosh, I hate it when they put on masks! Then I have to rely on voices! They find a bunch more people in the buildings of the town, and they’re all dead.

Hate it when that happens, too.

The crew comes back and goes through decon. Fraiser insists that she inspects all of them nonetheless. However, they do go back, but this time in full hazmat suits… except for Teal’c. That Goa’uld larva must keep him really healthy.

They find a small girl hiding in the bushes, and Teal’c extends his hand to her to draw her out. (It’s a really adorable scene!) They actually take her back to a medical facility to check her out, and Fraiser thinks it’s a bacterial infection. She then figures out that the girl does not have the infection.

Carter wants to still stay and photograph the eclipse, but since the girl has become attached to her, she goes back to Earth. Teal’c and O’Neill stay behind to see it.

Back on Earth, Carter has provided the rather clingy girl with quarters, but she doesn’t seem to really understand what she says. She doesn’t speak, either. She does, however, have a bit of an artistic side and paints the scenes she’s seen – the people dying, and then Carter coming for her. It’s the first time we see a mothering side of Carter.

At the Hangout, Hammond speaks with Fraiser and Jackson. It’s possible that the little girl is the cure for this deadly disease, but they’re not quite sure. Ethical dilemma? Maybe later.

The scene flashes back to O’Neill and Teal’c on the planet. (They sure do have a lot of scenes together. Not that I’m complaining!) There’s a very funny scene where O’Neill tries to explain what a black hole is:

“It’s a really… big… thing.”

Yup, that’s super-specific, Jack. But he’s such a goofball sometimes. Love that guy.

Carter goes to leave the little girl, and she finally speaks, asking her to not go. We finally learn her name, “Cassandra”. She seems to refuse to leave Carter, for whatever reason. She has a heart arrhythmia, possibly, and potassium deficiency. She suddenly faints and goes into cardiac arrest, and the medical team works relentlessly to save her. Fraiser manages to get her heart going again, and they find something in her… something in her heart.

What is it?! I want to know! Dangit!! This anticipation is killing me!

When they try to see what it is, her pulse goes flat, and then suddenly normal again. The object is able to stop the heart, whatever it is.

They think that part of this object is made up from the Stargate, which raises even more questions. They find out that two particles in that object in Cassandra’s heart, if they collide, could cause a massive nuclear explosion. Now, I don’t know the science behind this, nor am I a chemistry buff, but that sounds… pretty bad.

Back in the planetary observatory, it’s almost show time (ha, ha, no pun intended) for the eclipse, and O’Neill is all ready for it. What they see, though, is a massive ship.

Oh, wait a second, it’s not just a ship.

It’s a Goa’uld attack vessel.

YEAH!! STARSHIPS!!! Oh, man, you guys have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this. I was never really big on the whole starship thing in Star Trek and certainly not with Star Wars but I’ve kind of missed seeing them. I don’t expect any epic space battles but I really, really want to see more of this Goa’uld ship. Oo, yay, so excited, so happy. My inner Trekkie has bonded with my inner Gater. I get creepy Egyptians and spaceships in this series? Right. On.

Something comes out of the ship (I think) through the telescope and Teal’c says they better get going.

This is where it gets to be serious business, guys. Hold on to your panties. Or boxers. Whatever.

Of course, the assumption now is that the Goa’ulds planned all this. (We haven’t seen the ship. Sad.) I wouldn’t doubt it, so I’m going to go along with the theory that they wiped out everyone on that planet, used Cassandra as a “Trojan Horse” with her heart device, and plan now to destroy the Stargate complex on Earth. (Jerks! No wonder Teal’c left them and Bra-tac turned traitor. Cool people know better.)

Cassandra’s condition is worsening and she’s getting sicker. Carter admits she’s attached, and Hammond has to take the hard route. The device must be removed, and Cassandra has to go back.

On the planet, Teal’c and O’Neill are running for their lives from two smaller attack vessels. (Those two sure get into a lot of trouble together.) Teal’c says that this Goa’uld, Nirrti, once faked a treaty and destroyed a Stargate. Ergo, he’s probably going to try and destroy this one.

Ah, Teal’c. I love you to death, but don’t you ever bring any good news?

They hurry back to Earth and find Cassandra has slipped into a coma. If they bring her through, it will destroy the Stargates on each side. Now they must take her to a nuclear facility and it’ll probably go off there.

This is probably going to be pretty traumatic for Carter. She has to watch a little girl she’s fallen in love with as a mother sort of figure die because the Goa’uld used her as bait. If anything I think it’s going to drive her to revenge against them even further.

She takes Cassandra down to the bottom of the facility and they enter a  room. Carter makes an empty promise to the girl that she’ll return, and you can see the pain in her eyes as se leaves, and also in Cassandra’s as she realizes the lie. She breaks down sobbing as she closes the door and rides the elevator back up. It’s the first real pain we see in her character, and she goes back down before she goes all the way back up. She returns to Cassandra, ignoring the captain’s orders, with sixty seconds until the scheduled detonation.

And then…

…nothing happens.

It was a bluff? What? What just happened?

Carter thinks that it was because they got her too close to the Stargate that the device started to function. Away from the Stargate, she’s fine!

The crew go out with Cassandra to a park and O’Neill gives her an adorable, fluffy dog. Teal’c has a spiffy hat on, Carter’s got a clean conscience, and Jackson and O’Neill are all good. The object’s gone, too. They’re going to find her an adoptive family, but Carter promises to see her when she can.

Final thoughts… another good episode. I was really scared there that something terrible was going to happen. I still haven’t been able to properly gauge this series, but they don’t seem to be really fond of killing off a lot of characters. It’s not like X-Files or Fringe or even some Star Trek episodes where anyone could go. Usually, everyone lives. The best part was getting to see another side of Carter. I realize now that while she still has feminist qualities, she’s not so far detached from her human nature that she couldn’t be a good mother. In fact, I think she cares a lot about people in general and still has that maternal instinct. She’s a strong character nonetheless; she just seems more balanced now.

(Hey, no one can be a hard-head all the time!)

AFTERTHOUGHT OF THE EPISODE

Since I’ve decided that predictions are kind of dumb. I’ll do them if they apply though.

(The crew discusses the trials and triumphs of parenting.)

Carter: Man… I could not be a mother. It was hard enough caring for that girl for a few days.

Jackson: Well, if I do say so myself, you are pretty well in-touch with your maternal instincts.

Carter: (Laughs) Oh, shut up, Jackson. I just had a touch of inspiration; all from my scientific background.

Teal’c: Daniel Jackson is correct. You do have a… “knack”, as they say, for motherhood.

Carter: I don’t know how you do it, either. Leaving your son behind on Chulak…

Teal’c: He has the heart of a warrior. He will be fine.

O’Neill: Doesn’t make being a dad any easier, though, does it? I know how it feels, though, and despite all the hardship, there’s really nothing more rewarding in life.

Teal’c: Indeed. It is a concept that remains universal through all of life.

Jackson: Ah, damnit. Now we’re all going to be in the mood for a Brady Bunch marathon.