“Scorched Earth” ( 4 x 09 )

Um… Sounds like a drought. Sounds like crops failing. Sounds like planetary disaster. Or maybe it’s metaphorical? All I know is that there’s a really weird-lookin’ guy on the title screen wearing some funky white robes.

The scene opens up with SG-1 on a happy planet with happy people who are thanking them for moving them to this planet. The leader is a blind woman by the name of Hedrazar, and they are the Enkarans. Suddenly a young man, Caleb, comes to them and collapses, saying that something has destroyed his village.

SG-1 goes past the Stargate to see a really super epic looking ship literally burning the planet. (All right, kudos to the graphics department, because that starship-sized flamethrower is easily one of the coolest things I’ve seen on this show. Next to, like, the Stargate and the Biliskner and when ships EXPLODE.)

Back on base, Jackson, Carter, O’Neill, and Hammond are at the Hangout (or maybe it’s some other room) with a rough analysis of the flame-throwing ship, which is about a day away from the Stargate – and the village. Teal’c is back on the planet, readying the Enkarans for yet another evacuation, but it’s a tricky situation: The Enkarans will go blind if the radiation conditions aren’t just right for them, and it was a miracle they’d found this world.

Carter thinks that whoever’s on the ship isn’t necessarily trying to kill, but merely alter the ecosystem using microbes that are deposited after everything else is burned up.

(Can’t they just split the planet fifty-fifty?)

Once more on said planet, the Enkarans are of course being very stubborn and don’t want to leave. Jackson wants to talk to whoever’s on the ship, and as they’re heading out towards it, then are suddenly transported (more a la Asgard than a la Rings technology) away…

…and onto the ship. Which is perfectly breathable for them. Jackson hypothesizes that SG-1 was expected, and also that the tissue samples they discover on board are in order to repopulate the planet in this new environment.

They are suddenly approached by a man who looks like an Enkaran and calls himself Lotan. He explains that he is more or less a computer program designed to communicate with SG-1 and the Enkarans. Lotan also says that when this terraforming project started, there weren’t any sentient life forms on the planet (okay, so these guys do have morals… that’s good) but the process cannot be stopped.

(Oh, okay, so they can’t split it fifty-fifty. That’s too bad.)

He shows them an image of a Gadmere, the species behind this ship and the terraform. Literally every part of their legacy is on this ship. However, they were peaceful (like the Nox, maybe?) and fell to a military power (REPLICATORS?!), so now they’re looking for a new place to live… and this is the only one that’s suitable. They need that ozone layer, too.

SG-1 returns to the Enkarans and O’Neill reluctantly explains the situation.

Carter is back on base, along with Jackson and O’Neill again. Jackson’s concerned that the Gadmere would be wiped out, but O’Neill more or less just wants to blow up the ship and save the Enkarans, whom they have all obviously grown quite close to. However, Hammond’s not letting them bring troops or weapons.

O’Neill orders Carter to rig a bomb from the naquadah reactor they gave the Enkarans, and she (begrudgingly) manages to do so.  

Meanwhile, desperate for a different option, Jackson finds himself transported back onto the Gadmere vessel. He speaks to Lotan, who already seems to be sympathizing with the Enkarans, since he shares their form. He eventually convinces him to come down to the surface and have a look at what’s about to be destroyed. O’Neill’s upset but allows Jackson to introduce Lotan to some of the Enkarans.

Clearly Daniel’s pulling another psychology/sociology move here and trying to get Lotan to sympathize with the Enkarans, since he was created in their image. He hopes that by connecting them personally, he can sway him. However, Lotan catches onto this, and simply takes them both back up to the ship… much to O’Neill’s dismay.

They’re mere minutes from detonating the naquadah bomb.

After several tense moments, Jack finally hits the launch button on the bomb… well aware the Jackson’s still inside.

Back on the ship, Jackson starts to try to convince Lotan to take his side.

Jackson: (Of the Gadmere) ”They had laws; justice? A respect for life?”

Lotan: “Yes.”

Jackson: “Then how can their world be recreated through an act of mass murder? Wouldn’t that be a betrayal of everything they stood for? … You’re not just here to serve life on this ship. You’re here to protect the integrity of life on this ship.”

Way to go, Daniel. Always knew you were a great linguist.

The ship suddenly stops, but the bomb is still ready to go. Lotan ends up transporting it up into mid-air, where it explodes but does not harm the ship.

But the Enkarans are still in danger. Jackson gets the idea that since the ship has such advanced technology, maybe it could find a planet which had been rejected by the Gadmere, but could be just fine for the Enkarans. And, voila, Lotan finds one!

Gets better.

It’s the Enkaran home world! Yay!

The Enkarans accept the offer, and Lotan will even take them there on his super-cool starship. And when he gets there, he’ll join them as an Enkaran.

(Oh, I just love happy endings! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy and giggly inside!)

Final thoughts… So, I realized after typing this that I didn’t mention Teal’c more than a couple times. That makes me kind of sad. Oh well. Maybe next episode.

Another Daniel episode (two in a row), and again, a pretty good one. He once again has proven his skills not only as a linguist but as a cultural expert and really just a humanitarian (even though of course that applies to everyone, and not just… humans). He is also once again the sort of yin to O’Neill’s yang. However, in the end, he proved himself in the right and helped Lotan discover a diplomatic solution for all.

It’s kind of interesting. Just the other day I ran across a thread at the Gateworld forum pretty much asking who you would kill off if you had to kill a main character in SG1 (or Atlantis). I think at first I thought to myself, “Well, maybe Daniel?” But when I really think about it, he is in no way, shape, or form a weak link despite his initial lack of military training. Now of course he’s just fine in the field, and so he remains a vital part of SG-1. He’s not necessarily bound to the military like Carter is, and therefore doesn’t have all that much to lose in, say, disobeying an order. Teal’c isn’t either, but since he kind of has nowhere else to go it would probably behoove him to, y’know, follow orders.

It is that liberty which gives Daniel dimension. He’s not afraid to question authority and play devil’s advocate to O’Neill. Sure, he and Jack are good friends, but he has rarely hesitated to speak his mind, even if it earned him a nasty glare once in a while. So I think while he has a tendency to bend the rules just as much, if not more than O’Neill, he’s always thinking of the bigger picture.

What would they do without him?

REFLECTION/PREDICTION THINGY

(This is a little bit awkward now.)

Jackson: Jack, you do know that you almost blew up-

(O’Neill sticks his fingers in his ears and hums loudly.)

Jackson: (Raising his voice) –the ship that Lotan and I-

(His humming gets louder. Jackson sighs in exasperation and stalks off.)

O’Neill: You see, Teal’c? Sticking your fingers in your ears and humming loudly. Works every time.  Solves so many problems.

Carter: Uh, sir, I don’t think you were supposed to give him that advice for another… four or so years.

Teal’c: Perhaps a ‘spoiler alert’ would be prudent?

O’Neill: Maybe Marie just needs to stop looking up funny Youtube videos of you from later seasons.

Marie: Hey! You guys can’t know about Youtube! It won’t be created until 2005!

"The First Ones" ( 4 x 08 )

Based on the image of the large, ugly Unas on the title screen, I predict that this episode will feature said large, ugly Unas. Actually I guess he’s not that ugly. Kind of reminds me of the Jem’hadar…

We start off on P3X-888, with the SG-11 team, except that Jackson’s there, and he’s working with Robert Rothman (remember, the kinda lame guy who was his replacement in the dream of “Forever in a Day” (3x10)?) and digging up some old Goa’uld bones. And literally, it’s the Goa’uld symbiote. Nastiness, in fossil form. What’s more, these fossils don’t have any traces of naquadah.

Weeeird.

You know what’s weirder?

The thing stalking Jackson, as evidenced by the distorted camera and green lens.

Also by the thing attacking one of the SG-11 team members and then dragging Jackson off.

Back on base, the ‘Gate whirls to life, and the only person to step out is…

…Robert.

Apparently what he believes was an Unas killed most of his crew in their attempt to rescue Jackson (noes!) and it turns out that 888 was the world Jackson believed the Goa’uld originated from. And, well, since the Unas were the first hosts…

SG-1 and 2 prepare to embark on a rescue mission. Hurrah!

Back on the planet, Jackson wakes up and is indeed facing an Unas. However, he’s also tied up by the wrists. Well, this could be unpleasant.

SG-1 and 2 move out, and a couple guys from SG-2 will keep an eye on the Stargate while SG-1 looks for Daniel, Rothman and the rest of SG-2 with them.

In a forest, Jackson is once more on his feet, and is obviously unable to communicate with the Unas (either that or it’s become tired of his incessant chatter). I presume that this Unas is unbonded, but not that primitive… It knew how to tie up his hands. It also knew to knock the radio from his hands.

They eventually stop near a lake, and the Unas begins some sort of ritual breathing practice. Jackson speaks into a recorder and hypothesizes that he’s the “evening meal” for this apparently-young Unas. He once again tries communicating with him (we’re just going to assume that the Unas is male for now) and at first it looks like he succeeds, but to no ultimate avail.

The Unas does have a language, though, as it speaks.

He leads Jackson to water, but seems to avoid going too close to it. He mimes to Jackson that he should cup his hands to gain the water, rather than lean directly into it. (Hm?)

And then he takes off! (Or, uh, tries to.) He goes into the water, and indeed, the Unas does not follow. And then a Goa’uld starts SWIMMING TOWARD HIM OH GOD but then the Unas grabs it, wrenches it apart, and unceremoniously spreads its blood over Jackson’s face.

All right, so, clearly, the Unas has some sort of familiarity with the Goa’uld blending process. (Or, parasitical takeover, rather.) If Jackson had lowered his face into the water he probably would’ve been Goa’uld’ed through the mouth. (…Ew.) That also explains why the Unas didn’t want to go into the lake. However, I don’t think he wants Jackson dead. If he did, he wouldn’t have saved him from that Goa’uld and inadvertently warned him earlier on.

Meanwhile, the SG teams have found SG-11’s camp, but the only survivor is a Major Hawkins. Teal’c has spotted some tracks, and so he’s going to use those epic tracking skills Bra’tac taught him.

They eventually stop, but they’re awfully close to that lake..!

The Unas has taken Jackson into a cave now, and he cooks up the Goa’uld corpse for dinner. (Okay, that’s kinda gross. I wonder how all those Goa’uld worshippers would react, haha.) Jackson still worries he’s going to be eaten, which has more or less killed his appetite, so he refuses the other half and instead takes out some kind of… snack… thing. Looks like chocolate-something. He shares it with the Unas, and by the end, they’re just hangin’ out by the fire, laughing about this great little treat.

That night, O’Neill expresses his concern for Hawkins, and tells Rothman to let him know if there’s anything weird about him. Rothman insists that there’s not (yeah, I wouldn’t exactly take his word for it, I don’t know how perceptive our friend Rob is) and indeed he says he’s not “good” at “people”.

Later in the cave, Jackson wanders around with his recorder and notices pictographs – the Unas do seem to understand the Goa’uld host-taking process; thus the tooth necklace around this Unas’ neck. He also suspects that there must be other Unas in these caves, hiding from the Goa’uld.

The Unas then approaches, scraping the side of his face and then smearing the cave wall with it.

All our SG-1 guy can say? “I think I’ve just been marked for death.”

Oh snap.

The next morning, Teal’c is taking watch by the lake when he senses a Goa’uld coming out, and then shoots it mid-air behind his back with his staff weapon. (You see why I think this guy is awesome?!) I’m a little confused why the symbiote would come after him (he is, after all, a Jaffa, and thus cannot be blended) but hey, whatever.

When SG-1 and 2 come to rendezvous with him, Teal’c announces that one or more of them could now be Goa’uld. Carter says she can’t even sense the ones in the water, but Rothman thinks that’s because none of them have naquadah in their systems. Everyone eventually puts down their weapons, and is restrained. I sense a little bit of Teal’c hesitating to do this (who wouldn’t, after working with all these guys the past three and a half years) but doing so merely because it is necessary. As Teal’c ties off O’Neill’s hands, we do get some funny dialogue:

O’Neill: “I’m telling you, it’s got to be Hawkins.”

Teal’c: “Trust in me, O’Neill.”

O’Neill: “What if I’m not O’Neill?”

Teal’c: “Then I was not talking to you.”

He then goes off in search of Daniel.

In the cave, Jackson works to fix up the Unas’ hand, but he can’t bargain with him. As he’s dragged off through the caves once more, he marks something on the cave wall, and goes willingly.

Back in the forest clearing by the lake, the SG teams sit around tied up and start to bicker. Just as O’Neill shouts, “Okay, anybody with a snake in their head, raise their hand!”  Hawkins’ EYES GLOW AND HE BREAKS THE RESTRAINT OH GOD. Teal’c reappears at just the right moment and shoots down the Goa’uld. He explains that any Goa’uld would be strong enough to break through the restraints, and so he starts to unclip everyone’s bondages.

As he gets to Rothman, he hesitates briefly, seeing blood on his wrists, clearly the sign of an attempt to escape. And then OH GOD NOW HIS EYES ARE GLOWING!! Rothman-Goa’uld grabs Teal’c’s staff weapon and knocks him down, but O’Neill quickly grabs his gun and shoots down Rothman.

Oh, man. Jackson’s not going to respond well to this.

SG-2 promises to give them both proper burials, and the three of SG-1 go off to find their friend.

They enter the caves and it turns out that Jackson wrote “This Way” and an arrow, and subsequent arrows leading the way. They eventually track down their fourth member and find him with the Unas, and several other Unas, including a sort of alpha male. Jackson’s friend is seemingly trying to convince the alpha that, “Hey, let’s not eat this guy, let’s make him one of us!” SG-1 is of course disbelieving.

The alpha and the other Unas get into a sort of brawl, and the one Jackson knows ultimately prevails.

Hey, now he’s alpha! Just like in Teen Wolf! Right of passage by killing the old one!

The Unas seems to ask Jackson to join him, but does not attack when he refuses.  However, it seems that perhaps, one day, Jackson may return here…

Final thoughts… I like Daniel Jackson. I really do. I know it sometimes might not come off that way, as I tend to (perhaps inadvertently) focus on O’Neill and Teal’c in most of my analyses and deeper thinking. I suppose it’s not really fair to Carter and Jackson, ‘cause I love them too, and for the latter, this episode is one of those reasons why.

Jackson is, first and foremost, a linguist. He’s a culture expert. He could fit in on Qo’noS or Vulcan or Romulus or Bajor or the freaking Death Star (okay I know that’s not a planet) if he had to. He’s very adaptive in that respect. In fact, just the other day I was watching the Stargate film with my folks (my mom thoroughly enjoyed it) where we got to see Jackson in all his linguistic, cultured glory.

(Also in all his dweeb-iness. But I digress.) 

Because, you know, once in a while, it’s nice to get away from all the guns and explosions, because as amazing as it is to see stuff go up in flames, a bit of insight especially into a race we don’t know so well is quite pleasant. Prior to this episode we knew hardly anything about the Unas. Now we know a bunch, and I’d say it’s all thanks to our good friend Daniel. By understanding where these first hosts came from, and making a concerted effort to know them (even if he only did it for self-preservation), perhaps we learn a little bit about the true enemy there – the Goa’uld. After all, that Unas did save him from getting a snake down his throat or in his back.

Which brings me to another pretty important point. At least, I think it’s kind of important.

We now know where our slimy little Goa’uld friends came from.

There are still many things I don’t understand, such as why they don’t have naquadah in their blood, but there were a few interesting thoughts here. It would seem that the Goa’uld are malevolent by nature. In fact, I’m not sure that they’re truly intelligent in themselves, since the offspring of a Goa’uld queen only know what they know because of genetic memory… memories from the host.

The one thing that does seem innate is control. Since I’m supposing that Rothman wasn’t a host from the time he told the SGC of SG-11’s capture, the symbiote knew to wait to make its escape.

How, then, do we explain the Tok’ra? Was it the host of Egeria (er, presuming that the name of the symbiote was Egeria) that convinced her symbiote, or something like that? I mean, the ones that took Hawkins and Rothman were ruthless.

The fact is, we don’t really know all that much about the Goa’uld. But every season, we learn a little something more… another weakness; another trait to be taken advantage of. Knowledge is power.

We can usually thank Daniel Jackson for that knowledge.

PREDICTION/REFLECTION THINGY

(This planet gives me the creeps.)

O’Neill: This planet gives me the creeps. Can we get out of here already?

Jackson: Jack, I don’t think anything’s going to come after us.

Teal’c: Indeed not. The threat of the Unas seems to have been neutralized, with thanks to Daniel Jackson.

Carter: Yeah, that was good going. How’d you learn to communicate with him, anyways?

Jackson: Well, just the same as with any other civilization…

O’Neill: (Imitating a chicken flapping its wings) ‘Bawk’?

Jackson: (Glaring at Jack) Very funny. Not.

"Watergate" ( 4 x 07 )

Okay, prediction: Conspiracy and Colonel Slimeball Maybourne. Other than that, I have no idea. The title screen has O’Neill in a funky helmet.

We open up with SG-1 about to go on a mission, but that tricky little Chevron Seven won’t lock. (Why is it always that last one?) Later, Jackson thinks that maybe the recent power spike logged was a second Stargate, but the NID one is now here, and the second one was on the Belisknor, which is now in pieces underwater.

Or is it?

They find evidence of a seismic tremor just like the Antarctica one in… Siberia.

Oh, you tricky little Russians.

Hammond confirms that, yes, the Russians do have a Stargate, and they actually know quite a lot about our SGC here in beautiful Colorado. (MOLE?! I see you smirking in the background, Colonel Slimeball!) He goes on to say that their gate is stuck open, and that’s why the SGC in Colorado can’t dial out.

So, of course, a Dr. Svetlana Markov (is it just me or does “Markov” sound kind of Klingon-ish?) has enlisted SG-1’s help in closing the ‘Gate. Carter’s pretty excited; she’s a big fan of Markov.

We go to Russia, and Dr. Markov is-

HOLY COW

DEANNA TROI!?

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

GO BACK TO WILL RIKER AND YOUR STARSHIP!

WHAAAT THIS IS CRAZY.

Good god, what is UP with this series?! Is this like where bored Star Trek retirees go to guest star? Armin Shimerman, Rene Auberjonois, and now Marina Sirtis? And now I look and see that Tony Amendola was in an episode of Deep Space Nine? This is too weird!

…Ahem. Anyways.

She’s oddly familiar with all of them (even Teal’c; I must say she’s one of the few people who doesn’t give him a weird look when they first meet) and seems nice enough. They go onto a plane, where she explains more or less the events of “Nemesis”/“Small Victories” (3x22, 4x01) from the Russian point of view. Remember, they had picked up the Belisknor on its way down. The Russian government’s not too keen on the whole Stargate thing, but Markov convinced them to give it a chance.

Gets better. The Russians have a DHD.

Gets even better. SG-1’s going to have to jump out of the plane since the runway’s iced over.

FUN!

Teal’c is more than a little apprehensive about this (“This does not seem wise, O’Neill!”) but he jumps off along with the rest of the team.

Markov, Carter, and O’Neill rendezvous with Jackson and Teal’c inside the Stargate facility. The two have found several bodies outside the ‘Gate room, and then they see several more just outside of the Stargate itself.

Yup, I smell a conspiracy.

Markov tearfully explains that an emergency protocol was enacted and nerve gas spread throughout the ‘Gate room. (But, hey, that doesn’t explain the bullet wounds!) While Teal’c and Jackson go off to start cataloguing the bodies, Markov tells the other two that they had found a water world where the water had energy potentials. The sample she had is now gone.

Well, that explains it. Sort of. Okay, not really.

They think they can close down the ‘Gate if they take a sub through and use its controls to shut off the drone (which is likely emitting power and thus keeping the Stargate open). So Markov, Carter, and Jackson are pulled through the ‘Gate in a mini submarine (“We all live in a mini submarine, a mini submarine…”).

In the sub, they have successfully shut down the Stargate on our side, so now it’s time to look around and find the DHD. However, the submarine suddenly starts to shut down. They’re completely stationary… and there’s no way to get back.

And the pressure is increasing outside the sub.

So, basically, implosion is imminent.

Meanwhile, Teal’c and O’Neill wander around and find more bodies in the kitchen. They open up a freezer when they see footsteps leading into it and –

- IT’S THE KING SLIMEBALL HIMSELF.

Frozen!

They set him down on a table, and yup, it seems that this is the mole. And, maybe unfortunately, maybe fortunately (I say the former), he’s alive.

The situation on the sub is worsening. The pressure continues to increase, and Carter and Markov think that they have maybe an hour left.

Back in Russia, Maybourne finally sits up (you keep that gun trained on him, Teal’c. I still say you have every right to dismember him) but he’s very dazed. He suddenly collapses and coughs up what looks like water and some substance. Maybourne shoves Jack into a freezer and some kind of vapor takes over Teal’c (NO! TEAL’C! GAH MAYBOURNE YOU RUIN EVERYTHING. THIS IS WHY I HATE YOU.)

Maybourne explains that the water “is alive”. When it was exposed to air, it turned to vapor, a sort of entity. (Oh, that explains the missing sample. Which is presumably using Teal’c’s body as a vessel.) Turns out that these life-forms are able to communicate with their hosts in some way, and they don’t seem that malevolent.

Jackson correctly (knownst to us, but not to them, of course) theorizes that maybe it’s a life-form preventing them from moving. The sub is obviously seen as a threat. The sub starts to crack under pressure… Think fast Daniel!

The bubble breaks, and Jackson reaches out to the water, which isn’t flooding in yet. Suddenly, it starts to pull him in, and Carter and Markov grab him..!

O’Neill runs after Teal’c, but is stopped and the doors close behind him. Teal’c starts to dial out, and the ‘Gate whirls to life. He collapses just as Maybourne had (please please PLEASE be okay) and the entity escapes through. Teal’c’s okay!

And then the three submariners come out through the Stargate… with no submarine.

Hostages have been exchanged, and it seems we’re all okay.

Final thoughts… Okay, while it was pretty cool to see Deanna Troi (er, Marina Sirtis… haha, kind of ironic that her name is Marina and she went underwater in a submarine… okay I’m dumb just ignore me) in a different kind of role than I’ve seen her before. Of course I only really know her as the counselor on Star Trek: The Next Generation (and it’s her character’s mother, Lwaxana Troi, played by Majel Barrett-Roddenberry who I adore) so it’s neat to see her like this, amongst SG-1.

In terms of the actual plot with the water entities, I thought that was kind of “meh”, but I’m sure things will get very interesting now that the Russians have a Stargate, too. It seems they know (or knew, I guess) everything about the SGC, and surely all those files will still be on hand. But have they met the Goa’uld? Any of the other races (i.e. Asgard, Tok’ra, Nox, etc.) we have? I know it was only operational for a month but what now? Will the program still be shut down as the government had planned?

I confess I’m not that keen on politics. This episode also took place ten years ago, and I’m not sure what kind of rifts (if there were any) existed between the US and Russia. (Hey, I was only seven.) However, I still find it odd that the two nations didn’t make up and try to work together. I suppose with something as secretive as the Stargate, the less people that know, the better, but think how great it would look to races like the Tollans if the Tau’ri put aside their differences and collaborated.

Maybe I’m just a wishfully thinking idealist but it’s a nice idea. It’ll be interesting to hear what happens to this Russian program – I don’t see it as something that’ll go away completely after one episode.

We also must address the issue of Colonel Harry “Slimeball” Maybourne. (Yes, the Slimeball nickname has officially become canon for this blog. If I’m not mistaken, selling national secrets to another nation is considered treason. (Again, not a Poli Sci major here.) Which means he’d be in big trouble. Which means he’ll probably find a way to weasel his way out of this. Which means I’ll once more be sad because the Slimeball will have, once more, escaped.

And he’s still a jerkface, too! He tried to stop Jack from going to help Teal’c!

Just admit it, ya slimeball, you never liked him. You’re just scared because he could take you down with his awesome.

(Oh, wait, that power is reserved to Bra’tac.)

Also, clever title: "Watergate". A scandal and, literally, a gate to a water world all in one.

PREDICTION/REFLECTION THINGY

(Hey, why aren’t we on Earth? Oh, right, we’re on the U.S.S. Enterprise-E.)

Deanna Troi: You said I was Russian? How could I possibly be Russian? I’m not even fully human.

Cdr. Will Riker: Don’t ask me. I guess some crazy things happen.

Capt. Picard: Excuse me, Counselor, but were you not on the Voyager at the time?

Troi: Uh, no, sir, that was just a hologram.

Riker: How did you travel back in time, anyways?

Picard: Ah, Riker, how would you know?

Troi: Yes, good question. (She lifts her eyebrows at him.)

Riker: What were we talking about again? Where’s that Worf…

Troi: …Qo’noS?

Riker: Right. Well. I’m going to go say hi, so… (He quickly exits.)

(An awkward pause.)

Picard: Riker, I did NOT authorize that!

(And they dash after the first officer.)

"Window of Opportunity" ( 4 x 06 )

All I know about this episode is:

1.       Lulz.

2.       It’s supposed to be very Groundhog Day-like.

My wonderful father tried to explain the latter to me, but I was just kind of like, “…What?” So I suppose I’ll just have to watch and see.

We start off on a very red, very beautiful planet (oh! How pretty! I love pretty planets) with a positively blazing sun. Jackson is of course busy studying some language (of the Ancients, we learn), and he’s met some guy, who doesn’t seem to be part of the SGC. The guy is working with some kind of device, and he zaps Daniel with what looks like a 2150’s phaser before activating some stones in front of him.

SG-1 is all ready to go back through the Stargate, when all of the sudden electricity sparks and makes the ‘Gate go kind of wacko – on our side and Colorado’s. Teal’c and O’Neill rush forward to apprehend our acquaintance, and there’s a rush of electricity and a flash of light –

- And suddenly O’Neill is in the commissary, eating Froot Loops at breakfast with Jackson and Carter.

…Wait, what?

That’s pretty much his reaction, too. He asks if they were just on a planet, but neither person has any idea what he’s saying.

They leave for a briefing on where they’re going (where they went?), P4X-639. Teal’c and O’Neill both report that they’ve been through this before, but everyone else more or less thinks they’re crazy. The way I see it, it’s like Teal’c and O’Neill are going through major déjà vu. But it’s more than that – when SG-12 comes through, Teal’c correctly predicts that they would come back early because one of them would be injured.

Fraiser checks the two out in the infirmary, where they recount what they remember to Jackson. The guy who zapped Jackson was Malikai, who had originally met with SG-15.

Later, Jackson approaches O’Neill with his information, which is pretty much what he would have found out on the planet. He thinks their answers lie in the scans of text from the planet that SG-15 took…

…but of course Carter believes it’s all in the physics. She gives him her theory that they could have somehow been transported back in time due to the mad solar activity on P4X-639, a la “1969” (2x21), which is a fantastic episode and we should all watch it right now just for the lulz… and Teal’c’s afro.

Ahem. Anyways.

Hammond meets with our two resident time-travelers and lets them know they’re in perfect health. (Of course.) They are, however, interrupted by the Stargate wildly sparking just as it had earlier…

…And O’Neill finds himself eating Froot Loops one more time.

Oh god. I know where this is going.

We once again have the briefing and a very funny, “We’ve DONE THIS!!” from Jack, and again the concession from Teal’c.

(You two… always getting into this sticky situations… First Cimmeria, then that trial thing on Cartago, then the body-switching (courtesy of our friend Ma’chello), then the Replicators on the submarine, and now 639. And that’s just what I can remember. Not that I’m complaining. Those were some of my favourite episodes.)

After another frustrating medical exam (which will of course turn up inconclusive), Jackson once again approaching O’Neill (and then getting slammed into rather comically) and telling him that he and Teal’c will need to help him learn this Ancients language, he and Teal’c approach Hammond… again.

There’s a particularly funny bit where O’Neill is trying to convince Hammond that they really are looping, and we get this:

Hammond: “You realize this is a little difficult for me to accept.”

O’Neill: “Hey, if it was just me, I’d agree. But what about Teal’c? Come on, is this the face of a crazy man?”

(Teal’c slowly looks over at him.)

O’Neill: “Bad example.”

(Which is gradually becoming a repeated line for Jack.)

Nonetheless, he convinces him to let them return to 639. They apprehend Malikai, who is of course back again, and figure out that he’s looping, too – but he’s the one behind it. The blocks move, the electricity sparks –

- And O’Neill has Froot Loops in front of him. One. More. Time.

This time, he and Teal’c get right to the matter and… are still examined by that lovely Dr. Fraiser. Again.

O’Neill: “I ask you… What could possibly be in my eye that would explain this?”

And Teal’c has a very amusing eye roll in response to getting the thermometer stuck in his mouth for the millionth time.

The two quickly seek out Jackson (in his office, lest he get run over again), who thinks that the machine which is causing time to loop is actually malfunctioning. However, they’re going to try one more quick fix – dialing out to stop the malfunction…

…And Froot Loops.

We go straight to Daniel’s office, and O’Neill has tried to record yesterday’s (well, to him) events on a voice recorder (…what) but of course that didn’t work. Certainly Jack is irritated, and even Teal’c, the pillar and epitome of patience, kind of looks like he’s getting a little frustrated.

Teal’c: “Did I not say your plan would be unsuccessful?”

O’Neill: “CAREFUL! Be careful.”

Jackson realizes that the only way they can help him is if they learn the language for themselves and remember what they translate.

The loops start to come more quickly now, and our two travelers are having their patience tested over and over again. Teal’c recounts getting the door slammed against his face by an airman as they’re studying Latin, with Daniel at the chalkboard. It’s really pretty funny.

(Slam!)

Airman: “Sorry, sir. I didn’t realize you were there.”

Teal’c: “You have said that on many occasions. Perhaps next time I will not be so forgiving.”

The loops continue in Daniel’s office, and remember, it’s a whole day each time, having to relearn and reteach and just repeat everything. And Teal’c and Jack?

They’re getting bored.

Jack spins idly in a chair, the two pick up juggling, (“Guys, you getting this? ‘Cause this is important.”) O’Neill recognizes that he’s losing it, but the translations… are going faster.

Jack has lost track of the loops, and is getting pretty despondent.

And then Jackson comes up with an idea.

Since everything is always going to go back to the way it was, they could literally do whatever they want.

And here we get to the best part of the WHOLE EPISODE.

Jack takes up pottery, bicycles through the base, the two golf through the Stargate,

(“How far is Alaris, anyways?”

“Several billion miles, O’Neill.”

“That’s got to be a record.”)

Teal’c slams the door in the airman’s face (yeah!), and Jack resigns from Stargate and gets some lip action with the girl he loves – and I must say, from my vantage point, Carter responded to that kiss pretty well! (Hehe!)

But the fun’s almost over. Jackson (with O’Neill and Teal’c’s help) has translated the 400 pages of alien text, and as he suspected, 639 was once an Ancient colony. They had tried to build a time machine and ultimately failed – thus giving us the time loop when it was activated. However, it can be broken, if the blocks on the device are pushed in the correct sequence.

(Those Ancients really have a thing for pushing things in the right sequence. Kind of simple, easy-to-use technology, huh?)

Now, keep in mind, the Ancients are the guys who built the freakin’ Stargate. We’re talking stable wormholes, a safe, effective, and really fast way to travel through space, and super-advanced technology in general. If they can’t master time, which I presume is what our good friend Malikai is trying to do, how could he possibly?

They go back to 639, and Teal’c runs into a force field that reminds me of the one from “Deadman Switch”. Malikai doesn’t want SG-1 to break the time loop because he thinks he can still master the time device.

And then we find out what happened.

Malikai’s wife died several years back, and he wants to be with her again. O’Neill tries to get him to see that, just as he had lost his son and couldn’t bear to see that happen again, Malikai shouldn’t try to relive what he had with his wife. We get a truly great piece of dialogue between the two:

O’Neill: “Listen to me, I know what it’s like! I lost my son! I know… and as much as I… I could never live that over again. Could you?”

Malikai: “No.”

O’Neill: “Let her go.”

He stops the device, and the looping ends.

Turns out that they’d been stuck in a loop for three months at the least. And when Jackson asks him if he ever did something crazy, Jack just smiles and looks at Carter… and stuffs his face full of oatmeal.

Something tells me he won’t be eating Froot Loops for a while.

Final thoughts… If I ever find myself giving elementary school kids a writing prompt, this is going to be it. “If you could do anything you wanted without having to worry about the consequences, what would you do?”

Ah! What a fantastic episode! I’m not quite sure if this will take the spot as my favourite episode but it was really amazing. Certainly it was Richard Dean Anderson at his most entertaining. But the thing is, there’s really not a whole lot I can say about this episode in terms of analysis. The biggest thing I can sense coming out of this in the long run is the connection and friendship between Teal’c and O’Neill. I mean, you spend three months with each other, and you’re the only two who know what’s going on. How can you not get closer? In fact, I felt that the writers could have gone further into this aspect, but of course I recognize the need to keep it light in order to maintain the overall “feeling” of the episode.

(The juggling and the golfing through the Stargate were pretty fantastic!)

As for the other characters, I’m sure it’s going to be weird for Jack and Teal’c because, as far as they’re concerned, they’ve spent at least three months with these people. However, all those interactions have been for naught (save for the last loop). So while they may feel they’ve grown closer to Character A or Airman B or whatever, that didn’t really happen. Of course the kiss between Jack and Carter springs to mind… but hey! As long as he’s happy and I’m sure she wouldn’t have minded, whatever.

As usual, though, the ever-vigilant production team couldn’t help but toss in a sentimental note at the end. I had suspected something about Malikai’s wife when O’Neill first picked up the device with her image (reminded me strongly of the moving newspapers in Harry Potter) and of course there was the connection with him losing his son. Very powerful dialogue at the end. (Bravo, writers! And excellent work, RDA.)

Just gotta say one more thing:

Daniel, who’s always dying, and Teal’c, who’s always getting injured for the sake of his team, both suffered injuries in this episode – the former at the start and the latter at the end.

No one gets a break!

PREDICTION/REFLECTION THINGY

(Jackson and Carter ask their teammates about the loops.)

Jackson: So, Jack?

O’Neill: Hm?

Jackson: Well?

O’Neill: Well, what?

Jackson: What did you do during the loops? Come on, I know you, and I know you probably had the time of your life during those loops.

Carter: I admit, I’m a little curious myself. Sir.

(Teal’c  joins them.)

Teal’c: We went golfing to Alaris.

Jackson: You mean on Alaris, right?

(He glances at O’Neill, who finally smirks.)

O’Neill: We might have dialed out and shot a few through the ‘Gate…

Carter: (Is shocked, but she laughs) Colonel!

Teal’c: It was most entertaining until we were apprehended by General Hammond.

O’Neill: And we had a good three hours left in that loop. It was pretty bad.

Jackson: You too, Teal’c? I’m a little surprised, to be honest.

Teal’c: When it became apparent the loops would not simply cease on their own, the need for certain… inhibitions vanished.

(Carter lifts her eyebrows at O’Neill, as if questioning.

He merely smiles and eyes a bottle of ketchup.

Perhaps another face…)

"Divide and Conquer" ( 4 x 05 )

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

I hope your day is wonderful and blessed, and that it is Black Friday before you read this because it means you were spending the holiday with your family. I'd just like to thank EVERYONE reading this because I am thankful for you and you are what keeps this blog going. Now let me hurry and post this (I actually wrote this review last night) because the bird's nearly done, the table's nearly set, and all my relatives are nearly here! I am forever blessed to have such wonderful people in my life, even if it's only through the internet. 

Sam/Jack shippers, this one's for you!

Prediction... someone is trying to divide someone! Maybe someone’s trying to sabotage some alliance, like they did in the events before “Shades of Grey” (3x18)?

(Maybourne, I see you smirking in the background!)

We start out on Vorash, and a few SGC officers are speaking with a few of the Tok’ra, O’Neill, Jackson, and Martouf among the group. They’re trying to arrange a meeting between the High Councilor, Per’sus, and the President (of the U.S.). Suddenly, one of the SG officers uses some kind of device and starts SHOOTING PEOPLE OH STOP HIM SOMEBODY. O’Neill yells at him to stop, and he pushes the ring device… and explodes.

WHOA.

Okay, maybe not Maybourne. That was some pretty sick technology.

A little later they reconvene, and the Councilor will be okay, but others have died on both sides. Martouf explains that the ring weapon is Goa’uld (jerkfaces!) and our good friend Freya/Anise explains that Graham was a za’tarc – one under Goa’uld mind control.

(Are we going to have another Rya’c on our hands? Because that was no fun.)

Pretty much this is just a theory, but she is confident in her thinking. It’s covered by a false memory, so anyone recently in contact with a Goa’uld could be a za’tarc. They would never know what they were, and the technology is very difficult to detect.

Well, that’s not good.

Given this, the SGC thinks that the President may be the next target. They want to call off the meeting, but Anise thinks she might have a way to determine who’s a za’tarc and who’s just fine.

Back on Earth, Anise has set up her detection system, but none of the SGC seem particularly happy about it. After all, our last few encounters with her haven’t been all that great.

The first to be tested is Lieutenant Astor. She’s hooked up to a kind of lie detector, except that it even can tell if someone’s not aware that they’re lying. Astor’s test doesn’t go… well, it doesn’t go very well. Freya (she’s been out more this episode) has an idea to remove the technology, but when she tries it, Astor rips out of her restraints, steals a pistol, and ultimately shoots herself.

But the testing must go on. SG-1 is tested and questioned on the last mission – the mission to destroy Apophis’ ship from “Upgrades” (4x03). However, when O’Neill and Carter get to the part about Carter yelling at him to leave her, the lie detector starts to get a little fuzzy..!

And now Freya thinks they’re both za’tarcs.

CRAAAAP.

They both agree it might be possible, since they were both unconscious at the same time in the ship. They are thus put into solitary confinement.

Freya visits O’Neill in his room, and apologizes for this mess, and then thanks him for saving her life… by putting the moves on him. The lip kind of moves. It’s a bit of an awkward “What’cha doin’?” moment for O’Neill (’cause we all know who he likes) and we find out that Anise is more into Jackson.

Wait, what? How is this relevant to the plot? Freya! Jesus!

He gets a little uncomfortable and bids her farewell… But, you know, alien cultures and all.

Freya worries that by keeping them confined, the inability to achieve the objective will ultimately lead both Carter and O’Neill to self-destruction – suicide, like the others. Martouf tries to convince Carter to go through with the procedure tried on Lieutenant Astor, and confesses he’s got feelings for her.

GAAH FEELINGS.

Jackson does the same for O’Neill (not the, uh, “feelings” thing) and he seems more willing to try the procedure again.

On the day of the summit, O’Neill decides to go through with the procedure despite the risks, saying that if he dies, maybe a proper autopsy could save Carter. (Oh snap. Do I see feelings there?) The Major, on the other hand, decides to go through with the sedation, but she’s clearly very unhappy with him taking the risk.

Jackson, Martouf, and Hammond are in the ‘Gate room as the Councilor arrives, and the President is coming next.

Meanwhile, Carter is sedated, and Jack is strapped in. Teal’c stands off to the colonel’s side with an armed zat gun (yeah, just a precaution). On her bed, Carter realizes that they lied, but they didn’t even realize it. (WHAT? ABOUT WHAT?)

Fraiser rushes into the infirmary and stops the procedure, and Carter meets with Jack alone. She explains to him through this question:

“When you wouldn’t leave me, are you sure there wasn’t something else you weren’t admitting?”

Oh snap.

O’Neill of course tries to play it oblivious, but eventually they both come to the realization that in not admitting their feelings for each other, the machine thought they were za’tarcs.

With only Fraiser, Freya/Anise, Carter, and Teal’c as the witnesses, O’Neill admits this in his retesting with Freya:

“How were you feeling?”

“Like someone who was about to die. I didn’t leave because I’d have rather died myself than lose Carter.”

“Why?”
“Because I care about her. A lot more than I’m supposed to.”

AWW!! JAAAAACK!!! You cannot be a ridiculous romantic! This is ridiculous but it’s so cute!!

They are both retested and both found not to be za’tarcs. Teal’c and Fraiser don’t say anything (good god, what could you say to that? This relationship would be totally forbidden by the regs) and given the comment I just made, the two agree that what just happened here won’t leave the room.

Well. Looks like we’ve got another Mulder/Scully on our hands, except that these two at least got to the point of admitting their feelings to each other. (But it’s so early in the series! But more on that in Final Thoughts.)

But this still begs the question: Is someone else the za’tarc?

Carter then realizes something else…

Martouf was never tested.

In the launch room, Martouf puts on a ring (CRAP) and Jackson sees this happen. The President is brought in and Martouf starts to freak out. Jack tries to shoot him in the leg, but it does nothing. They riddle his body full of bullets but he keeps going. He finally starts to come to his senses, and Carter takes… the second shot of a zat gun.

Ooohhh my god.

Turns out that the “President” they brought in was not the real one – it was merely a precaution to draw out any possible za’tarc. Martouf is dead, and Carter cradles his body, but they will not allow his passing to be in vain.

Final thoughts… Well, geez. Tough times, eh?

Relationships never seem to really work in sci-fi. In Star Trek, someone usually either dies or is forced to leave in some way, shape, or form (see Deep Space Nine). In Fringe, we blame it on the other universe for screwing up our love lives (see the latest season). In X-Files, it just leads to awkwardness. In Stargate, apparently, you shouldn’t even try because they’ll end up either dead or your relationship will be more forbidden than poor Romeo and Juliet’s.

The past couple episodes have just been broken hearts all over the place. First Teal’c lost Shan’auc, and now Martouf is dead (and he and Carter at least had a connection through Jolinar), Freya now realizes for sure she can’t have O’Neill, and Sam and Jack can’t be together even though they are clearly in love with each other. I suppose what I chalked up to be loyalty between team members and an unwillingness to leave anybody behind turned out to be more than just that back in “Upgrades”. I mean, I suppose I’ve known for sure ever since “A Hundred Days” (3x17) that Carter was in love with Jack (or at least unusually fond of him) but now things just get awkward. I’m pretty sure they’ll just try to keep this very “today never happened” but now that the truth’s out there, that could be easier said than done.

We also should probably address the little issue of the witnesses of this confession.

Freya/Anise I’m sure will just mind her own business. She’s not part of the SGC and so this really doesn’t concern her.

Dr. Fraiser is really kind of the one that worries me. I’d say she’s at least relatively close to SG-1 as a whole (how many times has she saved each of their lives?) and is very good friends with Carter. She seemed pretty concerned back in “Hundred Days” when she asked Carter if the fact that she cared about Jack would be a “problem”. She doesn’t want to see her friend lose her position, certainly.

Teal’c… I’m not sure about him. I know for a fact he trusts his team to always do the right thing (thus why he’s so ridiculously loyal to them all) but he understands the chain of command. My guess is, he won’t see this as any of his business and let it go.

Jackson I don’t doubt already had suspected this and so if he doesn’t know by now he will soon. Sometimes he’s kind of oblivious but he’s often very perceptive and he’ll pick up on it.

But that’s not the only relationship addressed in this episode… There’s also the Tok’ra-Earth alliance which was almost wiped out thanks to our slimey Goa’uld friends. (Well, snakey Goa’uld, anyways.) They had basically tried to undermine the trust and respect of the fledgling alliance, which has at times been strained, but always turned out okay. I foresee tough times ahead for the alliance, but I believe it will ultimately succeed. However, if the Tok’ra continue to keep secrets as they have so often done, it could get ugly again… and this time, it wouldn’t be the Goa’uld.

(But it could be that slimeball Maybourne!)

REFLECTION/PREDICTION THINGY

(RELATIONSHIPS BLARGH.)

Jackson: Why do relationships have to be so complicated?

Teal’c: Such would seem to be the way of the world, Daniel Jackson.

O’Neill: They’re not complicated. They’re cut-and-dry. You like someone, or you don’t.

Carter: Black and white.

O’Neill: No grey areas.

Carter: No complications.

O’Neill: Easy-peasy.

Carter: Yup.

O’Neill: Mm-hm.

(Awkward silence.)

"WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY" TONIGHT! I've heard such good things about this. Can't wait!

I'll be making my folks watch with me, haha!