“You’d think a race advanced enough to fly around in spaceships would be smart enough to have seatbelts on ’em.”
- Release Date: 9th January 2002
- Season 5
- Episode 16
- Director: Martin Wood
- Writers: Robert C. Cooper
Carrying on from the previous episode, Osiris attacks Daniel, but he, handily, still has the mind-altering chemical in his ring and manages to jab Osiris, making her think that he is Yu’s trusted servant. Daniel plays the part, saying perhaps she took a wrong turn and got to the wrong quarters. He contacts Jacob to let him know his cover is still safe, and Jacob still wants to kill the poison – Daniel isn’t sure as this host is new (and a friend of his) so he would be killing her.
In the damaged Tok’ra tunnels, Elliot (with Lantash talking to him) says that they can use Tok’ra crystals to form new tunnels. Jack and Teal’c go to get them while Carter keeps an eye on Elliot. They manage to get the crystals, taking out a few Jaffa, but it’s clear that the Jaffa had been searching for something – the design of the poison (which Carter now has).
Daniel prepares to unleash the poison when Osiris says that she represents another: Anubis. This causes a lot of shock, with most in disbelief as he’s supposed to be dead. Lord Yu is most displeased – he was banished from the System Lords and Yu himself had him killed and the System Lords have said that he could never rejoin. Osiris points out that Yu is the only System Lord from that time who is still alive (which seems to be largely because he’s kept away from messing with Earth). To the others, they can let him join or be at his mercy, as he’s the one that has been attacking them.
Speaking to Jacob again, they realise that wiping everyone out in this meeting will just help Anubis. Even if these Gou’ald join his ranks, they’ll still be looking for ways to help themselves or overthrow him, so the assassination mission has been called off. However, Jacob still wants Daniel to find out more information. Plus he’ll need to find a way off the station now he’s not killing everyone. Snooping around, he finds an urn filled with Gou’ald symbiotes.
Carter tries to give Elliot a pep talk about how SG-1 always finds a way out – but he points out that the others they’re with are nowhere near as lucky. He also passes on a message from Lantash that he loves Carter as much as he loved Jolinar. Above the planet, Zipacna is annoyed that there are still survivors and that they have not located the information on the poison. The Jaffa leader, scared, says they’ll do their best. Under instructions from Elliot/Lantash, Teal’c starts making new tunnels, sealing one behind them so the Jaffa can’t follow.
Osiris says that time away has taught Anubis respect for the System Lords and he wishes to work with them now. He fought them all to amass forces to show that he’s worthy of respect back as well. Yu says that they don’t need Anubis, but Osisis points out the dire situation: the Jaffa are starting to rebel more and more while as well as the threat from Earth. Even with the Asgard protection planet, Anubis says he’ll destroy Earth if he’s accepted back into their ranks.
SG-1 want to do something, but Elliot says it’s pointless. There’s no escape and the poison is too important for the Gou’ald to give up. On top of that, there’s an automated signal warning any ship to stay away. After a while, they decide to head to the surface – they need water anyway, and perhaps they can reprogram one of the devices to a distress signal and get out of there. There’s a handy crystal for making a tunnel up to the surface.
Daniel questions Jacob on what is due to happen to the human servants. He presumes they’ll just be killed, but as they were going to wipe out all the Gou’ald, it was never an issue. Daniel mentions the vat of symbiotes, so perhaps they’re for the slaves. Jacob gives instructions on turning off the shield generator, but Daniel wants to gather more information.
All the Gou’ald, except Lord Yu, agree to let Anubis return. The vote doesn’t need to be unanimous, so he’s accepted back, with Osiris acting on his behalf. The vat of symbiotes is brought in, but not to take hosts – the other Gou’ald start eating them. This could be one of the reasons their population isn’t growing. Afterwards, Daniel has a conversation with Ba’al’s servant about the Gou’ald not being gods, but he’s happy to still serve – he thinks implantation would be the perfect reward, and he hopes to one day join the System Lords.
Back in the meeting, the Gou’ald starts asking for compensation for the damage Anubis has done, but there is no such thing. She does reveal that the biggest threat is from within, and that Anubis is currently wiping out the Tok’ra to stop this. Daniel speaks to Jacob and they agree that it’s time to leave – but Daniel wants to kidnap Osiris first. She can lead them to Anubis and he can save Sarah.
By faking a message from Lord Yu, Daniel manages to lure Osiris but is foiled by Ba’al servant, who had warned Yu about his deception. Yu turns up and fights Osiris, getting stabbed (but surviving). In the chaos, Daniel hops into an escape pod and gets picked up by Jacob, time to find out what is happening to the Tok’ra.
As they arrive, SG-1 have made it to the communicator and changed the message. Jacob heads down in the cargo ship, but they get shot down (with the Death Gliders using the disturbance in the atmosphere to spot the cloaked ship). They all meet up together to figure out a new plan. The only thing they have is the poison, but it will kill Elliot, Jacob and Teal’c. Elliot has an idea: he can let himself get captured, talk about the poison so he gets taken to the camp, then release it – sacrificing himself. Lantash says they’re going to die anyway.
They say goodbye and the episode abruptly ends there. I get that it would be a very expensive sequence, but it is a bit of a downer on the end of a big two parter.
