Stargate SG-1: The Broca Divide

• Release Date: 15th August 1997
• Season 1
• Episode 5
• Director: William Gereghty
• Writers: Jonathan Glassner

After going to a planet mostly blind – it was too dark for the MALP to see and the headlights broke on transport, SG-1 discovered some caveman-like people. Daniel was already pretty horrible in Emancipation, but the start of this episode is probably his most despicable moment. 

While observing the cave people, they see a woman about to get raped. As Sam goes to stop it, Daniel says they need to let it happen right in front of them as that’s how cavemen did it. Not only is this horrible, but Daniel comes across as an utter idiot as he doesn’t seem to notice the rather obvious difference between this woman and the caveman – she’s wearing much more modern clothing, so clearly isn’t one of them.

Luckily, another group of people save her and SG-1 greets them. They get invited to their town and they explain that they are Gifted, with anyone that develops savage behaviour being kicked into the forest on the dark side of the planet. Jack sees no strategic benefits so they go home, despite Jackson wanting to study the people.

Back at Stargate Command, Daniel argues that they should be studying cultures while out exploring, and Hammond, after making the point that it’s not his recommendation, says that the government wants that as well, so that’s the orders for future missions (although they can always send additional teams back). Suddenly, a member of the backup team that accompanied SG-1 tries to attack Teal’c, who requests the men be restrained before Teal’c has to hurt him.

A few other members of the team start being aggressive and it turns out that nobody ever thought of any kind of contamination protocols in the likely situation that one of the teams brings a nasty virus back with them. More and more people get sick – with Carter attempting to get Jack to mount her – and get thrown in holding cells, as they’re the closest they have. Only Teal’c, Jackson and the lovely Dr Fraiser seems to be immune.

Which means Daniel and Teal’c need to head back to the planet on their own, with Daniel quickly getting kidnapped by the caveman. The “gifted” refuse to allow Teal’c to take a blood sample, so on his way out me knocks out the cards and forcefully takes it.

The situation at SGC is worse, they have to double up people in cells, putting Hammond in with Jack (who is described as the most violent one), with Jack begging for more sedatives. He’s lucid enough to ask the doctor to experiment on him. Once Teal’c is back, they discover that the virus feeds on histamine, and she and Daniel take antihistamines for allergies every day. 

A cure is tested on Jack (which, instead of inventing a vaccine quickly, is just an effective overdose of antihistamines), and soon they gear up with anti-allergy tranquilliser darts. They head to the blanket and find Daniel. His medicine wears off and he’s now leader of the drive, with the woman he was about let get raped earlier as his mate. He also appears to be eating part of a human. They all get shot to get cured and the cure is presented to the Gifted. 

This is another pretty bad episode, with Daniel not coming across well at all here. It also makes SGC look quite incompetent with no kind of quarantine plans in place other than eventually ordering the front doors to be locked. These two episodes in a row probably give the first season its bad name. The only good part is Teal’c refusing to accept that Jack is now sane due to him making a cultural reference and calling Teal’c “Lucy”.