“We’ll just upload a computer virus into the mothership”
- Release Date: 27th February 1998
- Season 1
- Episode 21
- Director: Martin Wood
- Writers: Brad Wright
Politics is the first of a fair few clip show episodes across Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis, which generally means a bunch of talking in between clips from older episodes. It follows on directly from the previous episode, with Daniel talking about the impending attack on Earth and his discovery of the location of where the attack is coming from. Hammond interrupts them to inform them that Senator Kinsey, who will be a government pain in the neck for a while, is here to discuss shutting down the Stargate program, unless SG-1 can convince him otherwise.
Kinsey discusses the $7.4 billion yearly cost of the Stargate program, and the lack of any useful technology that has been brought back. I find it strange that SG-1 don’t mention a few things – like the herbs from Emancipation or Jaffa weaponry – to show that there’s at least something, as surely Area 51 is studying something. Daniel does point out the knowledge gained from studying ancient cultures, but Kinsey doesn’t care – especially not for the cost. They do point out that some people on other planets have benefited from it – the people that were aging fast are now living long and productive lives, for example, but they’re not Americans, so it doesn’t count.
He also brings up mistakes that have been made, a couple of dangerous things that have been brought through, and how Earth now faces threats because of it. He’s convinced that just burying the gate will solve all the issues, and when the issue of the Gou’ald having ships is brought up, he says that the US military is more than capable.
As SG-1 can’t convince Kinsey, who had already made up his mind before he arrived, the program is shut down. Teal’c requests to return home, but Hammond denies his request. I personally think that Hammond only did this because he knew it would spur the whole of SG-1 into doing something rash and against orders. Hammond believes a threat is coming, but he follows orders and finds other ways to circumvent them.
The episode ends with the Stargate being covered and SG-1 looking at it in disappointment. Their best hope against the Gou’ald is gone, and they’re on their way. Watching it live, this episode would have been pretty annoying, but skipping past the old clips, it’s not a bad short episode to build up to the finale.
