“Well, you do have a penchant for pulling brilliant ideas out of your butt…”
- Release Date: 7th June 2002
- Season 6
- Episode 1
- Director: Martin Wood
- Writers: Robert C. Cooper
SG-1 are fleeing from natives of a primitive planet, throwing spears at them and using blow pipes. The new member of the team, Hagman, apologises for causing a misunderstanding which riled them all up. They get through the stargate, with Hagman getting darted and knocked unconscious. Hammond says he presumes Hagman will need reassigning (it seems like Jack has already gone through a lot of replacements for Daniel) while also telling Carter that something at Area 51 has been completed.
Carter visits Jonas, who is pretty much just moping around Daniel’s lab, having been cooped up in the base since he left his homeworld three months earlier when Daniel ascended. He’s read all of Daniel’s notes and seems fascinated in how Earth can predict the weather. Carter says that they’re going to head to Nevada. He questions how SG-1 always know what colour uniform to wear, and Carter says that they message each other each morning.
They head to Area 51, along with Teal’c and Jack and are shown an experimental aircraft. Jack is immediately on the defensive, as the last one he tested took him out into space and nearly killed him and Teal’c. The engineers explain that the old ship was effectively a modified Death Glider while the new one, the X-302 is entirely human built. On top of that, thanks to the naquadria Jonas brought from his homeworld, it has a hyperspace window generator, something Gou’ald fighters don’t even have.
Back at Stargate Command, Colonel Chekov is visiting Hammond, saying that the fourth member of SG-1 should be a Russian. Jack enters and is extremely hostile about this. Once Chekov is dismissed, Jack asks why they need a fourth member, but Hammond says that Daniel’s knowledge, linguistic skills and unique viewpoint (essentially his ethics) are very important to replace. Hammond essentially says that he has until his recent knee injury heals to pick a new permanent member, suggesting that they would have to accept the Russian’s proposal if it takes much longer.
Jonas visits Carter to thank him for letting him see the ship and asks to see plans. She hands it to him (Hammond said he can see any research involving naquadria), along with giving him some recommended books to read to understand it. He mentions that he’s committed all of Daniel’s work to memory and Fraiser has confirmed he can learn much faster than anyone (a really disappointing way to have him capable of translations). He wants to actually help instead of sitting in the base, but Carter can’t see it happening.
Next, Jonas is sparring with Teal’c, who says that Jack still blames him for what happened to Daniel. He asks how he can make up for it if he’s never given the chance, and asks Teal’c to put in a good word. When Teal’c sees Jack, Jack is not happy with the candidates he’s been given – he suggests Jonas, which Jack takes as a joke. Teal’c pointed out that Jack learnt to trust him, and that Jonas is no different. They’re interrupted by an incoming wormhole.
It’s Bra’tac, and he has bad news: Drey’auc is gravely ill. Hammond tells Teal’c to go. Carter explains to Jonas (and the audience, as even the writers forgot) that this is Teal’c wife, and he also has a son. They prefer to live with their people rather than on the base. As they’re talking, Chekov enters, extremely angry – he’s just found out about the X-302 and thinks that Russia should have been informed about it. As he and Hammond argue, there’s another incoming wormhole.
This time it’s absolutely nothing, yet the Stargate itself isn’t closing. There’s no incoming ships, and they’re not even detecting any radiation or signals, so they have no idea what is going on. Meanwhile, in the Jaffa camp on Chulak, Bra’tac says that his wife did not want Teal’c there, and that he has refused a new symbiote as she doesn’t want another Jaffa to die in her place. As Teal’c approaches the tent, Rya’c leaves and tells Teal’c that she’s dead because of him and storms off.
The Stargate is still active and won’t turn off. Carter has programmed the computer to dial immediately when it shuts off at the 38 minute mark, so they can use the Alpha gate for their offworld teams and to get help. Only that the gate doesn’t close, which is a big problem. One of the technicians mentions a very minor power build up, well within expected parameters but still worth pointing out. When Carter analyses it, she realises that something a tiny amount of energy is being sent at a regular basis, something is doing this on purpose.
Rya’c and Teal’c discuss things, with Teal’c confident that the Gou’ald can be defeated. Rya’c thinks that this doesn’t matter as long as they require Gou’ald symbiotes to live. Teal’c is again confident that they will find a way, but Rya’c doesn’t care – his mother won’t see this freedom. He attacks Teal’c, who doesn’t retaliate. He thinks Teal’c sees him as unworthy. Bra’tac heads over to stop it, telling Rya’c that he wouldn’t stand a chance against Teal’c. Bra’tac says that Teal’c didn’t decide her fate, and that we must all put freedom above life if they are to succeed.
The Iris has been activated and the power transfer has been slowed down. However, the build up will eventually be too much and the power will cause the Stargate to explode. They predict that this will happen in a few days. The blast will take out the whole of Colorado, and the resulting environmental disaster will likely wipe out all life on Earth. So, it’s pretty bad.
At Drey’auc’s funeral, Rya’c storms off. Teal’c asks Bra’tac why his son hates him and Bra’tac says he doesn’t, he’s just going through a lot and still doubts himself since he was brainwashed by Apophis and nearly destroyed life on Earth. This is made worse because he believes Teal’c also thinks he is weak. When Teal’c asks Bra’tac why he would believe this, Bra’tac says that Teal’c has never said otherwise. Teal’c finds Rya’c and talks about how he, too, was recently brainwashed by Apophis and Bra’tac had to almost kill him to snap him out of it. They hug.
In Stargate Command, we see a few of the background regulars mention things that won’t work – disconnecting power won’t change anything and will stop their readings while they can’t use the Russian stargate while this one is active. Carter is monitoring the situation when McKay turns up, acting inappropriately to Carter once again. She refuses his help and he storms off. She gets a message saying that the X-302 is ready. Carter and Jack volunteer to try and contact some outside help. On Chulak, a Jaffa called Shaq’rel arrives in a cargo ship, he has grave news – Earth is under attack from Anubis.
Jack and Carter arrive at the X-302. The plan is to head to Abydos and use its stargate to travel to where they can contact the Asgard. In the briefing room at the SGC, Jonas tells Hammond that he’s looked at the plans and the X-302 won’t work. McKay says that he was just telling Hammond the same thing. Jonas says that the instability of the naquadria increases the more power you draw from it. Hammond says that they currently have no other option.
Jack and Sam proceed despite the warnings, with the X-302 heading to space smoothly. However, once they activate the hyperspace windows, the safeties kick into place and veers them off course. They’re ordered to return so they can figure out what went wrong. It’s a mission failure and puts Earth in a very, very bad place.
Bra’tec realises that it’s too late to fly to Earth to warn them, however he has another idea. While Anubis has a large army, he only controls a small number of planets. So if they keep dialling them, they’ll find one which is in use, which will be the location from where the attack is taking place.
With everyone back at Stargate Command, they realise that the wormhole generated by the X-302 was unstable, and would have deposited them in some random part of the galaxy if the safeties didn’t stop them. It was to do with the instability of the naquadria, and Jonas doesn’t think there’s a way to solve that issue. In short, they’re alone. Jack goes to Carter and realises that she’s scared – there’s she can’t think of any last minute plan to save the day this time.
A hologram of Anubis appears in the gate room, telling Earth that they’re doomed (the first time anyone from Earth has actually seen him). Carter realises that the hologram is Asgard technology he’s gained from Thor’s mind. The episode ends with Anubis bragging about the Earth’s demise.
One again, this is Anubis finding a way to attack Earth in a roundabout way. This is a more direct violation of the Asgard treaty, but they won’t find out until it’s too late. I do think that Drey’auc was given a disservice, as she hasn’t appeared in ages and was killed off-screen so they didn’t have to have anyone play her part. Just seems wrong for the wife of a main character.
