“One day your people will benefit from the sacrifices that you have made”
- Release Date: 26th July 2002
- Season 6
- Episode 7
- Director: Peter DeLuise
- Writers: Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie
Stargate Command receives an audio message from Commander Hale of the Kelownan Defense Council – the country that Jonas is from – asking for help. Hammond calls for a meeting with SG-1 and informs them. They want to continue trace negotiations, and Jack still hates them for framing Daniel when he sacrificed himself to save them. However, Carter points out that they still think they can make naquadria (an unstable variant of naquadah) work, so Hammond wants to find out what they want.
Teal’c meets up with a concerned Jonas, who worries about returning home as he’s officially considered a traitor. Teal’c shares that he, too, had to go through that, but he knew what was doing was just and that, in time, his people accepted him again and followed his cause.
The three representatives – Hale, Ambassador Dreylock and Dr Kieran (played by the wonderful Dean Stockwell) – arrive, with Jonas saying hello to Dr Kieran but getting completely blanked. Jonas explains that it was his professor and they’ve spent the last six years working together. They all join the briefing with it starting off on a sour note – Jack mentions framing Daniel and Dreylock saying that they accepted stolen goods and are harbouring a traitor. They agree to put those behind them and get to the matter at hand. The other two countries are about to sign a non-aggression pact and the Kelownans think this is a prelude to war.
Jack and Carter bring up the time they almost gave technology to a group of people under similar circumstances (the Nazi planet), then found out they destroyed the surface of their own planet to wipe out everyone else. So they’re reluctant to share technology (despite how they always moan when others don’t share technology with them). Dreylock says if they don’t get what they want, they’ll have to use the naquadria bomb they designed.
SG-1 meet up on their own and Jonas explains the centuries of bad blood, and that the other two countries would likely continue hostilities once they’ve beaten Kelownan. Hammond calls for Jack for his opinion. Jack says that even if they give them stuff to defend themselves, what’s stopping them from turning it into a method of attack?
Dr Kieran turns up on his own to let them know that the non-aggression pact has been signed, and wishes to speak to Jonas. He asks Jonas how he is doing, but asks how any of this will benefit their country – Jonas says that they would share stuff like shield technology once they figure it out. Jonas says that their countries need to unite before sharing technology (a bit rich considering the state of Earth). Kieran reveals that he’s a member of a resistance aiming to overthrow the government, and that the people in the other countries are equally sick of how things are. Seeing the rest of their bomb and its horrifying power made him realise this is needed.
Jonas has a meeting with Hammond and SG-1 and says if this coup happens, the attack will likely be on hold as the other countries will be concerned about similar things happening to them, plus it will mean a better trading partner for Earth. Hammond says that he’s been authorised to share non-military technology with them, and they can use their stay to scout out the resistance.
In the trade meeting, held by first minister Valis, Carter says they’ve been authorised to negotiate and confirms that they have a surplus of naquadria. When they reveal how much, she offers to make sure their storage facilities are safe. Hale is against this, but Valis says it’s just about safety. What they want is for Earth to help them with one of their aircraft programs. Carter says they can offer antibiotics (which haven’t been discovered on this planet) which would save tens of thousands of lives. Valis says it isn’t good enough.
After the meeting, they meet up with Kieran and convince him to speak to the resistance to open relations. He says he’s not supposed to go unannounced, but will do so. He goes there and they warn him that the government is into him. He tells them that SG-1 wants to meet them, and says he trusts Jonas when they cast their doubts. We cut to Jonas meeting First Minister Valis, who asks him to spy on Keiran, as they’re worried about his state of mind. We then see Jonas visiting Keiran, but portrayed as though a bad actor doing an “evil duplicate” performance, telling the doctor that he can trust him.
The negotiations continue, they ask for anti-air technology, but Jack points out that they can be transported elsewhere and used to attack. Carter suggests sending some Earth diplomats to help with negotiations. Valis points out that the Stargate is a secret. When Jonas says that perhaps it’s time to tell everyone as it might unite them, he says it’s not so simple – after all, the Stargate is a secret on Earth as well.
SG-1 head to Kieran’s lab where he reveals that another scientist, who he recruited into the resistance, has been mysteriously transferred, just like another one a week before. Jack is about to leave as negotiations are going nowhere and the resistance is likely to be discovered when Kieran says that the coup will happen in two days – they just need Earth to take control of this building. He offers a stockpile of naquadria that he’s stolen and hidden away for the resistance – he says he’ll set up a meeting.
On the way to the meeting, the badly acted Jonas catches up with him. On the way, a guard spots them and gets into a gunfight on some stairs, with Kieran slipping and falling off the platform (it kind of looks like he fell on purpose. When the camera pans back up, Jonas has completely vanished.
He gets transferred to the infirmary at Stargate Command, where Dr Fraiser checks up on him. The government is saying they just found him in an abandoned street. Teal’c mentions that he felt like the government was after him, but Carter can’t understand why they would allow him to be treated on Earth if that were the case. They’re not entirely sure what to do, but Jonas suggests finding the resistance, and Carter says she can trace the naquadria.
As SG-1 look for the resistance, Keiran is talking to an imaginary Jonas. Fraiser shows Hammond evidence that he’s suffering from advanced schizophrenia, and that it’s truly bizarre that nobody has noticed as it should have developed 20 years earlier. Jonas visits the First Minister and says they need to talk. Jack, Teal’c and Carter track down the naquadria and it’s in a completely abandoned building. They take it back with them.
Jonas pleads wife the First Minister to not use the bomb, saying that continued use will likely make the Gou’ald investigate and wipe out the entire planet. Jack interrupts, saying that they’re leaving, quietly telling Jonas that the resistance doesn’t exist. Jonas asks Valis about what happened to the missing scientist and he says they were sent to a mental facility – working on the bomb affected their brains. They actually were concerned with Kieran house, but we’re also keeping the side effects hidden from other scientists.
Back at SGC, Fraiser confirms this to be the case, and says Jonas is clear and that the safeguards they already have in place should be enough (although they’re still double checking). Hammond mentions they haven’t heard from the Kelownans since everyone returned, which might indicate that they are at war.
Jonas visits Kieran and tells him that he’s getting transferred to another facility to better suit his needs. Kieran asks about the resistance and Jonas tells him that everything is in place and that he has saved the world.
I’m a bit mixed about this episode, there’s a bit of hypocrisy from SG-1 about technology (although this could be a sign of them starting to understand), and the hallucination twist is just sad instead of interesting or meaningful, the resistance was something I wanted to see more. Also, the terrible acting for fake Jonas was distracting.
