“Has it occurred to you that maybe the reason you have been passed over so many times is not because you’re a human, but because you’re a moron?”
- Release Date: 1st August 2003
- Season 7
- Episode 8
- Director: Andy Mikita
- Writers: Damian Kindler
Carter rushes into the briefing room, still in her motorcycle gear as she got called in urgently. She apologises for not being in uniform when she sees Warrick, the alien captain of a prison ship that SG-1 helped in “Forsaken”. They discuss how relations between their people sharing technology is going slow and that Stargate Command are eager to take a look. Warrick has a proposal to make: Sam can have full access to the engine on his ship, but in exchange he wants help winning a race.
It’s called the Loop of Kon Garat, ran by the Tech Con Group, the biggest corporation on their planet, with a very lucrative contract for the winner. Warrick has arranged for SG-1 to go on a diplomatic visit and points out that there’s no rules against them helping him, and what they learn while doing so is not an issue. So it’s kind of unofficial. Warrick wants a naquadah generator to help him win the race. Carter spots this as an opportunity, and asks to be on the ship for the race, saying she’ll need to manage the generator. Hammond says he trusts her with judging the risks and Warrick is glad to have her on board, and Sam looks extremely happy about it.
Daniel speaks to Sam about how they’ve got various meetings planned while Sam is helping Warrick, and says that she’s very gung-ho about this mission. Carter tries to play coy, saying it not really her fault if a mission just happens to be fun, although won’t admit that she is pushing for the mission mainly for that reason.
We cut to a news report on Hebridia, the planet Warrick is from, announcing that Warrick has picked a human from Earth as his co-pilot, the first alien (in terms of someone not originally from their planet, as they’re made up of humans and Serrakin) to ever compete in the loop. We pull out to see a large screen in a lovely futuristic city. We cut to a hanger where Warrick’s ship, the Seberus, is being kept, and he introduces SG-1 to his brother, Eamon, who is not pleased with the extra help. As Jack and Daniel head off for the meetings and lies about Carter requesting his help so he can stay behind. Jack knows what Teal’c is doing, but it’s so unlike Teal’c to lie like this that he lets him stay.
With Warrick working on something, Eamon warns Sam that Warrick is desperate. By the time he returned home from his ship crashing, his wife had remarried and now has children and work has been scarce. This race is his opportunity to restore his old life. Warrick returns, saying the race data has been released. It introduces some rival racers. Jarlath is a gun runner who has been released on parole for the race, La’el Montrose has a very fancy ship and Muirios is a very skilled pilot. Eamon says they won’t get far without the parts they need.
Warrick and Carter visit a parts shop and the shopkeeper explains that his credit is at maximum and he can’t sell him a new part – but he will give him credit for a refurbished part he got that morning. Jarlath turns up and chastises him, saying he won’t win, then hits on Carter. As they walk away, Jarlath threatens to blow them up in the race and Carter stops Warrick from retaliating. Eamon is able to finish the ship and thinks their chances are really good, however we see someone sneak onto the Seberus with some tools.
We see the TV footage about the start of the race, with two presenters, Ardal and Coyle, and they both seem to think that Muirios will easily win, while announcing that anyone still has time to gamble on the outcome of the race. As Warrick and Carter prepare for the race, Carter says she could do with compression coil to replicate their technology, and Warrick says he’ll buy her one if they win. Jarlath calls them to try and bully them out of the race, but Warrick just insults him back.
The first period of the race is flying through a field of armed drones. The shields of the Seberus hold, but they get a distress call from another ship. Warrick offers advice then gets ready to assist when the ship’s captain says that they’re out of the race and to carry on. Warrick assures Carter that these drones stop firing at ships when they get disabled.
The news introduces the next stage of the course: flying very close to the sun and needing strong shields to survive – not good enough and they’ll be vapourised. They end with advertising Tech Con’s funeral service – these sections are really good fun. Oddly, Carter seems to have not been told what the course actually is as she’s surprised by each obstacle, which is unlike her and makes no sense.
As the Seberus heads through the chronosphere, alarms on the ship go off, and the engines shut down. They contact Eamon and Teal’c with a distress signal and discuss the problem. It seems the power diverter has overloaded, but Eamon says that is impossible as he checked it. They realise that someone sabotaged it. Eamon says that they can bypass the part and regulate it manually, which is dangerous but the only method. Eamon realises that someone could only make such a precise sabotage if they got into his workstation at Tech Con. While Carter and Warrick work, the news makes light of their likely deaths and advertises sun cream
As they get everything sorted, Eamon figures out that his supervisor, Del Tynan, but they’d need to go to the office to get evidence of it. The Seberus makes it away from the sun and Warrick offers to drop out of the race for Carter’s safety. Jack calls and says that the government has agreed to give them an ion generator in exchange for helping them set up a stargate, so she doesn’t need to risk her life to get technology – she still chooses to carry on, though, and Jack knows it’s because she just wants the thrill.
In the Tech Con office, Eamon and Teal’c head to Tynan’s office and login with his password (Eamon had software on his computer to track logins). It seems he has schematic on every ship, except for Muirios. It looks like all the other ships have also been sabotaged, not just Warrick – but Tynan appears with guards before they can. The Seberous receives an automated distress call from Jarlath. He says he doesn’t want to be rescued, but they do so anyway. He mocks how far behind they are and when they claim sabotage, he says it’s an unlikely story, then admits that his ship was also sabotaged. He doesn’t think they have any chance of catching up.
In Tynan’s office, Jack tries to contact Teal’c but Tynan turns off the radio. He tells Teal’c that the Serrakin are not to be trusted. Tynan has a conspiracy that all the higher ups are Serrakin. Eamon thinks this is just because he was passed for advancement a few times and that he is ensuring that the winner of the race will be a pure blooded human.
The news reports that Warrick is gaining on the leaders fast and is now in first place, with another advert. Jack and Daniel head to the Tech Con building and speak to the receptionist, getting her to call the owner of the company to let them in to find Eamon and Teal’c. The race enters an asteroid field as Muirios contacts Tynan to complain about Warrick getting back in the race. Tynan comes up with a new plan and contacts Warrick, saying that he has hostages – his brother and Teal’c – and to drop out of the race. He complies.
La’el Montrose seems to be gaining on Muirios, and Tynan’s sabotage has failed. He tells Muirios to try harder when Hagan, the boss, walks in with Jack and Daniel. When Hagan asks why this is happening, Teal’c says that Tynan claimed Serrakin conspiracies will enslave all humans. Eamon says it probably has more to do with how much he would win, and Hagan points out that he hasn’t been promoted because he was under investigation for corruption – which they now have proof for. Eamon lets Warrick know that he’s safe and to win the race.
As they set off, Warrick and Carter realise they have no chance, but wonder if there’s a way to prevent Muirios from winning. Jarlath says he can do it easily if they get close – and the end of the race requires doubling back so they’ll cross paths. Jarlath uses the communications array to disrupt the controls of Muirios’ ship and allows for La’el to win.
Back at Stargate Command, Carter tells Daniel that Warrick has been asked to co-pilot the winner’s ship, allowing him to benefit from the contract. Daniel points out that she’s sorry that she lost the race, and she mentions she’ll win next year – so, of course, we’ll never hear from them again.
This was a fun episode, although I wish we could have seen Hebridan some more. It’s also very similar to a Voyager episode which is also fun – and, interestingly, neither of them win the race.
