“It’s kind of like Goa’uld Mardi Gras here.”
- Release Date: 19th December 2001
- Season 5
- Episode 15
- Director: Martin Wood
- Writers: Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie
We open with the Gou’ald Zipacna, who tried to attack Tolana during Skarra’s trial a few seasons back. He has summoned Osiris for a meeting, who is still in the body of Daniel’s ex-girlfriend. Osiris feels insulted that Zipacna is asking her to serve him (while also making comments about her choice of a female body) but he stops her, saying that he’s not the one in charge. She’s being asked to serve an ancient Gou’ald called Anubis.
The Tok’ra visit earth, saying that the war between the System Lords – a load of fighting due to the power vacuum left by the deaths of Apophis and Cronos – seems to be coming to an end, and that the System Lords plan to meet to arrange a truce. The Tok’ra want one person to attend this meeting and kill all the System Lords at once. However, the person going has to be human and has to speak fluent Gou’ald – Daniel is the only candidate.
SG-1 head to meet Jacob with SG-17 (including Elliot from Proving Grounds) with them. SG-17 are here to learn more about the Tok’ra and their ways and technology. Jacob proceeds to explain the plan. The Tok’ra have adapted the Reol substance (the alien from The Fifth Man) to use against the Gou’ald. Jacob can get Daniel close to Lord Yu and if Daniel jabs him, Yu will believe him to be his personal servant. None of the other Gou’ald in attendance has seen Daniel (it’s a good job the Gou’ald don’t use pictures for the most wanted people and their greatest enemies). He is then to use a poison to take them out – one that will instantly kill symbiotes, so very dangerous to the Tok’ra. Daniel points out the human hosts, but Jacob says they’ve all suffered for centuries.
Zipacna gives Osiris a mission we don’t know about, then says that he has discovered a powerful Tok’ra weapon (Anubis managed to extract it from a spy) and will be heading over to destroy the Tok’ra and find the weapon for themselves. Daniel and Jacob go over a few things to get ready, with Jaboc saying that the ultimate plan is to wipe out the Gou’ald entirely. Daniel is a bit concerned that the Jaffa will also all die as a result, something Jacob says is a wrinkle in the plan but there’s currently zero population growth so it seems best to do something now.
Carter is taken to a Tok’ra lab, where Lantash (who was blended with Martouf). The Tok’ra scientist refuses to show any research without permission from the council, but Carter is not happy that they didn’t seem to give Martouf much of a chance, choosing to save the symbiote instead. The scientist asks Carter to think about what choice Martouf would have made, and Carter can’t refute the options they made, as his death led to important research.
Jacob takes Daniel to Yu’s ship and Daniel takes out his servant. He manages to stab Lord Yu with his ring, who accepts Daniel as his servant. The first step of the infiltration was very successful. In the Tok’ra base, the alarms have gone off. There’s a Gou’ald ship approaching and the Stargate has been dialled, stopping them from leaving. The ships will be here before the 38 minute window has passed. They’re trapped.
They start making new tunnels to spread out, as well as turning off power to make it more difficult to target. They can’t use the poison on the surface even if they wanted to (which would be a colossal risk to the Tok’ra) as the only bit of poison they have is with Daniel.
Daniel is introduced to a bunch of new Gou’ald. We have Olokun, Kali, Morrigan, Bastet and Ba’al. Most will only be mentioned in future episodes (and not seen), although Ba’al will end up becoming a future menace, played by the wonderful Cliff Simon. Despite only having a small part in this episode, he does stand out (which is why they brought him back). Yu and Daniel talk about recent politics, with Ba’al having some sneaky tactics and others having recent disagreements. However, all seem to have suffered at the hands of a new, unknown Gou’ald.
The Tok’ra tunnels start getting hit and start collapsing. Most of SG-17 are wiped out, with Elliot having to drag the leader, Mansfield, with him. The infirmary is destroyed, so they take him to the lab (none of the injured Tok’ra get any attention). Jack wants to see what is on the surface, so they point him in the direction of the secondary ring room. Carter and Elliot take Mansfield to the lab, where the Tok’ra scientist says that Lantash could not survive healing someone. There’s a cave in which takes her out, injures Elliot and damages the tank holding Lantash.
Daniel sneaks off to communicate with Jacob, saying that the Gou’ald are expecting another on top of the seven system lords in attendance. Jacob thinks it’s worth finding out what is going on before killing everyone. He goes back and the System Lords are arguing about whose troops have done what when the extra guest appears – Osiris. She notices Daniel but doesn’t say anything,
On the surface of the planet, Jack and Teal’c see thousands of Jaffa, and some have made it into the tunnels. They head back and can’t get in touch with Carter. We cut to the lab and Carter and Elliot are the only ones still alive – and Lantash is inside Elliot. Lantash says he’s using all his energy to try and heal Elliot. They all manage to meet up in the tunnels, but they’re getting worse and worse.
At the summit, Daniel tells Jacob that the final person is Osiris – and that she seems to have noticed him but chose not to reveal to the others. She then enters the quarters (which belong to Lord Yu) and calls him out. In the Tok’ra tunnels, Jack, Teal’c, Carter and Elliot are trapped by another cave in, with no way back to the ring room.
It’s a good first-parter, with the Tok’ra already suffering colossal hits, with pretty much only Lantash, Selmac (in Jacob) and their undercover agents left. After the Tollans, this is the second colossal blow to one of Earth’s more powerful allies.
