Stargate SG-1: The Serpent’s Lair

• Release Date: 26th June 1998
• Season 2
• Episode 1
• Director: Jonathan Glassner
• Writers: Brad Wright

On the bridge of a Gou’ald ship orbiting Earth, Jack orders Sam to blow up the attack ship with all of them on board, as the timer set is too long. Just then, Apophis’ ship comes into view – and it has a shield that will protect it from the first ship exploding. As blowing themselves up will help nobody, they start to think of another plan. A Jaffa stun grenade knocks them out and they get captured, with Bra’tac,now serving Apophis, putting Klorel in the sarcophagus. 

Back on Earth, the Gou’ald ships are detected and Hammond is baffled as to why the entire military isn’t being put on alert. It’s all because of Samuels from the Pentagon – Area 51 has created Naquadah-infused nukes and fitted them with stealth plane plating. He’s confident that these will make short work of the Gou’ald. Hammond is appalled by this stupidity, but proceeds with his orders of sending people to the alpha site, a last resort to preserve humanity – and does so with a cool speech as the stargate dials and a wormhole forms behind him.

Bra’tac, is ordered to kill SG-1 and upon reaching their cell, lets them know that they ruined his plan. He was to sow seeds of distrust between Klorel and Apophis and make them fight. Although if one won fairly clearly, Earth would still be in grave danger. He was hoping the ships of Earth would be able to take advantage of the situation. Jack and Daniel mention that we have… shuttles. Still, Bra’tac putting Skaara in the sarcophagus has delayed the attack by around 18 hours. 

As the ship they’re on is going to blow up, thanks to C4 being enhanced by the Stargate material, so they need to get to Apophis’ ship. With the help of Bra’tac and a few Jaffa guards, they kidnap the resurrected Klotel and move it closer to the other ship. Daniel gets hit and is fatally wounded and… nobody seems to care all that much. They don’t even help him into the resurrection machine sitting next to them. Throughout the rest of the episode, the rest of SG-1 don’t mention him again. I think they just needed him out of the way for later.

Taking the teleportation rings to Apophis’ ship, Bra’tek shoots the controls as they flee from a very surprised Gou’ald, they start heading to the shield generator. Back as SGC, Walter brings up imagery of energy weapons on board one of the ships, Hammond thinks is SG-1. The Gou’ald busters are fired anyway, and fizzle against the shields. Samuels suggests sending nukes to planets like Tulac, which Hammond denies. He also refuses to allow him to go to the alpha site – it’s only for the best of the best.

Jack, Sam, Teal’c and Bra’tec find where the shield generator is. Bra’tec describes a long and dangerous journey through the ship as Jack chucks some grenades down a large shaft, disabling the shields. Bra’tec says the only thing left to do is wait to die, to which Jack refuses and suggests escaping in death gliders; they almost get out of range as the ship explodes, but the gliders are disabled.

Just before the ship explodes, Daniel wakes up from the sarcophagus, heads to the Stargate and goes to the alpha site before heading to Earth – as the ship was in orbit of Earth, it was close enough to a point of origin to be used again. As he asks where the rest are, the shuttle  Endeavour finds them. They reunited back at SGC, having saved the world. 

Other than the pointless stuff with Daniel’s death, it’s a great conclusion to the cliffhanger, with plenty of amusing moments. A good start to a new season.