Stargate SG-1: Thor’s Hammer

• Release Date: 26th September 1997
• Season 1
• Episode 10
• Director: Brad Turner
• Writers: Katharyn Powers

Daniel is briefing Hammond and SG-1 on one of his theories. He believes that if the Gou’ald were aliens that came to Earth to pose as gods, then perhaps other aliens did, with some being good gods. He thinks that the description of Thor’s Hammer could be some kind of alien weapon. Teal’c recognises this symbol, for it is associated with a planet which first primes are taught so that no Gou’ald ever sets foot – meaning that the planet is dangerous to them.

As they exit the Stargate, an energy beam scans them. It stops ok Teal’c, who writes in pain. Jack tries to help and they both vanish. Some Viking villagers turn up and they explain that Thor’s protection sends Gou’ald into a labyrinth where only the host can escape – but as Teal’c is Jaffa, that’s not an option. The leader of the village takes Sam and Daniel to meet someone that had escaped.

Jack and Teal’c discover a Viking warrior calling himself Thor explaining that the Gou’ald is here to die, but the host is free to go. Jack figures out that it’s just a hologram recording. The set off to explore and discover that they are not alone – something is lurking in with them.

Carter and Jackson meet up with Kendra, who explains that she was able to manipulate her Gou’ald into coming to this forbidden planet – giving hope to Daniel for his wife. After a sign of thunder from Thor (luckily it’s a stormy planet), she agrees to take them to the exit.

Meanwhile, Jack and Teal’c encounter the creature (played by James Earl Jones), and it goes down when Jack shoots it, but it wakes again when they leave. Teal’c says it might be an Unas, the original hosts for the Gou’ald, which have astounding regenerative properties. But they’re just a myth and not real.

At the exit, the Unas catches up to them. Teal’c can’t leave, but Jack stays to help him fight. They’re both thinking of the same tactic: for the Unas into the exit (which is Thor’s Hammer) to kill the Gou’ald inside it. After a scuffle, they manage to take it out, just in form for Daniel and Sam to turn up. Jack says that the only way is to destroy the hammer, to Jack gets Daniel to destroy his wife’s biggest hope.

It’s a really entertaining episode, once again let down by the ending. The circumstances for destroying the hammer were not right. There was no urgency to feed Teal’c – they could have gotten more help, perhaps blow up a wall elsewhere and rebuild – and kept the hammer intact. But I suppose SGC couldn’t get such a powerful weapon so early in the show.