It hasn't been long since SG-1 saved Earth from Anubis's armada (season 7's Lost City (Part 2)). Now there is fear of a new attack, and the Prometheus remains on guard in orbit. Tensions are running high between the nations seeking control over the newly discovered Ancient base in Antarctica, as it lies within international territory. The Asgard are out of reach, and O'Neill is still frozen in Antarctica. With diplomatic negotiations at a standstill, Dr Elizabeth Weir, the new leader of SGC, is unable to relinquish control of the stargate for the purpose of contacting the Asgard, nor allow SG-1 to use the Tel'tak transport ship that O'Neill modified to travel to the Asgard's galaxy to attempt to contact them. Nevertheless, Carter presses Weir, who eventually agrees to allow her and Teal'c to take the ship to try to find help for O'Neill. Carter calculates that the trip to the Asgard galaxy of Othalla will take 10 days. On Earth, the SGC receives a text message from the Goa'uld Camulus: the System Lords wish to send representatives to Earth to discuss negotiations for a new treaty. President Hayes (season 7's Inauguration) agrees to the meeting, and Jackson transmits a response. Camulus, Amaterasu, and Yu—who is suffering from old age now more than ever—arrive on Earth. Carter and Teal'c successfully reach the only place they know the Asgard should be regularly monitoring: the Halla System where SG-1 had helped them trap the Replicators in a time dilation field (season 6's Unnatural Selection). However, they are almost immediately pulled into a massive black hole, as Halla's star has collapsed and is absorbing all surrounding matter! Concurrently, negotiations between Earth and the Goa'uld have commenced, and SGC learns that all but one of the System Lords have formed a brittle coalition, dividing Anubis's territories amongst themselves. The remaining Goa'uld, Baal, managed to locate Tartarus, where Anubis was building his army of Kull warriors (season 7's Evolution (Part 2)), and now poses a serious threat to the rest of the Goa'uld collective. The System Lords now want Earth to use its new Ancient weapon to defeat Baal and prevent him from ruling the galaxy!

New Order (Part 1) revisits many familiar elements, and boldly sets out the tone and direction of the new season. The biggest change is the upset to the System Lords caused by Anubis's defeat. In many ways it highlights how SGC's steady defeats of various Goa'uld is in some ways working against the Earth as it allows more and more powerful Goa'uld to arise. However, the big surprise comes in the form of what the Asgard and specifically the Replicators have been up to over the preceding year. Without going into too many details, it was great seeing Patrick Currie return as a more mature Fifth (season 6's Unnatural Selection), and where the story goes with him is quite alarming!

This episode is also Torri Higginson's first appearance as Dr Elizabeth Weir as she takes over the role from Jessica Steen. Higginson puts her own interpretation on the character, and Weir comes across as confident, sure of herself, and no-nonsense—quite different from the version we saw in Lost City (Parts 1 and 2). O'Neill, however, doesn't appear once in this episode. However, his actions and their effects are mentioned so often that the character is pretty much present in every way except visually! New Order (Part 1) is mostly set up, however it does have a healthy dose of rewarding payoffs sprinkled throughout its runtime. Hopefully the second part of this two-parter lives up to the greatness that this first part hints at!

With a System Lord's Ha'tak mothership on the way to Earth, Dr Elizabeth Weir orders the Goa'uld dignitaries Camulus, Amaterasu, and Yu detained. In the Asgard galaxy, the Asgard Penegal informs Thor and Teal'c that stray Replicator blocks from the destroyed Replicator vessel (season 8's New Order (Part 1)) have rained down upon the Asgard colony on the planet Orilla. The blocks have infected portions of the city that contains the technology that enables the Asgard to preserve their consciousnesses in computer mainframes, and that the Asgard are no longer able to flee and rebuild their civilization elsewhere. Hoping to stop the Replicators with the Ancient knowledge in O'Neill's mind (season 7's Lost City (Part 1)), Thor and Teal'c rush to Earth. At SGC, Jackson reports that the System Lord's Ha'tak was destroyed en route by Baal's forces, and that the Goa'uld collective are beginning to bow to his power. Midway through his report, Jackson is beamed away to the Asgard ship, along with O'Neill, who is still frozen in stasis. Thor interfaces O'Neill's mind with his ship, hoping that O'Neill will provide them with the information they need to defeat the Replicators. O'Neill appears as a holographic projection, and almost immediately begins to construct something. Carter awakens to find herself on a farm, and discovers her boyfriend Pete Shanahan (season 7's Chimera) feeding livestock. Realizing that she is missing pieces of her memory, Pete says that a year before she left SGC due to mental stress, and that they have moved to Montana. Since then, she has been seeing a psychologist due to terrible nightmares about the Replicators. Carter is skeptical that all is not what it seems to be. Yu's First Prime, Oshu (season 7's Homecoming) is granted an audience with Dr Weir, and announces that they will die before revealing any information. He asks that they be freed to fight against Baal—who is on the verge of ruling the galaxy—or if they must, die with honour in fighting to destroy him! Penegal informs Thor and the SG-1 team that the Replicators on the surface of Orilla are behaving in a pattern unlike any previously seen, and are likely being controlled by a single humanoid Replicator. He also reports that scans of the surface reveal no signs of Carter. Asgard commander Aegir soon reports the loss of all contact with the colony on Orilla, but that he has discovered a single humanoid Replicator floating in space. Thor transports it aboard and begins to retrieve communication data referencing any other human-form Replicators. However, the humanoid Replicator awakens, escapes from the pod containing it, and commandeers Teal'c weapon!

New Order (Part 2) picks up right where New Order (Part 1) left off, and continues ratcheting up the tension. The episode does a masterful job of balancing its many diverse plot threads, giving us some great payoffs for Part 1, shuffling up the status quo, and setting up a number of intriguing new story arcs for season 8 to develop. The greatest changes are that Don S. Davis's General Hammond has been written out of the show (promoted to "head of Homeworld Security"), O'Neill becomes the commanding officer of SGC with Carter becoming SG-1's commander, and Baal appears to have become the show's main antagonist. However, most troubling is that the humanoid Replicator Fifth has secretly created Replicator Carter—what amounts to a Carter "clone"!

This episode also does a great job of setting up the starting point of Rising (Part 1), Stargate Atlantis's first episode. Due to the events of Lost City (Parts 1 & 2), and New Order (Parts 1 & 2), Dr Weir is assigned to head the international research team set up to study the Alantus outpost discovered in Antarctica (season 6's Lost City (Part 2)). New Order (Parts 1 & 2) does a great job at highlighting the strenuous relationship between the nations of Earth who are aware of the stargate and the Goa'uld threat, and how Dr Weir's world-renown skills as an international negotiator are better used dealing with that. While the payoff of this episode doesn't have as much visceral panache as that of Lost City (Part 2), it is equally satisfying, with a development that suggests that the Asgard have found a way to defeat the Replicators and can begin rebuilding their civilization in earnest!

When Russian Col. Alexi Vaselov is assigned to SGC and pays a visit to General O'Neill, he finds O'Neill still settling into his new duties. Vaselov shows his outstanding honours in the Russian military as proof that he is the right man to fill the gap in the SG-1 team. O'Neill, however, believes that the unit can continue as a three-person team, and insists that until Vaselov goes through proper training, he won't be allowed anywhere near the stargate. O'Neill discusses the conversation with Vaselov with his former team, who all agree that there is no regulation that specifically states that an SG team must be made of at least four members. Jackson visits Vaselov to encourage him to not take O'Neill's decision personally, but midway through their discussion the Russian collapses. He is sent to Dr Brightman's care in the infirmary. Vaselov eventually awaken and tells her that he doesn't recall anything since being in Russia. As he has lesions over 40 percent of his body and an elevated white blood count, Brightman suggests that anyone who has been in recent contact with Vaselov be examined immediately. Jackson, about to proceed off-world with SG-11, is surprised when O'Neill orders the gate shut down. After an order to report to the infirmary, Jackson snatches a weapon and holds its owner hostage, demanding that the gate be reactivated! He injures two gateroom guards before Teal'c takes him down with a zat gun—but even that is not enough until O'Neill shoots him in the arm. Following the incident, Brightman concludes that there is a high probability a contagion is sweeping the base. O'Neill orders SGC under lockdown: no gate travel, and no one is allowed in or out of the base. Vaselov begins seeing flashes of the past few days in his dreams, but feels like a helpless observer within his own body. His description of being trapped within his own body concern's Teal'c, as it sounds exactly like the experiences of humans who have been possessed by a Goa'uld symbiote!

While the Stargate SG-1 series has repeatedly returned to the alien incursion and lockdown scenario, this episode is anything but a retread. For starters, there is the mystery of what exactly the alien entity is. On top of that, we have SG-1 quickly realizing that they have absolutely no means of containing the entity, and as it can pass through solid walls, they are completely at its mercy! It is interesting watching the SG-1 team scramble to come up with one idea after another to try to contain the entity or force its hand. The episode turns truly sublime when it challenges us guess who is—or is not—possessed by the entity. It produces some surprising twists and turns as we race to try to keep up with the scant clues that the episode gives us!

This is a bottle episode—in the sense that everything takes place inside SGC on standing sets—is surprisingly effective. The episode not only introduces the new lead medical officer, it also leaves the fate of SG-1 up in the air; well, indicates that it will be a three-person team for the time being. We also get some fun seeing O'Neill struggling to get to grips with his new job. In addition to the antagonist du jour, we get the sense that other nations, in addition to the Russians, are piling the pressure onto O'Neill to try and force him to let them to take a more active role. As this aspect of the command side of SGC isn't something that the series has delved into very much, it bodes well for the coming season. Finally, the episode can't be missed as it reintroduces one of Stargate SG-1's prime antagonists in a surprisingly effective way.

Brigadier General O'Neill is having difficulty adjusting to his new role as SGC's commander. Even before he can step off the elevator, he is met by Sergeant Walter Harriman, who serves as his interim assistant. As Harriman informs O'Neill of his numerous morning appointments, every corner of the base is filled with pleas for instruction, from upgrading security to approving buffet menu items. Mark Gilmor, O'Neill's new administrative aide, explains to the General that he is very excited to be aboard. Harriman shows Gilmor to his office, and tells him how thankful SGC is that he's there to help. Once Gilmor is alone, he makes a telephone call notifying someone on the other end that he is now in position, and that O'Neill suspects nothing. Once O'Neill gets off a telephone call from General Hammond, Gilmor and SG-1 have a brief meeting with him. The rebel Jaffa have discovered one of Anubis's planets that Baal has yet to discover in the months since his defeat. SG-1 wants to infiltrate the base on that world to see what technology they can recover. With 14 teams currently off-world, O'Neill wants to wait until the next day, when SG-3 can cover their backs. Below in the Gate Room, SG-5 returns with delegates from the planet Amra to discuss a possible treaty with the Earth. Major Paul Davis escorts them to the conference room. On top of that, scientist Bill Lee shows O'Neill an alien seed brought back from P6J-908 that has grown into a small plant, in just 20 minutes! But this is the least of O'Neill's problems. The next day, SG-1 and SG-3 travel to the world formerly occupied by Annubis. Teal'c notices signs of recent Jaffa activity. The Jaffa transport controller they were carrying activates a set of transport rings and sweeps the three away. SG-3, who is guarding the stargate, loses contact with SG-1 just as an Al'kesh flies overhead. Concurrently, the rapidly-growing plant in SGC has now occupied large portions of the base, forcing Master Sergeant Siler and his men to use machetes to cut it down. The SG teams return and report that SG-1 is lost. Soon Baal contacts Earth using an Asgard holographic projection to appear in the Gate Room. He offers a trade: former System Lord Camulus (season 8's New Order (Part 1)) for SG-1, whom he says he is holding captive!

The episode is essentially 'a day in the life of' O'Neill's new job as base commander. With all the mishaps and chaos going on, it gives new appreciation for what General Hammond had to put up with behind the scenes in seasons 1-7! Concurrently, we get the nebulous "~ days until zero hour" title card popping up every so often, which further adds to the unease and slowly building tension in the episode—especially because partway through, the Goa'uld introduce a new weapon of mass destruction!

The episode takes some surprising twists and turns. In some ways, by not focusing on the actions of the SG-1 team adds a layer of intriguing originality to the episode, and at long last we get to see how things truly tend to play out inside SGC when an SG team has gone missing. There is also the mystery of who O'Neill's new aide Mark Gilmor is reporting to. The episode doesn't clarify until the conclusion, leaving us guessing if it is the NID or another government agency, Vice President Robert Kinsey (season 7's Inauguration), or even a civilian organization!

Despite all that, the episode never forgets that humour is part of O'Neill's charm, and is filled to the brim with vignettes that are fun to watch. And despite O'Neill's aloof nature, the episode suggests that there is more going on in him than the exterior he usually presents. The episode pivotal scene is when we see the staff of SGC assembled in the Gate Room, all showing and pledging their faith and trust in O'Neill's leadership. It is quite moving, especially as O'Neill described himself in season 8's New Order (Part 2) as having spent his whole life sticking it to the man!

Jackson's face is unbandaged to reveal the eyes of a beautiful girl. His face is blotted with burns. She tells him that her home is far from the city, but all Jackson can remember is that something terrible happened there—and he, or his team, was responsible. Three months ago, Colonel Carter, Jackson, and Teal'c step through the Tegalan stargate to be greeted by delegates from the world. Many on the planet dismissed the possibility that the stargate is a mystical power source for ancient gods. SG-1 is warned that there are people on the planet who might consider what the stargate can do to be a threat. One month later, Jackson reports that his negotiations between the Rand Protectorate (the government that possesses the stargate) and the Caledonian Federation (a rival nation) have only been moderately successful. Both governments have enough firepower to wipe each other out. The real problem, however, is Soren, the leader of a radical group who still believe in the ancient gods. They believe SG-1's arrival has verified their beliefs, and are making a touchy situation worse. Jackson insists he must return to the planet to help, and eventually persuades General O'Neill to allow him to go back. Two weeks later, Jackson has been unsuccessful in brokering a truce. The religious zealot Soren has gathered his forces from across the country and is now a major threat. The Rand have been forced to heighten their alert status to match that of the Caledonian Federation. Minister Treydan of the Caledonians swears to Commander Gareth that if the Rand are unable to secure Soren and his forces, the Caledonians will be forced to strike to prevent the radicals from taking over. Soren's forces attack a strategic target, and things begin to boil over. Soon, SGC has no choice but to begin negotiations with Soren for Jackson's safe return!

Icon is a thought provoking episode made all the more intriguing as it is told chronologically out of order. We are left scrambling to unlock the clues the story gives us to figure out what happened and how our heroes can get themselves out of the predicament that they inadvertently caused. Due to this, the episode engenders a steadily building feeling of dread, as we see both the lead-up to and the aftereffects of a world-changing event. The narrative structure also helps the pacing of the story, as by keeping all the big "fireworks" in the later half, the episode is anything but anti-climactic—filling its climactic third act with one memorable payoff after another.

Interestingly, the guest stars are what make this episode. Aside from Jackson, the majority of SG-1 are not directly involved. As Jackson himself is injured, he is involved in ways that are quite different than his character usually is. However, Jackson still undertakes actions that are critical to the episode's outcome. Icon is quite engaging as it takes a deep look into when first contact goes wrong. While the Goa'uld are not directly involved, this story suggests that even after they are defeated, it will still take a lot of time and effort to truly free the people of the galaxy from their influence. While it is a stand-alone episode, it also shouldn't be missed, as it shows us that things don't always work out for the best in the Stargate SG-1 universe.

Teal'c and several soldiers rush toward the Gate Room. Inside, they find a single Kull warrior who is invading SGC. After General O'Neill is shot, Teal'c snatches a Kull disruptor-armed weapon from a fallen soldier and disables the Kull drone. He awakens, attached to a virtual reality chair retrieved from the "Residents" (season 2's The Gamekeeper), and Dr Bill Lee beaming with excitement. Teal'c reports that he found the simulation unrealistic, but agrees to work with the team to modify the device further in the hopes of making it more realistic. Lee's team has engineered software to use the VR chairs for training purposes, and the technology is capable of learning from the player and continually adapting. Teal'c soon goes back into the game, but is almost immediately taken out by the Kull warrior in the Gate Room, who has anticipated him at the Gate Room's door. The game resets and he tries a new tactic, but is killed again. In the real world, Teal'c is being jolted by a small electrical charge each time he gets hit by a plasma blast in the game. Dr Lee did not anticipate this, but is relieved it isn't fatal. Colonel Carter, however, is concerned. In the game, Teal'c is no longer taking risks. He goes straight for the armoury, arming himself with both a disruptor and an armoured vest. However, he is flanked by two (!) Kull warriors, and shot down again. The game continues to reset to the beginning each time Teal'c is killed. When he seemingly wins, he learns—fatally—that the game's objective has changed with such things as more Kull warriors. In the real world, SGC's Dr Carmichael notices that Teal'c's adrenaline levels are slowly rising, as well as his heart rate and blood pressure. The modified VR chair itself cannot kill him, but the danger now is that if the game does not end, the possibility of Teal'c suffering a fatal heart attack grows greater and greater each time he "dies". With no other recourse, Jackson volunteers to enter the simulation, fully aware that he may also become trapped in the game's fatal scenario!

Avatar dives right back into the somewhat overused "SGC is being invaded" plot scenario. The twist this time is that it's all a simulation—albeit in an insidious device that doesn't seem to want to let it's users free. I disliked how the concept was resolved in The Gamekeeper, which is probably why I didn't like the technology reappearing in this episode. My main complaint is: won't the characters have trouble distinguishing reality from the simulation once released from it? Season 7's Revisions handled the mental confusion and anguish much better with a guest character who has to grapple with simultaneously mourning for his recently deceased wife, yet having all memory of her erased from his mind. A throwaway line in both The Gamekeeper and Avatar about how the knew they were in a simulation (à la The Matrix's everything is greenish inside the simulation) would have worked wonders.

Nevertheless, the episode does do something well: it digs deep into the usually impenetrable Teal'c and his deep motivations for rebelling against Apophis and joining SGC to fight against the Goa'uld. While much of the dialogue comes from people either guessing or inferring his true thoughts, it is quite telling and suggests that Teal'c's SG-1 teammates may be reappraising their normally unflappable comrade and that he may need a bit more encouragement going forward. Avatar is a decent episode, but it misses the opportunity to dig deeper and deal with the wider issue: the inability to distinguish reality from fiction in some people.

After acquiring an apartment in Colorado Springs, Teal'c has become a local hero of sorts—he has felt obligated to intervene in minor local disputes as a law-abiding citizen, giving him far more attention among the locals than needs to be drawn to him. Colonel Kendrick and the entire National Security Administration are more than concerned. O'Neill sends Jackson to discuss the matter with him. Now that Teal'c no longer carries a symbiote, he is able to more easily blend in, but helping others in need is not really permitting him to keep a low profile. In the midst of their discussion, Teal'c's next door neighbour Krista interrupts with a pack of cookies as a bribe to get him to help with some pipes in her apartment. Carter and Pete (season 7's Chimera) have lunch in a park in the city, where he tells her that he's put in a transfer to the Colorado Springs Police Department. He then proposes to her. As Teal'c and Krista bring home groceries, a man snatches a woman's purse. Teal'c is encouraged to intervene, and at the last second, he tosses an avocado a hundred metres through the air, hitting the thief squarely on the head. As Teal'c receives congratulations for another crime diverted, someone covertly snaps images of him from a nearby building. Later, Teal'c overhears a man beating on Krista's door. He discovers it to be Doug, her boyfriend, who is clearly intoxicated. After an exchange of threats, Doug departs, promising to call her tomorrow. A few days later, Teal'c spots bruises on Krista's arm, and soon learns that Doug caused them. He promises Doug that if he ever harms Krista again, he will die at Teal'c's hands. After two weeks, Carter still has not said "Yes" to Pete's proposal. She discusses the situation with O'Neill but doesn't find the answer she seeks. Later, Carter joins Jackson in his lab. O'Neill has just got off the phone with Colonel Kendrick, who reports that Krista's boyfriend has been found dead in her apartment, and the evidence is pointing to Teal'c. To make matters worse, both he and Krista are missing, and Teal'c is currently wanted for kidnapping and murder!

On the surface, Affinity is about the everyday, off-duty lives of Carter and Teal'c. However, the show actually takes a deep look into their respective situations, and asks the difficult question of whether or not they have the 'right' to have personal lives. Of the two stories, Carter is the more realistic one, with probing questions arguably asked by any person who's work routinely puts them into danger. O'Neill's answers to Carter's questions about it is thought provoking, as not only only does he answer in a way that reflects both sides, it also offers deep insight into him. Teal'c's story is more along the lines of being a fish out of water. He comes from an alien culture with a different code of honour, and tends to do things by the book. It boils down to a clash of cultures coupled with a desire by the authorities for him to keep a low profile. Of the two, Teal'c's is the more humorous one, and arguably the more thought-provoking as it challenges the viewer to reflect on their own culture.

Being an action-adventure show, it wouldn't be Stargate SG-1 without one of those elements. In Affinity, the "rogue elements of the NID" are rebranded as "The Trust", and they step in at an inopportune time for the show's protagonists. Interestingly, the episode never details the purpose of the translation that they get Jackson to produce. In fact, we learn next to nothing about them, other then that they are ruthless, have access to Asgard technology, and are most likely allied with a Goa'uld—as they tasked Jackson with translating Asgard into Goa'uld. While the episode ends with Carter getting a happy outcome, so to speak, it sees Teal'c having to return to live on base. Which is a shame, as Christopher Judge had great chemistry with Erica Durance, the actress that played Krista James. It would have been nice to have seen Krista become a recurring character just like 'stalker' Pete has for Carter. Speaking of that, it is great that this episode also has Pete admitting that he was 'stalking' Carter, and that she is okay with that.

Alec Colson, President and CEO of Colson Industries, calls a press conference to dispute the meteor shower incident that cost the lives of thousands of soldiers five months ago (season 7's Lost City (Part 1)). He claims that the people of Earth are being lied to, and the truth is being covered up. He then gives the world governments that are concealing the truth 24 hours to reveal the real story to the public, or he will do it for them. General O'Neill orders Colonel Carter and Jackson to Colson Industries to meet Colson in person and attempt to dissuade him from going public with whatever information he has. While there, Colson shows them images his satellites have taken, including Anubis's fleet and the battle over Antarctica (season 7's Lost City (Part 2)). Colson assures them that he has far more information, and has no intention of backing out. Twenty-four hours to the minute, Colson reappears in his press room. The governments have only responded with silence, forcing him to go to the next level. As the crowd of reporters turn to the back door of the room, an Asgard enters. Blinded by the camera flashes, it covers its eyes. SG-1, watching the live broadcast, are astounded that Colson has apparently captured an Asgard. SGC gets a message back from Thor. He knows of no Asgard currently operating on, or in orbit around Earth, and assures them that no Asgard would allow themself to be used in such a manner. Reporter Julia Donovan (season 6's Prometheus) contacts SGC and demands that she receive the exclusive for the public disclosure of the Stargate Program, as she had been promised just that almost two years ago. At Colson Industries, Colson and his team monitor as the media trips over themselves as they scramble to arrange interviews with the creature. The Pentagon orders SGC to deal with the problem, immediately.

Covenant is a challenging episode, as it depicts the eminent revelation of big secrets that the government has deemed would be societally altering, and the efforts it would take to convince the person threatening disclosure to not do so. Interestingly, the methods it depicts SG-1 using are factually based, and not nefarious. While an attempt is made on Colson's life, thought-provokingly it is by one of the series's antagonists—the Trust: the former rogue NID agents (season 8's Affinity)—and not the government or military itself. Of course, it wouldn't be very dramatic if things went entirely to plan, and we end up with Colson remaining stubbornly defiant and insisting that he will go through with the disclosure despite being shown the great harm that it will cause to the citizens of the Earth.

Alec Colson is an intriguing character. If the show were made in the late 2010's, one would suspect he is based on Elon Musk. Colson's actor Charles Shaughnessy, however, stated that the character was based somewhat on Richard Branson. Remember way-back-when, before Musk and Space X, when Branson's idea for Virgin Galactic and space tourism was mind-blowing? That's the energy and dynamic that this show is aiming for. One wonders how different this episode would have been if Colson were based on Musk. Nevertheless, the episode greatly adds to the government–SGC–civilian dynamic in the Stargate SG-1 universe, further cements the Trust as the show's domestic adversaries, and reminds us that the series has a strong memory.

In the works!

In the works!

In the works!

In the works!

In the works!

In the works!

In the works!

In the works!

In the works!

In the works!

In the works!

In the works!