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.

Teal'c and Bra'tac return from a visit with the Hak'tyl resistance (season 7's Birthright). Teal'c is in a bad mood: he has just learned that his son Rya'c is in love and has pledge to marry a young Hak'tyl woman in three days time. Teal'c not only believes that Rya'c is far too young, but because he did not consult his father, it has made Teal'c even angrier. Ishta arrives through the stargate with urgent news: the Hak'tyl may be compromised. She requests that SGC help her quickly locate a new world for her people before Moloc finds out about the resistance. In the interim, General O'Neill agrees for their entire population to temporarily take up residence at SGC. Rya'c and Kar'yn, his bride-to-be, arrive with the scores of Hak'tyl, announcing to Colonel Carter and Jackson that relocation will not change their wedding plans: they intend to marry among friends at the base. Teal'c believes Ishta has been avoiding him, but she says that he must have no respect for her because Rya'c is marrying a warrior—trained by her—that is not worthy of his father's respect. Teal'c makes it clear that he simply believes Rya'c has too much life ahead to make such a rash decision so early. However, Ishta argues that as Teal'c had no choice but to break away from his family to serve in the resistance, he does not have authority over Rya'c to make his own choices. Their opinions also differ on how to proceed in the war against the Goa'uld. Carter reports that they have scouted a planet Ishta may be comfortable with, but it will take about a week to set up a livable camp. Bra'tac begins preparations for the wedding, including a practice run-through of the ceremony. It is then that Rya'c and Kar'yn's beliefs are revealed to differ considerably. Kar'yn refuses to kneel before her would-be husband, and Rya'c is unable to put up with her aversion to the old ways. At an offworld summit of Hak'tyl Jaffa soldiers, they report that the numbers of loyalists to their cause are growing too large to conceal. In order to prevent them being discovered prematurely, they argue that Moloc must be defeated soon. As Teal'c attempts to persuade them to delay their plans, their tent is swarmed with dozens of plasma blasts. Moloc's Imperial Guard has been alerted. Only Teal'c, Ishta, and a Jaffa named Aron manage to escape the sneak attack. As night falls, the three warriors spy on Moloc's encampment. It is not yet known if he has joined his troops, but it is clear that Hak'tyl survivors are being tortured for information in the camp. The three have no choice but to temporarily retreat as they await radio contact from SGC through the stargate, that Moloc's forces now control!

As the sequel to season 7's Birthright, the episode doesn't need to spend time introducing the setting and its guest characters. Sacrificies provides a brief update, reintroduces the key characters, and gets straight down to business. In doing so, it ends up covering a wide range of story points. The key ones are the Jaffa as a people struggling with whether or not to continue practising their traditions—and if so, which ones to keep—and the Hak'tyl's desire to defeat their Goa'uld overlord being in stark conflict with the strategic goals of the Earth, and the rest of the Jaffa resistance. The episode suggests that SGC and the overall leaders of the Jaffa resistance have assumed a more tactful and nuanced approach to defeating the Goa'uld, rather than the ad hoc opportunistic way they've all been doing it up until now.

It was great seeing Jolene Blalock as Ishta again. She has great chemistry with Teal'c's Christopher Judge. While their characters weren't given much of an opportunity to stoke the fires of their romance, there were plenty of fireworks between them as they continually clashed around the key points of this episode. While one sympathizes with Ishta's concerns that the longer they wait, the greater the chance that her followers will be discovered and killed, it is somewhat bemusing that she misinterprets Teal'c's actions toward Rya'c as a personal insult. Sacrifices also provides a satisfying update to Rya'c and the direction Teal'c's family is heading in. It's thought-provoking how Ishta's comments on it tie directly back to the very first episode of the show. Perhaps most intriguing is how the episode suggests what directions Jaffa society will take after liberation from the Goa'uld—and that there will be plenty of societal changes not necessarily connected to having become free from their false gods. The only sour note in the episode is that while the Hak'tyl defeat Moloc, they ultimately lose as Baal immediately takes over Moloc's territories!

At 3 in the morning the stargate inexplicably disappears in a flash that looks like an Asgard beam. Later in the day, Jackson questions the two Sergeants we were monitoring gate activity, but they saw nothing that would explain the gate's disappearance. Carter shows the video logs of the gate room, but aside from confirming that it was an Asgard beam, they learn nothing new. Teal'c is offworld, and when he receives a "do not proceed" response when he attempts to dial Earth, he then heads to the Alpha Site to consult with the officers there. They indicate that the Earth may be compromised. Teal'c plans to return to P4S-161—a planet where he was meeting with several members of the Jaffa resistance movement—to borrow a cargo ship to take him back to Earth to investigate. In SGC, they discover that for two days prior to the loss of the gate, a small signal was detected emanating from the stargate, but no one thought anything of it until the gate disappeared. Reviewing video logs, it becomes clear that Dr Hartkans, who has been with the base for seven months, placed something on the stargate at the exact same time that the anomaly first started being detected. However, Hartkans has also disappeared. Carter believes that it was a "tag" so that Asgard transporters could detect the gate and beam it away. She requests NSA satellite time to look for similar signals. Teal'c arrives on P4S-161 and finds the entire population of rogue Jaffa dead, except for M'zel (season 7's Death Knell), who only recently arrived. He takes Teal'c to the main camp, revealing hundreds of dead warriors. Carter, Jackson, and a small battalion of troops probe the location of a "tag" that the NSA satellites detected. They find an empty warehouse, except for VX rockets and several cases of what appears to be nerve gas. When an elusive member of who SGC suspects is the Trust (season 8's Affinity) emerges and shoots at the team, he hits several canisters before Carter zats him. Believing it to be too late, they away their death, but it never comes. Back at SGC, Carter believes the Trust intends to launch a full-scale chemical attack against the Goa'uld, using rockets to disperse symbiote poison (season 5's Summit), with no regard for the lives of the Jaffa. Carter and Jackson head to Area 51 to investigate whether the real hand device recovered from Osiris (season 7's Chimera) is still there, as it is capable of activating the Asgard technology incorporated into her ship, which is still hidden in Earth's orbit!

Endgame brings together a lot of different story threads from a number of seasons, and incorporates them into the Trust's story arc introduced earlier in season 8. The episode ties up some lose ends and hints at the ultimate goal of the Trust, but leaves their story open ended—members of the Trust flee into hyperspace at the end with not only Osiris's ship, but also a sizable amount of symbiote-poison equipped missiles, and Asgard beaming technology. It suggests that there will be dire consequences when they arrive at the nearest planet with a stargate!

This episode is mostly plot, with characterization taking a back seat. However, there is a fundamental problem in the episode: Jackson is inexplicably out of character when he jokingly berates the two Sergeants that they lost the gate when they "went for coffee". This sequence was added arguably to increase the amount of humour in the episode, and appears to have been written for O'Neill. However, it falls shockingly flat when delivered by Jackson, who ordinarily would have been sympathetic—or at least curious—that the stargate was taken exactly when the two Sergeants turned their backs to it! Aside from that, the episode is solid, and appears to be both tying up loose ends as well as laying the foundation for the story arcs that the remainder of season 8 consists of (which was expected to have concluded the Stargate SG-1 series when it was being produced).

The stargate activates at SGC and they receive an old IDC that had been used by Carter, along with a text message to send a MALP. When one is sent through, they find a second Carter, who identifies herself as a Human-form Replicator that was created by Fifth (season 8's New Order (Part 2)) with all of Carter's memories and thoughts. She claims that Fifth has discovered a way to overcome the Replicator disruptor O'Neill designed while he had the Ancient Repository of knowledge downloaded into his brain (season 8's New Order (Part 2)). Repli-Carter has rebelled against Fifth and offers her assistance in altering the weapon to work again. Carter accepts the proposal, and with O'Neill's approval, goes to the Alpha Site with Teal'c to work on the weapon with Repli-Carter arriving soon afterwards. To get an insight into why Repli-Carter rebelled, she reluctantly probes the real Carter's mind and shows her one training scenario where Fifth had her arrive at SGC and kill all of the real Carter's friends in cold blood—which left Repli-Carter in tears. After stealthily connecting to the Replicator collective, Repli-Carter purportedly downloads the cipher that Fifth used. They use that to modify the Replicator disruptor. SGC contacts the Asgard, who send them a Replicator disruptor-equipped satellite to put into geostationary orbit over the Alpha Site planet. However, Fifth had detected Repli-Carter and is rapidly approaching. Aware of that, Carter and Repli-Carter scramble to upload the modifications to the satellite before he arrives!

Gemini continues the Replicator story-arc introduced at the beginning of season 8, and fills us in on what they have been up to over the past few months: namely travelling to our galaxy and working out a way to overcome the Replicator disruptor weapon. The most intriguing aspect of the episode is how Repli-Carter uses the emotional vulnerabilities of her opponents against themselves. However, it is concurrently frustrating that Carter and SGC would so easily accept Repli-Carter at her word, and trustingly invite her to the Alpha Site. While the lab facilities there facilitate their work, it is a bit head-scratching that they would invite a Replicator—no matter their claimed allegiance—to the Earth's second most important military base. That said, at least Teal'c stays wary, never lowering the Replicator disruptor he constantly aims at Repli-Carter.

Despite its technical achievements of having Amanda Tapping playing two characters in the same shots, this episode doesn't evolve past being a bottle episode. Unlike great bottle episodes, such as Deep Space 9's Duet, this episode never develops an argument over the pros and cons of a particular issue as it digs deep into it. Due to that, the episode is a bit lackluster as it gets busy setting up the Replicator story arc for the final few episodes of season 8, but without the usual sense of impending dread or even fun and excitement that the Stargate SG-1 series is general known for. The episode cannot be missed for what it sets up in the following episodes. However, possibly because Replic-Carter is played emotionally flat—while the cold, calculating persona works for the character, it doesn't work for the episode— it is a bit of a drudge to get through.

Dr Jackson and Brigadier General O'Neill are arguing about whether or not Jackson can go on the upcoming mission to Atlantis (season 7's New Order (Part 1)). Jackson wants to go but O'Neill refuses, stating that he needs Jackson in SGC. They're surprised to find Lt. General Hammond in O'Neill's office chair. Hammond solves their argument by telling them that Jackson will be taking part in the mission, as Hammond himself is going to be in command of not only the Prometheus, but also the mission to Atlantis. En route in the Prometheus, Jackson briefs the command crew on where they're going. They are interrupted by an alarm. On the bridge, they learn that the Prometheus has picked up a distress call. Dropping out of hyperspace, they find an Al'kesh sitting dead in space. SG-3 is sent to investigate, however, they are quickly incapacitated and a Kull Warrior (season 7's Lost City (Part 2)) transports over to the Prometheus. It incapacitates the crew, and sends them to the Al'kesh, with only Jackson left hidden on the Prometheus. He takes a Kull disruptor-equipped weapon and shoots it twice, to no avail. The Kull Warrior subsequently shoots Jackson with a zat, knocking him unconscious. He awakens tied to the command chair on the bridge. The Kull Warrior removes its helmet, revealing a woman: Vala Mal Doran. She then proceeds to attempt to seduce Jackson in order to learn the Prometheus's command codes. When that fails, she starts employing more harmful means to get the codes. Concurrently, Hammond has rallied his personnel to repair the Al'kesh. However, the vital parts they need to repair its hyperspace drive are in a disabled Tel'tak cargo ship floating nearby. The complication is that it's life support has failed!

Prometheus Unbound marks not only one of the last appearance of the great Don S. Davis as Hammond, but also the first appearance of Claudia Black as the wonderful Vala Mal Doran. It was great seeing Hammond in the command chair, as not only does Davis bring a lot of sincere gravitas to the show, his wonderful rapport and chemistry with Richard Dean Anderson is sorely missed. Alas, aside from a few key scenes at the beginning, they don't appear together as the action switches to deep space onboard the Prometheus and other spaceships.

Doran, on the other hand, is a wonderfully delicious character. While she is the protagonist of this episode, she isn't necessarily 'evil' (in the sense of the diabolic Goa'uld). While she does some morally dubious things, the episode implies that her heart is in the right place as she hijacks the Prometheus for what is arguably the greater good. However, as the episode also paints her as an 'unreliable witness', she may not have altruistic motives, and may just be an opportunist—albeit a principled one. Tangentially, the episode also introduces the Lucian Alliance, though unlike their appearance in the later Stargate Universe series, they are depicted as relatively benign and easily outsmarted. Nevertheless, the highlight of the episode is the electrifying chemistry between Jackson's Michael Shanks and Doran's Claudia Black. It's no wonder that the producers of Stargate SG-1 brought her back in season's 9 and 10 as not only a guest, but a series regular! Due to her character's introduction here, this episode can't be missed!

SGC receives intelligence from the Tok'ra that the Goa'uld are starting to return to previously abandoned planets with the intent of turning them into new strongholds and hideouts. They learn that System Lord Ares is preparing to invade the planet that the Tok'ra sent former Col. Maybourne to retire on (season 6's Paradise Lost). Gen. O'Neill sends SG-1 to bring Maybourne back to Earth. They discover that Maybourne has been proclaimed 'King Arkhan the First' by the locals. When Carter tries to bring Maybourne up to speed, he reveals that he already knows that the Goa'uld are on their way. He shows them a set of stone pillars inscribed with Ancient writings, which appear to be a historical record of things that have yet to occur. Maybourne had already translated it, and used the knowledge of the future to help the people of the planet. Most shocking of all is the prophecy that 'the oppressors of old' would return, and that a team of warriors would defeat the invaders. Carter tells Maybourne that they can't help, and that they have to take him back to Earth right away. Maybourne refuses to go: he enjoys living there and is confident that the prophecy will be fulfilled. Jackson and Teal'c search the surrounding forest and find a Puddle Jumper (Stargate Atlantis season 1's Rising, Part 1) that seems to be capable of time travel. As the ship requires the pilot to have the Atlantean gene (Stargate Atlantis season 1's Rising, Part 1), they ask the only person they know of who has it to come to the planet: Gen. O'Neill! O'Neill arrives on the planet to much fanfare from Maybourne and his minstrels, and proceeds to the Puddle Jumper after a tense reunion. Carter's repair attempts fail, and O'Neill can't even get the ship off the ground. With no other options, they have to convince Maybourne to reveal that he is a fraud, step down as king, and convince the people to flee to safety through the stargate. However, not only Maybourne but also the people are unwilling to listen to reason. Shortly afterwards, an advance party of Aries's Jaffa arrives on the planet to secure it for their master"

It's Good to be King is a fun episode that not only has O'Neill stepping out of SGC and back into the field, but also reunites him with his greatest foil: Maybourne. The chemistry of their frenemies relationship is on full display, and one gets a sense that despite their past friction, there is a friendly rivalry going on between Maybourne and O'Neill. The most surprising aspect of the episode is that Maybourne hasn't only been exploiting the medieval-level people on the planet. In addition to providing timely translations of the Ancient 'future history' carvings, he has also provided technological inventions and advances that—while they appear to be ancient discoveries to modern people on Earth—have greatly improved the people's lives.

Concurrently, we get an update to the overall galactic situation. Baal's war against the System Lords is going well for him, and a number of the lords have either been killed or capitulated, or are rallying their forces for what may be their last stand. Minor Goa'uld are also retreating into formerly held territories to find sanctuary. The most striking part is how SGC appears to have acquired that knowledge: the Tok'ra. It appears that something happened offscreen between episodes, and the Tok'ra are now communicating with SGC again. The final piece of the episode is the introduction of an Atlantean Puddle Jumper in our galaxy. The time travel device in it—currently either disabled or broken—is also setting up the story of the concluding episodes of season 8. This episode can't be missed!

Gen. O'Neill returns home and finds former Vice President Kinsey (season 7's Lost City (Part 2)) sitting inside waiting for him. He considers calling the sheriff, but Kinsey offers to help him defeat the Trust (season 8's Endgame). He claims that the Trust want to use his political connections to arrange a meeting with the Russian Defence Minister, Gen. Miraslov Kiselev. At SGC, Carter proposes that Kinsey take the Trust up on their offer and meet them, while SG-1 monitors him from a distance. At the Trust's estate, Kinsey is shown something but interference blocks out first video and then audio. SG-1 promptly storms the mansion only to find everyone gone. Suspecting that the Trust is in their cloaked Al'kesh and are taking precautions to avoid detection, Teal'c is sent to the Prometheus (season 8's Prometheus Unbound) to help find it, while Carter works on a program to modify the ship's sensors to detect the Al'kesh. Jackson, however, is sent to Russia as SG-1 has received word that the Russians may be thinking of asking for their stargate back (season 6's Redemption (Part 2)). When Jackson arrives in Moscow, he meets liaison officer Captain Daria Voronkova. Before she can take Jackson to see Kiselev, they are stopped and Jackson is arrested and accused of being on an assassination mission. He is soon informed that Kinsey tried to assassinate Kiselev, and is shown a video that reveals that Kinsey is a Goa'uld! Carter theorizes that when the Trust were forced to flee the Solar System, they were captured by the Goa'uld, given Goa'uld symbiotes, and sent back to Earth to compromise Russian President Yuri Mikhailov. SGC receives word that Russia and China are now preparing for nuclear war, on the assumption that the US government is wholly under Goa'uld control. The implications are that if Earth annihilates itself, then the Goa'uld could easily come and take the technology in the Ancient outpost in Antarctica (season 7's Lost City (Part 2)). Jackson is eventually freed and taken by Voronkova to interrogate Kinsey. Midway through, however, armed guards under Kiselev's control force their way into the room to take Jackson back into custody!

There's a mutiny inside the Russian armed forces. Jackson goes to Russia to sort things out. What happened to the Trust? What happened to Vice President Kinsey? Is this the last gasp of the Goa'uld System Lords? This episode has many things going for it, but one: panache. It is an interesting ride with interesting and sometimes unexpected plot twists and turns. Ultimately, however, it feels a bit too much like 'been there, done that', or at best: a remix of the greatest hits (read: plot points) from previous seasons. Ronny Cox is reliably great as Kinsey, until he is 'changed'. At that point, the plot requires him to talk less and be more secretive, which runs against the strengths and effectiveness of Kinsey. Part of the fun of the series has been seeing Kinsey gloat over his latest scheme to take over SGC, and then his sour, spiteful diatribe just before he flees after being outsmarted by the series's protagonists. We don't get that this time.

I think the two places where the episode goes wrong are having the reliable thorns in the side of the series's protagonists being taken over by the Goa'uld—they were already more than menacing without the over-the-top evil quirks of the series's main antagonists layered on top—and there is just too much going on in this episode. Dealing with the Trust would arguably have been enough. An attempted coup in Russia by outside forces ought to have been another episode, and a Goa'uld incursion would have been one more. Due to that, each plot, element, and story beat isn't given enough investment before we are moved on to the next one. The episode is an intriguing ride, but there's just too much, and the episode spreads itself too thinly without a sense of having properly reintroducing the antagonists, nor letting us satisfying enjoy them getting their just desserts. The episode is worth viewing for how much it clears up. Regrettably, however, despite the scale of the events (perhaps because they are largely described offscreen), the episode doesn't make much of an impression, and is largely forgettable.

O'Neill is in his kitchen when a man he has never met bursts in with a gun claiming that O'Neill ruined his life! Seven years earlier, Joe Spencer—the man in O'Neill's house—is at a garage sale and picks up a mysterious black stone. When he does, he receives a vision of SG-1 going through the stargate against orders to defeat Apophis's fleet before it can arrive at Earth (season 1's Within The Serpent's Grasp). He buys the stone and continuously receives more and more visions of SG-1's missions. Unable to create or tell amusing jokes or stories of his own, Joe starts telling the people in his life the visions he sees as if they were stories he himself had created. Later, at the suggestion of his wife Charlene Spencer, Joe starts to write the stories down and send them in to various magazine publishers, but they are all rejected. After a couple of years, the people he tells start to get tired of the tales of SG-1. Eventually his customers, now bored with the stories and Joe apparently unable to talk about anything else, stop coming to his barbershop. Despite his wife's pleas for him to stop, Joe continues to write down the stories, eventually becoming convinced that the visions are actually happening! After years of obsessing about SG-1, his wife leaves with their son. At this point, Joe tries to find evidence that what he has been seeing is real by collecting data on mysterious stellar phenomenon and unexplained deaths, but he is unable to contact Col. O'Neill. Eventually, Joe tracks down where O'Neill lives. In the present, O'Neill has recognized that Joe's gun is fake, and quickly takes control of the situation. He then brings Joe to SGC where they can investigate why Joe has been receiving vision's of O'Neill's adventures in SG-1.

Citizen Joe is partially a clip show, but it does something interesting and fun with it—the episode essentially asks the question: if you were aware of SG-1's missions and knew that they were really happening, how would you react? Concurrently, the episode has a lot of fun poking fun at the series in general, and some of the repeated plot points or writing goofs over the years. The most telling line is when a fed up customer complains, "how many times can SG-1 save the galaxy?" At the very least, the episode showcases that the series' writers are at the top of their game and as sharp as ever!

As a clip show, Citizen Joe also does an excellent job of running chronologically through the major events of Stargate SG-1's 8 seasons—with the interesting twist of giving us an ordinary "citizen"'s immediate responses to them. In a way, it is both nostalgic for the stories, but also does the wonderful (and challenging!) thing of letting us regular viewers re-experience the initial-viewing excitement and emotions by seeing Joe's first-hand responses. Intriguingly, the episode also includes a subtle warning about becoming obsessive about one's hobbies and taking them to extremes. Nevertheless, the highlight of the episode is the reactions of the various regulars and Dan Castellaneta (as Joe Spencer). They are all seasoned pros, and their comic timing is spot on!

An emissary of Ba'al offers a "generous" term of surrender to the three remaining System Lords: they may continue to administer their own domains, but they must pledge allegiance to Ba'al. Suddenly, Lt. Col. Carter is brought into the meeting room. She was captured by the emissary's sentries. Carter reveals that she is a humanoid Replicator, and kills System Lord Yu! Teal'c and Bra'tac are commanding a Ha'tak mothership in orbit around another planet, with Carter and Jackson accompanying them as observers on one of the first formal attacks by the Rebel Jaffa. They are interrupted when another Ha'tak exists hyperspace and begins shooting at them. Inexplicably, its weapons and shields are much more powerful than usual, and the rebel Ha'tak's weapons, shields, and engines are soon disabled. As SG-1 heads to the ship's transportation rings to flee to the planet below, they are caught by a horde of Replicators, and Jackson is inexplicably beamed away! Jacob Carter arrives at SGC and tells O'Neill that the Replicators will soon defeat the Goa'uld and then proceed to conquer the galaxy. He explains that the Tok'ra have over the years begun an effort to track the movement of as many Goa'uld Ha'tak ships as they can. This information is accessible on a secret subspace network that Jacob is attempting to access on an SGC lab's computer. He succeeds, and they learn that the Goa'uld are losing countless battles across the galaxy! Bra'tac, Carter, and Teal'c return through the stargate. Carter tells O'Neill that she suspects Repli-Carter took Jackson because he was once ascended and may know of a means of destroying the Replicators. Concurrently, they learn that the Rebel Jaffa movement is collapsing under the Replicator onslaught, as countless Jaffa are re-pledging their loyalties back to Ba'al and the other Goa'uld. SGC contacts Thor who soon comes to retrieve her to try and modify the anti-Replicator weapon to be effective again (season 8's Gemini). Teal'c and Bra'tac decide that taking the temple at Dakara—the holiest site for the Jaffa in the galaxy—will restore the Jaffa's faith and the momentum in their rebel movement. However, their first challenge is convincing the remaining allied Jaffa leaders to join them in their quest!

After four episodes of the series visiting other corners of the Stargate SG-1 universe, Reckoning (Part 1) picks up the concluding arc of season 8 with a vengeance. Due to that, it is a bit overwhelming as we are dumped into a situation where not only has Ba'al's forces fought the remaining three system lords to the point where they're discussing terms of surrender, the rebel Jaffa are mounting an organized attack on the Goa'uld (the long-awaited coordinated strike discussed in Sacrifices?), AND the Replicators have established themselves in our galaxy to such an extent that they bring the Goa'uld to their knees relatively quickly. Due to the episode being mostly plot, it hardly has enough time to completely establish the setup for each story beat, let alone characterization. Among the handful of new characters is Tolok, played with wonderful gravitas by Isaac Hayes. It's a shame that he isn't given a proper introduction here, as Tolok appears to be an intriguing addition to the Jaffa ranks.

Nevertheless, the episode takes on a galaxy-spanning, whirlwind adventure. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect is the revelation of how extensive the Goa'uld presence is, in the galaxy. Not only does the episode bring back Ba'al and Repli-Carter, there's also a truly creepy Anubis, and even the ascended Oma Desala! How Desala is used in the episode makes sense, but what her role ends up doing begs a lot of questions about Jackson after he returned to mortal form after his ascension. The role that Anubis plays is a bit out of left field, as there isn't any setup regarding how he attained the position he now occupies after his last appearance in season 8's third episode Lockdown. Due to all the abrupt changes out of the blue, I have to mark this episode's rating down a star. Nevertheless, as the episode is full of a number of payoffs as well as the setup to the finale—what the production team thought would be the series finale when they were making it—this episode definitely can't be missed!

Samantha Carter and Jacob Carter get inside the temple and eventually decipher how to unlock the chamber that contains the Dakara superweapon. Jacob quickly grasps that the weapon can be reprogrammed to decompile any specific type of matter, rather than just everything. Carter realizes that if she changes the weapon's output to match that of an enhanced Replicator disruptor, the weapon can be used to destroy every Replicator in the galaxy simultaneously. However, to extend the blast-radius to encompass the entire galaxy, they also have to reprogram the Dakara stargate to dial out to every other stargate in the galaxy simultaneously! This is a feat that they know Ba'al is probably capable of (season 7's Avenger 2.0). Carter relays the plan to Teal'c, and Teal'c is forced to contact Ba'al, who refuses to listen. Concurrently, Repli-Carter continues to probe Jackson's mind because she wants to assimilate all the Ascended knowledge he retains in his subconscious. However, there is a lot of information there, and the processing of it is starting to strain Repli-Carter as well as the entire Replicator army. Jackson, however, continues to resist as best he can, because he knows that Repli-Carter will kill him once she's finished extracting the knowledge! Repli-Carter also goes against her word, and attacks SGC with a contingent of Replicators. O'Neill, the gateroom staff, and SG teams on guard are quickly forced from the command centre and backed into a corner. While the rest of the facility's staff flee to safety, O'Neill leads a small team to rescue Siler and a few others who were cut off in the Replicator's initial attack. A Replicator ship soon lands on Dakara and Replicators begin streaming toward the temple, which is being defended by only a handful of Jaffa warriors!

Part 2 delivers a lot of what Reckoning (Part 1) promised. As seems par for the course, however, the second part doesn't quite live up to the promise of the first. Just like Part 1, there is arguably too much being squeezed into the episode, and not enough time devoted to building such things as suspension or characterization. The Replicator attack on Earth seems to be extraneous, and tacked on solely to give Richard Dean Anderson (O'Neill), Gary Jones (Harriman), Dan Shea (Siler) and the other actors something to do in SGC rather than actually contributing to the plot. Yes, it underlines the threat to the Earth, but that was already overstated with the concurrent plots of Anubis taking over the Goa'uld and plotting to destroy all life in the galaxy, and the Replicators racing to do the same!

The most intriguing aspect of the episode is Jackson regaining access to the Ancient knowledge as Repli-Carter unlocks it in his subconscious. It is almost a missed opportunity to ratchet up the tension as his abilities increase in apparent lockstep to what Repli-Carter is able to unearth. How the episode handles it is great, though, and their titanic battle of wills ends up successfully tying the diverse locales and storylines of this episode together better than any plot device we've seen in the series so far. In spite of all the action, however, the episode is also busy laying the groundwork for the season finale, with some seeds of doubt being sown about the rebel Jaffa's post-Goa'uld existence, and Jacob Carter inexplicably becoming ill in the episode's coda.

Overall, this episode makes a good argument that sometimes less is more. Nevertheless, it can't be missed as it sees the completion of Teal'c's quest that started way back in the show's first episode (season 1's Children of the Gods), and marks a fundamental change in the series as the primary antagonist—the Goa'uld—are defeated.

Ba'al has escaped and is missing, but after millennia of slavery at the hands of false gods, finally, the Jaffa have claimed their freedom. Somewhere out there, Anubis and Ba'al remain, but SGC is able to ignore that for now. O'Neill refuses to accept that Jackson is dead, not wanting to be "tricked", as last time Jackson apparently died, he ascended to a higher plane of existence and then came back to life much later. Jackson finds himself in a strange Astral Diner; a cafe full of people, where the waitress is Oma Desala (season 6's Full Circle). The diner seems to be some kind of metaphor for the Ascended, as Jackson still hasn't decided whether he wants to ascend or not. Desala explains that she once again gave Jackson the chance to ascend. If he ascends, however, he must accept that he can never help his friends again—as that is against the rules of being ascended. It is a difficult choice for Jackson, as he knows that he couldn't resist breaking the rules the last time he was ascended. The diner is full of other ascended beings, none of whom will talk to Jackson because that's beneath them. One man, however, seems to be arguing with Desala. Jackson talks to this man, who surprisingly responds and strikes up a conversation, calling himself Jim. Jim seems to be some kind of rebel who doesn't appear to be as pedantic about the rules as the others. Jim is reading a newspaper that details happenings in the mortal world, and he gives it to Jackson. It describes that Anubis is tricking the new Free Jaffa Nation so that he can take back Dakara. If he succeeds, the whole galaxy could be destroyed as Anubis intends to use the Dakara superweapon (season 8's Reckoning (Part 2)). Jackson knows that he must help his friends, but can't work out how he can do it. Concurrently, Carter is questioning her decision to marry Pete Shanahan (season 8's Affinity). At the same time, her father Jacob Carter falls deathly ill!

Where Reckoning (Parts 1 & 2) were all over the place with an action plot set on overdrive, Threads dials things back, and focuses on resolving the character stories: namely the fate of Jackson and Carter's future. Intermixed is the initial steps taken by the Free Jaffa Nation, but it speaks volumes that that subplot is largely cut from the shorter 60 minute version of this episode. In resolving Jackson's fate, the episode also digs deep into ascension—specifically how someone like Anubis ascended—and takes a deep look into why Jackson was effectively kicked out of the Ascended "club" and returned to mortal form (season 7's Fallen). As the Ascended beings have strict rules about not revealing much of anything to non-ascended beings, this episode is full of doublespeak and other vague statements. However, that makes the episode all that much more interesting and challenging, as it forces the viewer to infer what's really happening from a limited number of hints.

While Carter's story is just as complicated, it instead deals with things that are much more emotionally resonant. Her story truly gives this episode—and arguably the Stargate SG-1 series—its heart and soul. Her arc is further complicated by Jacob Carter apparently recognizing that his daughter won't be truly happy with Pete, as she still pines for O'Neill; while O'Neill himself has apparently moved on and has recently started a romantic relationship with a CIA agent. Interestingly, the showrunners have made certain that O'Neill's opposite not only knows exactly what his work is about, but is also not someone under his command, let alone in the armed forces! The wildcard of the episode is Jim in the Astral Dinner, played wonderfully by George Dzunda. While he, too, uses at lot of doublespeak, one immediately gets a sense that there is a lot more going on then meets the eye, and concurrently understanding how a certain someone could be allowed into the ascended "club"!

While the episode is light on fireworks, it truly gets to the point of Stargate SG-1, and why it has built up and retained a large fan base: the show's characters. While this episode wraps up some stories in ways we arguably would have preferred not to have happened, it is a key episode in the show that not only provides closure for the 8 seasons that precedes it, it also charts out a path for the characters' futures.

Jackson attends the funeral of Catherine Langford (season 1's The Torment of Tantalus), and meets her niece, who arranges to send him "a few" items that Catherine bequeathed to him. When they arrive later, the items completely fill Jackson's office. Some time later, he tells O'Neill that he found evidence of a Zero Point Module (season 7's Lost City (Part 2)) depicted in Catherine's copy of an 1889 book entitled "The Eye of the Sun". In a painting, the god Ra ("Stargate" the Movie) is holding something called "the heart of light", which bears a striking resemblance to a ZPM, and has never been found. When contemporary searches don't find a trace of it, Jackson suggests that they may not know where it is now, but they know it was in Giza in 3000 BC. He suggest that they use the time-travel-equipped Puddle Jumper (season 8's It's Good to Be King) to retrieve the ZPM, despite Carter's strenuous objections. When Jackson argues that Ra didn't know the ZPM's significance, she gives in. SG-1, with O'Neill piloting the Puddle Jumper, successfully travels back in time, where Carter councils minimal interaction. They land, remotely activate the jumper's cloak, and head for a peasant camp to gather intelligence on a way into Ra's temple. Even though they successfully recover the ZPM the following day, when they return to the jumper they find the still-cloaked vehicle partially outlined by sand from a recent storm, and surrounded by Jaffa! O'Neill wants to attack, but Carter insists that they can do nothing more to alter the time line. Stranded, SG-1 reluctantly decides to wait. Jackson suggests they can get the ZPM back to the future by placing it, along with his video camera, in a tomb that will be discovered in Giza about a month before they left. In the future (our present), things have radically changed. Jackson is an English-as-a-second-language teacher, Carter is a civilian researcher at an aerospace company, and O'Neill is retired on a fishing boat. While Carter and Jackson agree to accompany the military back to Cheyenne Mountain, O'Neill refuses. General Hammond shows them the tape recorded by Jackson in the past, and they are flabbergasted by what they see and hear. They learn that the area excavated by Dr Langford, Catherine's father, did not find a stargate. However, they did find a hieroglyphic tablet that no one can translate, and Hammond asks if Jackson would like to try.

Moebius (Part 1) is a fun romp. It starts with the search for a working ZPM to open a wormhole to the Pegasus Galaxy (Stargate Atlantis season 1's Rising (Part 1))—and moves on to a fun, O'Neill-led adventure with the SG-1 team. However, midway through the episode, the story does an about face, and playfully introduces us to what life would have been like for the three human SG-1 members without the stargate program. A lot of the episode's fun comes from alternative Carter and Jackson with googly-eyes and their jaws on the floor as they are told about one astounding thing after another, by an alternative version of themselves!

Among all the cliffhangers in Stargate SG-1, this is one of the best ones, partly because it's something we haven't seen before. While other shows, such as Star Trek, almost routinely dabble with time travel, it is a topic that Stargate SG-1 has generally avoided. When done, the series has endeavoured to show the ramifications of even small changes in the timeline. This episode is no exception, and has depicted not only a major galaxy-changing ramification, but has also presented our heroes with one of their greatest challenges to set things right. That said, the episode isn't full of doom and gloom. In fact, it is only the viewer that is fully aware of how drastically things have changed. The episode continues in the same lighthearted and fun vein that we know and love the Stargate SG-1 series for. As the title suggests, it also goes back to the very roots of the series, and not only brings back Ra at the height of his power, but puts SG-1 in the desert as they try to complete their operation right under his nose. All of this is a wonderful setup for the second part, where we—presumably—get to see the team forming all over again, and saving the day... err, timeline. This episode is a must see as not only is it full of nostalgic references to the origins of the show, it is one of the last, great O'Neill-led SG-1 adventures in the series!

In the alternative timeline, General Hammond is escorting Carter and Jackson out of Cheyenne Mountain when they bump into Colonel O'Neill. O'Neill has decided to get involved, partly because his old friend Charles Kawalsky is leading the team. Carter and Jackson make their case for inclusion again by showing O'Neill the time-ship and encouraging him to activate it. He succeeds and decides to add them to the team. As the gate activates, Hammond reminds the team that it is purely a recon mission, and no time travel is permitted. O'Neill flies the ship through the gate and they emerge into the skies of Chulak (season 1's Children of the Gods). They soon spot a city and land in a secluded area. On route to the settlement, a Jaffa shock grenade lands in their midst, knocking them all unconscious. When they awake in a prison compound, Teal'c, Apophis's First Prime, comes to interrogate them. Jackson reveals what they learned on the video tape from the past—namely that the Jaffa are free and that Teal'c doesn't believe that Apophis is a real god. Teal'c slaps him in response. He takes Jackson to Apophis, who uses a hand device to torture Jackson for information. Getting nothing, Apophis sends Teal'c away and increases his efforts. Teal'c returns to the prison with the camera, and is convinced by the recording that Carter and O'Neill show him on it. Together, they all escape, however, they are intercepted by Jaffa loyal to Apophis on the way to the time-ship. Only Carter, O'Neill and Teal'c survive the battle and make it onto the time-ship. With the gate guarded and while being attacked by Death Gliders, Carter suggests that they escape by travelling 5,000 years into the past!

This episode continues the fun of Moebius (Part 1), in the form of seeing alternate Carter and Jackson bumbling through things, and obviously way out of their league. Oddly, alternative Jackson appears to be substantially more gregarious and less reserved than the real version, and that ultimately gets him into a lot more trouble than his more reserved teammates. Nevertheless, things really take off when the real Jackson appears, and we're reminded that the four main actors have gotten their interactions and reactions down to a science.

That said, the episode doesn't live up to the promise of the first half. It is great fun seeing the team getting back together for the first time, and then going on their first mission. However, the episode seems to forget that it has to resolve the mess caused by SG-1's time travelling, and seems to hand-wave it away. In the process it causes a paradox where the team from two weeks in the future does something in the past so they get the McGuffin now and don't have to go to the past two weeks in the future, but because they don't go wouldn't that mean that they don't get the McGuffin and ultimately have to go? I guess it's best if we don't think about it and just go along for the ride and enjoy the episode for what it really seems to be about: a chance to revisit the origins of the series. Interestingly, Kawalsky returns for the episode, and intriguingly in this timeline he's also on the first mission through the stargate. One wonders if there is an alternative reality where he doesn't meet an untimely fate shortly after encountering the Goa'uld?