| Synopsis | Review | Quotes |
First Aired On: August 6, 1999 (United States)
Written By: Robert C. Cooper
Directed By: Martin Wood
Guest Stars: Sam J. Jones (Arris Bock), Mark Holden (Korra)
Synopsis: Episode opens on SG-1 exploring a forest that can only be described as vintage Vancouver, Canada. They are looking for the UAV (flying plane from "Enigma" and "Spirits") which was shot down during its flight over the planet. Teal'c locates the device and they find the damage appears to have been done by a staff weapon, even though there's no sign of Goa'uld civilization. Daniel walks straight into a red force field-like barrier, and SG-1 discovers that they've been captured. A man steps out from behind a tree, announces that their weapons cannot penetrate the shield, proceeds to demonstrate that his weapons do work, and tells them that his name is Arris Bock. He is a bounty hunter and they are now his prisoners.
Arris is disappointed that SG-1 hasn't heard of him before since he's supposedly the "greatest" bounty hunter in the galaxy. He surprises all of them further by telling them each their names. Well, whadda ya know, SG-1 is famous. When he says there's no use trying to escape since he's disabled the DHD, they drop their weapons and he leads them into a clearing...or so it seems. Saying a single word out loud reveals that the clearing is actually a resting spot for a huge Goa'uld cargo ship. Arris leads them inside, drops them off in a holding room, and leaves them there.
SG-1 takes a look at their hopeless situation. Teal'c says the ship can fly at the speed of light, O'Neill wonders if they can steal the ship and fly it home, but Carter says it'll never work since even at that speed it'd take 10 years to get back. So they wait it out in the holding room until Arris returns to the ship, wounded. While Carter patches up the wound, he explains to them that he plans to trade them in to Sokar--there's a hefty price on all of their heads (except Daniel, who's only worth a days' ration...poor thing <eg>). However, he's willing to let them go if they help him out with something--capturing a Goa'uld. Seems he's on the planet for the sole reason of capturing a Goa'uld named Keltar, an enemy of Sokar, who is worth twice the price on all of SG-1 put together. When O'Neill refuses to help him, Arris responds that they have no choice, they have to help him. Finally, O'Neill gives in.
Arris takes O'Neill and Daniel out to serve as Goa'uld bait while leaving Carter and Teal'c inside the holding room. They're supposed to get in close to the Goa'uld, then shoot him with a zat gun, and Arris'll take care of the rest. O'Neill counters that they don't have a zat gun, and Arris tosses him one. Seeing an opportunity at freedom, O'Neill shoots him, Arris falls to the ground, and he and Daniel head back to Arris' ship to free Carter and Teal'c.
When they get back, however, they find that Teal'c and Carter aren't going to be so easy to free. There's a coded lock on the door, and Teal'c says they have to enter the correct sequence of 5 numbers in order to open the door. When Daniel enters a random code, the lights inside the cockpit turn on and a pedestal-like device starts flashing. O'Neill and Daniel come to the conclusion that it's a countdown for a self-destruct mechanism. Teal'c's instructions to disable the mechanism fail since an important crystal is missing, and just when things seem hopeless, Arris returns. The countdown runs out, but nothing happens to the ship. Arris tells them he just wanted to see them "sweat a little." O'Neill threatens him with the zat gun he still possesses, but Arris tells him to put it away since it has no effect on him. To prove his point, he shoots himself and nothing happens. He opens the door to the holding cell where Carter and Teal'c are waiting and tells them all to come with him--they still have a Goa'uld to catch.
On the way back to the place where the Goa'uld Keltar is supposedly hiding out, Arris explains that the Goa'uld tried to use his race as hosts, only their bodies rejected the blending. A race that cannot be used as a host--imagine that. Anyway, as a result of this, the Goa'uld killed most of the adults and enslaved the children in the Naquada mines. Arris tells them that his wife was killed and his son was taken as a slave, and that's why he works as a bounty hunter, trying to find something pricey enough that he can use to buy his son's freedom. Once they arrive at the appropriate location, he tells them that they're going to go get the Goa'uld while he waits behind with Carter as insurance that they'll return.
So O'Neill, Teal'c, and Daniel take off for a cave where the Goa'uld is said to be hiding. They disable some fun little Tak devices (lasers that'll shoot from all directions) and toss a grenade into the cave, causing the Goa'uld to emerge from his hiding, seriously wounded. They go down to talk to him and remove his hand device...but what's this? He says he's a Tok'ra, not a Goa'uld. Can we say "oops"? Anyway, he tells them his name isn't Keltar but rather Korra and that he had served as an operative inside Sokar's ranks. When Sokar found out who he was, Korra fled, only to find Arris on his tail. He refuses to be captured and turned over to Sokar since Sokar knows ways to extract information from him and he doesn't want to betray the other Tok'ra spies in Sokar's troops.
Meanwhile, Carter and Arris are talking. Arris asks her what it's like to be possessed by a Goa'uld and they get to talking about the Tok'ra. Carter insists that the Tok'ra aren't like the other Goa'uld, Arris doesn't buy it. He cannot believe that any Goa'uld would care about another and try to stop them.
We cut back to the others, who have just learned that Arris' story about his wife and son is pure fiction, that there is no son. Actually, Korra reveals, the Goa'uld caused Arris' race to become addicted to a substance called roshna and that's what Arris trades Goa'uld for. He persuades O'Neill and the others to abandon their weapons since Arris can track them. When Arris discovers that SG-1 no longer has the zat guns, he stuns Carter to use her as a trap to get them again. They find her lying alone where Arris had left her, realize it's a trap, and O'Neill goes to wake her up. As he approaches her, Arris shows up in his Goa'uld ship. O'Neill and Carter have now been captured.
O'Neill and Carter end up inside the holding room again, and moments later Arris shows up with Daniel, Teal'c, and Korra as prisoners. Arris announces that he has what he wants (i.e. Korra) and they're free to go. Carter tries again to persuade him not to turn over Korra for fear that many other Tok'ra operatives will die as a result. Arris has second thoughts when Korra almost swallows poison to prevent himself from being turned over, but says it's too late since he's already contacted Sokar and has to turn over someone. In a very noble act, Teal'c offers himself in place of Korra since he's worth the most of SG-1. O'Neill tells him he can't do that, but Teal'c insists. Arris agrees to the switch, gives Carter the missing piece of the DHD, and frees them. He keeps Teal'c and the ship takes off to meet Sokar.
During the flight, however, Teal'c and Arris talk, and Arris reveals that he really doesn't want to turn Teal'c over to the Goa'uld. Back on ground, O'Neill and the others watch as the ship suddenly explodes in the air, and two streaks shoot from the explosion, landing on the ground. They head in the direction of where the streaks landed and find that Arris and Teal'c have escaped. Arris hopes that Sokar will believe he's dead and not come after him, at least for awhile; Teal'c is free to go back with SG-1. As for the roshna that he needs to survive, he says there're plenty of other Goa'uld he can trade with. There's some more talking, he comes clean with Daniel and says Daniel's worth more than a day's rations, and he gives Carter a container of the roshna hinting that he wants to find a way to free his people. They leave, and the last picture we see is a smiling Arris, happy that for once he did something right.
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My Thoughts:
Related Episodes: Not as many, for once. Teal'c betrayed Apophis in "Children of the Gods," we first learned about Sokar in "Serpent's Song," Carter was possessed by Jolinar in "In the Line of Duty," and we learned quite a bit about the Tok'ra in "Tok'ra Part 1" and "Tok'ra Part 2."
Daniel Jackson's History/Linguistic/Mythology Lesson:
Sam Carter's Physics Lesson:
Important Stargate Information:
Alien Species/Background:
Important everyday life stuff we learn from Stargate:
Quotes:
Daniel: "That doesn't make any sense. When a Goa'uld occupies a planet, they usually control the Stargate and this gat had no markings of a...." He smacks into an invisible barrier that glows red when he hits it. "Found something."O'Neill: "Who are you?"
Arris: "Arris Bock. Perhaps you've heard of me?"
O'Neill: "Ah, not I. Teal'c?"
Teal'c: "I have not."
Arris: "Well, that's disappointing. I'm one of the galaxy's greatest hunters."
O'Neill: "Not ringin' a bell, sorry."
Arris: "Well, I know you. Captain Samantha Carter. Dr. Daniel Jackson. The Jaffa traitor Teal'c, and Colonel Jack O'Neill."
O'Neill: "Well, fancy that. We're famous."Arris: "Drop your weapons."
O'Neill: "And if we don't?"
Arris: "Do we really have to get so dramatic?"
O'Neill: "Why not?" He tosses a knife at Arris, but it gets stuck in the red shield.
Arris, laughing: "You were thinking of a personal Goa'uld shield for Goa'uld use, one which allows slower-moving objects to pass through. Wouldn't make a very effective trap now, would they?"
O'Neill: "Can't blame a girl for trying."
Arris: "Are you kidding? That's exactly what I'd expect from you. Now, drop your weapons or I'll kill someone."Daniel, to Arris who's taken them prisoner: "I don't suppose we could talk about this."
Carter: "Sir, he's not Goa'uld."
O'Neill: "And? But? So? Therefore?" Carter just shrugs.
Teal'c: "It sounds as though Arris Bock has left the vessel."
O'Neill: "Well, whadda ya say we use the time to find a way out of this, huh?"
Daniel: "Well, even if we could find a way out of here, he said he disabled the Stargate."
O'Neill: "Teal'c? How fast will this unit fly?"
Teal'c: "I believe it is capable of traveling at the speed of light."
O'Neill: "Nice. Home for dinner."
Carter: "Sir, if you're thinking of stealing the ship and flying it back to Earth, I mean, even at 372,000 miles per second it would still take us at least ten years to get that far."
O'Neill: "Be sure to let the dog out."Arris: "Dr. Jackson, if you don't mind, treating my wound."
Daniel: "I'm an archaeologist."
Arris: "I know, but you're also a doctor."
Daniel: "...of archaeology."
Arris: "Never mind. Captain! You must have some medical training."
Carter: "Actually, I'm a Major now."
Arris: "Oh, well, how important. I'll inform the galaxy. Can you get over here now and help me, Major?"O'Neill, taking a few steps toward Arris: "So who shot ya?"
Arris, lifting his weapon at O'Neill: "I wouldn't step any closer."
O'Neill: "Just...showing my concern."
Arris: "Well, like I said before, capturing you was unintentional. The real reason I'm here is to catch a Goa'uld."
O'Neill: "You hunt Goa'uld?"
Arris: "I hunt anyone of value."
Daniel: "Which Goa'uld are you hunting?"
Arris: "Ah, his name is Keltar."
Daniel: "I haven't heard of him before."
Arris: "Well, contrary to popular human belief, the Earth is not the center of the galaxy."
Teal'c: "I have not heard of him either."
Arris: "Have you met every Goa'uld? I haven't. The only thing I know is that Sokar has discovered Keltar is plotting against him."
O'Neill: "So you work for Sokar?"
Arris: "No."
O'Neill: "Self employed, then. Independent contractor. Rogue warrior?"
Arris: "I give the Goa'uld what they want and they give back to me what I want in return."
Carter: "How do you keep from getting killed?"
Arris: "It takes talents."
O'Neill: "So...how do you keep from getting killed?"
Daniel: "So, ah, what do you expect to get for us?"
O'Neill: "Daniel...."
Daniel: "Just...curious."
Arris: "Well, ah, Teal'c is worth the most. The system lords would love to make a good example of him. And Carter here, well, she has the memories of the Tok'ra Jolinar. And you, O'Neill, you're considered, well, you're a pain in the mikta."
O'Neill: "Neck?"
Teal'c: "No."
Daniel: "What about...what about me?"
Arris: "You? Probably happy to get a day's rations for you."
Daniel: "Oh. A day's rations."
O'Neill: "Trade you."
Daniel: "I'm just saying if we know what we're worth, maybe there's something we can offer for our freedom."
Carter, finishing bandaging his wound: "Done."
Arris: "Good! Back over there. Dr. Jackson is right, there is something you can do."
O'Neill: "Let's hear it."
Arris: "Well, you help me capture a Goa'uld, I'll let you go."
O'Neill: "He's worth that much."
Arris: "Twice as much as all of you put together."
O'Neill: "Twice?"
Daniel: "Twice."
Arris: "What, you goin' to argue?"
O'Neill: "Why do you need our help anyway?"
Arris: "Hey, I take help whenever I can get it. You see, this injury is going to take time to heal and I don't have that luxury. Sokar can figure out anything I can figure out. Now, if I want to trade Keltar back to Sokar, I gotta get to him first."
Daniel: "And how do we know we can trust you?"
Arris: "My word is good on over 2,000 planets."
O'Neill: "There are billions."
Teal'c: "It would appear we have no choice."
Arris: "Yes. Choiceless. I mean, guys, come on! What's the big deal? It's a Goa'uld. I hate Goa'uld, you hate them, everybody hates Goa'ulds!"
O'Neill: "Yeah, okay, we'll do it."
Arris: "Good. You and you {Daniel and O'Neill} come with me, you two {Teal'c and Carter} stay here."
O'Neill: "Oh, no, wait a minute...."
Arris: "Uh uh. Uh uh uh."
O'Neill: "Choiceless?"
Arris: "You see, that's why I like you. You're quick. Let's go."
O'Neill: "Oh, yeah."O'Neill: "So, what exactly didja have in mind regarding the capture of this Goa'uld? What was his name? Kevlar?"
Arris: "Keltar. Well, you two are going to surrender to him."
O'Neill: "That's a bad plan."
Daniel: "Ah, what if he's in the mood to shoot first and take prisoners later?"
Arris: "That's your problem. Let's go."
O'Neill: "You know, if you really were the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy, you'd grab that Goa'uld yourself and turn us all in."
Arris: "What, and miss the chance of watching the great Jack O'Neill in action? Look, do you want to know how I became the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy?"
O'Neill: "More than life itself."
Arris: "I'm the greatest because I'm alive, that's it. I'm not greedy. If I can catch a Goa'uld equipped with all kinds of fancy toys without risking my life...that's a damn good compromise."
O'Neill: "Fancy toys?"
Arris: "All you've got to do is get close enough to shoot him with a zat'nik'atel."
O'Neill: "Okay, found a flaw in your plan."
Arris: "What's that?"
O'Neill: "Well, we're exactly one zat gun short of actually having a zat gun."
Arris: "Zat gun."
O'Neill: "Drop the 'nik'atel.'"
Arris: "I guess it does save a bit of effort." He tosses Jack a gun.
O'Neill: "You're giving me a working zat gun."
Arris: "Well, if it didn't work, it wouldn't do you any good. I'm trusting you." O'Neill shrugs, then shoots Arris with the gun.
Daniel: "Jack, he said he disabled the DHD and Sam said we couldn't fly that ship all the way home."
O'Neill: "So we'll fly it to a closer planet with a Stargate."
Daniel: "Good thinking."
O'Neill: "It happens."Daniel, as they reach the open field: "Well, this is the place."
O'Neill: "Yeah. How'd he open the door?"
Daniel: "Ah...it opened when he said that word."
O'Neill: "What was activated...what was that word?"
Daniel: "Ah, bark-something."
O'Neill: "Almond bark. Barcalounger. Beetlejuice."
Daniel: "Barkna. I think it was barkna."
O'Neill: "Well, if it was barkna, the door would be opening, wouldn't it?"
Daniel: "This was your idea."
O'Neill: "You're the linguist."
Daniel: "I don't remember."
O'Neill: "Well, try!"
Daniel: "Well, okay, I said can we talk about it, he said inside."
O'Neill: "I said inside what. He said...?"
Daniel: "Barokna!" The door opens.
O'Neill: "Gesundheit."Daniel: "Okay, he opened the door by pressing a combination of...." He pushes some buttons.
O'Neill: "Teal'c?"
Teal'c: "O'Neill."
O'Neill: "Yeah. How do we open this thing?"
Teal'c: "There are six symbols on the pad. You must enter the correct combination of five."
O'Neill: "How many combinations could there be?"
Daniel: "Oh, boy."
O'Neill: "Yeah. Listen, in the meantime, tell me how to fly this thing."
Teal'c: "First you must locate the main steering console."
O'Neill, walking over to a flashing pedestal: "Daniel. Would you come here a moment? What do you think this is?"
Daniel: "Looks like a countdown."
O'Neill: "Of course it is. Oh, Teal'c? Would these ships have any kind of self destruct mechanism?"
Teal'c: "It is possible."
Daniel: "We just lost a digit."
O'Neill: "Of course we did."
Carter: "Oh, boy."
O'Neill: "Oh, Teal'c? How does one override the self destruct?"
Teal'c: "Open the column in the center console. There should be three delmaks...crystals. There should be three crystals."
Daniel: "There's only two. The middle one is missing."
O'Neill: "We're missing one."
Teal'c: "Then there is no way to override the self destruct."
Daniel: "We just lost another digit. Arris must have the other crystal."
O'Neill: "Go."
Arris, seeing Daniel emerge from the ship: "Hey! What were you guys thinking? Only I can fly that." He enters and says to O'Neill, "Put the weapon down."
O'Neill: "You put the crystal back."
Arris: "What if I don't?"
O'Neill: "You won't blow up your ship."
Arris: "Maybe I will."
O'Neill: "While you're in it?"
Arris, laughing, then putting the crystal back: "Now it's set."
O'Neill: "Put the gun down."
Arris: "Colonel, you think I'd give you a weapon that would work on me?" He shoots himself. "Ooo...tickles."
Daniel, hitting his face: "Then why did you pretend to be knocked out?"
Arris: "Well, let's just say I wanted to see you guys sweat a little. Now, did we learn something here?" O'Neill shoots him again with the zat gun. "Ouch." He frees Carter and Teal'c. "Let's go. You know, I'm very disappointed. I thought we had something good going."
O'Neill: "Oh, please."
Daniel, giving Arris his most innocent look: "We're sorry. Is the deal still on the table?"
Arris: "How can I trust you now?"
O'Neill: "Look, your plan sucks."
Arris: "Okay, we all go together this time!"
O'Neill: "Yeah, you know we're going to need our stuff."
Arris: "Well, some of that shouldn't be a problem."Daniel: "You don't seem to have much of a problem trading human lives like commodities."
Arris: "Oh, you earthlings and your morality. Has it ever occurred to you that someone outside your solar system might not see things the way you do?"O'Neill, playing with Arris' headgear: "Wow. These are cool."
O'Neill: "So, Teal'c, how does one Goa'uld fire weapons from several directions?"
Teal'c: "Taks."
O'Neill: "Tak'nik'atels?"
Teal'c: "Takmunitelemuniteron. Taks." (I'm unsure of the spelling of this monster word--if someone has closed captioning and would like to copy the proper spelling, I'll be very grateful. <bats eyelashes> No wonder they call 'em Taks. <g>)Arris: "So what's it like to have one of those things bore itself into your brain and posses you?"
Carter: "I couldn't tell you."
Arris: "Oh, come on. What are you saying?"
Carter: "You wouldn't understand."
Arris: "What's the difference? They're all the same. Tok'ra, Goa'uld...."
Carter: "Is that really what you think?"
Arris: "They all have different stories but the same bad blood."
Carter: "No, it's not true and if you really hate the Goa'uld, you'd try to learn more about the Tok'ra."
Arris: "Well, I wasn't much good at school."
Carter: "Well, trying to defeat the Goa'uld is better than the alternative." Arris laughs. "What? What is so funny?"
Arris: "Oh, the whole thing is amusing when you know how insurmountable the task is. Defeating the Goa'uld. Oh, admirable. But amusing."
Carter: "If enough of the right allies work together, the task might not be so insurmountable."
Arris: "You mean me? Well, I couldn't help you as much as you think."
Carter: "You mean you won't. You know what I think? I think you care. And I don't think you like what you do nearly as much as you pretend to."
Arris: "I think you should shut up."O'Neill, as Arris leads Daniel, Teal'c and Korra into the prison: "Oh, yeah, way to play hard to get, boys."
Arris: "Well, give me a little credit."
O'Neill: "Why is that?"
Arris: "Well, I have what I wanted. The rest of you, you're free to go."
Daniel: "You're keeping your end of the bargain?"
Arris: "I gave my word."
Carter: "Look, I know you said you don't have a choice but there must be another way. If you take Korra, a lot of Tok'ra may die."
Arris: "Well, I've already communicated with Sokar and one of his mother ships'll be entering orbit around this planet any time now."
Korra: "I will not betray the lives of other Tok'ra." He's about to bite down on something when Arris shoots him.
O'Neill: "What the hell did you do that for?"
Arris, removing a package from Korra's mouth: "Poison. That's very un-Goa'uld-like. Why would he do that?"
Carter: "To save the lives of other Tok'ra."
Arris: "Since when does a Goa'uld care about another Goa'uld?"
Carter: "I told you, the Tok'ra are not the same."
Arris: "Well, Sokar is on his way."
O'Neill: "Are you having second thoughts?"
Arris: "I have to give him something."
Teal'c: "Take me."
O'Neill: "Forget it."
Teal'c: "I am the most valuable in trade next to the Tok'ra."
O'Neill: "I don't care."
Teal'c: "I will go. Take me."
Arris, as they hear a beep in the other room: "That'll be Sokar. Okay, brief moment of weakness. Teal'c comes with me."
O'Neill: "That just is not going to happen."
Arris: "No other way. Last chance to take that Tok'ra and get the hell out. You might need this." He tosses something to Carter.
Carter: "Missing piece of the DHD. Teal'c?"
Teal'c: "We are choiceless."
O'Neill: "We'll find you."
Arris: "Oh, this is so beautiful. Really, I mean, I'm startin' to tear up, you know...but we've got to go, now."Arris: "That's a pretty noble thing you're doin'."
Teal'c: "You have made a sacrifice as well."
Arris: "I guess I never knew the Tok'ra were...different, you know. So what made you betray Apophis?"
Teal'c: "The Goa'uld are enslavers of worlds, the humans value freedom."
Arris: "Well, you don't really think the Tok'ra and the humans have a chance of overthrowing the Goa'uld, do you?"
Teal'c: "I do."
Arris: "I don't think so."
Teal'c: "I would rather serve with those who are willing to die trying."
Arris: "I really don't want to do this. I hate the Goa'uld as much as you do."Korra: "Somehow I must find a way to pay tribute to what you have done for me and the Tok'ra."
Teal'c: "There is no need."
Arris: "Hey, guys, what about me? Don't I get a thank you?"
Carter: "For doing the right thing for a change?"
Arris: "Well, it's kind of a backhanded show of appreciation...but I'll take it."Arris: "Oh, ah, Dr. Jackson, I was lying to you before. The price on your head is much more than a day's ration. Actually, the Goa'uld want to see you dead as much as anyone for figuring out the Stargate."
Daniel: "Thank you. That...doesn't make me feel any better."Arris, handing Carter a package of roshna: "Who knows, maybe someday someone'll figure out a way for my race to be free of the Goa'uld...and that would be something worth trading for."
Point of View Demons
