| Synopsis | Review | Quotes |
First Aired On: January 30, 1998
Writer: Katharyn Powers
Director: William Gereghty
Guest Stars: Tobin Bell (Olmac), Garwin Sanford (Narim), Tom McBeath (Mayborne), Gerard Plunket (Tuplo)
Synopsis: SG-1 travels to the world of Tollan, only to find that the world is about to be destroyed by lava. The team pulls a few survivors from the ashes and brings them back to Earth. However, the technologically advanced Tollans do not seem grateful for their rescue; in fact, they are upset that such a "primitive" people brought them to their world. Colonel Mayborne, under direct orders from the President, comes to the base to take the Tollan in order to learn about their technological achievements. SG-1 must develop a plan to send the Tollan to a new world so they will not be imprisoned by the United States Government.
Review: 9/10
Plot: Pretty Good, nice moral contemplations ("What if highly advanced technology were just placed in the palm of your hands? How would people react?")Realism: Great (I can honestly see all the people reacting as they do in the episode)
Action: Weak on action. Lots of talk and contemplating moral dilemmas.
Special Effects: Like the action factor, there's not much in the way of special effects in this episode. Although I loved the scenes where the Tollans (and Daniel, in the one scene) walked through the walls. Also neat how Lya makes the Tollans and the soldiers' guns at the end disappear, then opens the Stargate on her own just by raising her hands. Very Cool.
Set and Costumes: Mainly takes place at SGC, with a few outside excursions. I loved the Tollan world (despite the fact the planet was covered in deadly ash, it looked really cool-- just like snow). I personally loved the Tollan's silver outfits--simple, but effective. Also cool gadget-thingys.
O'Neill factor: Eh. He gets a few good lines in (as always) but nothing out of the ordinary.
Daniel factor: Wow! He looks great, he acts admirably, he actually wins the Tollan's trust, he gets along great with the Nox, gets a few great lines...shows off his love of other cultures and people.
Carter factor: Pretty Good. She gets a love interest (this is one of the first times we see her with one). She, along with Daniel, helps win the Tollan's trust.
Teal'c factor: Practically nil. He sits around, has a few lines, and just looks cool.
Overall Team factor: They work pretty well together in this episode (despite the lack of Teal'c). A united opinion on the situation, and will do whatever necessary to get the right thing done.
Despite the fact that the action is relatively slow in this episode, it's one of my all-time favorites. SG-1 shows how much it's learned since their encounter with the peaceful Nox, defending the Tollan from the "other branch of the government" who wants to use them only to learn about technology. I also love episodes that connect to earlier episodes (thus rewarding the viewer for watching all the episodes), and it was great to see the race from "The Broca Divide" back, ready to help the team by offering their home to the Tollan. It's also neat to see the Nox again, and O'Neill's words sum up my opinion perfectly: "God, I love those people." Narim was a sweetie, Carter got a love interest, and Daniel got the chance to show off his compassion for other people. We also learned a lot about Hammond. Earlier in the series I was unsure if I trusted him, but the way he defended his team and the Tollans was extremely admirable. Only problem was that O'Neill and Teal'c really didn't do much in this episode (although RDA still got in a few great lines). All in all, an excellent episode showing off the integrity and compassion of SG-1!
Related Episodes: "The Nox" "The Broca Divide"
Daniel Jackson's History/Linguistic/Mythology Lesson: The people of Pompeii died of suffocation before the lava started flowing. The Medieval church considered all science as heresy and anathema, and therefore we lost several hundred years to advance our technology. We might be at the level the Tollans were if it weren't for those "Dark Ages."
Sam Carter's Physics Lesson: Irvin Schroedinger once theorized that if you put a cat in a box, add a can of poisoned gas activated by the decay of a radioactive atom, and closed the box, at one instant the cat would be both alive and dead. (Quantum Physics.)
Important Stargate Information (a.k.a. episode mythology stuff): Nothing much in this episode, although we repeat the fact that all human aliens originated on Earth (first learned this in "Thor's Hammer," I think).
Alien Species/Background: The Tollan. Originated on Earth. Once they discovered there was life on a nearby planet, called Cereta, they made contact with them and gave them an unlimited source of energy. Within one day Cereta had used the power source to make war and they destroyed their planet. Hence the Tollan's reluctance to share their information of technology. Too bad we often have to learn these lessons the hard way. The Tollan now live with the Nox, and we can't reach them but they can reach us.
Important everyday life stuff we learn from Stargate: Narim teaches men everywhere how to win a woman's heart in three easy steps. First, talk about angels who save your life and make sure you emphasize that angels are beautiful. Second, describe the woman you're talking to as being an angel (hence the beautiful description becomes applied to them). Finally, describe the woman you're talking to as being brilliant. If this tactic doesn't work, nothing will!
Quotes:
Daniel to Carter as she's readying the probe: "New hobby?"Daniel: "They only ask questions, never answer them. As a matter of fact, one of them was asking a lot of questions about you."
Carter: "I thought they weren't interested in us."
Daniel: "Oh, I didn't say us. I said you."Carter: "You...were a lot dirtier then."
Narim: "Captain Carter...or is it Doctor?"
Carter: "Why don't we just make it Samantha."Carter: "Temperature: Ground 1700° Fahrenheit, air seems to be in pockets ranging from 1500° to 200°."
O'Neill: "Sounds like L.A."Daniel: "Self-determination is a concept that's very important to us."
Olmac: "You have no idea who or what we are."
Tuplo: "We know that you are in need and that you are here among those who have proven themselves our friends. That is enough."
Olmac: "You're missing the point. This planet is unacceptable to us. These people are even more primitive than you."
(Don't you just want to strangle Olmac in this scene?)Narim to Carter: "I would gladly stay...if only to spend more time with a certain inhabitant of this planet. I speak of course of Schroedinger."
(Awwwwww....isn't he just a sweetie?)O'Neill: "Whoa. Cool."
Daniel: "But totally impossible."O'Neill about Colonel Kennedy's promotion: "Talk about failing upwards."
Daniel (addressing Colonel Mayborne's view of the Tollan): "Excuse me? These are people we're talking about."
O'Neill: "These people do have rights, you know."
Mayborne: "Do they? Under what nation's jurisdiction?"
Daniel: "How about basic human rights?"
Hammond: "I can't release them to you."
Mayborne: "I beg your pardon?"
Hammond: "I don't believe the President meant to release these people to you until they've been through quarantine. We don't have any idea what kinds of diseased they may be carrying."
Mayborne: "You're out of your league here, gentlemen. We're playing in my ballpark now. And I have the full authority of the President."
Hammond: "So do I, Colonel. Why don't you ask the airmen outside to show you to our guest quarters?"
Mayborne: "That's ok. I'll wait."
Hammond, getting really ticked: "That wasn't an invitation, that was an order, Colonel."
O'Neill, after Mayborne leaves: "General? Didn't Dr. Fraiser give the Tollans a...clean bill of health?"
Hammond: "Just don't let her tell Mayborne that."
O'Neill, big smile: "You're a good man, General."
(You go, Hammond! This is one of those scenes that makes you really love Hammond, standing up like that to Mayborne.)Narim: "You are anything but primitive, Samantha. What your mind doesn't know your heart fills in."
Carter: "I don't know what that means, exactly, but it's beautiful."
Narim: "Which is exactly what it means."Hammond: "Ok, Colonel, want to tell me why I'm here?"
O'Neill: "Because Mayborne isn't, Sir."Olmac (about how badly the SG team is protecting the Tollans): "You're not doing a very good job."
Daniel: "No, apparently not."
(It's phrases like this that show how much Daniel values honesty and knows that honesty works best when dealing in sticky situations. Gotta love him.)Mayborne (upon being informed the Tollan have disappeared, again): "What do you mean 'disappeared'?"
Guard: "I mean, like 'poof,' Sir. They went right through the walls."
Mayborne: "I told you to keep guards inside the room to prevent that from happening again!"
Guard: "We were inside the room, Sir. I stood in their path myself."
Mayborne: "And?"
Guard: "They went right...through me, Sir."Not really a quote, but just the look on Daniel's face as he walks in while Sam and Narim are kissing. His "whoops" had me laughing for the next five minutes! Talk about a little brother-big sister thing going on between Daniel and Carter!
Lya to Daniel: "Your races learn nothing. But you have."
O'Neill: "God, I love those people."
O'Neill: "You did good, Daniel."
Teal'c: "What of Mayborne?"
Carter: "He's not a happy camper."
Hammond: "There'll be hell to pay when he gets back to Washington."
O'Neill to Daniel who's been silent during all this: "What?"
Daniel: "Just thinking what the little guy with funny hair once told us."
O'Neill: "The very young do not always do as they are told."
Daniel, smiling: "Yeah."
Cor-Ai Solitudes
