| Synopsis | Review | Quotes |

Synopsis: Episode opens in a room that is in the process of being excavated. Daniel is playing archaeologist and directing a group of children to aid him in uncovering hidden sections of the room. The Stargate activates and opens, and O'Neill and Teal'c step through. Daniel greets them and tells them that the society appears Aztec in origin. He then asks if they've received General Hammond's permission to exchange knowledge with the people of the planet, called Orbania; O'Neill says they have. In exchange for providing information about the Goa'uld to the Orbanians, the SGC will receive technological information from the Orbanian society. O'Neill takes Kalan, a girl named Merrin, and Merrin's device, a Naquada reactor, back to the SGC while Teal'c will stay and provide the information about the Goa'uld. Daniel stays with him and resumes his excavation to try to uncover the origins of the advanced civilization of Orbania.

Carter greets them as they return to Earth and takes the reactor from Merrin. Kalan says their exchange has been completed, but Carter wants them to stay and explain how the device works. Kalan says he cannot do that, but Merrin is a specialist in the Naquada reactor. She will stay and teach them. O'Neill asks her how old she is, turns out she's only 11. Dr. Fraiser runs some tests on her to make sure she's not bringing in any pathogens.

Back on Orbania, Daniel asks Kalan about one of the children he'd worked with before named Zerin, but Kalan assures him that Zerin is not there and has undergone the Averium. Daniel assumes this is a ceremony like a graduation. Teal'c, meanwhile, tells a boy named Tomin about the Goa'uld and his own Jaffa nature.

In the SGC again, Carter and O'Neill are explaining to Merrin how school works. She, being the bright "rocket scientist" that she is, deduces that because O'Neill didn't go to school as long as Carter and Dr. Fraiser, he's not as "smart" as they are. He counters that no, he's not as smart as them but while they were stuck in school, he was having fun. When Merrin replies that she doesn't understand what "fun" is, he tries to explain.

Kalan takes Daniel outside to see one of the Orbanian's pyramids. Daniel comes to the conclusion that the society isn't Aztec, but rather they're descendants of the civilization in South American known as Teotihuacan. He explains that Teotihuacan was an advanced society that disappeared around 750 B.C., and now he's starting to believe that they were wiped out by the Goa'uld. He explains this to Tomin, and soon after Tomin tells Kalan that he must undergo the Averium now so his knowledge of the Goa'uld can be put to use and they can defend against a potential attack. Kalan agrees.

Back at the base, however, Carter is having a hard time understanding what Merrin is explaining to her. Dr. Fraiser interrupts and says she needs to run some follow-up tests on Merrin back in the infirmary. Turns out she's discovered nanocytes in Merrin's blood. General Hammond puts the base on alert, but Merrin assures them they're in no danger. Her nanocytes are what enables her quick learning. Each chosen child, called a Uroan, are given these nanites at birth, which then act as special brain synapses.

On Orbania, Daniel has uncovered a stone on which is drawn a Goa'uld. This is the proof he's been looking for that the Goa'uld have been on Orbania during the past few centuries. Now he wants to know why they left. Kalan, however, is demanding that Teal'c explain more about how the Orbanians can defend themselves against the Goa'uld. Teal'c says he'll do what Kalan is asking, but he'd rather speak to Tomin, who already has the basic knowledge of the Goa'uld that had been explained before. Kalan responds that Tomin is not able to be there anymore. When Teal'c insists on seeing Tomin, Kalan agrees to take them to him.

Carter is busy learning about the Naquada reactor. She asks Merrin to draw a rough sketch of the device's interior, but Merrin replies that she doesn't draw. Carter draws a stick-figure person of herself, and Merrin gets the idea. Carter gets her some paper and away she goes with ruler and pencil, sketching cross-section upon cross-section of the device in full detail. Carter, unfortunately, has been awake for 24 hours and dozes off while Merrin is working, poor Major. O'Neill returns to the lab where Merrin is searching for more paper and wakes Carter. He orders Carter to get some sleep, while Merrin announces that she doesn't need sleep because she's a Uroan. O...kay. O'Neill goes off to find her some more paper and a pencil.

Kalan, meanwhile, has taken Teal'c and Daniel to see Tomin, who is now in a vegetable state. Kalan explains that Tomin's nanites have been removed during the Averium and implanted into the adults and the non-Uroan children, thus passing on his knowledge to the others in the society. Neither Teal'c nor Daniel is too happy about this method the Orbanians use to learn, but no amount of persuading can convince Kalan that he's done anything wrong. Teal'c returns to the SGC and explains what he and Daniel have found. O'Neill is, not surprisingly, all against sending Merrin back to Orbania to "have her brains sucked out." Hammond wants to try a diplomatic approach first, however, before they simply refuse to send her back.

Teal'c and Daniel talk to Kalan again, but he adamantly refuses to change his mind about performing the Averium on Merrin. Kalan explains that if Merrin's knowledge is not used, it will be another 12 years before their people will be able to acquire her knowledge of Naquada (i.e. after another child has learned everything she has during her life thus far). O'Neill and Carter are likewise unable to convince Merrin that she doesn't need to have her brains sucked out--she can remain on Earth and keep her knowledge. She, however, responds that it's a great honor to be chosen as a Uroan and it's her duty to give her knowledge to the Orbanians.

When Daniel and Kalan return to Earth to retrieve Merrin, Hammond demands that O'Neill allow Merrin to return to her planet. O'Neill disagrees and instead, during the confusion caused when Carter activates her own prototype of Merrin's Naquada reactor, he sneaks Merrin out of the base. He takes her to a school where the kids obviously know him very well ("Colonel Jack!"), the same school they placed Cassandra in, and gets her into the afternoon's art class. When Merrin tries to draw the Naquada reactor, he takes her picture and crumples it, instead telling her to draw one of the flowers she'd seen in Major Carter's lab. She does as he asks, including a little stick figure of Carter, provoking a smile out of O'Neill. :)

They return to the base, where Merrin prepares to head back to her world as she wishes. O'Neill hands her a box of crayons as a farewell gift, and then faces a very ticked General Hammond who threatens him with court-martial. Hammond can't do it, however. Merrin returns to her planet. A day or two later, Hammond tells SG-1 that they've received a transmission from Orbania asking that they return. They do, and find that Kalan, who now possesses Merrin's knowledge after the Averium, has converted the hospital where the other vegetable-like Uroan children lived into a playground similar to the one at the school where O'Neill took Merrin. SG-1 may not have been successful in convincing the Orbanians that there are other ways of learning than sucking out children's brains, but they did manage to teach them how to let kids be kids. :)

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Review: 9/10
Plot:

Realism:

Action:

Angst Level:

Special Effects:

Set and Costumes:

O'Neill factor:

Daniel factor:

Carter factor:

Teal'c factor:

Overall Team factor:

My Thoughts:

Related Episodes: The nanocyte idea was first seen in "Brief Candle" and there's a few references to that episode. We first meet Cassandra in "Singularity." The Jack and kids idea has already been seen in "Show and Tell," and you get some feel for his relationship with his son Charlie as it was previously explored in "Cold Lazarus."

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:

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Quotes:
O'Neill: "Hello, children. Daniel. No child labor laws here on Orban?"
Daniel: "No, these are Uroan. They're like, ah, apprentices to the adults. They're everywhere. It's just kinda the way they do things. Look at this." He hands Jack a golden cup. "Chalchihuitlicue, the Aztec goddess of water." (Webmaster's note--yes, her name is spelled correctly...it's really nice to have some books on the Aztecs lying around in the event that Daniel spouts off historical gobbledygook like this. <g>) "And they don't even know what they've got here, who knows what we're going to uncover. That is, if General Hammond said yes, he did say...?"
O'Neill: "He said yes."
Kalan: "Colonel O'Neill, you are most punctual. Both Merrin and I are eager to participate in this exchange between our worlds."
O'Neill: "Major Carter is eager as well. She's really looking forward to it. So is Teal'c."
Teal'c, not sounding particularly eager: "I will share my knowledge of the Goa'uld freely."
O'Neill: "Teal'c's eager on the inside."
Kalan: "Then if you are ready to leave...."
O'Neill: "Kalan, I was under the impression that we were bringing back one of your Naquada reactors."
Kalan, pointing to a box Merrin is holding: "This is the device."
O'Neill: "That little thing? Okay. Daniel, have fun. I know you will." (by this point Daniel's already racing back to his dig site...gotta love Daniel <g>) "Teal'c, make friends as always. Folks, to Earth."

Kalan: "Thank you for this exchange, General Hammond. I'm sure it will be fruitful for both our worlds. Major Carter, please allow Merrin to present you with this Naquada reactor. You may study it for the duration of our exchange."
Carter: "Thank you."
Hammond: "If you will allow, I would like to offer a tour of the...."
Kalan: "The exchange has been made. We will return to Orban now."
O'Neill: "You just got here."
Carter: "You can't leave. Someone needs to teach me how to use this thing."
Kalan: "Please, explain what you mean by this."
Carter: "Teaching? Ah, explaining how the reactor functions, its components, its construction."
Kalan: "I do not have this knowledge."
Merrin: "I will...teach...you."

O'Neill: "So Merrin, I understand you're a reactor expert."
Merrin: "Yes."
O'Neill: "How old are you?"
Merrin: "I am eleven. How old are you?"
O'Neill: "So...Merrin, I understand you're a reactor expert."

Teal'c: "What is your purpose?"
Tomin: "I am making observation of your physical characteristics. Dr. Jackson tells us you were once a warrior in service of the Goa'uld."
Teal'c: "That is correct."
Tomin: "I think I understand now why the Goa'uld are so feared."

O'Neill: "How's our little rocket scientist?"
Fraiser: "We are almost done, Colonel."
Merrin: "I am not a rocket scientist."
Carter: "Ah, I think what Colonel O'Neill means is that you're very smart."
Merrin: "You find my intelligence level unusual?"
O'Neill: "No, there're lots of intelligent people around here. Just not as young as you."
Merrin: "You mean you were not always as smart as you are now?"
Fraiser: "No, we spent a long time in school to get to this point."
Merrin: "Please explain what school is."
Carter: "Ah, school is a place where you go to learn. A teacher gives you information and you take different classes to learn different subjects."
Merrin: "So this is how you and Dr. Fraiser became scientists?" Carter nods, and Merrin turns next to O'Neill: "You aren't a scientist?"
O'Neill: "Oh...no."
Merrin: "Then you are not as smart as Major Carter and Dr. Fraiser."
O'Neill: "Well, it depends on what you mean by.... Okay, no, I'm not. But while they were stuck in school, I was out doing other things. Like...having fun. You do know what fun is, don't you?" Merrin shakes her head. "Okay, fun is what you do to make yourself happy. Like...music, games. It's whatever you do when you're not learning to be a rocket scientist."
Merrin: "I am here to teach Major Carter about the Naquada reactor."
Carter, beaming: "Sounds like fun to me."
O'Neill: "Whatever. Yeah, go ahead. Knock yourself out."

Tomin: "So you have found hosts for other Goa'uld in the past as First Prime to the Goa'uld leader."
Teal'c: "I have vowed to battle the Goa'uld and to free my people. If I allow the symbiote that I carry to be implanted, I would be perpetuating all that I oppose."
Tomin: "What happens if you do not find a host for this Goa'uld?"
Teal'c: "It will die."
Tomin: "If the Goa'uld dies, then you will die as well." Teal'c nods. "That would be unfortunate."

Daniel, in ecstatic anthropologist-who's-just-made-a-huge-breakthrough ranting mode: "I should've known by the murals but the talud-tablero construction of your pyramid confirms it." (<art history lesson> Just FYI, talud-tablero is a Teotihuacan building style that alters straight and sloping panels {*1}. Daniel's pointing to a pyramid built in this style when he's saying this. </art history lesson>)
Kalan: "Dr. Jackson, I do not understand."
Daniel: "Teotihuacan. It was a city in pre-Columbian South America, even bigger than ancient Rome...which wouldn't mean anything to you but it is significant."
Kalan: "But you said we were Aztec."
Daniel: "No, these people predated the Aztecs. Look, these pictures form a narrative. Whatever is under this platform may tell us exactly how your people came to be on Orban."
Kalan: "You will explain this to Tomin."
Daniel: "Okay.... Teotihuacan flourished for centuries as a religious and economic mecca before suffering a great upheaval in 750 A.D. Now, I think that your people could be the descendants of that civilization."
Tomin: "Do you believe the arrival of the Goa'uld caused the downfall of that people?"
Daniel: "Yes."

Hammond: "I've put the base on a threat-comm bravo. Doctor, get blood samples from everyone. I want to know how far these nanites have spread."
Merrin: "My nanoprocesses are harmless to you."
O'Neill: "Merrin, we've run into these little buggers before...and they're anything but harmless."
Carter: "We encountered a civilization in which the Goa'uld used a similar method, nanocytes, to accelerate the age of a population. Colonel O'Neill was...adversely affected."
O'Neill: "Oy."

Kalan: "Teal'c, you will please tell Solen methods to fight the Goa'uld, which weapons and strategies have been effective in their defeat. Also anything in your experience as First Prime to Apophis that may be of assistance."
Solen: "It is an honor to accept your knowledge, Teal'c."
Teal'c: "Tomin is already familiar with the subject."
Kalan: "He has given us his knowledge. Please, you will talk to Solen."
Daniel: "Well, Teal'c has a point. I mean, if they've already established a repoire...."
Kalan: "I told you, it is impossible for Tomin to be here. He has gone through the Averium. Please, Teal'c, begin."
Teal'c: "I would like to see Tomin immediately."

O'Neill, to Merrin who's climbing on chairs, reaching into cabinets in the lab: "Merrin, what are you doing? Get down."
Merrin: "Colonel O'Neill, I need fifteen sheets of paper exactly 43 centimeters by 28 centimeters."
O'Neill: "Well, that's fine. Why don't you just ask...?" He sees that Carter is sound asleep, her head on the table. "Excuse me." He bends down by her. "Major CARTER!"
Carter: "Oh...oh, Merrin, I'm so sorry." She sees Merrin's drawings. "Wow, these are amazing."
Merrin: "I cannot exactly represent the reactor core on a three-dimensional plane so I depicted several layers of the reactor's interior. With additional supplies I can finish the remaining layers."
Carter: "Cross sections. Of course. If I scan these into the computer, I can come up with a three-dimensional representation of the reactor's interior."
O'Neill: "Alright. Will you two give it a rest? Both of you. You've been at this for 24 hours. You need rest."
Merrin: "I do not need to. Uroan children require little sleep."
Carter: "Okay, now I am jealous."
O'Neill: "Alright, Carter, you sleep. Young lady, if not sleep...fun."
Merrin: "No, I need fifteen sheets of paper at least 43 centimeters by 28 centimeters."
O'Neill, frustrated and amazed: "Fifteen."
Merrin: "O'Neill, I require some of these pencils as well."

Teal'c, to Tomin who is now a vegetable: "Do you not recognize me? It is Teal'c. Kalan!" Kalan enters the room. "Explain this Averium."
Kalan: "It is the ceremony in which an Uroan's nanites are removed and then distributed. Each adult and each non-Uroan child receive an injection containing one nanite which becomes part of his or her synaptic network, adding to those nanites received from previous Averiums."
Daniel: "So when you say he gave you his knowledge, you meant it literally."
Kalan: "It was a beautiful ceremony. Now you have seen. We must resume our work, Dr. Jackson."
Teal'c: "What will become of Tomin?"
Kalan: "He stays here with the other past Uroan."
Daniel: "That's it? Don't you play with him?"
Kalan: "What is play?"
Daniel: "Interacting with him, teaching him new things."
Kalan: "These children can not be taught."
Daniel: "Have you ever tried?"
Kalan: "Yes, but past Uroan children cannot receive new nanites. The brain rejects them."
Daniel: "Well have you ever tried teaching him without nanites?"
Kalan: "What do you mean? There is no need for concern, these children are well cared for."
Daniel: "Kalan...this is your son."
Kalan, pointing to his head: "My son is here now."

Hammond: "So once Merrin returns to Orban she will undergo this Averium and her nanites will be removed."
Fraiser: "Yes."
O'Neill: "Then maybe she won't return to Or-ban."
Hammond: "Colonel..."
O'Neill: "General, she's going back to get her brains sucked out...and I dare anybody to phrase it more delicately."
Carter: "Sir, I agree with you. But we can't just keep Merrin here, can we?"
O'Neill: "Why not? We'd be saving her life."
Fraiser: "Okay...so why don't we simply try asking Kalan not to harvest Merrin's nanites?"
Teal'c: "I do not believe the Orbanians will understand the reason for your request. They do not see this as wrong."
O'Neill: "Well, then we need to make them understand."
Hammond: "Teal'c, return to Orban. Colonel, before we risk an interplanetary incident, I'd like to try the diplomatic route first."

O'Neill: "You do understand we're trying to help you, right?"
Merrin: "I don't need your help."

Kalan: "You claim to love knowledge, yet when you find something you don't like, you demand that we change to please you."
Daniel: "No, it is not to please me. You are an incredibly advanced society. Why can't you find a better way to educate your people?"
Kalan: "There is no better way than the Averium!"
Daniel: "Even if that means giving up your son."
Kalan: "It was the happiest day of my life when Tomin was selected to be Uroan. I knew even before he was born that he would make an incredible contribution to our society."
Daniel: "And you never once thought otherwise."
Kalan: "Not once. And neither did Tomin."
Daniel: "And what if Merrin does?"
Kalan: "Merrin is one of only a few Uroan children and the only one to have spent ten years learning the Naquada technology. Without her Averium, the people who are awaiting her knowledge to continue their research will have to wait twelve years for another Uroan to learn."
Daniel: "Well I didn't know that."
Kalan: "Merrin does. She does not question her duty. It is you, Dr. Jackson, who is misguided to think you can convince her otherwise."

Merrin: "Major Carter, I need your assistance. You must tell General Hammond to let me return to Orban. I thought as a scientist you would understand."
Carter: "Merrin, you're only 11. Half the interesting things in my life didn't happen until I turned 15."
Merrin: "What kind of interesting things?"
Carter: "Oh, just, ah, stuff."
Merrin: "If it were possible, I would give you one of my nanites and then you would know that it's alright."
Carter: "Thank you, but I don't think it would make a difference."

Merrin: "Why wouldn't you let me give you the solution?"
Carter: "Well what would've been the fun in that?"
Merrin: "Fun?"
Carter: "Well, yeah. Figuring something out on my own, especially if it's been alluding me awhile.... It's far more satisfying than having the answer given to me."
Merrin: "But not as efficient."

Daniel: "I don't like it either, Jack, but you don't know the effect this is having on the Orbanians."
O'Neill: "What about the effect it's having on Merrin?"
Kalan: "Your Dr. Jackson has come to realize Merrin's importance to her people."
O'Neill: "Her importance as a vegetable?"
Hammond: "Colonel!"
Kalan: "If you would try to understand...."
O'Neill: "No! I won't. The way you treat your children is absurd. You don't deserve them."
Hammond: "Colonel O'Neill!"
O'Neill, halfway out the door already: "Request permission to be excused, Sir."

Hammond: "In the future, Major, before you activate any device that includes the word 'reactor,' I'd appreciate it if you would notify me."

Merrin: "This is a school?"
O'Neill: "Part of it. We call this the playground."
Merrin: "What is it for?"
O'Neill: "Well, just...watch." The bell rings and kids rush out the doors to the playground. O'Neill starts spouting Italian words that I don't know because I don't speak Italian (if anyone would like to fill me in on just what he says, I'd be very grateful <g>, although somewhere in here the words Bambinos and pizzeria mama mia come through nice and clear. :)
Kid: "Colonel Jack! What are you doing here?"
O'Neill: "Playing hooky. Kids, I want you to meet my friend. Her name's Merrin. Think you can show her around while I talk to Mrs. Struble?"

O'Neill, seeing one of the other student's paintings of him: "I look fat."

Merrin, painting: "This brush is too wide to accurately render the wires."
O'Neill: "Okay, let's try this again." He takes her sheet of paper and crumples it. "Something you love. Something that's not a machine. Remember those flowers in Major Carter's lab, the ones on the desk? Paint one of those. Go ahead." She starts, very small in the corner. "Bigger. Bigger."

Merrin: "There is no purple."
O'Neill: "Use red."
Merrin: "If I could have another cup, I could mix the blue with the red...."
O'Neill: "Paint the flower red."
Merrin: "Those flowers were purple. You ask me to draw a flower but you do not give me the means to do this accurately."
O'Neill: "Merrin, listen to me. It doesn't have to be exact. Paint me a flower, I don't care what it looks like." He hands her a wide brush. "Here, use this. And don't stop with one, paint the whole garden." She starts to object, but he stops her with an, "Ah! Paint!"

O'Neill, looking at her picture: "Nice. Who's that?" He points to a stick figure.
Merrin: "It's a representation of Major Carter."
O'Neill: "Of course it is."
Merrin: "Is it right?"
O'Neill: "Oh, yeah. It's way more than right."
Merrin: "Thank you, Colonel O'Neill, for teaching this to me."
O'Neill: "You're welcome. Merrin, all you have to do is ask. I'll find a way to make it happen."
Merrin: "I have a duty to my people. My knowledge is important to them. You did promise."

Hammond: "Colonel."
O'Neill: "I'm not here to cause trouble, Sir."
Merrin: "Colonel O'Neill...?"
O'Neill: "I have something for you." He hands her a big box of crayons.
Merrin: "They're beautiful. Thank you. You are mad at me for not staying."
O'Neill: "No. No, I'm not."
Merrin: "Then you understand?" O'Neill doesn't make any reply.
Hammond: "Major Carter, please take Merrin down to the Gate room. I'll be there momentarily."
Carter: "Yes, Sir."
Hammond: "You've already given me more than enough reason for court martial."
O'Neill: "General, for a few hours today I got to show that little girl how to be a kid. If you want to punish me, go ahead."

O'Neill: "Hi, Merrin." She's busy drawing on the wall with a crayon and doesn't say anything. "Okay, I guess we'll just have to get to know one another all over again." He grabs a crayon and draws with her, but she scribbles his drawing out. "You're right. What was I thinking? You ever seen a dog? Dogs are my favorite people. Some have tails, some don't." He draws a dog with a purple crayon. :) "Not a lot of purple dogs...."

 

Footnote (sheesh, this is sounding like an art history report!):
{*1} The information on talud-tablero comes from the very informative book A History of Art, edited by Sir Lawrence Gowing for Barnes & Noble Books, 1995, page 474, just in case anyone's interested. Must be the history major in me coming out. =)

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