Crystal Skull (Stargate SG-1)

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Stargate SG-1 episode
“Crystal Skull”
Episode no. Season 3
Episode 21
Guest star(s) Jan Rubes as Nicholas Ballard
Jason Schombing as Dr. Robert Rothman
Dan Shea as Sgt. Siler
Russel Roberts as Psychiatrist
Jacquie Janzen as Nurse
Daniel Bacon as Technician
Tracy Westerholm as Surveillance
Christopher Judge as Voice of Quetzlcoatl
Writer(s) Michael Greenburg and Jarrad Paul
Director Martin Wood
Production no. 321
Original airdate March 3, 2000
Episode chronology
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"Maternal Instinct" "Nemesis (Part 1)"

Episode chronology

"Crystal Skull" is an episode of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details for Stargate SG-1 Season 3 follow.

The episode begins with a panorama of a massive Mayan ziggurat. From the SGC control room, SG-1 watches MALP telemetry of the ziggurat, which Samantha Carter realises is over a kilometer tall. Teal'c comments that he has never seen even the Goa'uld build structures so large, and Daniel Jackson identifies the ziggurat as Mayan. The MALP proceeds into the ziggurat, but comes to a span which is too narrow for it to traverse. Sam pans the MALP camera across the cavern and realises that the ziggurat contains Leptons, which means a material is slowing Neutrinos, a significant scientific find. Daniel, however, is more interested in the other end of the span, and has Sam zoom in on the object at the other end. Daniel informs them that it is a Crystal Skull, identical to the one Daniel's grandfather Nicholas Ballard discovered in 1971 in Belize.

Daniel briefs SG-1, General Hammond and Doctor Fraiser on the crystal skull that his grandfather found, explaining that his grandfather believed the skull transported him to another planet where he met aliens. However, his grandfather never managed to have the crystal skull repeat the event and he was scorned by the academic community. General Hammond authorises a recon mission to the planet, but Dr Fraiser warns that she is unsure what effect the radiation caused by the Leptons might have, and recommends no more than ten to fifteen minutes exposure.

SG-1 travels to the planet and enters the ziggurat, where Carter notices high, but safe, levels of muon radiation. The team crosses the narrow span to the crystal skull, which Daniel immediately becomes entranced with, staring into the eyes of the skull. Carter becomes concerned as the radiation levels begin to increase, and Teal'c notices a form of energy surrounding Daniel. Teal'c attempts to get Daniel's attention, but is ignored. Teal'c fires his Zat'nik'tel at the skull and the energy dissipates, but SG-1 can no longer see Daniel, who is now unconscious. Carter warns Jack that the radiation levels are dangerously high before passing out. O'Neill grabs Carter and carries her out of the ziggurat. Teal'c hesitates for a moment, then follows Jack out of the ziggurat and back to the SGC, without Daniel.

Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter are treated for radiation exposure while Hammond re-dials the planet and uses the MALP to scan infra-red for Daniel, but they find nothing. Teal'c, who is partially protected by his symbiote and consequently is in full health, believes the skull was a teleportation device as Nicholas Ballard claimed. Teal'c returns to retrieve the crystal skull so that it can be studied in an attempt to learn how rescue Daniel, who they believe was teleported to an unknown locatiom. Teal'c returns to the ziggurat, as he removes the skull, Daniel regains consciousness and asks what has happened, but Teal'c does not hear Daniel and runs straight through him. Daniel follows Teal'c through the stargate back to the SGC, where Teal'c gives the crystal skull to Robert Rothman for study. Rothman, however, cannot discern any exceptional qualities of the skull and eventually decides it is a 'paperweight' and that something within the ziggurat teleported Daniel away. Samantha Carter decides to begin analysis on the skull to see if she can find something Rothman has missed. At this point, Daniel realises he no longer requires food or drink, and concludes that he's a ghost. Sam can find nothing about the skull to help them locate Daniel, so a UAV search is mounted. Sam suggests they visit Nick Ballard, as he may know where Daniel was sent, but Doctor Fraiser admits that she checked on Nick and found he had committed himself to a Psychiatric hospital after suffering a mental breakdown caused by being unable to have the crystal skull teleport him.

SG-1 visits Nick in the hospital, Daniel attends, encouraging his oblivious grandfather to help them. SG-1 tells him about the crystal skull they discovered, and he asks to assist them. SG-1 returns to the SGC and gains permission to bring Dr Ballard to the base, in the process Daniel overhears a private conversation between General Hammond and his grandchildren. Nicholas Ballard is shown the skull and relives his experience for SG-1, he looked into the skull's eyes and was surrounded by a field of energy, then found himself in the ziggurat, where giant aliens, apparently composed of mist, told him in Mayan "The enemy of my enemy is my friend", before he closed his eyes in fear and was returned to the temple where he found the skull. The temple collapsed and he was never able to locate it again, precluding any attempt to search for Daniel there. Daniel follows Nick to the VIP quarters in which Nick is staying, where he apologises, apparently to no one. Daniel asks him what he is apologising for, and Nick replies that it is for not adopting him when his parents were killed (The Gamekeeper (Stargate SG-1)). After a short conversation, Daniel realises that his grandfather can interact with him. Daniel explodes at him for not saying something, but Nick replies that "you're not real, so it doesn't matter". Daniel convinces Nick to act as a go-between and together they convince General Hammond to authorise a mission to return to the planet, partially through the information Daniel overheard in Hammond's office about his daughter's play. Nick accompanies SG-1, untruthfulling telling them that Daniel insisted he return with them.

Nicholas Ballard immediately recognises the ziggurat when inside, and the crystal skull is placed in its original position. Daniel stares into the eyes and all of the group, except Teal'c, are sent 'out of phase'. The giant 'mist' aliens appear and said the same words the Nick heard along time ago. Daniel realizes the Teal'c wasn't "phased out" probably because of his Goa'uld symbiote. He answer the giant that they are enemies of the Goa'uld. The giant was satisfied that they are his friends. He even remembers Nick. Nicholas Ballard is chosen to remain with them to tell the giants about their world while SG-1 look in the skull once more to return to normal return to the SGC.

[edit] Trivia

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
  • O'Neill says "Hey. If you’d been listening, you’d know that Nintendos pass through everything" when referring to neutrinos - an example of the character's technophobia.
  • We learn that General Hammond has at least two much loved grand-daughters, and that he considers Daniel Jackson as a "very good friend".
  • As of early Season 10, Nick and the aliens have never been seen again, despite their apparent importance, although Nick was mentioned in the season seven episode Evolution. In spite of their absence, fans of the show have listed the "Giant Aliens" as possible candidates for the Furlings, a powerful yet mysterious race that has yet to appear within the series. This is also backed up by the fact that the Furling architecture is noted as Mayan and the 'Giant Aliens' Ziggurat is Mayan. One of the giant aliens also identifies himself as Quetzalcoatl (and is even listed as such in the credits); Quetzalcoatl was a Mesoamerican God, who had been worshipped by the Mayans.

[edit] External links

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