The Torment of Tantalus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Stargate SG-1 episode | |
|---|---|
| “The Torment of Tantalus” | |
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 10 |
| Guest star(s) | Elizabeth Hoffman as Catherine Langford Keene Curtis as Dr. Ernest Littlefield Gary Jones as Walter Harriman Duncan Fraser as Professor Langford Paul McGillion as Young Ernest Littlefield |
| Writer(s) | Robert C. Cooper |
| Director | Jonathan Glassner |
| Production no. | 110 |
| Original airdate | October 3, 1997 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Thor's Hammer" | "Bloodlines" |
"The Torment of Tantalus" is an episode of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. It is often referred to by fans as "the Meaning of Life Stuff episode".
[edit] Plot
Daniel Jackson is watching some footage from 1945 of the scientists in that era working on the newly discovered Stargate, trying to get it to work but not having Samantha Carter's work on stellar drift to adjust the dialing, and hence not being able to turn it on. However, to Jackson's astonishment, they manage to do so, and a man goes through. Then the gate shuts off.
Later in a briefing, it is revealed that the man was Ernest Littlefield, who is believed to have 'died' after going through the gate. He must have been stuck on the planet he went to ever since. Using modern computer enhancement, Carter is able to extract the chevrons dialed from the old footage, and a rescue mission is mounted to bring Dr. Littlefield home.
Ernest was actually once engaged to Catherine Langford, who has missed him ever since. Being told what happened, she insists on also coming on the mission. Carter mentions that this address is not on the list found on Abydos, which is direct proof that the Goa'uld are not the builders of the Stargates. SG-1 and Catherine depart. On the other side, they find themselves in what appears to be something of a castle perched dangerously on outcropping rocks over a stormy sea and under a thunderous sky. Within, they find Dr. Littlefield, emaciated but alive.
However, Carter discovers that the DHD is broken and hence they are stuck. While she works on a solution, Catherine has her moments with Ernest - they are cold at first (as they've been through a lot) but warm up to each other later. Jackson also talks to Ernest, who has kept a journal all these years. He takes them to a special room where a central device, when activated by Jack, projects a light-display into the air.
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Spoiler warning: Related plot and/or ending details about Season 2 follow.
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| The four alien species are later revealed in the episode "The Fifth Race" to be the Four Great Races, the Asgard, the Nox, the Ancients and the Furlings. Except for the last race, SG-1 will later learn much about these great races and will even interact with them. |
The light-display turns out to be a representation of atoms and basic elements. On the four walls are four types of writing, and both Jackson and Ernest believe this to be some kind of meeting place for four great alien races of the past. That is when Jackson realises that the atoms are a kind of universal language - to ensure universal comprehension the language has been reduced to basic elements common to all life. There turn out to be many pages of this 'book' and Jackson becomes obsessed with copying it down.
Carter works out that a lightning strike channelled into the gate will give enough power to dial it manually, and will be their way out. In the meantime, the storm is becoming rough, and it looks like the castle will collapse. Daniel refuses to leave.
At the last moment, Ernest persuades Daniel to leave. Although the information held in the 'book' may be the source to understanding the very meaning of the existence of humans ("the Meaning of Life Stuff"), it would take more than a lifetime to study it all, as evidenced by Ernest, and there's no joy in knowing it all but having no one to share it with. Due to the obviousness of Ernest's wisdom on this matter, Jackson leaves the 'book' and they escape through the Stargate just in time before everything collapses. As everyone rests, Ernest tells Daniel that one day he might meet the ones who wrote the book and tell him what it means.
[edit] Notes
- The title refers to the Greek myth of Tantalus, who could never reach what he kept grasping out for, and who is the origin of the word "tantalise", as Jackson is tantalised by the enormity of the "Meaning of Life Stuff" which he cannot possibly reach.
- Co-Creator Brad Wright notes this episode as being one of the first that he could "actually see himself sitting down and watching".
- Paul McGillion (Young Ernest Littlefield) would go on to play the recurring and later main character Dr. Carson Beckett in Stargate Atlantis.
[edit] External links
- Official Stargate SG-1 site. MGM. Retrieved on 2006-06-08. Most of site requires Flash.
- Screenplay (PDF). Distributed by MGM. Prepared by Casablanca Continuity. Retrieved on 2006-10-28. Also see Google's cache.
- Summary. Sci Fi Channel (United States). Retrieved on 2006-06-05.
