2010 (Stargate SG-1)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “2010” | |
|---|---|
| Stargate SG-1 episode | |
 |
|
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 16 |
| Guest stars | Christopher Cousins as Joe Dion Luther as Mollem Gary Jones as Walter Harriman Ronny Cox as President Kinsey Teryl Rothery as Dr. Fraiser David Neale as Dialer |
| Written by | Brad Wright |
| Directed by | Andy Mikita |
| Production no. | 416 |
| Original airdate | January 3, 2001 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Chain Reaction" | "Absolute Power" |
| Episode chronology | |
"2010" is an episode from Season 4 of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Its title is a homage to Arthur C. Clarke's novel 2010: Odyssey Two. Coincidentally, Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey series used the term "StarGate" to refer to one of its major plot devices, the monolith. This episode is also the first part of a short story arc continued in the episode 2001, the title of which is a homage to Arthur C. Clarke's novel 2001: A Space Odyssey.
[edit] Plot
The episode starts with Sam meeting with her husband Joe and telling him that her pregnancy test was negative again. They also discuss the Aschen, an advanced civilization who possess a very high grade of medical technology.
It turns out that the year is 2010, 10 years into the future of the Stargate program. Earth has become an advanced civilization thanks to its new allies, the Aschen Confederation. The Stargate now serves as a public gateway to other worlds and stands in the J.R. Reed Space Terminal, with visitors and travelers regularly going to many worlds. With the help of the Aschen, the Goa'uld have been defeated, and advanced technologies from around the galaxy have been shared with Earth, turning it into what seems to be a paradise. All this is presented during the 10-year-old anniversary of the Earth-Aschen alliance, which is held by the President, Robert Kinsey. During this memorial, the former SG-1 members are also present —- minus Jack O'Neill. It also turns out that General Hammond is dead.
However, the scattered former members of Stargate Command soon discover a dark secret: the Aschen believe that the human race was overpopulated, so they made a secret deal with the governments of Earth to use their medical technology to slightly reduce the birth rate in exchange for their technology. This is discovered after Dr. Fraiser examined Sam and found out that she will never have children. They are able to look into the Aschen database and it turns out that Earth's birth rate has dropped very sharply (about 91%), and Aschen doctors that are supposed to be helping mankind are secretly dooming it to extinction.
The former members of Stargate Command and SG-1 realize that it may be impossible to overtake the massive advantage of the Aschen, but it may be feasible to prevent these events from ever happening. Using the advanced sensors the Aschen have given Earth, they pinpoint when a massive solar flare will happen, allowing them to repeat the same form of time travel they used several years previous when they traveled to 1969 and be able to send a warning to the past. Carter is also able to enlist O'Neill, who opposed the Aschen Alliance from the beginning. They also realize the need for a GDO so their plan is not foiled by a closed iris. However, in order to procure the only one left in existence, which is kept in the Oval Office, Sam must ask her husband, who is a high-ranking ambassador, to bring it to them. The ambassador divulges the fact that he was aware of the Aschen's intentions but thought that it would only affect 1/3 of the human race. He agrees to aid them in exchange for the promise that Carter would be kept out of the final assault on the Stargate.
They are finally able to set their plan into motion. With the help of Teal'c and another Jaffa, they are able to break through the strong defense measures surrounding the Stargate. Sadly, during this battle, both O'Neill and Teal'c are killed by the laser defense system when they try to send a hand-written message through the gate. Daniel valiantly tries to throw it through but is killed as well. Because Sam can't stand idly by, she rushes to the Stargate and throws the bloodied note, written by O'Neill, through it but, in this last-ditch effort, loses her life, which means the entire future SG-1 has been killed.
Back in 2000, the Stargate receives an incoming transmission, accompanied by an SG-1 IDC, and through the gate comes a small paper note. Written on it, in O'Neill's own handwriting (and getting it delivered left samples of O'Neill's blood as well), is a simple message: "UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES GO TO P4C-970". As a result of this strange event, Gen. Hammond orders P4C-970 locked out from the dialing computer to prevent the planet from ever being contacted.
[edit] Notes
- The story of this episode will be taken up in the Season Five episode 2001, in which SGC makes contact with the Aschen and they are offered an alliance.
- Sam's husband in this future will also appear in the episode 2001, where he will negotiate with the Aschen.
- This episode is one of only three episodes to feature Teal'c without his golden Apophis tattoo.
- O'Neill's reference to the lack of fish in his pond is also featured in The Curse, Threads, Moebius and 200.
- Sam's reference to the "Jupiter ignition project", is another homage to Arthur C. Clarke's Novel, 2010, in which Jupiter is converted to a sun.
[edit] External links
- Official Stargate SG-1 site. MGM. Visited June 8, 2006. Most of site requires Flash.
- Screenplay (PDF). Distributed by MGM. Prepared by Casablanca Continuity (2000-10-16). Retrieved on 2006-10-15. Linked to from Official Stargate SG-1 site. Also see Google's cache.
- Summary from GateWorld. Visited May 3, 2006.
