Crystal Skull (Stargate SG-1)

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“Crystal Skull”
Stargate SG-1 episode
Episode no. Season 3
Episode 21
Guest stars 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
Written by Michael Greenburg and Jarrad Paul
Directed by 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 from Season 3 of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The members of SG-1 are watching MALP telemetry of a giant Mayan ziggurat. 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 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 skull that his grandfather found, explaining that his grandfather believed the skull transported him to another planet where he met aliens. His grandfather never managed to repeat the event and 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 finds high, but safe, levels of muon radiation. The team finds the crystal skull, which Daniel immediately becomes entranced with. Radiation levels begin to increase, and Teal'c notices a form of energy surrounding Daniel. Teal'c, unable to get Daniel's attention, fires his Zat'nik'tel at the skull. The energy dissipates, but SG-1 can no longer see Daniel, who is now unconscious. Carter warns O'Neill that the radiation levels are dangerously high before passing out. SG-1 returns to the SGC, without Daniel.

O'Neill and Carter are treated for radiation exposure while Hammond uses the MALP to scan for Daniel, but finds nothing. Teal'c, who is partially protected by his symbiote and consequently in full health, returns to retrieve the skull so that it can be studied in an attempt to learn how rescue Daniel, who they believe was teleported to an unknown location. As Teal'c 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. Tests on the skull find nothing to help them locate Daniel, so Sam suggests they visit Nick Ballard. Doctor Fraiser admits 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 skull teleport him.

SG-1 visits Ballard in the hospital. An invisible Daniel attends, encouraging his oblivious grandfather to help them. SG-1 tells him about the skull they discovered, and he asks to assist them. At SGC, 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

"Uy ah ual ing ual ing wetail."

He recognized this as "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" in Mayan. 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. Daniel follows Nick to the VIP quarters where 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"). Daniel realises his grandfather can hear him, but believes Daniel to be a hallucination. Daniel convinces Nick to act as a go-between and together they convince General Hammond to authorise a return mission to the planet. Nick accompanies SG-1, misinforming them that Daniel insisted on it.

Back inside the ziggurat, the skull is placed in its original position. Daniel stares into its eyes and all of the group, except Teal'c, are sent 'out of phase'. The giant 'mist' aliens appear and repeat the words Nick heard long ago. Daniel answers the giant that they are enemies of the Goa'uld. The giant is satisfied that they are friends. He remembers Nick and chooses him to stay and tell the giants about their world while SG-1 return to SGC.

[edit] Trivia

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
  • We learn that General Hammond has at least two much loved grand-daughters, and that he considers Daniel Jackson as a "very good friend".
  • Nick and the aliens are not seen again during the series 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 worshipped by the Mayans.
  • Michael Shanks began to feel very ill on the last day of filming this episode. It was discovered he was suffering from appendicitis and nearly died. Shanks had to be written out of the next episode.
  • In "Arthur's Mantle", the SGC discover a device constructed by the Ancient known as Merlin which can also shift matter out of phase, although it is significantly more powerful than the Crystal Skull device shown here.

[edit] External links

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