Moebius (Stargate SG-1)

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“Moebius (Parts 1 & 2)”
Stargate SG-1 episode
Episode no. Season 8
Episode 19 & 20
Guest stars Don S. Davis as George Hammond
David Hewlett as Dr. Rodney McKay
Colin Cunningham as Maj. Davis
Robert Wisden as Major Samuels
Georgia Craig as Sabrina
Alessandro Juliani as Katep
Peter Williams as Apophis
Jay Acovone as Maj. Charles Kawalsky
Sina Najafi as Egyptian boy
Written by Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper
Directed by Peter DeLuise
Production no. 819 & 820
Original airdate February 15, 2005 & February 22, 2005
Episode chronology
← Previous Next →
"Threads" "Avalon (Parts 1 & 2)"
Episode chronology

"Moebius" (Parts 1 and 2) are the Season 8 finale episodes of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. They involve time travel and an alternate timeline. They were originally intended to be the show's series finale (like "Lost City" of the previous season and "Full Circle" before it), but became the eighth season finale after the series was once again renewed.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details for Season 8 follow.

[edit] Part 1

Carter reveals the existence of the Daedelus: a new Earth-built battlecruiser which is capable of reaching the Pegasus Galaxy and is larger and more advanced than the Prometheus.

Later, Daniel Jackson learns of Catherine Langford's death and, after her funeral, receives Catherine's collection of documents and artifacts relating to the Stargate program. From one book in the collection, Daniel learns of the former location of a Zero Point Module in Ancient Egypt. Dr Jackson and Colonel Carter persuade General O'Neill to use the time travel capabilities of the Puddle Jumper they found to travel back and take the ZPM, assuming that Ra never knew of its purpose.

Once they arrive in 3000 B.C., they join in an offering to Ra and witness his brutal murder of an Egyptian making the offering. Teal'c disguises himself as a Horus Jaffa and retrieves the ZPM from Ra's treasury. However, Ra's Jaffa discover the cloaked Jumper after a sandstorm covers it in sand. Unwilling to upset the future by fighting the Jaffa to get the Jumper back, SG-1 decides to live out the rest of their lives in the past, knowing that the rebellion that overthrew Ra will eventually happen. However, an alternate timeline is created in which the Stargate was never discovered and everything SG-1 have done for the last eight years never happened.

In this timeline, Alternate-Daniel is teaching English as a second language, Alternate-Carter spends her time double-checking other scientists' work, Alternate-O'Neill is retired from the military and Alternate-Teal'c is still the First Prime of Apophis. Alternate-Daniel and Alternate-Carter are contacted by the Air Force and brought to Cheyenne Mountain.

At Cheyenne Mountain, General Hammond informs Alternate-Carter and Alternate-Daniel that archaeologists found a video camera in a vacuum-sealed canopic jar at a dig in Giza. The video contains a recording of the original SG-1, explaining who they are and what they were doing, as well as a number of things that are true in their timeline, such as recent political events, Presidents and personal details. Their plan is that if things have changed in the future, then SG-1's alternative selves will travel back in time and fix the past.

An expedition team is sent to find the Giza Stargate, but find nothing. Instead, they discover that the original Daniel left a tablet where the gate should have been, inscribed with an obscure dialect of Egyptian that only Alternate-Daniel can read. It reveals that the original SG-1 instigated a successful rebellion against the Ra of 3000 BC. However, this caused him to leave Earth with the Stargate. However, they do find the Puddle Jumper, and Alternate-Daniel and Alternate-Carter figure out how to find the Antarctic Stargate. A team is assembled to go through the Stargate to recruit Alternate-Teal'c under the instruction of the Daniel and Carter on the tape. Alternate-Daniel and Alternate-Carter are not going to be on this team.

[edit] Part 2

The scientists working on the recovered Alternate-Puddle Jumper cannot make it work because they don't have the ATA gene. Alternate-O'Neill is called in to operate the Jumper and lead the team through the Stargate to find Alternate-Teal'c, and agrees that Alternate-Daniel and Alternate-Carter are to join the team through the Stargate.

On Chulak, SG-1 are caught by Jaffa loyal to Apophis and imprisoned. Alternate-Teal'c defects to their cause and helps them escape but Alternate-Daniel is infected by a Goa'uld and killed by Teal'c. They escape in the Puddle Jumper, but are chased and damaged by Death Gliders. Unaware of the jumper's cloaking capacity, they believe that only way they can survive is to time-travel. They travel back to 3000 B.C. and use the Stargate to pass from Chulak to Ancient Egypt where the original versions of SG-1 were stranded and where Ra is still alive and ruling.

The original SG-1 attempted the rebellion because O'Neill and Teal'c didn't want to stay and O'Neill, Carter and Teal'c were killed when it failed. Daniel, the only survivour, meets with Alternate-Carter, Alternate-O'Neill and Alternate-Teal'c. He has not yet made the tablet detailing the second successful rebellion attempt because it hasn't happened yet. This means that his current plans with the underground of the local populace are destined to succeed, however they lead to the Stargate being removed from Earth by Ra. The plan is to instigate the rebellion, thus diverting Ra's attention, and secure the Stargate to where it was original buried, allowing the original timeline to evolve as it did.

The rebellion ultimately succeeds, but not before Alternate-Carter and Alternate-O'Neill consummate their feelings for each other while under fire, uncertain if they will survive. Ra's Jaffa surrender, outnumbered by the staff- and zat-armed Egyptians. The alternate SG-1 bury the videotape, along with the ZPM, for the SG-1 of the future to find. The Alternate-SG-1 and Daniel from the original SG-1 (of 3000 BC) live out the rest of their lives in Ancient Egypt.

The original SG-1 of the present day receive the videotape and the ZPM left for them a few weeks before they were to go back in time. As the timeline has been restored, they have no reason to go back in time, and they've gained a ZPM free of charge. The episode ends with SG-1 at O'Neill's cabin, fishing, in a scene identical to the end of "Threads", except there are now fish in Jack's pond.

Jack O'Neill: "Close enough".

[edit] Trivia

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
  • The title 'Moebius' refers to a Möbius strip, a loop construct with only one side and one surface with several unusual geometric and mathematical properties. In the context of these episodes, it refers to the way that the timeline has looped back onto itself and become "twisted."
  • This episode is one of the few to use the music from the original Stargate movie.
  • According to the DVD commentary, O'Neill's "close enough" line at the end of the episode is a reference to "Treehouse of Horror V", an episode of The Simpsons where Homer time travels and unintentionally makes numerous changes to history; upon returning to a timeline where his family have snake tongues but everything else is otherwise normal, he says "eh, close enough". This is one of several references to The Simpsons on Stargate SG-1, all centered around O'Neill. Another example from this episode is the name of Jack's boat, "Homer". Incidentally, in the brief shot of Jack's boat showing the name, the font used is the same font used extensively in The Simpsons.
  • Since "Moebius" was supposed to be the Stargate SG-1 series finale, many actors reprised their roles from past episodes: Don S. Davis as George Hammond, Peter Williams as Apophis, Colin Cunningham as Major Davis, and Jay Acovone as Charles Kawalsky.
  • To date, this episode marks the final appearances of Major Davis, Apophis, and Charles Kawalsky, although Major Davis was mentioned in Season 9 as working with SG-3 and the Jaffa High Council.
  • Alessandro Juliani (Katep) previously played Eliam in the Season 4 episode "Scorched Earth".
  • We get a glimpse of the specifications of the Daedalus at the beginning of this episode. It is seen in action in "The Siege (Part 3)", the Atlantis second season premiere, However, the Daedalus images on Carter's lab are the engineering diagrams of Prometheus, rather than Daedalus itself, first shown in "Prometheus".
  • This is the last episode to feature Richard Dean Anderson (Colonel/Brigadier General Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill) as a main cast member.
  • There is a small technical goof after the Stargate is found in Antarctica and brought to Cheyenne Mountain. The Antarctica Stargate in this episode has the same point of origin symbol as the original Giza Stargate. It should have had the round circle symbol seen in "Solitudes."
  • This is one of only two episodes of SG-1 (the other being the second-season episode "Secrets") where a Horus guard removes his cowl on-screen. The complex retracting effect that first appeared in the original film could not be done often during the run of the show due to cost, so it was regularly done offscreen with the audience only hearing the associated sound effect (as Heru-ur did in "Thor's Chariot").
  • This episode marks Ra's only appearance outside of the feature film to date.

[edit] Alternate Timeline notes

  • Differences from the original timeline:
    • Jack is a charter boat captain.
    • Daniel makes a living teaching English as a second language.
    • Carter works in the Aerospace department where her genius is unrecognized, and apparently never joined the Air Force.
    • Carter is seen practicing the "reproductive organs" speech (first heard in "Children Of The Gods") in front of a mirror, but doesn't have the nerve to actually say it to anyone.
    • Robert Kinsey is President of the United States while Henry Hayes is Secretary of the Interior.
    • General Hammond is only a Brigadier ("1 star") General, not a Lieutenant ("3 star") General.
    • Cheyenne Mountain doesn't house Stargate Command because the original Stargate was never found in Giza. Rather, the USAF Advanced Research Institute, which can be briefly seen on the shoulder patch of one of the guards, is in charge of the program.
    • Jack asks Daniel "You do have the address to get us back, right?" before they take the Alternate-Puddle Jumper through the Stargate. This is a humorous reference to the film where no one thinks to ask this before they leave for Abydos on the original mission. Most importantly, however, this time Daniel does have the address to get them back home.
    • McKay doesn't have a citrus allergy, saying lemon chicken is his favorite food.
    • Major Davis has a moustache.
    • Apophis has a goatee.
  • Similarities to the original timeline:
    • Daniel is an Egyptologist but due to his controversial theories is unable to secure work in that field.
    • Jack left the Air Force and they want him back.
    • Samuels and two other Air Force officers still go to get Jack as they did in the pilot.
    • McKay and Jack still lust after Carter.
    • The USAF Advanced Research Institute serves Jell-o (and Carter still eats blue jello just like at the SGC).
    • Teal'c is First Prime of Apophis, and has unstated doubts about the "godhood" of the Goa'uld.
    • As in "Children Of The Gods", one of the team members is implanted with a Goa'uld symbiote: Kawalsky in that episode, Daniel in this one. In both cases, they are killed by Teal'c.

[edit] References

    [edit] External links

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