The Broca Divide

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“The Broca Divide”
Stargate SG-1 episode

Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 4
Guest stars	Steve Makaj as Colonel Makepeace Teryl Rothery as Dr. Janet Fraiser Gerard Plunkett as Councilor Tuplo Gary Jones as Walter Harriman
Written by	Jonathan Glassner
Directed by	Bill Gereghty
Production no.	104
Original airdate	August 15, 1997
Episode chronology
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"Emancipation"	"The First Commandment"
Episode chronology

"The Broca Divide" is an episode of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.

1 Plot
2 Quotes
3 Notes
4 External links

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

SG-1 accompanies SG-3 to the planet designated P3X-797. Upon arrival they find themselves attacked by a group of savage primeval men living in the forest like animals. They scare them off and walk out of the darkness into the light.

Once out of the forest and in the light they find a beautiful civilization that appears to be of Minoan origin, which fascinates Daniel immensely. The locals refer to their land as "The Land of Light" and the savages in the forest as "The Touched". Citizens of the Land of Light afflicted with a "curse" devolve into savage beasts and are banished into the dark.

After returning to Earth, members of the SGC start displaying the same symptoms as "The Touched". Sam tries to seduce Jack, but he realizes she has the mysterious disease and takes her to the infirmary. Later, when Daniel expresses concern for Sam, Jack becomes unaccountably jealous, insisting "she's not yours to care about", and assaults Daniel.

Very heavily sedated, Jack asks Doctor Frasier to experiment on him in hopes of finding a cure, but she refuses. Teal'c returns to the planet with Daniel, as they are the only members of SGC except Doctor Frasier who haven't come down with the disease. Teal'c brings back a blood sample of the Untouched for Frasier to analyse, but Daniel is taken by the Touched.

Doctor Frasier realizes Daniel and she were not infected as a result of their antihistamine allergy medicine, and the "curse" is actually a disease targeting histamine. From analysing the blood she concludes there must be something in the diet of the people in the Land of Light that acts as an antihistamine; which, if eaten more often will prevent the "curse".

Doctor Fraiser synthesises a cure (lots of antihistamine) and the SGC is brought out of lockdown. The team goes back to P3X-797 and finds Daniel living among the Touched -without his allergy medicine he contracts the disease. The team uses darts loaded with doctor Fraiser's serum to treat the Touched.

SG-1 explains to the people the "curse" is reversible, and their lost family members will be returning. When Daniel awakens back to his normal self he serves as proof to the people who rush into the forest. SG-1 follows and witnesses a moving moment of reunions. They give some serum and aid to the Land of Light so that none shall ever be "Touched" again, and, having made new friends, return to Earth through the Stargate.

[edit] Quotes

O'Neill: Daniel, you dog, keep this up and you'll have a woman on every planet.

O'Neill: Lucy, I'm ho-ome!
Teal'c: I am not Lucy.
O'Neill: I know that. It's a reference to an old TV-- nevermind. Open the door.
Teal'c: I will summon the doctor.
O'Neill: No, come on. I'm fine. I'm back to being myself. Just open up.
Teal'c: I cannot be certain that you are back to being yourself. You referred to me as "Lucy".
O'Neill: Oh, for crying out loud, will you just open the door?

[edit] Notes

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

The Broca Divide (Stargate SG-1)

This episode marks the first appearance of Janet Fraiser.
The title refers to the cultural division spoken of by Paul Broca. Broca's area is a part of the brain used in speech formations.
The Land of Light would often be used as a safe-haven for refugees later in the series. It's leaders and existence first reoccur in the episode "Enigma", when the Tollan need a planet to stay on. It also appears on Family for a place for the son and wife of Teal'c