The Pegasus Project

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“The Pegasus Project”
Stargate SG-1 episode
Episode no. Season 10
Episode 3
Guest stars David Hewlett as Dr. Rodney McKay
Joe Flanigan as Lt. Col. John Sheppard
Torri Higginson as Dr. Elizabeth Weir
Matthew Glave as Colonel Paul Emerson
Sarah Strange as Morgan le Fay
Gary Jones as Sgt. Walter Harriman
David Nykl as Dr. Radek Zelenka
Chelah Horsdal as Lt. Womack
Chuck Campbell as Technician
Written by Brad Wright
Directed by Will Waring
Production no. 1003
Original airdate July 28, 2006
Episode chronology
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Episode chronology

"The Pegasus Project" is an episode from Season 10 of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

With the threat of the Ori now pressing upon the Milky Way, SG-1 continues its desperate search for any way to stand up to them. Still rumored but undiscovered is a powerful weapon invented by Merlin, who we have learned was a Lantian scientist (Myrdin, also known as Moros) who returned to Earth from Atlantis 10,000 years ago ("Avalon, Part 1, "Atlantis: Before I Sleep").

Merlin was once ascended, but chose to retake human form to create a weapon that can destroy ascended beings, in order to fight the Ori—and to keep that work hidden from the others of his kind, who have a strict rule of non-interference with unascended mortals ("Arthur's Mantle").

Continuing their search for the device, Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran visit the Ancient city of Atlantis, now an Earth outpost in the Pegasus Galaxy. In the city's holographic room they discover Morgan le Fay, who is masquerading as the teaching computer's interface, a holographic projection of a 30 to 40-year-old woman. Along with Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson), they seek Morgan's help in discovering the whereabouts of Merlin's weapon—despite the fact that Merlin was apparently rebelling against the Lantians and the other Ancients in creating it.

Meanwhile, Carter, McKay, and Mitchell join the Odyssey for a dangerous mission. Having been unsuccessful in dialing out with the supergate the Ori used to invade the Milky Way galaxy, the team hopes to dial in from Pegasus since the supergate was designed to be dialed from another galaxy. Their plan is to plant a normal gate next to the supergate and another next to a black hole in the Pegasus. Due to relativistic effects of the black hole, once the two gates are connected they can virtually not be shut down. Then using a thermonuclear device, they will make the matter stream "jump" from the normal stargate to the supergate (the same plan that saved Earth in the season two episode "A Matter of Time.") Unfortunately, the first test is unsuccessful.

Compounding matters, Atlantis detects a Wraith hive-ship heading toward the Odyssey's position, but are unable to warn them due to interference from the black hole. They dial the SGC to have them to relay a message to Teal'c (who is positioned in a cloaked scout ship near the supergate) who can relay the message to SG-1.

Later, Daniel, Weir, and Vala are stunned to learn that Morgan is not a holographic interface at all: She is an ascended Lantian, the real Morgan Le Fay, who is walking the line of breaking her vow of non-interference to help the humans battle the Ori.

She reveals to them that when the Lantians resettled to Earth many millennia ago, they found only a harsh land and primitive peoples. There was no hope to rebuild their great society, so they spread out, some seeding ancient civilizations, others living out their lives in secluded meditation. In this later fashion Morgan and Merlin both one day learned to ascend.

When he later descended to create the anti-Ori weapon, she was sent by the Others to watch him. Merlin was able to keep all his ascended knowledge when he retook human form and also many powers. Using these powers, he made the weapon.

Meanwhile, Doctor McKay realizes that the problem isn't that they don't have enough power to make the matter stream transfer to the supergate, but that they can't sustain the thermonuclear reactions long enough for it to obtain the desired reaction. They decide to set off two devices, one moments after the first to get the necessary result. Unfortunately, this also fails, and now Teal'c is detecting an Ori ship heading toward the supergate, possibly to rendezvous with others that are going to come through the gate. Carter tells him to extend his cloak around the gate on his end and wait it out. However, moments later he receives the message from the SGC about the Wraith about to prey upon Odyssey.

Back at Atlantis, Daniel and Weir argue that in Arthurian legend Merlin and Morgan were rivals. If she was sent to watch him and, if necessary, stop him, would she really be helping them to find the technology now? They realize that she is breaking the vow of non-interference just by talking to them and that she is a part of a small group of Ascended Ancients who feel that they need to get involved for their own sakes because the Ori will go after the Ancients after they conquer the Milky Way. However, this small group of Ascended Ancients are afraid of the consequences that will result from their interference.

The Odyssey, pulling out of the black hole, comes under attack by the Wraith, with their systems having been disrupted by the black hole. Carter theorizes that they can lure the hive ship into the black hole's pull and their systems should be affected too, including their jamming technology. Then the Odyssey can use the gravity well to slingshot away. The Wraith fall for the trap and as the Odyssey is flying away, they beam their last two thermonuclear devices aboard the hive ship. It explodes, right next to the open Stargate.

Suddenly, on Teal'c's end, the Stargate emits a blast of energy and then the matter stream jumps to the supergate, which dials and the Ori ship that had come to observe is destroyed in the unstable vortex of the forming wormhole. By destroying the Wraith hive ship, they not only sealed off the gate to more invading Ori ships, but destroyed one of them in the process. Even more amazing, the stargate on the Pegasus end was not destroyed, meaning they have the supergate blocked off indefinitely.

Meanwhile, Morgan is persuaded by Daniel to tell the group which planet they must go to and thus find Merlin's weapon. However, just as she begins to mention something important about the weapon ("Merlin's weapon is not..."), she is stopped at the last moment by the Others. After the confrontation, Daniel comes to the ugly realization that the SGC and their allies cannot expect any assistance from the Ascended.

[edit] Notes

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  • In Arthurian mythology, Morgan le Fay is a powerful sorceress and Arthur's half-sister. The two are often antagonists.
  • This is the first time for Joe Flanigan (Lt. Col. John Sheppard) and David Nykl (Radek Zelenka) to guest star on the series, but not for David Hewlett (Rodney McKay) and Torri Higginson (Dr. Elizabeth Weir). Hewlett was previously in "48 Hours", "Redemption", and "Moebius", and Higginson was previously in "New Order".
  • Once again, Col. Mitchell displays an indepth knowledge of past SG-1 missions when he spouts of the designation of the planet SG-1 accidentally dialed to in "A Matter of Time". He displayed similar knowledge in "Arthur's Mantle" when he correctly identified the planet and events of "Crystal Skull".
  • McKay thanks Carter for being there for him in a time of need, then explains it was a hallucination of her that helped him survive, which happened in the Stargate Atlantis episode "Grace Under Pressure". This happened to Carter in "Grace" but with hallucinations of the members of the SGC and her father.
  • This episode marks the first appearance of a Wraith Hive-Ship (and Wraith in general) on Stargate SG-1.
  • This episode marks the first destruction of an Ori battlecruiser and a Wraith Hive Ship on Stargate SG-1.
  • This marks at least twelve confirmed (on-screen) destroyed Wraith 'ships of the line' -- two cruisers, and ten hive ships.
  • This episode marks the first time the Odyssey has travelled outside our galaxy. Normally, the Daedelus would be stationed at Atlantis.
  • Daniel mentions how he tried three times so far to get to Atlantis, first of which occurred in the Stargate Atlantis pilot, "Rising" (stopped by Gen. O'Neill). Vala then mentions how two of those times were because of her, which were "Prometheus Unbound" and "Avalon".
  • After Weir leads Daniel and Vala through the Atlantis control room to the holographic database room, Vala takes an item off a desk in the control room that Dr Zelenka is working at. Zelenka proceeds to chase her to the main embarkation stairs in the gateroom before she returns it.
  • The Stargate used in the black hole in the Pegasus galaxy has red chevrons, meaning that this is a gate that was brought to Pegasus from the Milky Way.
  • While going through holographic images of ancients who left Atlantis during its last siege, Daniel and Vala come across one whom Morgan identifies as Moros, last High Councillor of Atlantis. Moros appeared in the Stargate Atlanits episode "Before I Sleep", and encountered an alternate Dr. Weir. It was unknown at the time that Moros was Merlin, however, both characters are played by Matthew Walker.
  • Sheppard tells Mitchell that he carries a lemon in his pocket whenever he needs to scare McKay or shut him up, citing that McKay is "mortally allergic" to citrus.
  • The Gamma site was apparently reconstructed after its destruction in "The Scourge" and was used to relay a message to Teal'c's position next to the supergate in order to send a message to the Odyssey that a hive ship was approaching their position.
  • While posing as her holographic avatar, Morgan le Fay said that Elizabeth Weir was the first person to enter Atlantis after it was abandoned. Although in "Rising", Weir entered after Colonel Marshall Sumner went through the Stargate, it is believed that she was referring to Weir's trip to the past Atlantis and her involvement in keeping the Zero Point Modules from losing power, changing the timeline.
  • This episode shows that at least some factions of the Ascended Ancients believe they must intervene in the Ori incursion into the Milky Way. Morgan's intervention is obvious, however the surprise shown by McKay and Carter upon hearing the gate was not only "not destroyed" but successful in their bridging attempt raises a question. Did a faction of the Ascended Ancients intervene to ensure success? It is important to note however that Stargates have been shown to be very resistant to destruction in the past.
  • Mitchell(played by Ben Browder) adds to Carter's suggestion of going towards the black hole that they should use its gravitational field as a slingshot to fly out again. This may be a reference to the theory that got Farscape's John Crichton(Also played by Browder) shot into a wormhole.

[edit] External links

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