Unending
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Unending” | |
|---|---|
| Stargate SG-1 episode | |
 Tea time, 50 years later. |
|
| Episode no. | Season 10 Episode 20 |
| Written by | Robert C. Cooper |
| Directed by | Robert C. Cooper |
| Production no. | 1020 |
| Original airdate | March 13, 2007 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Dominion" | "Stargate: The Ark of Truth" |
| Episode chronology | |
"Unending" is the final episode of season ten of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, as well as the series finale. Two Stargate films have been green-lit, one of which will conclude the Stargate SG-1 Ori story-line, while the second will conclude the Ba'al storyline.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
SG-1, along with General Landry are travelling on the USS Odyssey to the Asgard home world, Orilla. The Asgard contact the Odyssey and Thor beams aboard. Commander Thor reveals that after millenia of genetic manipulation, the Asgard's latest cloning sequence has resulted in all living asgard being infected with a degenerative and fatal disease. He reveals the Asgard are very close to extinction and Thor proceeds to explain to SG-1 that all the Asgard knowledge will be uploaded into the Odyssey. Not wanting to submit themselves to the mercy of this disease, the Asgard proceed to destroy their own world, and themselves along with it, leaving all the Asgard knowledge, technology and history onboard the Odessey. However, the Odyssey is soon attacked by Ori warships, whom, due to a coupling of asgard power core and ZPM technology, are able to track the Odessey through subspace. After a few skirmishes, the Odyssey loses its shields. As the Ori fire a final blow upon the Odessey, Col. Carter activates a localized time dilation field that temporarily prevents the Ori beam from moving forward. However, after years of effort, Carter realizes that her plan of taking the ship out of phase to avoid the Ori weapon will not work. SG-1 is trapped and it looks like they are in for the long haul.
[edit] Plot
The Asgard contact Stargate Command with news of the upmost importance.SG-1 and General Landry travel on the Odyssey to the Asgard home world of Orilla. They are greeted by Thor, who announces that Earth will be given a complete Asgard database and central computer, as well as several extremely advanced upgrades, including weapons and shields. It is revealed that the Asgard's final attempt to fix their inherent gene degradation was a failure, and as a result the entire Asgard race has contracted a terminal illness. The damage from years of such experiments is so severe that they are unable to ascend. However, rather than allowing themselves to slowly die out, and have their technology plundered, the Asgard people have decided to give their most sophisticated technology and their entire knowledge base to the Tau'ri, whom Thor finally calls the "fifth race", before committing an act of mass suicide.
As the final installations are completed, three Ori motherships exit hyperspace and attack the Odyssey. The Asgard beam off the ship, and the Odyssey flees. One Ori ship follows, the others turning on the Asgard. However, the Asgard destroy their own planet, wiping out themselves. With the Odyssey's shields damaged and the hyperdrive temporarily unusable because of the planet's destruction, General Landry orders that they come about and use the new, untested weapons. This succeeds in penetrating the shields of the Ori mothership and destroying it.
After entering hyperspace, Colonel Carter discovers some strange readings from the new hyperdrive system, and suggests that they stop using it. Immediately after exiting hyperspace, two more Ori battlecruisers emerge. After quickly re-entering hyperspace, Carter realizes that the Ori battlecruisers are tracking the propulsion system the Asgard installed. With no alternative, General Landry orders them to head for the nearest planet with an active Stargate and off-load the Odyssey's crew.
SG-1 and General Landry remain on board as Carter tries to disconnect the hyperdrive from the Asgard computer core, which she hoped would prevent the Ori from tracking the ship. The process is time-consuming, and the Ori ships quickly catch up to resume the attack. The Odyssey is hit by several beam shots, and General Landry orders that Odyssey's fire be concentrated on only one target. The Asgard energy weapons penetrates the Ori mothership's shields inflicting serious damage. The Odyssey's shields fail as a final beam is sent out by the remaining Ori ship. However, before the beam makes contact, Carter activates a time dilation field around the ship - one of the new features of the Asgard technology.
Within the time dilation field, time passes in such a way that years may go by while fractions of a second pass by outside the field. Safe for the time being, Carter is able to work on several theories to allow the team to leave the Odyssey before the beam hits, or to jump the ship out of phase before the beam makes contact. However, all of her simulations produce the same result: the destruction of the ship, and the death of all on board. Stuck until they are able to figure out a new solution, SG-1 prepare for a long wait. With a ZPM to power the time dilation field and new Asgard technology being able to synthesize food, supplies, and oxygen, they are able to live indefinitely.
After three months on board, Vala tries to get Daniel to sleep with her. Angered by what he believes to be her insincerity, he says they could never have a serious romantic relationship, that he never imagined them having one, and did not believe she did. However, when he realizes that he has truly upset her and that she really does care for him, they kiss. The next scene sees a somewhat disheveled Vala leaving Daniel's cabin as Mitchell jogs past, looking confused. Vala volunteers to help Sam, hypothesizing that they could reverse time in the field up to the point they left the Asgard home world, and then disable the hyperdrive - but Sam rules this out as impossible.
Years pass, as each member of the teams attempts to deal with their isolation. General Landry develops a gardening habit, Carter learns how to play the cello, and Daniel and Vala develop their relationship. Mitchell spends much time jogging through the ship, growing more frustrated and angry as the years pass. After many years General Landry succumbs to his age and failing health, and passes away. Teal'c looks almost the same as ever, except for a small gray streak in his hair.
After fifty years, with everybody apart from Teal'c looking extremely old, Sam has finally figured out how to reverse time within a localized field. By reversing time back to the point of dilation, they can stop the program being activated, and use a new program Sam has written onto a crystal to quickly disconnect the Asgard computer core from the hyperdrive in seconds. However, the problem with this plan is that the time dilation field has used virtually all of the power from the Asgard computer and the ZPM, making it impossible.
However, Mitchell directs Sam's attention to the Ori energy beam. The theory is that by deactivating the dilation field and allowing the beam to hit, they can channel the beam's power to the core. The dilation field would reverse, and they would go back in time; everything would be undone. However, there are two problems. First, the ship will actually be destroyed by the blast, and if the time reversal does not activate quickly enough, the destruction cannot be reversed. Secondly, the reversal of the time field will mean the loss of any memories of what happened over the fifty years. One person will have to remain behind, protected within a separate field, staying aged so as to retain the memories necessary to enact the rescue. Teal'c, who as a Jaffa has a much longer lifespan than the other members of the team, volunteers. When everything is in place, they deactivate the time dialation field.
As the ship explodes around Teal'c, time begins to slow, stop and finally reverse. The ship reforms, the beam withdraws and time is re-set. Teal'c prevents Colonel Carter from activating the time dilation field and gives her the control crystal that disconnects the Asgard computer core from the hyperdrive. They leave before they are destroyed, saving themselves and the Asgard's legacy.
Back at the SGC, Teal'c refuses to reveal any of the future events to the others much to Vala's disappointment. SG-1 contemplate over many words of wisdom as they prepare for another mission. As the episode - and the series - comes to a close, the team says "indeed" all at once, General Landry wishes the team Godspeed, and SG-1 step through the gate, off to save the galaxy again.
[edit] Notes
- This episode marks the death of the Asgard race, who destroy themselves after they realize they will die of natural causes very soon, and cannot prevent this even with Heimdall's research on the 30,000 year old Asgard ("Revelations"). It is also Thor's first appearance on Stargate SG-1 since "Reckoning".
- After many years, the Asgard give the Tau'ri all their technology and history. This is done to preserve the legacy of the Asgard.
- Teal'c's catch phrase "indeed" is used by other characters on several occasions during the episode. Thor uses the term early in the episode, while the entire SG-1 team say it in unison as the second to last line of the episode.
- When Thor beams aboard the Odyssey, Vala asks Daniel how they can distinguish him from the other Asgard. Daniel replies: "It's the voice". The voice of Thor is provided by Michael Shanks, who also plays Daniel.
- "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by the "Creedence Clearwater Revival" is used in the episode. This marks the third time that a song, not written by Joel Goldsmith, was used on the show. The other two times were an opera song in "Shades Of Grey" and Lily Frost's "Who Am I" in "Fragile Balance".
[edit] External links
- Gateworld spoilers
- After Season 10's Finale spoilers
