Reckoning (Stargate SG-1)

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“Reckoning (Parts 1 & 2)”
Stargate SG-1 episode
Episode no. Season 8
Episode 16 & 17
Written by Damian Kindler
Directed by Peter DeLuise
Guest stars Tony Amendola as Bra'tac
Carmen Argenziano as Jacob Carter/Selmak
Cliff Simon as Ba'al
Gary Jones as Walter Harriman
Samantha Banton as Ba'al's Lieutenant
Mel Harris as Oma Desala
Isaac Hayes as Tolok
Jeff Judge as Aron
Dean Aylesworth as Old Anubis
Rik Kiviaho as New Anubis
Vince Crestejo as Yu The Great
Kevan Ohtsji as Yu's First Prime
Eric Breker as Colonel Reynolds
Dan Shea as Siler
Emy Aneke as Ba'al's Jaffa
Michael Shanks as Voice of Thor
Production no. 816 & 817
Original airdate January 25, 2005 & February 1, 2005
Episode chronology
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"Citizen Joe" "Threads"
Episode chronology

"Reckoning" (Parts 1 and 2) are episodes from Season 8 of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. They detail the climaxes of plots including the Goa'uld, the Replicators, and the Jaffa Rebellion, and are regarded as two of the most popular episodes of the series.[1] This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series" and a Leo Award in the category "Best Visual Effects".) [2]

Contents

[edit] Plot

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[edit] Part 1

Samantha Carter is brought on board Lord Yu's ship. It is unknown how she's been captured. Yu questions her. Suddenly, it is shown that she is RepliCarter when her arm turns into a massive blade and she kills Yu.

The Replicators are spreading unstoppably in this fashion. The System Lords that have ruled for millennia are dying to their hands, and the Goa'uld are being strained to maintain their galactic domination. The Replicators are everywhere, and in too great a number.

The Tok'ra have many covert information sources, and particularly have a way of tracking every Goa'uld mothership. At the SGC, Jacob/Selmak show Sam how the Goa'uld are being defeated every second. This seems a good thing, but once the Replicators are finished with the Goa'uld, the Tau'ri will be next.

Meanwhile, Teal'c and Bra'tac talk. They think that then is the time to unleash the final attack of the Jaffa Rebellion, and Teal'c designs where the final strike shall be made. There is a temple, called the Temple of Dakara, which is a symbol of Jaffa enslavement. It is held that at the Temple of Dakara, all Jaffa were given their strength and symbiotes, and made slaves to the Goa'uld. It is the ultimate Goa'uld holy ground, and is synonymous with impenetrable. If the Jaffa Rebellion could capture Dakara, it would show all Jaffa everywhere that the Goa'uld are false gods, because no god would ever allow such holy ground to be desecrated.

Teal'c and Bra'tac persuade others of this plan, and the attack begins. They have the element of surprise. With all the Goa'uld distracted defending themselves from the Replicators, Dakara is easily taken, and the Rebel Jaffa stroll through the temple in awe of what they have done.

However, it is quickly seen that Dakara is not a temple of Goa'uld origin, but of Ancient origin. They realise that Dakara is the home of the Dakara Superweapon, a hidden ancient weapon held to be capable of destroying all life in the galaxy.

Daniel is captured by RepliCarter, who has now subsumed much Asgard technology, and simply beams him onto her ship. Daniel asks why he is on her ship and she simply replies "You have information that I need." Daniel asks what she wants to know and she states that it is not that simple. As they are talking, RepliCarter uses Daniel's fear of her to push him against the wall and uses the blocks to restrain him. SG-1 cannot help him now. Carter goes to Dakara to work on the Ancient translation via Daniel's notes, and with her father's help, to try to locate the Dakara Superweapon. O'Neill remains at the SGC.

Baal, hearing that Dakara has been captured, sends a massive fleet of Ha'tak vessels to take it back. The Replicators follow. Teal'c and Bra'tac with the Rebel Jaffa are ready to defend whilst Sam and Jacob continue their search.

On RepliCarter's ship, Daniel has his mind probed by RepliCarter. She knows that he is the only living mortal with Ancient knowledge in his subconscious mind (having once been Ascended), and she knows that only an Ancient could have the technology that could destroy her.

Daniel is at first tricked by being put into a hallucination that he is with Oma Desala. However, he sees through this, and RepliCarter appears, now taking a more direct approach. She promises Daniel that she will never attack Earth, still having Samantha Carter's feelings. RepliCarter finds in Daniel's subconscious the only Ancient weapon that can destroy her, and she knows now that it is located at the Temple of Dakara. She has found, of course, the Dakara Superweapon.

Thus a massive fleet of Baal's forces are attacking Dakara, and all the Replicators are following.

Also, a Hologram of Ba'al appears at the SG-C and announces that he has been serving Anubis

[edit] Part 2

Sam and Jacob get inside the Temple, and find the Dakara Superweapon. They quickly realize that it can be reprogrammed to disrupt any specific type of matter, rather than just everything. Sam realizes that if she changes it wave-output to match that of an enhanced Replicator Disruptor, the weapon can be used to destroy every Replicator in the galaxy simultaneously, giving them no time to adapt. However, to extend the blast-radius of the Weapon to smother the entire galaxy, they will have to reprogram the Dakara Stargate to dial out to every other Stargate in the galaxy. This is a feat that they know Ba'al is probably capable of (having demonstrated extensive knowledge of the workings of the Stargate network in "Avenger 2.0").

Sam relays her plans to Teal'c, and Teal'c contacts Ba'al. Ba'al refuses to listen, but Teal'c explains the situation anyway. He merely asks that Ba'al slow down his approach towards Dakara to allow Sam time to realign the Superweapon to destroy all the Replicators, which will defeat a common enemy.

Ba'al uses the Goa'uld hologram communication device to appear inside the temple next to Sam, and she, Jacob (grudgingly) and Ba'al work together to try to make the device work. Ba'al will reprogram the Stargate. They have to change the weapon's wave-pattern to resemble that of the Replicator Disruptor to within a degree of 0.76, and the difference is currently large. A random suggestion by Ba'al improves the situation, prompting him to state "I am a god. Gods are all-knowing."

Time is running out. RepliCarter is still probing Daniel Jackson's mind because she wants to assimilate all the Ascended knowledge it contains. However, there is too much there, and it strains the entire Replicator army to hold even a portion of it. It is infinite knowledge, "all the knowledge and power of the universe."

At the same time, however, RepliCarter goes against her word and attacks the SGC. Replicators begins to flood the place. The mountain goes into full alert, with Jack being backed into a corner as the Replicators take over the base. He and the few who haven't got out are now desperately fighting for their lives.

The Replicators land on Dakara and begin flooding into it. They know they are in danger. Sam desperately tries to finish aligning the weapon.

In the meantime, Daniel has used the link between his and RepliCarter's mind to secretly probe back into her mind all this time. Suddenly RepliCarter realizes he has done this and breaks the link - but it is too late. They engage in an impossible mental battle. Daniel attempts to control the entire Replicator army, to stop them, but it is too much for his mind to handle, there are too many of them.

Daniel succeeds in freezing every Replicator in the galaxy for a few moments. This gives Jacob enough time to get the Dakara Superweapon to within an acceptable margin of the wave-pattern with the Disruptor, and he sets it off. It slowly rises out of the mountain and charges up. Now they can only pray it will work, as Daniel loses control of the Replicators, they spring back into attack, RepliCarter breaks free of Daniel's mental grip, and stabs him.

Ba'al dials every other gate in the galaxy, and every shot of every gate opening is replayed. In the last moments, Sam is with a last fight machine-gunning the Replicators that are only metres away, Teal'c is fighting beside her, O'Neill is defending himself in a corner as the Replicators swarm the remaining portions of the SGC, and Daniel drops to the floor, dead.

Then the Dakara Superweapon blasts, and a bubble of light explodes from the mountain-top, passes through the gate, and shoots through the galaxy. Every replicator everywhere is destroyed, including RepliCarter, at the last.

Ba'al laughs. Now that the Replicators are gone, he is free to take back Dakara. However, not all has gone to his plan. Rebel Jaffa had board his ship and had him surrounded. None of his subjects any longer sees him as a god. They make to kill him, but he escapes, inexplicably, by the use of an Asgard transport beam.

The Jaffa Rebellion has succeeded, and they make the Temple of Dakara the centre of their new Free Jaffa Nation. Jaffa loyal to the System Lords had all come together to help. The SGC recewas ready to get in a clone body. Yet Carter and O'Neill can't help but wonder about what happened to Daniel.ives a message that Thor had survived by transferring his mind to his ship's computer and

[edit] Production

Both Amanda Tapping and Michael Shanks play dual roles in this episode. Tapping plays both Lt. Col. Samantha Carter and the RepliCarter. Shanks plays Dr. Daniel Jackson and provides the voice of Thor. Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks do not share a scene in either episode. This episode is Michael Shanks' 150th episode.

The images of Ba'al and Anubis' homeworld are stock footage of Delmak, Sokar's homeworld. Ne'tu is clearly visible in the sky.

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[edit] Reception

Fans regarded "Reckoning" as two of the most popular episodes of the series.[1] This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series" and a Leo Award in the category "Best Visual Effects".) [2]

 Please help improve this section by expanding it.
Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.


[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b GEOS - Stargate SG-1 Episode Guide
  2. ^ a b IGN: 200 Review
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The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • This episode marks the death of the oldest Goa'uld System Lord, Yu the Great, as he was stabbed in the chest and seen collapsing. Yu was the longest running Goa'uld recurring character. He was first introduced in the Season Three episode "Fair Game" and was the last surviving major Goa'uld from that time. With the death of Yu, Anubis and Ba'al are the longest surviving major Goa'uld. Ba'al was introduced in the Season Five episode "Summit" and Anubis was first referred to by name in the same episode, but did not appear until "Revelations".
  • This is the only episode of the series to feature all three of Earth's main off-world allies: Bra'tac (Tony Amendola), Jacob Carter/Selmak (Carmen Argenziano) and Thor (Voice of Michael Shanks).
  • The wall/door of Ancient text on Dakara contains phrases such as "...these rules shall be obeyed at all times under penalty of the highest degree..." and "...this device must only be used for betterment of life or for self-preservation..."
  • It is not explained why Anubis still needs to possess a human host instead of creating another force field like his original guise.
  • Jack said it was weird that he was in Siler's will, however, in Lost City he declared that, should he die as a result of the knowledge within his mind, Siler would get his collection of Simpsons video cassettes.

[edit] External links

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