Politics - Summary and Commentary

Politics
Summary by Cyber Predator

A high-ranking senator intends to shut down the Stargate project.

Daniel Jackson is still trying to convince the remainder of SG-1 of the events which occured in an alternate version of Earth (There but for the Grace of God). He insists the Goa'uld are plotting an invasion of Earth; not just through the Stargate but with Pyramid Ships, and Jackson has the Stargate co-ordinates of the planet they are coming from. "And you were there, and you were there, and there's no place like home," Colonel O'Neil responds.
Jackson confesses O'Neil was there as the general in charge of SGC, that Captain Carter never joined the Air Force but rather served SGC as a civillian, and that she and O'Neil were engaged to be married. Jackson also warns that in the alternate reality the invasion was retalliation for the death of Re; an event which has occured in this reality and so this version of Earth is under threat. "Let me get something straight…" O'Neil begins, "…engaged?!" Carter explains the theory of alternate dimensions with different versions of reality, but General Hammund interrupts with Lieutenant Colonel Samuels; he has troubling news.
While the team were off-world on their previous mission Senator Kinsey, Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, demanded justification of Project Blue Book's yearly budget of $7.4 billion. In the hopes Kinsey would understand the Stargate's importance to national security, he was given access to its records; Kinsey still wants to withdrawl funding. Without funding SGC is unable to continue, essentially becoming shut-down, and there is no way the Senator can be fought without bringing the Stargate to public attention. O'Neil suggests a fund-raising bake-off.

O'Neil insists Jackson say nothing about the parallel reality as the hearing with Senator Kinsey, Lieutenant Colonel Samuels, General Hammund and SG-1 begins. Almost as soon as Kinsey enters the room he appears to have made up his mind, calling the Stargate the "drain through which the money flows". Kinsey insists that although he does have an open mind, he reminds SG-1 that they have risked the people of Earth countless times while bringing back virtually nothing of worth.
O'Neil accuses Samuels, who has been opposed to SGC since day one, of being biased in his reports. Carter argues the Stargate has advanced human knowledge of astrophysics, while Jackson states it has given Earth insight to cultures thousands of years old. Kinsey is not impressed, calling the Stargate a Pandora's Box; full of unknown dangers which will be unleashed on mankind if opened. O'Neil argues the Goa'uld threat existed well before Earth re-discovered the Stargate, but Kinsey says the word 'threat' is often over-emphasized to justify expenditures.

O'Neil, concerned only of the Goa'uld risk, offers to take Kinsey to one of the worlds dominated by the Goa'uld. Kinsey makes nonsense of the idea, saying that if the Goa'uld pose a threat by coming through the Stargate, Earth should simply bury it. Jackson warns the Goa'uld are plotting to invade Earth in spaceships, but Kinsey considers Earth's defences more than a match for them. Carter and Teal'c warn otherwise.

O'Neil calls the hearing a waste of time, saying the Senator has already made up his mind. The Senator says he is there for a fair hearing, one to be based on SG-1's records since the team are so ready to stand by it. SG-1 recall their first mission to Teal'c's homeland, Chu'lak (Children of the Gods). The Senator sums up the team managed to escape the Goa'uld with inferior weapons on foot. O'Neil explains the Goa'uld did not know the capabilities of Earth's technology at the time, but now they are ready for the humans.

Carter warn the Goa'uld succeeded in killing SG-1 once (The Nox), where Apophis had a shield which protected him; a similar shield could be used to protect an army or a spaceship. When Kinsey asks if SG-1 have seen a Goa'uld ship before, O'Neil and Jackson both bring to mind Re's ship during the Abydos mission. Again, Kinsey reminds the group they escaped on foot with inferior weapons, or even none at all. Even warning the Goa'uld are responsible for the extinction of entire cultures will not sway the Senator.

When Kinsey asks Teal'c why he defected to SGC if the Goa'uld are so powerful, the Jaffa explains that strength is not the way to measure what is right. Teal'c defected so his people would not continue being slave race, but Kinsey callously responds by saying that is Teal'c's problem. Teal'c warns it will soon be Kinsey's problem as well; the Goa'uld will invade Earth and as the US has the most advanced military, it will be the first to fall.

Samuels brings up the situation where a Goa'uld within Kawalsky nearly destroyed SGC (The Enemy Within), and the Senator adds all the plagues which have come to Earth because of the Stargate project (The Broca Divide and Brief Candle). O'Neil states other races have been saved from those plagues because of SGC's efforts, and Jackson adds the Argosians (Brief Candle) are now living long productive lives. Kinsey is unimpressed, saying that in both instances those plagues could have infected all of Earth; the Senator has not changed his mind and will withdrawl all funding for the Stargate.

Jackson makes a final effort to convince the Senator, telling him of the alternate reality and of the occurences he saw there; the Goa'uld will invade Earth in Pyramid Ships as revenge for the death of Re, Earth's defences being no match for them. Kinsey laughs outright, arguing that if such an attack was to occur it would have come sooner, but Teal'c warns it would take time for Apophis to raise an army. Jackson asks for SG-1 to investiage to co-ordinates of the Goa'uld stronghold but Kinsey rejects it as a ploy for time. "Sir, they are coming!" Jackson insists.
"Then I say, let them come!!" Senator Kinsey responds.

Teal'c warns the Goa'uld will not stop until all of Earth worship Apophis as their god, but an offended Kinsey says there is only one God who will protect His people from such an invasion. Teal'c presents the paradox of Kinsey relying on his own God, who is known only in mythology, to defend Earth against a race who believe they are living gods. Kinsey states that if the Goa'uld do come, they will find Earth has buried the Stargate and will never bother them again; at least 'Pandora's Box' will be closed.

The Stargate Project is shut down, the Stargate itself scheduled to be buried when the last SG teams return from their missions. O'Neil and Teal'c ask to travel to Chu'lak so they might continue to fight the Goa'uld but are denied permission; the President ordered SGC to obey Kinsey's final decision. From the control room SG-1 look out on the Stargate, pondering their next move.

To be continued....

Commentary by Cyber Predator This episode is basically a heap of flashbacks to previous episodes, as SG-1 try to convince a skeptical Senator that the Stargate is extremely important to national security. This episode is rather predictable, like There but for the Grace of God it serves to set the scene for the upcoming invasion of Earth, in which Earth will be hopelessly out-classed and is certain to lose. But like Solitudes, this episode still manages to become one of the greats of Season One.

In this episode we see Lieutenant Colonel Samuels, possibly a good friend of my local paper's TV critic as he is totally opposed to the Stargate. Like Colonel Maybourne we just have to hate him on sight, and it is a similar story with Senator Kinsey, the stubborn penny-wise and pound-foolish Minister of the Appropriations Committee. This brings our total number of human villians upto three, and a major plot potential is introduced into the series because of them in the Season Two episode Secrets.

"Anyone who seeks fame need only become familiar with all I have acheived." - Claudius Galen
E-Mail Cyber Predator: Cyber_Predator@hotmail.com