The Broca Divide
Summary by Cyber Predator
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A plague causing primitive behaviour is inadvertently brought to Earth.
|Commentary|
|Episode Guide| |Stargate Collection| |Home Page|
A plague causing primitive behaviour is inadvertently brought to Earth.
The two teams gear up with night vision goggles and, following some inter-military swipes, SG-1 go through ten seconds before SG-3. SG-1 are attacked by a group wielding clubs and other primitive weapons but the attackers are scared off when SG-3 fire on them. One of the killed attackers is revealed to have caveman-like features.
The SG teams explore further and find a group of the primitives around a campfire. Daniel Jackson notes they have the features of several forms of primitive man, but no features specific to any one group. One woman, who doesn't have the primitive appearance of the others, is almost sexually assaulted but the cavemen are frightened off by a group of people covered in white robes, carrying lanterns and bola-like weapons used to pelt stones. The white-clad figures rescue the captive before the SG teams surround them, O'Neil determining they bear no Goa'uld entry scars.
The leader of the white-clad group introduces himself as High Councillor Tukon of the Untouched. The Untouched mistake the Stargate travellers for gods, although when Colonel O'Neil tries to convince Tukon of their mortality they assume the 'gods' wish to test them. The Untouched collect the primitive's captive, Melosha, and offer to take the SG teams to their home, the Land of Light. SG-3 secure the Stargate while SG-1 travel to the Land of Light, a sunlit land full of fertile fields and obvious civilisation in stark contrast to the primitive, dark forest.
Daniel Jackson recognises the architecture is that of the Minoan culture, a neighbour of Greece. Tukon and his party place Melosha underneath two bull idols, saying they can only hope they rescued her in time. The Untouched explain that evil gods descended on their land, those the gods touched becoming cursed to behave like animals and becoming the primitive Touched. The Touched were banished to the Land of the Dark when cursed and those handled by the Touched also become cursed. The evil gods who brought the curse of the Touched are known only in legend, and the 'good' gods (the Goa'uld) have not been on the planet for over a generation.
With the Goa'uld having left P3X-797 Colonel O'Neil determines their work is done, but Daniel Jackson insists they remain to study the Minoan culture. When the teams return to Earth Jackson repeats his request to General Hammond, explaining that not only could the Minoan culture be studied but also the divisions of intelligence between primitive forms of man (first conceived by anthropologist Pierre Paul Broca) between the Bronze Age Untouched and pre-Stone Age Touched. General Hammond explains that the President has already ordered that expeditions through the Stargate will be for research as well as military purposes from now on.
Suddenly, Lieutenant Johnson grabs Teal'c and openly threatens a brawl. Ignoring orders from SG-3's commanding officer and General Hammond, Johnson tries to beat Teal'c but the Jaffa is more than a match, restraining the Marine without harming him. As guards escort Johnson away he is seen foaming at the mouth and is ordered to the infirmary.
After debriefing, Carter and Jackson question Johnson's behaviour while running tests on the Stargate. The two are distracted when two brawling officers fall through the conference room's window. With one dead and the other badly injured, Carter summons a medical team.
In the locker room after Colonel O'Neil has showered, a tank-topped Carter forces herself on the colonel. After O'Neil is finally able to restrain her, he sends Carter to the infirmary.
SGC's new chief surgeon, Dr Janet Frasier, explains that Carter, Johnson and several other officers have apparently become afflicted with an infectious agent from P3X-797. The ill are behaving like violent, primitive apes and are experiencing a swelling of the brow bone and an increase in hair growth, and Frasier is unable to contact enough specialists to determine the exact cause due to the secrecy of the Stargate project. Carter's attack on O'Neil was driven by a primitive need to mate with a powerful male and thus produce strong offspring; "You should be proud!" Frasier assures O'Neil.
O'Neil checks up on Jackson, explaining the incident with Carter. When Jackson decides to check up on her, O'Neil becomes aggressive and begins to violently punish Daniel for showing an interest in Carter. When eventually restrained O'Neil is sent to the infirmary, his case proving to be the most severe.
Frasier provides an update: the parasite-like virus which causes the disease feeds on histamines and the brain's neurotransmitters, causing much of the brain to effectively shut down. The virus also releases hormones that stimulate the most primitive parts of the brain and cause violent behaviour. Jackson realises that the Touched of P3X-797 are actually victims of the highly-contagious disease which the recent expedition has brought to Earth. Daniel and Teal'c have not developed symptoms so far, but Frasier is skeptical they will test negative to infection.
General Hammond informs the President of the situation, and upon explaining that the SGC has already been quarantined he recommends a second line of defence. Anyone trying to leave the facility must be shot on sight and the body incinerated.
As the number of casualties skyrockets, Frasier reports that Jackson and Teal'c remain uninfected. Teal'c is protected by his symbiot, but Daniel's immunity remains a mystery. The remaining members of SG-1 realise the Untouched may have a naturally-occurring means of keeping the plague at bay, so a blood sample from them will greatly further the quest for a cure. With Jackson and Teal'c the only ones with confirmed immunity they are taught how to draw blood and sent back to P3X-797.
On the planet Jackson and Teal'c find Melosha and realise she has succumbed to the virus. The Land of the Dark is little more than a leper colony, Jackson realises, preparing to take Melosha with them. The two are attacked by the Touched, however, and although Teal'c scares off the main party a second group abducts Daniel and Melosha.
At SGC, Frasier escorts an infected and straight-jacketed General Hammond to Colonel O'Neil's ward, where she laments to the heavily-sedated colonel that the SGC can't accommodate the rising number of cases, even though they've converted every last barrack and storage room. O'Neil tries to speak to the doctor, requesting more sedative. Frasier is at first against it as O'Neil is already over the safety level of the drug, but after administering it she realises enough sedative counteracts the primitive mind. After Frasier explains the finer points of the virus, O'Neil convinces Frasier to use him as a guinea pig to find a cure.
Teal'c reaches the city of the Untouched, but after explaining he has returned because the 'curse' of the Touched has spread, Tukon and his retinue recoil in fear. Teal'c insists the Touched suffer from a simple disease and can be saved, but the Touched are viewed as a lost cause even though many have loved ones within the Land of the Dark. Realising the Untouched will be of no help he requests a blood sample, but the simple people refuse as they don't realise small levels of blood loss is not harmful. Tukon orders the Jaffa out, but after the Untouched nobles leave Teal'c knocks out two guards and takes their blood.
Teal'c returns to Earth, where Captain Carter is being treated for a stab wound sustained during a brawl with her room-mate. Frasier analyses the retrieved blood sample and determines the Untouched have very low levels of histamine, which is unusual in humans. She realises that since the virus feeds on histamine, it can be starved off if there is no histamine in the blood. Both Frasier and Jackson regularly take anti-histamines for severe allergies, which explains their immunity. A natural anti-histamine in the diet of the Untouched provided their protection, but those who didn't eat the correct foods eventually became infected. Colonel O'Neil is given a large dose of anti-histamine and soon recovers.
As the afflicted officers are cured and SGC returns to order, SG-1 return to the Land of the Dark to rescue Jackson. They are armed with tranquilliser guns which also contain anti-histamines, able to knock out an afflicted person long enough for them to recover. When SG-1 find Jackson, he has succumbed to the virus as his anti-histamines have worn off. SG-1 knock out the Touched tribe, taking Daniel back to the Land of Light to inform the Untouched they have a cure.
When Jackson recovers the Untouched refuse to believe it was anything less than a curse, even though SG-1 insist they are simply mortals who have found a cure for a disease. Further proof of the cure is shown as the Touched tribe emerges from the Land of the Dark happy and healthy. Thanks are exchanged and O'Neil promises the Untouched will be taught how to prevent further outbreaks.
As SG-1 return to the Stargate, Captain Carter begins to apologise for her attack on Colonel O'Neil during her illness; O'Neil assures he remembers nothing due to his own infection. Jack then asks how Carter's wound is going, and Sam explains that with any luck it won't scar. Jack admits he is glad to hear it, as a scar would mean Sam wouldn't be able to wear "that sweet little tank-top number ever again!".
The fact that one of my big interests is virology and pathology is probably one thing that drew me to this episode in the first place. Much of this episode is medical-related, and in the first episode where we see the recurring Dr Janet Frasier she has a major role. And the virus which is seen in this episode is obviously the work of someone who's done a lot of thinking into its attributes.
The Broca Divide is no slouch in the suspense department, as the virus slowly infects almost everyone at SGC and the risk of a world-wide plague of primate-acting humans seems to balloon. This is one episode that has me hanging on the edge of my seat, though this may not appeal to everyone.