Moebius

 

To meet Wikipedia's quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup because it is in a list format that may be better presented using prose. You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. This section has been tagged since October 2007.

“Moebius (Parts 1 & 2)”
Stargate SG-1 episode
Episode no.	Season 8 Episode 19 & 20
Guest stars	Don S. Davis as George Hammond David Hewlett as Dr. Rodney McKay Colin Cunningham as Maj. Davis Robert Wisden as Major Samuels Georgia Craig as Sabrina Alessandro Juliani as Katep Peter Williams as Apophis Jay Acovone as Maj. Charles Kawalsky Sina Najafi as Egyptian boy
Written by	Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper
Directed by	Peter DeLuise
Production no.	819 & 820
Original airdate	February 15, 2005 & February 22, 2005
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "Threads" "Avalon (Parts 1 & 2)"
Episode chronology

"Moebius" (Parts 1 and 2) are the Season 8 finale episodes of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. They involve time travel and an alternate timeline. They were originally intended to be the show's series finale (like "Lost City" of the previous season and "Full Circle" before it), but became the eighth season finale after the series was once again renewed.

Plot

Part 1

Carter reveals the existence of the Daedalus: a new Earth-built battlecruiser which is capable of reaching the Pegasus Galaxy and is larger and more advanced than the Prometheus.

Later, Daniel Jackson learns of Catherine Langford's death and, after her funeral, receives Catherine's collection of documents and artifacts relating to the Stargate program. From one book in the collection, Daniel learns of the former location of a Zero Point Module in Ancient Egypt. Dr Jackson and Colonel Carter persuade General O'Neill to use the time travel capabilities of the Puddle Jumper they found to travel back and take the ZPM, assuming that Ra never knew of its purpose.

Once they arrive in 3000 B.C., they join in an offering to Ra and witness his brutal murder of an Egyptian making the offering. Teal'c disguises himself as a Horus Jaffa and retrieves the ZPM from Ra's treasury. However, Ra's Jaffa discover the cloaked Jumper after a sandstorm covers it in sand. Unwilling to upset the future by fighting the Jaffa to get the Jumper back, SG-1 decides to live out the rest of their lives in the past, knowing that the rebellion that overthrew Ra will eventually happen. However, an alternate timeline is created in which the Stargate was never discovered and everything SG-1 have done for the last eight years never happened.

In this timeline, Alternate-Daniel is teaching English as a second language, Alternate-Carter spends her time double-checking other scientists' work, Alternate-O'Neill is retired from the military and Alternate-Teal'c is still the First Prime of Apophis. Alternate-Daniel and Alternate-Carter are contacted by the Air Force and brought to Cheyenne Mountain.

At Cheyenne Mountain, General Hammond informs Alternate-Carter and Alternate-Daniel that archaeologists found a video camera in a vacuum-sealed canopic jar at a dig in Giza. The video contains a recording of the original SG-1, explaining who they are and what they were doing, as well as a number of things that are true in their timeline, such as recent political events, Presidents and personal details. Their plan is that if things have changed in the future, then SG-1's alternative selves will travel back in time and fix the past.

An expedition team is sent to find the Giza Stargate, but find nothing. Instead, they discover that the original Daniel left a tablet where the gate should have been, inscribed with an obscure dialect of Egyptian that only Alternate-Daniel can read. It reveals that the original SG-1 instigated a successful rebellion against the Ra of 3000 BC. However, this caused him to leave Earth with the Stargate. However, they do find the Puddle Jumper, and Alternate-Daniel and Alternate-Carter figure out how to find the Antarctic Stargate. A team is assembled to go through the Stargate to recruit Alternate-Teal'c under the instruction of the Daniel and Carter on the tape. Alternate-Daniel and Alternate-Carter are not going to be on this team.

Part 2

The scientists working on the recovered Alternate-Puddle Jumper cannot make it work because they don't have the ATA gene. Alternate-O'Neill is called in to operate the Jumper and lead the team through the Stargate to find Alternate-Teal'c, and agrees that Alternate-Daniel and Alternate-Carter are to join the team through the Stargate.

On Chulak, SG-1 are caught by Jaffa loyal to Apophis and imprisoned. Alternate-Teal'c defects to their cause and helps them escape but Alternate-Daniel is infected by a Goa'uld and killed by Teal'c. They escape in the Puddle Jumper, but are chased and damaged by Death Gliders. Unaware of the jumper's cloaking capacity, they believe that only way they can survive is to time-travel. They travel back to 3000 B.C. and use the Stargate to pass from Chulak to Ancient Egypt where the original versions of SG-1 were stranded and where Ra is still alive and ruling.

The original SG-1 attempted the rebellion because O'Neill and Teal'c didn't want to stay and O'Neill, Carter and Teal'c were killed when it failed. Daniel, the only survivor, meets with Alternate-Carter, Alternate-O'Neill and Alternate-Teal'c. He has not yet made the tablet detailing the second successful rebellion attempt because it hasn't happened yet. This means that his current plans with the underground of the local populace are destined to succeed, however they lead to the Stargate being removed from Earth by Ra. The plan is to instigate the rebellion, thus diverting Ra's attention, and secure the Stargate to where it was original buried, allowing the original timeline to evolve as it did.

The rebellion ultimately succeeds, but not before Alternate-Carter and Alternate-O'Neill consummate their feelings for each other while under fire, uncertain if they will survive. Ra's Jaffa surrender, outnumbered by the staff- and zat-armed Egyptians. The alternate SG-1 bury the videotape, along with the ZPM, for the SG-1 of the future to find. The Alternate-SG-1 and Daniel from the original SG-1 (of 3000 BC) live out the rest of their lives in Ancient Egypt.

The original SG-1 of the present day receive the videotape and the ZPM left for them a few weeks before they were to go back in time. As the timeline has been restored, they have no reason to go back in time, and they've gained a ZPM free of charge. The episode ends with SG-1 at O'Neill's cabin, fishing, in a scene identical to the end of "Threads", except there are now fish in Jack's pond.

Jack O'Neill's response to this?: "Close enough".

Series continuity

• This is the last episode to feature Richard Dean Anderson (Colonel/Brigadier General Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill) as a main cast member.
• This episode marks Ra's only appearance outside of the feature film.
• Part 2 is the only episode of SG-1 showing a puddle jumper going through the stargate.
• This episode marks the final appearances of Charles Kawalsky, Major Davis, and Apophis.

References to other media

• According to the DVD commentary, O'Neill's "close enough" line at the end of the episode is a reference to "Treehouse of Horror V", an episode of The Simpsons where Homer time travels and unintentionally makes numerous changes to history; upon returning to a timeline where his family have snake tongues but everything else is otherwise normal, he says "eh, close enough". This is one of several references to The Simpsons on Stargate SG-1, all centered around O'Neill. Another example from this episode is the name of Jack's boat, "Homer". Incidentally, in the brief shot of Jack's boat showing the name, the font used is the same font used extensively in The Simpsons.

Guest stars

• Since "Moebius" was supposed to be the Stargate SG-1 series finale, many actors reprised their roles from past episodes: Don S. Davis as George Hammond, Peter Williams as Apophis, Colin Cunningham as Major Davis, and Jay Acovone as Charles Kawalsky.
• Alessandro Juliani (Katep) previously played Eliam in the Season 4 episode "Scorched Earth".

Alternate Timeline notes

Within the alternate timeline featured within the episode there are numerous differences from the original Stargate timeline, the roots traced to Ra taking the Giza Stargate with him when he fled the Earth. Differences from the original timeline include:

• Jack is a charter boat captain, never rejoining the Air Force after his original resignation.
• Daniel makes a living teaching English as a second language, having lost all standing within the archaeological community.
• Carter never joined the Air Force and works as a civilian aerospace engineer.
• Carter is seen practicing the "reproductive organs" speech (first heard in "Children of the Gods") in front of a mirror, but does not have the nerve to actually say it to anyone.
• Robert Kinsey is President of the United States, while Henry Hayes is Secretary of the Interior.
• General Hammond is only a Brigadier ("1 star") General, not a Lieutenant ("3 star") General.
• Cheyenne Mountain does not house Stargate Command. Rather, the USAF Advanced Research Institute, which can be briefly seen on the shoulder patch of one of the guards, is in charge of the program.
• McKay does not have a citrus allergy, saying lemon chicken is his favorite food.
• Major Davis has a moustache.
• Major Kawalsky is in the US Marines and not the Air Force
• Apophis has a goatee.

References

External links

• Official Stargate SG-1 site. MGM. Visited June 8, 2006. Most of site requires Flash.
• Screenplay of Part One (PDF). Distributed by MGM. Prepared by Line 21 Media Services Ltd (2004-12-14). Retrieved on 2006-10-29.
• Screenplay of Part Two (PDF). Distributed by MGM. Prepared by Line 21 Media Services Ltd (2004-12-16). Retrieved on 2006-10-29.
• Summary of Part I from SciFi. Visited June 5, 2006.
• Summary of Part II from SciFi. Visited June 5, 2006.

Donate to Wikimedia