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SG-1 goes offworld looking for a group of legendary Jaffa warriors who supposedly won their freedom thousands of years ago. Teal’c’s intelligence is sound, and the Sodan introduce themselves by ambushing the team. Mitchell guards the group’s retreat to the Stargate and gets wounded and captured for his trouble, but not before he critically injures one of the Sodan. The other warriors take Mitchell away using a type of Ancient beaming technology; the rest of SG-1 finds only the wounded Jaffa. They bring him back to Earth, hoping Dr. Lam can save his life and that they can learn of Mitchell’s fate. Their search of the planet reveals only a single obelisk with a line of Ancient writing - not nearly enough for Daniel to determine how to activate the device. And the international committee overseeing the Stargate program is not willing to fund an indefinite search mission with little chance of success.

In the Sodan village, Mitchell learns that he will have to engage in ritual combat as punishment for killing a Sodan warrior. A Sodan named Jolan begins to train him. Even as he tries to learn enough to survive the Kel Shak Lo ritual, Mitchell is concerned by the arrival of a Prior in the village. The Sodan leader, Haikon, explains that the Ancients helped the Sodan overcome the Goa’uld 5000 years ago, and gave them technology to help them stay hidden. The Sodan have worshipped the Ancients as gods ever since, but they have heard nothing for thousands of years. The Ori’s power and offer of enlightenment is a tempting offer - more tempting than the opportunity to ally themselves with Jaffa who served the Goa’uld until recently. Jolan is concerned by Haikon’s ready acceptance of the Ori; the Sodan’s traditions are important to him, especially Kel Shak Lo. It was his brother that Mitchell killed, and Jolan is determined to carry through with the battle. But his respect for Mitchell has also grown, and he may be willing to find a creative way to satisfy his honor.

written by Damian Kindler
directed by Peter DeLuise
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Lexa Doig (Dr. Lam), Jason George (Jolan), Tony Todd (Haikon), Jarvis George (Volnek), William B. Davis (Prior), Gary Jones (Sgt. Walter Harriman), Bryan Elliot (Col. Raimi - SG-22), Darcy Laurie (Kassan)

Notes: Mitchell called Jolan “Bones” at the end of the episode, no doubt because their solution to their fight-to-the-death problem closely resembles Dr. McCoy’s in the original Star Trek episode Amok Time. The international oversight committee was first mentioned in this season’s The Ties That Bind, although in that episode it was unclear whether Landry and the SGC would accept the tradeoff.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Rushed back to Atlantis’ infirmary, Sheppard’s injuries sustained in the search for Ellia baffle Dr. Beckett; a significant arm wound heals remarkably fast, and Sheppard’s physical stamina increases to an unusual degree. Beckett’s blood work reveals that the retrovirus intended to transform Ellia back into a human seeped into Sheppard’s bloodstream during the fight, and the results could be unpredictable. Dr. Weir removes Sheppard from offworld duty and Beckett orders him to check in frequently, but symptoms appear quickly, and Sheppard begins mutating into something resembling half-human and half-Wraith. As his condition grows worse, Beckett discovers that Sheppard may be able to help himself find the cure - providing he’s still human enough.

teleplay by Robert C. Cooper & Martin Gero
story by Martin Gero
directed by Brad Turner
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Kavan Smith (Major Lorne), Mitch Pileggi (Colonel Caldwell), Matthew Harrison (Scientist), Lindsay Collins (Scientist), Todd Hann (Bravo Leader), France Perras (Nurse), Andy Nez (Soldier)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

After one of her news broadcasts includes newly-uncovered footage from the clash between civilians and Galactica’s Marines, reporter D’Anna Biers is invited to a meeting with President Roslin and Commander Adama. Fearing that Biers’ report will reignite ill will between civilians and Galactica’s military, Roslin and Adama offer Biers unlimited access to Galactica and her crew. With the public reminded of the controversy, Colonel Tigh finds that not only is he back in the hot seat, but he and his wife are receiving death threats. As Biers continues her investigation, she finds signs that some of Galactica’s crew are starting to crack under the pressur, with results that could be disastrous for each other - or the entire fleet. Then again, by the time it’s broadcast, Biers’ own news piece could have the same effect.

written by Mark Verheiden
directed by Robert Young
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Aaron Douglas (CPO Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Paul Campbell (Billy Keikeya), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Dualla), Lucy Lawless (D’Anna Biers), Kate Vernon (Ellen Tigh), Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle), Matthew Bennett (Leoben Conoy), Luciana Carro (Louann “Kat” Katraine), Bodie Olmos (Brendan “Hotdog” Costanza), Flick Harrison (Bell), Kevan Kase (Pvt. Scott Kelso), Yee Jee Tso (Staffer), Curtis Hicks (Marine Sergeant), Aleks Paunovic (Marine Sgt. Fischer), Ty Olsson (Capt. Aaron Kelly), Leah Cairns (Racetrack), Jeremy Guilbaut (Lt. Joe “Hammerhead” Palladino)

Notes: This episode introduces us to several of the regular and recurring characters on a first-name basis; Dualla’s first name is Anastasia, and Gaeta’s name is Felix. (He also appears to have picked up a smoking habit.) Actor Yee Jee Tso, who made a very brief appearance as one of Biers’ assistants, appeared in the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie as Chang Lee.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

When Tok’ra intelligence detects a developing black hole, Sam fears that the Ori might be trying to build another supergate. She takes SG-5 to P3X-584 investigate, but quickly dials back to SGC - the team was sent to a completely different planet. Her investigation reveals that the gate at their destination has been altered to require an access code - travelers who fail to provide the code are shunted to another destination. They are able to crack the code, and SG-1 accompanies SG-5 to 584. Once there, they find rings that transport Mitchell, Daniel and Teal’c into an underground genetics lab, where it looks like a Goa’uld may have been trying to develop an advanced host. Daniel discovers notes written in Ancient, while Mitchell revives a man kept in a stasis chamber.

A medical team brings the revived man, Khalek, to SGC, where he claims to have been an involuntary test subject for some sort of experiment. Daniel translates enough of the notes in the lab to know better. Khalek is a genetically altered clone based partially on Anubis’s pre-ascension DNA. He has superhuman abilities, with a level of brain activity far beyond human norms. He has Anubis’s inherited genetic memory, ensuring that he will seek to conquer as his ancestors did. And he’s growing stronger - soon, perhaps, strong enough to reach ascended status on his own. Daniel argues that Earth can not afford to allow another Anubis to come into being - Khalek must at the very least be returned to stasis. And perhaps, Daniel says, SGC should strongly consider killing him outright.

Before Gen. Landry can make a decision, Richard Woolsey arrives representing the International Oversight Advisory (IOA) committee. The advanced Khalek has similarities to the Priors. Woolsey suggests that SGC study Khalek in hopes of finding a way to neutralize the Priors’ ability. If SGC is incapable of doing so, then the oversight committee will reconsider its funding. Even after Khalek nearly escapes once, Woolsey is determined to proceed. On 584, Sam discovers that Khalek will not be powerful enough to ascend without more treatments in the lab. When Khalek overhears her report, he becomes more determined than ever to escape, no matter how much of SGC stands in his way.

written by Allan McCullough
directed by Peter DeLuise
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Neil Jackson (Khalek), Robert Picardo (Woolsey), Gary Jones (Sgt. Walter Harriman), Lexa Doig (Dr. Lam)

Notes: Members of SG-1 refer to the Goa’uld Nirrti, whose genetic experiments in search of a better host were discovered in season 6’s Metamorphosis.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

The Ori continue to expand their influence in our galaxy. SG-6 returns from an undercover mission to report one world’s conversion, while on Dakara Gerak urges the Jaffa High Council to issue an edict that would force all Jaffa to follow the way of Origin. Carter and Dr. Lee believe that the data they collected on Khalek suggests a way to use ultrasonic frequencies against the Priors, but they still need to find a way to implement it. Carter makes a highly optimistic estimate of the needed time frame, possibly to try and impress Gen. Landry. They may need to bear out that optimism when members of SG-6 become afflicted with the Ori plague SG-1 encountered on another world. A quarantine team manages to isolate the main carrier before he can inadvertently infect the now-retired Gen. Hammond, but the virus still spreads across the country at a high rate of speed.

Carter and Lee are stumped until the arrival of Orlin, an Ancient with whom Carter developed a relationship years earlier. In an effort to retain his memories of ascended life as long as possible, this time Orlin has assumed the body of a young boy, making things slightly awkward. Orlin helps complete the anti-Prior device and begins to work on a cure for the virus. He also reveals the Ori’s true intentions. Ascended beings are able to draw power from the worship of the non-ascended. Origin does not lead its followers to enlightenment or ascension. It merely leads them to fuel the Ori until they meet a meaningless end to their existence.

Teal’c and Bra’tac are unwilling to allow the Jaffa to follow the Ori without a fight. They travel to Chulak in order to develop a resistance that they hope will sway the hearts of the other Jaffa, even if it does not affect the Council. A Prior orders Gerak to destroy the resistance; when Gerak hesitates, he brings Gerak’s consciousness before the Doci in an effort to make his conversion complete.

Orlin needs one more piece of data to complete his cure - a genetic sample from the Prior who created this particular strain of the virus. But they must move fast. Not only is he beginning to lose his memories, the effort to retain them is causing significant brain damage. Mitchell gets intelligence from the Sodan that the Prior they’re looking for is on their world. So Mitchell and Daniel bring a team there, but soon find themselves surrounded. It soon seems that nothing will be able to stand in the way of Origin . . .

written by Damian Kindler
directed by Andy Mikita
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Cameron Bright (Orlin); Don S. Davis (Gen. Hammond); Tony Amendola (Bra’tac); Gary Jones (Sgt. Walter Harriman); Bill Dow (Dr. Lee); Panou (Lt. Fisher); Ty Olsson (Col. Barnes); Julian Sands (Doci); Lexa Doig (Dr. Lam); Louis Gossett, Jr. (Gerak)

Notes: Orlin first appeared in season 5’s Ascension, played by Sean Patrick Flannery. The actor was unavailable for this episode, so the writers chose to have Orlin assume the form of a younger human. Air Force Chief of Staff General John P. Jumper was supposed to give the speech in this episode, but became unavailable for filming. Don S. Davis was brought in to reprise the character of General Hammond instead. (Gen. Jumper retired from the Air Force shortly before this episode first aired.) Mitchell first developed contacts with the Sodan in this season’s Babylon. The Ori first unleashed their plague in The Powers That Be.

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Even after the recent reuniting of the Colonial fleet, nerves are frayed and tempers flare aboard Galactica. Chief Tyrol and Lt. Helo finally come to blows over their shared feelings for Boomer, and Starbuck finds herself defending Helo’s actions to the rest of the fighter pilots. President Roslin’s latest diagnosis brings grim news: she has mere weeks to live, and there’s no guarantee that her cancer won’t spread to her brain and rob her of her ability to lead the fleet. Tyrol has been occupying himself with a new project as well, attempting to fabricate a new Viper from the few materials available, and finds that some of his crewmates think he’s wasting time and resources. To make matters worse, Galactica’s systems are infected by an adaptive Cylon computer virus, which begins to execute numerous options to try to kill the crew. Commander Adama, despite his distrust and lingering rage over Boomer, decides to seek her help in fighting the virus - with no guarantee that she won’t deliver Galactica to an approaching Cylon fleet.

written by Bradley Thompson & David Weddle
directed by Michael Nankin
music by Bear McCreary

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Aaron Douglas (CPO Tyrol), Tahmoh Penikett (Helo), Paul Campbell (Billy Keikeya), Nicki Clyne (Cally), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Gaeta), Kandyse McClure (Dualla), Donnelly Rhodes (Dr. Cottle), Bodie Olmos (Brendan “Hotdog” Costanza), Leah Cairns (Racetrack), Jennifer Halley (Seelix), Christian Tessier (Tucker “Duck” Clellan), Dominic Zamprogna (Jammer), Don Thompson (Specialist 3rd Class Anthony Figurski)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

A C-130 hurricane hunter plane flies into the eye of Hurricane Eve, hours before it’s due to make landfall near Miami, Florida. The crew realizes too late that something else is in the eye of the storm as well - something large, under the water, which then blasts the plane out of the sky with thousands of brilliant lights.

Park ranger Russell Varon battens down the hatches at work and then rushes home to find that his daughter Rose has disappeared while looking for her missing cat. Russell’s teenage son, Jesse, is boarding up the windows of their home, and both Russell and Jesse are annoyed when Russell’s ex-wife Mariel, now married to the sheriff of Dade County, makes an appearance to accuse Russell of not caring properly for their children. Jesse shuts his mother out of the house while Russell looks for Rose in the woods near the house.

Just before Russell finds her, Rose sees thousands of lights descending from the storm itself into the water. Trying to dodge a falling power line on the drive home, Russell rolls his truck over and he and Rose aren’t rescued until the next morning. When Russell returns home, he finds it’s a mess, but Jesse is unhurt, as are Russell’s new wife, reporter Larkin Groves, and her hard-drinking conspiracy-theorist brother Dave. But Mariel apparently never made it home after leaving Russell’s house, and Sheriff Underlay promptly makes an appearance to question Russell and Jesse. Underlay gets a call: Mariel’s car has been found in the Everglades, but she’s not in it. He, Russell and Jesse join the search parties, and find her naked, but otherwise unharmed, at the edge of the swamp. She doesn’t seem to recognize anyone except Underlay.

Intrigued by Rose’s mention of lights in the sky, Dave asks her to guide him to where she saw them land. Traveling through the swamp by boat, Dave finds a large piece of metal - and finds something else as well. He takes Rose back home and then goes back to retrieve what he saw: mangled human remains, enmeshed in the remains of some kind of creature he’s never seen, floating just under the surface of the water. Dave shares his terrifying find only with Russell, who refuses to share Dave’s belief that it’s evidence of an alien presence on Earth. Still skeptical, Russell agrees to accompany Dave back to the swamp that night. They see something glowing under the water, and when Dave tries to get a closer look, something grabs him and pulls him under the water. Russell dives in and brings him back to safety, but now Dave is more convinced than ever that he’s seen an alien life form. Russell takes Dave to the hospital where Mariel is one of the head doctors, and she seems dismissive of the idea that Dave has been attacked by anything other than an alligator.

Why are more people being found in circumstances just like Mariel’s - completely disoriented, unclothed, and then back on their feet and doing their jobs within hours? Why have Mariel and Sheriff Underlay agreed to quarantine Homestead despite Russell’s assurances that it’s not necessary? Why can’t Rose shake the feeling that something has changed about her mother? And why is Russell starting to find that he can’t completely discount Dave’s rantings about alien invaders?

Season 1 Regular Cast: William Fichtner (Sheriff Tom Underlay), Eddie Cibrian (Russell Varon), Lisa Sheridan (Larkin Groves), Kari Matchett (Dr. Mariel Underlay), Tyler Labine (Dave Groves), Evan Peters (Jesse Varon), Ariel Gade (Rose Varon), Alexis Dziena (Kira Underlay), Aisha Hinds (Mona Gomez)

written by Shaun Cassidy
directed by Thomas Schlamme
music by Jon Ehrlich & Jason Derlatka

Guest Cast: Jeannetta Arnette (Ruth), Frank Collison (Earl), Bryan Anthony (Guardsman), Ivar Brogger (Dazed man), Phe Caplan (Young woman), Holmes Osborne (Mayor Littles), Amy Watt (Ms. Gilroy), Scott Mercer (A.A. reporter), Rich Skidmore (Anchorman), Robert Standley (Pilot), Ryan Honey (Navigator), Gwen Mihok (Weather Officer), Mesan Richardson (Dropsonde operator), Juan Ramirez (Hispanic man,) Lorena Mena (Hispanic woman), Aramis Knight (Hispanic boy)

Notes: In reality, Homestead, Florida was nearly wiped off the map by Hurricane Andrew in 1992; the first two episodes allude to that real event. In an example of the worst possible timing, the pilot episode of Invasion aired mere weeks after Hurricane Katrina slammed into parts of Louisiana and Mississippi - and just days before Hurricane Rita struck Texas and the other end of the Louisiana coast. ABC quickly pulled promos and previews referencing the fictional hurricane in the wake of Katrina.
Kari Matchett was a recurring cast member on the posthumous Gene Roddenberry series Earth: Final Conflict, appearing throughout the series as the Taelon conspirator Zo’or. SF movie fans may remember William Fichtner as Kent, the blind colleague of Jodie Foster’s character in the feature film adaptation of Contact.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Flashback: Jack saves the life of a woman injured in a car accident, but when she wakes up, he has to deliver the bad news: there is extensive damage to her spinal column, and a good chance she will be paralyzed for life. Jack’s father thinks that he should stress the possibility of hope; the woman’s fiancé seems troubled by the prospects of a lifetime of intense care and physical assistance. The woman’s determination inspires Jack to promise that he will fix her; that promise leads to an late night of running up and down stadium steps to expiate his guilt when he can’t fulfill it. A fellow runner introduces himself as Desmond and raises a question: what if Jack did fix her? He dismisses the idea . . . until the next day, when she wakes up and wiggles her toes.

The Island: Within a bunker, a man types commands on a old computer terminal, injects himself with some kind of chemical, and works out while listening to one of a large library of vinyl records. His routine is interrupted by a sudden tremor - the result of the dynamite blowing open the hatch. Jack, Kate, and Locke peer down into the hatch and see nothing but a broken ladder; the shaft goes down into the darkness. Jack realizes that the hatch will not provide a sanctuary and wants to head back to the caves immediately. Locke is more eager to explore, but ultimately concedes to Jack. On the way back, Hurley tells Jack about his previous experiences with the numbers.

At the caves, panic is starting to set in. Shannon sets out to find Walt’s dog Vincent, and Sayid accompanies her. They are briefly separated, and for a moment she sees Walt, soaking wet and whispering something. Sayid finds her and Walt disappears. Shortly afterward, Jack and the others return, and Jack reassures everyone that they’ll be fine, that the sun will come up in a few hours and they’ll see it together. But Locke is determined to go back to the hatch. Kate follows him in case he needs help. And Jack decides that he’s not going to let the two of them face the inside of the hatch alone.

Locke lowers Kate into the shaft. Before she hits bottom, some force pulls her down despite Locke’s attempts to brace himself and keep hold of the rope. A bright light shines out of the hatch, and Kate is gone. When Jack reaches the hatch, neither are there. He finds his way into the bunker and the music starts playing again; the room is filled with decades-old equipment. Jack reaches for the terminal, but Locke encourages him not to touch it. And whoever it is holding a gun to Locke’s head thinks that’s a pretty good idea too.

written by Damon Lindelof
directed by Jack Bender
music by Michael Giacchino

Season 2 Regular Cast: Naveen Andrews (Sayid), Emilie de Ravin (Claire), Matthew Fox (Jack), Jorge Garcia (Hurley), Maggie Grace (Shannon), Josh Holloway (Sawyer), Malcolm David Kelley (Walt), Daniel Dae Kim (Jin), Yunjin Kim (Sun), Evangeline Lilly (Kate), Dominic Monaghan (Charlie), Terry O’Quinn (Locke), Harold Perrineau (Michael), Michelle Rodriguez (Ana Lucia)

Guest Cast: John Terry (Shephard), Henry Ian Cusick (Desmond), Julie Bowen (Sarah), Anson Mount (Kevin), Ivana Michele Smith (N.D. survivor), Katie Doyle (EMT), Julius Ledda (EMT no. 2), Masayo Ford (Nurse), David Ely (Intern), Larry Wiss (Anesthesiologist)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer

Rodney’s sensors detect the Aurora, an Ancient defense ship launched to protect the planet and the city. Though nobody expects the presumably lost ship to be manned, it contains nearly a full crew - kept alive in a state of near-total stasis. The aging of the Ancients’ bodies is slowed, but they’re still quite active mentally, and plugged into a network that allows them to control their ship. Rodney finds a way to plug Sheppard into the network without putting him in the same stasis, allowing him to communicate with the Ancients. But Sheppard finds that the Ancient crew doesn’t trust him - not even as a virtual reality construct. While Colonel Caldwell and his crew brace for a Wraith attack on the newly discovered ship, Sheppard discovers that the Wraith are already aboard the Aurora, both virtually and literally.

teleplay by Carl Binder
story by Brad Wright & Carl Binder
directed by Martin Wood
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Mitch Pileggi (Colonel Caldwell), Bruce Dawson (Captain), Pascale Hutton (First Officer), James Lafaznos (Wraith), Kirby Morrow (Airman), Anne Openshaw (Pilot), Ryan W. Smith (Crewman), Graham Kosakoski (Guard)

Notes: Colonel Caldwell’s use of the term “military thrust” indicates that he wants the Daedalus’ pilot to push the ship’s engines past 100% throttle - or, as countless starship captains before him have put it less formally, get the hell out of there.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Following up on a lead to the possible location of a ZPM, Sheppard, Teyla, Rodney and Ronon are abducted by a group of humans and taken through a stargate - and Sheppard is stunned to see Ford is in charge of their captors. Still given superhuman strength and agility as long as he continues to find sources of the Wraith enzyme, Ford introduces his new colleagues to the enzyme as well. Over time, Ford and his friends have learned to refine the Wraith enzyme - and even to process it into food form, which he feeds to Sheppard’s team without warning them. After drugging them with their first dose of the enzyme, Ford and his men free the Atlantis team to let them explore their new abilities. Ford’s men are doing their own part to fight the Wraith, using means that might not meet the Atlantis team’s approval, and to Rodney’s horror, Sheppard finds himself considering joining Ford for at least one attack on a hive ship - as a cover for getting his own team home. But Ford’s plan, using a stolen Wraith dart, doesn’t quite go as planned - and neither does Sheppard’s plan to return to Atlantis.

written by Martin Gero
excerpt written by Robert C. Cooper
directed by Brad Turner
music by Joel Goldsmith

Guest Cast: Rainbow Sun Francks (Aiden Ford), Kavan Smith (Major Lorne), Aaron Abrams (Kanayo), David Nykl (Dr. Zelenka), Paul Anthony (Jace), Woody Jeffreys (Bouncer / Guard #1), Aleks Holtz (Guard #2), James Lafaznos (Wraith Male), Andee Frizzell (Wraith Hive Queen)

LogBook entry by Earl Green