Inauguration

"Inauguration" is the twentieth episode of the seventh season of Stargate SG-1.

Synopsis
Henry Hayes has been inaugurated as President of the United States. There, Robert Kinsey, turned Vice President once again plans on stopping the Stargate Program, and enlists the help of Agent Richard Woolsey, who discovers Kinsey's true intentions.

Plot
The newly-elected President of the United States, Henry Hayes, walks through the White House, followed by an aide who tells him about current events. However, Hayes pays him little attention and instead looks around, seemingly overwhelmed by his first day. He enters the Oval Office and is greeted by General Francis Maynard, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who urgently wants to reveal the Stargate program. However, the president wants to soak in the moment (he even takes off his shoes). General Maynard soon discloses the premises and necessity of the Stargate program which the president takes as a joke. However, General Maynard quickly tells him that it is no joke.

Afterwards Hayes angrily asks his Vice President, Robert Kinsey, why he wasn’t informed although Kinsey was. Kinsey uses this chance to expound on his grievances with the staff at Stargate Command and the need for change. During the evening, the President looks at some files from the Stargate program and talks with General Maynard about it. During this discussion, General Maynard also complains about Kinsey’s previous attempted take-overs of the Stargate (a scene from the episode "Disclosure" is shown here). They also discuss the NID and Kinsey’s connection with the clandestine group.

Soon after, the president and General Maynard have a meeting with Kinsey and Richard Woolsey where they deliberate about the SGC. When General Maynard complains about the absence of Major General George S. Hammond, Woolsey immediately cites Hammond as one of the problems. To further his case, he gives examples of the insubordination of SG-1 (flashback to "Upgrades") as well as alien incursion into the team (flashback to "Entity"). He points out several other “problems” with SG-1 and then delves into their psychological stability. Kinsey encourages the president to take action at the SGC soon. There are flashbacks to several other episodes ("Meridian", "Enemies", "Paradise Lost", "Evolution, Part 1", "Full Circle", "Maternal Instinct" and "The Fifth Race").

Following a break, they discuss other “mistakes” at the SGC and Woolsey complains about the close relationships between the team members of SG-1 (namely Major Samantha Carter and Colonel Jack O'Neill). The president ends the meeting so as to make a fair assessment of the situation while Kinsey and Woolsey converse in private. During this discussion, Woolsey begins to have doubts about the President’s connection to the Vice President.

Later, the President is informed by the aforementioned General Maynard about the pending threat from Anubis, describing the awesome power that the System Lord wields. However, he also brings to light to the ongoing search to find the Lost City of the Ancients. The President finally acknowledges the benefit and contributions of General Hammond and SG-1, looking past their previous mistakes and misdemeanors.

In secret, Woolsey meets with General Maynard to reveal his suspicions concerning the vice-president and his tactics. General Maynard tells Woolsey to find incriminating evidence to show up the unscrupulousness of Kinsey and his cohorts. To accomplish this goal, Woolsey meets with General Hammond, who entrusts to Woolsey a copy of a disk secured by O'Neill and Harold Maybourne in "Chain Reaction" (a flashback is shown of Hammond receiving the disk from O'Neill) that holds Kinsey accountable for his actions. At last Woolsey meets with the president, relaying information about the many groups bent on unlawfully acquiring alien technology. And, he gives him the disk.

Notable Quotes
Maynard: Mr. President, I'm here to bring you up to speed on a program we've been running out of Cheyenne Mountain for the past seven years.

Hayes: I've already had my top secret briefing.

Maynard: Yes, Mr. President. But not this. Mr. President, for the past seven years the United States Air Force has been sending teams to other planets by means of an alien device known as a "star gate".

Hayes: That's funny. That's very funny. My first day. This is a joke, right? I have a great sense of humor—I didn't know that you had one—but this is good because we're finding out about each other. Now I have to call the ex-President of Togo, and when I'm done, apparently, the rest of the world is coming to an end.

Maynard: The ex-President of Togo will have to wait, sir. This is not a joke.

Kinsey: Mr. President, I realize this is a little overwhelming right now, but what you really need to know is that the Stargate is being seriously mismanaged. It's urgent that we act now.

Hayes: What are you talking about?

Kinsey: I have desperately tried to maintain some proper control and accountability, but the oversight in place is completely inadequate. The military—specifically the personnel directly involved in the SGC—need to be replaced immediately. Now, I have several recommendations regarding—

Hayes: Woah, Bob! Hold on here.

Kinsey: Mr. President, why do you think I was ordered to keep quiet? This was a deliberate attempt by the military and the previous administration to drive a wedge between us. Because they knew I was going to come after them. We need to stick together on this.

Hayes: For God's sakes, Bob! Think of the magnitude of this!

Kinsey: For God's sake is right.

Hayes: Oh come on, Bob. If you want me to buy into your holier-than-thou position you've gotta convince me you're right.

Hayes: (looking through the reports) Hosted alien dignitaries. Acquired alien technology. Travelled back in time? Did they really blow up a sun?

Maynard: As I understand it, sir, yes they did.

Hayes: That'd look awfully good on the old resumé.

Hayes: This is my office, not yours. No matter what you may think you did to make this happen, don't you ever—for one second—forget that.

Kinsey: Yes, Mr. President.

Kinsey: Nice work today, Richard.

Woolsey: Really? I got the distinct feeling it didn't go so well.

Kinsey: Ah, well. It doesn't matter.

Woolsey: It doesn't?

Kinsey: Nah. The President's going to come around.

Woolsey: I didn't get that impression, Mr. Vice President. In fact I clearly sensed that he was siding with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Kinsey: Today was a formality. Don't get me wrong. The job you did was viable. The President has to appear to be hearing both sides. Considering his position. But... he'll see things my way eventually.

Woolsey: And if he doesn't?

Kinsey: Things happen.

Woolsey: What is that supposed to mean?

Kinsey: It means you chose the right side, Richard. One way or another, I promise you... I'm gonna win this one.

Woolsey: I also hope history one day shows that... I tried to do the right thing.

Hayes: Who's version of history, Mr. Woolsey?

Characters

 * President Henry Hayes
 * General Francis Maynard
 * Holly

In other languages

 * French: Lutte de Pouvoir (Power Struggle)
 * Italian: Inaugurazione (Inauguration)
 * Spanish: Toma de posesión (Taking Possession)
 * Czech: Inaugurace (Inauguration)
 * German: Der Neue Präsident (The New President)
 * Hungarian: Beiktatás (Inauguration)