48 Hours

48 Hours is the fourteenth episode of the fifth season of Stargate SG-1.

Plot
While visiting a planet the Goa'uld had been scouting in order to set up a base, SG-1 makes it into the Stargate just before it's destroyed. Before entering the gate, Teal'c takes an opportunity to shoot down Tanith's Al'kesh (using the Death glider cannon first seen in "The Fifth Man"). Unfortunately, moments after he crosses the event horizon, the Al'kesh crashes into the DHD, interrupting the outgoing wormhole and disconnecting the Earth Stargate before Teal'c is reintegrated.

The SGC prepares to redial the planet in an attempt to contact Teal'c, but Carter has them abort the sequence when a residual energy signature within the gate produces an unknown error. She quickly hypothesizes that Teal'c is in fact stored inside the gate's energy pattern buffer - and will be erased if an incoming or outgoing wormhole is established. To prevent this, the Iris is moved back several micrometres, providing the same effect as burying the gate. They also conclude that, to rescue Teal'c, they must establish an event horizon, without establishing a wormhole.

Daniel Jackson, along with Major Davis, are sent to Russia in order to negotiate use of their Dial-Home Device which is needed to rescue Teal'c, as well as to negotiate for temporary use of their Stargate while the 'main' gate is unusable. However for their help the Russians demand access to all technology retrieved by SGC. Meanwhile, Col. Simmons arrives at the SGC with Dr. Rodney McKay and delivers a deadline of 48 hours before Stargate Command must resume normal operations. Carter is assigned to work with McKay, who is very arrogant and tells her that she made many mistakes in developing her dialing program, as well as believing that Teal'c can't be rescued. Carter allows her feelings of anger towards him to cloud her judgement.

As negotiations with the Russians continue to go poorly and McKay and Carter have difficulty working together, Simmons approaches General Hammond and offers to hand over the knowledge required to save Teal'c, for a price - a Goa'uld Hand device. Hammond however refuses, but knows that the only reason they could want a hand device is if they had a Goa'uld.

Col. O'Neill, in the meantime, searches for alternate options to rescue Teal'c. During his search he runs into Harry Maybourne, whom he soon enlists in an attempt to obtain the intelligence Simmons has access to. They eventually succeed by infiltrating an NID "safehouse" and they find the Goa'uld, controlling Adrian Conrad. He refuses to help them, but then they find a surveillance video which shows Simmons interrogating a prisoner Goa'uld, and upon seeing it, the Goa'uld describes how to rescue Teal'c.

Daniel manages to convince the Russians to loan them their DHD - an integral part of the rescue - by offering them Naqahdah generator technology. McKay protests the plan, arguing that it's a Goa'uld plot to destroy the SGC, but is ignored and furthermore sent to Russia as part of the deal, which doesn't make him happy. Sgt. Siler and Maj. Carter manage to make the necessary modifications to the DHD in order to create an event horizon without a wormhole, thereby "tricking" the Stargate into reintegrating Teal'c, who stumbles through the Stargate. However, the DHD unexpectedly explodes moments later.

Notable quotes
O'Neill finds Maybourne near his car Maybourne: Hi, Jack. O'Neill: (runs towards him) You rat bastard! Maybourne: (takes cover) Hey, hey, easy, Jack! O'Neill: I'm so gonna kick your ass! Maybourne: There's people watching. O'Neill: I don't care!!

After Jack's disbelief in his offer of assistance Maybourne: If you need me, I'm checked into the Accent Inn under the name Cassidy. O'Neill: David, or Shaun? Maybourne: (gives him a look) Butch.

Carter: (on the phone to Daniel) Is there any chance you can get the Russians to give us their DHD? Chekov: (in other room) This is impossible at the moment. Daniel: Not without giving back Alaska.