Zero Hour

"Zero Hour" is the fourth episode of the eighth season of Stargate SG-1.

Synopsis
Brigadier General Jack O'Neill has second thoughts about being the leader of Stargate Command. Also, an alien plant takes control of part of the SGC, and SG-1 is kidnapped by Ba'al.

Previously on Stargate SG-1
Colonel Jack O'Neill is captured and tortured by Ba'al. SG-1 discovers a Zero Point Module on Proclarush. Camulus requests asylum after his armies are defeated by Ba'al. O'Neill is promoted to Brigadier General and commander of Stargate Command.

Plot
Brigadier General Jack O'Neill arrives at Stargate Command in the morning and is greeted by MSgt. Walter Harriman, who informs him about his schedule. After briefly talking to John Prior about the security of the base, O'Neill enters his office where he is greeted by a man named Mark Gilmor. Harriman then introduces Gilmor as the General's new administrative aide and after some further discussion Harriman shows Gilmor his office. From there Gilmor makes a strange call telling someone that he is "in position" and that "he" (O'Neill) does not suspect a thing.

Later O'Neill talks with Harriman about the bunting for the President Henry Hayes's visit when suddenly Lt. General George S. Hammond calls. After talking with him, O'Neill meets up with SG-1. Dr. Daniel Jackson tells him that they found a planet which formerly belonged to Anubis and which Ba'al doesn't know about. They hope to find something interesting there, however they have to wait until tomorrow, much to Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter's disappointment.

Afterwards O'Neill meets Dr. Bill Lee, who shows him an alien plant that grows very quickly. O'Neill is not impressed, however. Next he is informed by Major Paul Davis about the Amrans, visitors from another world with whom they want to start trade agreements, who however quarrel the whole time. Thus O'Neill shows them a room in which the two delegates can stay but then locks them inside, much to their anger. After all this O'Neill starts to write a letter to Hammond.

On the next morning O'Neill is greeted by Gilmor, who informs him about the latest happenings. Afterwards he says goodbye to SG-1, who go on the mission to Anubis' planet. They intend to use an old arm device to access a long abandoned base which might hold something of value. There, while SG-3 guards the Stargate, SG-1 looks around, attempting to use the arm device to gain access to the abandoned hidden base when suddenly they are transported away by Transportation rings. Meanwhile at the gate an Al'kesh flies over. Afterwards Colonel Albert Reynolds reports back to SGC about this but even with another search party they don't find SG-1. Meanwhile at SGC the plant that Lee was studying has started to grow extremely quickly and now covers much of the base. Later SG-3 returns when suddenly Ba'al contacts them and tells O'Neill he has SG-1 and wants to exchange them with Camulus.

On the next day O'Neill is again informed by Gilmor about the latest happenings and after talking to Reynolds about the exchange he talks to Camulus in his cell. Because Camulus doesn't give him anything he threatens to send him through the gate. Afterwards Camulus tells him about an Ancient device he once found. O'Neill sends a team to the planet, who brings back a Zero Point Module. Suddenly the electricity fails which is caused by the plant and which prevents them from dialing out. Meanwhile Ba'al contacts them but O'Neill simply mocks him, which makes the System Lord angry. Lee in the meantime has found out how to destroy the alien plant and is able to completely destroy it, which brings all systems back online.

Later O'Neill wants to send Camulus through the gate but then stops because Lee shows him that the ZPM was manipulated and now is a powerful bomb. O'Neill confronts Camulus about this and the former System Lord confesses that he manipulated the ZPM. Afterwards O'Neill allows him to go through the gate with the tampered ZPM, with which he will kill Ba'al. However Ba'al doesn't send back SG-1.

Later O'Neill continues to write the letter for Hammond and later is called in the gate room, where all SG teams tell him that they trust him and will do what he wants. He thanks them and wants to leave the base, when suddenly the gate is activated. It is SG-1 who is attacked by Jaffa and who reveal to him that they weren't captured by Ba'al but instead were trapped in Anubis secret base - Ba'al's troops were there looking for the base when SG-1 went missing. O'Neill then allows them to come through the gate even though they are under fire from Ba'al's troops. However they inform him that they didn't find anything valuable in the base.

In the end O'Neill talks with Carter, who informs him that the tainted ZPM could be used as a powerful weapon but O'Neill then reveals to her that he gave Camulus the dead ZPM which they found first. Later Gilmor informs O'Neill that the President has arrived and also tells the General that he was ordered by the President to look over him. However O'Neill reveals that Hammond already informed him, although he wasn't supposed to. Gilmor then tells him that he respects him and they both leave to greet the President.

On Jack O'Neill's desk is a letter of Resignation. As the camera zooms in we see it ending with: "Never mind".

Notable Quotes
(O'Neill finds someone sitting in his office)

O'Neill: Walter!

Harriman: Sorry Sir. General O'Neill, Mark Gilmore. He's your new administrative aide.

Gilmor: General.

O'Neill: Did I order one of thos-

(Interrupted mid sentence)

Harriman: No Sir.

O'Neill: Do I really need-

(Interrupted mid sentence again)'

Harriman: Yes Sir.

(Referring to Jack O'Neill)

Gilmor: He's not like other generals.

Harriman: Actually, he's not like other... people.

Lee: Well the good news is, it hasn't eaten anybody yet.

O'Neill: Well thank you, Seymour.

O'Neill: You see, if Carter was here she would have fixed it like (snaps finger) that.

(O'Neill pauses for the moment and turns to the control room)

O'Neill: No offense there Siler.

Siler: None taken sir.

O'Neill: So, why don't you just send her on through, before you know it you'll have old camel ass back in your grubby little mitts.

Ba'al: You dare mock me!?

O'Neill: Ba'al, Come on, you should know........of course I dare mock you.

Gilmore: Is it really wise to provoke him?

O'Neill: It's what I do.

Gilmor: Oh, and it turns out that blue, red, white bunting is not available.

O'Neill: (Sound shocked) NO bunting?

Gilmor: They can get some blue and white, and mix in some red.

O'Neill: (Sighs sadly) It just won't be the same.

Goofs

 * In the last scene where Mark Gilmor confesses his assignment to Brigadier General Jack O'Neill, the General is wearing the single star of a Brigadier General on his dress shirt but the rank insignia on his jacket are still the "Eagles/birds" of a Colonel instead.

In other languages

 * French: Heure H (Zero Hour)
 * Italian: Ora Zero (Zero Hour)
 * Spanish: Hora Zero (Zero Hour)
 * Czech: Hodina H (Zero Hour)
 * German: Stunde der Bewährung (Proving Hour)
 * Hungarian: Zéró óra (Zero Hour)