The Ties That Bind

"The Ties That Bind" is the fourth episode of the ninth season of Stargate SG-1.

Synopsis
After Vala Mal Doran removes the Kor mak bracelets binding Dr. Daniel Jackson and her together, they go their separate ways, only to pass out again soon after. The only chance to save them is to see the scientist examining the bracelets. However, in order to get him to help, they must run a series of ever more dangerous errands.

Plot
Dr. Daniel Jackson is seeing off Vala Mal Doran, as she prepares to leave through the Stargate. Vala interprets this as concern on Daniel's part, Daniel instead tells her that it's to make sure she's "thoroughly searched." Sure enough, he discovers and takes back a gold artifact she has stolen. Vala then leaves. One hour later, when Daniel is talking with Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell he suddenly collapses and awakens in the infirmary.

Dr. Carolyn Lam tells him that it seems to have to do with the Kor mak bracelets because his condition became better when Vala came back. She is in the bed next to him. They later inform Major General Henry Landry about this and their belief that the Ancient Long-range communication device caused a permanent bond between Daniel and Vala. In the meantime Dr. Bill Lee tries to run some tests on the two but Daniel stops him when he finds out that Vala knows a scientist who could help them.

So Daniel and Mitchell travel to another planet and meet the scientist, named Arlos Kadawam, who Vala believes can sever the bond between Daniel and Vala. They don't tell him about Vala but he nevertheless finds out about her and claims he will only tell them what he knows if he can see her again, since Vala not only stole the bracelets but also his heart.

Meanwhile at Stargate Command, Landry is visited by Major Gibson who tells him that the Senate Appropriations Committee plans to cut the budget of the SGC by 70% due to wanting to spend more money on making Daedalus-class ships, as the SGC does not in its opinion need as big a budget anymore (now that the Goa'uld and Replicators have been defeated). To change this decision, Landry has to talk to the committee himself.

When Arlos sees Vala again, she lies to him about why she left him, and he tells her that he will only help her if she will bring him back his mother's necklace. Vala, however, has already sold it. Mitchell insists they will get it back. So they travel to another planet where they meet a Jaffa named Inago, who has the necklace but who wants back a useless power coil from an obsolete Tel'tak. They agree to trade and then travel to another planet to get the power coil from a monk named Caius, who set it up as a religious device. It turns out that Caius was once a smuggler and only would give back the coil if he gets back his modified Tel'tak, which Vala stole. Meanwhile somewhere else two aliens named Tenat and Jup meet up with a fleet mainly consisting of Al'kesh and inform a human man that they plan to bring back Vala since she defied the Lucian Alliance.

Back at the SGC, the team informs Landry about what they have to acquire to get the information of the scientist. Also Vala informs them that the Tel'tak now belongs to the Lucian Alliance and that this alliance now wants her and Daniel dead since they screwed up a deal with them (see "Prometheus Unbound"). So getting the ship back will be difficult, and since Landry doesn't allow a mission to get it, Daniel and Vala will remain linked. Daniel tries to go on with his work, but Vala constantly disturbs him and even tries to seduce him in his bedroom. Daniel is not amused.

The next day, Daniel, Landry, Teal'c and Vala are at the committee in hopes of getting more money for the SGC, but Senator Fisher decides to run the program with only 30% of the former money since he also doesn't believe the story of the Ori. He believes they should focus their efforts on building more Daedalus-class ships. Vala interrupts and insults the senator, which prompts Landry to allow the mission to get back the cargo ship to get rid of her.

Mitchell, Daniel, Teal'c and Vala travel to a planet to meet Tenat and Jup, who now own the Tel'tak, pretending that Daniel and Vala were captured by Mitchell and Teal'c. The two aliens fall for the ruse and the team gets back the Tel'tak while Tenat and Jup remain on the planet. However the two then contact the Lucian Alliance, who ambush the Tel'tak with a large fleet when it leaves the planet. Thanks to Caius' modifications to the ship, the team is able to escape. They then trade everything back to its "rightful" owners until they bring back Arlos the necklace. Though pleased, the scientist admits that he can’t sever the bond and believes that the effect will wear off by itself after some time, something which doesn't make Daniel happy.

Daniel tells Landry the bad news. Landry informs Daniel that he has agreed to give the International Oversight Advisory a civilian watchdog in exchange for them funding the Stargate program further, due to the Senate Appropriations Committee slashing the SGC's budget by 70%. In the end Teal'c leaves again for Dakara but Mitchell is sure that he will come back.

Notable Quotes
Jackson: What happened? Mitchell: We're not exactly sure, but Doctor Lam thinks it has something to do with those alien cuffs. Jackson: (Sits up) Why does one assume that? Lam: Well you were completely unresponsive when we brought you in, but your condition suddenly improved when she came back. (Daniel looks over and sees Vala sitting up) Vala: Miss me?

Goofs

 * As Vala leaves at the beginning of the episode, the greenscreen behind the Stargate prop can be clearly seen in the reflection of Daniel's glasses.

In other languages

 * French: Ce Lien Qui Nous Unit… (The Ties That Bind Us...)
 * Italian: Legami Vincolanti (Binding Ties)
 * Spanish: Los Lazos Que Unen (The Ties That Bind)
 * Czech: Trvalé pouto
 * German: Unsichtbare Fesseln (Invisible Ties)