Smoke and Mirrors

"Smoke and Mirrors" is the fourteenth episode of the sixth season of Stargate SG-1.

Synopsis
Senator Robert Kinsey is shot by an assassin, who later turns out to be Colonel Jack O'Neill. O'Neill is arrested, even though he says he was nowhere near the scene at the time. The rest of SG-1 investigate who is framing O'Neill.

Plot
As Senator Robert Kinsey is leaving a building a sniper prepares a rifle. Before the Senator is able to enter his car, he is shot in the heart by the sniper, much to the shock of the crowd. Suddenly Colonel Jack O'Neill leaves a building.

Back at Stargate Command, SG-1 (without O'Neill) watches TV about this incident when O'Neill enters the room. They talk about the incident when Major General George S. Hammond enters. He tells O'Neill that he is under arrest for the murder of Kinsey. The remaining members of SG-1 are informed by Major Paul Davis about the facts: a live video feed of O'Neill, and a gun that was dumped in O'Neill's cabin's lake. The other members of SG-1 do not want to believe that the murderer was O'Neill. General Hammond relieves them of off-world duties and reassigns them to find out what really happened.

Jonas Quinn and Teal'c visit O'Neill in prison and question him about where he was. Afterward they talk about the time when aliens infiltrated SGC by using devices which allow them to impersonate another person. They go to Area 51 to look for the devices; all twelve devices have been replaced by non-functioning duplicates. Some time later Major Samantha Carter visits Agent Malcolm Barrett at the NID headquarters and talks with him about the situation. Since his office is bugged, he hands her a note that asks her to meet him later in a nearby park ("STANTON PARK 3PM"). At Stanton Park, Barrett tells Carter that he was ordered by the White House to find out who belongs to the shadow organization inside the NID and that Kinsey was helping him.

At the SGC, Jonas and Teal'c find out that one of the scientists named Dr. Brent Langham, who was working with the Mimetic imaging devices, was supposedly killed in a car accident but it appears that he faked his death. They find out that Langham took a new identity. Jonas and Teal'c visit his new home. Langham disguises himself but Jonas and Teal'c realize he is in disguise. Langham tries to flee but is caught. Carter and Barrett visit an underground store for weapons where the killer bought the rifle. They find out that it was bought by someone looking like O'Neill, actually an NID agent. Back at SGC Langham is imprisoned but does not talk until Teal'c forces him to.

Major Carter and Agent Barrett visit Agent Mark Devlin, who really shot Senator Kinsey. When they break into his house they only find a bomb and barely escape. At the SGC, Dr. Langham reveals that he was working for an organization named The Committee and that they do this for profit. He also reveals the names of the people behind the assassination in exchange for immunity. Immediately, Carter is informed about this. She tells Barrett about the mimic devices and he reveals that Kinsey isn't dead; he is in a coma in a hospital and will shortly be visited by Major Davis. Carter tells him that Davis is one of the people who can be imitated by a mimic device.In the meantime, the rogue NID agent imitates Davis and tries to kill Kinsey in the hospital, but is stopped.

Devlin informs the Committee, who reveal that they plan on forcing General Hammond's retirement. The agent is ordered to visit General Hammond and turns out to be Major Carter in disguise, much to the surprise of the Committee. Barrett then enters the room with troops and arrests the Committee.

Later, O'Neill is released and visits the recovered Kinsey, with whom he must shake hands in front of the press in order to regain public trust. O'Neill is of course none too thrilled with this prospect, as it may have ensured Kinsey's victory in the upcoming presidential election.

Notable Quotes
O'Neill: Someone duplicated the duplicators?

Hammond: I understand this man had some injuries when you brought him in.

Teal'c:  (sarcastically) Dr. Langham was reluctant to accompany us back to the SGC. He required some ... convincing.

Goofs

 * The rifle being unpacked at the very beginning of the episode does not match the one shown in the picture Major Paul Davis displays in the briefing.

In other languages

 * French: Écrans de fumée (Smokescreens)
 * Italian: Fumo e Specchi (Smoke and Mirrors)
 * Spanish: Humos y Espejos (Smoke and Mirrors)
 * Czech: Kouřová clona (Smokescreen)