Crystal Skull

"Crystal Skull" is the twenty first episode of the third season of Stargate SG-1.

Synopsis
Dr. Daniel Jackson stares down on a Crystal skull; however, he mysteriously disappears. Jackson tries his best to communicate with them even though he can't be seen. He gets his grandfather, Nicholas Ballard, to help since he claimed to have experienced the same thing.

Plot
The members of SG-1 are watching MALP telemetry of a giant Mayan pyramid. The MALP proceeds into the pyramid, but comes to a span which is too narrow for it to traverse. Major Samantha Carter pans the MALP camera across the cavern and realizes that the pyramid contains Leptons, which means a material is slowing Neutrinos, a significant scientific find. Dr. Daniel Jackson has Sam zoom in on the object at the other end. Daniel informs them that it is a Crystal skull, identical to the one Daniel's grandfather Nicholas Ballard discovered in 1971 in Belize.

Daniel briefs SG-1, Major General George S. Hammond and Dr. Janet Fraiser on the skull that his grandfather found, explaining that his grandfather believed the skull transported him to another planet where he met aliens. His grandfather never managed to repeat the event and was scorned by the academic community. General Hammond authorizes a recon mission to the planet, but Dr Fraiser warns that she is unsure what effect the radiation caused by the Leptons might have, and recommends no more than ten to fifteen minutes exposure.

SG-1 travels to the planet and enters the pyramid, where Carter finds high, but safe, levels of radiation. The team finds the crystal skull, which Daniel immediately becomes entranced with. Radiation levels begin to increase, and Teal'c notices a form of energy surrounding Daniel. Teal'c, unable to get Daniel's attention, fires his Zat'nik'tel at the skull. The energy dissipates, but SG-1 can no longer see Daniel, who is now unconscious. Carter warns O'Neill that the radiation levels are dangerously high before passing out. SG-1 returns to Stargate Command, without Daniel.

O'Neill and Carter are treated for radiation exposure while Hammond uses the MALP to scan for Daniel, but finds nothing. Teal'c, who is partially protected by his symbiote and consequently in full health, returns to retrieve the skull so that it can be studied in an attempt to learn how rescue Daniel, who they believe was teleported to an unknown location. As Teal'c removes the skull, Daniel regains consciousness and asks what has happened, but Teal'c does not hear Daniel and runs straight through him. Daniel follows Teal'c through the Stargate back to the SGC. Tests on the skull find nothing to help them locate Daniel, so Sam suggests they visit Nick Ballard. Fraiser admits she checked on Nick and found he had committed himself to a after suffering a  caused by being unable to have the skull teleport him. SG-1 visits Ballard in the hospital. An invisible Daniel attends, encouraging his oblivious grandfather to help them. SG-1 tells him about the skull they discovered, and he asks to assist them. At SGC, Ballard is shown the skull and relives his experience for SG-1: he looked into the skull's eyes and was surrounded by a field of energy, then found himself in the pyramid, where giant aliens, apparently composed of mist, told him


 * ''"Uy ah ual ing ual ing wetail."

He recognized this as "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" in Mayan. He closed his eyes in fear and was returned to the temple where he found the skull. The temple collapsed and he was never able to locate it again. Daniel follows Nick to the VIP quarters where Nick is staying, where he apologizes, apparently to no one. Daniel asks him what he is apologizing for, and Nick replies that it is for not adopting him when his parents were killed ("The Gamekeeper"). Daniel realizes his grandfather can hear him, but believes Daniel to be a hallucination. Daniel convinces Nick to act as a go-between and together they convince General Hammond to authorize a return mission to the planet. Nick accompanies SG-1, misinforming them that Daniel insisted on it.

Back inside the pyramid, the skull is placed in its original position. Daniel stares into its eyes and all of the group, except Teal'c, are sent 'out of phase'. The giant 'mist' aliens appear and repeat the words Nick heard long ago. Daniel answers the giant that they are enemies of the Goa'uld. The giant is satisfied that they are friends. He remembers Nick and chooses him to stay and tell the giants about their world while SG-1 return to SGC.

Notable Quotes
Carter: Well, look at these readings. Sir, these are leptons.

O'Neill: Get out!!

Carter: Well, that means something inside this pyramid is slowing down neutrinos. Normally, neutrinos pass right through ordinary matter, no matter how dense. I mean, something like 500 million billion just passed through you.

O'Neill: No matter how dense.

Fraiser: Colonel I can only guess at the effect this type of radiation may have on the human body. I recommend limited exposure. Ten, 15 minutes at the most.

Jackson: Wait a minute, that's not enough time. I mean there has to be some sort of radioactive suit, or a...

O'Neill: Hey! If you'd been listening, you'd know that Nintendos pass through everything.

Jackson: I heard.

(Carter smirks)

O'Neill: ...Everything.

Teal'c: Whoever the builders are, they appear to be a formidable race.

Jackson: You could fit every pyramid on Earth inside this thing and still have room to spare.

O'Neill: Could you imagine heating this place?

Teal'c: Nicholas Ballard believed the skull to be a teleportation device. Recovering the skull may help us to determine the location to which he was teleported.

Hammond: The MALP telemetry suggests the radiation levels are still too high.

Teal'c: My symbiote provides me with a greater tolerance against the effects of radiation.

Hammond: And if that thing zaps you to wherever it sent Dr. Jackson?

Teal'c: Then I will have succeeded in locating him.

O'Neill: (About Fraiser) Napoleonic power monger.

O'Neill: Look, I'm sick of laying around. Help me up.

Teal'c: Dr. Fraiser believes you are not strong enough to undertake such a mission.

O'Neill: Yeah, whatever.

(O'Neill tries to stand up but instead he crashes onto the floor)

Teal'c: Dr. Fraiser is usually correct on such matters.

(Teal'c heaves O'Neill and throws him onto the bed)

O'Neill: (Muffled) Thank you.

Teal'c: You're welcome, O'Neill.

Hammond: Humor me, Doctor!! I want a full report within 12 hours. (turns and walks out of the room)

Rothman: Yes, sir. I-I was...

Teal'c: Do not look directly into its eyes. (follows Hammond out of the room)

Rothman: Ok...

Jackson: Don't let me down, Robert. (follows Teal'c out of the room)

Rothman: Teleportation device!? I... (scoff) What do you think?

Siler: I think you're gonna get fired.

Jackson: You can see me?

Ballard: Yes, Daniel. I can see you.

Jackson: Why didn't you say something?

Ballard: You are not real, so, it doesn't mean anything.

Jackson: No! No, no, no, no! Nick! Nick, I'm real! I'm real! You're not hallucinating!

Ballard: Hallucinations always say that.

Jackson: Repeat after me: He's standing right beside me.

Nick: He is standing right beside me.

O'Neill: Well, he's lost a few pounds...

Jackson: Jack, don't be an ass.

Nick: Jack, don't be an ass.

O'Neill: Daniel?

(O'Neill sees Quetzalcoatl come up behind him)

O'Neill: Holy smoke, Bullwinkle!!

Goofs

 * When Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Samantha Carter, Teal'c, Nicholas Ballard, and Dr. Daniel Jackson are walking from the Stargate to the Mayan temple, you can see all 5 shadows on the walkway. Since Daniel did not exist on a visible state at the time, he would not have cast a shadow like the others. On the other hand, it may just be that we, the viewers, can see Daniel's shadow just as we can see Daniel himself.
 * When SG-1 entered the cavern, you can clearly see that they are against a green screen, as when they start to cross the catwalk to the skull, the rocks above passed through Teal'c's head.
 * When Teal'c fires his Zat'nik'tel at the Crystal skull in an attempt to stop the expanding energy field, and Jackson is thrown backwards down the steps, Jackson lands with both of his hands and his face hanging over the ledge.  When the shot changes and we see Teal'c walking through him, he's suddenly moved about 2 feet back from where he landed, no longer close to the edge.

In other languages

 * French: Le Crâne de Cristal (Crystal Skull)
 * Italian: Il Teschio di Cristallo (Crystal Skull)
 * Spanish: La Calavera de Cristal (Crystal Skull)
 * Czech: Křišťálová lebka (Crystal Skull)
 * Hungarian: Kristálykoponya (Crystal Skull)
 * German: Der Kristallschädel (Crystal Skull)