Prodigy

Prodigy is the nineteenth episode of the fourth season of Stargate SG-1.

Plot
While Col. O'Neill and Teal'c are visiting an off-world research facility on a moon and Daniel is on a mission with SG-11, Major Carter is sent to the Air Force Academy to give a lecture on wormholes. During her stay, Carter meets Jennifer Hailey, a cocky, insubordinate, brilliant cadet, who even finds a mistake in one of Carter's equations. Carter believes that Hailey would be a great asset to Stargate Command and tries to convince her stay in the academy, although she always gets in trouble and is even threatened with expulsion for breaking an upperclassman's nose.

O'Neill and the scientists stationed at the facility in the meantime begin to butt heads. The scientists are irritated that O'Neill seems paranoid about everything, while O'Neill believes that the scientists are not being careful enough in their research. While exploring the moon, the team discovers an alien life form similar to a Will o' the wisp that can fly, phase through solid matter and act intelligently. Despite O'Neill's protests, the scientists capture one for further study. The scientists believe that it may be an energy based life form and that it would be one of the greatest discoveries for mankind.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, Carter discovers that most of Hailey's negative attitude stems from boredom and frustration with the courses she is taking. Hailey is so brilliant that none of the classes at the academy challenge her. However, Hailey is also angry about being constantly compared to Carter. Carter gets permission to reveal her work and gives her a tour through the SGC, as well as her first alien world. They arrive at the same moon as the research facility where O'Neill and Teal'c are located.

At the facility, things are not going well. Two scientists venture out into the forest to find more wisps, but the wisps are apparently aware that one of their numbers had been captured, and the scientists are mercilessly attacked. One scientist, Dr. Thompson, is killed when the wisps pass through him several times and every time they do so burn the person. The other, Dr. Lee, is injured, but manages to run and warn the others. The team on the moon is forced to take shelter in the main building. Carter runs an electric current through the aluminum walls of the facility to keep the wisps out, but because nobody can remember when the power generator was last fueled, it could cut out at any minute.

There Carter and Hailey clash about what to do. Carter thinks the wisps are angry at one of their number being imprisoned; Hailey thinks they turned violent as a result of substantial changes in the magnetic field present around the moon, caused by its polar orbit about the parent planet. Finally O'Neill decides to let himself be zatted, so that for some time he will be immune to the wisps and can run to the Stargate to open it. That done, the team run for the gate, with SG-1 holding off the wisps with their Zats. SG-1, Hailey, and the remaining scientists make the escape to Earth, and an excited Hailey decides to stay in the Air Force to work at the SGC after graduating.