The Nox

"The Nox" is the eighth episode of the first season of Stargate SG-1.

Synopsis
After increased pressure to acquire advanced technology from their missions, SG-1 travel to the planet Gaia in order to capture a creature apparently capable of rendering itself invisible. When Apophis and his guards find them, they are killed, but then miraculously resurrected by the Nox, an advanced race who will not meddle with any of their immediate affairs, especially capturing Apophis.

Plot
SG-1 travels to the planet Gaia in search of a being with the ability to appear and disappear at will - such abilities would give a great tactical advantage against the Goa'uld. When Apophis arrives on the planet, in pursuit of the same creature, the team plot to sedate him with the tranquilizer guns they brought to take down the creature.

After taking down one of his armed guards, Apophis himself uses his energy shield to protect himself from Colonel Jack O'Neill's tranquilizer dart. The team are killed, apart from Teal'c who declares "Tal shaka mel - I die free" - but disappeared as Apophis moved to fire upon him.

Later, O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson and Captain Samantha Carter awaken in a place that bears similarities to a barn. They discover that they were brought back to life by the Nox, a race of peaceful, advanced people with healing powers and the ability to make objects disappear and reappear at will. They also revive a Jaffa guard who Teal'c recognizes as Shak'l, one who he had trained while he was in the service of the Goa'uld.

Meanwhile, Apophis and his remaining entourage attempt to locate the team. Apophis is agitated at the fact that Teal'c stood before him, then disappeared moments later. Adding to his frustrations are the fact that their searches for the team, and the Stargate, are fruitless.

The Nox appear primitive, though refuse to share how they healed the team. They tell SG-1 that their weapons are "gone", and continuously try to talk them out of trying to defend them against Apophis. Adding to the situation is an apparent complacency regarding their safety, stating that their ways have kept them alive for as long as they have existed. They also refuse to allow any harm to Shak'l, despite SG-1's protests.

Teal'c offers Shak'l a chance to join them, who refuses to believe that Apophis is a false god. He feigns an injury and attracts the attention of Lya, who he kills after stabbing Teal'c. He subsequently escapes and finds Apophis, who he tells about the Nox. While the Nox begin the healing ceremony to revive Lya, SG-1 begin their pursuit, during which the Nox child, Nafrayu, appears behind him, asking to see a Goa'uld. O'Neill tells him to go home.

The Nox reveal that the healing ceremony leaves them vulnerable as they are unable to hide themselves during this time. Despite their attempts to convince the Nox of the impending threat, they refuse to do anything to defend themselves. Moments later, it is revealed that Nafrayu has not returned home. During their search, Anteaus says that he told SG-1 to do the same, and that "the very young do not always do as they are told".

Nafrayu finds Apophis in his quest to find a Goa'uld, who kills him. The search party find Nafrayu's body and take him back to the camp to begin the healing ceremony. SG-1's offer to defend the Nox from the Goa'uld during the ceremony falls on deaf ears, with the Nox demanding that there will be no more killing, and that SG-1 return home.

SG-1 plots to take Apophis down a second time, this time utilizing a flaw in Apophis' personal defense - a slow moving object, like a staff weapon or an arrow, passes through the field easily, while also deflecting faster-moving bullets and staff weapon blasts. They take out the Jaffa guards, leaving O'Neill to corner Apophis with his bow and arrow. Just as the arrow is about to hit Apophis, the Nox make him disappear.

SG-1 return to where the Stargate was, and are greeted by Anteaus and Nafrayu, who wishes to bid them farewell. The Nox make the Stargate appear again, and promise to bury it once their guests leave. O'Neill protests, saying that the Goa'uld would return in space craft to destroy them. Anteaus then reveals a large floating city for SG-1 to see, proving how advanced they really are, and that their primitive appearance was merely a front. Anteaus communicates a hope that one day the Tau'ri will learn that their way is not the only way. After they disappear, the team laments the fact that they would not listen to the Nox and now they were going to leave, never to return. O'Neill reveals that many lessons were learned, and were worth taking home.

Notable Quotes
O'Neill: Where's the Stargate?

Jackson: I think they're a family.

O'Neill: Of what?

Jackson: I have no idea.

Nafrayu: (points to himself) Nafreyu.

Carter: Nafreyu. (points to herself) Carter.

Nafrayu: Carter. (Carter smiles widely)

O'Neill: No, you can't keep him.

Anteaus: I will take you to your doorway.

O'Neill: Whoah!

Jackson: You understand what I'm saying?

Anteaus: It took time to learn your speech.

Carter: Not much time.

O'Neill: So Shak'l thinks we're unarmed, Apophis thinks he's invulnerable.

Jackson: And they're right.. I think I've detected the flaw in your plan.

Anteaus: The very young do not always do as they are told.

Anteaus: Maybe one day you will learn, that your way is not the only way.

Teal'c: It appears they possess a form of technology far greater than that of the Goa'uld.

Carter: They looked so helpless.

Jackson: And now they're going to bury the Stargate and we can never come back. We should have listened.

O'Neill: "The very young do not always do as they're told." It's a little something the Nox told me one time. Something worth taking home.

Goofs

 * About halfway through the episode, you can see that Dr. Daniel Jackson's team patch has a narrow, gray-colored "1," like is used for the rest of the series. However, in the last scene at the Stargate, it's easy to see that he now has a different patch, this one with a thick, black "1," as was used in earlier episodes.
 * One of Apophis' Jaffa refers to the Stargate as such instead of "the Chappa'ai".
 * When Teal'c is stabbed by Shak'l, there was no blood of any kind on the knife.
 * All the Jaffa guards that Apophis has with him have a golden symbols on their foreheads. Only the First Prime should have this marking in gold. It would be understandable for one of them to have a gold symbol to replace Teal'c, but Apophis shouldn't have three First Primes.
 * When O'Neill comes up with his theory about the Goa'uld personal shield, Carter says that a dart or an arrow should be able to pass through, but the team learned of the shield when O'Neill's dart didn't pass through the shield.

Nominations

 * Nominated Primetime Emmy for "Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore)" (Joel Goldsmith)

Characters

 * Lya
 * Shak'l

Race

 * Nox

In other languages

 * French: Les Nox (The Nox)
 * German: Die Macht der Weisen (Power of the Wise)
 * Italian: Missione "Invisibile" (Mission "Invisible")
 * Spanish: Los Nox (The Nox)
 * Czech: Noxové (The Nox)
 * Hungarian: A Nox (The Nox)
 * Polish: Noxowie (The Nox)