Stargate SG-1 (1998) is the novelization of "Children of the Gods" written by Ashley McConnell. The fact that the book is titled Stargate SG-1 rather the Children of the Gods suggests the episode's title had not yet been developed when the novel was written.
Curiously, Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin are credited on the front and inside cover for "story and characters" while Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright, who actually wrote the episode, are listed only under the acknowledgments. Emmerich and Devlin are not credited for creating the Stargate film in the credits of Stargate SG-1 since they refused an on-screen credit.
Additional Information on Characters[]
Jack O'Neill[]
- Jack O'Neill's house is a "medium-long drive" from Cheyenne Mountain.
- O'Neill's memories of Charlie's death involve the pistol lying on a pale white carpet with Charlie's empty hand lying nearby.
- When Skaara offers him his lighter back, O'Neill states that he quit smoking. This would account for the fact that he appears smoking cigarette several times in the film, but never in the series.
- Daniel Jackson notes that in O'Neill's house there are no pictures of his wife. In several episodes, there are pictures of Sara in his house, but they could have been put up later.
- O'Neill hates asking for directions and notes how Daniel has no trouble asking the monks for directions to the nearest city.
- O'Neill has passed through Rome on his way to bases in Germany, Turkey and Spain. He enjoyed spending his off-hours wandering through the city and Chulak reminded him of how Rome may have been a thousand years ago. When Jackson says the "When in Rome..." line O'Neill thinks that there is such a thing as taking a resemblance too far, but notes that the last time he bowed to anyone was probably the last time he had been in Rome.
- O'Neill stayed up all night to watch the Apollo landing and keeps up on current space programs. He was interested in becoming an astronaut, but gave up as the space program was cut back.
Samantha Carter[]
- Samantha Carter felt a brief, quickly suppressed flash of jealousy when she first saw Sha're and noted Daniel's feelings for her.
- Carter flew an F-16 in the Gulf War, but was not involved in any ground action.
- Carter is the first to suggest the Goa'uld are parasitical in form.
General Hammond[]
- Bert Samuels considers Hammond a "solid, by-the-book crusty career man" whose whole life was the Air Force and service to his country.
- Hammond considers standing up to Democrats very difficult, implying that he is a Republican.
- In contrast to Samuels, who seemed to be very eager to seal the iris, Hammond was determined to not cheat O'Neill and the team out of a single second.
Charles Kawalsky[]
- Kawalsky is either O'Neill or Ferretti's best friend. The way the sentence was structured doesn't make it clear who the pronoun "he" was referring to. Based on the context of the scene, it's probably Ferretti, but he could still be O'Neill's best friend as well. In "Point of View," the alternate Kawalsky states that O’Neill was his best friend.
Major Samuels[]
- Major Samuels' first name is Bert.
- Samuels apparently drinks alcohol at least somewhat regularly.
- Samuels resents being sent to retrieve O'Neill and looks forward to being promoted to the position where he will be able to "send junior officers on errands like this one." He is portrayed as being rather self-important and enjoying his position as Hammond's executive officer. He seems to be interested primarily in career advancement.
- Hammond thinks Samuels might make a decent half of an interrogation team.
- Samuels feels intimidated by O'Neill and seems to be contemptuous of him.
- Samuels tried to make conversation with O’Neill while they were heading to the base, but O’Neill ignored him.
- Samuels did not know that Hammond was planning to retire until he told O’Neill about it.
- Samuels was planning to send a bomb through to Chulak if the team didn't return on time. (possibly he wanted it sent before the time limit was up)
Kidnapped Air Force sergeant[]
- The kidnapped sergeant is named Carol Ketering. The first letter of the name on her uniform is never fully visible in the episode, but it clearly ends with "eterings." Note the "s" is not in the name of the character as it appears in the novel.
- Ketering was determined that her captors wouldn't get anything out of her "but her name, rank, and serial number."
- As was implied in the episode, Apophis killed Ketering after Amaunet rejected her.
Other Characters[]
- Samuels' driver was an airman.
- Warren is an airman.
Additional Information on Abydos[]
- Daniel and the Abydonians scrapped the probe sent to the planet and salvaged a dish from it. They used the dish as cookware, which is convenient since it was made of non-stick titanium.
- Carter speculates that the women on Abydos may eat separately from the men.
- Daniel refers to the cartouche chamber in Abydosian with the words vili tao an.
- Carter estimates the Abydosian pyramid to be ten times larger than Cheops' monument on Earth.
- Carter speculates that in the city on Abydos there is a spring where their food is grown.
- The Abydos cartouche is located inside a cave entered through a fissure in the rock. A few steps from the cave, the pyramid with the Stargate can still be seen.
Additional Information on Chulak and the Goa’uld[]
- Teal'c states that many Jaffa are questioning whether the Goa'uld actually built the Stargates.
- What Teal'c said that Skaara translated as "We're going to choose who will be the children of the gods" was "Shaka, ha! Kree hol mel, Goa’uld." What Teal'c says before "Kneel before your masters!" is "Benna! Ya wan, yu duru!"
- After being kidnapped, Ketering was stripped and bathed by slaves. She struggled at first, but then decided there was no point in exhausting herself resisting a hot, perfumed bath. She was then dressed in the diaphanous gown seen in the episode.
- Chulak is described, in relation to Rome, as having "the same wide boulevards branched out into narrow little twisting streets with laundry hanging out the windows, ripe smells hanging like miasma in rubbled corners. The same marble columns, in less disrepair, graced the monuments. It looked like the kind of place a man could find a halfway decent bar but no ice."
Miscellaneous Additional Information[]
- Samuels was only authorized to mention the Stargate outside of the base only if it was absolutely necessary.
- The portion of O'Neill's report from the first mission dealing with travel through the Stargate read: "Passage through the Gate proved to be unsettling and detrimental to combat readiness. This effect lasted only a short time, however, and knowledge of what to expect made the return to Earth much easier."
- The scene where Samuels shows up at O'Neill's house takes place just past midnight.
- O'Neill gave the fur-clad man his gun to use against the Jaffa, but, instead of firing it, he threw it like a javelin, which was nonetheless effective.
Contradictions with the Series[]
Characters[]
- The men wearing uniforms with the names "McAtee" and "Fryatt" on them in the episode are identified in the novel as Sergeant Keithley and Airman Liverakos respectively.
- O'Neill's hair is described as "light" and "the kind of blond that didn’t show gray." His eyes are described as being dark.
- According to the novel, O'Neill, before he lied about the setting off the bomb, had never disobeyed orders before in his life. In "Solitudes," he described himself as having been on an "unofficial" mission in the 1980s.
- According to the novel, Charlie O’Neill had blond hair.
- According to the novel, O'Neill was "brought up on" Heinlein, Clarke, Bradbury and Asimov. This contradicts "Ascension" where it's stated that O'Neill isn't much of a science-fiction fan.
- In the novel, Carter seems to be more versed in ancient Egypt than she ever is in the series. This could be explained by the fact that it's specified she spent hours pouring over Daniel's work.
- Daniel Jackson is described as being not much older than the Abydonian boys and as having blond hair. In the series, his hair is very brown, but in the film his hair could easily be considered either blond or brown.
- Teal'c says in the novel that the reason he helped O'Neill was because the team were the first to come along with powers that approach that of the Goa’uld, contradicting the episode "Threshold," where he said that he joined them because they had tasted freedom.
- Casey dies and it drives Warren to tears. In the episode, Casey is injured and taken to the infirmary. However, Casey doesn't appear in any future episodes, so he could have died.
- Unlike in the episode, the fur-clad man is killed before being able to go through the gate.
- In Stargate SG-1: Children of the Gods - Final Cut, we can see a full frontal view of the name of the female Sergeant before the scanning of the Goa'uld scanning device: it's WETERINGS. This footage is not seen in the original cut. Because of that the name of Ketering is not part of the Stargate canon.
Dialogue[]
Some of the dialogue is different. This is likely due to changes made in the script after it was adapted by McConnell. Also, much of the time, emphasis is placed (with italics) on words that the actors didn't place emphasis on in the actual episode. Some examples include:
- The lead monk repeats the word "Stargate" as if to make sure he had heard correctly.
- Carter mentions the name "Apophis" to Daniel and he recognizes it. In the episode, Daniel is the first to bring up the name "Apophis."
- O'Neill tells Jackson, "Welcome back to the land of the living," but in the episode he, more appropriately, says "Welcome back to the land of the conscious."
- When Daniel said "Something of the host must survive..." a Goa’uld replies and says "Nothing." In the episode, no one ever said anything, but Teal'c shook his head.
- O’Neill words to Teal’c are "I can...save these people...if you help me." In the episode, he says "I can save these people!" and then, after a pause, he adds "Help me..."
- When Teal'c says "I am a Jaffa. Bred to serve, that they may live," he is described as sounding like he is reciting a lesson learned long ago, "a lesson he hated."
- Teal'c is described as murmuring "I have nowhere to go," but in the episode he speaks in a strong, clear voice.
Other[]
- The briefing room contains an overhead projector and a whiteboard with a "magic button." No overhead projector is ever shown in the series, but a whiteboard appeared in the feature film and "The Enemy Within."
- Ketering seems more nervous in the novel than she was visibly in the episode.
- The Goa’ulds inside the Jaffa slain in the gate room exited the Jaffa and launched themselves into the hands of Apophis, who took them back through the gate with him.
- In the novel, the poker table had a hole shot in its center by a Jaffa guard when someone attempted to use it as a shield and it later ended up on the floor with its legs pointing upwards. In the episode, the table was crushed when a soldier was shot and fell on top of it.
- After Apophis shouts a command to his Jaffa, the Stargate is somehow reactivated. This occurs while the battle between his guards and the soldiers is still going on. In the episode, the gate is still inactive when the battle ends.
- The activation of the Stargate in the opening scene is lengthier. Whereas it only lasts a couple seconds in the episode, the gate only kawooshs in the novel after several paragraphs.
- The Jaffa in the infirmary is described as having gunshot wounds, but none are visible in the actual episode.
- In the novel, a whole line of Jaffa are in the infirmary, but in the episode there appears to be only one. Though there is a table with a cloth over it behind the doctor in the episode, it's much lower than the one with the Jaffa on it.
- According to the novel, at least one of the Jaffa that came through the gate with Apophis was female although in the episode all the Jaffa that came through the gate appear to all have a masculine build. In "Birthright" it is stated that the Goa’uld don't use female Jaffa as warriors. This scene is intact in the Final Cut, however.
- The novel states that the room O'Neill and Kawalsky were held in had "obviously been someone’s office not too long before."
- In the novel, it is some time after O'Neill mentions Charlie's death that Hammond enters the cell. Kawalsky talks at length about what has happened to him in the past year while O’Neill reminisces about Abydos.
- The novel describes the technicians in the control room as being civilians although they are quite clearly military officers in the episode. It appears the technicians in the feature film were civilians.
- Before leaving Abydos, Apophis tears Sha're's robe open, stripping her naked.
- Apophis is described as "touching her [Ketering] all over her body" after she is stripped and the Goa’uld symbiote (Amaunet) left the body of the Jaffa and did the same. In the episode, both merely looked at her.
- The briefing room table is described as being made of wood.
- FRED is described as being a motorized battle cart and as being the size of an SUV without the top half.
- Apophis presents Sha're to Amaunet before the guards place her on the alter rather than after.
- According to Jackson, the people of Abydos were brought there five thousands years ago. This contradicts the film and "Moebius, Parts 1" and "2."
- It's stated that all the people bowed down as one, but in the actual episode several servants were seen pushing people to their knees.
- Daniel is described as having tears streaming down his face when a Goa’uld grabs him to assess whether he would make a good host.
- The first guard Teal'c shoots is next to O'Neill and, for a brief moment, O'Neill wonders why he isn't dead. In the episode, all the guards were coming in at the people and Teal'c had to turn around his staff to fire at the guards.
- When Teal'c revealed the Goa’uld within him, O’Neill pointed his staff at it.
- The scene where Teal'c tells O'Neill that the boy he seeks is no longer himself occurs directly after O'Neill says that he'd take his chances if he were Teal'c. In the episode, it is implied that some time had passed. He later repeats the question and Daniel asks him if it's possible for a host to become human again. Teal'c is described as looking as though the idea had never occurred to him before and says he doesn't know.
- Teal'c says "Goa’ulds" at one point.
- Kawalsky states that his team got the first few symbol Apophis dialed in the gate, but didn't catch the rest because they had to fire at a Death Glider. In "The Broca Divide," General Hammond states it was the refugees who identified the symbols, although none of them were present when Apophis dialed.
- The scene where Hammond decides to seal the gate off and where a wormhole is established are combined and a technician, presumably Walter Harriman, is involved.
- The claymores are described as sending pieces of the Jaffa flying. In the episode, the scene is much less graphic.
- A Serpent Guards head is cut off when the gate deactivates at the end.
- Instead of walking down off the ramp after he says "find them," O’Neill and the others stay in place and watch Stargate be activated again. It was not activated in the episode at this point. Presumably they are sending the first wave of refugees home, but this is illogical since they would surely wish to interview them for information first.
- O'Neill and Teal'c are the last to enter the gate in the novel, but in the episode the last are Kawalsky and two men.
- Some of the women in the chamber were afraid and some, believing Ketering may have been taken away to more luxury, were envious and tried to "volunteer" themselves. In the episode, all the women appear to be nervous.
Other Notes[]
- The spelling "Chaapa-ai" and "Chaapa’ai" are both used. When the first spelling is used it's capitalized, but this is not so with the second spelling.
- Staff weapons are twice referred to as "death sticks."
- Serpent guards are referred to as "Snakeheads" once.
- Kara kesh are twice referred to as "serpent devises."
- The term "Chulakians" is used. Later two Jaffa are each referred to as being "a Chulak."
- No technician is ever mentioned by name.
- It is never mentioned that the base containing the Stargate is inside Cheyenne Mountain, although it is mentioned that it's inside a mountain. This may due to confusion resulting from the base being inside Creek Mountain in the feature film.
- Although in the episode Daniel only refers to Carter as "Captain Doctor" once, she is frequently referred to in the novel as "the Captain Doctor."
- O'Neill says the Goa’uld are "way smarter than we are," which Jackson would later twice say of the Tollans in the episode "Pretense."
- Ferretti wonders how Apophis and Teal’c know English and decides "well, why not English? Who knew what aliens could do?" Daniel Jackson later notes this when the team encounters Teal'c for the first time. This indicates they really are speaking English and that it's not merely translated for the benefit of the audience.
- On the inside cover, which features an excerpt from the scene in the infirmary, the words "smart-ass" is printed in italics, but in the actual book it appears with quotation marks around it and without italics.
- Kawalsky's name is spelled "Kawalski" at the bottom of pages 55, 57 and 71 and the top of page 56. In the rest of the book, it's spelled correctly.
- "Jaffa" is spelled "Jaafa" when Apophis speaks to his Jaffa in the opening, but when Teal’c says he is a Jaffa, it is spelled "Jaffa." Apophis' spelling have simply been an editing mistake.