- This episode is part 3 of 3; it is preceded by "Politics" and "Within the Serpent's Grasp".
"The Serpent's Lair" is the first episode of the second season of Stargate SG-1.
Synopsis[]
The Ha'tak vessels arrive over Earth, and SG-1 is captured after killing Klorel. Fortunately, a small team of Jaffa led by Bra'tac is secretly stopping Apophis from taking over the Earth and rescues SG-1 for their assistance.
Previously on Stargate SG-1[]
After the Stargate Program is shut down by Senator Robert Kinsey, SG-1 violates orders and enters the Stargate to the address Dr. Daniel Jackson received from the Alternate reality. They arrive on Klorel's Ha'tak and attempt to capture Skaara, but Klorel is able to use his Kara kesh on Jackson, Colonel Jack O'Neill is forced to shoot Skaara, and SG-1 soon discovers that the ship is now circling Earth.
Plot[]
Still horrified over the fact that an attack on Earth may happen, Colonel Jack O'Neill orders Captain Samantha Carter to prepare to set off the C-4, which would ultimately destroy the ship they are on, but as they prepare, another Goa'uld mothership slides into view. Teal'c identifies it as Apophis' Ha'tak and notes that it has defense shields and will not be sufficiently damaged by the destruction of this one. Destroying the ship they are on would not guarantee that the invasion would be stopped.
Jack after being knocked out by a Goa'uld shock grenade
Jaffa break into the room, and despite SG-1's best efforts, the Jaffa throw a shock grenade, disabling and capturing SG-1.
On Earth, Major General George S. Hammond wants to know why they haven't gone to full alert. Lt. Colonel Bert Samuels, coordinating with The Pentagon, informs him that Area 51 has created two "Goa'uld-busters", missiles with stealth Mark 12-A warheads enhanced with the Stargate element, Naquadah. Curiously, the Goa'uld ships have delayed entering orbit, giving the United States the necessary time to prepare.
Bra'tac, believed to be part of Klorel's loyal Jaffa and put in command of killing SG-1, informs them that he engineered the Goa'uld's delay by placing Klorel in a Sarcophagus. He knew Apophis would wait until Klorel arose, hopefully giving Earth's warships time to attack. He originally planned to lead his fighter wing (Teal'c makes four) against Apophis in Klorel's name, leading father and son to attack each other's ships in the heat of battle. However, being aware of the humans on board, they will now bond against their common enemy. O'Neill thinks they need a new plan.
Hammond evacuates people through the Stargate, the best in their fields of expertise to preserve humankind at an off-world Alpha Site. Samuels' missiles are easily repelled by the defense shields, but Klorel almost didn't raise them, as Skaara continues to fight his symbiote for control.
Samuels unknowingly repeats the embittered Brigadier General Jack O'Neill's orders in the alternate reality as recommendations to Hammond: Waiting to send people on the Alpha/Genesis list to the Alpha/Beta Site as they defend Earth, and sending a bomb to Chulak. Hammond scoffs at his recommendations, and Samuels' request to join an Alpha team, which Hammond also denies.
Bra'tac and SG-1 fight their way to Klorel's command center without raising an alarm, Bra'tac quietly dispatching Jaffa guards.
On the bridge, Klorel is captured and Bra'tac directs the ship closer to Apophis' but one of the guards seriously wounds Dr. Daniel Jackson.
A badly wounded Daniel
Daniel's cry alerts Jack and instantly, Jack is at Daniel's side, attempting to treat Daniel but Daniel, knowing that time is running out, tells Jack to leave him. Jack reluctantly does so.
The rest ring over to Apophis' ship. With Klorel as a temporary hostage, Bra'tac destroys Apophis' steering console. O'Neill then drops two Fragmentation grenades into the core of the ship, destroying the shield generators so both ships will be destroyed when the C-4 explodes. Bra'tac is impressed and prepares to die. O'Neill overrides that plan, and directs the team to the Death Glider bays. Jack and Bra'tac take one Death Glider while Sam and Teal'c take another. Seconds later, the two Gliders launch.
Apophis and Klorel, unable to control either ship, escape through the rings and Stargate.
Daniel wakes up in a sarcophagus, having crawled into one to heal his injuries. With seconds to go, he dials the Alpha Site, hoping the coordinates are the same in this reality. Both ships collide and explode.
At Stargate Command, Harriman tells Hammond that they've got reports from all over the country and that there's a huge fireball in the night which has all the scientists and civilians in the room erupting in celebration and joy as Hammond stands there, stunned.
Stranded in space
The gliders have escaped but are heavily damaged from the proximity. They share a quiet moment, reflecting on the beauty of Earth, and the Space shuttle Endeavour, which Hammond had prepped for launch to rescue SG-1 on the very small chance that the flash of light witnessed on one of the Goa'uld ships from the first shock grenade was SG-1 sabotaging the ship. When Daniel arrives and confirms SG-1 was in those ships, Hammond had the shuttle launched.
Jack, Sam, Teal'c, and Bra'tac arrive into the SGC's Embarkation Room, where they are greeted with applause while General Hammond thanks Bra'tac for his efforts. The team also meet Daniel who makes his way through the crowd with Jack and Sam hugging Daniel while Jack calls Daniel a "space monkey". The crowd including SG-1 and Daniel talk happily as everyone in the Embarkation Room celebrates SG-1's triumphant return and their efforts in defeating Apophis.
Appearances[]
Notable quotes[]
O'Neill: All right, here's what we do…
Bra'tac: I will lead. You will follow.
O'Neill: Right.
O'Neill: (trying to assure Daniel that they'll make it) All right, take it easy, Daniel. We've been in worse situations than this.
Teal'c: Not to my knowledge.
O'Neill: Thanks, Teal'c.
O'Neill: Okay. (at the fourth wall) Well, I suppose now is the time for me to say something profound. (pauses) Nothing comes to mind. Are you with me? Great. Let's do it.
Bra'tac: You are... Hammond of Texas?
O'Neill: I think what the captain is asking is... what now?
Bra'tac: Now we die.
O'Neill: Well that's a bad plan.
Bra'tac: Perhaps if the warships of your world attack we will be able...
Carter: (interrupting) Eh, excuse me... did you say 'the ships of our world'?
Bra'tac: Surely you have such vessels?
Jackson: Well, we have a number of... of...
Jackson and O'Neill: Shuttles.
Bra'tac: These... 'shuttles'... they are a formidable craft?
O'Neill: Oh yeah... yeah... bad day...
(SG-1 have just destroyed Apophis' ships)
Harriman: (excitedly) Sir, sir, we've got reports from all over the country! A huge fireball in the night sky!
(everyone in the Control Room cheers while General Hammond looks stunned)
Cast[]
Main Characters
- Richard Dean Anderson as Colonel Jack O'Neill
- Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson
- Amanda Tapping as Captain Samantha Carter
- Christopher Judge as Teal'c
- Don S. Davis as Major General George S. Hammond
Guest Stars
- Tony Amendola as Bra'tac
- Robert Wisden as Lt. Colonel Bert Samuels
- Peter Williams as Apophis
- Gary Jones as MSgt. Walter Harriman
- Alexis Cruz as Skaara/Klorel
- Laara Sadiq as SSgt. Laura Davis
- Douglas H. Arthurs as Kah'l
- Michael Brynjolfson as Jaffa
- Phillip Mitchell as Jaffa #2
- Bernie Neufeld as Major Jenkins
- Peter Kufluk as SSgt. Connor (Uncredited)
- Shawn Stewart as Bra'tac's apprentice 1 (Uncredited)
- Jason Calder as Bra'tac's apprentice 2 (Uncredited)
- Guyle Lee-Fraizer as SF Guard (Uncredited)
Notes[]
- This is the first episode to begin with a "Previously on Stargate SG-1" segment. It is voiced by Christopher Judge (Teal'c). This is used throughout the series.
- When the Alpha Site is dialed up, the glyphs dialed are exactly the same as those for Abydos. Stock footage of the Stargate from the 1994 feature film is also used.
- All the scenes that show the Transportation rings being used in Apophis' Ha'tak are fill from the 1994 film, sped up slightly.
- When Colonel Jack O'Neill says, "I think a better idea is to get the other guys to lay down their lives for their world first," it is a reference to a famous George S Patton quote, "No dumb bastard ever won a war by going out and dying for his country. He won it by making some other dumb bastard die for his country."
- Lt. Colonel Bert Samuels, Colonel Harold Maybourne and Senator Robert Kinsey, all opposed to Major General George S. Hammond's style of interplanetary diplomacy, are involved in the "Goa'uld-buster" plan. Samuels is not heard from again, though he does appear in an alternate timeline in "Moebius, Part 1", but the other two continue to oppose Hammond and SG-1 for years to come.
- In this episode, two Ha'tak ships are destroyed by SG-1 and Bra'tac's rebel Jaffa. These are the first two since Stargate Command's inception.
- In the episode "The Tok'ra, Part 1", Garshaw of Belote reveals that aboard the ships there was a group of Tok'ra infiltrators.
- This is the first time that Bra'tac refers to Hammond as "Hammond of Texas."
- It was later revealed in "Citizen Joe" that the cover story for the destruction of Apophis' fleet was massive solar flare activity. In 2004, Joe Spencer attempted to use these reports to prove to his estranged wife Charlene Spencer that his visions about SG-1 were real.
- This is the last of two episodes of Stargate SG-1 directed by creator and executive producer Jonathan Glassner.
Goofs[]
- Dr. Daniel Jackson, with a bloody hole in his uniform and a destroyed radio, is able to drag himself to the Sarcophagus. When he emerges, his clothes and radio are intact, with no trace of blood on them, almost as if he had never been shot in the first place. Similarly, when Skaara is placed in the sarcophagus, he has a small, bloody hole on his right shoulder. When he emerges, the mark is gone.
- When Lt. Colonel Bert Samuels presents his Goa'uld-buster-Rockets, he explains that the rockets and warheads are mantled with the stealth-material used on stealth-bombers, so the Goa'uld should not be able to detect them, "if they have something like our radar". This ignores the heat-trail produced by the rocket-engines, which is bright enough that the Goa'uld can see them with eye-sight alone.
- The computer display schematic of the Goa'uld-buster states that it has 'Naqahdah', when it is later implied that it's spelled Naquadah.
- It is never explained how Colonel Jack O'Neill, Bra'tac, Teal'c, and Captain Samantha Carter make it from the damaged Death Gliders into Endeavour without space suits.
Other languages[]
- French: La Morsure Du Serpent (The Serpent's Bite)
- German: Die Invasion: Kampf um die Erde (The Invasion: Battle for Earth)
- Italian: Attacco Alla Terra (Attack to Earth)
- Spanish: La Guarida De la Serpiente (The Serpent's Lair)
- Czech: V hadím hnízdě (In the Serpent's Lair)
- Hungarian: Kígyófészek (The Serpent's Lair)
- Polish: Legowisko węża (The Serpent's Lair)
- Japanese: 宇宙戦争 Uchū Sensō (Space Battle) - this episode's title is shared with the title used for the Japanese translation of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds.
[]
- The Serpent's Lair on GateWorld. (backup link)
- The Serpent's Lair Oral History on The Companion
- The Serpent's Lair article on Stargate SG-1 Solutions' The StargateWiki
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