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"Upgrades" is the third episode of the fourth season of Stargate SG-1.

Synopsis[]

Anise of the Tok'ra arrives on Earth to test Atanik armbands on SG-1, and notices that they cause the team to be physically augmented. With their new powers evident, SG-1 urges Major General George S. Hammond to let them fight the Goa'uld with them. However, the armbands also make the team more irrational.

Plot[]

The SG-1 team (except for Teal'c) becomes guinea pigs for an experiment by the Tok'ra Anise. The experiment uses special armbands, created by a race called the Ataniks, to enhance all their natural abilities. The armbands do not work where there is a symbiote present, so they won't work on the Tok'ra or Teal'c. While wearing the armbands, their strength, speed, agility, and metabolism (and therefore appetite) are all increased massively. At the same time, the device decreases their ability to make rational decisions.

This new sense of invulnerability leads the three to rash actions, such as going to a local steak house in defiance of a direct order and getting into a brawl.

As the experiment goes on, Anise brings forth a proposal from the Tok'ra High Council to use SG-1's new abilities to destroy a new type of Battleship that Apophis is constructing. An internal attempt at sabotage by the Tok'ra had already failed, but they believe that SG-1 with their new abilities could succeed. Hammond refuses despite Anise and her host Freya's assertions that the new Battleship would give Apophis the edge he needs to gain dominance over the rest of the Goa'uld System Lords, Earth and the rest of the galaxy as he believes Anise has just been manipulating them for exactly this reason and that SG-1 are too judgmentally impaired to perform the mission. Despite orders from Hammond to stand down, SG-1 study the Battleship schematics anyway intending to perform the mission while Hammond consults Teal'c on whether the ship is the threat Anise claims it is. Teal'c confirms that it is as it has many advancements over the Goa'uld Ha'tak-class vessels the Goa'uld currently use and as it needs to be destroyed, offers to go by himself to do it. Hammond refuses however as the Stargate on the planet is heavily guarded and Teal'c would be more likely to be killed than succeed.

Studying the schematics of the ship and the surrounding area, Major Samantha Carter determines that if they enter the Stargate at a high rate of speed, they will exit at the same speed and can easily take out all of the Jaffa guarding the Stargate though dealing with the ship itself will be much harder as its not enough to just plant C-4 as they have to take out the Battleship's power core which is sealed in impenetrable trinium. However, Carter determines that the power core is linked to a cooling system in the facility and if they blow up the cooling pipes, the power core will overheat and explode and destroy the Battleship. While the cooling pipes are protected by Goa'uld force fields, with their ability to run at superhuman speed, they will be able to run right through them. Having come up with a plan, SG-1 arm themselves and enter the Stargate Operations room at superspeed where they drug the technicians manning the room, dial the Stargate and lock off the Embarkation room and Stargate Operations room. Teal'c attempts to stop them, but Colonel Jack O'Neill tells him to stay behind and the rest of SG-1 go through the Stargate at superspeed.

When Dr. Janet Fraiser finds anti-bodies in their blood that would kill the virus that causes the enhanced powers, Major General George S. Hammond sends Teal'c to assist them.

Upgrades 1

SG-1 takes out the Jaffa.

Arriving on PX9-757 where the Battleship is, SG-1 take out all the Jaffa guarding the Stargate at superspeed without getting hit once despite being fired at with a staff cannon.

Arriving at the facility, SG-1 easily take out the Jaffa guarding the entrance and begin to make their way through it only to discover two Jaffa carrying weapons-grade Naquadah. As they can use it to make more naquadah generators, Dr. Daniel Jackson goes after the naquadah while O'Neill and Carter go after the cooling system for the Battleship. Using his superspeed, Jackson easily knocks out the two Jaffa carrying the naquadah and when another one arrives and threatens him with a staff weapon while he is collecting the naquadah in a bag, Jackson simply throws one of the blocks of naquadah into the standing Jaffa at superspeed, knocking him out and leaves to meet up with O'Neill and Carter. As Carter theorized, she and O'Neill are able to get through the force field surrounding the cooling system without any trouble and plant C-4 with a five-minute timer on the pipes. As it will take ten minutes for the power core to overheat after that, it will give them fifteen minutes to get back to the Stargate and Earth which they believe to be enough time. After planting the C-4, O'Neill and Carter start to head for the exit and meet up with Jackson who has begun struggling with carrying the naquadah.

Upgrades 2

Dr. Daniel Jackson's armband fails.

As O'Neill and Carter start to leave at superspeed, Jackson collapses and the armband comes off as his immune system has neutralized the virus it uses to interact with and change the human body, reversing the changes it had created in him. As O'Neill and Carter try to help Jackson, two Jaffa corner them, but as one prepares to fire, he is shot with a Zat'nik'tel and collapses. O'Neill and Carter are able to dodge the shot the second Jaffa fires at them and he is shot with a zat too by Teal'c who Hammond sent to help them. While Teal'c carries Jackson, who wakes up, out of the facility, O'Neill and Carter deal with a patrol of Jaffa that are nearby then go after them. However, while O'Neill makes it through a force field that appears in the corridor, the armband's effects on Carter wear off and she bounces off the force field and is left trapped as the armband then comes off. O'Neill tries to go after her, but he bounces off the force field as well and his armband comes off too. Jackson and Teal'c reach the exit, but realizing something is wrong, try to go back only to find their way blocked by a force field. Even though the C-4 will blow soon and the ship soon after that, Jackson and Teal'c decide not to leave without their friends.

Upgrades 3

Colonel Jack O'Neill refuses to leave Major Samantha Carter behind.

Trying to rescue Carter, O'Neill uses a piece of metal from nearby to break open a nearby control panel and fiddles with it to no avail to try to take the force field down. Getting desperate to save Carter as he cares for her more than he should due to their ranks and working relationship, O'Neill desperately smashes at the force field and control panel to no avail and refuses to leave her despite her pleas. As two Jaffa approach and Carter and O'Neill prepare to defend themselves, the C-4 explodes, taking out the cooling system and apparently the shield generator as the force field separating Carter and O'Neill and the one blocking Jackson and Teal'c go down. The explosion also knocks the Jaffa off their feet, allowing O'Neill and Carter to flee without further problems from them though Carter tries to grab the naquadah which O'Neill has her leave as it will slow them down.

Battleship 1

The Battleship explodes.

SG-1 reunites near the facility entrance and quickly head for the Stargate before the power core explodes and takes out everything. On the path back to the Stargate, the group is ambushed by two Jaffa, but Teal'c zats them. Getting near the Stargate, O'Neill, Carter and Jackson stop, exhausted while Teal'c goes to the Dial Home Device to dial Earth, zatting a Jaffa that has regained consciousness nearby. After the Stargate is dialed, O'Neill, Carter and Jackson quickly make their way to it as Teal'c goes back to help them. The Battleship explodes as they run, sending out a wave of destruction through the whole area. SG-1 makes it through the Stargate just in time to avoid the blastwave and safely make it back to Earth where they are not court-martialed as they were under the influence of alien technology at the time of their actions.

Appearances[]

Appearances for Upgrades

Characters

Locations

Events

Weapons, equipment and technology

Science and biology

Vehicles

Sentient Species

Languages

Organizations and titles

Miscellanea

Notable quotes[]

O'Neill: In fact, the Tok'ra are starting to annoy me in general.
Carter: Sir?
O'Neill: Don't get me wrong, Carter, your dad's great. I love him like a brother. It's just seems like every time they show up, it seems like there's all kindsa tr...
(Freya/Anise and Marnon walk through the gate, Jack appears to be noticing how beautiful Freya is)
Jackson: Yep, that looks like trouble to me.

Anise: This is Marnon, you may call me Anise.
Jackson: Anise?
Anise: It means 'Noble strength.'
Jackson: Um, I'm Daniel, it means, uh... 'God is my Judge.'
O'Neill: I'm Jack, it means... (sigh) what's in the box?

Anise: Your strength is five times that of a normal human.
O'Neill: So no increase then.

Jackson: Did you just read that?
O'Neill: I guess. Don't 'spose there's another book around that explains this book?
Jackson: What... wh, what reason did Hobbes give for the fall of the civilization?
O'Neill: Failing agricultural infrastructure.
Jackson: Jack, it's unbelievable.
O'Neill: Hey, it's his theory.
(Jackson attempts to read a book at the same speed, but is not yet able to)
O'Neill: Want me to read to you?

Hammond: Colonel, I'm concerned that you aren't in full control of your new abilities.
O'Neill: Well you might be right about that. It's just so damn exciting, sir!
Hammond: I'm sure it is.
O'Neill: And even if we're not in total control, shouldn't we be out there doing the damage instead of in your office?

Carter: So has it occurred to anyone that we are defying direct orders?
(O'Neill and Jackson look at each other)
Jackson: Well, it's not like we haven't defied orders before.
Carter: Yea, but that was to save Earth.
O'Neill: Earth, steaks, where's the difference?

Hammond: I thought these devices were supposed to enhance them physically, not make them stupid.

(O'Neill and Carter are surprised by two Serpent Guards)
Serpent Guard: Ha! Kree!.
(O'Neill raises his hands, surrendering)
O'Neill: Alright, you got us... don't... kree.

(SG-1 has just come tumbling through the Gate from the planet with the new Goa'uld vessel, Hammond is looking down at O'Neill, who is lying on his back on the ramp.)
O'Neill: (points up at Hammond) Just remember, I retired... you wanted me back!!

O'Neill: General! Sir... About the obviously impending court-martials, I'd like...
Hammond: You were all under the influence of an alien technology, Colonel, that's a pretty solid defense.
O'Neill: Even so, I'm sorry.
Carter: Me too.
Jackson: Me three.
Teal'c: (pausing for a few seconds) I have no need to apologize.
Hammond: Teal'c was actually following orders.
O'Neill: Of course he was.

Cast[]

Main Characters

Guest Stars

Notes[]

  • At one point, Jackson states that the inscription on his armband says, "With great power comes great responsibility", which is in fact the motto used in the Spider-Man comics.
  • There are several grammar and spelling errors within Major Samantha Carter's book on wormhole physics. Suffice to say if you type 5000 words per minute, you are many many times more likely to have spelling and grammar errors.
  • This is the only episode of Stargate SG-1 written by David Rich. According to Joseph Mallozzi, while David Rich wrote the first draft of the script, the episode was completely rewritten (a page 1 rewrite) by Robert C. Cooper. Due to Writers Guild rules, whoever writes the first draft gets full credit for the episode.

Goofs[]

  • The plural of "Court-martial" is "courts-martial", not "court-martials".
  • When SG-1 went through the Stargate and SSgt. Laura Davis tells Major General George S. Hammond that she cannot close the gate, we see the Access Denied bar appear over the activated gate. On the computer, the Stargate then shuts off, but we still hear it working and see the bluish light emanating through the blast door.

Other languages[]

  • French: Expérimentation hasardeuse (Hazardous Experimentation)
  • Italian: Potenziamento (Strengthening)
  • Spanish: Transformaciones (Transformations)
  • Czech: Odkaz Ataniků (Atanik Legacy)
  • Hungarian: Fejlesztések (Upgrades)
  • German: Das Vermächtnis der Ataniker (Legacy Of The Ataniks)
  • Russian: Улучшенные (Upgraded ones)
  • Japanese: 人体改造アームバンド Jintai Kaizō Āmubando (Human Body Modification Armband)

Links and navigation[]

Smallwikipedialogo This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at Upgrades (Stargate SG-1). The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with SGCommand, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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