Within the Serpent's Grasp

Plot: With the Stargate program shut down and the Gate due to be buried, SG-1 violate orders to go to the co-ordinates found by Daniel in the alternate reality. There, they find themselves on a Ha'tak vessel, headed for Earth. It's under the control of an old friend, Skaara.


So, this wraps up the season. It's not the best finale, but it's good enough. I realised that shutting the Stargate program down would have been a good mechanic for ending the show, had it not been renewed for a second season. If that had been the case then I imagine the events of this episode would have played out with a little more expediency, before a happily ever after ending. Of course, there would always have been chance for them to unbury the Gate at any point, should the show have been revived. But that's all speculation.

The episode itself seems to drag a little, especially as it's mostly just shots of SG-1 running around the corridor of the Ha'tak vessel. Fortunately, we do get introduced to a new toy. The 'Zat'nik'tel', or Zat Gun is shown and used for the first time. It's a Goa'uld version of a pistol and is fired once to stun, twice to kill and three times to disintegrate a victim. I always liked how the Goa'uld are fairly careless with their weapons, allowing SG-1 to take countless Staff Blasters and Zat Guns back to Earth for use on missions. Pretty handy.

This episode marks a new chapter in a journey that was started in the pilot. We finally learn the fate of Skaara. He was implanted with the Goa'uld son of Apophis. No word of Sha're, but Jack is able to bring Skaara back under control of his body, if only fleetingly. This'll provide an interesting episode later on as Skaara and Klorel, his Goa'uld, fight for control over the body.

We also get our first experience of hyperspace in this episode. Teal'c claims that the Ha'tak vessels travel at ten times the speed of light, though this is proven to be false as they arrive in orbit around Earth much faster than that speed would allow. Of course, hyper flight capable ships will become a large part of the show in the future. For now though, there's still a lot of Gates to explore.

The episode ends with the Ha'tak vessels arriving in orbit of Earth. Death Gliders are ready to deploy, but SG-1 have planted C4 around the whole ship. I'm sure they'd blow themselves out of the sky before they let Earth perish. But what about the 2nd ship?

8 out of 10