The Fifth Race

Plot: Jack has the entire knowledge of an entire race downloaded in to his brain. While he starts using over 90% of his brain function, he also loses the ability to comprehend English. His brain is likely to shut down at some point due to the strain and so he begins working on a way to go and get help.


This is one of those truly fascinating episodes where we get the chance to explore that meaning of life stuff. SG-1 had stumbled upon a Repository of the Ancients, which contains the knowledge of their entire race. It knocks Jack out, but once he comes to back at the SG-C he begins sorting it out in his brain. He's not able to communicate or comprehend any of it, but he is able to make practical use of it

There are some real goodies. Jack develops a whole new algorithm for calculating the distance between planets. He adds a whole new stack of gate addresses in to the computer. After that, he develops what is probably a rudimentary ZPM. All of this is with one aim, to allow him to gate to the Asgard home world to find help. Most interestingly, the address to the Asgard homeworld contains an 8th symbol, meaning that it is within another galaxy's gate network. The ZPM that Jack developed helps to provide the additional power required to gate to another galaxy, it's over ten times the normal power requirements. His modifications to the computer also facilitate the dialling of an 8th symbol. All pretty cool.

Jack makes it through to the Asgard home world, where they kindly remove the knowledge from him. There they discuss the four great races and the fact that humanity is on the road to become the fifth one, although they have a long way to go yet. They also confirm that the Ancients built the gate network.

The Asgard do not live in the Milky Way, or the Pegasus galaxy, which was home to the Ancients. It makes me wonder if each of the four races hailed from a different galaxy. The Ancient's from the Pegasus galaxy, the Asgard from the Ida galaxy, the Nox from the Milky Way and the Furlings from some other galaxy. Certainly possible.

Of course, a great mystery surrounds the reason for the Ancients disappearing. We now know that the Wraith played a big part in that.

This is the key episode of season two, the one that answers a lot of questions and poses a lot of new ones. There's a lot more that I could say, but I think this short summary should suffice.

9 out of 10