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"Children of the Gods" (a two-part episode) is the pilot of the series Stargate SG-1. The pilot picks up where the Stargate movie left off bringing back the characters of Jack O'Neill played by Richard Dean Anderson and Daniel Jackson played by Michael Shanks. Alexis Cruz reprised his film role as Skaara as did Erick Avari as Kasuf.
This episode was written by Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright and directed by Mario Azzopardi.
Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.
Plot
A year after the events of the film, in which Jack O'Neill and his team visited the planet Abydos and destroyed the evil alien Ra, the Stargate program has been shut down. The gate is being guarded at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex but the guards are unprepared for the events that are about to happen. The Stargate is suddenly activated and several aliens, like the ones encountered by O'Neill on his first trip to Abydos, come through the gate. They kill several people and take a female officer prisoner.
Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Louis Ferretti, and Major Charles Kawalsky are recalled by General George Hammond to Stargate Command. When questioned, they initially maintain their story about destroying Abydos but when Hammond threatens to send a nuclear weapon through the gate to Abydos to eliminate the threat, they are forced to admit they did not destroy Abydos as per their original plan and that Daniel Jackson was still alive on the planet living with the Abydonians.
To confirm their story, Hammond permits O'Neill to send through a box of tissues. The box is returned through the gate with a note from Daniel Jackson to send more. O'Neill is called out of retirement into active duty and a new team is formed to discover and eliminate the source of the threat to Earth. In addition to Kawalsky and Feretti, an Air Force officer and astrophysicst, Captain Samantha Carter was added to their team, much to O'Neill's chagrin. The team visit Abydos where they happily reunite with Sha're and Skaara. Daniel is certain the aliens did not come from Abydos.
Daniel shows the team the amazing discovery he made in the past year inside the pyramid. He shows them a large room, with walls covered in symbols he believes are stargate addresses, a list of hundreds of planets in the galaxy. At first Carter is skeptical. Having tried hundreds of permutations using the Dialing Computer and stargate on Earth, she had concluded the stargate only went to Abydos. When Daniel suggested the possibility of stellar shift as the problem preventing the Earth gate making a connection to another planet, she agrees and realizes there is far more life in the galaxy than they ever assumed.
While they are absent, the Stargate is activated and more aliens like the ones who visited Earth come through and take several people including Skaara and Daniel's wife Sha're. The team discovers the abductions and decides to return to Earth. Daniel decides to go with them, hoping to be able to find his wife. He tells Kasuf to bury the gate after he leaves for a year. If he does not return with Sha're in a year, they are to bury it once more, permanently.
Feretti, who was injured during the abduction, was able to see the symbols on the DHD and share them with the team. After their arrival on Earth they discover the president has granted General Hammond permission to form nine teams to explore other planets through the Stargate and collect information about threats to Earth. O'Neill is given command of SG-1 with Carter as his second in command. Daniel convinces Hammond and O'Neill to let him join SG-1 to look for his wife. Kawalsky is granted leadership of SG-2.
Part 2
On a new planet, Skaara is being held in a large holding cell with many other human captives in what seems like a castle dungeon. In another Area, Sha're is kept with several other women who've been dressed in new costumes. The lead guard chooses a woman — the missing guard from Earth—and brings her to his leader a man with glowing eyes like Ra. She is stripped of her clothing and presented before a woman with a worm-like creature protruding from her stomach. It becomes apparent that the woman does not meet the creature's approval and she is killed.
Another woman is chosen, Daniel's wife Sha're. She too is stripped naked and examined. She meets with the alien's approval and is taken as a host. The worm creature burrows into her neck, and within seconds has full control of her body.
SG-1 and SG-2 are both sent through the gate to the address Feretti gave them, a planet they soon come to know as Chulak. They come across a group of monks who escort them to a nearby town believing they are there to choose hosts. While sharing a meal with the locals, they discover that Sha're has been made Apophis' goa'uld queen. Daniel is apalled and runs toward her, and the entire team is imprisoned with the other humans.
In the holding cell, they meet Skaara and explain that Ra was not responsible for the events but Apophis, the Egyptian serpent god of night. Apophis, Sha’re and several goa'uld visit the cell with their guards and choose hosts for their children. Skaara is chosen and taken away and Apophis orders the remainding humans to be killed.
As the prisoners panic, O'Neill calls out to the lead guard that he can save these people. Surprisingly the leader of the guard responds saying he believed him. Teal'c turns on his fellow guards and help the prisoners escape. SG-1 and Teal'c lead the prisoners toward the gate with the guards in pursuit.
As they approach the gate they see Apophis and Sha're leaving through it with Skaara following close behind. Skaara sees O'Neill and attacks him with a hand device before leaving through the gate. Daniel dials the gate, as the guards, Jaffa as Teal'c calls them, approach.
SG-2 opens fire and kills several of the guards. One of the worms leaps from a Jaffa and into Kawalsky. The SG-teams, Teal'c, and the prisoners escape to Earth through the gate.
Next Episode: "The Enemy Within."
Notes
- In the film, the stargate was located in the Creek Mountain Facility. In the series the gate is stored in an identical facility inside Cheyenne Mountain.
- Skaara was taken as host for Apophis' son Klorel and Sha're as host for Amonet
- In this first episode, gate travelers experienced a rough travel through the gate and frost covering their bodies as they exited. This was due to Earth's lack of a DHD. Later, when Carter makes the appropriate calculations for stellar drift, this was no longer a problem.
- The worm creatures are known as Goa'uld. They are alien parasites who take over human bodies and pretend to be gods.
Guest Stars
Related Articles
External Links
Gateworld Summary
Episode transcript – Gateworld
Stargate Wiki Episode Guide – Children of the Gods
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