Episode no. Season 8
Episode 18 Written by Robert C. Cooper Original air date February 8, 2005 | Directed by Andy Mikita Production code 818 | |
"Threads" is an episode from Season 8 of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Amanda Tapping won a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance - Female" and Michael Shanks was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance - Male" for this episode.
Contents
Plot
Ba'al is still missing, but the Jaffa have finally won their freedom after millennia of enslaved service to the Goa'uld. At the Temple of Dakara, Teal'c and Bra'tac are awarded the title Bloodkin by the new Free Jaffa Nation, following the defeat of the Replicators and the Goa'uld. Jack O'Neill refuses to accept that Daniel Jackson is dead, believing that Daniel has managed to Ascend. Because they know Daniel was on RepliCarter's ship when it was destroyed, there is little chance he is still alive.
Daniel finds himself in a strange ethereal diner (Same diner in the series Dead like Me) full of people, Daniel recognizes Oma Desala. He learns that this place is a projection of a meeting place for Ascended beings. The diner is full of other Ascended Ancients, who refuse to speak with Daniel because of the rules of the Ascended. One other man, Jim, seems to be arguing with Oma, and shows Daniel a newspaper detailing Anubis' plan to retake Dakara and use the Dakara Superweapon to kill all life in the galaxy. Luring most of the Jaffa away, Anubis regains the weapon when he recaptures Dakara.
Back in the Ascended Diner, Oma explains she has been punished for helping people, like Daniel, Ascend. Daniel then realizes that Anubis is half-Ascended, and Oma helped him Ascend. The other Ancients refused to completely de-ascend Anubis as part of Oma's punishment for breaking the rules, despite the fact that he is still a threat to the galaxy. Daniel then realizes Jim is Anubis - Anubis' chosen manifested form in his half-protrusion into the Ascended realm.
Back on Earth, the gate dials when Anubis activates the weapon on every gate in the galaxy. However, back in the Ascended realm, Daniel has persuaded Oma to take responsibility for Anubis. She stands up to fight Anubis, and all of the other ancients turn in surprise. Anubis laughs, saying that she cannot possibly defeat him, as he is kept alive as punishment, and Oma takes Anubis into the Ascended realm to fight him there and prevent him from acting in the galaxy. Daniel is returned to the SGC from the Ascended Realm. SG-1 celebrates with a fishing trip to Jack's cottage. Sam says they should have done it years ago as the episode ends.
Production
The episode originally aired as a 63-minute piece, but an edited 45-minute version exists for syndication. When the season was initially released on DVD, the release contained the shortened 45-minute version. Due to complaints, MGM offered a rebate, whereby people could send the DVD with the shortened episode to receive a DVD with the original episode. When the season was re-released in the slimline cases, it contained the full 63-minute episode as did the standard Region 2 version of the Season 8 boxset. Neither version has a commentary featured on any of the Season 8 Box sets. The 45-minute version omits the following:
Also, some may notice that the diner is Der Waffelhouse set from the Showtime (TV channel), Bryan Fuller series Dead Like Me. The diner is the set of the main meeting place in most, if not all episodes of Dead Like Me.
Reception
Amanda Tapping won a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance - Female" and Michael Shanks was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Lead Performance - Male" for this episode.