Cold Lazarus

US Airdate : 29 August 1997

UK Airdate : 13 May 1998

Summary

SG1 Travel to P3X562 and unknowingly leave one of the team behind.

Synopsis by Katana

The opening scenes as SG-1 explore the planet are absolutely stunning visually, the planet is yellow dunes dotted with blue crystals. The crystals all appear to be broken, then Daniel discovers a whole one, although it has been damaged, by some sort of blast. Jack goes off over a dune out of sight of the others and finds another whole crystal. We see a crystal lens view of Jack as he approaches it. Touching the crystal, he is jolted back by a huge energy surge. Then we see a copy of Jack looking down at Jack's body, the clone takes Jack's gun and baseball cap and returns to the others who by now are calling for him.

During the briefing Sam explains that they explored for 10km around the gate and found no evidence of Gou'ald activity. Daniel theorises that the crystals may have been placed there for ceremonial purposes. They have bought some samples back to study.

Jack is in the locker room, looking through old letters and photos when Sam enters. Seeing the photos, she attempts a chatty conversation mentioning her niece and nephew in San Diego. Jack leaves. Daniel remarks that he seems very focused. Sam asks him about Jack's family saying she has worked with him for months and not realised he was married. Daniel explains how he and his wife separated after the death of their son.

Teal'c stops Jack in the corridor, reminding him that he offered to show him his world, Jack curtly says "another time."

Daniel and Sam continue to discuss Jack in the corridor on the way to study the crystal. A technician in the lab tells them that it is emitting a low EM, Electro-magnetic field. While studying the Crystal, they continue to discuss Jack. Daniel hesitates at first then explains that Charlie accidentally killed himself with Jack's gun, after which he holed up and turned his back on the world for a long-time. He reckons he hasn't seen his wife since he joined SG-1 but he doesn't tell him much.

The edge of the Crystal is glassy as if melted by something, Sam thinks she's seen a cut something like it before in the facility.

The Jack clone has gone to Sara O'Neill's house, where Charlie's bike is still up against the wall. She is attempting to repair her car whilst chatting to her father. Jack tells her he needs to find Charlie; she is upset and confused by this and runs into the house. His father-in-law invites him in.

Back at the SGC, Teal'c is in his quarters flicking through the TV channels he sees violent riot scenes, the trading floor of a stock exchange and some very loud music. "Your world is a very strange place," he tells Daniel and Sam who have come to ask him to get his staff weapon. Daniel, confused replies "so is yours."

Jack is in Charlie's bedroom, his father-in-law explains that Sara kept all of his things. Jack thought he could find Charlie there. Mike tells him that Sara is not over him yet, so warns him not to hurt her. He leaves.

We see couple of Flashbacks, Jack and Charlie playing baseball. Sara sitting outside, Jack runs up, kisses her; they look at a school photo, then the sound of a single gunshot. Sara screams Charlie's name.

Sara checks on Jack, he is sitting on the bed clutching a shirt, rocking backwards and forwards, visibly upset, almost in tears.

In the gate room, Teal'c fires his staff weapon at one of the Crystals, which sets off all the warning bells. He asks if they received permission for him to open fire.

"Oh yes," says Sam

"Absolutely" agrees Daniel.

The demonstration proves Sam's theory she had noticed the marks on the Crystal were like the ones Apophis' weapons made when they attacked the SGC. She rechecks the monitor readout, yes the energy signatures are the same, Gou'ald technology damaged the Crystals.

Sara and Jack talk again, Jack seems a little vague, and after a chat about baseball, he says he has to get back to the Stargate. She thinks he is spinning her a line, they begin to discuss their feelings but she has to rush to the kitchen to rescue a casserole.

While Sam runs some tests Daniel notices some movement in the crystal, he jumps up and down with excitement; typical Daniel childlike reaction, it was him in the Crystal! Sam stares into the Crystal at first only seeing her reflection, Daniel urges her to get closer. The Crystal forms her image and says, "Help us." Daniel concludes that the Crystal is trying to communicate.

The Stargate begins to spin up, Incoming traveller alarms sound, because of the off world activation. No one is due back but an Iris Code is received, a full squad of armed airmen is on standby. The real Jack comes out of the event horizon; Hammond immediately has him put into custody.

SG-1 and Teal'c watch an extremely irritated Jack on the monitor; he throws a pillow at the camera in frustration.

Sara and the other Jack are talking in a park; it was the first place they went to together. Jack thinks Sarah was angry with him over Charlie's death, yes but only because he would not open up or. Let down his guard. He says if could bring Charlie back through the Stargate he would. Suddenly, he has a violent seizure with streaks of energy erupting. Sara takes him to the hospital.

The real Jack checks out in all the Medical tests, so who was that on the security video? Sam theorises that as the Crystal mimicked her and Daniel, the other O'Neill is a more powerful form of the energy. Sam talks to the Crystal; again; it explains it is made of energy and must return to the planet. It was afraid to speak before because it was the Gou'ald that destroyed the crystals and of course the Gou'ald look like humans. Not a ceremonial place then, but a mass grave.

Jack asks for ideas, Daniel says, if you thought that your entire race was destroyed by the Gou'ald as a punishment for harming one of them what would you do if you thought it was going to happen again?

An Airman reports that the other O'Neill is nowhere in the mountain.

Sam has a problem; the energy is starting to decay, "Nuclear Radiation" queries Daniel. If the other energy is a more powerful version, it could be harmful. She recalls Jack was looking at the letters and pictures in the locker room. They ring, getting the answering machine. However, they learn that a Jack O'Neill has been admitted to Hospital.

As they prepare to leave, Teal'c wants to take his weapon, " I have seen your world I will need it" He is given Chicago baseball cap to cover his gold snake symbol.

The Jack Clone is a hospital bed. This where they bought Charlie, he tells Sara, where he died. He has to get to the Stargate; He has another more violent seizure. Sara is hurt as she touches him.

The police are clearing the area as SG-1 arrive.

As SG-1 enter the whole corridor flashes with the blue energy; the power is off, but the meter is in the red. Wearing insulation suits, Jack finds his Clone.

The energy being cautions stay back, "I do not want to hurt you," again the energy erupts throwing Jack across the room.

"You have come to destroy me " the Clone insists.

"No, not true, I know you weren't trying to hurt me, the Gou'ald are my enemy too."

"When my energy hurt you I tried to heal you but didn't understand, so I looked into your mind and saw a warrior, your deepest pain was not physical but from an empty place in your heart. Physical death does not have the same meaning for us."

"Are you dying now?" Jack asks.

"Yes, " the energy being replies.

"Charlie's gone," states Jack

No he's not, he's here, and "the clone touches Jack's heart then morphs into Charlie

Daniel interrupts, Sam reminds them about the radiation.

Sara is in the corridor, Jack explains it's not Charlie, but "Charlie" touches her hand, Jack explains that he has to get him to the Stargate, he and Sara hug.

"We were pretty great together, weren't we?" Sara asks

"We were the greatest." Jack acknowledges.

Jack and Charlie return through the Stargate, hand in hand, "Keep the lights on I'll be back." Are his parting words.

Review and my thoughts

Even if you forgot the title or the story of this episode, you could never forget the Planet. The stunning blue and yellow contrast of the unity crystal's planet is the most striking one I have ever seen so far in Stargate. One of the reasons why I made a desktop theme, the colours are so bold.

However, this is principally a character led episode, looking into Jack's life, fleshing out the story, which began in the movie and was mentioned in the pilot. Although the scene where he told Daniel about his wife was cut from some versions that have been shown, The DVD of COTG on sale in UK does include that scene.

The question that I always ask is, did Jack go back and have that Conversation with Sara that his Clone did? In Solitudes, we see that he still loves his wife.

My favourite character is Daniel and my bias is usually towards episodes that heavily feature his character. However, I like this episode, maybe because we do see a side of Jack we often don't see.

It also establishes the working relationship between Daniel and Sam, as they both enthusiastically study the crystal.

Although Sam says she has worked for Jack for a few months, yet Teal'c has not been shown the outside world, I find that strange.

Much is made of Michael shanks Acting and he is an excellent actor but Richard Dean Anderson should never be dismissed, episodes like this show why.