Politics 

The Stargate team must justify the project's continuation when a doubtful senator, Head of the Congressional Military Appropriations Committee, comes to review the project's performance.

Director:

Martin Wood

Writers:

Brad Wright (developed for television by), Jonathan Glassner (developed for television by)

Stars:

Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Richard Dean Anderson	...	Colonel Jack O'Neill
Michael Shanks	...	Dr. Daniel Jackson
Amanda Tapping	...	Captain Samantha Carter
Christopher Judge	...	Teal'c
Don S. Davis	...	Major General George Hammond
Ronny Cox	...	Senator Robert Kinsey
Robert Wisden	...	Lt. Colonel Bert Samuels
Peter Williams	...	Apophis (archive footage)

Storyline

Daniel Jackson was eager to warn earth about the probable massive goa'uld attack threat, but finds Starbase is under a more down-to-earth threat: Senator Kinsey, the ambitious chairman of the Senate Committee which must approve the program's annual $5.7 billion budget, was not impressed when the President disclosed its extraterrestrial mission reports. Arriving for a visit, Kinsey tells the team he's most unlikely to be persuaded, and indeed while SG-1 points out its merits and dangers from events on various planets, Kinsey and his military aid, USAF Lt. Colonel Bert Samuels, question or belittle both systematically and focus on costs and risks they contend outweigh the benefits, even when Daniel's theory is presented...

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Plot Keywords:

clip show | senator | united states senator | filler episode | alternate reality | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The episode is reminiscent of the Robertson panel, which ostensibly was formed by the US government to determine whether UFOs should become a subject of serious scientific inquiry, or were a threat to national security. Before the panel had even made any conclusions, the head of the panel, Howard Robertson, had stated that he personally felt there was nothing to UFOs. Many UFO enthusiasts and scientists, even those scientists within the Robertson Panel itself, felt he was biased against studying UFOs from the beginning, and was only put in charge to quash any serious scientific studies being conducted. much like Senator Kinsey having all but made up his mind about the Stargate program before he even came to Stargate Command.

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Goofs

Article I Section VII Clause I says that the House of Representatives not the Senate control the purse strings, therefore Sen. Kinsey should have been Rep. Kinsey.

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Quotes

Dr. Daniel Jackson: Senator, we have reason to believe that the Goa'uld are about to launch an attack, in force, in ships.
Senator Robert Kinsey: Then I think they'll regret taking on the United States military.
Jack O'Neill: Oh, for God's sake!
Dr. Daniel Jackson: Oh, you're right. We'll - we'll just upload a computer virus into the mothership.

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Connections

Features Stargate SG-1: The Broca Divide (1997)

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Soundtracks

Main Title
Written by Joel Goldsmith and David Arnold

User Reviews

This episode can be skipped.

Daniel returns to Earth with a warning about an imminent threat towards earth. The members of SG-1 are tested and their true loyalties are shown to be towards the Stargate program and the fight against the Goa'uld.

This episode is simply a recap of the first season, cleverly disguised as a Senate review of the Stargate program. If you want to review the whole first season at once watch this episode.

If you're watching the show through, there is nothing contained here that you haven't already seen.

The only plot points that further the overall story arc are contained in the first five and last five minutes of the episode.

Watch that, unless you're a completest.

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 February 1998 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Bridge Studios, Gekko Film Corp., MGM Worldwide Television Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

44 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16 : 9