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Full Review

 

SEASON Two

EPISODE NUMBER 210

EPISODE TITLE Bane

WRITTEN BY ?

DIRECTED BY ?

REVIEWED BY Jen

 

SG1 are exploring a modern, but completely deserted city, "a very advanced ghost town" according to Carter. After O’Neill steps in a pile of yellow goo, Sam observes "they seem to have a pigeon problem" but notes that the lack of radiation and pollution (and widespread destruction) suggests that the Goauld weren’t responsible for the inhabitant’s disappearance. Teal’c agrees. Just then something buzzes past O’Neill’s head. As the team stares in horror we see the Dragonfly of Doom has landed on Teal’c. In response to Carter’s (bizarre) question "What are you going to do?" O’Neill draws his pistol and takes aim at the Bug. Just as O’Neill cocks his gun, the Bug stings Teal’c in the back and buzzes away. Teal’c collapses and O’Neill and Carter start first aid.

Daniel : (looking up) Uh, we better get out of here.
O’Neill : No, really?
Daniel : No. Really. (pointing)

A swarm of Buzzkills appear, heading straight for SG1. They book for the gate, Jack and Carter supporting Teal’c between them. Bursting through the event horizon into the Gate Room, Jack screams for the Gate Gang to close the iris, and as it shuts the first of many impacts on the other side is heard. In the infirmary Doctor Fraser observes that the huge, oozing pustule on Teal'c’s shoulder "looks like some kind on reaction". She asks if Junior should be helping combat the reaction. Teal’c agrees that it should "but it is not, It is getting worse."

The unstung members of SG1 and General Hammond are waiting anxiously outside the infirmary. Fraser comes out to tell them Teal’c is showing signs of a viral infection that Junior can’t combat. But wait, it gets worse! Teal’c has "a rather disturbing amount" of foreign DNA in his blood. Janet claims she’s out of her league. Carter mentions a top geneticist she met at the Pentagon, Dr. Timothy Harlowe. General Hammond declares the doctor will be there by the end of the day.

In the lab Sam greets Dr. Harlowe who hugs her and reminds her to call him Timothy. After some chit chat Janet drags them back to the subject at hand - their dying friend - and tells them that the blood sample she drew from Teal’c earlier has gone from containing a small amount of alien DNA to containing none of Teal’c’s. Dr. Tim explains some sort of retrovirus has changed all the DNA in the sample into bug DNA. He also refers to Teal’c as "the subject" at which Sam sharply tells him "the subject’s name is Teal’c". Harlowe side steps Sam’s question about Teal’c’s prognosis but allows that the symbiote is only slowing the transformation.

In the infirmary Teal’c tells Jack that he would rather die than become something other than what he is. "You are my friend. When there is no longer any hope . . . ." Jack gives a tiny nod. Acknowledging, agreeing?

Jack is summoned to Hammond’s office and when he sees Maybourne there, looks like he’d rather return to his happy talk with Teal’c . The Weasel practically drools as Jack reads the papers ordering Teal’c’s transfer to Maybourne’s command. Apparently the President is indisposed and can’t overrule these orders. Maybourne is rhapsodizing about Teal’c’s contribution to his development of a bioweapon when Jack interrupts to ask Hammond’s permission "to beat the crap out of this man." Maybourne shoots a panicked look at Hammond. As Hammond looks at Jack he seems to be considering it.

Sam marches into the lab, having strapped her bitch on nice and tight. "You son of a bitch" she spits. She thinks Timothy’s the one who requested the transfer to Maybourne’s division, betraying Teal’c and her. Timothy points out that even if Maybourne can’t be trusted, the SGC is not equipped or staffed to handle Teal’c’s care and where he’s going "he’ll get the very best help available." As MP’s shackle Teal’c’s hands and feet Janet sounds like she’s almost in tears as she argues that as his doctor she has determined Teal’c is not well enough to travel. Hammond grimaces by way of acknowledging the evaporation of Janet’s medical authority.

The three Mosquiteers wait near the exit of the base. Daniel demands that they do something. Jack snaps at him as Sam cravenly defends Timothy. Just then Teal’c is marched past in leg irons and full biohazard gear. After finding out Maybourne ordered the chains Jack stomps off in disgust.

On the road away from the SGC Maybourne and Timothy are looking at Teal’c sitting in the back of a truck. Maybourne’s eye’s glitter as he asks how long Teal’c has. Dr. Dim babbles on about the larval Goauld and drugs to slow the retrovirus until the penny finally drops. "You want him to change?" Teal’c goes into a convulsion, screams and snaps his chains while dragging off the helmet of his biohazard suit. The truck’s driver looks a little disturbed at the thumps and crashes and becomes quite distraught when Teal’c’s arm rips through the grille behind him and starts to strangle him.

Back at the SGC Carter wants to return to the planet to investigate their technology. Jack reminds her of the "big, ugly honkin’ BUGS" on the planet and Sam rolls her eyes. General Hammond bursts in to announce there’s been an emergency with the truck.

In the middle of nowhere the truck is in the ditch and Maybourne and crew are unconscious/dead. Teal’c pauses to pull Junior out of his pouch and dump him on the floor of the truck and steals the driver’s radio. He then takes off into the woods.

Seconds later 3/4 of SG1 pull up in a Humvee, leap out and approach the truck. Jack and Daniel jump in the truck. Daniel draws Jack’s attention to Junior and after poking it pronounces it alive. Back at the base Janet’s checking the guys from the truck for concussion while Maybourne demands all the personnel and K9 units the base has for the search. O’Neill points out that all SGC personnel report to him and he’s running the search. Jack gets in Maybourne’s face, telling him if he’s "got a problem, take it up with Hammond."

Maybourne : I will (tries to leave but Jack steps into his way) Striking an officer is a quick way to a court martial.
O’Neill : (quietly) I’m not gonna hit you Maybourne. I’m gonna shoot you.

Maybourne beats a hasty retreat, looking shaken. In the lab Janet has stabilized Junior in a tank of water apparently synthesized from the fluid in Teal’c’s pouch. Sam snits that Jolinar’s memories probably contain useful information about Goauld physiology but she can’t summon any of them. Just as Jack is reporting to Hammond that the boys and their dogs have found no sign of Teal’c within the base perimeter, Daniel runs in and announces "we’ve got him". Turns out what he actually means is "He’s on the phone." Jack tries to convince Teal’c to let them help him. Teal’c is having none of it, drops the radio and books.

In the lab Timothy, having seen the light, announces that they can heal Teal’c. He has access to experimental RNA inhibitors which combined with Junior’s healing abilities should do the trick. But to discover which RNAI works they need a sample of the Bug venom. Sam tells General Hammond, Jack and Daniel about Timothy’s plan. Hammond points out it could be Maybourne’s way of getting a bug of his own. Sam says it’s a risk they have to take. Jack and Daniel take off to find their butterfly nets and pickle jars.

Teal’c is staggering down a street in Wyoming. He is stopped by some kids, one of whom demands to know how he did that cool tattoo.

Teal’c : The skin is cut with an Orok knife and pure molten gold is poured into the wound.
Kid : Ow, man! Doesn’t that hurt?
Teal’c : (grabs kid by the throat and moves him out of the way) Tremendously.

Teal’c staggers off as the smallest kid in the group pronounces the Jaffa "cool" and follows.

Cheyenne Mountain. Janet reports Junior’s not doing so good. Hammond replies that SG1 is overdue.

Teal’c staggers inside an abandoned warehouse and collapses. His skin is covered is red and white pustules.

Cheyenne Mountain. Incoming wormhole with SG1’s access code. Daniel and Sam come through the event horizon at a dead run with Jack doing a dive and roll after them. He screams for them to close the iris but just before it seals one Superfly gets through. As it dive bombs him Jack shoots and wings it. Once it’s down Sam sprays it with an entire can of USAF issue Raid.

At the debriefing the team show Hammond and Dr. Tim a video they filmed on the planet. It shows a swarm of Massive Mosquitoes bursting from a man’s body. Apparently every human on the planet was wiped out by the bugs reproductive cycle, with each body, including eventually Teal’c, turning into "a whole lotta those things" says Carter.

Teal’c is entertaining himself by playing with the slime that now covers his body when Littlest Gangsta bursts in with a Super Soaker. Teal’c obviously under the weather since instead of leaping up and taking the kid down he sits and stares. Teal’c insists the kid, revealed to be a girl when she removes her baseball cap and sunglasses, leave but not before scamming half of her chocolate bar and sending her for more.

Dr. Tim and Daniel are dissecting the bug when Sam "Happy, Good News" Carter comes in. Her probability model is predicting if Teal’c completes his transformation, they are looking at swarms of millions of bugs in 6-8 weeks. Dr. Tim and Daniel look ill.

In town Scout sees the police talking to the kids from earlier and goes to tell Teal'c the cops are onto him. Teal’c has passed out but is revived by an O Henry bar. Scout proves she can drop a pop reference herself when she asks if Teal’c is a Kimble. More "What planet are you from?" dialogue followed but Teal’c insisting she leave. Instead, she tells him she’s got a better place to hide.

President has overruled Maybourne. The SGC gets Teal’c back if they find him before Maybourne does. Jack deadpans "So the race is on."

Maybourne’s got two vans full of SWAT guys and they’ve pulled up in front of Teal’c’s warehouse. SWAT guys burst into the warehouse and capture Scout.

In the lab Dr. Tim has found the drug that will stop the Bug DNA from replicating. Junior should be able to take it from there - except Janet says the symbiote is dying.

SWAT Boy brings Scout to Maybourne. He smarms at her until she shoots him down with "Even if I did [see someone] I wouldn’t tell you . . . . I don’t like the way you smell."

In the lab Janet says Junior has only minutes to live. Jack quips "too bad you can’t zap it with those paddles like on ER . . . . what?" as he notices both women are ignoring him and staring at each other. They realize that in synthesizing the environment in Teal’c’s pouch they forgot to include a bioelectrical current.

Scout climbs up into the warehouse’s attic to find Teal’c partially cocooned. She’s about to go get the cops when Teal’c grabs her arm.

Back at the lab Junior’s on the mend. Sam exclaims that "It was so simple!" to which Jack replies "Well I guess my work is done." Sam cracks up as Janet goes to answer the ringing phone - it’s Scout, calling for Jack.

Jack climbs into the warehouse attic to see Teal’c completely cocooned. Daniel, upon reaching the top of the ladder takes one look and takes off to get help. Teal’c recognizes Jack and begs him to "kill me." Jack refuses, gently reassuring his friend "you’re gonna be OK ." As Teal’c is wheeled on a gurney out of the warehouse Scout asks Daniel if Teal’c’s going to be OK and says "Tell him he still owes me one."

At the SGC Janet reports Junior’s back home and the drugs are doing their job. Hammond comes in to tell the team Maybourne has ordered the Bug and all related research is to be turned over to him. Jack muses that he should have shot Maybourne. Dr. Tim completes his redemption by telling Hammond the Bug is going to completely destroyed in an "unfortunate lab accident" for which he will take full responsibility. Everyone looks satisfied.

Scout is prowling the warehouse armed to the teeth with her Super Soaker when she finds Teal’c (all healed up) and Daniel waiting for her. As a thank you gift Teal’c has brought Scout, whose name is apparently Ally, "a new weapon, one with increased range and firepower." He’s not kidding, the new soaker’s almost as big as she is. Scout-Ally is suitably thrilled and immediately opens fire on Teal’c. Then she books. Daniel suggests "Guess we shouldn’t have loaded it, huh?" as Teal’c puts on a pair of Pitch Black sunglasses, and asks "How else would she defend herself?" Then Teal’c shoots Daniel in the chest with his Super Soaker and takes off in pursuit, leaving Daniel flapping his wet shirt like a geek.

 

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