Stargate SG-1: In The Line Of Duty

January 8, 2025 3:12 PM - Season 2, Episode 2

The SG-1 team travels to Nasya to save the survivors of a planet that was attacked by the Goa'uld. However, during her mission, Dr. Samantha Carter's body was taken over from a Goa'Uld who was hiding in Nasyan.

While on an evacuation mission, a symbiote takes Captain Samantha Carter as its host and makes its way to Earth in order to leave for another planet. However, the rest of the team finds out and arrests her. She tells the team that she is a member of the legendary Tok'ra and that an Ashrak (Goa'uld assassin) is sent to kill her, forcing the SG-1 team into a desperate race against time to find and stop the Ashrak before it's too late.

posted by Carillon (9 comments total)

Back from the holidays are ready to get back to posting.

Interesting episode, I think the first introduction of the Tok'ra. Given how their implantation of Carter works, the only way I think you can forgive them is by his sacrifice in the end to save Carter's life.

Nice to make us so suspicious of the Goua'ld that it really takes a lot to believe that Jolinar isn't a threat, and that he is what he says he is. Even rewatching I felt the suspicion that the series has been building up.
posted by Carillon at 3:16 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]

It is never clear if Carter’s pleas to “Jack” from the cell are sincerely her, or Jolinar pretending. It would certainly be the first time she addressed her CO by his first name if sincere, and Kawalski was a clear example of Goauld fakery.
posted by janell at 6:21 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]

It always sort of surprises me that it took them so long to introduce the Tok'ra, considering how much of a role they play in getting SG-1 off the ground and out into the wider galaxy, and I don't think it really takes off until a later episode.
posted by Kyol at 6:28 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]

Yeah I hear you janell, with what comes later it matters less, but the Tok'ra didn't exactly cover themselves is glory or truly sure how different they are with the hostile takeover of Carter
posted by Carillon at 8:10 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]

For sure! I’d be more inclined to believe it was Jolinar faking, subsequent rationalizations aside.
posted by janell at 9:23 PM on January 8 [1 favorite]

One of my few small issues with the setup is that Sam shouldn't be doing mouth to mouth on someone from an alien planet - who knows what germs that guy has, benign or otherwise, that could be bad news?

I enjoyed the Tok'ra in the show as an opposite side of the coin to the goa'uld and like a lot of other episodes in these early seasons, it's exciting to see another pillar of the show's mythology be introduced.

I imagine it was Jolinar shouting at Jack, than Sam. Jolinar wanted to get out of there, Sam would have expected precautions could probably be made within the mountain or outside, but going through the gate wouldn't be necessary - much less disappearing for however long it would take to find a replacement host.

Also kudos for bringing back Cassandra. We don't see her much, but it's nice that she's not forgotten and serves a pretty valuable role here.
posted by Atreides at 6:40 AM on January 9

The Tok'ra became such an interesting thing, and this episode has interesting elements, but MAN does it require some carrying of the idiot ball for Jolinar to die in this one. I wish they'd found a better way to execute (no pun intended) that plot beat.

I would have LOVED to have them encounter an alternate universe where Jolinar didn't die and became SG-1 member 5 (as Carter's ride-along).
posted by rednikki at 10:40 AM on January 9 [1 favorite]

rednikki, that would have been a great episode!
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 11:55 AM on January 11 [1 favorite]

or if you want dark, alternate Carter is occupied by Gould Jolinar, not Tokra Jolinar.
posted by the antecedent of that pronoun at 11:55 AM on January 11 [1 favorite]