RED SKY

05.05 Episode 93 (#4952)
Airdate: July 27, 2001

SG-1 arrives on K'tau, an Asgard protected planet under the protection of Freyr, where they are greeted warmly as messengers of the gods and friends of Thor. Shortly after their arrival, however, the sun grows dim, with a shift in the light spectrum toward infrared. Even worse, SG-1 had needed to override certain dialing protocols to get a lock on K'tau, and it may have been their interference which caused the light shift that could now threaten life on the planet. Elrad, K'tau's leader, puts his faith in Freyr, however Malchus holds SG-1 responsible as harbingers of doom.

As the people of K'tau prepare themselves for the fate their gods have planned, SG-1 seeks to find a solution. The Hall of Wisdom provides holographic communication with Freyr and the Asgard High Council, however the Asgard explain that specific terms of the Protected Planets Treaty forbidding the use of Asgard technology must prevent them from interfering. Carter proposes that the introduction of a superheavy element into the sun could restore its balance, and the SGC begins building a rocket as a delivery system. However, Malchus, still resentful of SG-1's interference, sabotages the plan and destroys the rocket.

With few options remaining, O'Neill and Daniel try to convince the K'tau to relocate, but the K'tau refuse all help, and put their faith in prayer. As a final option, Carter attempts to carry out her plan, delivering the superheavy element instead by prematurely disengaging the wormhole. The prayer of the K'tau has brought no change, the Asgard are unable to help overtly, and Carter's plan has not yielded the expected results. As the K'tau refuse further assistance, their planet appears to be doomed. Reluctantly, SG-1 prepares to leave the K'tau to their fate, when miraculously and inexplicably, the sun begins to clear.

Written by: Ron Wilkerson
Directed by: Martin Wood

Guest Starring: Fred Applegate as Elrad, John Prosky as Malchus, Norman Armour as Dr. MacLaren, Brian Jensen as Freyr

Reference: Asgard, Asgard High Council, Asgard Stones, Asgard Transport Beam, Elrad, Freyr, Hall of Wisdom, Holographic Projection, K'tau, Dr. MacLaren, Malchus, Protected Planets Treaty, Sergeant Siler, Stargate, UTD, Major Wood

DESTINATIONS & INHABITANTS

NOTES OF INTEREST

• The margin for error in calculating planetary shift used to cause the rough ride during gate travel, until it was fixed.
• The SGC dialing computer overrode some dialing protocols to get a lock on K'tau. An unstable superheavy element, probably plutonium, may have piggybacked onto the wormhole from another system and was introduced to the K'tau sun's nuclear reaction as the wormhole passed directly through it, causing a shift in the light spectrum toward infrared that would eventually cause all plants to die.
• Carter's solution was to introduce a more stable superheavy element with an atomic weight above 200 into the sun's core, either by rocket or by prematurely disengaging the wormhole, so that the two elements would bind, rendering them inert, and restoring the sun.
• HU2340 is the superheavy element artificially created by Dr. MacLaren that was used to restore the K'tau sun. Hammond will recommend that its proposed name be "maclarium".
• K'tau is part of the Protected Planets Treaty between the Asgard and the Goa'uld. The people of a planet categorized as protected will be free from Goa'uld domination. However, according to Subsection 42, the people on those planets cannot be artificially advanced through a technological means, thus interference from the Asgard would nullify the whole treaty and leave all protected planets, including Earth, open for Goa'uld attack.
• The K'tau civilization has its roots in the Norse culture, using runic symbols for writing, and praying to the Norse god Freyr, Lord of the Aesir and god of K'tau.
• Freyr is the Norse god of sun and rain, protector and ally of Thor, and ruler of the elves who could bring good or bad tidings.
• Annulus is the K'tau term for the stargate.
• Ragnarok is the Norse End of Time.
• The Hall of Wisdom is an underground chamber that is a place of worship and communication with the gods.
• Two members of SG-6 were killed in the destruction of the rocket.
• Coordinates for K'tau: 18-2-30-12-26-33

MEMORABLE REMARKS

• I thought I was having a stroke. [O'Neill]
• Miracles? [Daniel]
  Yeah, that's what it will look like to them. [O'Neill]
  That's what what will look like to them? [Daniel]
  Whatever Carter comes up with. [O'Neill]
• Well, we've either made contact with the Asgard, or trapped ourselves deep within a vault of solid rock. [Daniel]
• But we've also saved your little grey butts, and now we want your help. [O'Neill]
  "Little grey butts..." [Daniel]
  Yeah... [Carter]
• You realize you're mixing your apples and your... [Daniel]
• I have great confidence in you, Carter. Go on back to the SGC and confuse Hammond. [O'Neill]
• They're in the village, still trying to convince the folks we're friendly elves. [O'Neill]
• It's your call, General. I only understand about 1% of what she says half the time. [O'Neill]

FOR THE RECORD

• Martin Wood cameo: technician working on the rocket at the SGC