Lost City (Stargate SG-1)

Infobox Television episode | Title = Lost City (Parts 1 & 2)
Colour = SGColor
Series = Stargate SG-1
Season = 7
Episode = 21 & 22


Airdate = March 12, 2004 & March 19, 2004
Production = 721 & 722
Writer = Brad Wright & Robert C. Cooper
Director = Martin Wood
Guests = William Devane as President Hayes
Jessica Steen as Dr. Elizabeth Weir
Tony Amendola as Bra'tac
David Palffy as Anubis
Gary Jones as Sgt. Davis
Ronny Cox as Vice-President Kinsey
Michael Adamthwaite as Herak
James McDaniel as General Francis Maynard
Gen. John P. Jumper, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, as Himself
Episode list = Episode chronology
Prev = Inauguration
Next = New Order (Parts 1 & 2)

"Lost City" is the two-part finale to the seventh season of the science fiction television show "Stargate SG-1". It was originally intended to be a second "Stargate" film, and was then to be the show's absolute finale, and finally ended up being the seventh season finale after the series was renewed. "Lost City" served as an introduction to "Stargate Atlantis" and the events portrayed were followed up in the "Atlantis" premiere "Rising" as well as in "SG-1"'s own "New Order". "Lost City" also featured special guest star Chief of Staff of the Air Force John P. Jumper as himself. This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series and for a Gemini Award in the category Best Visual Effects. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118480/awards "Stargate SG-1" (1997) - Awards ] ]

Plot

Part 1

Dr. Daniel Jackson makes the amazing discovery of a second Repository of the Ancients (the first is depicted in the episode sgcite|The Fifth Race) on the planet P3X-439. However, the Goa'uld Anubis has also discovered its location, and SG-1 must destroy the Repository to keep it out of his hands. Knowing that the information contained inside might be Earth's only hope of defending against Anubis, Jack O'Neill interfaces with the device beforehand, aware that the downloaded Ancient knowledge will eventually consume his mind and cause his death. In Washington, D.C., newly inaugurated President Henry Hayes calls upon Dr. Elizabeth Weir, an expert in international politics, to replace General George Hammond at Stargate Command for a three-month review process. Shortly after, Weir is approached by Vice President Robert Kinsey, who wants control of the Stargate Program for himself and expresses in no uncertain terms to Weir the undesirability of interfering with his agenda.

No one at the SGC is happy about the change of command, and the situation becomes more urgent after Teal'c's mentor Bra'tac brings news that Anubis' fleet will arrive at Earth in three days. Kinsey believes this to be a ploy to keep the SGC running, but Weir has no interest in being his pawn and hears out SG-1's proposal to find the Lost City of the Ancients, and with it the means to defend Earth. Bra'tac and Teal'c depart for Chulak, to find ships and warriors to aid in Earth's defense.

Part 2

Under the influence of Ancient knowledge, O'Neill writes down what Daniel believes to be the location of the Lost City in a crossword puzzle: Proclarush Taonas. O'Neill has another realization that there is a syllable in the Ancient language for each Stargate symbol, and thus "Proclarush Taonas" can be translated into a Stargate address. Sam plots the planet's location in space, and SG-1 sets off in a Goa'uld cargo ship along with Bra'tac and a young Jaffa pilot named Ronan. Jack's condition is worsening; his actions are becoming more and more subconscious, and he is losing the ability to communicate. In one of his last moments of lucidity, he gives command of the mission to Carter. When they arrive at the molten planet, SG-1 discovers Taonas, an intact Ancient outpost, buried under hardened lava. There, O'Neill activates a hologram showing Terra Atlantus -- Earth and the Lost City of Atlantis, apparently buried beneath the ice of Antarctica. O'Neill then removes an advanced power source (later termed a zero point module) from the outpost. In orbit, Bra'tac kills the treacherous Ronan but is mortally wounded; O'Neill heals him as he has developed the healing powers of the Ancients. Now almost completely unresponsive, O'Neill enhances the cargo ship's hyperdrive and modifies its ring transporter to melt through ice.

Meanwhile, Anubis' advance scouts reach Earth, but General Hammond and President Hayes realize that he is attempting to probe Earth's defense status and hold back the "Prometheus". The Goa'uld begin their attack, wiping out the "Nimitz" carrier group. Anubis' full fleet then jumps in above Earth and target its communications network; Anubis himself appears as a hologram inside the Oval Office and demands Earth's surrender, to which Hayes responds blithely. Kinsey attempts to escape to the Alpha Site, but Anubis dials the Stargate first. SG-1's cargo ship arrives above Antarctica and starts to drill; it is protected from a group of death gliders and Al'kesh by the "Prometheus", commanded by General Hammond, and its F-302 fighters. Once inside the Ancient facility, O'Neill installs the power source while Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c fend off Anubis' Kull Warriors. As Hammond prepares to make a kamikaze run on Anubis' flagship, O'Neill activates a swarm of thousands of Ancient weapons that rise from Antarctica and obliterate the entire Goa'uld fleet. The threat to Earth over, a drained O'Neill indicates an Ancient stasis chamber; as it activates, he says "aveo, amacus" ("goodbye, friends"). Sam is determined to find a way to save him, while Daniel realizes that they are in another outpost, not the Lost City. Teal'c wonders where Atlantis really is as the three of them look on at the frozen O'Neill.

Production

Writing and development

When originally televised, "Lost City (Part 1)" and "Lost City (Part 2)" were aired as separate episodes, the second part airing the week after the first. Each episode had its own opening and closing credits, guest stars listed, writers and title. When placed on the DVD, these episodes were edited into one episode 85 minutes in length, under the sole title "Lost City". According to the DVD audio commentary, the teleplay was adapted from a screenplay for "Stargate II" when it was thought the series would be cancelled after the fifth season.

In the original screenplay, O'Neill and Carter were supposed to kiss after he resigns in the engine room of the Tel'tak. The relationship between the two characters had been a running theme throughout the course of the series, and spawned much speculation and debate as to what the ultimate result would be, but the kiss was edited out when an eighth season was confirmed.

In the beginning of the episode when Daniel and Jack are talking, Jack asks Daniel for a seven-letter word to finish the string "up, down, charmed and ...". Daniel says "strange", which Jack takes as a comment on his question; these are in fact the names of quarks.

Casting

This episode (both parts) features the only appearance of Jessica Steen as Dr. Elizabeth Weir. Actress Torri Higginson plays the role in the eighth season opener, "New Order" and in "Stargate Atlantis". Herak, portrayed by Michael Adamthwaite, has his final appearance in this episode, after being introduced in the sixth season. Ron Blecker, one of the SG-3 marines, is the show's military consultant/advisor — this is his first credited appearance in front of the camera.

Among the officials gathered in President Hayes' office is General John P. Jumper, at the time the current real Air Force Chief of Staff. The President's visitor, Bonnie, is Bonnie Arbuthnot, a development director in Chicago who won the SciFi Channel's "Get in the 'Gate'" contest for a walk-on role as a White House staffer.

Reception

This episode was nominated for an Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series and for a Gemini Award in the category Best Visual Effects.

References

External links

* [http://stargate.mgm.com/seasons.php?series=1&season=7 Official "Stargate SG-1" site] . MGM. Visited 2007-11-18. Most of site requires Flash.
* cite web
url = http://media.dave.tv/sites/stargatesg1/screenplays/s07e21.PDF
title = Screenplay of Part 1
date = 2003-11-26
accessdate = 2007-11-18
format = PDF
publisher = Distributed by MGM. Prepared by Line 21 Media Services Ltd Linked to from [http://stargatesg1.com/SeasonSeven Official Stargate SG-1 site] .
* cite web
url = http://media.dave.tv/sites/stargatesg1/screenplays/s07e22.PDF
title = Screenplay of Part 2
date = 2003-12-02
accessdate = 2007-11-18
format = PDF
publisher = Distributed by MGM. Prepared by Line 21 Media Services Ltd Linked to from [http://stargatesg1.com/SeasonSeven Official Stargate SG-1 site] .
* [http://www.gateworld.net/sg1/s7/reviews/721.shtml Review of Part I] from GateWorld. Reviewed by Alli Snow. Visited 2007-11-18.
* [http://www.gateworld.net/sg1/s7/reviews/721b.shtml Another review of Part I] from GateWorld. Reviewed by Lex. Visited May 7, 2006.
* [http://www.gateworld.net/sg1/s7/reviews/722.shtml Review of Part II] from GateWorld. Reviewed by Alli Snow. Visited 2007-11-18.
* [http://www.gateworld.net/sg1/s7/721.shtml Producer comments of Part I] from GateWorld. Visited 2007-11-18.