"Moebius" is the two-part

season finale A season finale (British English: last in the series; Australian English: season final) is the final episode of a season of a television program. This is often the final episode to be produced for a few months or longer, and, as such, will try ...

for season eight of the Canadian-American

military science fiction Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction that features the use of science fiction technology, mainly weapons, for military purposes and usually principal characters who are members of a military organization involved in military a ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed ...

Stargate SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is ...

''. The episodes were written by

Joseph Mallozzi Joseph Mallozzi (born 16 October 1965) is a Canadian writer and producer. He is most noted for his contributions to the ''Stargate SG-1'', '' Stargate: Atlantis'' and ''Stargate Universe'' television series and as showrunner of ''Dark Matter'' ...

Paul Mullie Paul Mullie is a screenwriter and producer. He is credited for writing episodes of ''Stargate Atlantis'', ''Largo Winch'', and ''Stargate SG-1''. He has also worked as executive producer on ''Stargate: Atlantis'' and is the co-creator of ''Dark Matt ...

Executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...

Brad Wright Brad Wright (born May 2, 1961) is a Canadian television producer and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of the television series '' Stargate SG-1'' (with Jonathan Glassner), '' Stargate Atlantis'' (with Robert C. Cooper) and '' St ...

and Robert C. Cooper, the episodes were directed by

Peter DeLuise Peter John DeLuise (born November 6, 1966) is an American actor, television director, television producer, and screenwriter. He is known for his role as Officer Doug Penhall in the Fox TV series '' 21 Jump Street'', and for directing and writing ...

. The episodes were the strongest episodes in the eighth season on the Nielsen household ratings with fellow ''Stargate SG-1'' episode " New Order". The episode got strong reviews from major media publishers worldwide. "Moebius" is about the discovery of a Zero Point Module (ZPM) by SG-1, the only problem is that it was taken by Ra after the Earth revolt more than five thousand years ago. The team decides to travel back in time to get the ZPM and leave without changing history (based on the fact that Ra and company were most likely unaware of the ZPM's purpose), but they are unable to travel back to present time so they record a video for the

United States government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

to find. In the

alternate timeline Alternate history (also alternative history, althist, AH) is a genre of speculative fiction of stories in which one or more historical events occur and are resolved differently than in real life. As conjecture based upon historical fact, alter ...

, the government find the tape and subsequently the

Stargate ''Stargate'' (often stylized in all caps) is a military science fiction media franchise based on the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien Einstein–Rosen b ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest co ...

and decide to establish the

Stargate Program Over its decade of existence, science fiction TV series ''Stargate SG-1'' developed an extensive and detailed backdrop of diverse characters. Many of the characters are members of alien species discovered while exploring the galaxy through the S ...

but not to restore the original timeline.

Plot overview

Part 1

Samantha "Sam" Carter Samantha "Sam" Carter, USAF is a fictional character in the Canadian–American military science fiction ''Stargate'' franchise. Played by Amanda Tapping, she appears in all three shows in the franchise: '' Stargate SG-1'', '' Stargate Atlanti ...

reveals the existence of the ''Daedalus'': a new Earth-built battlecruiser which is capable of reaching the Pegasus Galaxy and is larger and more advanced than the ''

Prometheus In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titan god of fire. Prometheus is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, know ...

''. Daniel Jackson learns of

Catherine Langford Over its decade of existence, science fiction TV series ''Stargate SG-1'' developed an extensive and detailed backdrop of diverse characters. Many of the characters are members of alien species discovered while exploring the galaxy through the S ...

's death and, after her funeral, receives Catherine's collection of documents and artifacts relating to the Stargate program. From one book in the collection, Daniel learns of the former location of a Zero Point Module (ZPM) in Ancient

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

. Daniel and Carter persuade

Jack O'Neill Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the MGM's military science fiction franchise ''Stargate'', primarily as one of the main characters of the television series ''Stargate SG-1''. Richard Dean Anderson played O'Neill in all t ...

to use the time travel capabilities of the Puddle Jumper they found to travel back and take the ZPM, assuming that Ra never knew of its purpose. Once they arrive in 3000 B.C., they join in an offering to Ra and witness his cold-blooded murder of an Egyptian making the offering. Teal'c disguises himself as a Horus Jaffa and retrieves the ZPM from Ra's treasury. However, Ra's Jaffa discover the cloaked Jumper after a sandstorm covers it in sand. Unwilling to upset the future by fighting the Jaffa to get the Jumper back, SG-1 decides to live out the rest of their lives in the past, knowing that the rebellion that overthrew Ra will eventually happen. However, an alternate timeline is created in which the

was never discovered and everything SG-1 have done for the last eight years never happened. In this timeline, alternate Daniel is teaching English as a second language, alternate Carter spends her time double-checking other scientists' work, alternate O'Neill is retired from the military and alternate

Teal'c Teal'c of Chulak is a fictional character in the 1997 military science fiction television series ''Stargate SG-1''. Portrayed by Christopher Judge, Teal'c is a Jaffa (Stargate), Jaffa warrior from the planet Chulak. As a Jaffa, Teal'c is a genet ...

is still the First Prime of Apophis. Alternate Daniel and alternate Carter are contacted by the Air Force and brought to Cheyenne Mountain. At Cheyenne Mountain, George Hammond informs alternate Carter and alternate Daniel that archaeologists found a video camera in a vacuum-sealed

canopic jar Canopus (, ; grc-gre, Κάνωπος, ), also known as Canobus ( grc-gre, Κάνωβος, ), was an ancient Egyptian coastal town, located in the Nile Delta. Its site is in the eastern outskirts of modern-day Alexandria, around from the cent ...

at a dig in Giza. The video contains a recording of the original SG-1, explaining who they are and what they were doing, as well as a number of things that are true in their timeline, such as recent political events, Presidents and personal details. Their plan is that if things have changed in the future, then SG-1's alternative selves will travel back in time and fix the past. An expedition team is sent to find the Giza Stargate, but find nothing. Instead, they discover that the original Daniel left a tablet where the gate should have been, inscribed with an obscure dialect of Egyptian that only alternate Daniel can read. It reveals that the original

SG-1 ''Stargate SG-1'' (often stylized in all caps, or abbreviated ''SG-1'') is a military science fiction Adventure fiction, adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show, created by Brad Wrigh ...

instigated a successful rebellion against the Ra of 3000 BC. However, this caused him to leave

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surf ...

with the Stargate. However, they do find the Puddle Jumper, and alternate Daniel and alternate Carter figure out how to find the Antarctic Stargate. A team is assembled to go through the Stargate to recruit alternate

under the instruction of the Daniel and Carter on the tape. Alternate Daniel and alternate Carter are not going to be on this team.

Part 2

The scientists working on the recovered Alternate-Puddle Jumper cannot make it work because they do not have the ATA gene. Alternate-O'Neill is called in to operate the Jumper and lead the team through the Stargate to find alternate Teal'c, and agrees that alternate Daniel and alternate Carter are to join the team through the Stargate. On Chulak, SG-1 are caught by Jaffa loyal to Apophis and imprisoned. Alternate Teal'c defects to their cause and helps them escape but alternate Daniel was made a Goa'uld spy by Apophis and is killed by Teal'c. They escape in the Puddle Jumper, but are chased and damaged by Death Gliders. Unaware of the jumper's cloaking capacity, they believe that only way they can survive is to time-travel. They travel back to 3000 B.C. and use the

to pass from Chulak to Ancient

where the original versions of

were stranded and where Ra is still alive and ruling. The original

attempted the rebellion because O'Neill and Teal'c did not want to stay and O'Neill, Carter and Teal'c were killed when it failed. Daniel, the only survivor, meets with alternate Carter, alternate O'Neill and alternate Teal'c. He has not yet made the tablet detailing the second successful rebellion attempt because it hasn't happened yet. This means that his current plans with the underground of the local populace are destined to succeed. However, they lead to the Stargate being removed from Earth by Ra. The plan is to instigate the rebellion, thus diverting Ra's attention, and secure the Stargate to where it was originally buried, allowing the original timeline to evolve as it did. The rebellion ultimately succeeds, but not before alternate Carter and alternate-O'Neill show their feelings for each other with a kiss, uncertain if they will survive. Ra's Jaffa surrender, outnumbered by the staff- and zat-armed Egyptians. The alternate SG-1 bury the videotape, along with the ZPM, for the

of the future to find. The alternate-

and Daniel from the original

(of 3000 BC) live out the rest of their lives in Ancient Egypt. The original

of the present day receive the videotape and the ZPM left for them a few weeks before they were to go back in time. As the timeline has been restored, they have no reason to go back in time, and they've gained a ZPM free of charge. The episode ends with SG-1 at O'Neill's cabin, fishing, in a scene identical to the end of "

Threads Thread may refer to: Objects * Thread (yarn), a kind of thin yarn used for sewing ** Thread (unit of measurement), a cotton yarn measure * Screw thread, a helical ridge on a cylindrical fastener Arts and entertainment * ''Thread'' (film), 2016 ...

", except there are now fish in Jack's pond.

Production

After production wrapped on season seven, the writers came together and pitched out ideas for the eighth and presumably final season.

Season five A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

through season seven had previously been expected to be the last, but the show got renewed each year.811 Audio Commentary "Gemini" by Will Waring (WW, Director) and Jim Menard (JM, Director of Photography) They ultimately agreed on about ten initial episodes, two of which should make a two-hour premiere to address left-open issues of the season seven finale. ''

'' was originally set to be replaced with a new series entitled ''Stargate Command'', but the

Sci Fi Channel Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...

decided to renew the series for another

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...

. O'Neill's last line in "Moebius", "Close enough" is a homage to ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'' episode "

Treehouse of Horror V "Treehouse of Horror V" is the sixth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the fifth episode in the ''Treehouse of Horror'' series. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States ...

" that involves

Homer Simpson Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of his family, in '' The Tracey Ullman Show'' short ...

time traveling and unintentionally making numerous changes to history; upon returning to a timeline where his family has snake tongues but everything else is otherwise normal, he says "eh, close enough". In the same ''SG-1'' episode, the name of O'Neill's boat is "Homer". This is one of several references to ''The Simpsons'' on ''Stargate SG-1'', all centered around O'Neill. (However, Carter's line "I keep thinking I'm gonna step on a bug and change the future," may be taken as a reference to ''The Simpsons'', as Homer's stepping on a bug is what caused the changes in his universe. Alternatively, this line could be a reference to Ray Bradbury's ''

A Sound of Thunder "A Sound of Thunder" is a science fiction short story by American writer Ray Bradbury, first published in ''Collier's'' magazine in the June 28, 1952, issue and later in Bradbury's collection '' The Golden Apples of the Sun'' in 1953. ...

,'' the original science fiction story that involved changes in a timeline caused by stepping on an insect, which influenced the Simpsons episode.) Incidentally, in the brief shot of O'Neill boat showing the name, the

font In movable type, metal typesetting, a font is a particular #Characteristics, size, weight and style of a typeface. Each font is a matched set of type, with a piece (a "Sort (typesetting), sort") for each glyph. A typeface consists of a range of ...

used is the same font used extensively in ''The Simpsons''. "Moebius" was supposed to be the ''Stargate SG-1'' series finale (like the two previous season finales), so many actors reprised their roles from past episodes:

Don S. Davis Donald Sinclair "Don" Davis (August 4, 1942 – June 29, 2008) was an American character actor best known for playing General Hammond in the television series '' Stargate SG-1'' (1997–2007), and earlier for playing Major Garland Briggs on th ...

as George Hammond, Peter Williams as Apophis,

Colin Cunningham Colin Alexander Cunningham (born 1966) is an American television and film actor. Cunningham is best known for his roles as John Pope in the TNT science fiction series ''Falling Skies'' and as Major Paul Davis on ''Stargate SG-1''. Career Cu ...

Major Davis Major Davis (27 March 1882 – 27 April 1959) was an English cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising tw ...

, and Jay Acovone as Charles Kawalsky. This is the last episode to feature

Richard Dean Anderson Richard Dean Anderson (born January 23, 1950) is a retired American actor and producer. He began his television career in 1976, playing Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series '' General Hospital'', and then rose to prominence as the lead ...

character

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill as a main cast member of ''Stargate SG-1''. The episode also marks the final appearances of recurring characters Charles Kawalsky, Apophis and Major Davis (who would re-appear in ''

Stargate Atlantis ''Stargate Atlantis'' (usually stylized in all caps and often abbreviated ''SGA'') is an Adventure film, adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate, ''Stargate'' franchise. The show was created by Brad Wr ...

series finale A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...

" Enemy at the Gate" (2009)). Alessandro Juliani (Katep) previously played Eliam in the Season 4 episode "

Scorched Earth A scorched-earth policy is a military strategy that aims to destroy anything that might be useful to the enemy. Any assets that could be used by the enemy may be targeted, which usually includes obvious weapons, transport vehicles, commun ...

". This episode marks Ra's only appearance outside of the feature film and '' Stargate: Continuum''.

Reception

"Moebius" earned a Nielsen household rating of 4.7, part one earned 2.3 and part two earned 2.4 in Nielsen household ratings. Christine Mooney won a

Leo Award The Leo Awards are the awards program for the British Columbia film and television industry. Held each May or June in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the Leo Awards were founded by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Foundation of British C ...

in the category "Dramatic Series - Best Costume Design" for "Moebius" (Part 2). Dan Houston from ''Digitally Obsessed'' said the episode was a "Must-see" for "Fans" of ''

''. Holly E. Ordway from ''

DVDTalk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...

'' said the episodes "story" was "entertaining" and "interesting" and different from the previous episodes in the franchise.

References

External links

Moebius Part 1
an

at mgm.com * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Moebius (Stargate Sg-1) Stargate SG-1 episodes 2005 American television episodes