Gemini
EPISODE #811
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 01.21.2005
DVD DISC: Season 8, Disc 3
WRITTEN BY: Peter DeLuise
DIRECTED BY: William Waring
GUEST STARS: Patrick Currie (Fifth), Gary Jones (Walter Harriman), Jason Emanuel (Tech Sergeant), Dan Shea (Sgt. Siler), Chris Robson (S.F.)
WATCH NOW:
GateWorld earns a commission on purchases through affiliate links
ANALYSIS
- Earth has indeed received hyperdrive technology from the Asgard (perhaps coincidentally indicated by the aliens impersonating General Hammond in Stargate Atlantis's "Home"). The Prometheus has likely been fitted with the advanced engines, capable of traveling the vast distances between galaxies in a small amount of time. Recent test flights were successful, and a mission to the Atlantis base in the Pegasus Galaxy is about to be undertaken.
- Carter's I.D.C. was changed four months ago, likely after she was recovered after being captured by the Replicators.
- The current Alpha Site has a D.H.D., despite the fact that the Stargate systems appear to be at least partially controlled by an Earth computer network (similar to that at the S.G.C.).
- Replicator Carter has all of Colonel Carter's memories, and even thinks like her – her brain was patterned after Sam's own. Assuming that her memory shared with Sam was not falsified, Replicator Carter also experienced Sam's emotional attachment to General O'Neill – but was forced by Fifth to kill him in simulation, in order to cut ties with her old life. Fifth's "training" of her in this manner, gradually giving her Sam's memories over time, likely hardened her against both her old life and him.
It is also possible that Replicator Carter shared the vision of her killing her friends – whether or not the simulation actually happened to her – to further win Sam's sympathy. - Replicator Carter is noticeably unsettled when she hears that the Asgard have dialed in to the Alpha Site. Perhaps she is merely acting for Sam and Teal'c's sake; but perhaps she knows that if the Asgard become actively involved, it is less likely she will be able to maintain her ruse.
- The microscopic cells of which the advanced, humanoid Replicators are a kiron-based technology, like their bug-like, larger-block "brethren." Kiron energy holds the blocks together, but some blocks (even entire limbs) may be spontaneous disconnected at will. Thor first described the technology – at the time entirely foreign to Earth – in Season Four's "Small Victories." The Ancients' weapon disrupts the kiron pathways, breaking the cohesion between blocks.
- The Goa'uld civilization would be like a banquet to the Replicators, should they fully invade our galaxy. The Replicators seek out new and more advanced technologies, and the Goa'uld have seized and developed advanced technology from many races, including the Ancients. Now that they are in our galaxy and soon to be under the command of Replicator Carter – who has full knowledge of the Goa'uld and the various System Lords – it is likely that they will engage the Goa'uld at some point.
- Replicators have now entered our galaxy. Based on their previous behavior patterns, they will seek out advanced technology that they do not possess, as well as the raw materials needed to replicate more of themselves.
- Perhaps she was hardened largely by Fifth's treatment, but Replicator Carter is more like the original humanoid-form Replicators than she is like Fifth. Perhaps he even created her without his unique programming, originally modeled on the android Reese ("Unnatural Selection").
NOTES
- The computer still recognizes Stargate personnel identification codes after they have expired, but displays the appropriate warning on screen rather than opening the iris automatically.
- Replicators can feel pain ... or so they claim.
- The Replicators maintain a subspace link with one another to stay in constant communication, even over the vast distances of space. They can control the signal output level in order to avoid detection.
- The pathways that bind together Replicator cells are spelled "kiron," according to a display screen at the Alpha Site.
- The Asgard have developed satellites armed with the Ancient disruptor weapon, and thus capable of defending a planet from the Replicators from orbit.
- The Replicators have acquired some knowledge of the Ancients and Ancient technology from the databanks of Asgard ships they have assimilated.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Samantha Carter - Rather than expressing frustration over the fact that Fifth created a Replicator copy of her, Carter instead reveals her sympathy for her doppelganger – particularly when Replicator Carter shows her how Fifth has been treating her, making her kill her friends in virtual simulations and slowly feeding her Sam's memories in order to shape her into who he wanted her to be. She eventually came to despise him.
Sam must now face the reality that, whereas Earth and the Asgard previously had an effective weapon and had the Replicators on the run, now all of that is gone in large part because of her. Because she trusted Replicator Carter, Sam allowed her to seize control of the Replicator forces and find a way to render the disruptor weapon useless. The Replicator learned betrayal from Fifth, who learned it when Sam betrayed him.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
- Could Fifth have survived?
- How many more Replicators are there, if Fifth's entire ship (the only survivors in "New Order, Part 2") was obliterated? Can Replicator Carter successfully take control of them?
- Can Replicator Carter successfully adapt her upgrade to all Replicators, even the non-humanoid form, to make them impervious to the Asgard weapon?
- What effect will this have on the Earth-Asgard alliance, since Carter allowed the Replicators to render impotent the only weapon effective against them?
- Will O'Neill allow Daniel or another member of SG-1 to join the Prometheus's mission to Atlantis?
PRODUCTION NOTES
- "The stories are big, there's a lot happening. There are a lot of visual effects. The episode I was just shooting before our [mid-season] break, there were two Carters, so there were a lot of visual effects and green screen stuff, and that's time-consuming. The stories are great and the scripts are wonderful, though." (Actress Amanda Tapping, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune)
- "'Gemini' was great. I was fortunate enough to see Colonel Carter and RepliCarter kind of dueling it out." ("Teal'c" actor Christopher Judge, in an interview with GateWorld)
- "It's actually for me probably the hardest episode I've ever shot in eight years, doing the two-character arc. Playing the two of them, trying to find enough differences so that you could see the difference but [also] making them alike enough that you could believe Fifth created her from the same consciousness as Carter, was a challenge. I was flipping back and forth – on any given day [I would have to] jump in and out of Replicator Carter four or five times, and Carter four or five times.
"There are subtle nuances [between them] and that was important to me, because though she has Sam's memories and supposedly Sam's consciousness, she doesn't have Sam's heart. And she comes to Earth with an agenda." ("Carter" actress Amanda Tapping, in an interview with Stargate SG-1: The Official Magazine) - "Amanda gives a doubly delicious performance as both Sam Carter and her evil twin in this episode that sees the return of Replicator Carter. It was a very satisfying episode, especially for Amanda who imbued her dual performance with subtle nuances that really set the two characters apart. It was a grueling shoot but, as always, she was a total professional, never once complaining. It's episodes like this one that remind me how terrific Amanda was to work with." (Writer / producer Joseph Mallozzi, in a post at his blog)