Episode of the Week: ‘Show and Tell’

A young boy arrives through the Stargate, and warns of plot by invisible aliens to kill all of the human race in order to rob the Goa’uld of potential hosts.

“Show and Tell” Facts:

• The Reetou provided the show’s producers with a classic “cheat”: a new and completely non-humanoid alien species invades Stargate Command … but they’re completely invisible! Apart from a few CG shots where they are exposed, the show could save money by not actually showing the creatures.
• Speaking of invisibility: This episode introduced a new weapon in the “transphase eradication rod” (T.E.R.), which is capable of exposing things that are 180 degrees out of phase (and then blowing them the hell up). They’d be helpful in a later episode when the Goa’uld Nirrti infiltrated the S.G.C. with a personal cloaking device (“Rite of Passage”).
• “Show and Tell” also saw the introduction of the palm scanner, which requires a human hand scan in order to open the iris blocking Stargate access. It would be a mainstay in the control room for the rest of the series.
• Guest star Jeff Gulka, who plays the boy Charlie in this episode, is better known for his recurring role as Gibson Praise on The X-Files.
• The Reetou rebels remain a significant dangling plot thread from the TV series. Season Two ended with the real threat that they may try to attack Earth again, or indiscriminately kill potential Goa’uld hosts on other planets. But the species was never heard from again.

“Show and Tell” on GateWorld:

• Episode Guide
• Photo Gallery
• Screencap Gallery
• Discussion Thread
• Season Two Podcast
• Interview with Carmen Argenziano (2006)

Download “Show and Tell” now from Amazon or iTunes!

Rewatch “Show and Tell” this week! Then post your comments below, or head over to the “Show and Tell” discussion thread and see what people were saying back in the day. What are your favorite moments?

Each week we’re highlighting a favorite episode from Stargate’s 17 seasons. Watch the episode with us this week and join in the fun!