The Changeling

| Production | Review

A near-death trial causes Teal'c to imagine his life as very different from the one he knows, where he is a normal person living on Earth – until he can no longer distinguish reality.

RATINGS SCORECARD
OUR RATING -
FAN RATING - 8.19 
NIELSEN - 1.7 
EPISODE #619
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 02.28.2003
SYNDICATION AIR DATE: 04.26.2004
DVD DISC: Season 6, Disc 5
WRITTEN BY: Christopher Judge
DIRECTED BY: Martin Wood
GUEST STARS: Tony Amendola (Bra'tac), Carmen Argenziano (Jacob Carter), Musetta Vander (Shauna), Peter Williams (Apophis), Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson), Teryl Rothery (Dr. Janet Fraiser), John Ulmer (Fire Fighter), Gianna Patton (Nurse), Gary Jones (Radio Dispatcher)
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PRODUCTION NOTES

  • "I mentioned in a previous chat that a story is in the works that will do something completely different with the character [of Teal'c], a story that will have major repercussions for not only Teal'c but the Jaffa as a whole." (Writer / producer Joseph Mallozzi, in an online chat with the Sam/Jack Horsewomen)
  • "The episode doesn't revolve around the Daniel Jackson character. It's Teal'c's story. However, the character of Daniel Jackson makes a unique appearance and is certainly a key player in the proceedings. Truth is, all of our characters will take on unique roles in 'The Changeling.'"

    "As an ascended being Daniel can't interfere in anything. Quite a dilemma. What repercussions would he face if he did? All questions we'll be answering in 'Full Circle.'" (Supervising producer Joseph Mallozzi, in a post at SaveDanielJackson.com)
  • "It's like an alternate reality that replaces your subconscious. 'Forever In A Day' (Season Three), for example, basically takes place in a blink of eye, when [Sha're] is destroying Daniel with her hand device. The entire story that Daniel goes through never happened, but it does happen in his mind. Something allows him to make peace with her death. 'Changeling' is very similar to an episode titled 'Absolute Power' (Season Four) in that way. Teal'c makes a journey in a different form. We see him as a different person and how his life and the Stargate cross paths all the time, how he has to deal with that and what it means at the end. Daniel, in these lives, acts as a type of a spirit guide to direct Teal'c, pushing him to a place where he can reconcile what the journey is about."

    "I'm always fond of those episodes. They're demanding because you're constantly asking what's going on and then you're hooked. It's like The Sixth Sense. You don't know what's real and what's not anymore. To me, that's a thinking man's drama, and I really appreciate the more emotional, intelligent episodes that we do." (Actor Michael Shanks, in an interview with Cyberex Online)
  • "Actor Chris Judge tries his hand at writing with surprising spectacular results. I say surprising because, while I had no doubt it would be a solid script, I was mighty impressed by how good it turned out (this despite the fact that he neglected to include act breaks in his first draft – 'I leave that sh*t up to you, m*th*rf*cker.'). From what I remember, Chris really enjoyed the process and was quite proud of the final product." (Writer/producer Joseph Mallozzi, in a post at his blog)