O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and the rest of SG-1 face a troubling and unique problem in Scorched Earth. Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, this episode was first broadcast on 25 August, 2000.

SG-1 has aided in the resettling of the Enkarans, finding a world with the exact atmosphere that they need. Mid-celebration, an Enkaran arrives with word of a terrible approaching disaster.

A large ship is seemingly terraforming the planet for a sulfur-based species, which would destroy the Enkarans.

As the group tries to find a way to help the Enkarans, they are beamed aboard the ship, where they encounter an interactive life-form, Lotan (Brian Markinson) who tells them the process cannot be stopped. Lotan reveals that the ship is not only terraforming, it is an ark, carrying all that remains of the species.

They do not want to destroy the Enkarans, but cannot see a way of stopping the process. They only have enough material to change one planet.

Will they be able to find a way to stop the machine and save the Enkarans? O’Neill orders Carter (Amanda Tapping) to craft a naquadah bomb, while Daniel (Michael Shanks) goes to speak with Lotan.

Is there not a better way? Is there not a way for both species to survive?

Through a dialogue, and a scan of the ship’s records, another option is found, so, happy ending for both species, which allows the story to get stuck on the horns of a real environmental dilemma.

Still, it’s a solid episode, and I love how Daniel doesn’t always play by O’Neill’s rules.

Beneath the Surface was written by Heather E. Ash and directed by (watch for the cameo) Peter DeLuise. It first aired on 1 September, 2000.

This one has always kind of bored me. The members of SG-1 have no memory of who they are, except for Teal’c (Christopher Judge). They are all working in an underground power station in slavery.

When Teal’c undergoes the brainwashing again, he forgets his need to observe the Jaffa ritual for sleep, kelno’reem and consequently begins to die.

Will the rest of the team be able to recover their memories in time to help their friend? As the trio dig at feelings, partial memories and sensations they begin to realize they may have to take some drastic action, and find a way out.

It’s a nice episode, and there’s a nice emotional arc with Carter and O’Neill as, once again, they admit how they feel about one another, but once their memories are restored completely, they know they have to follow the chain of command, and behave accordingly.

Still, it’s not my fave episode of the season.