SG-1 take on Deep Impact and Armageddon in Fail Safe. Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, this episode was first broadcast on 5 April, 2002.

A large asteroid is discovered in the solar system, it’s path is determined to be on a direct line for Earth which may cause an extinction level event. O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) makes a comment that he’s seen this movie, but heads out to the Asgard to see if they will help.

Unfortunately, the protected planets treaty bars them from interfering so it will be up to SG-1 to take the transport craft that they crashed in the previous episode to the asteroid to find a way to stop it.

Hammond (Don S. Davis) organizes the exodus to the Alpha Site.

Can Carter (Amanda Tapping), Teal’c (Christopher Judge) and Daniel (Michael Shanks) get the help they need to launch the cargo ship and thwart the missile? They have eleven days before the asteroid strikes.

You just know things aren’t going to go as smoothly as the team hopes. Hammond, Harriman (Gary Jones) and Davis (Colin Cunningham) are overseeing things at Stargate Command, and when the ship seems to crash and loses communication with the SGC, they’ll have to make some tough decisions.

But SG-1 is working hard to deliver a bomb to not only knock the asteroid out of its path, but to break it up enough so that any debris will burn up in the atmosphere.

The clock is ticking! And what happens if they find out that the asteroid has a naquadah core? And that it was sent on its path, probably, by the Goa’uld. Is it enough to suggest a treaty intervention and have the Asgard lend a hand? Or will Carter come up with a brilliant last minute plan?

This is a great place to point out Mallozzi and Mullie’s writing. They embrace the continuity of the series, the character arcs, and should their narratives brush up against familiar science fiction tropes they aren’t afraid to have a character, usually O’Neill, call them out.

The Warrior introduces us to the new leader of the free Jaffa, K’Tano (Rick Worthy) and he and his army may be a strong new ally for the SGC.

Christopher Judge came up with the story for the episode which led to a script written by Peter DeLuise, who also directed it (watch for his cameo). It was first broadcast on 12 April, 2002.

Bra’tac (Tony Amendola) and Teal’c come to the SGC with the idea of an overture between the two groups, relaying the fact that K’Tano and his men would benefit from weaponry.

K’Tano is a wonderful orator, and he’s drawn a number of Jaffa from various systemlords to his banner where they fight free and to free all Jaffa from the Goa’uld. But there may be a darker side to K’Tano and those under his command.

Both Teal’c and Bra’tac remind O’Neill and the viewer, that they have a different way of doing things, and despite appearances, they aren’t human.

You know there’s something else about to happen the whole way through the episode, and when it happens, it’s not really a surprise… He uses suicide bombers, and is willing to sacrifice countless lives to achieve his goal.

This isn’t how the SGC works, and O’Neill decides to cancel everything, but Teal’c wants to go with K’Tano and that may cost his life. If he survives will he understand what K’Tano is up to?

Still, it’s a solidly told tale, and reminds us of the variety of characters and narratives throughout the established Stargate universe.