10.17 "Talion" Episode Guide

Précis

A terrorist bombing of a Jaffa council meeting ends with several deaths, including those of innocent bystanders and children. Teal’c seeks revenge when he discovers that one of his former rivals is behind the slaughter.

Guide | Transcript

SciFi.com Official Summary

The official summary is not yet available as this episode has yet to air in the United States.

Sky One Program Guide: After barely surviving the bombing massacre of a peaceful Jaffa summit, Teal'c must go rogue to track down and stop a Jaffa leader named Arkad, who plans to take control of the Jaffa nation and deliver them to the Ori. Meanwhile, Stargate command receives intelligence that suggests Arkad is also behind a series of plots to bomb Earth, forcing SG-1 to decide between the life of their friend and the lives of millions at risk should the bombings succeed.

Episode Spoilers

Note: Latest updates are in color.

Storyline

The choice to follow the Ori is being made by several of the Free Jaffa, including one of Bra’tac’s and Teal’c’s former pupils, Arkad. A strong warrior in his own right, Arkad claims to have a fleet more than ten times the size of that of any Goa’uld. He is prepared to order his fleet to attack Earth if the Tau’ri continue to interfere in the Jaffa’s freedom to choose their own path. As a way to define his purpose, he has named his group the Illac Renin (in Ancient, loosely translated, means “Kingdom of the Path”).

Arkad threatens Earth after his group has performed a most horrendous deed: they bombed a gathering of Jaffa at Dar Ashkalon who wished to oppose the Ori and the Jaffa’s turning to Origin. Thirty-two Jaffa were killed, including twelve Jaffa who were gathered at the summit, eighteen innocent bystanders, and two children.

Bra’tac and Teal’c were at the summit. Both were injured in the blast, Bra’tac more severely than Teal’c. Bra’tac is taken to the SGC infirmary where Dr. Lam takes care of him and places him in intensive care.

SG-3, under the command of Col. Reynolds, helps in the clean-up following the bombing. He discovers that Arkad plans to attack Earth to impress his group. Word is that Arkad is stockpiling weapons grade Naquadah for a coordinated attack against the Tau’ri.

Teal’c ignores his teammates and goes on a one-man quest for vengeance. He follows various leads on Arkad’s whereabouts. He knows that Arkad is responsible for the attack because he saw him there. Along the way, Teal’c is aided by a barkeep who stuns two thugs who attempt to overpower him while he is interviewing Lizan, a follower of the Ori and great opponent of the Jaffa, but one who knows much about Arkad’s operation.

Teal’c finds Ba’kal, one of Arkad’s followers who set the three explosives which killed the 32 Jaffa at the summit. Teal’c goes so far as to remove the Jaffa’s symbiote, killing it, and to plant a bomb in his empty pouch in order to obtain from him what he wants to know — primarily, Arkad’s whereabouts.

If Teal’c had only stayed with his team, he would have known that Arkad was on Earth at the SGC. Still too weak to confront Arkad when he comes to Earth to speak with General Landry, Mitchell, Daniel, Carter, and Vala, Bra’tac permits Daniel to speak on his behalf. Following the meeting, Mitchell and Daniel visit Bra’tac in intensive care to determine why Arkad claims to have far more power than he actually does and why he wishes to draw Earth into a confrontation.

In the meantime, Teal’c gets closer to his own confrontation on a smaller, more personal scale — with Arkad…

Production Notes

• Before cameras: August 25-September 5.
• Talion: A punishment identical to the offense, as the death penalty for murder. (Dictionary.com: Talion)
• "Next week we shoot another fight involving Ben, and..............well............it's a surprise!" — James Bamford, fight coordinator, Gateworld Forum, August 24, 2006.
• "The character development I would really like to see more of is actually answered in the next episode [interview was conducted during the filming of "Bad Guys"] where I haven’t had many scenes with Beau [Bridges], General Landry, and I have a few scenes with General Landry where we kind of butt heads so I’m very interested in exploring that aspect of character development, definitively." — Christopher Judge, The SciFi World, September 10, 2006.

Note that all spoilers are subject to change before the finished episode is produced.

Cast

• Ben Browder as Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell
• Amanda Tapping as Lt. Col. Samantha Carter
• Christopher Judge as Teal'c
• Claudia Black as Vala Mal Doran
• With Beau Bridges as Maj. Gen. Hank Landry
• And Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson

Guest Stars

• Tony Amendola as Bra'tac
• Eric Breker as Col. Reynolds
• Lexa Doig as Dr. Carolyn Lam
• Gary Jones as Sgt. Harriman
• Arkad
• Lizan
• Ba’kal
• Barkeep
• Ki’ara
• Nisal
• Jaffa Girl

Production

• Written by Damian Kindler
• Directed by Andy Mikita

Related Articles

Keywords

• Dar Eshkalon
• Earth
• Free Jaffa Nation
• Naquadah
• Ori
• Stargate Command (SGC)

Other

• Season Ten Episode Guides
• Episode Guides
• Transcripts
• 10.17 "Talion" Transcript
• Previous: 10.16 "Bad Guys" Episode Guide
• Next: 10.18 "Family Ties" Episode Guide

Further Reading

• Solutions Spoiler Blog: Talion
• Gateworld Forum
• Solutions Spoiler Blog: Family Ties (and Lexa Doig appearances)
• The SciFi World interview with Christopher Judge

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--DeeKayP 20:46, 18 August 2006 (PDT)