Robert Rothman

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Dr. Robert Rothman

Summary

Dr. Robert Rothman was an SGC archaeologist and long time friend of Daniel Jackson. He was introduced in the episode, 3.10 "Forever In A Day", and died in the episode 4.08 "The First Ones".

Character Biography

Robert Rothman was Daniel Jackson's research assistant when he was doing his doctoral dissertation (3.10 "Forever in a Day"). As Daniel remembers in a dream, Rothman was a two-time decathalon champ in college. However, in more recent days, Rothman was so short of breath after a long run, he had to take several hits off an inhaler (4.08 "The First Ones").

It is unclear when Robert joined the SGC. When Daniel was dreaming he left the SGC after Sha're's death, he had recommended Robert to take his place on SG-1 (3.10 "Forever in a Day"). The abrasive Rothman butted heads with O'Neill, and Daniel imagined Jack was constantly after Hammond to get someone else on the team.

Whether or not Rothman was actually working for the SGC already, he certainly was a lab member there later. When Daniel disappeared after standing before a crystal skull, they had Robert be the one to study the device and determine what happened. However, he was not told the specifics of SG-1's mission, nor where the skull was found at first, but he did notice it was close to the one Nicholas Ballard had found decades before. Rothman was skeptical of the properties SG-1 attributed to it, finding it just looked like "a skull", and was increasingly frustrated he could give SG-1 and Gen. Hammond no results before being taken off the project. Luckily SG-1 was able to reach Dr. Ballard and discover Daniel's fate--in another dimension unviewable to the team.

Rothman went offworld with Daniel and SG-11 on P3X-888, the planet believed to be the primordial home of the Goa'uld (4.08 "The First Ones"). Finding a symbiote queen skeleton, he named it "Cleo" for Cleopatra, apparently also naming fossils Julius and Brutus as well. Rothman confessed to Daniel he was enjoying ordering around SG-11 on this long term archeological mission. He was going to tell the team commander Hawkins to do another water run when the site was attacked by an Unas, killing Lt. Loeder and dragging away an unconscious Daniel. While the rest of SG-11 went after the creature, Rothman ran back to the Stargate to report to Earth.

Rothman insisted on joining the search and rescue team going to P3X-888 after Daniel and SG-11. He wasn't overly helpful to SG-1, especially in evaluating Hawkins odd actions. As he explained to O'Neill, people were "too recent" for him. Teal'c soon discovered the waters they had camped by contained live Goa'uld symbiotes--albeit some who had evolved without naquadah in their blood. Hawkins was revealed to be a Goa'uld, and soon after, so was Rothman. There was no way to know when he had been infected. O'Neill was forced to kill the Goa'ulded Rothman in self-defense.

Major Griff of the rescue team volunteered to bury Hawkins and Rothman on P3X-888.

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--Aurora 23:41, 6 June 2009 (UTC)