Stargate SG-1's Most Important Episode Sets the Franchise Up for Decades of Entertainment
Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published
When you're building a new sci-fi universe, there's always the question of how much to reveal. The audience needs to be hooked, but there has to be some mystery that will be revealed later down the road. Stargate SG-1 it laid the groundwork for an entire franchise that would spawn a new series around the world a few years later. Episode 11, “The Torment of Tantalus,” gave viewers a sense of just how vast the Stargate universe is and a glimpse of a different, powerful, alien species waiting among the stars. It's the best episode of Season 1, and from a mythology perspective, it's the single most important episode in the series.
The Vast Universe of Stargate SG-1
“The Torment of Tantalus” begins with Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) and Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) look back at the scientists in 1945 working with the Stargate, which has been opened, against all odds. A man wearing a diving suit passes by, asking where he went? The mysterious Cold is open, and begins a search into the history of the Stargate system that eventually reveals the history of the universe.
In 1945, they didn't know how to compensate for stellar drift when using dials, which came later thanks to Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping). SG-1 managed to duplicate the dial links and sent the team, along with Catherine Langford (Elizabeth Hoffman, who took the role of Viveca Lindfors in the film, although the Swedish accent did not come with her), the daughter of the founder of the program, through the Stargate. They arrived and found a small, bald, naked man, Dr. Langford was left waiting for them. He survived for 50 years completely alone, with nothing for company other than complete knowledge of the universe.
Pulling back the Curtain
It turns out that this building is called Heliopolis, a central meeting place for the exchange of information and knowledge. Dr. Langford noted four different languages, and an impressive (mid-90's Showtime budget) CGI hologram display showing elements and atoms. Jackson recognizes that it is a universal language, allowing these four major races to interact. This is the first time Stargate SG-1 revealed the Alliance of Four Great Races, and most importantly, the existence of the Ancients.
The first clue in “The Torment of Tantalus” that there is something else out there comes with the realization that the plant Dr. Langford goes to it is not found in the list of Abydos codes. That means the Goa'uld are unaware of their existence, and by proxy, the Goa'uld were not the ones who built the Stargates. If it weren't for a terribly timed natural disaster that threatened to destroy Heliopolis, Jackson would have spent the rest of his life thoroughly researching the information contained in the book of knowledge.
Alas, the party must use a lightning strike (which is called back to Stargate Atlantis episode “The Eye”) to activate the Stargate and get home in time. There are no Goa'uld, no other alien race present in the episode, only the mystery of what is to come and how the universe was created.
Stargate Deserves A New Series
Stargate SG-1 it has a deep history and legends that, during the period of three series, many movies, webisodes, and books, there are still many mysteries and mysteries. It's more than enough for the new Stargate series to fit into, which is why it's a shame that Amazon just canceled the latest attempt to do so. Stargate is an amazing sci-fi franchise that understands the need for satisfying answers, as much of what Jackson reveals in Heliopolis is revealed in Seasons 3 and 4, and raises new questions. “The Torment of Tantalus” is an episode that you will revisit after finishing the series to see how much the future is hinted at in one 40 minute episode.
Stargate SG-1 is available to stream on Netflix.
