The Fifth Race is episode 15 of season 2 of Stargate SG-1, first aired in 1998.
On P3R-272, an Ancient repository grabs O'Neill's head and pours their civilization's entire knowledge into it. The colonel starts speaking a dead language, correcting Carter's calculations and building machines he doesn't understand, while his brain dangerously overloads. His final act, guided by the builders' knowledge, sends him to the other end of the galaxy, to the Asgard.
Why it matters to the mythology
The episode reveals the names of the four great races, the language of the Ancients and the founding prophecy: Earth is the fifth race in the making.
First appearance
The Ancient repository of knowledge, the Asgard homeworld
The review
My high point of season 2. Richard Dean Anderson is irresistible as a man dissolving into knowledge too big for him, and Jack's growing frustration, silenced inside his own head, is played with incredible subtlety. The last scene with the Asgard, where Thor explains that humans have taken the first step toward becoming the fifth race, gives the whole franchise its direction and its nobility. The series isn't about invasions: it's about growing up. A masterpiece.
Written by Sebastian
Founder and editor-in-chief of Stargate Initiative
Gallery · 2
Stills from the episode, via TMDb.
The community watches the episode
Creators watch it, react to it, break it down. We're just the bridge: the views stay on their channels.
Comments
0Create an account or sign in to leave a comment, earn XP and help keep the community alive.
Sign in to comment