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In the Making

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Teal'c is trapped in a virtual reality simulation, in which he must defend the base from a Goa'uld super-soldier incursion.

EPISODE #806
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 08.13.2004
SYNDICATION AIR DATE: 10.24.2005
DVD DISC: Season 8, Disc 2
WRITTEN BY: Damian Kindler
DIRECTED BY: Martin Wood
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By Joseph Mallozzi
Writer and Executive Producer, Stargate SG-1

When I first heard the pitch for this episode -- Teal'c trapped in a virtual reality game -- I cringed. I was admittedly underwhelmed by the notion of doing a sci-fi story that was as old as, well, sci-fi itself. Of course, as Paul [Mullie] is always quick to point out, science fiction is possessed of a certain vocabulary -- concepts like cloning, time travel, alternate realities, and, yes, virtual reality, make up the language of the genre. The challenge of any sci-fi writer is to take those tried and true concepts, and find a way to give them a fresh spin, in essence making them intrinsic to their characters, their worlds.

The writers broke the story, then Damian Kindler wrote the first draft. Robert Cooper, this episode's producer, did a pass on the script, threading in Teal'c's emotional arc and coming up with the "2-second solution" that gets Daniel into the story.

  • Teal'c's "I play 'Def Jam Vendetta'" was a late addition by actor Chris Judge who, coincidentally, provides the voice for D-Mob in the video game of the same name.
  • The super soldiers were created in Season Seven as a means of providing guilt-free cannon-fodder for our heroes. With the Jaffa rebellion gaining in strength and past storylines geared toward humanizing these noble warriors (after all, they were fighting for the Goa'uld not because they were evil but because they honestly believed they were serving their god), we needed to find a new enemy that we could essentially "kill with gay abandon."

    Enter the super soldiers in "Evolution" parts one and two. Not only were they soulless, merciless killing machines, but their buffed codpieces are sure to inspire fear in all those foolish enough to cross their path.
  • Sharp-eyed fans may notice a discrepancy in the size of the headpiece Teal'c sports when he is hooked up to the game. The truth is, the props department initially misjudged the size of Chris's head and had to come up with a size XXL for the subsequent shooting days.
  • The part of Sgt. Siler is played by none other than Stargate SG-1's very own stunt coordinator, Dan Shea. An affable guy and a fan favorite, Dan is an easy guy to spot if you ever come visit the set. He'll be the guy still wearing shorts in the dead of winter.