“Fair Game” features the return of my favorite aliens, the Asgard, while foreshadowing future troubles for our heroes. The Replicators are namedropped for the first time. Although they will not appear until the end of the season, the replicators will become formidable villains. Otherwise, ‘Fair game” is full of geeky revelations and palace intrigue. Thor transports Jack away from a special ceremony hosted by the Secretary of Defense which ends with Sam being promoted to major in order to inform him the System Lords are planning to attack Earth in revenge for Hathor’s death. The system lords fear the Asgard, so Thor has arranged for a meeting with three powerful Goa’uld--Cronos, Nirrti, and Yu--to negotiate earth’s entry into the protected Planets Treaty. Thor has chosen Jack to represent Earth at the negotiations, which is an early sign of the high regard the in which the Asgard hold him.
Cronos, Nirrti, and Yu arrive at SGC, but are insulted within the first few minutes of negotiations because Jack spoke out of turn. Two other points make matters worse. One, Teal’c’s father once served under Cronos. When he failed in a hopeless battle against a more powerful System lord, Cronos murdered him. Ergo, Teal’c has an ax to grind. Two, Thor makes the pants wetting revelation the Asgard are being forced to devote so many resources fighting an enemy called the Replicators, they cannot repel an invasion of earth and are bluffing. Under the circumstances, it is a good idea for Earth to accept whatever treaty they can get. Unfortunately, the final deal involves giving up the stargate.
To make matters even worse, Cronos and Teal’c are found unconscious and wound in the System lord’s quarters. It appears Teal’c has mortally wounded cronos in revenge. After you and Nirrti are informed, the latter attempts to use a Goa’uld healing device which does not work because Cronos’ wounds are too severe. Cronos’ death will ensure an immediate attack on earth. Meanwhile, teal’c awakens and reveals he and Cronos were attacked by an invisible force. Not a Reetou, mind you. Remembering Hathor could turn invisible, sam begins to suspect Nirrti is behind all this. Using Jolinar’s memories, she successfully uses the Goa’uld healing device on Cronos. Nirrti is captured. In gratitude for her capture and saving Cronos, Earth is allowed to join the protected Planets Treaty and keep the stargate, but any SG teams caught trespassing on Goa’uld worlds will be killed.
“Fair Game” is an amusing episode if for no reason other than how many geeky references to past episodes are dropped with the expectations everyone watching just knows all this stuff by heart. It makes my heart sing with memories of my misspent youth immersed in thirty years worth of comic book continuity. I especially remember how Roy Thomas, a former history teacher, used to weave it all into Marvel continuity seamlessly. Those were the days, folks.
Back to the matter at hand, "Fair Game" is quite good all around. It manages to plausibly offer up a reason the Goa’uld are not constantly massing a fleet to go up against Earth. It presents the Asgard as their usual enigmatic selves while explaining why they cannot just swoop in and easily defeat the Goa’uld if there is any problem, it is how Teal’c’s vendetta against Cronos because of his father’s murder is just thrown out there. Sure, Teal’c is a private man of few words, but he and his family were exiled to Chulak and he joined Apophis’ army for the sole purpose of eventually defeating Cronos. Something that important kind of came out of left field there. Ah, not a big deal. Definitely not a deal breaker for “Fair Game.”
Rating: *** (out of 5)
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