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FRAGILE BALANCE

Fragile Balance

07.03 Episode 135 (#P266)
Airdate: June 20, 2003

A 15 year old boy arrives at the SGC, claiming to be Jack O'Neill. He has O'Neill's security ID, his knowledge, his attitude, and his DNA is a statistical match. Adding to the puzzle, the colonel is missing. As SG-1 attempts to unravel the mystery, Young O'Neill begins to have flashes of memory of an abduction by the Asgard. Daniel and Teal'c pursue the investigation by interviewing other people who have reported similar experiences of alien abduction and memory loss. Meanwhile, however, Dr. Fraiser has disturbing news. Her analysis of Young O'Neill's DNA reveals that his genetic structure is breaking down. He is dying.

Carter informs Young O'Neill that his body is dying, and Jacob Carter offers suspended animation by the Tok'ra as a possible alternative, but the boy vanishes from the base instead. Meanwhile, Selmak recognizes the significance of the genetic anomaly in Young O'Neill's DNA. He is, in fact, a clone, and the evidence suggests that the Asgard have been abducting humans for research and replacing them with clones until the original can be returned. SG-1 is able to track down Young O'Neill, and together they devise a plan to apprehend the Asgard by intercepting the next attempt to exchange O'Neill for his clone.

Late at night, Young O'Neill is suddenly beamed up from his bedroom and replaced by a sleeping Colonel O'Neill, who is unaware that he has been missing for seven days. Aboard an Asgard ship, Young O'Neill overcomes his Asgard abductor and beams up the rest of SG-1. The Asgard is Loki, who admits to conducting unsanctioned experiments on humans, and when Thor appears, he reprimands Loki, then agrees to O'Neill's request to spare the life of his young clone. With a new life ahead of him, Young O'Neill returns to high school, determined to embrace the opportunity to live his life a second time.

Story by: Peter DeLuise and Michael Greenburg
Teleplay by: Damian Kindler
Directed by: Peter DeLuise

Guest Starring: Carmen Argenziano as Jacob Carter/Selmak, Michael Welch as Young Jack O'Neill, Teryl Rothery as Dr. Fraiser, Gregory Bennett as Lieutenant Colonel Harlan Beck, Tom Heaton as Werner, Poppi Reiner as Pamela, Ed Hong-Louie as Zyang Wu, Theresa Lee as Interpreter, Ralph Alderman as Shop Owner, Evan Lendrum as Pilot, Chris Kramer as Pilot, Noah Beggs as SF, Dan Payne as SF, Michael Shanks as Voice of Thor, Peter DeLuise as Voice of Loki

Reference: Asgard, Asgard Mothership, Asgard Stones, Asgard Transport Beam, Harlan Beck, Jacob Carter, Clones, F-302, Loki, Jack O'Neill, Young Jack O'Neill, Pamela, Thor, Tok'ra, Werner, Zyang Wu

DESTINATIONS & INHABITANTS

Destinations & Inhabitants

Earth

Destinations & Inhabitants

Young Jack O'Neill

Destinations & Inhabitants

Loki

NOTES OF INTEREST

  • Loki is the god of mischief in Norse mythology. As a scientist and former geneticist with the Asgard Ruling Council, he was stripped of his stature and banished after being caught performing unsanctioned experiments on humans 19 years ago.
  • Human bodies are similar to the Asgard's original form thousands of years ago, before repeated cloning caused genetic deterioration.
  • O'Neill's ability to acquire the data from the Ancients' repository of knowledge suggests that he is physiologically advanced and a significant step forward on the evolutionary path. O'Neill is legendary.
  • The Asgard had safeguarded O'Neill's genetic coding for his own protection. A marker was placed in his DNA to prevent any attempts at genetic manipulation.
  • O'Neill's security ID indicates his full name is John J. O'Neill, birthdate October 20, 1952.
  • O'Neill has not mentioned having a sibling.
  • O'Neill reads "Cracked" magazine.
  • Harlan Beck is now a lieutenant colonel from the 10th Air Base Wing at the Air Force Academy. As a lieutenant, he had served with O'Neill in Special Ops, in Operation Proven Force out of Incirlik, Turkey, during the Gulf War.
  • The X-302 is now referred to as the F-302 [Fighter 302]. The pilots wear an F-302 patch showing the F-302 in flight, and 7 stars, representing the victims of the Columbia disaster, February 1, 2003. A second patch shows "Snakeskinners 1st SFW". The training mission was dubbed Blue Phoenix.

MEMORABLE REMARKS

  • Sounds like him, at least the loud grating parts. [Daniel]
  • Daniel, until recently, you were an ascended being. You broke the rules, you got yourself kicked out of the Oma Desala Fan Club, and had your memory erased. [Young O'Neill]
  • I'll go set up a PlayStation. [Carter]
  • Hey, I realize that it doesn't actually say 'colonel' anywhere on my uniform, but it should. [Young O'Neill]
  • I'll drag the little tyke kicking and screaming through the gate myself. I didn't come all this way to watch him die like this. [Daniel]
  • This plan sucks. [Young O'Neill]
  • Look, I know you don't think I am who I am, but as far as I'm concerned, I am... who I am. [Young O'Neill]
  • Wow, you know, I'm really much taller than I think. [Young O'Neill]
  • How long was I asleep? [O'Neill]
    Seven days. [Carter]
    That's a record. [O'Neill]
  • I just woke up, haven't had coffee, let alone a pee in seven days, and I find out you stole my ass and made a… Mini-Me. [O'Neill]
  • I was stripped of my stature after I was caught performing unsanctioned experiments on humans. [Loki]
    What, you've got sanctioned ones? [O'Neill]
  • Well, easy to see why they kicked you out of the science club. [Young O'Neill]

FOR THE RECORD

  • For crying out loud: 1 (Young Jack O'Neill)
  • Peter DeLuise cameo: Voice of Loki
  • Injuries:
    • O'Neill: cloned by the Asgard
  • Popular Culture References:
    • Austin Powers
      • You stole my ass and made a Mini-Me.
    • The Island of Dr. Moreau
      • It seems he's been playing Dr. Moreau behind your back.