Heroes (Stargate SG-1)
Encyclopedia
"Heroes" are episodes from Season 7 of the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...

 television series Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...

. This two-parter was nominated for a Hugo Award
Hugo Award
The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards...

 in the category Best Dramatic Presentation - Short Form. For Part 2, which aired as the 150th episode of the series, Andy Mikita
Andy Mikita
Andy Mikita is a Canadian television director and producer. He has worked in the TV and film industry for over 20 years. Mikita is best known for his work as a director and producer for Stargate SG-1, and its sister shows Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.-Career:Andy Mikita began his...

 was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Direction", and Don S. Davis
Don S. Davis
Don Sinclair Davis PhD was an American character actor, theatre professor, painter and captain in the United States Army.-Career:He was perhaps best known for playing General George S...

 was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Supporting Performance - Male" for this episode.

Part 1

The President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

, nearing the end of his time in office, has grown concerned over how the public will react if the Stargate Program becomes public knowledge after he leaves office. Hoping that he will be able to put a positive spin
Spin (public relations)
In public relations, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure...

 on his association with the program, he has commissioned a reporter to create a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...

 on the people within the SGC and their activities. However, few key SGC members demonstrate willingness to participate in the documentary and the reporter seems to irritate the members of SG-1, and occasionally rant about censorship. (While he has been given complete access to all past mission reports, current activities of the SGC are off-limits since the Pentagon has yet to review and certify them safe for public viewing.) While Sam Carter and Daniel Jackson do participate in the interviews (unlike Teal'c, who simply stares silently at the camera, and Jack O'Neill, who goes to great pains to avoid the reporter completely), it is only Janet Fraiser who seems willing to tolerate the reporter's presence (including his rather clumsy attempts to make a pass at her).

Meanwhile, SG-13 is exploring the planet P3X-666 and a Goa'uld probe (possibly inspired by the MALP), which in appearance and sound resembles the Star Wars Imperial probe, discovers the exploration team and opens fire. After a brief firefight, it is successfully disabled. Deeming the world to be safe, at least for the immediate future, the SGC allows SG-13 to continue to study the ruins they had found. Undiscovered by the SGC, the probe had dispatched a sub-space signal before it was destroyed, and a Goa'uld strike force appears soon afterwards to engage the explorers. With one team member wounded by a Jaffa staff blast and unable to move, the SGC is forced to send three SG teams as reinforcement to hold off the Jaffa until Dr. Fraiser can stabilise the wounded airman.

Part 2

SG-1 and other teams enter the combat and provide cover for Dr. Fraiser and the wounded airman. Shockingly, while providing cover for the wounded soldier, Colonel O'Neill takes a Jaffa staff blast to the torso and falls to the ground amid continued violence. The embattled SG teams return to Earth and, while the camera crews are forced out of the Gateroom due to the 'No current activity' prohibition, an unidentified individual stretched lifeless on a gurney is visible and gives concern both to the viewer and the reporter. Soon afterwards, reports that there was a KIA (i.e. a casualty)
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...

 during the mission begin to filter through the SGC and piques the interest of the reporter. In addition, the formerly unknown NID agent Woolsey
Richard Woolsey
Richard Woolsey is a fictional character on the Stargate television franchise about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by Robert Picardo, Woolsey made his first appearance as a member of the NID in "Heroes", an episode of season 7 of Stargate...

 conducts an investigation into the SGC, with many of General Hammond's, Dr. Jackson's, and Major Carter's operational decisions questioned. During this, the reporter continues to try to determine exactly what happened, who was on that stretcher, and whether rumors of Colonel O'Neill's death are accurate.

After continued pressure, Dr. Jackson allows the reporter to view the tape that he had made of the mission. Viewing the tape, we see Dr. Fraiser tending to the wounded soldier and, almost immediately after stabilising him for travel, taking a staff blast to her torso, fatally wounding her. Jack survived his own impact, and the wounded soldier was saved due to Janet's actions. Bregman, the reporter, starts asking questions about who was shot and how. He makes a strong stand about the importance of the media in battle scenes, especially in a top secret program which is to be made public sooner or later anyway. He tells a poignant story highlighting the deep morality of documenting the sacrifice and loss associated with war. This story and his final documentary finally convince Hammond and Daniel that he's right.

Towards the end of the episode a memorial service for Janet is held, with Sam reading the names of those who, instead of having given their lives for their country, were still alive and serving due to Janet's excellent care. It is later revealed that the wounded airman, who had been saved by Janet, had a newly born baby daughter. He had named after Janet. The show ends with Jack finally succumbing to an interview.

Production

Part 2 of the episode was the 150th episode of Stargate SG-1 to be aired.

Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin
Adam Baldwin is an American actor, known for his roles as Animal Mother in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, Ricky Linderman in My Bodyguard, Knowle Rohrer in The X-Files, and Marcus Hamilton in Joss Whedon's Angel...

, who plays Colonel Dave Dixon, commander of SG-13, in this episode, is well-known among sci-fi fans for playing Jayne Cobb in the cult hit Firefly and its big-screen adaptation Serenity
Serenity (film)
Serenity is a 2005 space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of the short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly, taking place after the events of the final episode. Set in 2518, Serenity is the story of the captain and crew of a cargo ship...

and also Marcus Hamilton
Marcus Hamilton
Marcus Hamilton is a fictional character that appeared on the final season of the TV series Angel. The character is played by actor Adam Baldwin, who also worked with Angel creator Joss Whedon in the series Firefly, playing mercenary Jayne Cobb....

 in Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...

. Mitchell Kosterman
Mitchell Kosterman
Mitchell Arthur Edgar Kosterman is a Canadian actor.He was in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is probably best known for his role as Sheriff Ethan Miller in Smallville.-Filmography:* John Doe as Sheriff Ash...

 previously played a different character, Special Agent James Hamner, in "Seth". "Heroes" also marks the first appearance of Agent Richard Woolsey
Richard Woolsey
Richard Woolsey is a fictional character on the Stargate television franchise about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by Robert Picardo, Woolsey made his first appearance as a member of the NID in "Heroes", an episode of season 7 of Stargate...

 (Robert Picardo
Robert Picardo
Robert Picardo is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Dr. Dick Richards on ABC's China Beach, the Emergency Medical Hologram , also known as The Doctor, on UPN's Star Trek: Voyager, The Cowboy in Innerspace, Coach Cutlip on The Wonder Years , Ben Wheeler in Wagons East, and as...

) on the series. Picardo is most well-known for playing the holographic Doctor
Doctor (Star Trek)
The Doctor, an Emergency Medical Hologram Mark I , is a fictional character from the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by actor Robert Picardo...

 on Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...

.

Reception

This two-parter was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form in 2005. For Part 2, Andy Mikita
Andy Mikita
Andy Mikita is a Canadian television director and producer. He has worked in the TV and film industry for over 20 years. Mikita is best known for his work as a director and producer for Stargate SG-1, and its sister shows Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.-Career:Andy Mikita began his...

 was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Direction", and Don S. Davis
Don S. Davis
Don Sinclair Davis PhD was an American character actor, theatre professor, painter and captain in the United States Army.-Career:He was perhaps best known for playing General George S...

 was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Dramatic Series: Best Supporting Performance - Male" for this episode.

External links

  • Heroes Part 1 and Part 2 at mgm.com
  • Heroes Part 1 and Part 2 at the Internet Movie Database
    Internet Movie Database
    Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...

  • Heroes Part 1 and Part 2 at scifi.com
    Sci Fi Channel (United States)
    Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...

  • Screenplay Part 1 and Part 2 (PDF). Distributed by MGM.
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