The Tok'ra Part 2
Summary:
Sam and Jack return to earth and propose to take Sam's dad, Jacob Carter, back as a potential host for the Tok'ra Selmak, whose current host, Saroosh is dying. General Hammond reluctantly agrees, and he and Sam go to the hospital where Jacob is dying of cancer to share the news about what his daughter actually does for the Air Force and how it might save his life, if he's willing to share that life (and his body) with a Tok'ra symbiote they still don't quite trust.
Jacob is thrown into the wacky alien filled world of SG1 with a vengence. After traveling through the stargate, Sam takes Jacob to meet his new potential soulmate, while the rest of the team helps with an emergency evacuation in the face of an impending goa'uld attack and Jack attempts to unmask the spy who betrayed them. After interviewing the host and being interviewed in turn by the symbiote, Jacob and Selmak agree to the blending. Sam and Martouf are left to watch over them as Selmak repairs Jacob's cancer-ridden body while the others escape through the gate.
After a successful blending Jacob/Selmak, Sam and Martouf dodge goa'uld death gliders and manage to dive through the gate back to earth, where Jacob informs General Hammond that, based on the knowledge he has gained from the blending, he made the right call. Jacob then volunteers to become the liason between earth and the Tok'ra. He says goodbye to his daughter and leaves to help the Tok'ra regroup from the attack.
Favorite Scene:
Selmak interviewing Jacob to determine whether she likes him.
Favorite Lines:
(Stepping out of the gate.)
Jacob: You do that a lot?
: Yeah, once or twice a week.
Jacob: It beats the hell out of a shuttle on the back of a rocket.
: Goes a lot further, too.
Generally:
This is such a great episode for Jacob, and he really is the A storyline. We see him go through so many different emotions and changes in temperament and character in such a short time. CA does an amazing job of showing us this range. He starts off the tough no nonsense general stoically facing his end, then becomes the overwhelmed and uncertain father--dying of cancer and depending on his daughter and these unknown aliens for a cure, and finally he is two people in one, with a whole new universe opened up to him.
Jacob/Sam:
One thing I love about CA’s performance is that he is able to show curiosity and wonder at seeing the gate for the first time, being led through the alien tunnels, meeting Teal’c, and so on. At the same time theirs this little touch of apprehension and confusion. Jacob is clearly not used to being out of control and looking to his daughter for guidance.
We can already see an evolution in Jacob and Sam’s relationship in this episode. When Sam comes to her father in the hospital he is his usual brusque self, not willing to show any weakness in front of his daughter. Then he is launched into this very alien (pardon the pun) situation and his walls begin to come down.
Before he accepts the blending he realizes this may be his final opportunity to really let Sam in. When he tries to open up emotionally, Sam initially reacts by backing away and giving him an out. You can see that she is not any more comfortable with confronting personal issues openly and honestly than is her father. But Jacob, like a soldier facing an enemy line, pushes forward. He is able to tell Sam that he is proud of her for who she is and not who he wishes her to be. We get the impression that this is the first time Sam has ever heard anything like this from Jacob and she’s not entirely sure how to react. Despite the strained relationship, Sam is realizing that this may very well be the last time she has her dad as himself.
Almost immediately after the blending there is already a softening in Jacob. When he first wakes he calls her Sammie (instead of Sam or my kid). And before leaving the SGC with the other Tok’ra he is able to smile and joke with Sam about being the oldest and the wisest, to which she rolls her eyes. He hugs Sam goodbye and even says “I love you.†It is in marked contrast with the cold and formal parting earlier in Secrets.
Jacob/Selmak:
Just as an aside, I have to begin by noting I really love Saroosh. She looks and sounds so much like my own grandmother who was one of my very best friends. The actress did a wonderful job of portraying two characters in one, and this is the only time we get a sense of who Selmak is apart from Jacob. Saroosh tells us that Selmak is selfless, caring, humorous, and well educated. We also learn that she has lived through some horrible times and seen many goa’uld atrocities. The two things Selmak is concerned about when she meets Jacob are his political views (with regard to goa’uld), showing her dedication to the Tok’ra cause, and his character (is he a good man?), which demonstrates her moral character. I think what endears Jacob to her is his blunt practicality. He points out that both of them will die if they don’t choose to blend so there is really no choice. I think in the end, the concern he shows for maintaining a relationship with his daughter also gives Selmak reason to like Jacob and choose to blend with him.
I would have liked to have seen more of an exploration of the differences between these two characters throughout the series. We get glimpses from time to time, but most often it is Jacob speaking. I don’t think Selmak as a character was developed and used to the fullest.
On a technical note, I think the CGI symbiote (Selmak) that entered Jacob looked too small and underdeveloped, more like the larval goa'uld than a full grown (and in fact very aged) symbiote. But that was a small thing to me, that I can easily overlook.
Jacob/Other:
We see a continuation of the friendship between Jacob and General Hammond. Hammond shows incredible trust in both Sam and Jacob in allowing Jacob to go through the Stargate and undertake this mission. In the end, Jacob tries to reassure his friend that he did the right thing.
I have always loved the interactions between Jacob and Jack. We see here Jack’s friendship with Sam influencing his actions. He wants to get her back to her father and he is willing to back her when she suggests her father might be a host to Selmak. Then when Jacob is brought to the gate that first time, he is very solicitous of Jacob. At the same time you can sense a little smugness in his attitude at being able to show Jacob what his daughter really does (how do you like them apples?). The teasing banter that becomes such an integral part of their relationship is not lost here. And at the end when Jacob says to Jack, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you,†it is clearly Jacob showing that he once again has the upper hand in their little rivalry.
Finally, we have the hints at a future friendship between Jacob and Martouf, as Martouf promises Sam he will look after her father as if he were his own. It is clear at this point that his promise is based on his fondness for Sam (or at least the part of Sam which carries the memories of Jolinar). While I’m sure he knows and respects Selmak, I don’t get the feeling that there was a strong personal connection between them before Jacob.
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