Enigma (116)

[fems]

If it makes you feel any better, it was never said it was actually Carter's cat. She could have gotten it from the pound or wherever, considering she's never even mentioned a pet before or after. Not to mention I find it hard to believe she'd just hand over a loved pet to someone she hardly knows and who hasn't even seen animals in his lifetime, and thus wouldn't know how to take care of the cat, or have proper food (cat food or small animals) for it!

[Falcon Horus]

Mmm... now that you mention it... never thought about it that way.

Well, when Narim sends Schrodinger back he still looks his fat-cat self so I guess he figured it out on time.

[fems]

Yeah, fortunately for Schröedinger those Tollans are technologically advanced enough to find him food! Or maybe their new planet had small animals, or the Nox gave Narim some tips!

[Falcon Horus]

Or maybe they can talk to animals... *snort*... that would be the day.

[AsgardGirl]

I don’t like Tollan and Tollan episodes. Narim creeps me out, even though he reminds me Data from Star Trek Next Generation, whom I like.

[garhkal]

Maybe its cause he has a crush on carter.

[ngewakl]

Okay, I saw this episode a long time ago and I loved it. I loved it because of the Nox. I don't remember what I felt about the Tollan but I'm sure I was okay with them. But now, I see the stupidity of the Tollan. Call us earthlings primitive. Well, we may be primitive in technology, but we are vastly superior to the Tollan in terms of philosophy. First of all, the Tolan should be ecstatic that they are on Earth. This is the cradle of life. I assume if they are that technologically advanced, they would know that they are not indigenous to their home planet. They would have figured they came from somewhere else. A truly enlightened society would jump at the chance to learn about their origins. This would have been the discovery of a lifetime. Now to the issue of technology sharing. This is an example to the Prime Directive troupe that Star Trek uses all the time. Contact between less advanced civilizations has always ended badly. This is a very western idea. I come from Micronesia and the Pacific has benefited from trade and technology sharing for 5000 years. In fact, the migration patterns of the pacific is based on a particular piece of shared technology, Laptia Pottery. While their were wars as a result of weapons trade with Europeans in the late 1800's there were also new ideas of philosophy and repurposing of technologies from Europe that lead to the further development and advancement of the Pacific Peoples. I understand the the Tollan had a bad experience with sharing technology, but their logic, they will never help anybody else. Its like saving a baby from a burning car and that baby ends up being the antichrist. Therefore, from now on, we will never save babies from burning cars. We will just watch them die. Which is what the Tollan are basically telling us they will do. They will watch us get destroyed by the Goauld and they won't help us. The is the problem with and idea like the Prime Directive. It is a good foundation but it should be the moral measuring stick by which you determine whether to help someone or let them fall. It should not be an absolute truth. Decisions should be made with through the morality of the present rather than the possibility of the future. There is a reason why it is innocent until proven guilty. Rather 10 people go free than one innocent man goes to jail. The Tollan are perfectly willing to let us defend ourselves rather than 'interfere'. Interference is how their civilization got started in the first place. I don't know man, it just seems to me that the Tollan are cavemen with AK-47s. They have advanced technology but primitive morality. The only reason the Government was taking matters into their own hands is because of the impending threat of the Goauld and it is perfectly understandable that you would do whatever it takes to get an edge over your enemy. If you ask me, if the Tollan were forthright from the beginning, things would have gone a lot smoother. In our modern society, while humans are capable of insane things, we are also capable of defending the weak and lifting up the poor. I would think that a race so advanced would have a different perspective. Now the Nox, I like. They never said that they would not trade technologies etc., in fact, that nice old man tried to teach Daniel a thing or too. That's what you are supposed to do when you are more advanced than someone. Collaboration is what allows our knowledge to grow. In today's world, you have people of all different backgrounds working together to further our development. I would like to think that the reason colonialism helped destroy many young cultures and societies is because colonialism itself was not as advanced an idea. Just because big brother corrupted little jimmy does not mean Grandpa will do the same. There is a level of wisdom that comes with experience. To simplify it to some naturalistic fallacy is insane. We are better than that. So I say screw the Tollan. They should have gated back to their original planet and let them die. Luckily for them, the Nox were not as arrogant as they were. Because if the Nox were like the Tollan, they would have deemed them primitive and not come to help them. Sorry for my rant. This rewatch has been good and I give this episode 4 stars because it is a good episode. But that does not mean I like the Tollan because I think they are the 'primitive' species and I am glad

Spoiler:

they got destroyed by their own arrogance.

I think this is what happens to them...I don't remember.

[TheNox21]

I personally can't stand arrogance. The Tollan are the definition of arrogance. Most of them wanted nothing to do with primitive people, and that really angered me! I would want to help younger culture if I were part of an advanced culture.

[Falcon Horus]

I personally can't stand arrogance. The Tollan are the definition of arrogance. Most of them wanted nothing to do with primitive people, and that really angered me! I would want to help younger culture if I were part of an advanced culture.

To which culture do you belong now? I imagine, wherever you're from you can enjoy the newest technologies. How much would you share with the culture which is younger and is still learning and making mistakes.

The Tollan knew what could happen if they shared their technology. They'd done it before and those people had used the technology to wipe eachother out and destroy their planet. People from Earth aren't even united. We fight amongst ourselves. Sure, we can say we will only use it to fight the Goa'uld, but we all know if that were that the case none of the research at Area 51 which led to SG1's version of the deathgliders, would have ever happened.

Anything in a country's favor to show their superiority over the rest of the world, will be showcased and put to good use should the need arise. I'm the sure the US felt superior when they build the first atomic weapons and then dropped them in the center of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Same superiority I'm sure Japan felt when they snug into Pearl Harbor that Sunday morning and blasted the entire harbor to kingdom come.

Would you still consider sharing, knowing that?

Were I an advanced and far superior race, I wouldn't even touch Earth's atmosphere with a 100-foot pole. Or I'd blow it out of the universe and be done with it. Depends on what kind of race I'd be.

[maneth]

The arrogance of the Tollan annoys me, but I like this episode anyway.

[jelgate]

Its not really arrogance. More of a fact. We are primitive compared to the Tollians

[garhkal]

The arrogance of the Tollan annoys me, but I like this episode anyway.

That arrogance was the same the Puritans and such had when they encountered the Native Americans.. thinking them savages who just needed guidance.

[jelgate]

That arrogance was the same the Puritans and such had when they encountered the Native Americans.. thinking them savages who just needed guidance.

No it wasn't. The Tollians didn't try to invade us or convert us to their ways

[garhkal]

OK similar then..

[jelgate]

They are nothing alike. The analogy makes no sense