Episode:Emancipation

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"Emancipation"
An episode from Stargate SG-1
Captain Carter is threatened by Turghan, chieftain of the Thoughai.
Episode Nb	Season 1 Episode 04
Directed by	Jeff Woolnough
Written by	Katharyn Powers
Produced by	Ron French
Director of photography	Peter F. Woeste
Original air date	(1997-08-08) USA: August 8, 1997 (1998-04-22) UK: April 22, 1998
Length	42'24"
Guest starring
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Turghan Jorge Vargas as Abu and Soon-Tek Oh as Moughal
Episode chronology
"The Enemy Within" "The Broca Divide"

An alien civilization is forced to reconsider their views on women when Carter rebels against their social customs.

"Emancipation" is the 4th episode of Stargate SG-1 Season 1.

Summary

• SG-1 visits a planète with a 900 years old culture, detrimental for Carter.
• The young chieftain's son finds a way to trade for the one he loves.
• The enemy chieftain, Turghan, will be challenged by an unusual challenger according to ancestral law.
• The outcome of the fight will be decisive for all.

Story

Teaser

• SG-1 lands on a new planet and stumbles upon what looks like an ancient, crumbling temple. Colonel O'Neill quickly tells the team to keep moving for "safety."
• Later on, while chilling in a meadow, O'Neill pulls out his binoculars to scan the area and notices it’s pretty quiet—no signs of life anywhere. Out of nowhere, Captain Carter hears some barking. They spot a young boy running up a hill with four dogs hot on his heels.
• When the dogs catch up and bite the boy, O'Neill draws his handgun to scare them off. He then tries to chat with the boy, who surprisingly speaks perfect English. The kid introduces himself as Abu from the Shavadai and seems thrilled to see SG-1 coming from the Sea of Ogada (thanks to O'Neill's little fib). However, he freaks out when he spots Carter approaching; "She's a woman!"
• Just then, three men on horseback ride up over the hill. Daniel Jackson notes they resemble Mongols, while Abu urges SG-1 to take off with Carter. But it's too late—the men brandish swords and bows when they notice "the woman."

Act 1

• O'Neill fires shots into the air with his sidearm, startling the three men nearby. At the top of the hill, an older man on horseback joins them—it's Abu's dad, worried sick about his son since he hasn't returned. Abu fills him in on how SG1 helped save them from the dogs. The man is curious about how to greet newcomers but one of the riders points out Carter, saying she's a "woman." Abu explains that they hail from the Sea of Ogada and aren't familiar with local customs. The leader then questions their weapons, and Carter explains that their firearms work like bows but shoot bullets instead of arrows. The leader gets upset at her for speaking up and orders her execution. However, Abu pleads with his dad since Carter saved her life. The leader changes his mind, reasoning that "if a woman saves a man's life, hers cannot be taken." Now the team is guests of Moughal, who warns them they'll need to learn their ways if they want to cross through their territory. Although Carter hesitates, Daniel Jackson convinces her it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to understand a culture that's been around for 900 years.
• When they reach the Shavadai village, everyone is bustling about as they spot Abu returning. His mother rushes out of a tent, covers her face, and envelops him in a hug before taking Carter along with her. SG-1 steps inside one of the tents where Daniel mentions that only the Chagatai have maintained their nomadic lifestyle for 900 years; he suspects the Shavadai might be their descendants.
• Moughal enters and reassures Carter that she can talk freely since her actions towards Abu give her immunity from punishment under their customs—women showing their faces in public or wearing men's clothes face death otherwise. He argues that old traditions will fade as trade replaces warfare over goods like animals, fabrics, and medicine. Noticing O'Neill's doubtfulness, Carter counters by stating many Earth medicines are derived from plants. Moughal offers to let Abu guide them but insists on dressing Carter more appropriately first. Daniel notes that anthropologists adapt to fit in with the cultures they study; although Carter protests she’s not an anthropologist, O'Neill jokes that today she is.
• While Moughal's wife helps Carter into traditional attire complete with a veil—which leaves her feeling frustrated—O'Neill, Jackson, and Teal'c follow Abu to see how effective a pain-relief ointment is on a villager hurt by a flaming arrow; the pain vanishes after it's applied. When they return to Moughal's tent, they find Carter looking visibly uncomfortable in her new outfit while Abu can't take his eyes off her; meanwhile, Teal'c and Jackson excuse themselves for an evening with the tribe's men while O'Neill checks in on Carter one last time.
• Later that night during festivities filled with drumming and feasting among the Shavadai people, Carter struggles to get some sleep when suddenly someone slips a dagger under her throat. As she attempts to grab her weapon back, she's quickly restrained and gagged before being kidnapped.

Act 2

• The next day, Daniel Jackson calls out to Captain Carter from outside her tent but gets no answer. He goes in and finds she's not there anymore.
• Meanwhile, Carter is tied up and is being ungagged by... Abu, who lets her have a drink. He tells her that she’s going to be used as leverage for something he values more than anything else. Carter protests about the whole human trafficking thing, but Abu insists it’s his right and warns her that where they’re headed, the men are way less forgiving than Moughal, so she better learn to keep quiet.
• Back at the Shavadai village, Jackson tells Colonel Jack O'Neill that nobody has seen Carter since yesterday. O'Neill asks Jackson to get Teal'c to organize a search and rescue, but Jackson tries to talk some sense into him first. Just then, Teal'c and Moughal show up. Teal'c mentions he spotted some hoof prints near the woods; one of Abu's horses has a split hoof, making them easy to find. Moughal tries to dance around the subject in front of O'Neill but eventually admits that having Carter—being a foreigner—is super valuable for trade among the steppe folks. He wants to tag along on the search for both Carter and his son because he feels like Abu has betrayed him just like he has them.
• As Abu and Carter approach another village that’s way less vibrant than Shavadai's, the men there come off as more aggressive and warrior-like while the women wear drab clothing under their veils.
• The chieftain of this village, Turghan, steps out of his tent with a dagger at his belt. He draws his weapon against Abu, who quickly claims he's there to trade. Inside Turghan's tent, he changes into his chief's garb, showing how intimidated he is by Turghan. To curry favor with him, Abu reveals Carter despite her protests about being kidnapped. When asked where she's from, Abu says she hails from the Sea of Ogada. Turghan threatens Carter as she continues arguing with him. Abu yanks off her headscarf and orders her to turn around so Turghan can check her out. When she refuses, Turghan jumps up with a dagger pressed against her throat while describing how beautiful she is as she slowly turns around for him. Ultimately, Turghan agrees to the trade.

Act 3

• The tent flap opens. Abu turns around and discovers a young woman, also veiled. He stands up. Carter now understands why Abu kidnapped her. Turghan agrees to pay in gold, horses, or weapons for Carter. Abu refuses and says he wants Nya, the young woman, Turghan's daughter. Turghan refuses because his daughter can only marry a clan chief, and she is promised to Chimakka, the desert warrior, in four days. Turghan offers 300 weights of gold, to be accepted or he will die knowing that Turghan will keep Carter regardless. Despite Nya's despair, Abu takes the gold and leaves in shame. Nya, in tears, is comforted by her mother while Carter is slapped by Turghan, who reminds her of the rules for women speaking in the village.
• Teal'c, Jackson, O'Neill, and Moughal find themselves at the spot where Abu and Carter had stopped earlier. Teal'c notices that they have stopped, and Moughal suggests doing the same to rest the horses for at least two hours.
• During the break, Moughal promises to pay Carter the price given by SG-1. Everyone is surprised, and Jackson explains to Moughal that women are free and emancipated. Jackson also recalls the history of women who fought alongside men, from which the legend of the Amazons is derived. Moughal stops Jackson and says that the ancestral laws were made to prevent spirits from taking over women, spirits that have not returned since the dawn of time. According to Moughal, these spirits could return, but these laws are a pretext to maintain a hierarchy in which a man, even the poorest among his women, is a prince. Jackson points out to Moughal that he has only one wife, which is considered a weakness. When Jackson adds that Moughal is in love with his wife, the clan chief smiles.
• Near the village of the Toughai, Abu is lurking near the women's tent. Waiting for no one to see him, he heads there, lifts a canvas, and calls Nya with a particular whistle. Nya arrives and warns Abu that he risks being killed, but he asks her to flee that evening and join him in the forest; he will wait for her.
• Turghan explains to Carter what she is now, a Toughai, a woman of the forest. He asks her what household tasks she can do, such as cooking, sewing, or weaving. Carter disappoints him by answering in the negative. Carter says that in her country, she is a warrior and a scholar, doing the same work as men. At these words, Turghan stands up and gives his definition of a warrior: he pillages and burns villages, massacres men, and sells women and children. Because he is feared, 22 tribes pledge allegiance to him. When Carter tells him that he will sell his daughter to have a 23rd tribe, Turghan threatens her. Carter apologizes, but Turghan tells her that he will teach her to be a "woman".
• While Carter is cutting vegetables, she observes Nya, who is not feeling well and drops the wool while crying. The other women take her into the tent to console her. Carter takes advantage of the women's absence to hide the knife, leave the area, and take a horse to escape. As she enters the forest, a lookout sees her and whistles, stopping the horse, which throws its rider. Two of Turghan's men recapture her and bring her back to the village.
• In Turghan's tent, he asks Carter what kind of woman she is. Accusing her of thinking only of herself, he condemns the responsible women to be whipped. As he prepares to whip one, Carter stands up and defends the woman, saying it is her fault. Turghan, who says he values horses more than women, tears off Carter's headscarf, holds her head by the hair, and forcibly kisses her, then threatens her with worse tortures than the whip if she does not submit.

Act 4

• Carter finds herself in the women's area, dressed in much less colorful attire than the Shavadai. Nya thanks Carter for defending her mother. Despite her actions, Nya says her father is a good man, never punishing a woman without a valid reason. Carter protests against the mistreatment of women. When Carter asks her why she says nothing about being sold to another, she says she has no choice, she is not free. Carter convinces Nya to oppose the condition of women.
• SG-1 and Moughal arrive near the village of Toughai. Moughal says the chief is a sadistic enemy, killing for pleasure. O'Neill suggests rescuing Carter that night, but Moughal says it will provoke a war with the support of the 22 tribes. Moreover, he takes no prisoners. Moughal proposes waiting until the next day to buy Carter back, but it is possible the clan chief will take advantage of his new acquisition. O'Neill and Jackson point out that in their country, a woman can say no. Seeing the threat to Carter's life, O'Neill decides to act now.
• Carter is delighted to see her teammates approaching Turghan. To create a diversion to allow Nya to find Abu, she sets fire to one of the women's area canvases, causing panic.
• Meanwhile, in the tent, negotiations are underway for Carter, with bids rising to 500 weights of gold, as Jackson claims she is not only a warrior and a scholar but also a shaman, capable of predicting the best time to plant for harvests, in communion with the spirits. Moughal adds that in the lands of Ogada, women lived freely like theirs before the law appeared. Despite everything, Turghan is not interested until O'Neill demonstrates his Beretta M9 and offers it to him. Turghan accepts the offer.
• Outside, Turghan sows fear among his people by firing a shot into the air, and O'Neill urges his team to hurry before he realizes the weapon has only five bullets left. They leave as Turghan and his men show their joy and lose another bullet.
• At night, back in conventional military attire, Carter expresses her joy and gratitude to the team. O'Neill teases her, mentioning a mishap she had on P3X-595. Carter stops O'Neill and then thanks Moughal for rescuing her and adds that she does not blame him or Abu for what he did. Moughal adds that Abu suffers from the same madness he had at his age: he is in love.
• The next morning, at dawn, everyone is asleep except Teal'c, who is standing watch. Suddenly, a horse arrives at a gallop. It's Abu, calling for help. He explains that Nya did come to the meeting point, but her father caught up with them. She's at risk of being stoned. Everyone is stunned.

Act 5

• Abu is despondent and regrets his “madness.” O'Neill is surprised that Turghan would go so far as to stone his own daughter. The locals explain that Nya broke the law and Turghan must uphold it, especially within his own family. Carter asks to return to Turghan’s camp, which O'Neill refuses, fearing it might spark a war. Carter insists that Nya is just a teenager and pushes back against O'Neill by citing the Special Forces motto. Daniel Jackson raises the issue of SG-1 interfering with local customs and laws. Carter responds that they're simply going to kill a teenage girl who is in love with Abu. Abu pleads with them to use their weapons to free her. Moughal tries to reason with his son, asking him to choose between his people and Nya. Abu says he cannot. Carter says she won’t abandon Nya, since she broke the law because of her.
• Jackson thinks, then asks Moughal if there’s a law that would force Turghan to reconsider his position. After some thought (and his son's insistence), Moughal says there is one.
• In the Toughai village, the villagers hold stones in their hands. Nya is tied at the base of a pole in the center of the village. She begs her father to forgive her. Turghan approaches, leans toward her ear, and whispers: “I forgive you.” He stands up and orders his men to stone her.
• As they are about to throw the stones, Abu orders them to stop. Despite Turghan's protest that he has no authority there, Abu declares that according to the law, a clan chieftain can oppose an execution. Turghan swears no such law exists, but Moughal counters by quoting the song of Arkhan-Tyr. Turghan refuses to fight Moughal, who is crippled. Carter offers herself as clan leader.
• As Carter prepares, O'Neill asks Moughal what kind of combat it is. Turghan draws a curved saber just as Moughal announces that it is a fight to the death. The villagers then hold O'Neill, Teal'c, and Jackson at swordpoint and with daggers. Carter draws a combat knife. The two engage in battle, Carter dodging saber strikes. She eventually wounds Turghan in the abdomen. Turghan knocks Carter off balance, causing her to fall to the ground, but she avoids a fatal blow. In the end, she gains the upper hand and throws Turghan to the ground, brandishing her knife at his throat.
• Nya stands up and begs Carter not to kill her father, saying she has already won. But Carter insists on hearing it directly from Turghan himself. He then says that Nya is free to go with whomever she wishes, that there can be no war between him and the Shavadai, and finally, that Carter is free to leave because she has won. After these declarations, O'Neill gently pushes away the saber of the villager who had held him at swordpoint.

Analysis

• Colonel Jack O'Neill mentions a previous exploring mission on P3X-595 where Captain Samantha Carter drank a substance altering the mind. This reference shows that SG-1 has already make one or several trips through the Stargate since P3-575 (SG1: "The Enemy Within").

Notes

• Don S. Davis is credited for this episode, but George Hammond doesn't appear.