UNEDITED EXCLUSIVE: Stargate SG-1 Season 5 Episode 21 "Meridian" REACTION!

I cry every time I rewatch this, cried several times over the last few days just knowing this episode was coming up... Daniel is the beating moral heart and soul of the team, seeing him in pain, and knowing that he, once again, was the ultimate hero of this story, just crushes me Every. Single. Time.

Sarah

This episode is a conspiracy to sell tissues

Limi V

btw.. congratulations FAILWHALE34 on being properly initiated into the stargate universe.. i mean the stargate cosmos.. not SGU whatever. it really takes such a time to properly appriciate the series, which isnt found by say, only watching s1. enjoy the rest of SG1 and SGA .. maybe even SGU, even though the latter is a tad different. SGA and SG1 must be watched together though, otherwise you end it at season 7 finale.

Avlin Ærbødig

interestingly.. the first times i watched stargate sg1, i couldnt understand a word that oma desala was saying... i even contemplated them for quite some time. however, after studying buddhism and hinduism practically for some time, it became more and more apparent what was behind the words. it is worded in a rather poetic way, but often reffers to the subtle mechanics of perception. aka, the Dao you can name is not the true Dao. aka, people never reaching the world of no birth and no death, because they live only with their notions. i never expected it to have any relation to reality or deep mystics at all, but they did do some proper research. awesome stuff. some of the lines.. they are abit overcomplicated, but in lack of anything better.. though given the correct context, they certainly are worthy of contemplation.

Avlin Ærbødig

after like six or so complete watchtroughs.. i spend half the episode.. sure this can be abit sad for a first time viewer.. but i kind of had to swallow those thoughts nearing the end. one of the saddest episodes of stargate. also one of the best.

Avlin Ærbødig

This episode is the one that makes me cry everytime. Oma's line about choosing whether we are good or evil haunts me.

Another great example of good writing.

Robert Biviano

When I saw you were taking a break I was like, that sounds nice but aghh! Thank goodness for scheduling as I'm not sure I could wait too long for this one. 😊 This is one of the best SG episodes and one of the best main character deaths in any show, or movie. I remember watching and being so shocked that they killed off Daniel, he was my favourite character and, along with Jack, was the driving force behind SG1. But looking back over season 5 and even 4 at times, Daniel starts to fade into the background a little more and there isn't that much for Michael Shanks to do so it's understandable why he would want to leave (although all of that's still a little murky). Daniel's purpose in the show was the historical element and crossing cultures, and at this point in the show its starting to move into actual space a lot more, into the more technological side of Stargate, and a lot more episodes on Earth with various conspiracies. I prefer the a good blend of all those things along with the historical and mythological side so it was disappointing at the time, for me, to see it moving in this direction. The replicators are a great adversary but getting to know and learn about difference races and worlds was my main draw for the show. Season 5 is probably my least favourite of the 10 seasons, even though it does have some great episodes. Season 6 is one of my favourites although I think a few people struggled with it, being the first season after Michael Shanks departure.

C J

I really liked your analysis! Feel free to speak your mind on every episode you want to comment on. :)

Fanny H.

Duuuude xD

Nelles

Alright we finally made it to this episode, we're at the 109th, Meridian, where the great pain begins. Speaking of cheeky Canadian music references, I see that Arkells nod at 12:40. This episode doesn't even give you a chance to breathe. Less than 60 seconds into the runtime it tells you Daniel is as good as dead. This is probably one of the most anticipated(or dreaded) reactions for most of the people following your journey through sg1, for obvious reasons. I watched last night on my phone during my lunch break, and again this morning on my PC after getting some sleep. I'm going to try and break my thoughts down on the story and characters into sections. Story First the story of the naquadria bomb. The events that led to Daniel being irradiated are heavily based on the real life experiments that killed Canadian physicist Louis Slotin, and earlier Harry Daghlian, using the same plutonium core that would come to be know as the "Demon Core". Both were trying to measure the criticality point of the core where a nuclear chain reaction would be set off. Due to the extreme danger, this experiment was known as "tickling the dragon's tail". Slotin had placed the core in 2 hemispheres of beryllium, which is a neutron reflector. The idea was that as the hemispheres come closer and closer, more neutrons are reflected back and split more plutonium atoms, releasing more neutons. The plutonium isn't going to explode on it's own, but the closer those beryllium hemispheres got to closing over the core, the less those neutrons had anywhere to go and the closer you get to a chain reaction. The only thing keeping the 2 halves apart was a screwdriver, and at some point it slipped. Even though Slotin flipped the top hemisphere off in under a second, the chain reaction in the plutonium caused a massive release of radiation and caused the room to glow blue(I believe that's called Cherenkov radiation). In a split second Slotin had been fatally irradiated and died 9 days later. Radiation is fuckin scary stuff. Like you, I really enjoy the scene where Daniel jumps through the glass. The music cue especially really sells the scene. Not to take anything away from his heroism, but in truth Daniel would almost certainly have died anyway, along with SG1 and the rest of the city had he not done what he did. I doubt he could have made it back to the gate and through to Earth before it exploded, and certainly the rest of SG1 couldn't. Still, few people would have the guts to throw themselves into that room knowing what the radiation will do to them. Now regarding this new planet and the nation of Kelowna(named after the town in BC), they're an interesting addition to the world of the show because we only find a handful of human worlds not ruled by goa'uld that have advanced that far. As was stated though, the planet is politically quite volatile. Still, this naquadria stuff they have seems unique or at least extremely rare since we've never heard of it before. I'm also glad they addressed the various methods they had found over the years that could help. The asgard being MIA, the tok'ra obviously are on the run, and the obvious choice of getting a sarcophagus are explored and taken off the table. I've said before that retrieving a sarcophagus should be a high priority for the SGC. Real talk, even if you're expecting 6-8 people to die retrieving it, as long as you can get their bodies back you can revive them back at the base with your new sarcophagus. Obviously it should only be used in case of death or terminal illness(like in this ep), but think of all the losses they could avoid with one. Still, Daniel would obviously never want people to go on a mission that's going to get them killed to save his own life. That's just not him. Characters Before I get into the meat of this section, I just want to touch on Jonas Quinn. I like the guy. He's not lacking in enthusiasm, and though it took a while he did eventually do the right thing, so his moral compass works. At any rate he seems to be stuck on Earth for the time being. Obviously the main cast all had quite strong performances and really sold their grief at Daniel's impending death. Possibly the most shocking reaction was Janet suggesting he would be better off if she euthanized him. You'd never expect Fraiser of all people to give up hope like that, but as a doctor she would know better than anyone how horrific radiation sickness can be. Just a few years before this episode a Japanese nuclear tech named Hasashi Ouchi was exposed to about twice a lethal dose of radiation. Doctors (rather unethically) did everything to keep him alive; skin grafts, transfusions, experimental treatments. After a week he told them to stop, saying he wasn't a guinea pig, but they went on. On the 59th day he had 3 heart attacks in the space of an hour and they kept reviving him, until finally 83 days after the accident he suffered multiple organ failure and (mercifully) died. Most people facing that would probably rather quickly put their affairs in order and then put a gun to their head. The last thing she as a doctor wants is to watch Daniel suffer through that nightmare. If there's a scene I felt was missing that should have been included, it's one of Hammond taking the time to visit Daniel. Hammond is in perhaps the toughest spot of all. As you'll recall from Crystal Skull, he considers Jackson to be a personal friend, not just a member of his command. The other members of SG1 are allowed to grieve, but even though he feels the same way, he has to put that aside and juggle diplomacy with Kelowna, he has to be the one to turn down a mission to retrieve the sarcophagus, and he has to continue running the SGC. Hammond's position doesn't allow him to grieve, not at the time. In regards to SG1, each member of the team of the team basically did something to try and help, and took the time to say goodbye. In regards to saying goodbye, all 3 initially approached Daniel from an almost status quo standpoint and quickly realized this was their last chance to open up and be honest with him. Sam obviously tried to help with the healing device, as there wasn't much else she could do. When it came to the scene at his bedside however, the first thing she starts talking about is Jonas having a change of heart and stealing the naquadria, which is a little impersonal. She then switches and starts talking about how she personally feels about Daniel, realizing it might be the last time they speak, and she won't get another chance. I can see some interpreting what she tells him (about waiting to tell people how we really feel) as admitting to some latent attraction, but I don't think so. There's a sort of yin and yang with Sam and Daniel, sort of like the heart and the mind. Carter is an intellectual first and foremost. She solves problems and indeed has saved the planet by thinking her way out of problems. The problem is she gets so caught up in the science and the possibilities that she doesn't pay so much attention to the people. Even here, knowing that Daniel is dying, she was thinking about what the naquadria could mean for Earth. Now someone has to think of these things, but Daniel was always the one who could look past that and see the people, and discern right and wrong without being blinded by an irresistible prize. The Other Side is a good example. Daniel knew something was wrong before the rest of them, and even convinced Carter to start questioning if they had backed the wrong side. I think what Carter is saying here is that, while she always knew how to use her head, Daniel taught her to listen to her heart a little more often. Teal'c didn't do much to help practically speaking, and part of me wanted a scene of him seeking help from the jaffa rebellion to get a sarcophagus but they just have too much to deal with being on the run. Still, the gesture of Teal'c returning the totem/statue is quite in keeping with his character. Jaffa accept death more readily than humans, and Teal'c is a rather spiritual man. Wanting to make sure Daniel's spirit will find peace is very on point for his character. His words here are also telling, he starts by saying he believes Daniels death will be a major blow to the struggle against the goa'uld, which is nice to hear, but like Sam with the naquadria not very personal. Also Daniel is the least warrior like of SG1. Being a jaffa warrior though, Teal'c views his interactions with most people through that lens. The truth is that to Teal'c, Daniel goes far beyond being simply another brother in arms. Daniel had every reason to hate and resent Teal'c, first for abducting Sha're leading to her being taken as a host, and then for killing her in Forever in a Day, and yet outside of the dream sequence in that ep, he never held any ill will against Teal'c. Daniel was also one of Teal'c's main doorways to understanding Earth, since well, Jack is a little....different, sometimes. From day 1 Daniel has been more than a fellow warrior to Teal'c, he's been a confidant, a sounding board, an advisor, an advocate, and most of all a friend, and this was the first time Teal'c really told him that. Add to that the fact that Teal'c is always the stoic one, seeing him break in that scene is very impactful. Still I think it's Jack and Daniel's relationship that stands out the most in this episode. They have after all been in this since the beginning. I think Jack dealt with Daniel's impending death the best out of the team. He knew this was the end, but he was going to move Heaven and Earth if need be to clear his friends name, no matter what politics or technology got in the way. RDA gave a terrific performance here I think. I especially love the line "you might think it will ensure peace and freedom but I guarantee you it'll never have the effect you're hoping for until you use it.... at least once", which obviously harkens back to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. O'Neill knows he can't save Daniel's life, but he can damn well save his reputation. When he goes to see Daniel, the conversation starts out with that classically awkward dialogue we've come to expect from the 2. O'Neill and Jackson have always had a big brother/little brother relationship, and Daniel often falls into the role of the annoying little brother who gets what he wants by being irritating enough. But underneath all that, Jack has come to recognize why Daniel does things the way he does, and he's gained a tremendous amount of respect for the man as a result. As awkward as he was at expressing it, Daniel's time as a member of SG1 has made Jack a better leader, and his friendship over the years has made him a better man, and under no circumstances will he allow his memory to be tarnished. I also think that final scene speaks to the strength of their relationship. Of all the people in that room, it's Jack that he talks to asking him to stop Jacob from healing him, and the last person he says goodbye to. But what really strikes me about that scene is that even though O'Neill is probably the least likely to comprehend or be open to understanding ascension, he trusts Daniel enough to honor his request without hesitation. He has no idea where Daniel's journey will take him, but he's willing to let his friend go and find his own way. I thought that was really powerful. In conclusion this episode, while not the best of the series, is certainly one of the most emotionally impactful. It does feel somewhat rushed in hindsight, but nonetheless gets a lot of things right. The music in this episode is incredibly powerful as well. The dialogue is pretty top notch as well. It was nice seeing Oma Desala back again from way back in Maternal Instinct(also that little nod to her being recast with Daniel saying she looks different), and at least through her they found a way to kill Daniel off without actually killing him completely. Most of Oma's witticisms aren't so memorable, but I absolutely loved her conversation with Daniel about the value of his life, in particular the quote "the universe is vast, and we are so small. There is really only one thing we can truly control.......Whether we are good, or evil". I've always found that the choice to be good or evil has been a cornerstone of the series, so this moment stands out to me. Ultimately though, whether it was intended or not, Daniel's path has been leading here for a long time. The rejection of his theories led him to the stargate program, the stargate program led him to Sha're, her abduction led him to join SG1, her death led him to search for Kheb and Shifu, which in turn started him down a spiritual journey to understanding ascension, which continued with him learning to understand himself in Absolute Power, and finally taking us to Meridian. The question isn't whether his story has ended, this is just the next step for him. The question is whether their paths will ever cross again. Onward to the finale and S6. More goa'uld shenanigans await.

Timothy Nikiforovs

I think it was because Michael Shanks didn't like the direction his character was going

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Michael Shanks was the one who chose to leave at the time. I remember reading about that years later and it made me feel a bit better about this death. You never want your show to kill someone off before their story is over. But if it's the actor wanting to leave, then this was a really good way to honor such an important character.

indaeo

There's nothing else to say really that hasn't been said above. The culmination of Keb, and Oma and ascension has come together here. Daniel was able to ascend to a higher plain of existence as an energy being. :o It's bold to kill off a main cast member, not many shows do that.

Brent Justice

I liked that the show brought up the fact they don't run to their allies or send off a team who will almost certainly die trying to get a sarcophagus every time someone's life is at stake. And of course while watching the episode, you want them to try literally anything to save him, but there's just nothing they can do without sacrificing someone else and that's just something Daniel would never be okay with. It made his death quite realistic (besides the ascending part, but I quite liked that) and all the more sad. The part where he's saying he'll miss them while tearing up talking to Jack is always like a gut punch to me. Gets me every time. I also liked that Selmak specifically said he wouldn't be the same even if he could save him, it made me feel more okay with Daniel deciding to leave. And I can't wait for s6! Despite the fact we lost someone, the show still somehow manages to keep going and be amazing.

Lady Beyond The Wall

I’m gonna miss that space monkey.

Tumbili

When I first saw this nearly 20 years ago, I was like nah nah nah you ain't doin this to me. He ain't going out like that! I didn't think the show could possibly continue without its heart. 😢 R.I.P Danny boy. But there are more than a few great episodes in S6 and then beyond.

Daryl

Oh I'd say SG1 found it's legs back in S2, but arguably found it's wings in S6

Timothy Nikiforovs

shooketh This episode is the start of Stargate finding its legs, and really delivering a top notch quality story that spawned 2 spinoffs and multiple movies. Strap in and lock in those chevrons.

Coojw

Daniel nooo... :(

Ricardo Pomalaza

Fantastic Ep

Gabe A

I probably should have waited to watch this one, but who doesn't like a good cry before work? RIP Daniel. There's a lot to look forward to as the following seasons are all excellent, but this is a huge loss.

Teth

This is one of my favourite episodes and one I always cry to. Watching along, knowing what is coming... it isn't fun because I knew how you'd react and you didn't disappoint. For me Teal'c had the most honest reaction to Daniel's situation and his words are so deep and heartfelt that they always stuck with me. But all the cast was great, Frasier's frustration at being unable to do anything was also so painful to watch.

One Who Walks Behind

I cry every time

Daniel O'Brien

This episode... seen it so many times... always gets me... Great reaction as always.

Andrew Dubbel

Yeah, end of Menace is the halfway point. S6 and 7 are going to be amazing.

Timothy Nikiforovs

Sorry to hear that. I lost my dad to brain cancer back in 05

Timothy Nikiforovs

I thought I would be okay to watch this. I wasn't. I just lost a lifelong friend to cancer two weeks ago. I hope you liked the episode. Maybe I'll be able to finish watching this reaction later. Enjoy Stargate fam.

Katesaber

GOT had no sense of balance. By s3 or 4 so many mains were dying that when it happened you just went "yeah, ok"

Timothy Nikiforovs

This episode always gets me a little teary eyed, even after having seen it numerous times. With all the past teases of characters being lost, this episode just comes out of nowhere and guts you without pulling the punch, actually delivering on the loss that was previously only toyed with. Stargate always delivers great content, but sometimes it takes off the kiddy gloves and brings the pain.

James Yancy

I'm pleasantly surprised you got here without being spoiled. Someone was being cheeky a few weeks back with the radiation emoji. I know Daniel was your favourite character, but keep an open mind going into s6. I used to dislike 6, but it really has some top tier storylines. I'll give more in depth thoughts when I get home from work.

Timothy Nikiforovs

I have memories of people being super angry with the outcome of this episode.

Martin Nicholls

Game of Thrones: We're the first series to make the penultimate episode of the season be the game changer and maybe do something drastic to one of our top characters. Stargate SG-1: Hold my staff weapon, Shol'va.

fcast17

I’ve watched this episode several times and I always end up crying. So sad 😭 but a fantastic episode

Evangeline B Walker

wow just saw reaction too season 5 episode 21 wow how hands on deck with this one robert cooper directed and written this episcode with peter on it too on too the next season looking forward too seeing what kinda gauoo nonsence the anubus will be up too !

Paul Carroll

I've been waiting for so long. Love Danny boy.

Neil Todd

F

MajestNick

Definitely one of the most significant episodes of the show, losing literally the first main character of the franchise. Everyone gave their best and your reaction was great. I think this technically puts you just over the half way point on SG-1 content. I'm so glad some of the best is still to come.

Joel Featherstone

Update: I cry...

Torbrevelk

This is The Episode, i wanted to see a reaction for so long to this episode. really sad!

Nev

Fs in chat, wow. Such a good send off. Hero moment and everything. Thanks for sharing your journey with us. It's so cool to see you meet and love these characters. I'm looking forward to seeing how you feel about the rest of the series now.

Sarahnade

Best episode of the season. So gooooood. Season 6 filled with classics.

accelangel

RIP Daniel

I was waiting for this episode so I could cry my eyes out with you. Daniel was always my favorite, too, and the first time I saw this, I was inconsolable.

indaeo

😭

Erin Ragsdale

Oh, this one

Brent Justice

Rest in Peace Daniel <3

I’ve been waiting for this episode since you started this season!

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOO!

UKaiser98

Oh boy, getting my tissues ready 😭

Jo

He turned all glowing

Ba'alWhale34

Oh no. Time to cry.

Torbrevelk

Well its bedtime for a 3 am shift but having one of my favorite episodes in the franchise waiting for me is nice.

James jackson

Oh shit

Ba'alWhale34

pain.

Failwhale34