Within the Serpent's Grasp » GateWorld (original) (raw)

SG-1 learns that Daniel's alternate reality vision is true when they gate onto Apophis's attack ship headed for Earth.

RATINGS SCORECARD

OUR RATING -
FAN RATING - 9.71

EPISODE #122
ORIGINAL AIR DATE: 03.06.1998
SYNDICATION AIR DATE: 05.17.1999
DVD DISC: Season 1, Disc 5

STORY BY: James Crocker
TELEPLAY BY: Jonathan Glassner
DIRECTED BY: David Warry-Smith
GUEST STARS: Peter Williams (Apophis), Alexis Cruz (Klorel/Skaara), Gary Jones (Technician), Brent Stait (Major Ferretti), Michael Richard Dobson (Jaffa)

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• There are two versions of the scene where Teal'c describes the long-range visual communications device to the team. The original aired on Showtime, and has O'Neill replying, "Think it gets Showtime?" The modified version aired on the SCI FI Channel (and possibly in U.S. syndication), and O'Neill's reply is changed to the Homer Simpson-esque "Mmmmm ... Goa'uld TV."
• This is also one of the rare episodes of the Stargate franchise to include profanity. In the original cable cut of the episode, after Klorel tells Jack that nothing of his host has survived the blending, Jack angrily replies, "That's bullshit! Now let him talk to me."
• As heavily as zat guns would be featured on the show, executive producer Brad Wright would later count them as one of his biggest creative regrets – particularly the fact that a third shot will disintegrate any person or object (something that the show's 100th episode later poked fun at).
  "Zat guns. Just dumb," he said. (Writer and executive producer Brad Wright, in a 2022 Reddit AMA)
• "I can’t stand the name Klorel! I said ‘We’re not really naming this character Klorel are we?’ That’s why it’s Klorel, because John [Glassner] wrote ‘... Serpent’s Grasp.’ I didn’t come up with a better one or the one I came up with, everybody went ‘That's not better.’ But you pick your battles.
  I think John was originally going to kill Klorel. ... We decided maybe that was a mistake, and CG-ed him in the rings when Apophis escapes, we just put him inside them. ... We went, ‘He’s good, let’s keep him around’ and he’s one of the touchstones from the feature too." (Writer and executive producer Brad Wright, in an interview with The Companion)
• "There was this dynamic in the script of Skaara coming out and pleading for help. And O’Neill realizing he was in there and getting worked up and then Klorel coming back in and taunting him and I think it worked really well. [In my opinion] Skaara figures this out and is going to let him think that he’s stringing him along and is in charge. If I can distract you with believing you’re hurting me in this way, then you’re going to keep putting your energy over, while I’m being subversive over here.
  "Little by little, you’d have these moments of sabotage against his oppressor. Various moments where Klorel should have done something villainous and then something went wrong, and inexplicably, he changed his mind. There is that story in there that added to all of those scenes, certainly, you know, and had to be layered in and created again so that you get that little piece of the ball on the sly. And then you, as an audience member, get the impression of what's happening. And I think that it really came across, at least from the feedback I’ve gotten, that there is a level of complexity under there, even if they can't pinpoint what it is. I’m satisfied with that." (Actor Alexis Cruz, in an interview with The Companion)