Entertainment
 

Holiday

From SGCommand

Holiday
Production
Series

Stargate SG-1

Episode

2.18

Production #

218

Original air date

January 13, 1999

Written by

Tor Alexander Valenza

Directed by

David Warry-Smith

Cast
Guest stars

Teryl Rothery as Dr. Janet Fraiser
Michael Shanks as Ma'chello
Alvin Sanders as Fred
Melanie Skehar as Waitress
Darryl Scheelar as Cop

Chronology
Preceded by

Serpent's Song

Followed by

One False Step

SG-1 Season 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22
Season 1 Season 3

Holiday is the eighteenth episode of the second season of Stargate SG-1

Contents

[edit] Plot

SG-1 comes upon what appears to be in an alien lab with many bizarre devices scattered about in the room. They soon find a palm pilot-like device with peculiar symbols on it, in no language Daniel can recognize. An old man suddenly appears whom Teal'c identifies as Ma'chello, an outlaw highly hunted by the Goa'uld. The old man, after eccentrically conversing with Daniel, tells him to take hold of a device, seemingly having no more effect than a static shock. The old man collapses and is brought through the Stargate to Earth. Soon after, Daniel starts acting strangely. He claims that he was told to go home when he wasn't, walks around asking people to teach him about local customs, and befriends a tramp named Fred.

Meanwhile, SG-1 is called to the infirmary because the "old man" knows quite a lot about Daniel. They soon realize that Daniel and Ma'chello have switched bodies. However, Daniel (in Ma'chello's body) is very ill, on the verge of death. He slips into a coma, with no apparent outlook from Dr. Frasier for recovery. Carter begs him to wake up. He does, saying, "Nice to know you don't just like me for my looks!"

Ma'chello is soon tracked down after treating Fred to a "bounteous feast" of ice cream sundaes in a diner. He uses his credit card to pay, allowing the police to easily locate and arrest him. He is taken straightaway to a cell at Stargate Command and bargains with Sam to keep Daniel's young body. He offers to teach Sam how to decode his "palm-pilot," which contains coded plans for powerful anti-Goa'uld inventions, written in a code Ma'chello invented. Sam quickly declines, but takes him to meet Daniel, who Ma'chello has told Sam to consider as "a casualty of war." Daniel accuses Ma'chello saying that if he really hates the Goa'uld yet would steal another's body, then he's no better than the Goa'uld.

After returning home from Ma'chello's planet to retrieve the device, Teal'c and Jack reveal they have accidentally switched bodies. Yet, trouble soon strikes as Teal'c's body contracts an illness. This mean Jack must learn kelno'reem, a deep-state of meditation Jaffa use to heal themselves, in order to make his body whole again. After many fruitless attempts in Sam's lab to switch Jack and Teal'c back, Ma'chello divulges the fact that switching is strictly a one-way process; a unique exchange of bodies can only happen once. He offers to translate his work so Earth can use advanced technology to fight the Goa'uld. Nevertheless, Sam soon formulates a plan to play a little "musical chairs" with everyones' bodies, simply rotating their minds through the affected circle of people, instead of trying a direct exchange.

Ma'chello reluctantly agrees and expresses regret that he cannot teach Sam his code. So, Jack (in Tealc's body) switches with Ma'chello (in Daniel's body). Then Teal'c (in Jack's body) switches with Daniel (in Ma'chello's body). Then Teal'c (in Ma'chello's body) swaps with Ma'chello (in Teal'c's body). Finally, Jack (in Daniel's body) swaps with Daniel (in Jack's body). Ma'chello, finally returned to his own organic vessel, thanks Daniel "for the holiday," and passes away quietly.

[edit] References

Dendred; Dendredan; Soul Switcher

[edit] Notes

Stargate Wiki has a collection of images related to Holiday.
  • During the conversation between Daniel and Ma'chello, Daniel states that "I am Daniel Jackson" while Ma'chello repeats the same sentence as if he really believed he is Daniel Jackson. This is ironic because Daniel Jackson and Ma'chello are portrayed by the same actor.
  • Ma'chello again plays a role in the Season 3 episode "Legacy" (although he does not appear), in which Daniel is infected with an invention created by Ma'chello designed to destroy the Goa'uld inhabiting a host.
  • This episode marks the first time that the Jaffa meditation kel no'reem is mentioned by name.
  • Continuity error: In the scene where Dr Fraser is checking over Daniel, they look over at Ma'chello, who is lying in bed with an oxygen mask on. When they look back a second time, the mask has been removed.

[edit] Sources