SG-1 Season 8
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"It's Good to Be King" is the thirteenth episode of the eighth season of Stargate SG-1.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Plot 3 References 4 Notable Quotes 5 Notes 6 In other languages 7 Sources

SynopsisEdit

The System Lord Ares plans on taking back his old territories to reinforce himself against Ba'al. One of his planets happen to be the new home of Harold Maybourne. SG-1 comes to warn him, but find out that he has become king, and apparently knows this is going to happen.

PlotEdit

SG-1 receives intelligence that the Goa'uld are now beginning to return to previously abandoned planets with the intent to turn them into new strongholds and hideouts. Even worse, they discover that the System Lord Ares is preparing to invade the planet which former Colonel Harold Maybourne has retired to. Brigadier General Jack O'Neill sends SG-1 to bring Maybourne back to Earth.

Upon arriving at the planet, the team discover that Maybourne has been proclaimed 'King Arkhan the First', much to their chagrin. When Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter tries to bring Maybourne up to speed, he reveals that he already knows the Goa'uld are on their way. He shows them a set of stone pillars inscribed with Ancient writings, which appear to be a historical record of things that have yet to occur. Maybourne had already translated it, and had used the knowledge of the future to help the people of the planet. Most shocking of all is the prophecy that "the oppressors of old" - the Goa'uld - would return, and that a team of warriors - SG-1 - would save them and defeat the invaders.

Carter says that SG-1 can't help and tells Maybourne that they have to take him back now. But Maybourne refuses to go; he enjoys living with the civilization here and is confident that the prophecy will be fulfilled.

Dr. Daniel Jackson's and Teal'c's further investigation of the surrounding forest turns up the most interesting find of all: a Puddle Jumper that seems to be capable of time travel. But the ship requires the pilot to have the ATA gene. The only person they know of who has the gene is General O'Neill.

O'Neill arrives on the planet to much fanfare from Maybourne and his minstrels, and proceeds to the ship after a tense reunion. Carter's repair attempts fail, and O'Neill can't even get the ship off the ground. With no other options, Maybourne steps down as king and is forced to reveal to his people that he's not a prophet like he claimed, and that the prophecies are written on the pillars for all to read. He tells them all that they must leave or risk being killed or captured.

But the townspeople refuse to accept Maybourne's resignation, saying that the prophecy will come true like all the others and holding other, non-prophecy related achievements (introducing irrigation, crop rotation, a new legal code) as examples of his great leadership. As a career bureaucrat and later a NID mole, Maybourne has always been a thief, a liar, a scoundrel; in short, an object of scorn, even by his supposed allies. But on this world, no matter how selfish his reasons, he has helped people, and been praised for that help. Maybourne is struck speechless by their loyalty, and the SGC team is struck just as speechless by the concept that Maybourne just might be a good man. O'Neill is too bewildered by the whole affair, and decides to pull out. However, it is too late; Ares's First Prime Trelak and several Jaffa have arrived.

While the Jaffa take control over the small village, O'Neill and Carter hide out in the ship while Daniel and Teal'c hide out amongst the townsfolk. But both are quickly discovered; Daniel and Teal'c are captured, and O'Neill is forced to defend the ship until Carter can get it working again. When she finally does, O'Neill takes the ship up into orbit, where a Goa'uld Ha'tak has arrived.

Some of the village warriors attack the Jaffa in the village, allowing Daniel and Teal'c to escape and help fight and kill the few remaining Jaffa. In orbit, O'Neill uses the ship's limited, but immensely powerful weapons (the same Drone weapons, which he used in the episode "Lost City, Part 2") on the Ha'tak, severing some vital systems and causing the ship to explode. Ares, who was onboard, is killed - as the prophecy predicted.

As SG-1 leave, O'Neill offers Maybourne a chance to return to Earth, but Maybourne declines; he'd miss his people, his new home...his wives...

ReferencesEdit

The Alamo; Amaterasu; Ancient; Ancient language; Ancient Technology Activation gene; Antarctica; Ares; Ares' Ha'tak; Arkhan's people; Arkhan's World; Ba'al; Bastet; C-4; Control chair; Drone weapon; Earthquake; Goa'uld; Grateful Dead; Guango; Guava; Janus; King; Kull; Mango; Morrigan; Naquadah; Olokun; Prophet; Shol'va; System Lords; Time Jumper; Time travel; Tok'ra; Yu-huang Shang Ti

Notable QuotesEdit

Explaining the Ojen fruit
Maybourne: It's sort of a cross between a guava and a mango.
Jackson: Sort of a "guango"?
Maybourne: I like that. [Stands on the table] People. Henceforth, ojen fruit shall be called guango!

O'Neill: Nice ride
Jackson: Yeah, Ancients liked to fly in style.

O'Neill: NICE!, woohoo
O'Neill: You're going to have to help me out here Carter. Got any quarters?
Carter: Unfortunately, I can't help you with this one sir, you're on your own.
O'Neill: Fine. How do we know we're not gonna end up back at the Alamo
Carter: Uhm well for one thing that was on Earth, but more importantly I've separated the time device from the control circuits, I think... Concentrate on powering up the engines.
O'Neill: Concentrate? Got nothing.

Trelak: Lord Ares has just arrived!

NotesEdit

• When rebroadcast during the summer of 2005, this episode was shown on the same night as the Stargate: Atlantis episode "Before I Sleep," which featured the original introduction of the Time Jumper.
• Only the Region 1 DVD set has a commentary for this episode.
• The title refers to the film History of the World, Part I by Mel Brooks, wherein King Louis XVI frequently states that it is "good to be the king".
• The plot of this episode is somewhat similar to that of the Star Trek: Voyager episode "False Profits" in which two Ferengi set themselves up as rulers on a planet they became stranded on in the Gamma Quadrant. Of course, the Ferengi were much more exploitive of the situation than was Maybourne.
• Brigadier General Jack O'Neill goes off-world again for the first time since being promoted to commander of Stargate Command in "New Order, Part 2".
• This is the first appearance of Harold Maybourne on the series since the Season Six episode "Paradise Lost". It would be his last.
• This Puddle Jumper is used in the final episodes of this season, "Moebius, Part 1 and "Moebius, Part 2."
• The Jumper seen in this episode may be the Lantean Janus' Time Jumper.
• When the team first arrives on the planet, Daniel comments that "there's no phones, no lights, no motorcars". This is a line from the song Amish Paradise by "Weird Al" Yankovic , as well as a reference to the theme song of Gilligan's Island.

In other languagesEdit

• French: Une Vieille Connaissance (An Old Acquaintance)
• Italian: È Bello Essere Re (It's Good to Be King)
• Spanish: El Rey Arkhan (The Arkhan King)
• Czech: Je dobré být králem
• German: König Arkhan (King Arkhan)

SourcesEdit

• Official Stargate SG-1 site. MGM. Visited June 8, 2006. Most of site requires Flash.
• Screenplay (PDF). Distributed by MGM. Prepared by Line 21 Media Services Ltd (2004-09-29). Retrieved on October 29, 2006.
• Episode guide from Sky1. Visited June 4, 2006.
• Summary from SciFi. Visited June 4, 2006. Requires Flash.
• Review from GateWorld. Reviewed by Lex. Visited May 7, 2006.