Stargate: SG-1 Re-Watch: The Nox (Season 1 Episode 8)

Stargate: SG-1 Season 1 Episode 8, “The Nox,” puts SG-1 in between a rock and a hard place. “The Nox” is an episode that’s important for several reasons in part because it starts the theme of malcontent towards the SGC, subtlely introduces us to “The Alliance of Four Races,” and gives us an observation about how to get past the Goa’uld personal shield.

This episode was written by Hart Hanson, who would later go on to create Bones, and was the first of two episodes directed by Charles Correll.

“The Nox” starts with a visit from Secretary of Defense, David Swift. He’s getting an introduction to the Stargate program, but understandably has some concerns about exactly what SG-1 is doing. His understanding is that SG-1 is supposed to be acquiring advanced technology that will help them fight against the Gao’uld.

At this point, Stargate: SG-1 is about halfway through its first season and, while there is no question that Goa’uld is a threat, we haven’t actually seen that much of them as far as the series is concerned. In fact, Stargate Command has only been to nineteen worlds, and the Abydos cartouche contained hundreds of addresses.

Yet, Swift places a premium on finding the advanced technology that will help them with their fight. This will become more important later on as new threats are introduced. As much as it feels too early for this to be a demand, it does sow some tension that will carry throughout the rest of SG-1’s ten seasons.

When the SGC has the pushback of other agencies and powers within the government, the show becomes about more than just exploring. It adds some real-world politics to it and grounds the show to Earth. Unlike Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica, which take place primarily in space, the SGC operates on Earth and is the last line of defense should aliens come through the stargate.

There are reasons not to be concerned, after all, we could bury our heads in the sand and just bury the gate. Let’s start with the fact that the stargate is in a sub-level of the Cheyenne Mountain complex, and there’s an iris there so the Goa’uld can’t get through.

Second, while the Goa’uld have ships that we know very little about, there’s nothing to suggest that they’re on their way.  Third, SG-1 hasn’t even met any races with advanced technology aside from the Goa’uld, a race that SG-1 hasn’t encountered since

But Swift’s request prompts Teal’c to talk about a certain world with a beast that has powers of invisibility. Swift is very intrigued and wants SG-1 to visit that world and bring back the creature.

The problem is that while SG-1 is exploring the planet, the stargate vanishes. While they’re searching for it, they discover that Apophis is also on the planet. They entertain the idea of trying to capture Apophis since they have the element of surprise and he is probably the only person that could tell them where Sha’re and Ska’ra are.

It’s a good plan, but a risky one since they’re mostly carrying tranquilizer darts and have no idea where the Stargate is. There’s no denying that capturing Apophis would be a huge win for SG-1.

The ensuing firefight results in the death of SG-1, save for Teal’c. During a standoff with Apophis he just disappears. But the powers that be, wouldn’t kill off the entire team–right, that’s just crazy–so they awaken to find a race called The Nox.

The Nox appear to be a helpless, quiet, and gentle people. SG-1 interacts primarily with a family of three including Antaeus (Armin Shimerman), Lya (Frida Betrani), and Nafrayu (Addison Ridge). They are also taken to meet Opher (Ray Xifo). During the ensuing scenes, SG-1 walks a really clumsy line as they try to understand more about the Nox and “their ways.”

The Nox are an incredible species, they have an eidetic memory, their lifespan is centuries from what SG-1 can tell, and they have some supernatural abilities as well. A part of their culture is that they don’t fight, and SG-1 is surprised to find one of Apophis’ guards, Shak’l, have been saved as well.

The Nox and SG-1 disagree, politely, about what to do with Shak’l. To SG-1, the answer is clear, they have to take Shak’l back to earth and use him as an asset. They can’t send him back to Apophis without exposing the Nox.

But the Nox aren’t okay with this, at all. They want SG-1 to convince Shak’l to go with them and be like Teal’c. There are several puzzling exchanges in which SG-1 attempt to reason with the Nox and get some very obtuse wisdom in return, which they don’t listen to. For example, Daniel asks Opher while they’re walking through the forest:

DANIEL: I guess what I’m saying is, we could learn a lot from you, I really wish that we could be friends with the Nox. Friends share knowledge with each other.

OPHER: Yes, you have much to learn.

DANIEL: Well, why…why don’t you teach me now? For example, you seem to have an almost psychic ability. Are you born with it?

OPHER: Knowledge takes time. Over the years we teach the young to be wise.

One of the most impressive being that beast they came here to find, doesn’t have the ability to turn invisible, it’s The Nox concealing it. After hearing some of these things, SG-1 continues to press The Nox to fight Apophis and his guard, knowing that if the Goa’uld have been hunting there for generations, and it’s just a matter of time before they find them.

Antaeus is insistent that they don’t need to fight, that by being peaceful they are more protected. Opher has a similar reaction when Daniel suggests they bury the Stargate to stop them from coming.

DANIEL: How long have the Goa’uld been coming here to hunt?

OPHER: Oh, as long as I can remember.

DANIEL: Why did you not bury the Stargate? Do you know that that would stop them?

OPHER: Then they would know someone had buried it.

It’s difficult to dissect “The Nox” because so much of the plot is interlaced with the final reveal that they are actually a technologically advanced race. So much of the dialogue is SG-1 teasing out little nuggets of information that are thickly veiled, but the subtlety of the interactions is what makes this episode stand out.

It’s clear that both sides feel ‘their way” is correct, but the Nox play it with a subtlety that contrasts sharply to O’Neill and SG-1’s insistence that the only way to defend themselves is to fight.

The Nox don’t really show up in this detail again. They’re mentioned, but it sometimes feel like in the scheme of things the Nox were created to prove a point that O’Neill made at the beginning of the episode about aliens with advanced technology not wanting to share it.

The Nox are very different than what I imagine SG-1 or thought they’d encounter. When their civilization is revealed at the end, one of the first things Carter says is, “they looked so helpless.”

The reveal also clarifies Daniel and Opher’s conversation. When Opher talks about teaching the young to be wise, it sounds like he’s talking about Nafrayu, the young boy who goes looking for Apophis because he wants to see a Gao’uld, but Opher was talking about SG-1 the entire time.

This isn’t the last time Stargate: SG-1 will explore this motif of seeing an advanced race that thinks humanity is younger than they are. They’ll later learn that The Nox are part of an alliance with other advanced species called “The Alliance of Four Races.” At the moment, it’s really disheartening to see that this is how their first interaction with a technologically advanced race occurred.

The irony of the entire episode is that The Nox have advanced technology. They would fulfill Snyder’s mandate of “bring back advanced technology so that we can fight the Gao’uld threat.” The thing is that they’re also peaceful, so it doesn’t seem like The Nox would be very helpful in case of an attack either, so maybe it’s best that SG-1 doesn’t pursue their technology.If nothing else, it’s a teaching moment for SG-1.

If nothing else, it’s a teaching moment for SG-1. Anteus’s parting words to them reflect that:

ANTEAUS: Maybe one day you will learn, your way is not the only way.

Stray Thoughts:

• This is the first time Teal’c is called a “Sholva,” meaning traitor, for his actions in “Children of the Gods.” The phrase he says when he comes face to face with Apophis “I die free,” will also become a rally cry for the rebel Jaffa later in the series.
• O’Neill theorizes that Apophis’ personal shield is designed to let objects moving at a lower velocity through so that when a guard tosses him a staff weapon, he’s able to grab it. This isn’t confirmed when O’Neill tries to kill Apophis with the arrow, but these mechanics do track throughout the series.

What do you think of this episode of Stargate SG-1? Let us know in the comments below.

All ten seasons of Stargate: SG-1 are currently available on Hulu.

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