Recap / Stargate SG 1 S 8 E 12 Prometheus Unbound

Vala: Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you.

Daniel: Thank God?

Vala: ...Much. I hope.

General Hammond recruits Daniel to search for the missing Atlantis expedition, but the mission goes awry when the Prometheus is hijacked by the thief Vala Mal Doran, who transports the entire crew except for Daniel to a damaged al'kesh, leaving it up to Daniel to take back the ship.

First appearance of Vala Mal Doran.

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"Prometheus Unbound" provides examples of the following tropes:

• Abhorrent Admirer: The Kull warrior that takes Prometheus states that it captured Daniel because he's attractive. Daniel is appropriately horrified, particularly when it starts to remove its mask (given that he's seen what's usually under there), but fortunately for everyone it's actually a rather attractive humanoid alien woman wearing the armor.
• Actor Allusion: Vala first appears as a black-clad warrior who's initially assumed to be a male, then she gets in a brawl with Daniel and eventually winds up in the brig. This is very similar to Aeryn Sun's introduction in Farscape (although Vala is far more flirty than Aeryn, who's all business).
• Actually Pretty Funny: Implied during Hammond's first scene when he's revealed to be back at the SGC. While he's smiling at seeing Jack and Daniel again, he also would have just heard the pair's bickering in the hallway on their way to the office (and is thus probably privately amused that things haven't changed at the SGC).
• Big Eater: Vala is shown finishing off the remnants of what looks to be about a weeks' worth of rations while Daniel sits stoically at the other end of the table, keeping the zat trained on her the entire time.
• Bigger Is Better: This exchange, which occurs while Vala is sitting in Daniel's lap:
  Daniel: (about the Prometheus) So primitive, one would wonder if it's worth the bother.
  Vala: Well, in this case, it's the size that matters. (glances down at Daniel's crotch) Actually, pretty much in every case.
• Borrowed Catchphrase: Sgt. Harriman borrows Hammond's "godspeed" when Hammond is preparing to ring aboard a damaged cargo ship with minimal life support in order to salvage the control crystals.
• Bottle Episode: Only features one main character (not including O'Neill's brief appearance at the beginning) and a handful of recurring and guest stars, with most of the action taking place either on board the Prometheus or the al'kesh that Vala transports the rest of the crew to.
• Brick Joke: When Hammond visits the SGC to recruit Daniel at the beginning of the episode, he comments that he'll be having his old chair shipped to Washington as his new one just isn't the same. In "Proving Ground", Daniel remarked on how insanely comfortable the chair is after getting to sit in it during a training exercise.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Dr. Lindsay Novak, who has a habit of hiccuping constantly when she's nervous and generally has a very flaky disposition, but is stated to be very good at her job and remains exceptionally cool under pressure. By the end of the episode, her hiccups appear to be cured.
• The Cavalry: Hammond and co. manage catch up to the Prometheus and take out the Goa'uld ships pursuing it just as the shields are about to fail
• Character Name Alias: Daniel gives one of these when he goes to meet with Vala's buyers, in a Call-Back to season four's "Tangent".
  Daniel: The name's... Olo. Hans Olo.
• Cheshire Cat Grin: Vala flashes a wide, deeply disconcerting grin showing a lot of teeth when Daniel lets her out of the brig after the Prometheus comes under fire.
• Commuting on a Bus: Hammond returns for the first since the end of the season seven, but he doesn't stick around.
• Consummate Liar: Vala spins a fairly convincing story about needing the ship to help her people relocate, which turns out to be total crap. However, later episodes confirm her story about spending some time as a Goa'uld host, which would necessarily have to be true for her to use the healing device.
• Continuity Nod:
  • Hammond mentions being eager to get back out in the field after taking part in the battle over Antarctica.
  • Daniel states that Camulus has been defeated by Ba'al.
• Defeat Means Respect: Daniel grudgingly admits that Vala is "good" when she manages to escape from the brig, ring aboard the al'kesh and scramble the Prometheus's sensors to make her escape at the end of the episode.
• Groin Attack: Daniel's on the receiving end of one during his and Vala's brawl in the Prometheus engine room. Specifically she whacked him down there with a fire extinguisher.
• Hiccup Hijinks: Dr. Novak is plagued by loud, intensely annoying hiccups due to stress.
• In Harm's Way: Hammond admits that this is the reason he decided to personally oversee the mission to Atlantis when Daniel asks him about it.
  Hammond: You know, I've sat back and watched you people go on a lot of adventures over the years.
  Daniel: It's just, I thought when you were replaced at the SGC that you were sort of bucking for retirement.
  Hammond: And then I led Prometheus against Anubis's fleet.
  Daniel: Got your dander up.
• Innocuously Important Episode: While originally intended as a Bottle Episode, "Prometheus Unbound" retroactively became one of the most important episodes of the show's closing years:
  • The introduction of Vala Mal Doran sets up her return in Season Nine, which in turn kicks off the Ori story arc that will run through the final two Seasons and Stargate: The Ark of Truth.
  • The introduction of her buyers also sets up the Lucian Alliance, who will becoming a secondary threat in the final two Seasons and graduate into Big Bads during Stargate Universe.
  • On a minor note, the introduction of Dr. Novak will also see her become a recurring character over on Stargate Atlantis beginning the following year.
• Instant Expert: Vala manages to learn the Prometheus's systems remarkably quickly considering she has no idea how they work when she first takes over the ship. This is handwaved as being a side-effect of her time as a host, but it's not clear how exactly that would help unless she was referring to shared memories she still retained from the Goa'uld.
• Ironic Echo: When Daniel is badgering O'Neill to let him go to Atlantis at the beginning of the episode, O'Neill snarkily suggests that he try holding his breath. Daniel later repeats the same advice to Novak as a cure for her hiccups.
• Like an Old Married Couple: Daniel arguing with O'Neill about going to Atlantis in the opening scene, especially when he petulantly threatens to quit if O'Neill doesn't let him go.
  O'Neill: Why don't you just hold your breath? You haven't done that in a while!
• Murderous Thighs: Vala tries this on Daniel during their fight, leaping onto his shoulders and squeezing her thighs around his neck to try and choke him into unconsciousness.
• Never My Fault: Downplayed. Daniel tells Hammond everybody at the SGC misses him (while stealth insulting Jack's tenure). But of course, Daniel was the biggest advocate for Jack accepting said promotion.
• No One Gets Left Behind: The whole reason for the trip to Atlantis is because they haven't had any contact with the original expedition.
  Daniel: We've never left anyone behind, sir.
  Hammond: And we're not going to this time.
• Oh, Crap!: Said by Daniel when he shoots the "Kull warrior" with the modified energy weapon and it has no effect.
• Over-the-Shoulder Carry: Daniel throws Vala over his shoulder and runs with her to the bridge rather than waste time arguing with her when the Prometheus is attacked.
• Percussive Maintenance: Vala manages to bring the ship's communications online by whacking the control panel with her hand in the middle of making a point.
• Samus Is a Girl: Daniel is rather relieved when the masculine-voiced "Kull warrior" (who, it should be noted, are grotesquely deformed artificial humans inside the suits) that starts hitting on him removes its helmet to reveal the very human, very female Vala.
• Simultaneous Arcs: This episode appears to take place concurrently with the previous one, explaining why Daniel was absent for much of that episode (and likewise why Teal'c and Carter don't appear here). This also makes this the only episode of SG-1 where Teal'c doesn't appear.
• Sitting Duck: The al'kesh that Vala transports the rest of the crew to, which is completely dead until Hammond gets the control crystals from the cargo ship.
• Shout-Out: To The Kids in the Hall. While watching Vala on a security camera, Daniel briefly does the "I'm crushing your head" bit.
• Slap-Slap-Kiss: Quite literally between Daniel and Vala, who take a brief timeout in between exchanging blows to exchange saliva instead. Also lampshaded by Vala after the first few punches:
  Vala: You know, we could just have sex instead.
• Space Pirate: Vala is one, flying around the galaxy and stealing ships to be exchanged for goods.
• Status Quo Is God: Thanks to Vala's interference (and the ensuing damage to ''Prometheus), the SGC is unable to reach Pegasus and determine the status of the Expedition.
• Stealth Insult: Daniel comments on how everybody at the SGC misses Hammond while O'Neill, his successor, is standing right next to him. The stealth insult's not lost on Jack, who then gives Daniel a Death Glare.
• Stunned Silence: The episode opens with O'Neill and Daniel in the midst of a full-blown argument, making it all the way down the corridor without breaking stride. When they arrive at O'Neill's office to find Hammond unexpectedly sitting at his desk, however, they're both stunned into silence for several seconds.
• "Take That!" Kiss: Vala kisses Daniel once she's done beating the crap out of him, partly out of genuine attraction and partly to rub in her victory.
• Touched by Vorlons: Vala is able to operate a Goa'uld healing device due to spending some time as a host.
• Vapor Wear: Implied to be the case after Daniel changes Vala into BDUs in order to wear the Kull suit himself while she's unconscious; she remarks that "he's seen her naked, the least he can do is buy her dinner".
• Worst Aid: Colonel Reynolds freaks out at the prospect of potentially having to give General Hammond mouth-to-mouth when he passes out from lack of oxygen and is extremely relieved when he wakes up of his own accord. This despite the fact that Reynolds is a high-ranking Marine and surely must have been in similar situations before.
  Reynolds: Excellent! Excellent waking up, sir!
• Would Hit a Girl: Played for laughs when Vala expresses surprise that Daniel is willing to fight back after she throws the first punch.
  Vala: Ow! You hit me!
  Daniel: You hit me!
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Vala pulls one in order to board the Prometheus, sending out a distress signal to lure them into investigating.
• Yank the Dog's Chain: After everything, Daniel still doesn't get to go to Atlantis, as the ship's hyperdrive engines are fried by the end of the episode and need to be repaired before the mission can be attempted again.
• You're Not My Type: When the Kull Warrior comments on Daniel being "very attractive", Daniel is suitably repulsed (for the record, beneath that shiny black armor they're pale, mind-controlled crypto-zombies) and says that he's really not Daniel's type. Thankfully for him, it turns out that Samus Is a Girl.