"I know the current situation has been tough on all of you. You've been cut off from your families, your homes, you're wondering how much longer this can go on. But the fact is, there's a threat on this base that cannot be allowed to escape. Knowing that, the President has authorized me to maintain this lockdown indefinitely. We've only got food enough for another month, so we'll find a way to bring supplies down from the surface. In the the meantime, I suggest you all get comfortable. We're not going anywhere"
— Brig. Gen. Jack O'Neill
Russian Colonel Alexi Vaselov arrives at the SGC hoping to impress O'Neill, but is soon struck down by a mysterious ailment. When other personnel members begin to display uncharacteristic behavior, it's revealed that Vaselov was possessed by the incorporeal form of Anubis, who is now loose on the base and capable of taking control of anybody, prompting O'Neill to order a lockdown to prevent him from escaping.
"Lockdown" provides examples of the following tropes:
- Bilingual Backfire: At the beginning of the episode, the Russian cosmonaut says something disparaging about the Americans over the video transmission that the Russian technician doesn't want to translate for Carter; however, Daniel is also in the room, and provides the translation:Daniel: He said if the Americans are gonna blast alien ships out of orbit they've got to do a better job of tracking their own mess.
- Bluff the Eavesdropper: After the President gives O'Neill 24 hours to resolve the situation before the base has to resume normal operations, he gets on the speaker system and states that he's been authorized to continue the lockdown indefinitely in the hopes that this will force Anubis into the open.
- Bottle Episode: Takes place entirely on the base.
- Chest of Medals: Col. Vaselov is shown to have quite an impressive one in his introductory scene.
- Continuity Nod:
- It's shown that there is still debris from the destruction of Anubis's fleet in Earth's orbit.
- Daniel assures Vaselov that he's perfectly aware of the terms of their treaty with the Russians, since he's the one who helped broker it in the first place.
- Cultural Posturing: Vaselov remarks that he's not sure O'Neill is aware the Cold War is over after his somewhat frosty reception.
- Deus ex Machina: Daniel comes up with a plan to invoke this by forcing Anubis to use his ascended powers and violate the Ancients' non-interference clause, which would in turn force them to intervene. It doesn't work, however, since Anubis manages to possess the right combination of people to get him through the gate without using any powers.
- Energy Being: Anubis's true form is basically a darker, less glowy version of the other ascended beings.
- Equal-Opportunity Offender: Daniel explicitly describes O'Neill as such when Vaselov is offended by his attitude.Daniel: His attitude has nothing to do with you being Russian. He's an equal-opportunity offender.Vaselov: And I am supposed to find this comforting?
- Famed In-Story: Vaselov is initially thrilled to meet both O'Neill and Daniel, though given that he's possessed by Anubis at the time it could just be Anubis getting in a subtle dig at them.
- Foreshadowing: Colonel Vaselov's eagerness to go offworld seems like general, well, eagerness; it makes a lot more sense later on when it's revealed he's possessed by Anubis, who's trying to get home.
- Heroic Sacrifice; Vaselov, recognising that he's dying anyway, deliberately lets himself be retaken as a host by Anubis in order to save O'Neill (he was unaware that the Stargate had been redirected, but he still chose to abandon even the chance that he could be saved at the SGC to save O'Neill)
- Hostage Situation: Anubis!Daniel takes holds one of the members of SG-11 at gunpoint in the gate room and shoots two guards in an attempt to force O'Neill to let him through the gate.
- It's All My Fault: Vaselov seems to hold himself responsible for the current situation, pointing out that if not for his arrival, the SGC wouldn't be on lockdown.
- Last Request: Once Vaselov figures out that he's dying, he asks Daniel to pass on a letter to his sister in Russia.
- Lockdown: As the title of the episode might suggest. The base is locked down for at least six days, divided into three separate "zones" in an attempt to prevent Anubis from getting to the gate by possessing somebody.
- Lost in Transmission: The transmission from the Russian space station in The Teaser, which cuts out as it comes into contact with Anubis's ship, allowing Anubis to possess the cosmonaut inside.
- Not Quite Dead: It's revealed that Anubis managed to survive the destruction of his fleet in his incorporeal half-ascended state, after the team had assumed him to be dead.
- Only a Flesh Wound: Zigzagged when O'Neill is forced to shoot Daniel in the should while he's possessed by Anubis. He passes out instantly from the pain and is unconscious for some time afterwards, with the doctor reassuring the rest of the team that his life is no longer in any immediate danger, implying that the wound could well have been fatal. On the other hand, he's pretty much fine once he regains consciousness and spends the remainder of the episode running around as much as everyone else, albeit with his arm in a sling.O'Neill: You're not supposed to be walking around.
Daniel: ...It's my arm.
O'Neill: You were shot.
Daniel: I know. You shot me. - Out-of-Character Alert: Discussed between the other characters when Daniel flips out in the gate room, before they know that Anubis is possessing people.Carter: The members of SG-11 insisted he seemed perfectly normal. Did you notice anything peculiar about him, sir?
O'Neill: I thought it odd he was shooting up the gate room. - Possession Burnout: Possession by Anubis does this, since the body reacts to it like a disease; this ultimately proves fatal if the person is possessed for a sufficiently long time.
- P.O.V. Cam: Used several times from the perspective of whoever happens to be the vessel for Anubis at any given moment.
- Red Shirt: Vaselov, though he gets marginally better treatment than most of the other Russian characters who have appeared over the seasons.
- Seinfeldian Conversation: O'Neill takes the opportunity to complain about the new responsibilities that come with being General:Daniel: So how's the new job?
O'Neill: Oy... One crisis after another. This morning, the mess got a shipment of Yukon Gold potatoes instead of the usual Russets.Daniel: No!O'Neill: Oh, yes. The Golds don't make for good mash. Consistency's all wrong. - Stealth Insult:O'Neill: I'm not gonna risk the lives of anyone under my command on a slick resume.Carter: How... uncharacteristically cautious of you, sir.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: The team may have blown up Anubis' fleet in "Lost City", but all that debris is still in orbit. So, it's causing headaches for the International Space Station.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Dr. Brightman replaces Dr. Fraiser as the chief medical officer following Fraiser's death in the previous season.
- Take Me Instead: When Anubis possesses O'Neill and tries to leave through the stargate, Vaselov holds him at gunpoint and demands that he take him instead, since he's practically dead anyway. Anubis accepts.
- Time-Compression Montage: Done to show the passage of six days after the lockdown is initiated, with various members of the base personnel shown standing around looking vaguely important.
- Time Skip: About a month is said to pass between the cosmonaut getting hijacked by Anubis in The Teaser and Vaselov arriving at the base.
- Two-Keyed Lock: O'Neill (actually Anubis) and Major Kearney manually set the base self-destruct this way.
- Vodka Drunkenski:Teal'c: And your condition?
Vaselov: Not so good. But not so bad as the time I went drinking with General Doskevic in Novgorod. That was worse headache. - We All Die Someday: While Vaselov and Daniel are trading proverbs while the former is in the infirmary.Vaselov: You know, in Russia, we have a saying: (speaks in Russian) "The cord may curl long, but an end will appear." That holds true for everything in this world, myself included. I accept this.
(Daniel replies in Russian)
Vaselov: "In the kingdom of hope, there is no winter."
Daniel: I prefer that one.
