Dear Johnny Fanboy,

While watching Volume 40 of Stargate: SG-1 I discovered a couple of nit-picks you may be able to clear up.

Firstly, in the episode Sacrifices can you explain what is going on with the Jaffa that try to capture Teal'c? He is inside a tent with some other Jaffa when the enemy open fire. Everyone is killed except for Teal'c, Ishta and Aron. As they flee from the tent, we can clearly see that it has holes all the way around, which gives the impression that they were surrounded.

However, they leave via the only tent flap, which is not covered by the enemy, and make their escape into the woods. Not very clever thinking on the part of the enemy Jaffa was it?

Secondly, in Endgame we discover there is a gas that the Tok'ra created that can kill all symbiotes. The Trust has acquired this and is randomly sending rockets of the stuff to Goa'uld-populated planets, killing innocent Jaffa in the process. Their argument for this is that it will rid the galaxy of the Goa'uld threat.

As it is non-lethal to humans, wouldn't it make more sense to contaminate our world with the gas if and when the Goa'uld attack Earth, instead of wasting time and resources chucking it at every other world?

Jennifer O'Neil (that's with one "l"!)

Johnny Fanboy replies:

In answer to your first question, the Jaffa that attack Teal'c are a relatively small party and they fire from only two sides. Holes appear all around the tent because the shots simply pass straight through. Evidently the enemy didn't know which side of the tent the flap is on and so Teal'c, Ishta and Aron are able to make their escape.

Alternatively, perhaps an obscure Jaffa code of honour forbids shooting in the direction of the entrance to a tent!

In answer to your second question, although it is claimed that the gas is harmless to humans, who knows how rigorously the Trust - a notoriously unscrupulous division - has tested it? It may be that a strong enough dose of the gas may be harmful, or that its long-term effects may be damaging to the environment.

Notice how O'Neill (with two "l"s) puts a vial of gas down very carefully and then rubs his hand down his uniform once he realises what is inside it. Why do that if the gas is guaranteed to be 100% safe (though Jack's reaction might also be connected with the fact that he has twice carried symbiotes within him)?

Another reason to avoid taking the "poisoning the well" approach (as used in the Stargate: Atlantis episode, um, Poisoning the Well) is that contaminating the Earth without aggressively attacking the enemy might cause the Goa'uld to take the hump and destroy the planet from space in revenge.

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