Season 1 Episode 3 - Emancipation

By Jess

Brief summary: SG-1 arrive at the planet Simarka, which is inhabited by a Mongol-like people made up of a number of tribes. They are hosted by Moughal of the Shavadai. Sam is scorned for being a woman who dresses as a man and is later kidnapped by Moughal’s son Abu, to trade to a brutish chieftain named Turghan, in exchange for his daughter Nya. SG-1 try to get Sam back from Turghan before anything happens that either of them will regret.

The S/D Point of View:

Sam and Daniel are reeeeeeally close in the beginning as Daniel tries to come up with a reason why Abu and the other men seem so affected by her presence.

Sam and Daniel are walking with each other as everyone is led into Moughal’s camp. This shows that even at this early stage, they are quite comfortable being with each other.

Daniel isn’t being very charitable to Sam when he tells her that she should give in to their customs, giving the lame excuse that anthropologists do it all the time. Of course, Jack makes it even worse when he just eggs her on. (“I’m not an anthropologist.” “You are today!”)

After Sam is properly attired in her blue tent – er, dress, the boys have a little gawking session. Teal’c is passive looking as usual, Jack looks quite amused in that smirk of his, and Daniel is … well … gawking the hell out of her. He looks stunned, and even a touch embarrassed. The dress does show off a bit of her cleavage, so his reaction isn’t really much of a surprise given that he’s only seen her in fatigues up until now. He’s really at a loss for words and has to have Jack (who’s still amused, for cryin’ out loud) help him explain about Abu’s plants having medicinal properties.

Sam is clearly NOT amused for what Jack and Daniel have gotten her into and you can cut her sarcasm with a knife. Daniel almost seems to be feeling bad here, and is blushing a bit. Whether it’s pure sarcasm or it’s a feeble attempt at a peace offering, our cute Daniel does something incredibly cute and pretends to blow Sam a little kiss. Adorable!

The next morning after Sam’s been rudely kidnapped, Daniel calls out to her, calling her “Doctor” (makes you wonder if he’s more comfortable with that and does it when Jack isn’t around!). Daniel: Doctor we’re about ready to go!” Showing that he’s still a cutie, he shyly hides his face after he lifts back the flap of the tent. He finds that Sam isn’t there. Uh-oh.

SG-1, with the help of Moughal, schemes to get Sam back. They try negotiating with Turghan, with Daniel at the helm. He explains to Turghan how important Sam is to them. He tells him that Sam is not only a warrior, but a shaman. He ends with a very firm “Our people need her!” There’s a huge emphasis on “need.”

Sam is traded back to them for Jack’s gun, and after they make their way out of Turghan’s camp, they rest for the night around a campfire. Daniel seems just a tad amused when Jack relates that this isn’t the first time Sam’s been so happy to see them (something about her being drunk and taking something off …). Moughal tells Sam that his son has been afflicted with the madness. Sam gives him a quizzical look. Daniel looks at her and fills her in: “It’s what they call love.” Maybe it’s just me, but I think there may be something meaningful in the way he looks at her when he says that. ;)

We then see the team bedded down for the night …er, early morning. What Sam/Daniel shipper wouldn’t be squealing with delight to see these two sleeping next to each other?? Okay, so it’s not in the same sleeping bag or anything, but hey, it’s a start! ;) It makes you wonder if Daniel is almost trying to be protective of Sam, so that someone else doesn’t try to steal her away.

When Abu tells them that Turghan caught him and Nya and ordered her stoned to death, Sam is understandably upset and furious at Turghan. She wants to go in and rescue the girl, which Jack refuses because if they did, it would be starting a war. She gets angry with Jack and Daniel (who asks if they have the right to interfere with these people’s customs). It seems short-lived though, after Daniel asks Moughal if something can be done, especially where the old laws are concerned. Moughal realizes that there is, and they all go off in hopes of saving Nya. You’d think that Sam would be grateful to Daniel making that suggestion to Moughal, prompting him to discover a way of saving her. One can only hope that later, at some point (maybe even after the mission), she’d tell him so.

After they arrive, Sam challenges Turghan to a fight in order to free Nya. Jack and Co. are clearly worried when Moughal tells them that it is a fight to the death. Sam has Turghan beaten and he reluctantly allows Nya to be freed, as well as Sam and the rest of the team, and finally that there can be no war between his tribe and the Shavadai. Nya and Abu are finally free to marry, and they ask SG-1 to stay for the celebration. Of course, being about a week long, they decline. Daniel says that they hope Nya and Abu will be very happy together and have many sons. Sam sort of smirks and nudges him, prompting him to say, “…And daughters.”

As SG-1 turns to leave, they notice the Shavadai women paying tribute to Sam by no longer keeping their faces hidden. As they are finally about to leave, Sam turns back around and Daniel gives her a nice smile, as if to say, “You did it, Sam.”

All in all, this episode reflects how early it is in the series, and some of the early missteps of Sam and Daniel’s friendship, especially Daniel telling her that she should go along with the Shavadai’s customs. They are still quite a bit shy around each other, as evidenced by Daniel’s gawking at Sam and subsequent embarrassment, as well as turning his head when he enters the tent (only to find her gone). It does appear that these two do favor each other’s company, though, with the two of them walking together to Moughal’s camp in the beginning, and sleeping side by side after Sam is rescued.

Sam/Daniel moment count: 6 (or to be very charitable, 7)

Shippiness factor: 3