Moebius (Stargate SG-1) Part I

"Moebius" is the season finale for season eight of the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. The episodes were written by Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Executive producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, the episodes were directed by Peter DeLuise. The episodes were the strongest episodes in the eighth season on the Nielsen household ratings with fellow Stargate SG-1 episode "New Order". The episode got strong reviews from major media publishers worldwide.

"Moebius" is about the discovery of a Zero Point Module (ZPM) by SG-1, the only problem is that it was taken by Ra after the Earth revolt more than five thousand years ago. The team decides to travel back in time to get the ZPM and leave without changing history (based on the fact that Ra and company were most likely unaware of the ZPM's purpose), but they are unable to travel back to present time so they record a video for the United States government to find. In the alternate timeline, the government find the tape and subsequently the Stargate in Antarctica and decide to establish the Stargate Program but not to restore the original timeline.

Part 1
Samantha "Sam" Carter reveals the existence of the Daedalus: a new Earth-built battlecruiser which is capable of reaching the Pegasus Galaxy and is larger and more advanced than the Prometheus. Daniel Jackson learns of Catherine Langford's death and, after her funeral, receives Catherine's collection of documents and artifacts relating to the Stargate program. From one book in the collection, Daniel learns of the former location of a Zero Point Module (ZPM) in Ancient Egypt. Daniel and Carter persuade Jack O'Neill to use the time travel capabilities of the Puddle Jumper they found to travel back and take the ZPM, assuming that Ra never knew of its purpose.

Once they arrive in 3000 B.C., they join in an offering to Ra and witness his cold-blooded murder of an Egyptian making the offering. Teal'c disguises himself as a Horus Jaffa and retrieves the ZPM from Ra's treasury. However, Ra's Jaffa discover the cloaked Jumper after a sandstorm covers it in sand. Unwilling to upset the future by fighting the Jaffa to get the Jumper back, SG-1 decides to live out the rest of their lives in the past, knowing that the rebellion that overthrew Ra will eventually happen. However, an alternate timeline is created in which the Stargate was never discovered and everything SG-1 have done for the last eight years never happened.

In this timeline, alternate Daniel is teaching English as a second language, alternate Carter spends her time double-checking other scientists' work, Alternate-O'Neill is retired from the military and Alternate-Teal'c is still the First Prime of Apophis. Alternate-Daniel and Alternate-Carter are contacted by the Air Force and brought to Cheyenne Mountain.

At Cheyenne Mountain, George Hammond informs alternate Carter and alternate Daniel that archaeologists found a video camera in a vacuum-sealed canopic jar at a dig in Giza. The video contains a recording of the original SG-1, explaining who they are and what they were doing, as well as a number of things that are true in their timeline, such as recent political events, Presidents and personal details. Their plan is that if things have changed in the future, then SG-1's alternative selves will travel back in time and fix the past.

An expedition team is sent to find the Giza Stargate, but find nothing. Instead, they discover that the original Daniel left a tablet where the gate should have been, inscribed with an obscure dialect of Egyptian that only alternate Daniel can read. It reveals that the original SG-1 instigated a successful rebellion against the Ra of 3000 BC. However, this caused him to leave Earth with the Stargate. However, they do find the Puddle Jumper, and alternate Daniel and alternate Carter figure out how to find the Antarctic Stargate. A team is assembled to go through the Stargate to recruit alternate Teal'c under the instruction of the Daniel and Carter on the tape. Alternate Daniel and alternate Carter are not going to be on this team.