Constructing a universe: The Road Not Taken

[fignewton]

 I have some basic problems with the construction of the backstory for the episode The Road Not Taken. Analyzing the clues we're given leaves us with some pretty interesting contradictions in the storyline.

Spoilers ahead for The Road Not Taken, plus the current storyline of Seasons 9-10!

So, the AU from The Road Not Taken. It’s a fascinating premise, but there seem to be some major flaws in the flow of cause and effect.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who noticed that Jack O’Neill was not only absent as Mrs. Carter, but absent, period. Given the time frame of where this universe splits off from the regular SG-1verse, it’s reasonable to speculate that when Jack saved the world from Anubis in The Lost City, they never managed to defrost him. After all, they lost the Antarctica outpost; all they salvaged was the chair “before the Russians took over.” So Jack was left behind.

What repercussions does this have for the history of the next three years, then?

Lorne mentions that Teal’c left “several years ago” – probably at that time, when it was clear that there would be no rescue of Jack. And with no rescue attempt, that would also mean that Jack’s weapon against the Replicator was never created; that there was no way to save the Asgard from being overwhelmed when the Replicators broke loose; and that RepliCarter never came into being.

So. Weir out of the SGC, and Hammond back in his place. No General Jack. Sam doesn’t get her promotion to colonel. Quite frankly, that bothers me a lot, because the clear implication is that she hadn’t earned it as much as Jack had bestowed it, which is an ugly premise on both shippy and non-shippy levels. Daniel and Sam remain on SG-1, but Teal’c goes to fight the good fight with the Jaffa.

No Citizen Joe. His visions stopped when Jack never made it back to the SGC. Hopefully, he and his wife reconciled, but the SGC never discovers the Ancient stones and their affinity for communication.

ETA: Both abyssinia4077 and aurora_novarum pointed out that without the need to go to Atlantis, Prometheus Unbound couldn't have happened as it did in our universe. I would add that while Vala might have still tried to hijack a Tau'ri ship for her own interests, it couldn't be the Prometheus, since it was doing Earth orbit duty as Air Force One, and that it wouldn't have been Hammond or Daniel on board, since Hammond was CO of the SGC and Daniel would not be required to employ his Ancient skills. So there's no Vala confronting Daniel to set off S9, although they might have met in other ways, and there's no reason to suggest that they couldn't have done so.

No Moebius, because without Jack and his genes, they never would have been able to handle the timeship. (I know there are other Ancient-gene people out there, but I can’t see anyone other than Jack allowing SG-1 to go on such a dangerous mission to the past in the first place.)

It’s probable that the Replicators wiped out the Goa’uld just as they did in our universe, but how were the Replicators destroyed? No Replicarter. No Ancient weapon of Jack’s devising that they can use as a basis to finetune the machine at Dakara to destroy the Replicators. Would Hammond have allowed Felger free rein to play with his computer virus? Even if that part did take place, the rest of it remains unexplained.

We know this AU discovered the Ancient cache, because we see their machine, and they refer to where they found it. Without Citizen Joe, though, they don’t know how to activate it.

Here I run into a problem. They tell Sam that Vala is imprisoned in Area 51 (which, I’m afraid, makes this AU a lot more intelligent than the folks in our SGC). Was she sent there before or after she led them to the Ancient cache? Did they zat her as soon as they met her and ransack her belongings for the tablet that Daniel deciphered? Whether or not Vala was involved, they did find the communication device… but they didn’t communicate.

So. No out-of-body trip to the Alteran galaxy. So how do the Ori discover the existence of humans in the Milky Way?

I think it was a huge mistake to make the Ori the bad guys here, because no communication with the Alteran galaxy means no Ori in the Milky Way, and no Vala means no Adria to take Daniel. (We might handwave it and say that Vala was only arrested in S10, not S9, but that’s rather doubtful, and still doesn’t explain how the Ori got to the Milky Way galaxy in the first place.)

It’s sensible to suggest that the big bad should’ve still been Anubis. With no Replicarter to snatch him, Daniel wouldn’t have died again. No Daniel to inspire Oma to get off her glowly little tentacles and do something about Anubis means that he was still around and still making trouble. Daniel could still have been gone – possibly taken by Anubis himself, who would be every bit as fascinated in Daniel-the-Descended as Adria is. Anubis could be bringing ships to attack Earth – he did it once before, after all. A lot of the contradictions would have been resolved… but then, the writers would have actually had to present the Goa’uld as a real threat, and that is apparently not allowed any longer.

Conclusion: the premise we were given in The Road Not Taken was highly intriguing, but poorly envisioned by the writers. And for some odd reason, I’m not all that surprised by that. ;)

Comments

[aurora-novarum.livejournal.com]

Yes!

There was no "Prometheus Unbound", so did Vala get caught trying to get the treasure on Earth from her tablets? I don't think she had to steal Prometheus to end up on Earth or run into a team offworld.

You've already mentioned the major plot hole of trying to figure out how the Ori got here/found out about the Milky Way anyhow.

Maybe in this universe Fifth didn't escape or he and the Replicators are still going at it. It sure doesn't seem like this AU spends time with the Asgard.

I just figure they defeated the Goa'uld their own way (or maybe they didn't, and the Ori are taking care of that problem).

You've also pointed out with Vala in Area 51, there's likely no Adria.

Well there's another BIG issue. Since Lee specifically stated they didn't know what that device was, that means Daniel never translated it, they never started searching for the Sangreal...so WHY did the Ori capture him? What intelligence purpose did it serve? I think Alt-Daniel is a dead duck. :-(

Someone else pointed out Sam doesn't have any scar from that Ori weapon blast when she's wearing that pretty dress...maybe that fits into your odd wanking that this ep takes place before, LOL.

No Weir, no Kinsey I had no problem with. No Jack. I think I agree, he never got out of the chair.

I don't think Moebius needed to happen. Without using the ZPM to go to Atlantis and other things, they may not have used up the power as much (maybe they didn't use as many glowy bombs on Anubis either).

I did like the Mitchell continuity though. I thought that was Browder's best acting, even if had to do it wearing that awful Citizen Joe/Moebius wig.

I wouldn't worry so much about Daniel's second ascension. I really think after Lost City the whole thing skewed funny (and had some differences before hand) and their S8, S9, and S10 happened totally differently. It's just the things they kept as THE SAME (like the Ori) in this universe that gives a WTF?

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Yes, Abyssis pointed out that Prometheus Unbound has to be different, since they wouldn't be heading for the Pegasus galaxy. I think I'll have to ETA that one.

It sure doesn't seem like this AU spends time with the Asgard.

Well, as I suggested, the Asgard might have been wiped out without Jack's anti-Replicator weapon. Even if they're not completely destroyed, they're probably much too busy cleaning their own house to help the Tau'ri... and honestly, would they still call this Earth's Tau'ri the potential Fifth Race?

I just figure they defeated the Goa'uld their own way (or maybe they didn't, and the Ori are taking care of that problem).

Good suggestion, that! The Ori came crashing in and wiped out the Goa'uld, which would make them even more likely to be worshipped. Ouch.

WHY did the Ori capture him? What intelligence purpose did it serve? I think Alt-Daniel is a dead duck.

I am perfectly willing to believe that when Lorne told Sam that Daniel had been taken by the Ori, he was repeating what he'd been told, possibly by Landry's order, and that Daniel is imprisoned/killed/handed over to the Ori for dissection purposes as a former Ascendant because he argued too much about the police-state policies.

I agree that Mitchell was fantastic. The wig, though, must be retired! :)

really think after Lost City the whole thing skewed funny (and had some differences before hand) and their S8, S9, and S10 happened totally differently. It's just the things they kept as THE SAME (like the Ori) in this universe

Exactly! It was a huge mistake to try and make their AU have a history similar to ours. I think they simply didn't follow the logic of what the changes they made would mean for subsequent events.

[aurora-novarum.livejournal.com]

The wig, though, must be retired! :)

Retired? It should be burned! In full Ori-like ceremony! Gak!

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

No, no, it's so bizarre it must have developed a sentience by now of its own! I mean, it's crossed over three different universes or timelines by now. Maybe it's the quantum's mirror annoying little brother?

It should be allowed to quietly retire to the Old Wig's Home, where it can chat with its fellow on the various advantages and disadvantages of hair dye and conditioner.