History Recap / StargateSG1S1E20Politics

** This is possibly retroactively subverted later with Season Four's "Chain Reaction" and the reveal that Kinsey is working with the rogue NID Agents and corporate interests that will eventually comprise the Trust. It's thus possible Kinsey here was actually exploiting the Obstructive Bureaucrat trope as an excuse for shutting down the SGC. This would've allowed the NID to acquire the Stargate after it was mothballed again and implement the policies and exploitation that Hammond refused to consider. If that ''was'' the plan, then ironically that makes Apophis and his invasion a SpannerInTheWorks for the NID.

* ArtisticLicencePolitics: Invoked, with O'Neill saying he's not familiar with politics, but asks why the President can't simply overrule Kinsey because O'Neill thinks the former outranks the latter. The U.S. President doesn't "outrank" a U.S. Senator as they're in separate branches of government and while the President commands the military, Congress controls its funding. For better or worse, a Senator managing to tank a President's chosen agenda is a feature, not a bug in American federal politics.

* ButNowIMustGo: When Kinsey states his intentions to close the gate for good, Teal'c announces that he needs to return home as his place can't be with the people of earth if they don't intend to continue the fight against the Goa'uld.
* CassandraTruth: Daniel spends much of the episode trying to convince everyone else that he really ''did'' go to an alternate universe and there really ''is'' an attack headed for earth. Naturally, none of them believe him, although the rest of SG-1 at least do appear to be coming round by the end of the episode.

* DraftDodging: It's heavily implied Kinsey was one during the Vietnam War. He mentions a 'medical condition' which robbed him of the chance to serve in the American military...which is an excuse common to many Vietnam-era politicians.

* EasilyThwartedAlienInvasion: Kinsey thinks that this will be the case if earth is ever attacked. [[JerkassHasAPoint He's not]] ''[[JerkassHasAPoint completely]]'' [[JerkassHasAPoint wrong about that,]] but he does seriously underestimate the advanced technology of the Goa'uld and seems to think they'll be no match for the good old United States military.

** This is possibly retroactively subverted later with Season Four's "Chain Reaction" and the reveal that Kinsey is working with the rogue NID Agents and corporate interests that will eventually comprise the Trust. It's thus possible Kinsey here was actually exploting the Obstructive Bureaucrat trope as an excuse for shutting down the SGC. This would've allowed the NID to acquire the Stargate after it was mothballed again and implement the policies and exploitation that Hammond refused to consider. If that ''was'' the plan, then ironically that makes Apophis and his invasion a SpannerInTheWorks for the NID).

** This is possibly retroactively subverted later with Season Four's "Chain Reaction" and the reveal that [[spoiler: Kinsey is working with the rogue NID Agents and corporate interests that will eventually comprise the Trust. It's thus possible Kinsey here was trying to invoke the Obstructive Bureaucrat trope as an excuse for shutting down the SGC. This would've allowed the NID to acquire the Stargate and implement the policies and exploitation that Hammond refused to consider. If that was the case, then ironically that makes Apophis and his invasion a SpannerInTheWorks for the NID).]]

* EasilyThwartedAlienInvasion: Kinsey thinks that this will be the case if earth is ever attacked. [[JerkassHasAPoint He's not ''completely'' wrong about that,]] but he does seriously underestimate the advanced technology of the Goa'uld and seems to think they'll be no match for the good old United States military.

* ClipShow: The first of several that would be used throughout the series.

* BreatherEpisode: Largely a filler episode to bridge the gap between the [[Recap/StargateSG1S1E19ThereButForTheGraceOfGod previous instalment]] dealing with alternate realities and the SeasonFinale.

* SealedEvilInACan: Kinsey thinks the stargate itself is one, likening it to Pandora's Box. The team points out that they've ''already'' opened the box and at this point the smart thing would be to prepare themselves as best they can by using the stargate to gather resources and intel.

* ShoutOut: Daniel sarcastically suggests they can take out the Goa'uld by [[Film/IndependenceDay uploading a computer virus to the mothership.]]