How about it, Colonel? You ready for a command where you can finally achieve what you and I agree needs to be achieved to defend this planet?
— Col. Harry Maybourne.
O'Neill is forced to retire from the SGC when he steals a device from the Tollan after becoming frustrated with their refusal to share technology with Earth. Maybourne sees an opportunity and recruits O'Neill for his rogue operation stealing alien technology; however, it's revealed that this is all part of a sting operation coordinated with SGC and its allies.
"Shades of Grey" provides examples of the following tropes:
- 10-Minute Retirement: O'Neill briefly "retires" to avoid court-martial but it later turns out that this was all a part of his gambit and he's back on the team by the end of the episode.
- Batman Gambit: The success of O'Neill and Hammond's plan hinges entirely on a) news of O'Neill's supposed insubordination making its way to Maybourne, and b) Maybourne reacting in the way they expect him to by offering O'Neill the chance to join his operation.
- Partially justified, in that the plan was enacted in order to root out a mole in the SGC, who would obviously relay the information to Maybourne. Maybourne's reaction is also partially justified, given that he's dealing with alien technology that is classified to almost all military personal, severely limiting his capabilities, and that Jack represents one of the most experienced and knowledgeable operatives in regards to the Stargate.
- "Blackmail" Is Such an Ugly Word: The episode is full of doublespeak, but in particular O'Neill, Maybourne, and the rogue team aren't big on "stealing"; they just acquire technology to aid in Earth's defense by any means necessary.
- Being Watched: At one point, O'Neill notices that he's under surveillance from a car parked outside his house. After the action is over, he also claims that the inside of his house was bugged, which is why he had to act the way he did towards Daniel during his visit.
- Continuity Nod:
- O'Neill recognizes Newman as one of the men SG-1 chased through the second Stargate in "Touchstone".
- O'Neill asks Hammond to grant him one last favor and allow him to retire on Edora so that he can fulfill his promise to return to Laira.
- Deadly Euphemism: Maybourne tells O'Neill that once he's told about the operations of the rogue NID, his only choices will be to join up or "disappear". O'Neill calls him out for being overly melodramatic.
- Drawing Straws: Daniel claims this is the only reason he went to visit O'Neill at the start of his forced retirement.O'Neill: I do appreciate that you were the one who came to see if I was okay. That... that means something.Daniel: Uh... actually, no, it doesn't.O'Neill: Huh?Daniel: Um... we, uh, we drew straws. [Beat.] I lost.
- Easily Forgiven: Played straight with Carter and Teal'c, who are shown to forgive O'Neill pretty quickly for his behavior whilst undercover. Averted with Daniel, who ignores O'Neill's initial apology and gives the above comment about drawing straws.
- This is helped along quite a bit by Hammond and *Thor* explaining that the Asgard has requested that O'Neill be the only one involved, and Hammond explaining that the team's reactions to Jack's behavior had to appear genuine.
- Emotionally Tongue-Tied: O'Neill's awkward but obviously heartfelt apology to Daniel at the end.
- Evil Counterpart: Lieutenant Tobias is presented as one to Carter, as a female Gadgeteer Genius with a propensity for Techno Babble. When O'Neill comments that Tobias reminds him of Carter, she responds that Carter beat her out of a place at the SGC.
- Fake Defector: O'Neill.
- Fantastic Racism: Downplayed example, but Makepeace referring to Teal'c as "the Jaffa" gives an early indication of his true allegiance prior to The Reveal.
- The Infiltration: O'Neill goes deep undercover to infiltrate and ultimately bring to justice Maybourne's operation.
- Grey-and-Grey Morality: As the name of the episode might suggest, O'Neill resorts to some morally underhanded tactics in order to expose the rogue NID — who are themselves only seeking to protect earth's interests, but employing some very dubious morals in doing so.
- Kick the Dog: O'Neill telling Daniel that their friendship has no foundation, though he does it to maintain his cover and he does apologize after the fact.
- List of Transgressions: Hammond reads out one of these for O'Neill when he refers to his latest stunt as "one little indiscretion".Hammond: Five counts of insubordination towards superior officers and a United States senator. Two counts of refusing to obey orders. Kidnapping an alien child. Should I go on?O'Neill: The proverbial straw, sir?Hammond: You got it.
- Locked Out of the Loop: The rest of SG-1 are kept in the dark about what O'Neill and Hammond are planning after the Asgard request that O'Neill be the only one involved.
- The Mole: Makepeace is revealed to be one, smuggling alien technology stolen by Maybourne's team back to Earth through the SGC.
- My Card: Maybourne gives one to O'Neill with instructions to page him once he gets bored of retirement.
- Not Himself: Double-subverted; Fraiser is unable to find anything medically wrong with O'Neill to explain his behavior, and when Carter suggests that he isn't acting like himself he tells her that the opposite is true and he's finally being his true self for the first time since he met her, but then it's revealed that the whole thing was just a ruse.
- Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: Referenced. Newman acknowledges that his team "look a bit ragtag" but reassures O'Neill that they get the job done.
- Renegade Splinter Faction: Maybourne refers to his operation as an "offshoot" of the NID.
- The Reveal: That O'Neill had been faking his defection the whole time as part of a sting operation conducted with Hammond and several of earth's allies.
- Shout-Out: O'Neill addresses Newman in the same way that Seinfeld does.
- Superdickery: Not only the promos
, but almost the entire episode itself plays it as though O'Neill has truly gone to the dark side. It's not until The Reveal at the end that it's revealed to be a sting operation. - Took a Level in Jerkass: It seems like this is the case with O'Neill to begin with, but it's all a part of his act.
- Wham Shot: Two of them. First, it looks like Teal'c may be a spy for the rogue NID when Jack is spying on his team, and then, when Makepeace, who has saved Jack's life in the past, is suddenly revealed to be stealing from the Asgard.
- With Due Respect: Subverted:O'Neill: General, with no due respect...
- You Are Not Ready: The Tollan once again cite this as the reason for their refusal to share technology with Earth at the beginning.
