"Sometimes you've gotta cross the line, Major. You just gotta know when to step back."
— Agent Malcolm Barrett
O'Neill is arrested after Senator Kinsey is seemingly assassinated during a public appearance, with video evidence placing him at the scene of the crime despite his claims that he wasn't even in the state. As the rest of the team investigate who could be framing him, Carter enlists the help of Agent Barrett, who reveals the existence of a shadow organization called the Committee working within the NID.
"Smoke and Mirrors" provides examples of the following tropes:
- Arms Dealer: Carter and Barrett question a black market arms dealer who sold the gun used in the assassination. Barrett explains that he allows the business to operate in exchange for the owner providing information on his clients when needed.
- Ask a Stupid Question...: When Teal'c and Jonas go to visit O'Neill in custody:Jonas: How are you doing?O'Neill: I'm accused of a murder I didn't commit. How do you think I'm doing?
- Chekhov's Gun: The mimic devices used by the aliens in "Foothold" are brought back in this episode and used to frame O'Neill for the assassination.
- Clear My Name: The rest of the team sets out to find the real assassin in order to get the charges against O'Neill dropped.
- Continuity Nod:
- The events of "Foothold" are frequently discussed. Notably, it's revealed that the entire incident was covered up by orders of the President due to the extent of the security breach.
- Carter mentions O'Neill's previous blackmailing of Kinsey.
- When Barrett insists that the NID is a legitimate organization, Carter points out that they recently allowed an entire town to become Goa'uld hosts.
- Teal'c tells Jonas that Daniel taught him to drive while the team was stranded in 1969.
- Disappointed by the Motive: Jonas expresses his disappointment that the shadowy masterminds behind the rogue element at the NID are just a bunch of ordinary businessmen exploiting the discoveries brought back through the Stargate to get rich
- E.T. Gave Us Wi-Fi: The Committee is reverse-engineering alien technology for commercial purposes.
- Faking the Dead:
- It turns out that Dr. Langham faked his death and assumed a new identity using one of the mimic devices after his part in the assassination.
- Senator Kinsey was wearing a bulletproof vest, which protected him enough from the sniper shot that he's only in a coma. The NID declared him dead so the assassins wouldn't know they needed to finish the job. Too bad the assassins are part of the NID themselves.
- Forgotten Phlebotinum: Averted; in this episode they explain why SGC has never used the wearable holographic devices captured from the Foothold aliens, despite such tech being incredibly useful for espionage. First, to upload a hologram of a specific person into the device, that person needs to be manually scanned through a large machine about the size of a cat-scan machine, so you can't turn yourself into a System Lord without capturing one and dragging them back to Earth to be scanned. Secondly, the Area 51 scientists still haven't figured out how to save a new stable hologram, so they only last a few minutes. As a result, the devices are only good for impersonating the people the Foothold aliens originally programmed them with, i.e. Colonel O'Neill and a handful of other SGC personnel.
- Frame-Up: The Committee frame O'Neill for the assassination by having the real killer assume his likeness using one of the alien mimic devices.
- Holographic Disguise: The mimic devices from "Foothold" show up again, with an explanation that Area 51's attempts to replicate them have been unable to maintain a stable hologram for more than a few minutes. As seen when "Devlin" flickers and turns into Carter in the middle of a meeting with the Committee.
- The Man Behind the Man: Barrett reveals that he is working to bring down a shadow organization called the Committee who are behind some of the rogue NID's shadier operations. Dr. Langham later admits that they are businessmen seeking to make a profit from alien technologies brought back through the gate.
- Oh, Crap!: When Carter and Barrett break into Devlin's house and find a homemade bomb about to go off.
- Only in It for the Money: Dr. Langham's excuse for his involvement, though he insists he didn't know anything about the assassination.
- Out of Focus: With O'Neill in custody for the murder of Kinsey, he could not help clear his name, leaving it up to the others to do that.
- Overt Rendezvous: Barrett has Carter meet him in a public park to discuss her suspicions of NID involvement, as his office is bugged.
- Perp Sweating: Teal'c manages to get Langham to crack in seconds, just by sitting across from him and silently staring him down.
- Photographic Memory: Jonas's once again proves to be useful when he realizes that Langham has disguised himself as a random airman he met months ago.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Barrett eventually reveals that Kinsey survived the assassination attempt and is actually in a coma; by the end of the episode, he seems to have made a full recovery and plans to use his near-death experience to help him win the election.
- Scary Black Man: Teal'c plays up his considerable presence to get a confession from Langham.
- Shame If Something Happened: One of the Committee members tells Devlin — actually Carter in disguise — to blackmail Hammond into retiring by "expressing concern for him family's wellbeing".
- Sickbed Slaying: After the initial assassination fails, Devlin attempts to kill Kinsey for a second time by sneaking into his hospital room disguised as Major Davis to finish him off while he's in a coma. Carter and Barrett manage to foil his plan by setting off the fire alarm.
- Suggestive Collision: Barrett lands on top of Carter after they dive away from the explosion at Devlin's house.Carter: What are you doing?Barrett: Covering you?Carter: Thank you. Get up.Barrett: Right.
