"The fighting style of the Sodan has been a closely guarded secret for a hundred generations. It is a shame you will die shortly after learning it."
— Jolan
The team seek out a legendary group of rebel Jaffa called the Sodan, but are ambushed shortly after arriving on the planet. During the ensuing firefight, Mitchell fatally injures one of the Sodan in self-defense and is taken back to their village, where he is to learn the Sodan fighting style in preparation for his punishment of kel shak lo — a battle to death with the deceased's next of kin.
"Babylon" provides examples of the following tropes:
- Actually, I Am Him: The Sodan warrior Jolan spends the entire episode training Mitchell for his upcoming fight with the brother of the Jaffa he "killed", and they end up forming something of a bond. When the time for the fight comes at the end of the episode, Jolan steps forward and reveals that he is the brother.
- Baritone of Strength: Lampshaded when Mitchell puts on a deep voice to do a (terrible) impression of Teal'c. Also displayed by Harkon, leader of the Sodan.Daniel: Needs more bass.
- Badass in Distress: Mitchell is captured by the Sodan, and ends up demonstrating his badass credentials by the end of the episode.
- Butt-Monkey: Carter mentions that Dr. Lee received "a few nasty volts" while trying to figure out how to work the Ancient transporter, but that "Dr. Lam says the feeling should return to his legs in a few days".
- Category Traitor: Volnek accuses Teal'c of being this for living among humans.
- Chekhov's Skill: Jolan shows some skill with herbalism, treating Mitchell's injury and brewing some kind of post-workout drink. It's downplayed until the end, when he creates a drug that lets Mitchell "die" long enough to be taken out of the village.
- The Comically Serious: Walter, by his own admission.Walter: Receiving an IDC, sir. It's Colonel Mitchell.Daniel: You're kidding!Walter: I would never do that, sir.
- Continuity Nod:
- Haikon mentions that the ancestors of the Sodan tried to find Kheb after turning against the Goa'uld.
- Mitchell states that he already knows what it's like to face certain death.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Mitchell's first few attempt to fight Jolan all end up this way.
- Determinator: Mitchell pretty much embodies this in his refusal to give up, despite Jolan repeatedly telling him at he doesn't have a hope in hell of surviving.Mitchell: All I know is, the moment you accept your fate, that's when you're as good as dead. 'Til then, all bets are off.
- Duel to the Death: Mitchell's fight with Jolan is supposed to be this, but they find a way out of it.
- Face Death with Dignity: Jolan repeatedly stresses to Mitchell the importance of dying a "good" death.
- Faux Death: Jolan stages Mitchell's death by giving him a drug to make it look as though he's died during their fight, allowing him to escape.
- Good Cop/Bad Cop: Daniel and Teal'c respectively while interrogating Volnek.
- In a World…: Mitchell mocks this trope when the team first arrive on the planet.Mitchell: ["movie trailer" voice] "A world once inhabited by Ancients, a village shrouded in the mists of time." Sounds like a movie trailer.
- Invisibility Cloak: The Sodan warriors use personal cloaking devices, allowing them to ambush the team at the beginning of the episode.
- Neglectful Precursors: It's implied that the reason Haikon is so taken in by the Prior is because he's come to resent the Ancients' "hands-off" approach.
- No One Gets Left Behind: The rest of the team are tireless in their attempts to get Mitchell back, despite the fact that they haven't been working with him for very long. Also subverted somewhat by Landry, who says that the sentiment is all well and good, but if they don't come up with the results soon he'll have no choice but to declare Mitchell MIA.
- Odd Friendship: Mitchell and Jolan seem to strike up a genuine friendship after weeks of training together, despite the fact that Jolan still believes Mitchell killed his brother and had been planning on killing him in retribution.
- Old Master: Haikon fits the trope, though he's not that old.
- Only a Flesh Wound: Averted; Mitchell gets slashed in the thigh with the bladed end of Jolan's krantu staff during their fight, and immediately begins to lose focus.
- Perp Sweating: Teal'c attempts to do this to Volnek, though it doesn't have any effect.
- Pop-Cultural Osmosis Failure:Mitchell: Well done, Bones
.[Jolan looks confused.]Mitchell: ...Never mind. - Proud Warrior Race: The Sodan warriors, even more than the regular Jaffa. They actually look down on the other Jaffa and dismiss them as "slaves" for remaining in servitude to the Goa'uld for so long.
- Rejected Apology: Defied by Mitchell when he begins to apologize for killing Volnek (though he doesn't realize Jolan is his brother at the time) but cuts himself off after realizing how totally inadequate that is.Mitchell: Look, for what it's worth... [sighs] There's nothing I can say, is there?Jolan: No.
- Super Doc: Daniel and Landry both compliment Dr. Lam's skills after she saves Volnek's life by working on him for eight hours straight.
- Took a Level in Badass: Mitchell becomes fairly proficient in the fighting style of the Sodan by the end of the episode, when he was mostly getting his ass kicked to begin with. Notably, he actually keeps these skills and utilizes them on numerous occasions throughout the rest of the series.
- Training from Hell: Mitchell's training in the ways of the Sodan under Jolan's tutelage.Mitchell: You are an evil man.
- We Will Meet Again: Volnek promises this to Mitchell when he returns to the Sodan at the end of the episode.
- Worthy Opponent: Both Jolan and Volnek seem to consider Mitchell this by the end of the episode, though Volnek is a little more antagonistic about it.
- You Fight Like a Cow: Jolan does this to Mitchell during his first attempts at training.Jolan: You are slow and undisciplined. If you fought your opponent today you would die without landing a single blow.
