the FIAD theory that's not quite right

[smg01]

Okay, so there’s this SG-1 Rewatch community redial_the_gate. Up this week is Forever in a Day. In the course of the discussion, I brought up that I had been working on a more radical interpretation of the “events” of the episode. Unfortunately that interpretation didn’t really stand up to much scrutiny even from me. I posted the nut shell version while mentioning my disappointment that it couldn’t really be the case. This led sg_fignewton to ask how I’d had it worked out. And because I was really, really proud of my theory--until it all came crashing down around me--I’ve decided to do separate post about it.

So here’s where I was going. The accepted wisdom is that the entire episode takes place within a fraction of time and is a vision/mind-to-mind communication between Daniel and Sha’re. But then I thought, what if it’s not? What post-Sha’re/Amaunet death in the episode is not a what-if in Daniel’s mind, but actually happened? The operating theory is that Sha’re sent a message to Daniel through the hand device as Amaunet used it, and then Daniel’s subconscious processed the information over the days and weeks that followed.

We first see Daniel awaken in the infirmary. The team fills him in on what happened. They break the news that Sha’re is dead. They take him to see her body. He returns to the infirmary to rest and recover. He sleeps. And as he sleeps, he dreams of waking up to find Sha’re by his side. It’s a happy ending after all! But Sha’re tells him that it’s the boy he needs to be thinking about. Daniel wakes up for real. He confused. It all seemed so real. Sha’re was speaking to him. Everything was good. I submit that this was the first instance of Sha’re’s words to Daniel through the hand device emerging/speaking to him in his dreams.

Daniel resigns. He packs up. Jack, Sam, and other personnel see him to his apartment. He begins to settle into his new routine. He sleeps. And in his sleep he sees Amaunet using the ribbon device. And then Sha’re is in bed next to him. Again she speaks to him. She tells him to forgive Teal’c. She comforts him. And again he wakes up in an empty bed.

Time passes. Sha’re’s body is returned to the Abydonian earth. Daniel eats. He sleeps. Occasionally he dreams. And once he dreams about the memories of the funeral. And now a strange thing happens. It’s not only Sha’re speaking to him. Now his subconscious has enlisted Kasuf as well. He awakens again. Now he’s starting to think there’s more going on. He talks to Sam he starts trying to work out what might be happening. He offers token forgiveness to Teal’c.

Daniel continues to get through each day. He eats. He goes to bathroom. He sleeps. He dreams. This time he dreams of coming home to Jack and Kasuf in his apartment. Again the Kasuf of Daniel’s subconscious nags at him, telling him to listen to Sha’re, find the boy, and stay with SG-1. Again he wakes up. He realizes that there’s more yet to do. More yet to figure out.

Teal’c is the one person with information the pesky word Harsesis that keeps plaguing his thoughts. It’s a turning point for Daniel in figuring out what Sha’re was trying to tell him. And it’s a turning point with Teal’c. Daniel begins to soften, to take to heart Sha’re’s instruction to forgive him. He realizes that if he’s going to take the final step of piecing together what Sha’re wants, he will need to rejoin SG-1.

Daniel returns to the team. But he’s not really part of the team yet. He’s still working through his grief, still focused on finding what it is Sha’re wants him to know. And now we’re in real time. The newly recreated SG-1 goes on it’s first mission. But Daniel has a different mission. He needs to return to the scene of the tragedy. Before he can heal, he needs to confront the event. It’s best done by returning to the spot where it all happened. There he can work it out. There he can relive it one last time. There, he can finally hear, absorb, and understand what Sha’re was trying to tell him. He can see the spot. The burn marks on the ground. And he can remember.

Sadly, it’s in the previous paragraph where my theoretical Moment of Triumph crumbles into Undignified Death. For it’s clearly not weeks later with Daniel reliving the moment, and the rest of the team figuring out where he went and catching up with him. For Sha’re’s body is there. And that would seem to indicate that the episode ends having never physically left the location where it started.

...Unless... only Daniel sees the body, and the others only see Daniel.

But probably not.

So, there’s the theory that I was so pleased with. I’m still kind of pleased with it. I just can’t in good conscience push it as likely. Feel free to point and mock. I can accept it with good grace (mostly). Of course if you want to tell me You’re so right! OMG!, I’ll accept that with good grace too. Mostly.

Imagine what I can do with a theory that I fully believe in.

Comments

[suzannemarie.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I am sufficiently intrigued to let the idea ferment in my brain for awhile to see if it turns into something, uh, fermented.