Stargate’s Most Useless Alien Species Is Good At Only One Thing

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 35 seconds ago

The dense, interconnected world of Stargate supports three series, SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe, with another on the way so that fans can handle a little bit of awkward worldbuilding. For example, let’s say an early Season 1 episode introduces a friendly species capable of turning the tide against the Goa’uld with advanced technology that breaks the dimensional barrier and can even resurrect the dead. Then they do nothing. Ever.

That’s the Nox, a race so frustrating that even the SG-1 team comments on it in-universe. Yes, O’Neill, a lesson was learned: the Nox are useless. 

Hide And Seek Champions Of The Galaxy

“The Nox” is Season 1 Episode 7, notable for being the first appearance of the Nox and the first time Stargate Command stumbles across an advanced civilization that can rival the Goa’uld. The episode begins with the team coming across Apophis (Peter Williams) on the planet Gaia. Both groups are hunting down a strange creature that can turn invisible. In the process, Apophis kills the SG-1 team when, to reach the next plot beat, they forget all of their tactical training.

Like random ninjas in a martial arts movie, the team attacks Apophis one by one, easily overwhelmed after his personal force field deflects bullets. Sure would be convenient if they could all be returned from the dead after the commercial break. 

That’s our introduction to the Nox, an advanced species that can restore life to the dead, turn animals invisible to protect them from predators, and, as we learn at the end, hide a floating city. Their leader, Anteaus (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Quark, Armin Shimerman), espouses their philosophy of non-intervention and no killing; even if someone is threatening their life, they won’t kill.

A Goa’uld kills Anteaus’ wife, Lya, and the alien’s reaction is, again, to bring her to life. They won’t give the SG-1 team back their weapons to you know, defend the Nox against the Goa’uld, because that would make too much sense. 

Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) points out they’re now unarmed, and Apophis is invulnerable, but he has a theory. Working together again, the team, Carter (Amanda Tapping), Jackson (Michael Shanks), and Teal’c (Christopher Judge) take out all of Apophis’ personal guard, setting up O’Neill to take a shot with a bow and arrow, assuming that a slow-moving projectile can penetrate the energy shield that deflects bullets and energy weapons.

We never know if this is correct, as Anteaus intervenes and makes Apophis disappear. Notably, he doesn’t kill him, allowing the villain to return over and over, continuing to kill across the galaxy. Great work from the enlightened alien species. It’s easy to be a pacifist and non-interventionist when you can return the dead to life.

Stargate’s Most Frustrating Alien Species

We learn later that the Nox are one of the Four Great Races, alongside the Ancients, Asgardians, and Furlings. Together, the four would work to maintain peace and order across the galaxy. They failed, spectacularly in the case of the Furlings (whom, notably, we never see leading to one of the great gags in “Wormhole X-Treme”), and even then, the Nox refuse to help clean up the mess that is the Goa’uld. 

You’d think that this would eventually lead to Stargate Command convincing the Nox to join the fight against the System Lords in a thrilling climax that reveals a war-winning weapon, kept invisible until the exact moment it takes the Goa’uld off guard. That never happens.

The Nox make two more appearances during the entire franchise. Turns out the ultra-powerful space Amish, good at only hiding, doesn’t translate to exciting stories. “Nox” is one of the most frustrating episodes of Stargate SG-1’s first season, and upon rewatching it, it only gets more frustrating.