The Sci-Fi That Exposed Star Trek’s Prime Directive As Cruel And Broken

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 1 hour ago

Stargate SG-1 debuted in 1997, in the shadow of Star Trek literally, as Deep Space Nine and Voyager were airing, and figuratively, as the series had to show how it was different. Both shows use a military structure to support exploring beyond where anyone has gone before, and both use the same sci-fi character archetypes.

However, Star Trek has the Prime Directive that dictates how they are not to interfere with less developed civilizations, and Stargate doesn’t. The SG-1 team made careers out of actively interfering with other planets and cultures. Season 1’s fourth episode, “The Broca Divide,” is an example of why, sometimes, getting involved in other people’s business is the right thing to do. 

Stargate SG-1 Doesn’t Turn A Blind Eye To Injustice

“The Broca Divide” starts off with the team emerging from the stargate into a dark forest where they are quickly attacked by what looks like cavemen. Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) spots a normal(ish) looking human woman with them, prompting Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) to theorize that the cavemen are forcibly breeding. Carter’s reaction is complete disgust about how that’s wrong, and they should put a stop to it. No debate about the evolution of primitive cultures, no questioning the biology of the humanoids, she knows it’s wrong and wants it put to an end. 

Nothing’s ever quite that simple in the world of Stargate SG-1, and the team quickly learns it’s not a primitive caveman society, but a more advanced Bronze Age, city-dwelling society suffering from a disease that devolves them back into their animalistic genetic ancestors. The planet is divided between the “Touched” who suffer from the disease, and the “Untouched,” which fascinates Jackson and Carter, but O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and Teal’c (Christopher Judge) want to bail as soon as they learn the Gou’ald haven’t been there in a generation, if at all. 

Upon returning, General Hammond (Don S. Davis) makes it clear that scientific inquiry has been added to their mission, right before Stargate Command soldiers start to devolve, and it’s clear that the disease impacting the alien planet has come with them. Through some trial and error, Dr. Frasier (Teryl Rothery) figures out the cure is simple antihistamines synthesized into a dart-delivery system. The unaffected of the team go back and cure the Touched, uniting the alien civilization for the first time in generations. 

Two Different Approaches To Exploring The Galaxy

Stargate SG-1 could have ended with the disease being wiped from Cheyenne Mountain, and the alien world being quarantined to progress naturally. If they were bound by anything similar to Star Trek’s Prime Directive, that’s exactly what they would have done. When they first landed on the planet and were referred to as Gods, Jackson commented that they should get used to that. To Starfleet, that’s a violation of the Prime Directive, to the SGC, that’s business as usual. 

The Prime Directive to not interfere with the natural development of a civilization sounds good, but it can also result in turning a blind eye to injustice, disease, and tyranny. While it often exists in Star Trek only to be broken (looking at you, Kirk), it’s satisfying to see the SG-1 team decide to step in, help, and leave worlds better off than they found them. Sometimes. 

Taking a far more proactive approach to spreading peace across the universe helps differentiate Stargate from Star Trek, even today, years after the show’s initial run came to an end. Stargate SG-1 is available to stream on Netflix, and it’s the perfect binge for fans who want to explore the underrated 90s series for either the first or the 20th time.