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In the movie Stargate: Continuum, is there an in-universe explanation about why and when Ba'al's failsafe plan was triggered, and why there was a delayed timeline ripple as individuals disappeared at slightly different times? It's been a while since I've seen it, but I believe Vala Mal Doran disappeared first, followed by Teal'c, followed by others at the ceremony. Even if my memory is faulty about Vala going before Teal'c, the other SG-1 members don't disappear, allowing them time to escape through the Stargate.

Obviously, from an external plot-driven perspective, it is more dramatic to have sequential disappearances, and there wouldn't have been a story if the other SG-1 members had also vanished, but is there a canonical, in-universe reason? Also, how did the original Ba'al know that it was time to trigger his failsafe plan and when did he initiate it—before the ceremony, after the team and Jack O'Neill gated in, or at some subsequent point? I can accept the concept that a time change might propagate at a finite speed through the timeline, but Vala, Teal'c and the rest of SG-1 shared the same frame of reference in the timeline and, as far as I can tell, everyone should have disappeared together.

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    I'm unaware of any good reason for it, other than that it drives the plot. If the propogation was identical (or instant), there wouldn't be much of a film – Valorum Mar 11 '16 at 21:41
  • @Richard I suspect you're right, but that would be disappointing. It strikes me that the creative team should have thought of this. But then every science fiction show must have hundreds of holes like this. – rosesunhill Mar 11 '16 at 21:44
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    In this instance, I think we're looking at Bellisario's Maxim, that close examination reveals that that most shows are written by writers on a tight deadline, filmed by directors on a tight budget and acted by actors who stayed up late snorting coke instead of learning their lines. Plot-holes are inevitable and largely unexplained. – Valorum Mar 11 '16 at 21:48
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    You may also want to refer to the 'MST3K Mantra'; "It's just a show, relax." – Valorum Mar 11 '16 at 21:52
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    @Richard - Just giving you a hard time cuz I like ya. :-) I'm actually impressed with your (as well as DVK & others) breadth of knowledge and detailed answers on all these shows/movies/books/etc that I also enjoy. Because of you and others, this forum has turned into a new guilty pleasure of mine, even though my input here is mostly an attempt at levity here and there as well as trying to think of obscure questions nobody else has thought of yet. lol – iMerchant Mar 12 '16 at 15:40
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I'm going with the idea that the people vanished in the order their lives were changed: you see Cam affected last, which would make sense if the Achilles sank/didn't sink in 1939. Teal'c is around 120 now: if Ba'al picked him up after his father's death, he had to do it over a century ago. Vala becomes host to Qetesh much later: Qetesh herself indicates that Ba'al acquired her some 50 years ago, and since Vala was his enemy, not Qetesh, we can assume Qetesh has had the same host for all that time.

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  • That could be the answer. Do you have a copy of the movie? I remember that Vala disappeared first, which, if I understand you, wouldn't work with the vanishing order. Teal'c should have gone first, right? But my memory could be faulty. He may have vanished first, or it may not be clear who went first. – rosesunhill Mar 12 '16 at 22:00

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