Why not use the Zat gun on the replicators *Spoilers*

I was just thinking earlier on why they didn't shoot the replicators three times and make them disappear?

Anyone remember how that worked early in the show?

 

Three reasons.

The in universe reason is that the energy from the shot is just absorbed by the Replicator with no real effect. It's possible that the energy wouldn't have the same effect on Replicator blocks as it does organic tissue.

The practical reason is that shooting a Replicator three times, especially with a clumsy inaccurate weapon like a Zat, when they're swarming is exceptionally difficult.

The real reason is that the whole third shot distintegrates concept was dumped straight after it was used the first time and never mentioned again outside of the parody reference in "Wormhole X-Treme!"

 

Actually, it was used for the last time (I think) in "1969". When Lt. Hammond busts SG-1 out of thir truck, O'Neill zats the boxes containing their late-90s gear thrice, disintegrating them.

And yes, it was a dumb concept. SHOULD have been an extra setting or something, but as it stands ANY weapon's ability to disintegrate a target without damaging the things around it (or whatever it's standing/sitting on) is dubious at best. Hell, even Trek rarely did it after Voyager...

Mark

 

Good point, I forgot about "1969".

The concept was daft, there's no reason why a third shot would cause spontaneous disintegration of the target.

Of course the fourth reason was that they had a much more effective, more reliable and easier to use weapon - their standard issue guns.

 

Then there is the whole timing between shots issues and the time it takes the energy to dissipate.

 

Yeah, we've seen people get shot with Zats more than once and not die - O'Neill in "Prodigy" for instance.

 

Exactly, we don't know how long it takes for the first shot to dissapate before someone can be shot again with out them dieing. I guess if you did 3 quick shots that would put enough energy out to vaporise, heck maybe you need 5 shots for replicators LOL

 

^By which time, said Replicator is consuming your face.

 

They dropped the 3 shots and distintegrate thing after they realized it was silly

And they've stated in the show that the replicators just absorb energy based weapons like the zat, that is why the Asgard conscripted SG-1 to help defeat them with their primitive projectile weapons, it was the only thing that worked

 

Of course the SGC eventually developed those energy based ARGs to use against the Replicators.

 

Everyone knows if you shoot something 3 times with a Zat gun it disentigrates. I swear to god it does...Look it up. It's state law...

 

True, but that was based on Ancient technology when Jack had the knowledge in his head. It was said that the Asgard only understood a fraction of the Ancients technology, and thus never conceived of that specific type of ray gun. So, yes, an energy weapon can destroy them, but it took Ancient technology to do it, not Asgard.