The Stargate SG-1 Character You Likely Forgot Saw's Tobin Bell Played

The year was 2004. A horror-slasher helmed by a first-time director premiered at Sundance, offering a simple, yet anxiety-inducing premise. What if two strangers found themselves chained inside an empty, dilapidated bathroom, with two contradicting tape recordings to guide their possible survival? After the film scrapped its original straight-to-video plan to opt for a limited theatrical release instead, it went on to gross an unexpected $104 million worldwide, becoming one of the most profitable horror flicks at the time. 

This was James Wan's feature debut, "Saw" (as Wan's actual debut feature is considered lost media), which bloomed into an iconic media franchise, finding a way to adapt to the shifting expectations that came with the genre. This impressive franchise journey, however, would've been impossible without Tobin Bell, who has embodied the twisted, diabolical Jigsaw ever since the first "Saw" unnerved us with his menacing presence.

Bell's contribution to "Saw" as a franchise is foundational, but before 2004, he was busy with smaller roles in a wide range of films, including "Mississippi Burning" and "The Firm." These opportunities paved the path for one-off appearances in popular television shows like "Seinfeld" and "The Sopranos," along with a prominent villain role in the second season of "24." What you might not remember is that he also appeared in the first season of "Stargate SG-1," which had already managed to attract a dedicated fanbase despite being a follow-up to the middling Roland Emmerich sci-fi drama, "Stargate."

In case you need a refresher for "Stargate SG-1," the Syfy series revolves around the titular space exploration crew who use Stargate devices to travel seamlessly between distant parts of the galaxy. While Bell's pre-"Saw" role didn't make any waves at the time, it is a joy to look back at this particular "Stargate" episode and watch him play the complex Tollan, Omoc. The episode in question is "Enigma," where the SG-1 crew stumbles upon Omoc and his people by accident and do their best to help them escape their decaying homeworld. 

With this quick context in mind, let's take a look at Bell's character and whether this "SG-1" episode is a memorable one.

Season 1 of "Stargate SG-1" had undertaken the mammoth task of establishing a wider galaxy, which included introducing various galactic races that would end up playing a more prominent role down the line. "Enigma" introduces the Tollan, who were once an advanced civilization with an insane technological edge over most other species, which led them to adopt an isolationist policy throughout their existence. 

This explains why Omoc and his people are borderline hostile towards the SG-1 crew at first, as they view everyone at the Stargate Command as inferior, due to the relatively underwhelming technology that those on Earth had access to. Omoc expresses anger after being rescued, misconstruing the crew's tolerance as incompetence, but a few fellow Tollan express polite interest in the crew's mission and their interpersonal relationships.

The reasons for the tragic downfall of the Tollan are made clear in this episode, as they repeatedly reject help or are overtly critical of the aid provided to them after they're rescued from their homeworld. There's a lot of ingrained prejudice to unpack here, as the Tollan tendency to perceive everyone as "primitive" proves immensely problematic. However, this isolationist arrogance can be better understood once we look at their recent past: Years before their planet fell, the Tollan shared their advanced tech with a developing planet named Sarita, whose inhabitants misused it by creating weapons of mass destruction and wiping everyone out. With the U.S. government poised to take similar advantage of their tech in the present, the Tollan understandably exhibit wariness, refusing to cooperate.

This stalemate is broken thanks to a certain Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), the smart, empathetic SG-1 linguist who is able to earn Omoc's begrudging respect by the end of the episode. Bell brings out Omoc's clipped arrogance with subtle mannerisms, as there's more to his personality than haughty reprimands or skeptic jabs. When faced with Daniel Jackson's easygoing earnestness, Omoc is visibly moved, especially when Jackson and his crew go to great lengths to protect the Tollan from the U.S. government. It is a great episode, anticipating more complex guest characters like Omoc, who have been the lifeblood of "Stargate SG-1" and beyond.