08.28.06
Posted in Reviews at 10:48 pm by Administrator
Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Directed by Andy Mikita
Coming off an episode with absolutely no connection to the overall season arc, the writers must have known that the time had come for a stiff shot of mythology. Coming about a third of the way into the season, it’s the right time for the plot to become more complicated. Adria’s ascendance and display of power fits the bill, as does the loss of Dakara. Add to that the fragmentation of the alliance between the Jaffa Nation and the Tau’ri, and things are not looking good for the Milky Way.
I like how the plot resists simple categorization. Events unfold, with a slight tinge of predictability, but there’s also the feeling that things could go out of control at any moment. And sure enough, the Jaffa are in complete disarray, pointing fingers at anyone and everyone. It’s as if the loss of Chulak and other worlds had frightened them into believing that they might lose it all again, and they would rather alienate the rest of the galaxy than risk servitude to the Ori.
The irony, of course, being that their actions are more likely to lead to their downfall than maintaining their current alliances. This has always been one of the more interesting complexities of the series: the struggle to keep groups with natural tensions in an alliance of defense. It’s bad enough when everyone is working together, but once the in-fighting starts, the defense becomes nearly impossible. Add a practically indestructible hottie to the mix, and it’s a fun time had by all.
Morena Baccarin doesn’t show too much range in the role, but she really doesn’t need to, since any deficiencies fall within the whole twisted psychology of the Orisi. Her relationship to Vala could be her eventual Achilles’ Heel, but the writers may recognize that such a plot element would be too obvious. More than half the season remains, and if the usual plot progression is in play, there’s still a lot of complication and fragmentation of alliances to come before things look remotely promising.
I’m still a little worried about the whole “Merlin’s weapon” thing, especially in light of the cancellation. It would be all too easy to have SG-1 find the weapon just in time for the series finale, ending the threat of the Ori once and for all. I think the Ori arc would work better with a little more time to grow, since I doubt that the writers had planned to use the entire season to cover all the arc elements. Either the solution will be rushed, or the series will end on one hell of a downer. (I’m envisioning a situation where the SGC is forced to relocate to Atlantis as the Ori influence spreads, in some bid to protect Earth, thus justifying the movement of “SG-1” characters like Mitchell and Vala to “SGA”. Hey, one can dream, right?)
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Recent episodes cover the “Stargate SG-1”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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08.19.06
Posted in Reviews at 6:05 pm by Administrator
Written by Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Damien Kindler, Martin Gero, and Alan McCullough
Directed by Martin Wood
This is the kind of episode that is quite impossible to review, because the plot is merely a device for celebration of an unusual and amazing accomplishment. Considering how close the series has come to cancellation over the years (essentially, every season since the fifth season), who could have predicted that 200 episodes would be a possibility? And really, how else to celebrate, if not by tongue-in-cheek self-mockery?
Inevitably, there will be complaints. Some will complain that Jack should have been around more, or that Mitchell and Vala were still prominently in the episode. Those would be the fans who would have rather seen the series end than continue on with new characters. Of course, the writers and producers manage to make light of their own decision to keep going. Relatively few targets are left untouched, from the cast, writers, producers, and network. Even so, I’ve seen some who feel deeply insulted by the episode. It’s hard to understand why, and I would have to wonder if those fans missed the point.
A lot of the sketches are hit-or-miss, as one would expect when nearly every writer on the staff gets to play. For my part, I loved the “Thunderbirds/Team America” version of the team, complete with the biting mockery of the dialogue. By the time Daniel was scribbling all over the computer screen, I was laughing hysterically. The Star Trek and Farscape vignettes were also highly appreciated, and I loved the end of the episode, with the writers really giving it to the cast (and from what I hear, it was all taken in good fun).
If anything, I was sad to see it all come to an end. Some of the sketches could have been longer; I’d love to see the outtakes from this episode! From my perspective, the only way to make something so off-format work is to ground it heavily in the continuity (the excellent “Buffy” extravaganza “Once More, With Feeling”) or make it something completely stand-alone (the banner “X-Files” episode “Jose Chung’s ‘From Outer Space’”). “200” definitely falls into the latter category, and it does a nice job of it.
With this celebration out of the way, there’s every reason to believe that the season arc will return with a vengeance in the next episode. I look forward to it, since this has been one of the most consistent seasons of the series, in terms of plot arc progression, since the series began. When the episodes have strayed, the results have been mixed. This is the rare exception: a stand-alone that tries to be nothing but entertaining and celebratory. I feel that it more than met that goal, and I congratulate the cast, crew, and production staff on a banner achievement.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Recent episodes cover the “Stargate SG-1”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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08.14.06
Posted in Reviews at 9:43 pm by Administrator
Written by Damien Kindler
Directed by Will Waring
Coming off of an episode covering one of the less popular plot threads for the series, namely the Ba’al clone saga, the writers could have continued the downward slide. After all, this was clearly promoted as a stand-alone episode, and in recent seasons, the stand-alones have been of varying quality. So I was a little surprised when this turned out to be a continuity-driven transitional episode with a focus on character relationships. Who saw that coming?
The plot itself is an interesting follow-up on the Sodan technology from the ninth season. Much of the time, alien technology is utilized without much concern, and so it’s always fun to see it come back and bite the SGC where it counts. They should point this one out to the NID and anyone else who wants to grab alien technology as soon as it’s found. (Then again, SGC protocols are horribly underwhelming when it comes to protecting the planet!)
From my point of view, the plot was just a nice way to touch on past continuity while musing over the psychological issues of the SG-1 personnel. Take, as an example, the interaction between Sam and Vala. Vala is still trying to prove her worth, and in the process, she tries the patience of everyone within earshot. Sam, however, is the least likely to appreciate Vala and her point of view, and this episode gives her a reason to respect Vala’s contributions, if only a little.
Frankly, this is the benefit of having Daniel “out in the field” for a couple episodes. When Daniel is around, the writers tend to have Vala right at his side, as though they were joined at the hip. With Daniel out of the picture, the writers are forced to explore how the team dynamic has changed with Vala tagging along on the missions. Her interaction with Teal’c is priceless!
One interaction that was less obvious, but equally intriguing, was the relationship between Mitchell and Landry. I liked the idea of gathering at O’Neill’s cabin, if only because it reminds the audience that O’Neill is still out there, alive and well, if off-screen. Landry is right: the team needs downtime, and that also means supporting each other on an emotional and psychological level. Mitchell’s lack of confidence is an interesting twist, because it’s not apparent in other episodes, yet it makes perfect sense.
Landry’s issues are a bit harder to work out, but that’s more a symptom of thin characterization than anything else. It’s hard to know how to interpret his heart-to-heart with Mitchell when there’s very little to go on from earlier episodes. Landry is basically a mixture of O’Neill and Hammond, dedicated to defending the SGC politically and giving clear direction while tossing in one-liners where possible. In this episode, we see a little more of the pressure on his shoulders, which is not really surprising, but still nice to see in a different context.
It would have been easier to toss in a stand-alone episode with little or no connection to the season arc, but the writers took a more challenging approach. The result is a solid transitional episode, not unlike the episodes of “Buffy” or “Angel” that explored consequences while ensuring that the main plot was referenced. The “Stargate” franchise has struggled with that kind of storytelling in the past, so this was a pleasant surprise.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Recent episodes cover the “Stargate SG-1”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
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08.07.06
Posted in Reviews at 11:45 pm by Administrator
Written by Alan McCullough
Directed by Peter Woeste
Coming off the best episode of the season, I was a little wary of this latest installment. For one thing, Daniel was nowhere to be seen, and given that my favorite parts of “The Pegasus Project” involved his character, I was worried that there would be a letdown on those plot points. The second problem was the episode’s focus. I hated the idea of the Ba’al clones in the ninth season, and so a return to that concept in this episode wasn’t something I met with anticipation.
I suppose that my first fear was a wash. Daniel wasn’t in the episode at all, but the plot points were front and center, and the season arc continues to get plenty of exposure in each new episode. This was all about finding Merlin’s weapon and further complicating the information that Morgan LeFay provided, and that was promising. Sure, we’re still firmly in “Lost City Retread” territory, but I’m still finding elements to enjoy. So the lack of Daniel didn’t result in a loss of focus.
On the second point, I was far less impressed. The SGC has dealt with Ba’al enough that they ought to know better than to take anything for granted. On several occasions in this episode, they let their guard down, missing information or implications that were obvious to most of the audience. This is one thing that annoys me to no end: when writers intentionally make their brilliant characters stupid or gullible to facilitate a plot hook. Ba’al and his clones succeeded because the SGC overlooked the obvious, not because the scheme was particularly clever.
For example, the SGC personnel already know that the Trust has been taken over by Goa’uld and has a great deal of influence. They know that Ba’al is looking to stake his own claim and build an empire. Given the connections between the NID and the Trust, why wouldn’t they be watching Barrett like a hawk? Especially when he starts acting like a maniac. They know that Ba’al was using mind control techniques in the past, and they know he’s up to something. Why wouldn’t they place heavy restrictions on access and place layered security protocols on the prisoners? It was far too easy for Barrett to get to Ba’al, which was a key element of Ba’al’s plan.
I suppose this could be overlooked, considering that every series will eventually have a character act a certain way when the script simply won’t allow for anything else, but it was hardly the only offense. I was also bothered by the portrayal of the Ba’als in this episode. Some villains are best used in small doses; Cancer Man was arguably more potent in early seasons of the “X-Files”, as opposed to later seasons where his presence was more centralized. Too many Ba’als can be a problem, especially since the actor had trouble delivering some lines convincingly.
Having fallen into the same trap as the writers, I must mention that one of the downsides of the episode was the constant use of “Ba’als” as a punchline. Yes, it’s funny, but it also got to be a little strained, especially when the situation became serious in the final act. Since I already found the whole “Ba’al and his Clones” plot thread to be ridiculous, it didn’t help for the characters themselves to mock the idea.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Recent episodes cover the “Stargate SG-1”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 7/10
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08.01.06
Posted in Reviews at 12:24 am by Administrator
Written by Brad Wright
Directed by Will Waring
After the slight dip into mediocrity in the previous episode, the writers get back on track with this installment. I was immediately impressed by the heavy continuity references throughout the episode. Elements from many previous episodes, sometimes going back several seasons, came together in a fairly logical fashion. I was quite impressed!
Using the Ancient database on Atlantis to find the location of Merlin’s weapon was a clever move, and one that helps bring the events on “SGA” into context. I’ve been waiting for the chance to see both teams deal with the Ori and Wraith simultaneously, and this episode delivers on that potential. In a certain sense, there’s a weapon against the Ori now, even if it’s one that can only be used here and there. And now there’s only three Ori ships in the Milky Way, though that victory may be short-lived.
Having the same writers on both shows, for all intent purposes, keeps the characters consistent. There are the usual scenes between characters that never get to interact, but that is kept to a minimum and a lot of time is spent demonstrating why these people are so competent at what they do. The Carter/McKay material was priceless, for instance.
The action sequences were all well and good, but my favorite material was Daniel’s plot thread. For me, that was a lot more revealing. The Ancients are definitely stepping back and letting the younger races deal with the threat of the Ori themselves, and it demonstrates one of the key issues that the younger races should have with the Ancients. The Ancients seem to apply their rules with a disturbing amount of caprice, and their decision to stay out of the fight with the Ori is hard to reconcile.
I was expecting the whole Morgan LeFay thing to stretch out over the course of the season, but it had an immediate and unexpected payoff. That also impressed, and made me wonder if this season will manage to be as consistent as the ninth season in terms of season arc. Granted, there will always be the stand-alone episodes of varying quality, but they could also trickle out a few plot points here and there.
Very little time was wasted in this episode, and that was something I found exciting, especially in contrast to the episode of “SGA” that aired on the same night. I was strongly invested in everything that was happening, and I felt like my long-term fan loyalty was being rewarded by all the ongoing continuity references. It’s the kind of episode that I really wanted to watch again, to see what else I might catch along the way, and that’s exactly the kind of episode that brings me back for every new episode.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Recent episodes cover the “Stargate SG-1”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 3/4
Final Rating: 9/10
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