07.30.08
Posted in Reviews at 10:39 pm by Administrator
Written by Brad Wright
Directed by Martin Wood
The first direct-to-DVD “Stargate” film, “The Ark of Truth”, was burdened with the task of condensing a season’s worth of resolution to the Ori arc in the space of about 90 minutes. The writers did well enough under the circumstances, but it was clear that the plot was the overriding consideration. “Continuum” also seeks to resolve a lingering plot thread from the final season of “Stargate SG-1”, but generally speaking, the writers had more freedom with the story.
In essence, the plot boils down to this: Ba’al, the last of the System Lords, has finally been captured (and we shall never speak of the Ba’al clones again). In a last ditch effort to reverse his fortunes, Ba’al uses a time machine to prevent the relocation of the original stargate from Giza in the late 1930s. Jackson, Carter, and Mitchell are in the middle of gate transit when this happens, so they retain their memories of the original timeline when they arrive in the altered reality. Hilarity ensues.
As with most “Stargate” and science fiction time travel stories, there are several obvious plot holes throughout the story. The writers either ignore them or allow them to stand proudly, and oddly enough, that works to the film’s advantage. There are a few golden moments where the characters themselves point out that a plot point doesn’t quite make sense, and then they shrug it off. It’s as if the writers are telling the audience, point blank, “just sit back and enjoy the ride”.
The producers were raving about the Arctic shots from the very beginning, and I can confirm that they are quite splendid. I love it when real military personnel are given cameo roles on the series, since the series is so popular among servicemen and servicewomen, and the nuclear submarine shots were glorious. I recommend watching the short added feature on the Arctic shoot; it was quite enlightening and entertaining.
It was also great to see Richard Dean Anderson again, even if he’s barely in the movie and his moments were only a pale reflection of the old Jack O’Neill. Thankfully, his presence was logically supported by the events in the film. It makes perfect sense that he would be there to see the last of the System Lords executed, since he was there at the very beginning, and it makes sense that he would still be in the military in the alternate timeline.
Most of the story revolved around Daniel, Carter, and Mitchell as the lone members of the SG-1 team with memories intact in the alternate timeline. In an interesting move, a good deal of time was spent on the impact of that experience on the characters. They did something similar with the “SG-1” series finale “Unending”, but now that the Ori plot arc is complete, it doesn’t feel like such a waste of time.
At the same time, it was a bit disappointing to see the three “timeline refugees” accepted so easily. They were held and questioned for a week, but several times in the story, the three of them are given little more than token disbelief. I would have expected SG-1 to be confined under lock and key until some part of their story could be confirmed. It’s one of those nagging plot holes that we’re supposed to be ignoring, I suppose, but it was the one that bothered me the most by the end.
I was a bit worried that Vala would end up being tossed aside, but the writers recalled her past role as the host for Quetesh and gave her a substantial role in the altered timeline. Setting aside the silly notion that Ba’al would turn his back on anyone before his plan was fully realized (and probably not even then), Quetesh wound up being a critical element of the story.
I mentioned the great practical effect of filming in the Arctic and with an actual nuclear submarine for a reason. While some of the space-based visual effects were very well done, I found much of the CGI to be far less impressive. It’s understandable that a film with a limited budget for DVD release might choose to invest in powerful location shots instead of digital backgrounds, but the Tok’Ra city and the sinking of the Achilles were poorly rendered by any measure. A feature-level production should, at the very least, meet the same CGI standards as the series itself. As usual, whenever stock footage is used, the quality is well below par.
The cast is excellent all around, and it’s clear that they’re enjoying the chance to tell a broader story with more character depth. The only real exception is Teal’c, who gets very little in the way of new territory to explore. On the other hand, Teal’c had some powerful moments in “The Ark of Truth”, and it seems natural that he would play a more central role in the next direct-to-DVD release.
Looking beyond the confines of the story itself, this film accomplishes a vital task. While the events of the film themselves are rendered moot (in typical time travel fashion), this wraps up yet another dangling plot thread from the “SG-1” series. Beyond the Ori and System Lord conflicts, most of the other elements have been more or less successfully shifted to “Stargate Atlantis”. This should allow future writers for the DVD films to explore new ground and tell stories that aren’t simply complicated conclusions. And while this film is far from perfect, it does make a great case for future adventures.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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03.18.08
Posted in Reviews at 10:10 pm by Administrator
Written by Robert C. Cooper
Directed by Robert C. Cooper
It has been quite some time since the series finale for “Stargate SG-1”. Since then, an entire season of “Stargate: Atlantis” has aired, a writers’ strike has come and gone, and several new fall shows have been sampled and cancelled. The point is very simply this: only the most devoted fans will come into this DVD with a solid memory of the plot threads leading into the story. This will no doubt limit the mass appeal of the release.
“The Ark of Truth” is the grand finale of the Ori plot arc, which began in the ninth season premiere and ran over the course of two full seasons. The DVD comes with a short but sweet “prelude” covering all the salient points from the series itself, but it covers just enough to remind fans of what they’ve forgotten and thoroughly confuse the uninitiated. I had to watch it twice just to feel prepared for the actual film, and I like to think that I have a fairly good internal geek memory.
The film itself feels like what it is: Season 11 with all the filler taken out, compressed into just under two hours of content. It takes very little time for the story to unfold, and quite often, events seem to happen without much setup, just to make sure the plot dots are connected. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because the desire to see a good ending to the Ori arc overrides most of the annoyances.
I’ve always been a fan of the Ori arc, and when the series finale chose to focus on a stand-alone story instead of a grand resolution, I was disappointed. It’s a credit to the writers that they managed to take one of the few key continuity elements of the series finale (the acceptance of the Asgard memory core) and link it into the film script.
The story itself is straightforward enough. SG-1 discovers that the perfect anti-Ori weapon, naturally called the Ark of Truth, may still exist. It is designed to “program”, for lack of a better word, someone into believing whatever the programmer wants someone to believe. The Ancients, losing their battle against the Ori millions of years earlier, conceived of the Ark as a weapon of last resort. They chose not to use it in the end, and thought it destroyed.
While the Ark serves as a rather convenient plot device (because that’s exactly what it is), the writers don’t skimp on the ramifications of its purpose. Daniel in particular has some moral misgivings about resolving the Ori problem by essentially overriding free will. It’s a great question to ask, and the film would have been a bit better if more time had been spent on the debate. Instead, it was a light shading over the bulk of the action.
The writers do show, based on previous continuity, how hearts and minds can be influenced without the use of the Ark. Tomin, Vala’s erstwhile husband from the Ori’s home galaxy, decides to defect and help SG-1 end the war. He helps them track down the likely location of the Ark, which is (of course) the central Ori planet. Thus a mission is prepared to send SG-1 through the Supergate into Ori space.
This brings up two nice bits of continuity. First, there’s the open question of whether or not the Ori survived the anti-Ascended weapon that was tossed through the Supergate in an earlier episode (as seen in the prelude). The answer, surprisingly, is that the weapon was successful; the continued power held by the Priors suggested otherwise. Unfortunately, because the Orisi Adria was allowed to Ascend (again, covered during the series and in the prelude), she gained the full power of all the Ori as accumulated by their worshippers. This is, as one would imagine, not a good thing.
Second, since the end of the war with the System Lords (the end of the eighth season of the series), the IOA had been exerting more and more control over Stargate Command. They assign one of their more forthright agents to the mission. Agent Marrick is the typical IOA pain in the neck, with an agenda all his own, and his true purpose complicates the mission tremendously (and, in effect, takes something away from the focus on the Ori War).
Once arriving at the location of the Ark, the team is split into two intersecting plot threads. Daniel, Teal’c, Vala, and Tomin all hunt down the Ark on the surface, while Carter, Mitchell, and Marrick remain on the Odyssey in orbit. The writers clearly wanted to isolate the ground team to ramp up the tension, so the remaining characters are given quite an ordeal on the Odyssey. The time, however, might have been better spent.
If there is one concept that has been overused within the Stargate franchise, it’s the Replicators. The writers for “Stargate: Atlantis” gave them a new twist as the Asurans, but most of the episodes devoted to the Replicators boil down to the same thing: blow up tinker toys before they kill everyone. It’s a bit tedious by now. While the IOA’s plan to use SG-1’s mission as a pretext for introducing the Replicators as their own anti-Ori weapon was certainly interesting, it was ultimately a distraction.
Not only that, but it was a poorly conceived distraction. RepliMarrick was inconsistently depicted and the idea of a human controlled by a Replicator seemed like something out of a bad Saturday night Sci-Fi Channel production. The faux-Terminator moment at the end of the nigh-interminable fight was not at all impressive, and it’s hard to imagine that Mitchell could take that kind of punishment and live.
The same applies to Teal’c and his injury, though his tenacity has been seen on several occasions. His survival, however, relies on Morgan LeFey, who becomes (like the Ark itself) a story convenience. She also helps Daniel through his torture at the hands of the Priors, and takes on Adria when her power source is broken. Thankfully her involvement in the situation was already established, or her intervention would have been even more unusual.
With a bit more time (perhaps a mini-series), the writers could have developed a resolution to the Ori arc that relied less on convenience and familiar trappings. There might also have been more time for the delicate morality of the Ark’s intended use to be explored. Most of the characters get sufficient screen time, in keeping with their strengths, but the Replicator plot thread took something away from Mitchell’s overall portion.
Now that the Ori arc is complete, however, the “SG-1” DVD films can move on to cover other dangling plot elements, such as the Lucien Alliance or Ba’al’s control of the Trust. For that matter, given time, a strong stand-alone concept could be developed. The trick will be making it all seem distinct and necessary, especially with “Stargate: Atlantis” still on the air. On the other hand, given the longevity of the franchise, it shouldn’t be too much of a challenge.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 7/10
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07.06.07
Posted in Reviews at 1:13 am by Administrator
When it comes to “Stargate SG-1”, there is the inevitable comparison to the history of “The X-Files”. Speaking of each series alone, there is a distinct pattern that was followed, even if it was completely unintentional. While there’s a lot of dispute in each fandom regarding how that pattern was received, there are particular similarities that are brought to mind by the final seasons of each series.
Many fans consider the first five seasons of “The X-Files” to be the classic incarnation of that series, where the conventions and most creative aspects of the concept were explored. The first five seasons of “SG-1” were aired on Showtime, and are considered by many to be the “classic SG-1”, by which all subsequent seasons are measured.
“The X-Files” suffered an annual concern regarding cancellation and involvement of the primary cast members during its middle period, ending with the seventh season with an episode that brought the series full circle. After the fifth season, “SG-1” shifted to production under the Sci-Fi Channel, which coincided with cast changes and similar issues regarding cancellation. This period lasted until the end of the eighth season, when the plot threads of the “classic SG-1” were effective wrapped up in a manner that (you guessed it) brought the series full circle. Fans have long debated the quality of the material during these similar periods of each show.
The eighth season of “The X-Files” marked the departure of David Duchovny, forcing the introduction of a new main character, John Doggett. This decision split the fandom into three distinct camps: those fully embracing the change, those strongly against the change, and those willing to see how it was handled. The result was a great deal of bad feeling.
Similarly, in the ninth season of “SG-1”, the departure of Richard Dean Anderson forced the introduction of a new main character, Cameron Mitchell. The response was nearly identical. As with “The X-Files”, the writers had a choice to make: commit to the changes and focus on those supporting the move, or attempt to appease those wishing for things to be as they were.
In the case of “The X-Files”, the writers struggled with the possibility of losing fans. While the “new direction” initially introduced some additional elements of the massive series mythology, those concepts were never fully developed. Instead, the writers tried to continue with the existing elements, and the series ended with little sense of resolution or direction. In particular, the writers failed develop Doggett as fully as they could have, especially in the final season, when the character should have been in the spotlight, if the producers wanted the series to survive in its new incarnation.
“SG-1” has fared somewhat better, though some of the criticisms remain. The ninth season introduced the Ori, an enemy very different from the System Lords of the Goa’uld but connected to elements of the Ancients, a race that had been important over the course of the series as a whole. By embracing the concept of the Ori as a new threat worthy of development, the writers avoided the appearance of stringing out more of the same, now-repetitive material. The ninth season attained a Critical Myth average rating of 7.3, or slightly above average.
Coming into the tenth season, there was every reason to think that this creative resurgence would allow the writers to explore the ideas introduced with the Ori more fully. The first half of the season seemed to be moving with the same urgency as the ninth season. When it came time for the landmark “200” to air, the news came down: the series would be cancelled at the end of the season.
This presented a complication for the audience. Most of the season had been filmed already, with the material chosen with a longer series lifespan in mind. Unfortunately, this meant that the second half of the series was heavily laden with “character-based” episodes. Many of these episodes were mediocre and unsatisfying, and as the season progressed, it was hard for the audience to rationalize why so much of the remaining time was spent on stand-alone material instead of resolving the new Ori arc.
This was further complicated by the approval of two direct-to-DVD films, which would extend the story beyond the actual end of the series. The producers decided to relocate the resolution of the Ori arc from the series finale to the first film (“The Ark of Truth”), leaving the series proper with a massive lack of resolution. Looking back at the final season, there was very little progress in Mitchell’s character development, and with the films likely to be more plot-driven, the opportunities that did exist felt wasted.
Turning back to the comparison with “The X-Files”, the irony is that the series tried to end on a definitive conclusion, and the result was a disaster. Because so much of the final season was spent trying to make everyone happy, there was little direction and the finale was an exposition-laden attempt to gloss over inconsistencies. At least part of this attempt was driven by the unlikelihood of any further chance to provide a more organic conclusion (despite the amount of time granted the production to craft a conclusion to the series).
In contrast, the final season of “SG-1” is not, in essence, the end of the series. The endpoint has yet to be determined. As such, the season (and the series) could not end in any definitive manner. Instead, after a string of stand-alone episodes that left the audience frustrated, the series ended with an installment that brought the series to nothing more than a momentary rest.
So “SG-1” ends as a series but doesn’t have an ending; the season is therefore incomplete. While the resulting frustration is mitigated by the knowledge that the story will eventually come to a conclusion, the fact remains that the coherence of the season was affected. The result was a Critical Myth average rating of 6.9, effectively average. Looking back at the quality of the series since its departure from Showtime, this is in keeping with that trend. That said, it’s unfortunate that the series couldn’t end on a stronger note.
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06.23.07
Posted in Reviews at 4:16 pm by Administrator
Written by Robert C. Cooper
Directed by Robert C. Cooper
And so it ends, the unlikely and impressive ten-year run of “Stargate SG-1”. Considering the fact that the series had been declared over after nearly every season since it’s initial Showtime cancellation after the fifth season, it’s hard to reconcile the fact that this series finale is relatively self-contained. No doubt some fans will wonder why the series didn’t wrap up the major plot threads before the end of the series.
The answer, of course, is that the series is not really over in the traditional sense. The series is spinning off into at least two direct-to-DVD films, one of which will be the resolution of the Ori plot arc. In fact, that film (“The Ark of Truth”) will cover much of the ground originally intended for this season’s finale; plans were changed when the cancellation order and film offer came down. Knowing that they could just delay the resolution to the films, the producers felt no need to manufacture a final episode with true closure.
On the one hand, this could be seen as slight to the fans, who may now be required to buy (or rent) a separate DVD just to see how the story ends. Since the decision to delay resolution was made by the producers, it could be interpreted as a marketing ploy. It’s a fair criticism, because not every fan out there is going to understand or know what the films represent. They’ll just see the series finale as a frustrating cop-out.
On the other hand, any series with such a long history (and a distinct lack of planning) will struggle with a truly satisfying and all-encompassing finale. There’s always one more element that “should have been there”. Looming large over this finale is the memory of Jack O’Neill and the almost-perfect eighth season finale “Moebius”; a number of fans still consider that to be the true ending of the series. So this finale was never going to be universally satisfying with the weight of so much expectation.
The result was an episode that could have run at any time, with very little in the way of closure. Perhaps that was for the best. Some might say that the episode provided emotional closure, but with the reset button firmly in place by the end, it’s elusive at best. If there’s a sense of anything in this series finale, it’s that the team carries on like they always have. There really is no end. The mission continues. It’s the kind of non-ending that only works because we know, as fans, that there’s more on the way. Who needs closure when the story isn’t over?
Once has to wonder, though, if the character development (such as it is) will now disappear. Character has always been somewhat expendable in the “Stargate” franchise, with a simple set of quirks in place of true progression and growth. The films will be more about plot than delving into character depths. So we’re unlikely to get insight into Mitchell, for instance, which quite a shame, as it will feed into the impression that he was an unnecessary addition.
The relationship between Daniel and Vala gets a tentative payoff, which was a nice touch. The two of them have been dancing around each other for a while, and this was a capable enough way to show that they could ultimately find a life together, The reset button keeps that from getting in the way in the future, of course, so the satisfaction is tenuous. (One might also find fault in Daniel’s harshness with Vala, which was not redeemed by his recognition of how badly he hurt her.)
All in all, this just didn’t feel like a real series finale, because the elements that would have been present were shifted to the films and some of the characters (Carter, at least) will move to “Stargate: Atlantis” or the proposed new series. This just didn’t feel like the end of a ten-year saga; it was just another episode. And while that made sense from a certain perspective, I couldn’t help but feel that it send off the series with a bit of a whimper.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
(Season 10 Final Average: 6.9)
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06.17.07
Posted in Reviews at 1:06 am by Administrator
Written by Alan McCullough and Alex Levine
Directed by William Waring
After a number of episodes focusing on stand-alone concepts, the season arc comes back in a big way in this penultimate episode for the series. The name of the game, as usual, is plot progression, even when it requires severe willful suspension of disbelief to accept the logic that allows for that progression.
No matter how well they leave the door open, this felt like a way to take the ridiculous Ba’al plot thread and bring it under control. The ending mitigated that measure of control, but we now have less Ba’al clones to worry about, and that’s a good thing. Given the age of the series and the constant possibility of cancellation (which is now coming to pass), having such a massively open-ended plot element lingering the background was simply not a good idea.
That’s why bringing Ba’al into the prelude to the conclusion of the Ori arc was a genius move. It helps make sense of Ba’al’s actions since the fall of the System Lords, and it’s the kind of leverage he would try to find and utilize. It also allows the writers to complicate the capture of Adria, which might otherwise have been a bit too easy.
Unfortunately, after setting the stage for a final showdown over the solution to the Adria problem, the writers toss a major plot convenience into the mix. Despite taking precautions on more than one occasion to keep an anti-Prior device around Adria, they completely blow it during the most important moment. If one of those devices had been in the room when the toxin was being administered, Adria would have been gone and, if Ba’al and Adria are to be believed, the Ori fleet would be without Ori and Orisi.
Instead, Adria is able to ascend, which is a nice set up for the conclusion of the arc in “The Ark of Truth” film, if nothing else. I’m just not sure that the writers took the most logical path to that end. More than once, the characters mentioned Adria’s eventual ability to overcome the anti-Prior device; why not use that plot point to explain her ability to ascend at the end, even with one of the devices in the room? A minor change, but one that switches plot convenience with plot payoff.
That final act is really the only weak link in the episode, despite my annoyance that the Ba’al plot thread was kept open when it could have been easily closed. It’s enough, however, to keep the episode from achieving its full potential.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
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06.11.07
Posted in Reviews at 11:32 pm by Administrator
Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Directed by Peter DeLuise
At this point, it’s expected that the writers will avoid the Ori arc completely until the last couple episodes. Just judging by the description of this episode, it was apparent that this would be another stand-alone effort. It’s not a question of disappointment or dashed expectations anymore; it comes down to finding some measure of contentment with what the producers chose to drop into the second half of this incredibly uneven season.
The theme is relatively simple: the divergent fortunes of two fathers and daughters with a lot of bad feeling between them. The “A” plot is the conflict between Vala and her father, who has come to Earth with the news that Arkad’s fleet (from the previous episode) is still on its way. In reality, he’s even more of a con artist than his daughter, and he’s there to make a few rotten deals and move on.
The writers attempt to make Jacek amusing, and given how ridiculous the various schemes and plot turns become, there’s little doubt that the intentions are right there on the screen. That makes the lack of hilarity a major stumbling block. Some moments were amusing, like Teal’c’s final moments in the “Vagina Monologues” (wouldn’t Teal’c check the name of the show on the tickets, at least?), but most of the interplay and the scheming was too smarmy to accept.
The issue here was Fred Willard, who never communicated enough seriousness to be convincing as anything but a poor con artist. Every time the camera hits his face, his expression reveals the snake-oil salesman at the heart of the character. That makes it impossible to accept that anyone would be fooled by him, which undercuts the effectiveness of the concept. Vala, despite being over the top on most occasions, can switch on the charm and sincerity when the situation demands it.
With the “A” plot failing on so many levels, the “B” plot hasn’t got a chance. In this case, General Landry is trying a bit of rapprochement with his ex-wife, and he recruits his daughter, Dr. Lam, to facilitate the process. When things get crazy with Jacek, Landry comes close to pulling out of the planned dinner, thus threatening to ruin whatever ground he’s gained with his daughter. In the end, he makes the right call, in counterpoint to Jacek’s choices.
This might have been more effective, however, if the writers had included Dr. Lam more often in the tenth season, beyond the occasional medical crisis. The details of her relationship with her father, never explored in any depth, are so far out of mind that one is left wondering why it needed to be addressed at all.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 1/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 5/10
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06.04.07
Posted in Reviews at 11:45 pm by Administrator
Written by Damien Kindler
Directed by Andy Mikita
With the season and series rapidly drawing to a close, each and every stand-alone episode becomes a new source of frustration. The battle against the Ori must inevitably continue, yet since “The Shroud”, very little movement has been evident. This episode, at first, seemed to be the perfect opportunity to meld character exploration with plot progression. In the end, however, neither aspect was meaningfully explored.
Ever since the liberation of the Jaffa Nation, the Jaffa have struggled with the concept of freedom. As is often the case historically, those brought together against a common oppressor in the name of revolution will ultimately turn on each other within the resulting power vacuum. And as already seen in the ninth season, other powers will inevitably attempt to support one or more factions in the hope of taking control, or at the very least, destabilizing a weakened people.
Enter Arkad, a previously unseen figure among the Jaffa, who seems to be allying with the Ori and opposing a supposed violent and self-enslaving Jaffa Council. Arkad claims to be battling these violent factions, including one planning to attack Earth. It’s fairly obvious that Arkad is the one planning the attack, and his attempts to sound reasonable and legitimate are ridiculous.
This is meant to complicate what is a fairly conventional revenge tale, and one that feels tacked on to Teal’c’s character. Granted, Teal’c and Bra’tac have a fairly intricate past, so it’s not unreasonable to suspect that vendettas exist with other Jaffa, but this seems to come out of nowhere, given its importance. It’s far more likely that the writers wanted to turn back to the tensions among the Jaffa and felt the need to personalize the situation for Teal’c, thus prompting this story about Arkad as the man who engineered his mother’s death.
This is unnecessary for the purpose of complication. If Arkad’s actions had simply resulted in IOA orders to stay out of Arkad’s ways, yet Teal’c was willing to go after the enemy because of Bra’tac’s near-death, it would have been sufficient and consistent with previous episodes. The sentimental ending between Teal’c and Bra’tac would have still made sense (even it it does feel incredibly redundant), and the writers would still have the rationale for Teal’c and the rest of the team to face off against each other.
While this situation continues to set up Teal’c and Bra’tac as the de facto leaders of the Jaffa, that wasn’t really necessary at this point. That concept has been on the table for quite some time, as has the idea of Teal’c leading the charge to clean out the Jaffa of traitors. It would have been better if the episode had been centered on that process rather than yet another reason for its initiation.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
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05.21.07
Posted in Reviews at 12:41 am by Administrator
Written by Martin Gero
Directed by Peter DeLuise
The main issue with the tenth and final season of “SG-1” has been consistency. While many were shocked when the end of the series was announced, that was more a matter of timing. The series had managed to avoid the chopping block for half its life, after initial cancellation at the end of the fifth season on Showtime. Knowing all of that, it’s surprising how little time has been spent clearing the decks and wrapping up plot threads.
For instance, who expected the producers, with only a handful of episodes left, to trot out a stand-alone installment with only the most tenuous links to the overall season arc? Granted, this was the problem with the ninth season as well, and a problem with the second half of nearly every season for shows given this “split season” format. The first half seems to be dominated by plot-heavy material, and the second half seems to deviate into stand-alone territory.
Knowing all of this, it would be easy to dismiss this episode and let frustration take its toll. That would be an unfortunate mistake, because taken on its own, this is a fairly amusing episode. No matter how serious the situation seems to get, there’s an underlying comic touch. This has been the hallmark of the series since its inception (though it was once a bit more subtle), and this episode keeps the tradition alive.
Beyond its surprising entertainment value, the episode is notable for its unusual guest star. Joshua Malina is better known for his dramatic work (“West Wing”, “A Few Good Men”) and his dry comic delivery than his appearances in genre television. At first, I thought my eyes and ears were deceiving me! Malina’s presence is both positive and negative. It’s positive in that it lends a certain legitimacy to the series, even at this late hour, but negative in that his character lacks depth and his performance pales to his better-known work.
That said, this is “SG-1”, and few members of the audience are looking for scripts on the level of an Aaron Sorkin. It’s all about the entertainment value, and the episode delivers that (and some twists and turns) rather well. If one can overcome the frustration of yet another stand-alone episode when so little time remains until the end, this is a pleasant hour’s worth of diversion.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
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05.13.07
Posted in Reviews at 10:50 pm by Administrator
Written by Damien Kindler
Directed by Peter DeLuise
The Lucien Alliance is to “SG-1” as the Genii are to “Stargate: Atlantis”. They are the go-to villains whenever the writers need a generic enemy to fight or complicate matters. As a result, their involvement in an episode is usually disappointing, because motivations are often situational. In this instance, the writers needed someone to send bounty hunters after the team. Who better than the Lucien Alliance?
That fuzzy beginning gets a lot more interesting as the focus turns to each team member as they go about their various mundane activities. Mitchell and Vala end up at his hometown for his high school reunion, Carter ends up at a convention, Daniel is studying, and Teal’c is back to dealing with Jaffa matters. Each is targeted in turn, and the response to each attack is where the fun begins.
The most time is spent with Mitchell and Vala at the reunion, which helps to flesh out Mitchell’s character a bit. It’s all quite consistent with the information given previously, fitting Cam’s down-home attitude quite well. It’s scary to think that Mtichell’s home town was so small that only a couple dozen people attended the reunion (almost as scary as the genetic Cure-esque music).
Daniel’s subplot was a bit odd, especially when the femme fatale was mashed by a bus, and Carter’s subplot would have worked better if the scenes had been cut to a more interesting pace. Those scenes progressed far too slowly. Even Teal’c’s scenes felt oddly paced. A bit more attention to balance early in the episode would have helped.
The reunion setting is played for laughs, and at times, the comedy is a bit too broad. That said, the mixture of the serious and the comic (and even tragic) works pretty well, once the situation begins to fall apart. Unfortunately, it seems to end just as it gets interesting, and the little issue of using alien technology in the middle of a relatively crowded room is never truly addressed.
Unfortunately, as much as the premise seems to promise insight into Mitchell’s character, most of the exploration is fairly shallow and amounts to Mitchell seeing the girl of his youthful dreams. In other words, the usual “school reunion” cliché. There might be some consequence for the Lucien Alliance, but the audience isn’t given much reason to care. With so few episodes left, this average installment is more a reason for frustration than anything else.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
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05.07.07
Posted in Reviews at 1:23 am by Administrator
Written by Robert Cooper
Directed by Andy Mikita
When we last left Daniel Jackson, he was in the lovely yet evil hands of Adria, the avatar of the Ori. Oddly, SG-1 has done very little to find or rescue Daniel since his capture. His return in this episode is a bit coincidental as a result; the team just happens to be on a planet where Daniel comes calling as a new and unusual Prior, extolling the virtues of Origin. The team, like the audience, is stunned and dismayed.
Of course, it’s not that simple. Daniel claims that he and Merlin (the part of the old Ancient still in his brain) concocted a plan to fool Adria into thinking he succumbed to her powers of persuasion. The team is less than convinced, especially when he explains that his plan involves letting the Ori Supergate open to the Milky Way. He claims to need that to bring Merlin’s completed weapon home for Earth’s defense. On the other hand, he could be lying, and it would allow the Ori fleet access to the galaxy, with a Prior in control of a weapon capable of killing Ancients. All in all, a situation with more than a little risk.
Enter General O’Neill, who is brought in to question Daniel, which is a nice touch, given their long and involved history. It’s almost as if O’Neill was never gone, something that helps to connect the dots as the series draws to a close. Between O’Neill and Teal’c, they come to the conclusion that Daniel is telling the truth. Unfortunately, the IOA wants Daniel taken out. Stargate Command and the IOA have rarely seen eye to eye, but this is the biggest point of contention yet.
In a nice twist, Vala is the one who takes the potential threat that Daniel represents most seriously. Given her evolving relationship with Daniel, she has plenty of reason to want him to survive. But her reasoning is sound: following Daniel’s plan is too much of a risk. The alternate plan is fairly obvious, but it was worth taking the time to let the various characters react to Daniel and his current status.
When things start to go wrong (as of course, they must), the twist and turns are slightly confusing. The end result, however, is that Daniel is back to normal, more or less, and the weapon was armed to detonate, with no evidence that it actually worked. And now that the Supergate is open for business, the armies of the Ori have the ability to send tons of reinforcements into the Milky Way. It’s hard to figure out if the risk/reward analysis was on the dot this time around, but considering that the Ori arc was always meant to extend beyond the end of the season, this complication makes a certain amount of sense.
Had the series been continuing, then Daniel’s quick and relatively simple return to the team might have seemed too quick. It would have been a lot more interesting if Daniel’s time as a Prior had stretched out over a few episodes. However, in light of the fact that the series is ending, a number of ideas will likely get short shrift, and this is just one such example.
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 7/10
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