Avalon, Part 2 (902)

[GateWorld]

SG-1 SEASON NINE AVALON, PART 2 EPISODE NUMBER - 902 An Ancient communications device renders Daniel and Vala unconscious, sending their minds to another galaxy -- where they inhabit the bodies of two people persecuted by the followers of an evil religion. VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >> SPOILERS! PHOTOS! AND MORE!

[Excali5033]

Wow...graphic. Shock aside, this felt like an old school SG-1 ep. And that's a very good thing.

[Bobthespirit]

Okay, what the heck? Those tests look like they were designed for any reasonably intelligent thirteen year old to be able to solve them. It's good to know that the puzzle that Merlin used to guard his massive treasure trove is the same one that Lisa Simpson had trouble solving that made her doubt her intelligence. The lameness of the puzzles really hurts the episode because it breaks suspension of disbelief.

And why are these hardened military guys letting some random woman who's using them to get treasure push them around? It all seems contrived to have Claudia Black be in the episode, and they didn't do a good job contriving it.

I still like Mitchell, I still like Landry, and I like the doctor woman. But several parts of this episode are really shoddily written. I thought the producers said in that interview that they were going to start taking themselves seriously again like they did near the beginning -- apparently not. If they're going back to Stargate's 'roots' then they should re-adopt the keen sense of practicality and plausibility the characters had at the beginning.

And the Orai are basically the gu'ald, but more powerful and with a different biology. Can't we have villains with *different* motives? Also, making them more scary just by making them more powerful is a bad plot device. Like the boring replicators, the only way to beat them is to trump them with some new bit of technology (Which they inevitably find a way around in the next confrontation).

I also don't get why Salis dying kills Vala. I thought it was a poor plot contrivance in the Matrix when dying in the Matrix killed you in real life -- they only did it so there would be any danger whatsoever. And it's a poor plot contrivance now when Stargate copies it.

I hope Avalon isn't a sign of things to come. This is way too cheeky, and the content of the show is being overwhelmed by 'extravagant' personalities. *sigh* At least Atlantis is still good. The wraithe are scary because of what they are, they don't automatically trump all the technology the protagonists have available. The cast is an ensemble instead of just a bunch of people trying to out-personality each other. And you can beat the wraithe by out-smarting them -- you don't just have to find new technology to trump theirs.

Avalon is *not* a return to roots.

[CKO]

bloody hell TO BE CONTINUED! well done... i need the third part already. agree was very graphic at parts.. hell i was sniffy when

Spoiler:

vala was thought to be dead.. well in a way she was.

wonderful actin' on the part of MS, CB and Ben B. the depth and emtions that are portrayed... WOW!

[Twich]

Well as a new Gater, I surely enjoyed it. It had a lot of action and fun too. AND I thought the storylines were good as well.

[MarshAngel]

I can't wait for the next episode. It's very intriguing. I agree that Vala's presence was too obviously contrived. It seems they wanted her in the episode and the only way to find a logical reason for her to be there was to physically bind her to Daniel, another contrivance.

Other than a few minor nuisances it was enjoyable.

I really don't understand why the Ancients make you jump through hoops everytime they have something they've hidden. What is even the point of them all?

[Dana_Jeanne]

And another opinion at the opposite end of the spectrum chimes in: I LOVED IT. I've never been any good at puzzles, so I didn't get the obviousness of the two in the rooms, nor do I watch the Simpsons. I'm not sure WHAT Daniel figured out though as I couldn't understand HALF of what he said. Cut back on the exposition so Michael can SLOW DOWN.

Mitchell is still 'eh' for me, depending on how the season progresses I'll either end up liking him or not caring about him. He's a bit too much Mr Perfect Hero at the moment for me. Jury is still out.

Hello, Mrs. Shanks... have you been taking speed-talking lessons from your husband? <G> Carolyn Lam is a very different doctor from Janet. I miss Janet, but I like Carolyn already.

Still liking the General, still find the jaffa stuff dead boring. Wish we could Un-Jaffa Teal'c.

I liked the story. One of my friends watching it with me thought it was tired tripe, but then she didn't like Indiana Jones, either.

The bit with Vala burning and Daniel yelling, and then when he went and held her dead, burnt body was totally awesome. Just fantastic, excellent acting job there by both of them.

What else? Totally shallow moment here: those mideivel clothes on Daniel, whooooo boy! Woof!

I'm really loving this season SO FAR and especially Daniel and Vala. Can we keep her? Please, please!!!!

Dana Jeanne

[tsaxlady]

Okay first reaction after first viewing. I wish MS would slow down so you can understand what he is saying. I thought it was a little slow in places I was having a hard time staying focused on what was going on in the story.

The best thing about this episode would have to be Joel's soundtrack. He talked in Burbank about using vocal samples for this first time this season on SG1 and they were great and made act 5 so effective.

Look forward to how this segment of the story ends next week.

[Oceda Kendara]

Originally Posted by Twich

Well as a new Gater, I surely enjoyed it. It had a lot of action and fun too. AND I thought the storylines were good as well.

Liked it so far, but it does seem to be a bit over the top going from the Ancients we cannot interfer to now bow before me. Too much like the Goa'uld except different clothing with a much more over the top attitude.

I like the new characters and it will be interesting to see them grow in the coming season.

[Hatusu]

Excellent! A big scare and lots of surprises. I've been avoiding spoilers. Even so, I've heard about the Ori and I was not disappointed.

Oh, yes. The music was medieval in style and creepy/tense. I loved it. Good job, Joel. Good job, all.

[Elwe Singollo]

I liked the episode, i didn't dislike it like Bobthespirit did though. I didn't exactly understand what 'out personality each other' meant.

But anywho, the ending was pretty dramatic and yes very graphic, even as graphic as those Buffy-Spike sex scenes...

The puzzles at the beginning i guess were 'so easy it was hard', but i didn't really mind it, the dramatic acting of the scene was what i was paying attention to.

I felt a little 'Last season of Enterprise' when the 'to be continued...' text came on at the end...

[AGateFan]

Definitly going to have to watch it again before I review it. Daniel is talking way to fast and I think he is rubbing off on everone else. I thought the Landry\Lamb scene was uncomfortable, cant put my finger on why but it just was off somehow.... Dr Lee was funny though. And Tea'lc is nice and angry, stupid politics, Raknor actually had a few lines. I thought the sword fight was well done. I did get the visceral feeling with Mitchell, the damit I aint gonna give in feeling, thought that was well done... Vala had thew out no enduendos that I noticed..... Well except for the "suggested that she commit a sex act on herself one" (paraphased) that was actually pretty funny and appropiate though. So initial reaction is I liked it as the second half of Avalone I but not sure it could have stood as a one off ep.

[Mio]

Lee is such a cool character.

Also, Its good to see that Mitchell was much less annoying than he was in in his introduction episode.

To. Be. Continued. The three worst words in Stargate. <sigh>

I wonder if that guys staff glowing was an Ancient healing device, or creepy Ascended powers?

Originally Posted by Bobthespirit

And the Orai are basically the gu'ald, but more powerful and with a different biology.

The difference is that the Orii are, for all intents and purposes, actually gods.

Originally Posted by Bobthespirit

Avalon is *not* a return to roots.

Are you kidding? This was more like early SG1 than the last two seasons have been.



Oh, by the way. They will always be the Ancients in my book. Alterians. Phft.

[JanusAncient]

I liked it too, as a two-parter, the Doci at the end, and that staff I love that device, how it completely healed Vala, finding out that the Ancients were called the Altereans, if that is spelled correctly, but I think that the episode "Origin" will be a stand alone episode.

[jyh]

1. Daniel DOES talk awful fast. It's cute and it proves that MS is great at learning & reading his lines, but it does make it hard to understand him & follow the story.

2. The Avalon story line is pretty far "out there." It started out as being about Merlin, Avalon, & Arthurian times, complete with suits of armor & sword fights. Then it morphed into the whole communication-device storyline. Then Daniel & Vala disappeared into some other world/culture/existence. In this episode, they discussed Ancients, Alterans, Orii, & humans. Personally, I had a hard time following all of it, not to mention figuring out why any of it was remotely important. (Other than just learning more about the origin of the Gate). I think the whole thing, as someone else mentioned, was a contrived storyline designed simply to include Vala. (Since Carter isn't there, they have to incorporate another female, so why not Vala?) Which leads me to ....

3. the character of Vala. This week's episode wasn't quite as bad, but last week (Avalon Part I) was very annoying. She is just way over-the-top. Personally, I'm over it.... I'll be glad when her story arc is over.

I'm open to storylines that involve plots other than chasing the Goa'uld around the galaxy, but this Avalon story is just too far "out there."

[SierraGulf1]

It moved very quick for sure, from Merlin to Knights to Devices to Orii, but it did feel a bit like an older Stargate episode, only because we met a new culture. Only thing is, we didn't learn much about them.

I missed Part 1, but I found this somewhat enjoyable, moreso than some Season 8 episodes, and I was somewhat fond of season 8. I shall see what's in store. Perhaps they shoved too much into Avalon, and things will slow down from Origin on and we'll have an enjoyable season 9.

[ToasterOnFire]

A quick question before a more detailed analysis later...

Cam's puzzle appeared to be the reflections of Arabic numerals. Is this even remotely historically accurate? I was under the impression that Arabic numerals didn't get over to Europe until the 1200s AD and the King Arthur legend and Merlin was supposedly between 400 and 600 AD? Any history buffs out there to clarify this?

[Dani347]

Originally Posted by Dana_Jeanne

I'm not sure WHAT Daniel figured out though as I couldn't understand HALF of what he said. Cut back on the exposition so Michael can SLOW DOWN.

There's only one great truth, that the universe is infinite. Therefore, the pot that said that must have been true and the other one must have been false. So, they needed to open just the gold pot. That solved it.

[airic82]

my only wish is that SciFi would have just had an SG-1 night. Show all of the first three episodes together. The problem I have is that each episode totally doesn't stand alone and they seemed too chopped up. Like the first half of this episode belonged to the last half of last weeks. Then the second half seemed to be a totally different episode to me.

[Dana_Jeanne]

Originally Posted by jyh

1. Daniel DOES talk awful fast. It's cute and it proves that MS is great at learning & reading his lines, but it does make it hard to understand him & follow the story.

I'm getting rather preturbed at the fact that the writers are giving him so much to say and not enough time to get it all in without speed-speaking. Yes, Daniel has always spoken fast when he gets excited, but it's never been as fast as it has since Season 7 started, and these first two episodes are simply ridiculous as far as trying to understand him goes.

Everyone else seems to be talking faster, too.

Watched the episode again, like it even more. The scenes with Vala being burned and then dying in the infirmary were wonderfully edited together. And the acting by Claudia Black and Michael Shanks was fantastic.

Dana Jeanne