Sam Carter/Jack O'Neill Ship Discussion Thread

[SaraBahama]

I love seeing shippers cooperate!!

[selene0789]

I love seeing shippers cooperate!!

Heheh... I appreciate the need to watch SG-1. How else could I possibly deliver an accurate review? And several viewings may be necessary, to spot all the shippy nuances. Especially Bane, as it's not one I regularly watch. It was fun seeing it again.

[Ikorni]

Rewatches are more fun than I thought actually. I didn't look out for S/J when I originally watched the series except for the overt bits and am now pleasantly surprised to see how much I can actually read into their relationship in the more 'ordinary' episodes.

[Lt.Colonel John Sheppard]

i always remembered jack's line to Maybourne "I'm not going to hit you maybourne, I'm just going to shoot you."

[selene0789]

Bane

Summary
When SG-1 investigates a city abandoned for seemingly no reason, Teal’c is stung by an alien insect. They beat a hasty retreat to escape the resulting swarm, and immediately take him to ol’ Doc Frasier. Janet checks him out, and it is soon revealed that Teal’c’s Goa’uld larvae (“Junior”) is unable to do more than temporarily hold the resulting infection at bay.

When Frasier finds alien genetic material at Teal’c’s wound site, Sam recommends an old colleague of hers to help—the leading geneticist named Dr. Timothy Harlow. Hammond immediately acts on her suggestion, quickly arranging for Harlow to join them at the mountain.

Later tests soon reveal that the genetic material left by the insect sting is actually a retrovirus that is transforming Teal’c’s DNA into the genetic code of the insect. Junior is unable to permanently halt or reverse the transformation, and Teal’c’s condition steadily worsens.

Soon thereafter, Harry Maybourne arrives with official orders to remove Teal’c from the SGC and into his custody—presumably to Area 51. Jack, Sam, and Janet all try to prevent Maybourne from taking Teal’c, but Dr. Harlow (who was the one who tipped off Maybourne) tips the scales, giving Maybourne the scientific evidence he needs to abscond with the Jaffa.

While in transit from the mountain, Maybourne reveals to Harlow that he has no intention of trying to halt the change occurring in Teal’c. Upon hearing this, Teal’c breaks free of his restraints and incapacitates the guards, as well as Maybourne and Harlow. He flees the transport vehicle, leaving Junior behind—whether this is an attempt to shorten his lifespan or an effort to speed up the transformation is unknown.

Soon, the race is on to find Teal’c and halt the transformation before he succumbs entirely.


Favorite Lines
(When Maybourne gets snarky)
Jack: General Hammond, request permission to beat the crap out of this man.

Favorite Scene

Pretty much any scene with Allie, the kid Teal’c bonds with when he hides from Maybourne.

General
This episode was pretty interesting. We’ll get into ship later, but all things considered, it was fun to see Maybourne again. This early in the series, he’s all sorts of slimy and evil, which is such a contrast to some of the later episodes I watch more regularly. He clearly has no conscience, which is such a contrast to the high level of tense emotion seen in the other characters.

Jack is protective of Teal’c, both as a leader and as a friend. It’s to Jack that Teal’c confesses his uncharacteristic fear of the situation, and his desire to end his own life rather than succumb to the transformation. This is an episode where we can clearly see the value Teal’c places in his sense of self.

With Sam, she immediately has the concern and quick reaction we expect of her. She immediately suggests Harlow, and she greets the elder man with affection when he arrives to the mountain. And yet, when it is revealed that Harlow has tipped off Maybourne to the situation, she is just as quick to accuse him, and hold him accountable. It’s clear that in this instance, her focus is on Teal’c getting well in a safe environment and not on wondering what sort of scientific breakthroughs the transformation might yield. She also kicks herself for not being able to access Jolinar’s memory, which she believes might help them understand more about Goa’uld physiology.

An added bonus is the introduction of a young Cassie before she gets to be grown-up Cassie! In this episode she is a punky little kid named Allie who bonds with Teal’c over water guns and chocolate bars. She helps him out, and is the one who ultimately points SG-1 in the right direction, allowing them to find him in the nick of time.

Sam and Jack
Not a whole lot of ship in this one, folks.

Of course, there are glimpses here and there. For instance, when SG-1 is first on the planet, and Jack steps in a pile of insect goo, Sam gives an empathetic little grimace. And then, once Teal’c is stung, the two of them work as a well-oiled machine to provide emergency first aid.

After Maybourne takes Teal’c away, the rest of SG-1 is in the briefing room. Sam hesitantly extols the virtues of returning to the bug planet to see what technology might have been left behind, and when Jack firmly reminds her that there are bugs on that planet, he leans very close to her against the table to make his point.

And then, of course, there’s a blink-and-you-miss-it moment when Sam is explaining the theory of equal mass conversion in regards to the bugs’ reproduction cycles. She does her scientific babble—and Jack thanks her for it!

Jack also has one of those so-simple-it’s-brilliant ideas that is only significantly shippy in that it feeds into Sam’s comment many seasons later, when she tells Jack he has the gift of seeing things at their simplest.

Overall
Finally, an episode that isn’t Daniel-centric! I personally enjoy this episode because it reinforces the sense of Jaffa-honor that is so innate in Teal’c. His sense of self is so true—and yet so tortured, in that the Goa’uld symbiote he so reviles is what saves his life—that he is willing to die rather than lose himself to the alien transformation.

And while Maybourne is left to stew in his slimy, rat-fink selfishness, Harlow is an intriguing character because he is first set up to be a pawn for an SG-1 nemesis, but in the end becomes an ally. He’s an academic who still has a moral heart, and I can see why Sam felt like she could trust him. Harlow is another one of those characters I think would be interesting to revisit and wish that they’d brought him back for future episodes.

Allie is another such character. She took the whole thing in stride, and helped Teal’c even when there was really nothing in it for her. Such a good kid, and yet so spunky as well. Her movie references were endearing, as was her dry, smart-alecky nature. Telling Maybourne he smelled was also a plus! It’d be fun to see her again, before she became Cassie in “Rite of Passage.”

Lack of overwhelming shippiness notwithstanding, the team dynamic is very much in play here, and their strong sense of family and friendship are a key factor in the plot. It speaks volumes that Teal’c trusts the team to find a solution for him. I don’t think there was ever anyone in the Jaffa community (besides Bra’tac) that he trusted enough to do the same. And even if he might have trusted Bra’tac to honor his desire to die, I doubt Teal’c would ever believe his mentor could actually devise a cure. That he left to his Taur’i friends.

[selene0789]

I'm looking for someone to make the banner for the Tok'ra episodes. Any takers?

I've got the day off work today, so I'll see what I can come up with. I'll post my work here tonight when I have something.

In the meantime, have tried mining hlndncr's collection of banners? There's one for all every single episode (as far as I can tell) here

[Sparky She-Demon]

Thanks. But I'll check it out still.

Did not find one that suited my plans. I'm planning on combining the two episodes into one review.

[selene0789]

Oh. well, there's this. Not sure if it's what you're looking for, but it's a start. I'll go back to the drawing board. I have some plans for pt2, so I'll try to combine...

[Sparky She-Demon]

So far so good!

[selene0789]

So far so good!

I also have this, which is a bit more experimental...



I'm also experimenting with something more artsy... Let me know if you have a preference.

[Lt.Colonel John Sheppard]

hey selene thanks for taking over bane for me. i owe you one.

[selene0789]

hey selene thanks for taking over bane for me. i owe you one.

It was a pleasure. It'd been a while since I'd seen it, so it was fun homework to do.

Now, Sparky, here's another version of the banner. You can pick and choose as you will, and will not hurt my feelings, even if you choose someone else's banner.

[Lucycat]

Awesome review for Bane, Selene!

[selene0789]

Awesome review for Bane, Selene! [ATTACH=CONFIG]37305[/ATTACH]

Gracias! Glad to participate.

[selene0789]

The rewatch is running a little late, but Sparky She-Demon and I are tag-teaming this one. I'm posting Part 1 now to keep us occupied, while she'll post the review for Part 2 tomorrow. So... here we go!!