The Broca Divide (104)

[dtheories]

Laptop and the beeping red phone. Reminded me of In Like Flint! This is an ep that I appreciate the more I watch. And not only for Daniel's leg scene and whumping - hehe. The interplay among team members is outstanding! There are so many moments portraying their unique bonds. Teal'c has got to be frustrated when his curiousity is not satisfied - asking about 50's TV and leprosy. Looking back, we see they're still wearing uniforms in the briefing room, still wearing huge packs; though it seems Daniel and Carter may finally be reaching the point where he'll call Carter 'Sam' rather than 'Doctor.'
One of my favorite moments: General, I would prefer to not hurt this man.
Gotta love the hero!

[Jae'a]

My LiveJournal entry
Man, I'm finding it hard to concentrate today...

Anyway, I bet this is a favourite of you Jack/Sam shippers, huh?

[Krisz]

Aaah, the first episode I ever watched of Stargate. Caught it when channel surfing back in 1998! It was the one that got me hooked on Stargate.

I was taken straight away by the way the explorers are thrown into the unknown stepping through that gate. This episode I thought was an interesting twist on the disease brought back from another planet story. I loved the team interaction and how they dealt with things overwhelming them. I could see straight away that this group of adventurers were ones I wanted to follow.

Of course there's the humour, it defined how SG-1seemed to laugh in the face of danger, just another thing I love about this show. It's all there, the seeds scattered around in this episode.

Who can forget.....

The marine Colonel saying that they'd watch Daniel's backside and Daniel coming back with "I'm more concerned about my front side."

Jack and Daniel talking about Sam's advances to Jack.

DANIEL: What, she start a fight with you like Johnson did with Teal'c?
O'NEILL: No, she uh, she tried to seduce me.
DANIEL: Oh. You poor man.

[NowIWillDestroyAbydos]

Another episode in the can, an episode which was average (like most of the first 3 seasons).

We met Janet for the first time in this episode.

Also, the CofG/Movie music is getting annoying and is really out of place. I'm glad Brad decided re-edit Children of the Gods because early SG-1 really lacks originality (music-wise).

[Traveler Enroute1]

Stargate Rewatch episodes: 101, 102, 103, 104

Broca Divide

I remember thinking on first viewing this episode that 'this would never happen on Star Trek. They would have stayed on the ship and died!' OK, in Amok Time it was pretty close as another ship with the affliction died and the Enterprise barely escaped the same fate. Stargate travel back then walked anything on the travelers right onto earth and into the gateroom.

I also thought the SGC could also easily infect another planet with one of earth's benign infections like the settlers brought to indigenous populations in the new world. Then again, as the 'primitives' of the galaxy, earthlings were probably more susceptible to offworld diseases than they were to earth's. I think. Made me dizzy trying to work that out...

Shipper-me of course adored this episode for the clutch and kiss scene with Jack and Sam. I thought it was a mite too violent for romantic tagging; I still hear one word in my head as they slammed each other around: OUCH! Jack's reactions of 'wow!' and 'wait a minute!' always make me laugh.

But there's also an alternate interpretation of Jack's end remark when Sam tries to apologize for making a move on her CO. There was a definite awkwardness between them as they waited in the gateroom to rescue Daniel. At the finale Jack assures her he didn't even remember her doing anything because he was infected, too. And then he throws out the famous 'sweet little tank top number' and she realizes he did remember. But Jack defused a potentially team-breaking embarrassment with his humor, and Sam realizes he's telling her it was alright, move on.

The entire SGC was regrouping, too. No one looked very comfortable as they returned to the Stargate; note Reynolds and the young soldier as they looked around but avoided eye contact with others. Most memorable was General Hammond making his reappearance in the control room!

Jack's apparent ultra-violent propensities could have tied in with his violent past (black ops, wars, etc). All brakes were released with the alien virus. Also on his charm; his alpha-male coolness is used on Janet and she practically melts when he strokes her cheek. As if any female on base could resist Bad Jack or Mad Jack. (Gah, my shipper-me talking again. )

Other points on my re-acquaintance with Broca Divide:

• Cheyenne Mountain is ugly.
  
  
• Note how the team always pauses to watch the kawoosh, and always seemed awed.
  
  
• Air Force - Marines rivalry in play.
  
  
• Chilling ambush. Why did primitives like hanging around the gate? And I also loved the sets here.
  
  
• Very capable Dr. Janet Fraser makes her first appearance.
  
  
• Teal'c was definitely not a diplomat! But gotta love how concerned he was when he saw Sam's injury, and how gentle he was with Jack. Lousy diplomat, good friend.
  
  
• Daniel gets the cave-girl. Different take on 'Space Monkey.'
  
  
• Jack calls Sam 'Samantha' when he takes Daniel down for being too concerned. Loved the by-play between them, neat. I felt Daniel's nervousness and the impending blow.

A tempered warning episode on what could possibly happen when hopping around the galaxy: we could bring back sickness and wipe out most of our population, or make new friends.

Rated 3/5.

[Lieutenant Sparrow]

I consider this to be an okay ep. Better than Emancipation at least.

RDA put on a great performance. Season 1 definitely isn't my favourite.

Oh yeah and it's good to see Dr Fraser's first appearance.

Best line of the ep. Jack - Lucy I'm home! Teal'c - I'm not Lucy. Classic.

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

I'm frankly amazed that I stuck with this show back in 1997. These early episodes are just terrible cheese-filled silliness, and I really struggled to keep my attention on the screen during this rewatch. As mentioned above, the use of music feels especially bad in this episode, recycling the tunes from previous episodes and using them at inappropriate points that just don't match the action on screen.

I don't know how the actors managed to keep a straigh face under the "cave man" makeup, which looked appalling (Hammond literally made me burst out laughing). Richard Dean Anderson was really giving it his all during those scenes of his, and I have to imagine that going through his mind was just the phrase "think of the pay cheque.... think of the pay cheque..."

- Great to see Doc Frasier's first appearance though! Wow, Teryl Rothery was sexy. A little strange that we were introduced to Doctor Warner only two episodes ago, but he was then replaced with Frasier.
- Teal'c utterly fails at diplomacy! That was quite amusing even though it wasn't meant to be.
- Our first look at SG-3, the marine team.
- I guess this episode sets the precedent on having a medical screening after each mission through the gate - kind of ridiculous that they didn't do it already.

I think it's really dawning on me how much of a slog it's going to be for me to get through most of season 1. Apart from The Torment of Tantalus it doesn't get particularly interesting until the end of the season run.
Oh crap, I just remembered I have to sit through Hathor again!

Rating: 3.5 out of 10

[chaddergate]

Great first episode for janet! And, I love the part with her and Jack, where Jack is asking for more sedatives. Yes, I agree with the best part, being the "Lucy" part.

[mathpiglet]

Great headgear for the native men!

[Darth kat]

Yay, Janet!!! Pretty good episode. We start to see the team camaraderie and snarkiness between each other. I loved how Jack went all alpha male on Daniel when he was expressing his concern for Sam. Poor Daniel got a good whumping from Jack

I hope RDA didn't have to do too many takes of that scene where he was screeching/screaming in his cell. That probably killed his vocal chords.

Quotes:
Daniel, Teal'c, and Janet discussing why Daniel is immune
Dan: Well, that beats me. You're the doctor, Doctor. Ah, maybe I have a natural immunity.
Teal'c: Perhaps you will develop symptoms later.
Dan: Thank you for the moral support.

Teal'c and Jack:
Jack: Lucy, I'm home!
Teal'c: I am not Lucy!
Jack: I'm back to bein' myself. Just open up.
Teal'c: I cannot be certain you are back to being yourself. You referred to me as "Lucy".

Jack: Daniel, you dog. You keep this up, you'll have a girl on every planet.

[hedwig]

Just watched this again yesterday. And it never fails to grab my attention when Janet sweeps into the cell where Caveman Jack is and tries to explain to him (in medical terms) what's going on and what she's going to try as an antidote.

Excuse me! Jack is pretty much a caveman. He's probably thinking "oh, pretty woman. I like pretty woman. Why is pretty woman babbling?"

I realize it is more for the audience than it is for us to think that Jack is really in a rational state of mind and able to understand what Janet is talking about. But this is just not realistic (IMO). And Jack is completely compromised in the state he's in and isn't capable of giving an informed consent to anything, even though he insists on being a guinea pig.

I have the same objection in other episodes where Janet rushes up to the victim and demands to know why something or other isn't happening. Like in "Message in a Bottle", where she rushes into the gateroom, runs up to O'Neill pinned to the wall, and immediately demands to know (of him) why he isn't bleeding. How the h*** is he supposed to know? He's not the doctor. How can he even answer that question. I know Janet is frustrated, but asking the patient for the answer to a problem isn't going to help. (And btw, I adore Janet; I think she's one of the best characters in the whole stargate franchise.

I do wish they'd given Sam a bit more to do in this episode than to be the cave girl.

[muziqaz]

What about Asgard refering to jack's mind as special or something of the kind. maybe he managed to stay enough sane to understand what Janet was talking about

[hedwig]

What about Asgard refering to jack's mind as special or something of the kind. maybe he managed to stay enough sane to understand what Janet was talking about

The Asgard don't show up until later in the season in Thor's Chariot, and I have a hard time believing his having the ancient gene would allow him to resist an alien virus. The only other reason I can think of is because of Jack's Special Forces/Black Ops training, which probably would have allowed him to resist a lot of things other people could not. But this is an alien virus he's been infected with, and I honestly can't see him being the only one on the base at that time able to resist such a thing. If he could, one would think at least a few of those marines could have, too, and they didn't.

[muziqaz]

Yes, but Asgard showing up much later has nothing to do with that Jack had something special in his brains/dna. Asgard only stated what was already in Jack.
I am not saying that it is like I am saying, just adding some food for thoughts, as I wouldn't be able to cite exactly what Asgard said about Jack that is so special.

[hedwig]

Yes, but Asgard showing up much later has nothing to do with that Jack had something special in his brains/dna. Asgard only stated what was already in Jack.
I am not saying that it is like I am saying, just adding some food for thoughts, as I wouldn't be able to cite exactly what Asgard said about Jack that is so special.

It had something to do with his genetic make-up that they thought could save the Asgard race. But in "Fragile Balance", Thor said he didn't have what they needed after all. I don't think it had to do with his brain power or mental abilities. And I also don't think his DNA would give him some sort of ability to resist an alien virus. Just my opinion, mind you.