Brief Candle (108)

[Traveler Enroute1]

Stargate Rewatch episodes: 101, 102, 103, 104, 105

Brief Candle

Some dark elements in an otherwise light episode. The Goa'uld were truly dastardly in their casual use of humans, we learn, not just as slaves but lab rats. Then there was the light team teasing when Kynthia sets her sights on Jack. Note Sam's slight snark when they find Jack undressed in the tent, and his embarrassment.

Struck me that coming after Emancipation the team allowed a member to be separated from them. While initially it's not in such an alarming situation, it didn't ring any bells that the people seemed to want this very much and prevented interference. The team could have easily overpowered them, of course, but apparently saw little threat. And although Daniel and Teal'c noticed Jack had become a bit loopy they still didn't stop Jack from being led away. Would have been a good chance for Sam to exert her 2IC status!

Memorable lines:

At the imminent birth, the men look at Sam:

Sam: "Don't look at me! I don't know what to do!" ("I never birthed no babies!" came to mind. )

Jack's comment that something is off:

Daniel: "It's a paradise."
Jack: "Sure, have an apple. What can happen?"

Stuff that stands out:

• Teal'c knows more Goa'uld 'magic.'
  
  
• Fraser's lab with clunky CRTs, and she passes Sam a floppy disk! How quaint that looks now!
  
  
• I really liked RDA with chest hair.
  
  
• This was a refreshingly colorful episode. Although Broca Divide sported some lighter color themes, this episode was much more so, especially in the daylight and the walk by the sea.
  
  
• Loved the makeover on Jack, thought it very convincing. As was RDA's portrayal of a crusty ol' dude with a heart.
  
  
• The people shed their tradition of Pelops pretty quickly, only a couple of back sliding periods on the side.
  
  
• The tradition of 'never leaving a man behind' gelled more. The team gave Hammond a really hard time when he declared Jack was lost.
  
  
• Wonder where their graves were, or what the rituals for the dying were. With a turnover like that, there must have been countless remains. Did they cremate them, bury them at sea, throw them into the kawoosh? Stray thought.
  

Another lightly cautionary tale: no cavorting with the locals and mind what you eat!

Rated 3/5

[muziqaz]

My LiveJournal post
Looks like I'm going against the majority again because this is one of my favourites.

Although, at the beginning, the woman of the first couple SG-1 meet is in labour and when they ask for help, everyone turns to Sam as if to say "You're a woman, you know all this baby stuff, right?". After a certain few previous episodes, it seems like a step back, albeit maybe a minor one, in the way Sam is viewed. And it's Daniel who ends up delivering the baby.

I don't believe it to be step back. It is just a global cliché. Afterall jack later told Daniel that he is full of surprises, I think he feels the same with other members of the team. It is still a beginning or the series

[Jae'a]

I don't believe it to be step back. It is just a global cliché. Afterall jack later told Daniel that he is full of surprises, I think he feels the same with other members of the team. It is still a beginning or the series

I suppose so, but things like that always grate on my nerves a bit. Maybe I read too much into it..

[muziqaz]

I suppose so, but things like that always grate on my nerves a bit. Maybe I read too much into it..

It is just an instinct, nothing major

[Krisz]

I too found myself looking at the 'old' technology. The huge 'portable' TV/Playback screen with the ariel Jack was watching the team message on, and the clunky old vacuum tube computer screens and floppy discs! It's amazing how far technology has come during the life of Stargate, you tend to forget it's been going for 14 years until you see an episode like this!!!

Oddly enough I didn't like this episode so much with rewatching it now as I did when I first saw it. 'Old mellow Jack' was still fun to watch though. I did like that they actually built a set on one of Vancouver's beaches and with good use of some CGI they made it look quite 'Mediterranean'

Great moment playing on the confusion Daniel can generate for Jack.

DANIEL: Thank you.
(He looks around the temple)
Wow, this…place is incredible. It's like we just stepped into the citadel at Mycenae.
O'NEILL: Thought you said it was Greek?
DANIEL: Oh, uh…Mycenae was an ancient city in the southern Peloponnesus region.
O'NEILL: Where's that?
DANIEL: (with a slight smile) Greece.
O'NEILL: (shaking his head) Why do I do that?


RDA said it was an episode he remembered having fun doing.
(From the RDA panel report I wrote up to remember stuff from the Vancouver Gatecon 2008 Convention)

Q. What is your favourite SG episode?

A. “The next one”! For him memories are the experiences and not the titles. He went through acting out a period of thinking of his favorite episode, “hmm, oh yeah, nah, oh yeah”!

He enjoyed playing a “hundred year old man”. He was in makeup for 4 hours which was fun to start with but got a bit much after 5 days. He was sad that the episode got edited too much he thought, cutting out much of his part as the old O’Neill in it. He said with feigned outrage that “Glassner wrecked it!” He then asked the audience what the title of it was… ‘Brief Candle’ came a chorus of voices in return.

[Starscape91]

First of all Jack without his shirt awesome! This episode really showed how the Goa'uld don't care about their subjects. Also started the whole no eating anything, but rations offworld thing. Plus more Janet yay!

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

It looks like SG-1 visit this planet without sending a MALP through first! Very odd.

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

I can't say I enjoyed this episode all that much. Sadly lacking in the trademark humour, and overly cheesy with poor stereotype primitive villagers (only 3 of which were allowed to speak). They sure were quick to give up on their God, weren't they? - or at least, the one male character was allowed to speak was. Imagine if everyone in real life was so easy to convince!

Terrible opening teaser, hardly an exciting moment to leave us on. The woman is having a baby. Wow. It kind of set the mood for what I knew was going to be a difficult watch.

The cast extras were just as bad, one woman was just standing beside the fountain and dancing, no music, nothing. Looked ridiculous. The way the final shot of Jack froze just before the credits only lended to the cheesy factor, and reminded me of Quantum Leap or an old sitcom.

Old-age makeup never looks all that great, but this was probably one of the better examples and RDA gave a decent performance as the old man. The image of the rubber gloves distintegrating was really disturbing to me for some reason! I though that Sam would figure out that the things in the blood stream were nanites a lot quicker, it was the first thing that ocurred to me. They didn't exactly look natural, did they?

There was a very strange line from Teal'c: "What is a combination?". I didn't like that at all, just too unnatural.

There were a couple of moments here where Daniel removed his glasses in a very Clark Kent/Superman fashion! I was quite surprised at how readily General Hammond left Jack to die, it's quite out of character to how we come to know him. He didn't even want to say anything to Jack in the goodbye video message.

Rating: 4.5 out of 10

[Nindif]

I can't say I enjoyed this episode all that much. Sadly lacking in the trademark humour, and overly cheesy with poor stereotype primitive villagers (only 3 of which were allowed to speak). They sure were quick to give up on their God, weren't they? - or at least, the one male character was walk allowed to speak was. Imagine if everyone in real life was so easy to convince!

The cast extras were just as bad, one woman was just standing beside the fountain and dancing, no music, nothing. Looked ridiculous. The way the final shot of Jack froze just before the credits only lended to the cheesy factor, and reminded me of Quantum Leap or an old sitcom.

Old-age makeup never looks all that great, but this was probably one of the better examples and RDA gave a decent performance as the old man. The image of the rubber gloves distintegrating was really disturbing to me for some reason! I though that Sam would figure out that the things in the blood stream were nanites a lot quicker, it was the first thing that ocurred to me. They didn't exactly look natural, did they?

There were a couple of moments here where Daniel removed his glasses in a very Clark Kent/Superman fashion! I was quite surprised at how readily General Hammond left Jack to die, it's quite out of character to how we come to know him. He didn't even want to say anything to Jack in the goodbye video message.Rating: 4.5 out of 10

Came here to give my thoughts and read that you had more or less expressed them exactly for me (albeit a few edits ).

I'd also add i thought the job they did with the 'beach/lake shore' or wherever they were just looked horrible. I get the 'mediteranean' thing with the architecture and clothing and food, but the beach just looked dirty imo.

Having said that, and agreeing with what you said above though, i really enjoy this episode. For some reason I always rewatch it and consider it a strong ep from season 1 and i can't quite distinguish why.

I enjoy the story, the idea they were a science experiment, the make-up on RDA is great and he plays the part well and there are some generl good messages about enjoying life and following dreams etc

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

I agree with you that there is nothing wrong with the story of the episode, it's actually quite powerful. It's the execution which ruins it.

[hlndncr]

This is my least favorite episode of season one. The make-up, the cheesy dialog, Kynthia. (Man that woman must be desparate! She can't get any of the men in her village to take her so she tricks the stranger into "marrying" her and then continues to pursue him even when it's clear he has no real interest in her and he's becoming decrepit. The first, but not the last who probably wants his baby.)

As for Hammond leaving Jack behind, I think his actions were perfectly responsible and in character. As we've come to expect from him, he tempers responsibility with compassion. He can't risk another uncontrolled outbreak on the base (they barely got through the last one not so long ago); he has a responsibility to protect the rest of his people and the planet. But he still wants Sam and Janet to keep trying and running simulations with the computer and he appears to have authorized regular resupplies and radio contact with Argosia if Jack needs anything. It's not like he locked the address out of the dialing computer.

[Matt G]

And it was...another ep of SG1...and another one I haven't watched for ages.

1. OK...it was wierd that they ended the teaser with giving birth.

2. Didn't realise Jack would be in trouble till he hit the deck.

3. Baby growing up was seriously freaky first time round.

4. As was nanites eating through gloves.

5. Really had no idea how they were going to get out of this.

6. Can't say I really blame Kynthia. I mean a day = a year for her and she had no idea that the Tau'ri aged differently.

7. Thought the ending was a bit abrupt though.

Another decent ep.

[Noxbait]

Ok so this was only the second time I've watched this one. The whole beginning part was good. Humor, unexpected events, no sign of anything terrible to come! : )

First time we saw a page turning device!!! I couldn't believe it, I had totally forgotten about it. That was a cool touch and shocked me good. I thought it was interesting that Daniel kind of snipped at Teal'c for not telling him about the fact that he could read the symbols.

And oh geeze...our first look at the bane of the galaxy, nanites! Oy. Loved the part with Janet and Sam working on them and really getting their first taste of what these monsters are capable of. shivers. Here's one thing that IMO makes SG so great....the continuity (not that they always do a good job of course!) But it was cool that such a little "by the way" thing like the nanites would eventually become one of the greatest enemies they would ever face.

I did like Kynthia. poor thing, it blew her mind when Jack told her about how long life could be. What a shake up in her world view. She wasn't really being evil or anything, just operating by her customs. Which, btw...aliens need to POST SIGNS about such things! : ) Of course, an accidental wedding worked out fine for Daniel, but not so much all the time, eh?

So, not the greatest episode, but ok. Interesting plot and another good illustration of how evil the Goa'uld are and how far reaching their wicked plots and interferences were. I did love the gorgeous colors. Nothing drab about this village.

[chaddergate]

An okay episode, but doesn't seem as good, because of the 2 it follows: Cold Lazarus & The Nox. The nanites were creepy, especially when they they ate through Carter's gloves. The idea was a good one, but it didn't work out that great all together.

[DigiFluid]

Ahaha, watched this earlier--completely forgot that it had Gabrielle Miller in it