There But For the Grace of God (119)

[garhkal]

I did find it strange that sam in that AU was not in the mil.

[SG1Member]

This episode has the distinction of having the longest episode title in the entire series. Fun fact!

[DigiFluid]

I never really understood why this episode is so popular. For me it's always been alright, definitely watchable, but nothing to write home about.

[chaddergate]

I loved this ep thought it was a great Daniel episode

Yes, ditto. Great setup for the end of the season.

[jelgate]

I find season 1 to be hit and miss. Their are some good ones but also thier are some bad episodes. Its one of SG1's weakest season. However I have always loved the 3 epiosde arc that leads into season 2. I wished SG1 had more mult-episode end of the season arc.

This episode's job is to set the setting of the arc which is as we know the Goa'uld coming to attack Earth. Its an interesting way of doing it. Instead of being told the Goa'uld are coming we are shown through an AU. Being an AU their is nothing really character ground breaking. This is more of an action episode to show what a Goa'uld invasion looks like. And in that frame I'm entertained especially because the characters are simliar enough to care when you see the AU SG1 die.

[Naomi]

Why would Teal'c have allowed Jack to play him a video in the first place? This challenges what we know about the Jaffa being shoot first talk later.

Jack almost immediately calls Teal'c by name, something Jack should not have known. That would pique Teal'c's interest. Jack is unarmed, so Teal'c could feel free to question him. For me, Teal'c watching the videotape isn't too much of a stretch.

It is very convenient they all agree to simply abandon their own timeline to save anothers. Obviously they are all good people, but it just seems to happen without too much debate.

Still, its a great episode.

Not many personnel were left to go through the gate to the Beta site. The Jaffa had overrun Cheyenne Mountain, so no one outside of the complex would even have a chance to go through the stargate. For me the biggest question at this juncture is why not use the last chance to dial out to go to the Beta site, taking Daniel with them. Daniel could gate to P3R-233, the planet where the mirror was found, from the Beta site.

Still, like you, I think this is a great episode. I think everyone did a great acting job. How they treat Daniel like a stranger while still maintaining the essence of their individual characters is done very well.

[garhkal]

This episode has the distinction of having the longest episode title in the entire series. Fun fact!

How much longer was it?

[Traveler Enroute1]

SG Rewatch episodes: 101 - 105, 106, 107, 109, 110, 111,112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119

There But For The Grace Of God

"Good morning, Campers!" A great Jack-ism opens this memorable episode.

The writing, direction and acting all came together to make this a stand-out episode. Not that we don't immediately see that something's really odd right away, of course. But what it turns out to mean was unexpected and an immediate attention grabber. There were so many note worthy pluses to this episode, I think I tried to name them all!

It managed to focus on (our) Daniel and at the same time spotlight the team. Shanks just kept getting better and better as he handled the misplaced traveler with convincing aplomb. The story opens with the team exploring an abandoned gate station, when Teal'c tells Jack the planet is booby-trapped.

Daniel grumbles and takes a hair too long to bug out (since Jack didn't bother telling him they were probably being irradiated) and pauses to examine an artifact. Something happens and when he calls for assistance he finds himself alone. Alone? The team left without him? Hmm. So grumbling again, Daniel dials the gate, steps through on the other side and meets deadly serious SGC security. The rides starts here.

There's a nice tweaking of the SGC 'reality' afoot. So much is the same: there's the SGC, gateroom security, and people. But then they aren't the same. Earth is under attack. Great hoot with Hammond being a colonel and not the general. Daniel's expression is priceless. I got his utter confusion and astonishment about his situation, and it was a convincing lead in. The nice writing and direction reveal that Daniel was in the Stargate's equivalent of through-the-looking-glass, nightmare version.

With Hammond as a colonel, guess who was general? Why, Jack of course. This more military, more focused Jack O'Neill is tough to watch, especially without his plethora of wisecracks. He's no less the dedicated commander and strategist, prepared to sacrifice for the sake of the planet. It makes his decision to agree to Daniel's request seem all the more questionable.

Being a realist, General Jack sees that their chances of escape from the invaders is pretty nil. Dr. Sam along with Katherine relay they will likely have only one shot at dialing out. Wouldn't that be the time to bail? Apparently, even in this universe Daniel's moral stance hooks Jack. In the face of everyone's expectations Jack chooses to help the other reality get a jumpstart on their similar fate. Hammond's dumbfounded expression says it all, Sam's a bit less but resigned.

I recall many mentions of this scenario. Why didn't they just dial their Alpha site and take Daniel, where he could THEN dial the planet with the mirror? Writer/director prerogative, I supposed. How much more dramatic if the SGC falls while the accidental alternate reality traveler returns to his universe and sounds the alarm? It worked well; lots of drama in the battle prep and firefights. But that little plot hitch just keeps nagging away at the other strong story lines.

A great undertone is set in the tense scene where Jack channels Daniel's earnestness in his appeal to the enemy, Teal'c. Teal'c actually listens to Jack even if he denies (as he should, in front of his underlings) that he craves freedom from the Goa'uld. The Jack we know is a man of few words, but General Jack spins his appeal out long enough (with his A/V aid) to allow their gate to get going. However he goes just a bit too far; mentioning Teal'c's family and Chulak shuts Teal'c down. And the Jaffa executes the man responsible for killing his family and others on his home world. Wow, that hit hard.

On the nicer side, Sam and Jack in the embrace that popped poor Daniel's eyes right into his glasses - priceless. Some things are indeed very different. Sam is a civilian, and has long hair, for example. Katherine is a part of the Stargate program and was instrumental in deciphering the gate symbols (instead of Daniel). Did I mention the Sam and Jack embrace?

Kudos to dear Don S. Davis as Hammond, giving the troops their last commands in their last stand. Solid military persona, worthy of a general. It's so clear that they will all perish in the line of duty, and spotlight Tau'ri courage. Saddened me even now to watch.

Thanks to the sacrifices of his alt-teammates, Daniel waits in the gate room while the chevrons light up his destination and Katherine makes her last stand. Enemy at the gates, as Jaffa besiege the blast doors and the computer counts down to self destruct. I felt Daniel's impatience as the gate turned ever so slowly! Wonderful goose-bumpy scene although Daniel's death is obviously not gonna happen. It's close though.

Teal'c, resplendent in ponytail/Mohawk and battle dress, makes it into the gate room just as the seventh chevron connects. There is a second of hesitation as he realizes this is the man the base commander spoke of, who knew another version of him. He raises his weapon and wings Daniel as he dives through the wormhole. Did he deliberately wound him, because he hoped the free Jaffa movement was true? Then, we assume, Teal'c dies with the other invaders in the explosion. Alas, not free.

Never forget the sigh of relief when we next see our SG-1 searching for Daniel. I was so sold.

This episode offered some neat intel to add to the Stargate universe, such as:

• As Dr. Sam explained, the Gate can't traverse alternate realities on its own, but they did learn that special technology can.
  
  
• First mention that the Stargate can't sustain an open wormhole indefinitely; Dr. Sam suspected it was around a half an hour.
  
  
• While not apparent until the sequel to this story, Daniel was fortunate to travel back to the correct start point. If the 'remote control' setting altered when it was caught in Sam's grenade (or by the Jaffa), he could have re-entered at another point.
  
  
• Loved the last shot of the Jaffa overrunning the control room as the final countdown continues. They are so toasted.
  
  
• The blast doors to the gate room looked very flimsy. They are definitely reinforced later.
  
  
• Still some tension between non-military Daniel as he comes up against Jack's orders. Jack is still impatient with Daniel's 'why?' when an order is given.
  
  
• Daniel's exchange with Katherine was classic. So were his bouncing hands as he did his sing-song story of who he was. And ooh, frustration dance! He almost seemed manic at times. Applause, applause to MS.

I considered this a major Stargate episode that promoted the show nicely. I totally bought Daniel's fear for his own earth when he's found huddled near the alien mirror. A kind of peek at what SG-1 the series could have been like; tightly focused, action/drama driven, Not as much fun, though. Kudos to director David Warry-Smith.

Rated: 4/5

[CMWriter]

Full review here...

It's unreal how much I loved this episode. I know, I probably say that a lot, but it was truly spectacular on just about every level. I love AU plots and while it's practically a staple of scifi (Star Trek, Fringe, etc. have all used it) that doesn't make it any less interesting. In fact, it's so vast in terms of story possibilities, it almost escapes the stigma of being a "cliche".

That said, I loved the possibilities of this episode, not because they didn't happen, but because they could still (in some ways) happen.

I know my review was kind of long but the gist of what I needed to say is in the "final thoughts" after the summary.

[moondragon]

Our first AU episode and what a fantastic one it was. There was plenty of action and suspense to have you on the edge of your seat throughout the whole episode. When we first realize that were not in Kansas anymore is when we see Hammond, and hes a Coronel! Daniel was definitely in for more shocks. He was never part of the original team, Catherine works for SG1, O'neill is a General and in charge of the SGC, and of course Sam and Jack being engaged. MS delivered an amazing performance throughout the episode. His frustrated dance and anxiety over not understanding where he is and what is going on was spot on. Then there is his plea to be allowed to return to the planet for the mirror so that his reality could be saved. Finally, his performance when finally arriving back into his reality was epic. You could feel the fear and desperation at the knowing that they would also be under attack in the foreseeable future.

[LT. COL. John Sheppard]

is was just watching There But For the Grace of God for the 27th time and why is it that every thing happens to daniel and not jack or sam or teal'c and why keep the same characters why not leave ra alive and not apophis the one they killed on the first mission to chulak instead of abydos

[Lunaeclipse]

is was just watching There But For the Grace of God for the 27th time and why is it that every thing happens to daniel and not jack or sam or teal'c and why keep the same characters why not leave ra alive and not apophis the one they killed on the first mission to chulak instead of abydos

I assume more things happen to Daniel because the others have military training and he really doesn't... and he has a certain curiosity that the others don't...

Re was killed at the end of the movie... as far as I am aware (Stargate movie commentary) the movie and series weren't made or written by same people, so the series had to follow where the movie left off...

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Ra was killed at the end of the movie... as far as I am aware (Stargate movie commentary) the movie and series weren't made or written by same people, so the series had to follow where the movie left off...

I think he meant why wasn't it Ra in the AU. Since the AU wasn't in the movie, the events of the movie didn't necessarily happen.

Seaboe

[Reseph(Shed)]

I think he meant why wasn't it Ra in the AU. Since the AU wasn't in the movie, the events of the movie didn't necessarily happen.

Seaboe

The events of the movie could have happened, but another doctor or person could have went instead of Daniel. Maybe Katherine was the one to go with them and figure the stuff out since Daniel turned her down in the AU. It would explain why she had more of a presence at the SGC in the AU (even if she was a bit older) instead of Daniel who was nowhere to be seen. RA could potentially (but I'm not sure of how likely) still have been destroyed if the others still went through the gate without Daniel, only certain things probably wouldn't have happened. Daniel would never have stayed with Sha're so when they all returned they probably had no reason to go back to Abydos. I still find it odd that somehow they managed to get the attention of Apophis and the Gao'uld in the AU so they must have encountered them somewhere. So much to think about lol.

[Reseph(Shed)]

Just a quick note for the people that "ship" Sam/Jack. Near the end of the episode we get a taste of this in this "Unrealized Reality" as us Farscapers call it.