SG Rewatch episodes: 101 - 105, 106, 107, 109, 110, 111,112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120
Politics
Commonly referred to as a 'clips' episode, this one was comprised of early scenes from the series, condensing lots of good action sequences to illustrate SG-1's previous missions. Mostly, though, this is 'bridge' episode, tying the previous one to the next one, and a well made bridge it is.
Daniel's return from the alternate universe has coincided with some dire goings-on between the SGC and the government. Here's where that oddly placed scolding from the Pentagon man (in The Nox) ties in. Although in agreement with the SGC, Washington sends its big guns down to get a first hand look at the Stargate program and the team finds itself under very unfriendly fire.
Yet another earth-side thorn for the SGC, the pompous Senator Kinsey makes his insufferable debut. Bolstered by reports from the yes-man, Col. Samuels (Sam is very unimpressed by his promotion), Kinsey is all set to dismantle the program. Samuels' sour views on the missions seemed to make Kinsey overflow with malice and self-important bluster.
I always think of this episode as most memorable for the stand-off between Jack and Kinsey. Here's the man's man of military men, Col. Jack O'Neill in dress blues and medals so numerous they take up one whole side of his chest, whose poker face is second only to Teal'c (oh, and maybe Hammond) squaring off with a politician with delusions of power.
Opposing him is someone we immediately see is a puffed-up government persona, armed with a biased opinion of a scientific and extraterrestrial operation he's only read about. Oh, and who holds the keys to the bank that funds the SGC. Kinsey presents the confidence of someone with solid support for his views and any actions he might take. This, however, doesn't include the President of the USA, who wouldn't let him pull the plug unless he saw the program in person.
Just what was Kinsey's real beef with the program? He obviously read the reports that showed the menace waiting beyond the earth's little corner of the sky, but his heart is curiously hardened toward seeking solutions. Was he blinded by his jingoism? Or was he set on scoring some kind of notch against his very independent superior, the President?
In any case, his blithe assertion that the Goa'uld couldn't be so bad if SG-1 constantly bested them really upset the team. If Samuels and Kinsey couldn't get the dire peril SG-1 went through to make it back alive, then they clearly didn't want to get it. In effect, he was telling SG-1 that they did too well in surviving so there wasn't any need to worry.
A tense episode with some very solid, if inconclusive, arguments put on the table regarding the potential harm of Stargate travel. Threats from a plague (two plagues: The Touched, and the aging nanites), and Goa'uld were hard to dispute. But they did bring back useful intel on a powerful enemy. The Goa'uld weren't gods, didn't use magic or any supernatural means to dominate other worlds. More importantly, they could be killed with the right weapon.
As the team pointed out, the Goa'uld didn't even have to send an invading army, just torch the planet from orbit. Gate travel was still the best way to find weapons to use against them. No go; Kinsey flatly bulldozes their first hand experience. Daniel then discloses his recent trip to an alternate reality and the threat coming earth's way. It’s pooh-poohed; Kinsey departs in a huff having been confronted with Jack's battle persona. And when Samuels tries to have the last word, he's thrown out by Hammond in an unusual emotional outburst.
The episode closes on the fate of the SGC - it's shut down. A touching moment when the team gazes through the control room onto the quiet Gate, their one hope of defending the planet. Sad indeed.
I remember thinking as the final scene faded: what a lunk head! A typical desk jockey with power he inevitably used the wrong way. A well done earth side conflict that had no predictable conclusion for me, except that the team would prevail somehow. Good cliffhanger.
Other stuff:
Rated 3/5
Politics
Commonly referred to as a 'clips' episode, this one was comprised of early scenes from the series, condensing lots of good action sequences to illustrate SG-1's previous missions. Mostly, though, this is 'bridge' episode, tying the previous one to the next one, and a well made bridge it is.
Daniel's return from the alternate universe has coincided with some dire goings-on between the SGC and the government. Here's where that oddly placed scolding from the Pentagon man (in The Nox) ties in. Although in agreement with the SGC, Washington sends its big guns down to get a first hand look at the Stargate program and the team finds itself under very unfriendly fire.
Yet another earth-side thorn for the SGC, the pompous Senator Kinsey makes his insufferable debut. Bolstered by reports from the yes-man, Col. Samuels (Sam is very unimpressed by his promotion), Kinsey is all set to dismantle the program. Samuels' sour views on the missions seemed to make Kinsey overflow with malice and self-important bluster.
I always think of this episode as most memorable for the stand-off between Jack and Kinsey. Here's the man's man of military men, Col. Jack O'Neill in dress blues and medals so numerous they take up one whole side of his chest, whose poker face is second only to Teal'c (oh, and maybe Hammond) squaring off with a politician with delusions of power.
Opposing him is someone we immediately see is a puffed-up government persona, armed with a biased opinion of a scientific and extraterrestrial operation he's only read about. Oh, and who holds the keys to the bank that funds the SGC. Kinsey presents the confidence of someone with solid support for his views and any actions he might take. This, however, doesn't include the President of the USA, who wouldn't let him pull the plug unless he saw the program in person.
Just what was Kinsey's real beef with the program? He obviously read the reports that showed the menace waiting beyond the earth's little corner of the sky, but his heart is curiously hardened toward seeking solutions. Was he blinded by his jingoism? Or was he set on scoring some kind of notch against his very independent superior, the President?
In any case, his blithe assertion that the Goa'uld couldn't be so bad if SG-1 constantly bested them really upset the team. If Samuels and Kinsey couldn't get the dire peril SG-1 went through to make it back alive, then they clearly didn't want to get it. In effect, he was telling SG-1 that they did too well in surviving so there wasn't any need to worry.
A tense episode with some very solid, if inconclusive, arguments put on the table regarding the potential harm of Stargate travel. Threats from a plague (two plagues: The Touched, and the aging nanites), and Goa'uld were hard to dispute. But they did bring back useful intel on a powerful enemy. The Goa'uld weren't gods, didn't use magic or any supernatural means to dominate other worlds. More importantly, they could be killed with the right weapon.
As the team pointed out, the Goa'uld didn't even have to send an invading army, just torch the planet from orbit. Gate travel was still the best way to find weapons to use against them. No go; Kinsey flatly bulldozes their first hand experience. Daniel then discloses his recent trip to an alternate reality and the threat coming earth's way. It’s pooh-poohed; Kinsey departs in a huff having been confronted with Jack's battle persona. And when Samuels tries to have the last word, he's thrown out by Hammond in an unusual emotional outburst.
The episode closes on the fate of the SGC - it's shut down. A touching moment when the team gazes through the control room onto the quiet Gate, their one hope of defending the planet. Sad indeed.
I remember thinking as the final scene faded: what a lunk head! A typical desk jockey with power he inevitably used the wrong way. A well done earth side conflict that had no predictable conclusion for me, except that the team would prevail somehow. Good cliffhanger.
Other stuff:
- Daniel drops the fact that Sam and Jack were engaged in the other universe.
"Let me get this straight. Engaged?" Jack asks, indicating Sam.
"it's theoretically possible,” Sam said, straight faced.
”It’s against regulations!”Jack exclaims in shock.
”I’m talking about the alternate reality,” Sam replied, this time a little bit self consciously.
As mentioned on the board, the timing and manner that RDA and AT play off each other is often magic. Jack looked so much like he was trying to picture such a scenario, while Sam did her best to try to skip over it. Classic play.
- Kinsey casually posits that earth could just send out fighters to knock out the Goa’uld ships.
”Yeah, we’ll just upload a virus into the mothership.” Daniel said dryly.
- More references to The Wizard of Oz when Daniel relates his ’trip.’
”And you were there, and you were there...”Jack quips as he points to each team member.
- Hammond’s outburst at Samuels was very telling. Here was a seasoned military man ready to retire until the SGC program was reopened. This would have resulted in that retirement but it didn’t please him, not this way.
Rated 3/5
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