A Matter of Time (216)

[The Stig]

This was good little episode. Dialling to a planet with a blackhole was a nice idea. It just shows us what the risks of using the stargate.

[suse]

This was good little episode. Dialling to a planet with a blackhole was a nice idea. It just shows us what the risks of using the stargate.

This is one of my favorite. Donut physics.

This ep had real heart. Losing the team - getting to know them thru stories, then Jack losing the man who used to be his best friend. What an impossible situation.

suse

[EvenstarSRV]

For the Challenge thread...

I just adore this episode, one of my all-time favorites. Just a great mix of humor, drama, sci-fi, and memorable beats between the characters.

Just a few highlights:

The opening scene between Jack and Sam is just cute, with him trying intently to understand and Sam's good humored patience in explaining wormhole theory. Great moment between the characters.

Another great moment between the two is Jack's reprimand of Sam when she wants to keep the wormhole open. To me, it shows the Sam character struggling to balance her scientist and soldier sides, where in the excitement of a new discovery she loses sight of the human cost. Jack appropriately calls her on it, and Sam's chagrin shows that she immediately regrets the suggestion. It's a subtle but I think important bit of development for Sam.

I also love the whiteboard scene with Sam and Teal'c. It's not overt, but I think it wonderfully shows the friendship between the two characters, with Teal'c offering what support he can to his stressed and tired teammate. These two didn't get enough scenes like this on the show, but when they did, like in Revelations, Paradise Lost, Heroes, and Ethon, they are wonderful.

I thought the relationship shown between Jack and Cromwell was really interesting and depicted well without devoting excessive screentime to it (unlike that guy from Evolution). I liked how despite Jack's dislike of the guy, he can effectively work with him to complete the mission. And while I don't think Jack entirely forgives Cromwell for leaving him behind, I think he comes to a better understanding of his decision since he's just had to face a relatively similar one with Boyd's team. Prioritizing the lives of many over the lives of a few. That can never been an easy decision to make, and I love how the show allows the seemingly hard-nosed, no-nonsense Cromwell to still show anguish over his decision regarding Jack. It sells the idea that he and Jack used to be best friends and makes his death a little more tragic.

Other great moments:

-Hammond's 'Relativity gives me a headache!'
-Janet's reaction to getting surprised by Cromwell and his men.
-Sam's dogtags getting pulled into the wormhole.
-Sam explaining her plan to Hammond with a donut. Food is such a great teaching tool.
-Siler's and Sam's reactions to the rope getting pulled horizontally into the gateroom.
-Poor Jack being told he's been on duty for two weeks straight.

[amconway]

You made me realize how much of this episode I've forgotten. It's not one of the ones that I pull out on a regular basis, but it's coming out very soon so I can notice everthing you've pointed out!

I also liked the relationship between Jack and Cromwell, getting more of Jack's backstory, and the way Cromwell was a fully rounded character. I have to disagree that the OC in Evolution got too much screen time. This may be because I enjoy that particular actors work a great deal, though.

Thanks for reminding me about this classic epidode!

[EvenstarSRV]

You made me realize how much of this episode I've forgotten. It's not one of the ones that I pull out on a regular basis, but it's coming out very soon so I can notice everthing you've pointed out!

I also liked the relationship between Jack and Cromwell, getting more of Jack's backstory, and the way Cromwell was a fully rounded character. I have to disagree that the OC in Evolution got too much screen time. This may be because I enjoy that particular actors work a great deal, though.

Thanks for reminding me about this classic epidode!

I've only seen Evolution once, so my memory is quite fuzzy on it. But the impression I got from it was the guy kept going on and on about the blown mission he had with Jack, and in the end it had no relevance to what was happening in that episode.

In contrast for me, the mission Cromwell brought up had direct parallels to what occurred in this episode, how hard it is to leave somebody behind even if it's the correct decision, and it didn't take too much exposition to get the point across.

But yeah, this is one of the episodes that made me sit up and really get into Stargate. I just love how the science is such a focal point, blackholes, relatively, etc and yet it's still awash in a variety of character beats that keep emotion in the story. I was also very impressed at AT's ability to deliver all that technobabble so effectively, it was a great showcase for Carter the scientist.

[amconway]

You're right that it didn't have the same direct connection to the plotline that the relationship between Jack and Cromwell had. It was just some very nice character work between two excellent actors.

Yay, scientist Sam!

[kennythewraith]

i really cant believe that this is the first review since april!lol anyway great review of a great episode.i agree with you about all the sam and jack moments and adding a charcter from jacks past was also enjoyable.i also think jack reaction towards having to leave his people behind was very well acted rda(as usual!)

[Crazedwraith]

A Matter of Time was always on of my favourites, in fact I think it was of the first sg-1 episodes I saw or at least the first early episode.

Anyhoo I recently re-watched it myself and I realised there are couple of things that in contrast with kenny. I don't like that much. Namely Boyd and Cromwell's respective pasts with O'Neill. The former I thought made O'Neill look slightly ignoble. I mean is the only reason he wants to go out and rescue this guy is because he helped train him? That's a little shallow isn't it?

And the Cromwell/Jack back story just seemed like padding to me. Something they put in to a) fill up time b) give RDA some proper acting to do, not necessarily because they episode required it but because his name is above the title and they felt obliged. Yes, they draw an obvious parallel with the black hole situation but it doesn't fly. Its literally impossible for them to rescue th SG team, whereas Cromwell made a conscious decision to abandon Jack.

Another thing that mildly confused me; Why are Cromwell's code entered on the SGC computer when he's not an SGC officer? Doesthe base have every ranking officer's codes in the entire military or something?

[Opener]

I thought of his code as being something the DoD uploaded to the SGC computers when his team got the green light to go in.

I really, really love this episode. What you've all said about Cromwell and Jack's history with and relation to him, and the Sam/Teal'c thing, is really amazing stuff. There are so many layers in this episode, it's crazy. Great bit of writing and production.

[Crazedwraith]

Except the reason they sent Cromwell in was because they had no communication with the SGC which kinda precludes them from uploading codes.

[EvenstarSRV]

Anyhoo I recently re-watched it myself and I realised there are couple of things that in contrast with kenny. I don't like that much. Namely Boyd and Cromwell's respective pasts with O'Neill. The former I thought made O'Neill look slightly ignoble. I mean is the only reason he wants to go out and rescue this guy is because he helped train him? That's a little shallow isn't it?

I took Jack's statement re Boyd as just one reason why he personally wanted to go on the rescue mission, rather than the only reason. But that is perhaps partly my projecting my view of the character onto the scene, since as written it does seem to be the only reason Jack pressures Hammond to authorize the rescue.

And the Cromwell/Jack back story just seemed like padding to me. Something they put in to a) fill up time b) give RDA some proper acting to do, not necessarily because they episode required it but because his name is above the title and they felt obliged. Yes, they draw an obvious parallel with the black hole situation but it doesn't fly. Its literally impossible for them to rescue th SG team, whereas Cromwell made a conscious decision to abandon Jack.

For the Iraq and blackholes situations, I focused on the decisions made and the people who made them, more than the details of the circumstances. In both cases Jack and Cromwell had to decide to abandon any rescue of the men left behind, and in both cases they seemed to feel a little guilty about it. It doesn't completely fly since, as you said, it seemed impossible to save Boyd's team. But then, perhaps it seemed as impossible to Cromwell to save Jack without sacrificing his own team in the attempt.

Another thing that mildly confused me; Why are Cromwell's code entered on the SGC computer when he's not an SGC officer? Doesthe base have every ranking officer's codes in the entire military or something?

I figured the Pentagon would have some non-SGC-based officers codes already in the computers for circumstances like this, where the base was presumed overrun by aliens and outside personnel were needed to come in and perhaps destroy the base. It'd then make sense for Cromwell's codes to work, since he was leading that strike force.

[Pic]

I also love the whiteboard scene with Sam and Teal'c. It's not overt, but I think it wonderfully shows the friendship between the two characters, with Teal'c offering what support he can to his stressed and tired teammate. These two didn't get enough scenes like this on the show, but when they did, like in Revelations, Paradise Lost, Heroes, and Ethon, they are wonderful.

I love going through this rewatch looking for interactions I didn't focus on when the show aired (especially Sam & Teal'c). It makes it all so much more enjoyable.

[Ulkesh47]

I also love the whiteboard scene with Sam and Teal'c. It's not overt, but I think it wonderfully shows the friendship between the two characters, with Teal'c offering what support he can to his stressed and tired teammate. These two didn't get enough scenes like this on the show, but when they did, like in Revelations, Paradise Lost, Heroes, and Ethon, they are wonderful.

Even "Space Race" has that "indeed" moment between them!

[EvenstarSRV]

Even "Space Race" has that "indeed" moment between them!

How could I have forgotten Space Race! Yes, that was a wonderful scene as well. 'I am in your debt Major Carter.'

I just really love how understated yet strong and tangible their friendship is, two people from vastly different backgrounds with little in common at first, and yet they not only work together well but also seem to really understand each other.

[rushy]

If anybody has watched the first Stargate movie the Stargate, and seen this episode then do you remember that during the black hole connection there was a tornado-like thing behind the gate. Similar thing was in Stargate movie