Serpent's Song (218)

[Lunaeclipse]

9/10

It just isn't as big of a deal when you know Apophis can be resurrected.

I can think of several ways to protect them from the subatomic attacks, mainly be redesigning the gateroom to essentially "bury" it when they don't want any incoming wormholes.

I always thought this episode was focused a lot on showing you, not that Apophis could be dead, but to show the damage to the host mentally and physically...

[Lunaeclipse]

The highlights come from Daniel's scene with Apophis - which while very out of character for Daniel feels very true - and the few moments we get with Apophis' host. The problems come from Daniel's complete recovery and emotional reversal as the episode continues. The way Teal'c handles his former god does not work for me either, as it comes across as just plain spiteful and a little bit childish.

As far as Daniel being out of character... I never thought it was. He is angry at Apophis and it never really gets dealt with. He seems to keep it under his hat, until every now and then, when it manages to pop out (like earlier on when he shot the symbiote tank.) ...and if memory serves Apophis baited him a little bit.

[NowIWillDestroyAbydos]

Good episode (as in better than average). Apohis dies for the first time (of 2 on screen, I think).

This is Peter DeLuise's first directed SG-1 episode. I thought he did a pretty good job. That shot (pointed at Jack's back) from the other planet through the gate to the SGC was pretty interesting. As well as the shot with the defense teams traveling to the gate room.

Next week, some meh episodes leading up to the worst finale in franchise history.

[Krisz]

Hearing a Goa'uld speak honestly, probably for the only time in all of SG-1, when Apophis said he was afraid was a pretty good moment.

Really quite sad to see that scared lost host come out. Makes it even worse to think that the poor guy thought he was going to the afterlife to be with his family, only to have his nightmare start all over again! I reckon that's what everyone was thinking and why they looked sad when Martouf announced in a matter of fact way that Sokar would revive Apophis in a sarcophagus and continue the torment.

Still, I couldn't help feeling there was probably a little sympathy for what the symbiote would continue to suffer. It is this mercy that elevates the humans above the Goa'uld, and makes for a nice counterbalance for all the gloating and venting of anger and resentment on having their nemesis at their mercy. Interesting that the Tok'ra couldn't appreciate this side of human nature and wondered why they weren't glad that he deserved all that suffering for what he'd done.

[Nut_ty]

This episode, along with both "The Serpent's Lair" and "Secrets", shreds some light on the Gou'ld symbiote/host dynamic. First of all, we can see that something of the host does survive, contary to what Tea'c believes in COTG. It seems that, under extreme conditions, the host can repress the symbiote.

In "The Serpent's Lair" Skaara is able to suppress Klorel, and Korel later confesses that his host is very strong.

In "Secrets" not only is Amonet dormant, and Sha're is back to being herself, but Sha're is able to suppress Amonet twice in the Gate room.

There is a tendency to see the symbiote/host as being one and the same, but in this episode, we see clearly see Apophis' host after the symbiote dies. Daniel does the "last rites" for the host, and even Jack seems moved by the fate of the host. Then Apophis is sent back though the gate to be revived again.

Another Thought
In Daniel's conversation with Apophis, Daniel states that Apophis could have never loved Amonet. I believe that Apophis was, in some way, in love with Amonet. In the scene in "Secrets" where Apophis comes back to take Amonet back, you can see him wipe a tear off of Amonet's face, and he was gentle when he said "Let's go home my queen".

[dtheories]

The Carter's have Holy Hanna! Jack, and later Daniel, have Holy Buckets! So cute!

The effect of the Gliders around the 'gate offworld was pretty cool. Depending on one's perspective, of course.

And that's really what we were able to see in this ep: Fasier's concern is to keep people alive; Daniel's is his love for Sha're; Apophis wants freedom; Tea'c revenge; Jack to punish the Goa'uld for many crimes; Sam sees through the lens of a host; Sokar wants his property; the Tok'ra seek information, and Hammond acts as referee.

Things move very fast and opposite sides of coins are revealed showing that there are rarely easy answers when the penalty may be death. Perhaps no one changes his or her mind, but their perceptions are most assuredly changed.

[Matt G]

5pm...another ep of SG1...(and this ep comes before Holiday on my DVD!)

1. This was the first time I'd seen Apothis since "The Serpent's Lair", I was very surprised that that fallen glider pilot was him.

2. Don't think any of the guys acted out of character.

3. "Something of the host still survives" Yeah fine but that host was seriously old.

4. The "points in Time" series...that takes me 'way' back.

5. Any we have a new...rather impressive bad buy, and I seriously did think we'd seen the last of Apothis!

[Jae'a]

My LiveJournal post
Kind of a sad episode... that poor host of Apophis'..

[Skydiver]

I liked sam's angst and getting her insight in the goa'uld/tok'ra.
daniel gloating over pops....not so far fetched I think. Daniel isn't the altruistic mister goody two shoes that some think he is. He's human. And a human that lost the love of his life and he's pissed.

I did find it odd that marty didn't want to interrogate pops, or take him back...then again it also fits into the tok'ra 'non confrontational stab ya in the back' style.
I enjoyed this one just for the whole building block aspect. it's part of the show's large overall tapestry

[hlndncr]

This episode has all the ingredients to be fantastic, but I find it falls well short of that. Where it had the opportunity to deliver some real emotional punch and pivotal character development, it is instead reduced to various scenes of people discussing and bickering.

The highlights come from Daniel's scene with Apophis - which while very out of character for Daniel feels very true - and the few moments we get with Apophis' host. The problems come from Daniel's complete recovery and emotional reversal as the episode continues. The way Teal'c handles his former god does not work for me either, as it comes across as just plain spiteful and a little bit childish.

The main sticking point is that the episode doesn't really go anywhere. After a whole episode of apparantly "interrogating", we learn nothing. This was a fantastic opportunity to flesh out Apophis and give us some understanding, but he is kept as a very 2-dimensional villain. The way the SGC handles Apophis is just completely wrong, as they seem to spend more time leaving him alone instead of really grilling him. Where are all the people who would want a piece of him? Where are the NID? Why isn't Hammond making him a big priority? THIS IS YOUR BIG ****ING ENEMY, A GOA'ULD SYSTEM LORD. DO SOMETHING.

But, no. Let's just have Teal'c gloat a little bit and Daniel taunt him.

Sokar's introduction is pretty cool (I had forgotten he even existed), and the antagonistic nature of the Tok'ra continues to be challenging. The fact that Martouf is really likeable one moment and then turns rude and belittling the next is a clever device for us as viwers, as we are completely torn - much as the characters of the SGC on screen must be. I do like the fact that the episode ends on a sour note, leaving us with mixed emotions.

RATING: 6 out of 10

I pretty much agree with you here. I find this episode really boring because like you say it doesn't go anywhere (both literally and figuratively). It's a lot of standing around the SGC fretting and nothing is really learned or resolved. We get a little introduction to Sokar, who could have been so cool but he's killed off way too soon.

I do have a question, is this the only time (apart from that brief scene in Tok'ra 1) that we actually hear Lantash speaking for himself?

[Skydiver]

not the only time. but lantash does tend to stay in the background

[Lt.Colonel John Sheppard]

Gotta tell you, this is one of the few episodes where you see the team having opposite viewpoints of what to do about a certain situation. in this case, the certain situation has to deal with the captured of apophis and the moral dilemma is do we kill him? do we send him back to sokar? or do we try to heal him and try to pump him dry for information?

in this episode, we got to see Teal'c, Jackson, O'Neill and even hammond acting very coldly to apophis and i don't blame them. apophis has tuled over chulak for many years, he has attack earth twice, kidnapped skaara and sha're and turned them into goa'uld hosts, and for all intention purposes, been a proverbial pain in the neck for the past 2 years. We also got to see Janet making the moral choice of trying to save apophis. and then you got the tok'ra for all intentional and purposes want the team to get rid of apophis cause with apock-head there, earth is bascially painting themselves as a target.

overall very good episode.
RATING: 4.5/5

[jelgate]

I like this one a lot. Sounds almost like poetic justice to see Apophis suffer as he does. I just like seeing the darker side of SG-1 as they interrogate Apophis. They were so cold and joyful to see him dying. It may be realastic but still creepy as he dies.

The Sokar invading seems a little tacked on for tension and action and the resolution was a little contrived. Still it was a nice introduction for the new enemy and it shows a little about the Tok'ra and insight into how they combat the Goa'uld

[SaraBahama]

Daniel:
his reaction to Apophis is normal for a man seeking the protection and safety of his family. Had the host not emerged, even our mild-mannered Danield might have been tempted to exact a little 'persuasion' on Apophis to find out Sha're's location.

Teal'c:
he seems to be gloating, but honestly, isn't it due him...just a little? Evil vanquished, his people set free.

Sam:
How horrible to have Apophis suggest that she would make a good host for Sokar's queen...after her unwilling blending with Jolinar. She held it together in spite of the goading, and I was proud of her.

Jack:
"I should have shot him."
"that's between you and your god...oh wait! you ARE your god."
Obviously Jack doesn't want him here -I believe he feels the torment that Apophis brings to each member of his team, as well as the deaths that Apophis is responsible for.

Sorry I'm not more eloquent...too tired tonight.

[Starscape91]

In this episode we kind of got to explore the dark side of sg-1. You could tell that all of them wanted Apophis to die most of them wanted to be the ones to actually kill him. I think Janets the only one that actually cared if he lived or died.