Shades of Grey (318)

[Chaka's_Mum]

i liked how they all were scared when the asgard were beaming things off the planet at the end i just though that was funny and at the end where jack went through the gate did he have a GDO just a question odd anywho

He had long sleeves on, so chances are the GDO was stuffed up his sleeve out of sight. I'd have to go back and re-watch the ep to see if he had sufficient time 'on screen' to actually transmit an IDC code, though!

[Fugazi]

He had long sleeves on, so chances are the GDO was stuffed up his sleeve out of sight. I'd have to go back and re-watch the ep to see if he had sufficient time 'on screen' to actually transmit an IDC code, though!

I suppose it is possible that since Hammond was in on the whole thing that he allowed Jack to take a GDO with him covertly. However, I think it's inferred more or less that due to the set-up being a collaborative effort among the SGC, Tollan and Asgard, that when the Asgard got the address and then went to go get their stuff, SGC knew somehow to expect Jack to dail home at that time. Possibly the Asgard called ahead. It seems we are suppose to know at that last scene in the gate room that they were expecting the rogue NID people to come through the Stargate, as there were plenty of SGC personnel there to arrest them all.

Anyhow, I love this episode. Easily in my top 3 favorites. But one thing that's been bugging me over the years: does anyone know what opera Jack's listening to?

[Zoser]

The opera is Pagliacci by Leoncavallo. The aria that you hear is Vesti la giubba. (To perform! ... Put on the costume) so it is very fitting for the scene. There are hidden depths to Stargate!!

[Fugazi]

The opera is Pagliacci by Leoncavallo. The aria that you hear is Vesti la giubba. (To perform! ... Put on the costume) so it is very fitting for the scene. There are hidden depths to Stargate!!

Wow. Thank you! I'm deeply impressed. I feared no one here could answer this. I'm a classically trained musician, but my familiarity with opera is limited to mostly German works. I know Fidelio, Wozzeck, anything Wagner....er, and the rest I'm just like, "Um, that's in Italian, right?"

Hidden depths indeed. I love that scene - it's excetionally well crafted, so I do not doubt that the choice of music was intentional. I suspect RDA himself was behind it.

[Chaka's_Mum]

I am also a classically trained musician. However my familiarity with opera is limited to Gilbert and Sullivan...(*ahem*)

[Harlan's Speechwriter]

I am also a classically trained musician. However my familiarity with opera is limited to Gilbert and Sullivan...(*ahem*)

I'm a classically trained instrumentalist and singer and was very impressed by the choice of music for that scene, even more so when I'd seen the outcome of the episode.

In the opera, Canio, a member of a troupe of travelling clowns, has found out that his wife Nedda has been having an affair, and must now go on stage with her and make people laugh. I forget the exact translation, but I think the first line of the chorus is something like "Laugh clown, though your heart is breaking". (It's a good opera, I'd recommend it - it's only one act, so is usually performed alongside Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, which is also very good).

This seems a very appropriate piece for Jack, who often seems to act the clown, but has deep feelings, just like anyone else. It's particularly appropriate here, with the 'act' that Jack is involved with.

I wasn't sure about this episode at first, as Jack's behaviour seemed so out of character. But once the truth was revealed, I was very impressed with how realistic the set up had been, especially between Jack and Hammond.

[Chaka's_Mum]

It's interesting - although what Jack did was so out of character, he's always been frustrated with the Tollan refusal to let us play with their toys, so why shouldn't he go that one step further and actually take something?

There was no reason why he shouldn't develop the same reasoning that led Colonel Makepeace to act as the 'inside man' for the Techno-nickers; particularly as the Tollan are just so damn smug about not giving technology to 'inferior' races. Being someone who tends to wear his heart on his sleeve a lot of the time, I guess it was even possible that he would be so completely blatant about it - yanking something interesting off the wall in front of his teammates as though in a fit of temper.

Fortunately, Jack has far more integrity than that - but it was a 'choke on the tea/coffee/aqua libra' moment, wasn't it?

[Harlan's Speechwriter]

I can see that. I think what made me immediately question Jack's behaviour was that it was so near the beginning of the episode; there was no build up, other than what we've seen in previous episodes with the Tollan, to explain his sudden actions. Also, he didn't really try to argue in the Tollan Council; that seems more like his usual style to me, rather than just marching out and stealing the device.

[talula]

I might be the most gullible person on the planet, but I didn't get what was going on until they actually told us. I was all "Why's Jack being so mean???"

I watched it the second time with my boyfriend and by the time Daniel comes to Jack's door he was all "He's pretending to find a mole or something." Seriously!

Because I was so very fooled, I was really upset by the scene where Jack says he's going to retire on that other world and never be able to return and none of SG-1 says anything about it while he's walking away. I mean, just the episode before Teal'c risked his life to dig through solid rock to get him out of there and Sam built a particle beam something-or-other to get him out of there. And no one is upset? It seemed to me the rest of the team wouldn't have been so accepting of all the change.

Eh, the Daniel/Jack scene at the end made up for it though. The foundation, it's all solid.

[Jumper_One]

I like this episode.. O'neill really does a good act in pretending to be all for taking what we need to protect earth... 9.5/10 easily..

I agree, he almost fooled me - almost! and I just loved his scenes with Maybourne, this guy's just great and they're hilarious together

[captain jake]

I agree, he almost fooled me - almost! and I just loved his scenes with Maybourne, this guy's just great and they're hilarious together

I agree Maybourne and jack work extremely well off of each other.

[VSS]

I might be the most gullible person on the planet, but I didn't get what was going on until they actually told us. I was all "Why's Jack being so mean???"

I watched it the second time with my boyfriend and by the time Daniel comes to Jack's door he was all "He's pretending to find a mole or something." Seriously!

Because I was so very fooled, I was really upset by the scene where Jack says he's going to retire on that other world and never be able to return and none of SG-1 says anything about it while he's walking away. I mean, just the episode before Teal'c risked his life to dig through solid rock to get him out of there and Sam built a particle beam something-or-other to get him out of there. And no one is upset? It seemed to me the rest of the team wouldn't have been so accepting of all the change.

Eh, the Daniel/Jack scene at the end made up for it though. The foundation, it's all solid.

I was totally fooled until SG-1 came through the gate on the planet where Makepeace was to make the pick-up. O'Neill's behind the rock with that single-lens field glass and all he's doing is checking out Carter.

So I thought, wait just a minute... didn't he chew her out earlier in the show? It didn't fit. But I have to admit I wasn't totally sure until the end.

As you can see by my nic, I've watched this ep a few times.

[Integrabyte]

I was totally fooled until SG-1 came through the gate on the planet where Makepeace was to make the pick-up. O'Neill's behind the rock with that single-lens field glass and all he's doing is checking out Carter.

So I thought, wait just a minute... didn't he chew her out earlier in the show? It didn't fit. But I have to admit I wasn't totally sure until the end.

As you can see by my nic, I've watched this ep a few times.

I was more shocked than fooled. He seemed to have this beep off attitude and to be frank Hammond let him do a lot do catch Makepeace and the gang!

[Teslan]

One of my favorite episodes from season 3, if not the whole series. Usually I like the team episodes the best, but this is an exception. While this one has a few terrific team moments, it really lets Jack shine. When I first watched it, I saw the teaser when Jack ripped the thing off the wall, and then someone had the nerve to change the channel. I was really miffed, and when we finally turned it back I think Jack had already left the SGC.

Having gone back and watched the whole thing a few times, I love the scene where they first come back from the Tollan homeworld. The whole team just looks so embarrased and ashamed of Jack, but if you notice no one gives him away. Daniel can hardly look at Jack, and Sam looks almost scared when General Hammond asks her directly, and I always wonder who would have spilled the beans if Jack hadn't stepped up and let them off the hook.

I figured it was some kind of covert operation, mostly because I couldn't see any other way Jack could be forgiven for such an offense, and you knew he had to be to rejoin the team. But I was at first surprised that the team didn't figure it out too. But then on the otherhand, Jack had always acted just crazy and jerky enough to set them on edge.

Maybourne and Makepeace were good, with Maybourne naturally jumping at the chance to get Jack on his side, and Makepeace was the perfect choice because he was such a hero. It didn't go against his character, I felt, because the only thing we had really seen from him before was a willingness to protect. Here he was doing the same thing, just taking that extra step.
And while some are suggesting Jack was watching Sam for other reasons, *hem* when I first saw it I was shocked because I thought he thought she was the mole. He knew Daniel wasn't, and if Teal'c were a spy he wouldn't be one for an NID offshoot, and of course Makepeace was an outstanding officer. He looked really surprised when it turned out to be him.

Even after knowing the end I still like the ep, because Hammond and Jack play the whole thing so well. Jack always acts a little childish, but in this one he is downright petulant, and Hammond sends him to the infirmary instead of the containment room. The reactions of the rest of the team remind of something off of Candid Camera.

This is really long, so just want to add that I liked the scene where Daniel goes to see him, and the earlier one where Sam tells him he isn't acting like himself. The end is the best part, because now it is Jack's turn to look a little sheepish when they explain to them that they got punked. And the last scene where they get a little of their own back is priceless, especially Teal'c, who just stands there and tilts his head.

[garhkal]

I like your reasoning, but i cannot see him thinking sam is the mole, especially with all they have gone through up to now..