The Other Side (402)

[asdf1239]

the eurondans underground city was bombed to destruction.

[Ragitsu]

the eurondans underground city was bombed to destruction.

That was a city?

[asdf1239]

perhaps not, but it held a far greater population in stasis.

[stargatelover4ever]

I was thinking the other day how much I miss SG-1. and how much a miss a Daniel/Jack argue.... so I decided to rewatch this episode love it every time!
and as much as they'd try to make O'Neill the military man type this episode proves clearly that he also has a great sense of morality. (When you stick around Daniel for so many years...)

[Girlbot]

This is one of my favorite episodes. I too liked the disagreements between Daniel and Jack.
The manner in which they led up to what the situation was really about was great. I cheered when Jack told them to close the iris and you heard the thump. Alar, evil incarnate.

[SantaSlayer]

This is one of my favorite episodes. I too liked the disagreements between Daniel and Jack.
The manner in which they led up to what the situation was really about was great. I cheered when Jack told them to close the iris and you heard the thump. Alar, evil incarnate.

I agree, love your sig by the way. You gotta love Summer Glau when she was played a terminator.

[maneth]

Great ep, loved the interaction between Jack and Daniel. What a bunch of evil *******s.

[Stargate SG1]

I saw the episode and I was unsettled by it. Mostly because of how irrational and immoral Jack acted. First, he was unwilling to learn the most he could about the situation. Then when he learned that they have previously attempted a genocide, he went insane, and became a mass murderer war criminal, without any consideration to the consequences or his role. Granted, they were bad guys, but he was playing God, and I don't buy how much Jack can decide the current generation of them are responsible for the crimes of "his father" or even if they have some responsibillity because they are basically the same regime and somewhat changed that he must interfere in such way. In other worse, just because they are war criminals that doesn't justify war crimes, at least without the most careful consideration over the circumstances and consequences to the ones affected. The Japanese in WW2 might had done terrible crimes, but that does not excuse destroying them.

Worst, Jack murdered their leader, a man that could help earth. In any case, Jack should have instead tried to get some technology out of them and then screw them. Also, Jack seemed to had been motivated by his own rage over being deceived, or maybe self guilt or doubt that seeing things clearly.

As for Daniel, he was right, but he could have been more tactful in where he made his arguments but overall Jack rarely displayed such inexcusable irrationality as in this episode and Daniel was in general quite rational.

Also I am surprised with the reaction to this episode and to Jack's actions. The man was irrational from the start till the end of the episode. He did not make a shift from immoral to moral, if anything he was always in various levels of immorality and irrationality, some more subtle than the other and his actions were not justified under the circumstances.

Personally I would have liked an episode where Jack would face a similar situation only now destroying completely the war criminals would been presented as the wrong choice.

This along with Jack allowing Neyrti to leave free, are one of the darkest hours of Jack, in terms of how wise his decision making process was. The moral thing in this case, as hard as finding a moral solution to such a problem, is to get what we could from them and stop cooperating with them or even try to influence them to change. (Considering we have what they need the most), although that would probably be fruitless. Instead I saw everyone of the current generation being condemned to death for their and their father's actions.

[FrodoFraggins]

7.5

This episode had a lot going for it, but the reset at the end was disappointing. Once again SG-1 is given the chance to get new technology and fouls it up so much that they end up with nothing. It's a tired formula devised by the writers to unnecessarily prolong earths relative primitiveness.

I found it too preachy as well. I don't think it would have been against O'Neills morals to bring the guy with him and imprison him. I'm not sure letting a man die, whether he deserved it or not, was really the moral thing to do. I think the episode would have been stronger without Odo begging to be taken along.

I also found Jack and Teal'c controlling the remote fighters to be a bit far fetched, there were certainly able bodied indivduals that would have been trained for the task.

[stupidoctopus]

Okay, so before I say anything, keep in mind that I have not seen past the episode "The Other Side" in season 4 yet. I just watched it, and had this weird revelation. If it's already been addressed, in the series or otherwise, please inform me.

So, when Alar reveals the defense generator, I had deja vu. After a few minutes, I remembered a similar, if not the same, generator from "Into the Fire" (s3e1) when Carter believes that there must be some huge generator to power a facility like that.

Not only that, but both are hidden behind walls that would otherwise seem normal, meaning that the thought process was the same in building them.

Here's a picture comparison:

"The Other Side"
http://i51.tinypic.com/ziu7wh.png

"Into the Fire"
http://i52.tinypic.com/2mmcqt.jpg

Notice that both also have what would seem to be a control module in the bottom center, on a catwalk.

Thoughts? Is this some weird connection, or did they run out of stock footage for generators?

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

One of Stargate's best episodes ever, and an attempt at a much more serious style of storytelling than we have seen before. It's genuinely disturbing in some respects and really puts several characters through the mill. The Jack/Daniel interaction is chilling, and Daniel's discussion with General Hammond is one of the highlights of the entire SG-1 series. Rene Auberjoinois is also on top form, and very well cast as he is just so difficult to dislike even when playing a racist warmonger.

The ending is quite unsettling. I love the look on Carter's face. It's a pretty extreme act for Jack to make, much of the episode pushes his character into a place we haven't really seen before, but RDA plays it very well.

The episode also looks amazing. Season 4 received yet another clear budget increase and this one is really atmospheric. I can't wait to listen to the commentary track on this one.

RATING: 9 out of 10

[garhkal]

It always bothered me we never saw any come back or ramifications for what jack did..

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

It always bothered me we never saw any come back or ramifications for what jack did..

For what Jack did? Jack told him not to follow. Rene's character knew about the iris. While Jack knew his advice would be ignored, he did what he should've by giving it.

Seaboe

[fems]

Plus he basically ensured another Hitler wouldn't get through the gate and make them all look stupid when the public would find out the truth about the man (had he come through and been received as an ally). If there were any consequences they were probably commendations.

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

Oh, I also noticed Mike Dopud appears again in this episode as a stunt extra. He's one of the big beefy guards towards the end of the episode that Sam has a fight with. Blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance!