Prodigy (419)

[Hex.FTB.enabled]

This episode was in the mental shrug category for me. I mean, killer fireflies aren't going to inspire untold horror, but I thought the introduction of Hailey was nice. I would've liked to have seen more of her after Proving Ground. But I agree, the commentary makes this episode a step better by itself. The theme song is hilarious!

[shinyredpants]

i like hailey, she's a brat but ehh...i dunno...she's pretty cool!

[Beatrice Otter]

Hmm. Guess I know what I'll be doing tonight, now. Then I too can be driven mad by it being stuck in my head!

I have to agree that Hailey's a bit of a brat in this ep, until she realises that there is some potential for her in the military. Just before Sam offers her the chance to visit the SGC, she seemed utterly disillusioned with the Air Force. I can't help wondering if she joined up only because her family had a tradition of serving in the USAF (not too dissimilar to the circumstances that directed Sam towards a military career). Having the twin disadvantages of a complete ignorance of US Military career options, and the intellect of a small mollusc, I had always assumed that those who actually have great scientific minds usually end up in academia.

It depends on the field. And the era. And the temperaments of those involved. And a lot of other stuff. Forex, people who really want to serve their country will tend to gravitate towards the military, as will those who can't afford to pay for a top-notch schooling on their own. In times of conflict, the former category is naturally larger than in times of peace. However, academia does have a strong pull in that you have more freedom to research what you want to research (within the limits of what you can get grant money for) and that if your research has commercial applications, you will make a lot more.

Given that, there are simply some fields that the military is the only game in town for. Example being a friend from High School who is now a naval officer. He wanted to be a nuclear engineer. Well, the only place you really can be one nowadays is in the Navy. He's an assistant to one of the top reactor designers in the world. Chances of him leaving the Navy in the forseeable future? Zip, zilch, nada.

[Chaka's_Mum]

Thanks for the clarification - I should have guessed that this would be the case after seeing all the recruiting adverts here in the UK for the Army and Navy. I haven't seen that many RAF ads on TV for some reason; maybe they're turning would-be pilots away at the doors or something.

Pretty much all of these ads tend to focus on the techie boys with the computer/analysis skills. What you usually get in the ad is some squaddie sitting in a field in full combat gear saying he couldn't do his job if they didn't do theirs. Navy ads are a bit sexier, with choppers and speedboats catching criminals and stuff.

Not being from a military background, it's easy to forget just how much technology is employed in the forces these days!

Drifting back to topic, I loved the way that Sam dealt with Hailey's issues over being constantly compared to the 'Great Major Carter'. She really did need to have someone tackle that chip on her shoulder - preferably with some nice little home truths. Nothing like a bit of stick with the carrot!

[SmartFox]

At first, Haily was annoying to me, but when she reappeared in S5 as a recruit, she was a good character Those little 'glowy' things pack a punch.

I liked Haley in Recruit (i saw that first) but in this i didn't like her at all.

Also after just seeing this i'm going to disagree with some people who think that these bugs are

Spoiler:

the same as the bugs in Defiant Ones. If you notice these bugs go through stuff.

[fair_nymph]

This was the first episode I ever saw of SG1 -- maybe 5 years ago? So probably when it first aired. It was weird watching it again, now that I've been watching the entire show from the very first episode.

I like Hailey's character -- obnoxious but brilliant. Sam and Jack just need to take her down a few more notches...I particularly liked having a younger person involved though, someone I could relate to more (esp 5 years ago when I had just graduated high school).

Sam was great in this overall -- I liked seeing her in a more academic realm.

[valaCB]

I like the epi but only the planet part with Jack and Teal'c and then sam and Hailey.
didn't like the scene with Sam at the beginning....boring! but i liked the scene with Jack and Hemilton...lol. Jack is funny

[Chaka's_Mum]

I like the epi but only the planet part with Jack and Teal'c and then sam and Hailey.
didn't like the scene with Sam at the beginning....boring! but i liked the scene with Jack and Hemilton...lol. Jack is funny

Oh yes indeedy. Hamilton is a bit of a berk, after all - what with all that 'I'm the chief scientist so I should be in charge' thing. Makes you just itch to take him down a peg or two, doesn't it? Not to mention all that objecting to having a military escort. Where does he think he is - the local park?

The nice thing for Jack is that jerking Hamilton's chain is just so incredibly easy. All he's got to do is act up to the 'dumb military bozo type' image that Hamilton's more or less projected onto him, and voilá! Wound up scientist!

It's just a shame that it needed the death of one of his colleagues to prove Hamilton was wrong to be so complacent about their surroundings.

[QuiGonJohn]

I liked when Hamilton makes the crack about Jack polishing his M-16, and Jack overhears it and tells Hamilton, actually it's a P-90.

Anyone else realize this episode was completely void of Daniel.

Are there other reasons to listen to the commentary, besides the theme song, (which was prettty funny).

[Chaka's_Mum]

I like Hailey's character -- obnoxious but brilliant.

Obnoxious! That was the word I was looking for!

[Tara]

I just saw this episode for the first time, and really loved it. It's great to see the interaction between Carter and Haley. Haley is obnoxious to Carter but Carter doesn't see it as a threat. She takes an active role in mentoring Haley, and Haley respects her for it. I like that Haley is smart and competent, and proud of herself, and while she learns some lessons in the episode, she's allowed to stay that way. Even in Proving Ground she retains that kind of confidence that we don't really get to see in most female characters because it is too close to arrogance, which is considered horribly unattractive in women even if McKay can carry it off.

[Chaka's_Mum]

It's fascinating to watch just how obnoxious Haley is - not just to Sam, but to pretty much everyone around her.

There's no doubting her supreme braininess - just from watching her spot that mistake in the huge whiteboard-full of gobbledigook you realise that she's someone pretty remarkable (fortunately, for the rest of humanity, Sam then goes and points it out to us and explains why it's such a fundamental mistake). Unfortunately, this brain is so heavy that she appears to require a massive chip on each shoulders to support her head.

Mind you, if you were being continually compared to some former Paragon-Cadet-Of-The-Past, wouldn't you feel a bit peeved? Unless you were scoring better, of course...

[Perriman33]

She could have been McKays long lost relative! She was so similar to him in certain ways. (I think he's a bit young to have a lovechild)
She did a good job of getting on our nerves at the start...ok and the middle but by the end I was warming to her, I was hoping at the time that they would include her in more episodes,because her and sam were good together.

[Stricken]

Good episode which introduces Haley, however there is a major goof when Sam and Haley go through the gate its Sam Haley when they come out its Haley Sam!!! Peter Deluise takes full responsibilty so shoot him not the messenger!!! lol

[walter_MacChevron]

HEY SGC!!!!! Number one is when Teal'c and jack are fishing!!!! LOL, anyways I thought this episode was pretty good, IMHO