Icon (805)

[Madeleine]

I liked this one. It was thoughtful. It's about time we saw SG-1 having a negative effect on one of the societies they touch. It's something that's often brushed under the carpet. Remember Memento? "I believe in and follow the old gods," "They weren't really gods," "Oh. Want to look at my books?" That bugged me no end; so it's nice to have an acknowledgement that when SG-1 turn people's beliefs upside down there are ramifications. Even so I think to an extent it was a cop-out; I'd have liked more to see a story where SG-1 were really the cause of civil unrest rather than just the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Jack's approach to diplomacy is typically Jackish. It's interesting this season to watch him having to be the one who bites his tougue and makes friendly with the visiting dignitaries. There are edges in his voice that we who know him will pick up but that would be missed by new characters, and in Icon Teal'c is taking up some of the slack in terms of being directly critical in these sorts of negotiations.

The house in the country was beautiful, and the city design was good, but other than that I was disappointed with the design of the episode. Woudn't it be good to meet a reasonably-close-in-technological-development world where everything *isn't* just like America? Still, when the story's as decent as Icon it's easier to look past extraneous stuff like that. Cough*SpaceRacewasdire*cough

Good to see the team going offworld again. And I liked the preamble where the malp came through.

I agree that it's a bit of a cliche for the woman to get mushy over the man she's nursing back to health. But at least it was low key - no declarations of undying passion, thank goodness. I think the saving grace is that the woman *knew* it was a crush rather than True Love.

The OCs were okay (which for me is high praise for an OC). It had a nice Team feel, even though the team was split. Jack, Sam and Teal'c interacted well, and - wheeee! - seemed appropriately concerned and upset that one of their friends was missing.

[Albion]

I first saw this one from a dl net file and wasn't sure about it. So reserved judgement until I saw it last night in a slightly more detailed/clearer to watch format, in case my disappointment with it was more because of the crappy quality first time around, than anything else.

Not sure my opinion changed much. It was an okay episode. Daniel looked very cute and it was nice to see him have a lot of screen time. I just wish it could have been doing something a little more exciting and meaningful than standing around listening to people threaten one another or walking around talking politics in almost every scene.

As I think someone else said already, there were just too many scenes all the same for me - most of the planet scenes were boring and I felt no sense of moving forward or momentum as we progressed through the episode, no sense of pace or timing, no buildup to a climax or conclusion. It was very weirdly paced. Like a collection of scenes and then a very flat ending as though someone just got bored and thought, "Okay, let's end it here then, can't be bothered doing anything else with it."

There were moments I enjoyed. The 'squirrely' walk and talk with Daniel and Jack. The very subtle character interaction in the scene where Carter and Teal'c come back through the gate to tell Jack they've got nowhere with Soren. The very nice moment when the team came through the gate and Daniel took a moment to glance at Sam, waiting for her nod of permission, before answering one of the alien's questions. I thought that was a rather nice touch from MS. And some others here and there. But not enough to keep my interest or make this an episode I'll revisit frequently.

And I found the whole WWII atmosphere very weird. Where did those aliens get all those Earth weapons? And the whole French resistance riff - prepetuated by the clothing everyone wore - was very strange and off putting.

All in all - one of the duds this season for me, despite some nice moments. New Ground isn't a favourite episode either, but I think it dealt with the themes in this one a whole lot better and after watching Icon, I'm growing more fond of it!

Seriously, when Daniel talks to her outside and he reaches out to touch her face, she pulls away, instead saying she would talk with her husband.

Of course, playing devil's advocate, she doesn't exactly rush to disagree when hubby asks her if she's in love with Daniel. Personally, I found this strand of the plot just unnecessary and it just got in the way. Again, it seemed to have little coherence as we progressed through the episode, and didn't really seem to say anything important about the characters. And I agree with previous posters who long for this kind of episode (and not just in Stargate to be fair) to have a man and a woman meeting and cooperating together for a higher cause without one having a crush on the other. Please? Just once a little originality? Would be nice. I mean it is possible for a woman to nurse a wounded man back to health without her hormones driving her to distraction. No matter how hot he is with his shirt off.

Admittedly - playing devil's advocate in the other direction now - I think Daniel might just be an exception to that rule. He is very, very hot, after all. I think, personally, I'd just let my hormones run wild and to hell with it.

Albion

[Major Clanger]

Absolutely disliked this ep. It reminded me of others, which is not good (The Other Side handled this sort of conflict much better, New Ground is ok in a similar vein...)

I kept expecting the "resistance" guys to go up to the grannie's bedroom only to have her shout "ze nobs, zey are flashink" (only viewers of 'Allo 'Allo will get that one) and for a girl in a beret and trenchcoat to say "I shall say zis only once"

All in all it was pretty predictable. I'd preferred to have discovered that the religious fundamentalists were in the right, or that he was a goa'uld or something, anything other than the blandness we got.

Just as well Atlantis is on right afterwards...

[Terok]

An interesting episode, it dealt with a serious theme but I feel it needed to be longer to expand on some elements of the plot. There was a large scale war going on yet there was just no feeling as to how big it was, and in the end given that Sorens forces were occupying the city, Daniel and the other troops seemed to have no problem just walking into the city and the main command center.

[shelsfc]

I was thinking from the spoilers "Oh good, a planet of the week episode, I've missed those..."
It reminded me of sort of a cross between The Other Side, New Ground and any episode involving politics on Kelowna...

Good episode, but very serious.
A little disturbing to think that could happen just by going through the gate - or that something like that could happen here....
It was different to see 'our heroes' causing such devestation. I mean they've shown SG1 getting it wrong before, but they've managed to fix it, or if not, it's never been quite on this scale before.

The Daniel/Leda/Jared love triangle....okay, so it wasn't exactly a love triangle, but it did feel a little bit soap-ish. There was a moment or two that it felt a bit like Pearl Harbor...but I love that film, so I don't mind that!

Actually, this episode could have been a film if it wasn't part of a tv series, if that makes sense. There was a lot going on, and a lot of different levels of the story, IMHO the plot would make a good film.

And as a bonus for this episode...wasn't Daniel looking fine!

[Crazedwraith]

Excellant episode. Liked Daniel (not in THAT way, i'm a bloke and not a slasher) liked Jack and most of all I liked teal'c firing a P-90 one-handed. Did any one else want to see him just walk round the corner and mow everyone down with a P-90 in each hand while the fundies old-fashioned rifle bullets just smacked into his kevlar? I wonder why he no longer uses his staff.

[aschen]

Anything was better than "Avatar." This wasn't bad at all.

[NightGloom]

I thought this episode was OK the first time I saw it, but then I fell asleep watching it last night. Maybe it's just because I saw it only a few weeks ago, although it was pretty confusing the first with all of the random flashback things.

[Livi2Jack]

I liked Birthright. It was rather original, especially in the sci fi universe. Could have done without Jack's crude remark requiring a power bar to shut him up.

[LMichelle]

I agree it wasn't a romance between Leda and Daniel. Her husband was away and she had become lonely and taking care of Daniel filled that void in her life. There might have been a small attraction. I mean, he was shirtless in bed and Leda is a woman.

Seriously, when Daniel talks to her outside and he reaches out to touch her face, she pulls away, instead saying she would talk with her husband. He also wants to say good-bye to her, but she rebuffs his efforts towards the end of the episode.


Lisa Michelle

[Dani347]

I liked this episode. Team working together to find one of their own, and one of their own never giving up hope, and using what he knows about Jaffa battle techniques (which I assume he studied with Teal'c) and linguistics to send a message. Had Jack showing concern. So, I haven't read the whole thread but just putting in my opinion that there's at least one (maybe more?) who liked this episode.

And, I didn't see it as romance between Leda and Daniel. She wasn't in love with Daniel, she was just lonely because Jared had become distant. She was just responding to Daniel as a nice person that she could talk to. I don't think there was any love or sexual attraction (besides noticing that Daniel's one good looking man)

[Ugly Pig]

Total crap, just as bad as season 7's birthright.

You know, for everyone who didn't think 'Birthright' was bad, that is not going to mean anything...

[Replicarter]

Total crap, just as bad as season 7's birthright.

[Bobthespirit]

Oh, and the reason they showed the bad guy diplomatic courtesy is that they were trying to talk him into forking Daniel over.

Killing a leader doesn't necessarily decapitate a movement. It would have resulted in more violence, and if Daniel were their captive it would have resulted in Daniel's killing.

[Bobthespirit]

I read a Gateworld thing about how the producers, in considering whether or not to renew Stargate SG1 to season nine, were worried about beating a dead horse, and considered maybe wanting to go out strong.

I don't know what they're talking about. The show isn't getting repeatetive. I mean, they've never done an episode of SG1 before where SG1's arrival on a new planet caused civil unrest because of religious schisms. Except of course for New Ground. ..And Memento.