Prometheus Unbound (812)

[Bandersnatch]

Oy,

Did anyone else feel like they were watching a scene from an Austin Powers movie at any point during this episode? I don't know why -- it's the first thing that came to mind when Vala and Daniel started fighting. Anyway -- here are my thoughts on "Prometheus Unbound"

* The opening with Jack and Daniel is cute (best part of the show, for me anyway). I love RDA's hair this season -- short, spiky, distinguished

* Seeing Hammond again was nice -- though he had a notch of arrogance to him. Granted he is a 3 star general now, so maybe that comes with the territory

* The woman with the hiccups (I know the character's name but I don't want to butcher the spelling so I'll leave it out) -- holy Hannah -- now was she put in for a reason, or just because they were running out of ideas for casting? Yeah, when Walter discreetly moved the water towards her was good, but after that, sorry TPTB -- it just wasn't funny to me

* Speaking of Walter, when did he learn how to drive Goa'uld ships? Did he study to be a Goa'uld pilot in between locking chevrons? I mean I loved seeing him in an active role -- it's just ... how and when?

* The whole Daniel being a sarcastic, eye rolling, head crushing (yes, that did get a laugh out of me though) just felt forced. I've read that Mr. Shanks has a sense of humor like that, but during the show, it just felt forced. He needs someone to "play" off of, that's why I think him and Mr. Anderson complement each other so well.

* The episode had an all around hollow feeling to it. I know TPTB get frustrated when fans say to write "team episodes" and that they like to branch out once and a while to expand on a character. I hate to break this to TPTB, but, the show is called Stargate SG-1. It felt very empty with just Daniel running 85% of the show. Yes, he is part of SG-1, and Jack was tossed in for an entire 3 minutes. Hammond -- well -- he kinda counts, but I'm still feeling a little put out by the arrogance portrayed. Where were Sam and Teal'c? I knew they weren't going to be in the episode, but why? Whenever a character was missing from a show before, we knew why up front. (For instance, Jack was missing from Nightwalkers because of the Antarctica bug).

* And for those people who looked at this episode as a "funny" show, okay, I'll give it to you. I did laugh, but not like I did for Window of Opportunity, Urgo, Wormhole X-Treme, and The Other Guys. There was humor -- there is in all the shows -- some more than others. This one just felt like an opportunity to drop in a sex innuendo dropping alien, and set up the character to take AT place for the start of season 9 (which I still can't believe TPTB actually are doing).

Well, I'm sure I've cheezed some people off by what I've said. But, as Daniel would say: "I'm sorry, but that just happens to be how I feel about it. What do you think?" I guess I'm not thrilled with the episode, but you can't win them all. At least I got to see the MacGyver DVD commercial a few times...

[LMichelle]

I loved it! I thought it was funny -those fight scenes between Daniel and Vala. She really did like to use violence didn't she? I'm sure MS and CB had fun doing those.

Loved the Hans Olo bit. "But you're very attractive." LOL!

Yet again, Daniel loses his glasses, but continues to see. *rolls eyes* I don't think zatting would make one's glasses fall off.

And, of course, Daniel's choice of wardrobe pleased me. I'm sure it was meant to make the fangirls happy. *fangirl squee*

[Skydiver]

ETA: It also helps to have a glass of wine (or *ahem* two) when you're watching these type of episodes.

yeah, and i usually do, especially when it's a daniel episode.

Usually, Daniel centric episodes are angst ridden, and to me, over acted dwama plays. (i cringed my way through lifeboat and couldn't even stand to watch the commentary...MS may have done a good job acting but the episode in general is just cringe worthy....and if i watch need, i fast forward through at least half of it, the same with legacy)

I just didn't feel like opening a whole bottle of wine last night.

I think i'll plan accordingly for threads though

All in all, PU was fun in a way. I much prefer the romp aspect than i do the chewing the scenery angst we usually get....i just get tired of everything getting dumbed down to sexual innuendo and slapstick.

THen again, i'm not the demographic TPTB are pandering to, i'm not an adolescent boy.

I will admit, the prospect of 5 episodes like Lifeboat or Orpheus was definitely scaring me for the early part of s9, and if they're like PU....well they're not exactly going to be stellar but at least i'll get a giggle out of thier juvenile antics

And i agree with the person questioning vala's motives/story
the chick was one lie after another. she'll say/do whatever it takes to get whatever she wants. Maybe she was supposed to be like Aris Boch in a way...but at least Aris had some redeeming traits...vala has nothing other than it being funny to watch a girl beat the snot out of daniel

After five episodes with her i have to wonder if daniel will survive...or maybe they'll just do what she wants and have a little horizontal mambo and get it out of thier systems

[Skydiver]

Of course this assumes that Vala was telling the truth.... I don't think we have any reason to believe anything she told Daniel.

exactly. vala is nothing but a manipulative witch. she'll say/do whatever it takes to get whatever she wants

and hey, maybe you don't need naqahdah to use that healing thingie. After all, it's just the Canon's ring from 'Demons' (gratuitous plot recycling) and since the canon didn't have a symbiote (until the end when the one from the unas went into him) he didn't have naqahdah in his blood so i would presume anyone can use it

[Daniel's Sister]

Personally, I don't see how anyone can trash this ep. It was so funny.The beginning was funny, When Daniel and Vala was fighting was hilarious, had me and my bro rolling on the floor laughing so hard! And, the writers kept you geussing the entire time. I don't know which one was better, Gemini or Prometheus Unbound. They were both great!

[keshou]

I just didn't feel like opening a whole bottle of wine last night.
I think i'll plan accordingly for threads though

I'll definitely have some wine on hand - although maybe for different reasons than you.

THen again, i'm not the demographic TPTB are pandering to, i'm not an adolescent boy.

Nor I. In fact I'm feeling older by the minute as I've watched the show this year. However, I think Vala has a lot of potential. She's not boring, first of all, and there's a lot of room to flesh out an interesting backstory. Everything Vala said could be a lie. Claudia Black is a good actress and her striking looks and accent bring a real exotic quality to the show.

If they dig a little deeper and there's a real person under there I can see her as an intriguing addition to the show for a five-episode story arc. I loved Aris Boch and think Vala could be a very similar character once we find out her real story. It make take a lot of digging though.

I really don't want Vala to be all about the sexual innuendo stuff. I'm hoping that's just a bit of bravado and a style she's adopted to manipulate people.....that she's actually not interested in having sex with every attractive man who crosses her path.

I adored the way they wrote Chianna's sexuality as part of her character on Farscape but that's not Stargate's style. A one-off episode is fine but five episodes of that would get really old.

[LostGodAnubis]

This episode was kinda a joke....it seems to me the episodes now are turning into...little to no story plot and just thrown together, ya were gonna use her later so lets make something pointless(since u know the ship wasnt gonna make it to atlantis)

the story line was weak, the action beyond jackson n her was something you find in junior high crack land...

Altho...to be honest, it was better than gemeni but it doesnt bode well for the rest of whats going on. It seems the writers are getting lazy

[Beeblebrox]

The ep was also very TNG derivative. Vala is just another version of Vash, the Picard love interest in ST:TNG. Daniel found himself in a situation very similar to Picard in "Starship Mine" where he is marooned on his own ship during the process of a Barium sweep and has to take the ship back by himself. Maybe others can identify other favorite Trek storylines plagerized in PU.

[Jolinarsam]

At the start of this episode I was thinking well this will be a nice quirky ep. Then that hiccup girl showed up and I started wondering what show I was watching. It was just....freaky. The whole tone of the episode was not Stargate at all. I kept wanting to go back and see what crazy person wrote this ep.

Even though it was odd, I thought a lot of it was hilarious especially the Danny whumping. Also loved the line from Jack when Daniel says he'll quit and he goes "Why don't you try holding your breath. You haven't done that in a while" Hammond sounded like he was bringing his little puppy along when he said he was bringing Walter. Ooh, let's bring Walter out for a ride in the car. He's been stuck in the dog house for so long.

[Hyperspace]

The ep was also very TNG derivative. Vala is just another version of Vash, the Picard love interest in ST:TNG. Daniel found himself in a situation very similar to Picard in "Starship Mine" where he is marooned on his own ship during the process of a Barium sweep and has to take the ship back by himself. Maybe others can identify other favorite Trek storylines plagerized in PU.

I don't particularly mind, as a ST fan SG-1 has become my 'surrogate' or 'substitute' show in part; when the Prometheus exited hyperspace at the 'contact point' the excellent CGI + overall feel made me think that this ep was a fun ST meets Galaxy Quest.

[norriski]

OK, first I should fully admit that because this thread is aready so long I've only read a handfull of posts, so if I repeat anything I'm sorry...

Here's my thought on PU - I've watched it twice now and liked it both times, but I watched it for what it was, the light hearted "funny" episode TPTB intended it to be. it was campy and fun, we know that was the plan before we watched didn't we?

I loved the opening scene with Jack and Daniel, that was classic banter that so many have been complaining was missing...loved Jack telling Daniel, what are you going to do next hold your breath....(IMHO, that scene to me reiteradted the relationship that Jack and Daniel have, Jack doesn't want to let him go because Daniel is like is family, Daniel wants to go so bad he'll argue with Jack over it, but at the same time I think we saw that Daniel in his own way knew Jack was never going to let him go)..Jump to Hammond, I loved Hammond coming back with the attitude, and taking the chair...but seriously at this point those talking about how Hammond was a jerk to Jack, think about this, Jack and Daniel were arguing all the way down the hall, don't you think Hammond heard that and he's always had a personality that I bet at that point he decided to just tell Jack like he did, I'm sure his plan was to come in and talk to Jack about everything, but after hearing Jack and Daneil, and knowing what the result was going to be he decided to play Jack at his own game and make him "lose" an argument...back to Jack and Daniel, you could see Daniels respect for Jack in the face that he didn't start rubbing it in when Hammond said he was going, he just look and Jack with that sort'a I'm sorry face and left, he didn't rub it in....

OK, now what I pointed out above what about were I'd say the regular SG stuff ended and we went into the campyness...I thought that MS and CB did a great job playing off of each other. I was all in good fun, and I loved the looks Daniel was get on his face at times, really loved him pinching at her head in the moniter....(Also had to love the Hans Olo comment by Daniel to that aliens)...

Now my feeling about the comments on what will happend when CB returns for the 5 ep's in S9. First think about it, when PU was filmed TPTB had no idea that AT wouldn't be avalible for the first month or so of filming, so I don't think it was considered that Vala would be comming back in any sort of "regular" role next season or I'm sure the ep would have been played or cast differently. I have no worries that when they bring Vala back it will be different, and played down we won't see 5 ep's of "campy" somehow they will calm her down, but still play a few laughs earlier on between her and Daniel to ease the tension. But like I said I'm sure if TPTB had known she was going to be used so heavily in S9 it would have been done differently as I said.

OK I'll shut up now..bye.

[Jeff O'Connor]

Way to go norriski. You said a lot of things I also felt and believed. I'd hug you right now, if I could.

[Unas]

Where were Sam and Teal'c? I knew they weren't going to be in the episode, but why? Whenever a character was missing from a show before, we knew why up front. (For instance, Jack was missing from Nightwalkers because of the Antarctica bug).

The events in Gemini and PU are simultaneous. Maybe the stargate was out of alignment providing out of character behavior that day.

[Buzz Lightyear]

But in general, the show is a bit more provocative since the move to Sci-Fi.

You must have forgotten the nude Sha're scene from the pilot that Showtime insisted on. It's on the season 1 DVD btw.

[norriski]

Way to go norriski. You said a lot of things I also felt and believed. I'd hug you right now, if I could.

I accept cyber hugs...Thanks, Jeff