Avalon, Part 1 (901)

[Dani347]

Daniel seemed more uninterested in Mitchell and the fate of SG-1 than I would've thought a guy who devoted 7 years of his life to the team

Yes, but the team had broken up already by the time Mitchell asked him to stay. The fate of SG-1 was that it was over. Everyone was already on new things. Teal'c had already been gone for a month. Daniel was the last one still even at the SGC.

Maybe if the episode had started while there was still a team or even right when the team was breaking up, the reaction might have been different.

[majorsal]

I thought the background for Mitchell was done well. Maybe the first flashback to the Battle over Antactica was a bit long and unnecessary, but the rest was nicely paced. The moment where Mitchell is lying in the cockpit as SG-1 save the world is beautifully done.

that background stuff was some of my fave moments in the ep (my fave scenes were seeing sam! ). i liked them because they not only helped me know mitchell, but *feel* for mitchell too.

something i brought up on the 'sam's a great character thread' that i prob should have said here --

i have to say that i'm *very* happy with the way they've written mitchell. i know we've only seen one ep, but i think the direction they've taken him (fan-boy of sg1) was a very smart one. i feel this way for two main reasons: a- it makes him a non-threat to ALL of sg1, and b- (my fave) it makes him feel like one of *us*. what i loved about jonas was that we were seeing everything from 'his' eyes. it brought a freshness to it, because it kind of felt like we (AND sg1) were experiencing some of this for the first time. i saw some of jonas' newbie charm in mitchell too.


sally

[TheCorpulent1]

Yes, but the team had broken up already by the time Mitchell asked him to stay. The fate of SG-1 was that it was over. Everyone was already on new things. Teal'c had already been gone for a month. Daniel was the last one still even at the SGC.

Maybe if the episode had started while there was still a team or even right when the team was breaking up, the reaction might have been different.

True. I guess I should've added that part when I said it was understandable because of Atlantis. I did actually think of that when I was watching the episode the first time and I credited Daniel in my head as being the last one to leave the team, but I guess I forgot when I was writing that.

[The Warrior]

My (late) reactions to Avalon, Part 1:

The credits were lame. I was surprised to see AT keep the no. 2 spot, however.

It was an okay episode. The plot was weak and slow. Not that slow was necessarily a bad thing. I thought it fit the episode quite well.

I found Cameron to be a flat and boring character, but a few moments of color shine through and give a glimpse of what he could be later on in the season. (The scene with Teal’c firing the P-90 is an excellent example.) It seemed at first they were setting him up to be another Gary Stu type but thankfully they steered clear of that and tried to make him more sympathetic. Either way, it’s not quite fair for me to write him off just yet or anytime soon. TPTB have a whole season (And I would guess a large portion of the screen time) with which to develop him.

Now, being a big Sam fan her scenes were a surprise and I enjoyed them. TPTB certainly didn't need to do that but I think they will go a long way towards establishing that Sam and Cameron are friendly. However, I still think the show is missing a vital element without her. It should be interesting to see what motivates her to return and how the whole "who should command" thing will play out. (three guesses as to who I'm rooting for. )

Now Daniel is interesting here. He seems to be acting out of character here, and I think he is, somewhat. He also has new people to interact with, and though I didn't really like his interaction with any of them, it'll work towards create a new team dynamic.

I liked Teal'c in this episode. The Jaffa government storyline has potential and he still cares about Daniel enough to come with them to the cave place.

I found Vala mainly annoying. Her humorous lines made me cringe rather than laugh. In all fairness, I probably judged her too harshly and too quickly from her outfits in the spoiler pics and the show. There doesn't seem to be much else to like or dislike about her. I think she probably has limited ability to be a short arc character, but I still don’t like her.

I don’t have much else to say about the episode. In conclusion, it could have been better, but it could have been much, much worse. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 4.

Entirely MHO, of course.

[majorsal]

I'm sorry if this has been mentioned before, but did anyone else notice that Sam cut herself short when she was talking to Mitchell? She claims that she doesn't want to bore him, which I thought was hilarious because it reminded me of all the years where Jack would snap at her when she got into one of her big, technical lectures. I also thought it was a nice, subtle way to show that Jack is still there, influencing the show in spirit despite RDA's absence. Kudos to the writers, and I hope we get more of that throughout the season.

yes i noticed it, and i love your spin on it.


sally

[majorsal]

we've gotten a pretty good beginning with mitchell, but i'm really looking forward to seeing what landry is made of. what's beneath the surface of that snarky shell? and with the wonderful actor beau bridges at the helm, it's going to be great!


sally

[TheCorpulent1]

yes i noticed it, and i love your spin on it.


sally

Cool, I knew I couldn't be the only one who noticed.

[rhoboat]

Oooh, first post.

I really enjoyed watching Avalon I, much more so than Siege III actually. It's usually a good sign when I don't realize how much time in real life has passed as I'm watching.

What's interesting for me is that just before watching SG1, I was watching the "Empire of Dreams" documentary on Star Wars. It was fun to compare the battle scenes from "Lost City"/"Avalon" to Empire Strikes Back. We're so lucky to be able to get such great special effects on TV these days, but I also credit the writers for not making the effects the whole story.

Ben Browder sure seems like he's still trying to find his footing in the character. But I like what I see so far. I also enjoyed Vala more this time around than in her first stint. Beau Bridges makes an excellent general, not too over the top but not too dull either. Can't wait to have more of Sam in the later episodes.

Is it Friday yet?

[White Knight]

What's interesting for me is that just before watching SG1, I was watching the "Empire of Dreams" documentary on Star Wars. It was fun to compare the battle scenes from "Lost City"/"Avalon" to Empire Strikes Back.

I know exactly what you mean. The F302 battle in the first flashbacks (which kicked ass, and was not too long) reminded me of the Battle of Hoth. In a good way. After watching Avalon, I was struck by a sudden urge to watch The Empire Strikes Back. Which I didn't. You know, 'cause The Siege, pt 3 was on.

[entil2001]

As I was watching this season premiere, I was struck by the overwhelming touch of the familiar. It wasn’t just the return of a certain energy to the storytelling. It wasn’t just the welcome return of Ben Browder and Claudia Black to my television screen. It was the feeling that I had during the eighth season of “X-Files”, when the producers sought to continue that series once David Duchovny decided he was done with the show.

Robert Patrick was brought in as a new character (John Doggett) and immediately the fandom was fractured into two warring camps: those who wanted the series to end without Duchovny, and those who wanted to see where the writers could take things with a new character in the mix. The ratings took a predictable drop, and even now, the overwhelming opinion is that it was a mistake. Yet that masks something that many fans have since discovered on their own: the final seasons of “X-Files” were hardly the universal horribleness that some Duchovny adherents insisted.

There will inevitably be those who bemoan the fact that Jack O’Neill is no longer a mainstay of the series. True, he was the heart of the team for several seasons, but it’s been a while since he’s been truly a presence. He was reduced to a few snide (often lame) comments here and there, and at times, he was visibly bored. Browder looks anything but bored, and he has an equally strong comedic pedigree. If this episode is any indication, he understands the series’ inherent mixture of the serious and self-aware absurd and plays it to the hilt. There are shades of John Crichton in Mitchell, but the characters are distinct enough to allow the familiar to inform the unique.

Vala, however, is a more troubling character. Claudia Black certainly plays the character with relish, and it’s clear that she enjoys being sexy without apology. The corseted wardrobe definitely doesn’t hurt! But she sometimes plays the character too over the top, crossing the line that her initial appearance tred so carefully. Given how serious the episode was at the beginning, Vala’s antics brought the episode back towards the hilarity a bit too quickly. It’s still a lot of fun to see Claudia again, though, and she serves the necessary purpose of driving characters who were logically growing apart back onto the team.

Speaking of that necessity, I love the fact that the team is split up when the episode begins. It would strain credibility beyond all measure for the end of the eighth season to not result in a fractured team. It’s perfect to begin with the new commander and the new general. It’s still a hard break from the old regime, but it avoids the cliché of “passing the torch”. Landry is thankfully very different from Hammond or O’Neill. I’m still not sure what I think of him, but I didn’t immediately hate his guts, so it’s a better start that I was expecting!

With all the focus on the new characters, it’s almost jarring when Daniel and T’ealc return to the story. Daniel’s involvement is perhaps more logical, thanks to his character’s relationship with Vala; T’ealc feels like he was forced into the story. Amanda’s “delicate condition” thankfully makes her return a bit more protracted, giving the writers the chance to make that a more organic process. I’m not loving Daniel’s beard, but hey, it’s better than that thing that bonded to T’ealc’s chin a few seasons back!

As for the story itself: typically half-cheesy, especially the Merlin stuff. “Stargate” has always embraced its own inherent absurdity, reveling in the fact that the whole “mythological” motif was a bit over the top at times. Yet it makes perfect sense, within the context of the series, for Merlin to have been related to the Ancients and Avalon to have a real-world meaning. It can be goofy, but that’s part of the charm (at least for me!).

This is apparently the first part of a three part premiere, which means that there’s a lot still to be revealed. The writers are taking their time with things, and hopefully, I’m not the only one willing to see what they can so with fresh blood. As much as I admit that “SG-1” has always been about a core team of people, the series has enough legs to it to bring in new cast members and still survive. Unless, of course, the fans aren’t willing to go along for the ride.

[Zoser]

I can't quite understand why Cam. Mitchell is so special as to receive a post on SG-1. Many men fought in the battle over Antarctica and I'm sure he was not the only one to be injured. In fact we know the a whole fleet of ships were destroyed and many thousands were lost. I hope we will learn a little more about him. IMO the flashback were lame - no enough info.

The flashbacks that provided a firefight and Vala's costume both seemed like they were meant for the 14 year old crowd.

The sliding doors and falling ceilings have been done to death (on MacGyver it was done twice - once walls squeezing in and once the ceiling sliding down).

The barrow downs and circles of stones are great backdrops and Arthur a source of rich tales but Avalon I left me flat.

I'll try to reserve judgement on the actors. It may take they a few episodes for them to find their footing.

All in all just not impressed. I'd rather watch Galactica

[Qasim]

Mitchells puzzle solved *spoilers for avalon* 1 of the puzzles has been solved by the fans now for the pots........

[lily]

I watched Avalon pt 1 three times by now and I loved it as much as the first time I watched it. I honestly don't have anything to nitpick, even after 3 times... And I didn't get the feeling it was a spin off. It still felt like Stargate SG-1 for me <shrugs>

Some comments regarding the new cast additions:

1. Cameron Mitchell
I haven't seen enough of Ben Browder previous work to form an opinion, so I had no preconcept. I had an open mind, and, according to the spoilers I had read before the premiere, I was pretty sure I was going to like the new character. I never thought I would like him THAT much since the very first scene, though. Loved him!! Loved his sense of humor and eagerness. I loved Jack's humor, and I find Cameron's humor totally different from Jack's. But loved it.

2. Hank Landry
Again, no preconcept, open mind and everything. Liked him a lot more than I thought I would. Love the scene with Walter's voice off screen, and the first scene with Mitchell. And of course the scene with Jack was great. Even the scene with Vala in the cell was great.

3. Vala
I liked her in "Prometheus Unbound" and I liked her a lot in "Avalon part 1". I know lots of people hate PU, but I liked it very much. I laughed through out the whole episode, and I'm NOT a male in his teens. I'm a 34-almost-35-years-old female. Then again, people who usually don't like Vala, also hate Anise. She's not my fav Tok'ra, but I don't dislike her either. I watched "Upgrades" again not so long ago, and I still don't get why all the fuss about her clothes. I don't find them particularly annoying or anything. <shurgs>

Back to Vala:

Her dominatrix outfit fits her well. If it was worn by any other character, it might look out of place, but in Vala it's great. And I laughed a lot with her lines and didn't get tired of them even after watching the episode 3 times in 2 days.

I like her JUST for a bunch of episodes per season, though. Nothing more. I like her in the 6 episodes she's going to be this season. I wouldn't mind her getting back for a couple more episodes in the second half of s9 or on any future season. I don't want her as a regular in 18/20 episodes, though. That would be a bit too much.

---------------------------

I loved this episode from the very first second till the last one, so it's difficult for me too pick just a few things as favs. Here are some of the top fav:

1. Mitchell's intro using flashbacks
Loved the way TPTB introduces him. Well placed flashbacks through out the episode. One of my top fav moments I wanted more!

2. Mitchell's humor
Man, love this guy!

3. Mitchell's trying to get Daniel, Teal'c and Sam back
Oh, I wanted to hug him. Loved specially the comment about "so far it's SG-me". LOL

4. Mitchell and Sam videophone conversation
It took me by surprise. Great idea.

5. Mitchell's interviewing the SG-1 candidates
I laughed so hard. Excellent! Can you imagine yourself working on a daily basis with those nuts? LOL

6. Daniel and Vala banter
Loved it. They have great chemistry (no ship implied!). They work great together. Poor Daniel.

7. Dr Lee and Daniel at the lab
Dr Lee saying that they could always remove his hand, and then adding quickly something like nowadays doctors can reattach hands as if nothing has happend. And Daniel saying "I'll pass". LOL. Loved that scene.

8. Gene pool comment
Daniel and Cameron faces were priceless. Great timing. It worked so well.

9. Cameron and Teal'c
You could see at first Teal'c wasn't sure about the new guy, but then he smiled at Mitchell in the cave, after the whole bullets bouncing issue (loved that scene, BTW!). You can see Teal'c's starting to like Mitchell.

10. Vala's sex comment in the cave
Some fans didn't liked it. I loved it, along with Teal'c pointing his flashlight at Daniel. All great timing. I would've loved to see Daniel's face in that one.

11. The ending
I couldn't believe it when I read "to be continued". For me, it had been just like 15 minutes, 20 minutes at most. This episode was so great that time flew by! I was like "NOOOOOOO WAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, it can't end here like that!!"

Can't wait till next Friday

[Unamed]

"Could someone show me to the stargate, eh gappa iii!!!!" From that quote out I knew i was gona love Mitchell. Two thumbs up, cant believe I doubted him before..

[Jonzey]

Anyone notice when Sam was talking to Cam at one point she sounded a little like the geek Carter? When she mentioned the Asgard hyper drive or something she kinda mumbled and slurred her words a little like she did in Moebius.

Maybe it's just me.