Avalon, Part 1 (901)

[majorsal]

The only one of Vala's lines I felt was too much was the one right after they ring down into the caves. The ''I've not been this disappointed since....'' line. Everything else she said was to make people around her uncomfortable and on-edge but I felt that line was OTT. The rest of the ep was great though.

Oh, Vala! What won't you say?!

hmm, i don't remember that line... okay, so maybe i fast forwarded through some of her scenes anyways (i couldn't help it. ).

sally

[Odens återkomst]

What did I think of Avalon part 1?
Very disapointing. I know they had to build up Ben's character, but it was so plain. Nothing happened. I hope part 2 makes up for this, with some seriously good story and action. I also have hated the Vala character. I don't like the whole criminal side-kick thing at all. Do a remake of her character or ditch her. I missed Carter in her normal place, but I know that wasn't Amanda's fault. She really helps make the series. And I just hope a season without RDA at the "helm" will be comparable to the previous seasons.

In short, I was disappointed, but I am still holding on to hope that it will get better.

[Mongo's Girl]

The only one of Vala's lines I felt was too much was the one right after they ring down into the caves. The ''I've not been this disappointed since....'' line. Everything else she said was to make people around her uncomfortable and on-edge but I felt that line was OTT. The rest of the ep was great though.

I felt the same way about that line Jonzey, but the look Teal'c gives Daniel after hearing it, made it worthwhile.

[gwangung]

Hm. I've never seen an episode of FARSCAPE, so the in-jokes weren't that noticeable to me...

The only one that stuck out was the "we haven't met" joke, and only because the press and fans have made so much noise about Browder moving from FARSCAPE to SG-1; you could hardly miss it metatexturally speaking because of the surrounding publicity.

[GoldenSG-1]

Thank Goodness Mitchell has some sort of family member in that flashback we saw! After Jack and probably Sheppard its nice to know one of our lead characters has family. I was getting tired of Stargates lead character being loners with no family at all

not excluding Carter and Teal'c

[CuJoX]

I loved the episode. Mitchell had his few bright spots, the part where he's alone in Dakara kinda cracked me up. Vala....what can I say about Vala...she was hilarious. Lets make babies! Teal'c's hair ain't bad on camera. Really liked the flashbacks, don't know how Mitchell could've survived that crash, but he did!

[Nathan]

I'll give my review when it's shown here next year some time

[QuiGonJohn]

Good start to the season. I think they will be able to maintain the atmosphere of SG-1. But, I also think it was most like "the old SG-1" during the scenes with Daniel doing a lot of the talking. I think the chemistry will be even better when Carter comes back.

[kashi]

I have to say that this was in my opinion one of the worst episodes ever. Trapped in a dungeon with a collapsing ceiling...the knights of the round table...I mean seriously. What a load of utter crap! If this is a sign of things to come, then I hope the show gets axed sooner rather than later. I'll be eagerly awaiting the next episode of Atlantis.

[Uber]

Did anyone else catch the quick mention of Major Davis?

When Cam was talking with Teal'c about the Jaffa government being formed, he says: "I understand Major Davis and SG-7 are trying to help out."

Could this be a sign that we might see Major Davis this year???

I sure hope so...although I must say I'm a bit disappointed he hasn't been promoted to Lt. Colonel yet...

[NightGloom]

I clocked the opening... it's 9 seconds. So, I think they have a second to take off the Mickey Rooney life insurance policy.

But the real dilemma is how long will it be till Daniel shaves his beard?

[White Knight]

The only one of Vala's lines I felt was too much was the one right after they ring down into the caves. The ''I've not been this disappointed since....'' line. Everything else she said was to make people around her uncomfortable and on-edge but I felt that line was OTT. The rest of the ep was great though.

I felt the same way about that line Jonzey, but the look Teal'c gives Daniel after hearing it, made it worthwhile.

Word, man. Word.

[Piratejenna]

Finally got to see it. I've been fairly Pollyanna-ish about Season 9, and was a little worried I might feel let down. No worries. This was fun, enjoyable, and a perfect set-up for things to come. Credit to the writers - they must have known that both SGA and BSG were launching with big, action-packed blockbusters, but rather than trying to compete, they stuck to their guns and played the long game. Avalon 1 is a gentle start which gets its energy from character dynamics, with just a small steer in the direction of the new story arc. Some random thoughts:

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. The only jarring moment for me was the medal ceremony - didn't need it. They had already shown us he was a hero, so it's not necessary tell us as well. (I think medals are vastly over-rated anyway - I prefer the idea of SG-1 as unsung heroes, saving the world without the world ever knowing its been saved.) Mitchell already looks like a good fit for the show. Nice to see Ben playing a more disciplined character - I think he's a much better actor when he's underplaying.

A lot of people claim to have seen Farscape references every time Vala and Mitchell interact. I disagree. Apart from anything else, that's simply not the way professional actors think. Both BB and CB are firmly in their SG-1 characters as far as I can see, and all their comments make perfect sense within the context of the show. My take is that there is an interesting character triangle between Daniel, Mitchell and Vala in the early scenes. If you look at the "I'm pregnant" scene in that light, it works very well. I discovered at this point that I was already on "Vala TruthWatch" - looking for moments where she lets the mask slip and shows us her real feelings. When Daniel walks into the briefing room, Vala's face lights up. I see her as an intensely lonely and traumatised person behind the bravado. I can imagine that she's probably been day-dreaming about Daniel ever since PU - he fed her, he listened to her: that's probably the most kindness she's had from a fellow human being in a long time. So she's childishly happy to see him. If he'd smiled and said hello, it would have made her day. But instead, Daniel snarks at her. So, she lashes out to get her own back. She verbally "takes back" the tablet and tries to embarrass him. When she winks at Mitchell, she's not coming on to him, she's letting him in on the joke. After all, Mitchell knows that the tablet is in the box in front of him (no way would they have let her bring it into the briefing room without checking). The wink is basically saying - "only kidding." Then, after Landry has kept Daniel in the room, Mitchell instigates the 'hook Daniel' move by opening the box and revealing the tablet. That whole scene shows that Vala and Mitchell share a common cause. It's later reinforced by Vala's "Try playing hard to get". These aren't Farscape references, they're subtle, nuanced Stargate character dynamics. Vala has identified Mitchell as a possible ally in getting what she wants, and they both have a vested interest in trying to convince Daniel, so Mitchell goes along with her game, even though he doesn't trust her.

The character interaction is what makes this episode so effective. The actors are playing very specific evolving relationships to the hilt. Every moment is a potentially meaningful look or comment. Every relationship is fresh and interesting. Daniel/Mitchell, Mitchell/Sam, Daniel/Vala, Vala/Mitchell. Then you start factoring in Teal'c, and Landry, and the dynamics are criss-crossing the stage. The actors are tossing out lines to each other like a well-honed theatre ensemble. It's great stuff!

For those who've mentioned that Vala needs more depth, there's another "Vala Truthwatch" moment. When she says to Daniel, "You know nothing about me!", she's angry and hurt. We learn in that moment that "Truth of Spirit" is important to her - she wants to believe she has it, and that what she does is not necessarily who she is. A hint of a lot more to come, I think.

Loved the transformation from Grouchy Daniel to Passionate Daniel as he realises the significance of the tablet. Yep, that's the Daniel I love: talking too fast, oblivious to everyone else, reaching out for his meaning of life stuff. MS does it perfectly.

My one major criticism (although I watched it via <ahem> alternative means, so the picture quality may not have been the best) was direction/lighting. It was often difficult to see the expressions on the actors faces. MS, CJ and CB, in particular, do a lot of their character work through non-verbal subtext. If we can't see their faces, and especially their eyes, we are missing a lot of nuances in their performance. There were a few moments where I really wanted a close-up shot - e.g. for Daniel's reaction to some of Vala's barbs. I'd also like to have seen Vala's eyes when Landry asks how old she is - that's got to be an uncomfortable question for someone with her past.

But all in all, a good start!

[Dani347]

When Daniel walks into the briefing room, Vala's face lights up. I see her as an intensely lonely and traumatised person behind the bravado. I can imagine that she's probably been day-dreaming about Daniel ever since PU - he fed her, he listened to her: that's probably the most kindness she's had from a fellow human being in a long time. So she's childishly happy to see him. If he'd smiled and said hello, it would have made her day. But instead, Daniel snarks at her. So, she lashes out to get her own back. She verbally "takes back" the tablet and tries to embarrass him. When she winks at Mitchell, she's not coming on to him, she's letting him in on the joke. After all, Mitchell knows that the tablet is in the box in front of him (no way would they have let her bring it into the briefing room without checking). The wink is basically saying - "only kidding."

Yes! I mean, I didn't get the traumatized vibe, but all the rest. The happy smile, and the taken aback reaction when he wasn't happy to see her. And, I saw the wink the same way you did. But, more that she was letting Mitchell in on the fact that she was kidding about the pregnant thing, than the tablet thing. Sort of like saying, "Watch me make Daniel squirm." I could easily see her winking at Landry like that, just to say, "Kidding!"

When she says to Daniel, "You know nothing about me!", she's angry and hurt. We learn in that moment that "Truth of Spirit" is important to her - she wants to believe she has it, and that what she does is not necessarily who she is. A hint of a lot more to come, I think.

I noticed that, too. Not sure if it's so much that she finds it that important, or if she's just angry that Daniel dismisses the idea that she has it. Or, that she's just mad that Daniel seems to angry with her. Her taunts to him are all teasing fun. She's playing a game with him, but he seems to mean every mean thing he says about her.

Loved the transformation from Grouchy Daniel to Passionate Daniel as he realises the significance of the tablet. Yep, that's the Daniel I love: talking too fast, oblivious to everyone else, reaching out for his meaning of life stuff. MS does it perfectly.

Oh, man. You can't say that enough. I'm sure there will be cases where Daniel will have to use a gun or a zat, but I hope this isn't the only instance of Daniel the scholar that we see this season. I've missed him so much.

[Kalliope]

My one major criticism (although I watched it via <ahem> alternative means, so the picture quality may not have been the best) was direction/lighting. It was often difficult to see the expressions on the actors faces. MS, CJ and CB, in particular, do a lot of their character work through non-verbal subtext. If we can't see their faces, and especially their eyes, we are missing a lot of nuances in their performance. There were a few moments where I really wanted a close-up shot - e.g. for Daniel's reaction to some of Vala's barbs. I'd also like to have seen Vala's eyes when Landry asks how old she is - that's got to be an uncomfortable question for someone with her past.

Agree completely. Claudia is the mistress with completing her performance with facial and especially eyes' expressions. Her eyes say much more than words very often.

Wonderful review, Piratejenna. I'd give 10 GREENS at once for it, but unfortunately I can give only one at the moment. The rest later