Avalon, Part 2 (902)

[AGateFan]

II just wonder (hopefully I'm not repeating; if so, sorry): The ceiling was coming down, but a knee-high podium with the puzzles was in the middle of both chambers. Wouldn't that have stopped/slowed/at least interfered with the occupants being squished? Guess squished or pulverized is irrelevant.

.

I think (but cant check right now) that the podium's were sinking into the floor as the ceiling got lower. I think I saw that but then my mind may have just been compensating for a potential plot hole.

Oh, and did anyone think the gold and jewels were just another test to distract the weak minded from the real treasure -- book and communications device. That occurred to me when someone else had mentioned that gold and jewels didnt seem like the Ancients style. just wondering what you thought.

[the_cadpig]

Oh, and did anyone think the gold and jewels were just another test to distract the weak minded from the real treasure -- book and communications device. That occurred to me when someone else had mentioned that gold and jewels didnt seem like the Ancients style.

Good point. I can see it as another test, sure.

[ChillinTheMost]

That works for me, too. Not just that it was a test, but to distract those that wanted monetary treasure from paying attention to the book and transportation device and, thereby, using them inappropriately. I know that's kind of saying the same thing, but coming in from a different angle.

[eve11]

Daniel and Vala were still connected with the bracelets when the used the ancient device. Wouldnt that mean that when Vala was killed by the fire Daniel would be effected too? She died on earth, wouldnt the bands sense that and adversely affect Daniel too?

In fact the doctors do mention that right before she revives. And the first time, it took a little while for the effect to sink in.

For the puzzles: I was a little more annoyed by the fact that Daniel and Vala's puzzle was like a 50/50 shot. But at the same time, these puzzles are only the first string. As for the numerals: well, they can materialize a holographic knight out of thin air -- maybe they can scan a person's thoughts when they enter the cave and tailor the numerals to what they use? Though I guess that would make the task easier for some people if their numeral system was like, Roman numerals. Anyway, it's a cute puzzle. They had the same problem back in the Thor's chariot puzzle too, when they expanded pi as decimals: 3 14 15 19 in runes. That really assumes you're working in base 10 -- it only makes sense if you're working in base 10, and for instance didn't the Mayans or some others work in base 60? *waves hands* And, meta-speaking, maybe there's something to be said for making the puzzles "easy" enough for the audience to figure out too.

My favorite part of that whole bit had to be Cameron's descriptions of the Ancient letters though. That was pretty funny.

[WhatFateAlmondRoca]

You forgot the "snookums."

I know this reply is way late but I couldn't resist....

I was out casting for that ever elusive crappy!

[ChillinTheMost]

For the puzzles: I was a little more annoyed by the fact that Daniel and Vala's puzzle was like a 50/50 shot.

AND there were do-overs! Yep, don't get it right the first time, do it again. Like someone would think the alternative to opening the pot on the left would be something other than opening the pot on the right??? How can you fail this test?

Though I guess that would make the task easier for some people if their numeral system was like, Roman numerals.

Roman numerals would be interesting since I and its mirror image is II, IV and its mirror image is IVVI while VI and its mirror image is VIIV.
II, IIII, IIIIII, IVVI, VV, VIIV, VIIIIV, VIIIIIIV
I think they'd need bigger tiles.

My favorite part of that whole bit had to be Cameron's descriptions of the Ancient letters though. That was pretty funny.

That was great! I loved that part! I'm also impressed that Daniel could visualize the descriptions into their correct letters and keep it all straight while Mitchell shouted them out. By the time they got to the fifth letter, I'd be asking, "What was the second one again? Was that the chair?"

[Dani347]

About the puzzles, Alex Levine, a script coordinator for SG1 has a blog on Scifi's website, and he (I'm guessing it's a he) wrote that the real test in Daniel and Vala's puzzle wasn't picking the right pot. It was the "truth of spirit" test, to see if anyone would steal the coin once they found it. But, they could have made it clearer that the truth of spirit was the main point of their puzzle on the show.

[WhatFateAlmondRoca]

About the puzzles, Alex Levine, a script coordinator for SG1 has a blog on Scifi's website, and he (I'm guessing it's a he) wrote that the real test in Daniel and Vala's puzzle wasn't picking the right pot. It was the "truth of spirit" test, to see if anyone would steal the coin once they found it. But, they could have made it clearer that the truth of spirit was the main point of their puzzle on the show.

Another excellent point...the truth of spirit deal seems very Arthurian (but I'm no expert).

[Lida]

In fact the doctors do mention that right before she revives. And the first time, it took a little while for the effect to sink in.

For the puzzles: I was a little more annoyed by the fact that Daniel and Vala's puzzle was like a 50/50 shot. But at the same time, these puzzles are only the first string. As for the numerals: well, they can materialize a holographic knight out of thin air -- maybe they can scan a person's thoughts when they enter the cave and tailor the numerals to what they use? Though I guess that would make the task easier for some people if their numeral system was like, Roman numerals. Anyway, it's a cute puzzle. They had the same problem back in the Thor's chariot puzzle too, when they expanded pi as decimals: 3 14 15 19 in runes. That really assumes you're working in base 10 -- it only makes sense if you're working in base 10, and for instance didn't the Mayans or some others work in base 60? *waves hands* And, meta-speaking, maybe there's something to be said for making the puzzles "easy" enough for the audience to figure out too.

My favorite part of that whole bit had to be Cameron's descriptions of the Ancient letters though. That was pretty funny.

The Mayan numerical system was based on 20. Larger numbers were written down, in powers of 20, much like we do in our decimal system. Their system was rather easy to use, but they couldn't use fractions.

End of history/anthropology lesson, I'm NO Daniel Jackson.

[Avatar28]

The Mayan numerical system was based on 20. Larger numbers were written down, in powers of 20, much like we do in our decimal system. Their system was rather easy to use, but they couldn't use fractions.

End of history/anthropology lesson, I'm NO Daniel Jackson.

Correct. It was, I believe, the Babylonians who used base 60. That's also where we get our 360 degrees, minutes/seconds,. etc.

[Seshat]

About the puzzles, Alex Levine, a script coordinator for SG1 has a blog on Scifi's website, and he (I'm guessing it's a he) wrote that the real test in Daniel and Vala's puzzle wasn't picking the right pot. It was the "truth of spirit" test, to see if anyone would steal the coin once they found it. But, they could have made it clearer that the truth of spirit was the main point of their puzzle on the show.

Forgive me for being such a dunderhead, but I thought it could have been made clearer as well. Before Avalon, Part 2 aired there was another thread here at GW discussing possible solutions to the puzzles. In that thread someone easily posited the solution for the reflected numbers, but had a different, and I thought, much better solution suggestion for the second puzzle. I was rather disappointed when the ep aired and I saw what the writers came up with as the solution in comparison to what that poster suggested.

[jree]

When Vala died, why didn't Daniel die? I have a theory, since the bracelets were designed to keep a Jaffa and the prisoner together maybe it does not kill the jaffa if the prisoner is killed within the required radius. Say if a Jaffa has a prisoner and the local system lord gets pissed off with the prisoner and decides to kill him/her. The prisoner is dead but the jaffa and the prisoner are within the radius thus the Jaffa would stay alive.

Even though Teal'c said that Daniel would die if he killed Vala, Teal'c also said something to the effect that he wasn't exactly totally familiar with the bracelets. He might have been guessing that Daniel would die, imo.

[joasia]

When Vala died, why didn't Daniel die?

The brancelets seems to work slowly. Daniel and Valla Passed out some time after they went too far away from each other.

[QuiGonJohn]

When Vala died, why didn't Daniel die? I have a theory, since the bracelets were designed to keep a Jaffa and the prisoner together maybe it does not kill the jaffa if the prisoner is killed within the required radius. Say if a Jaffa has a prisoner and the local system lord gets pissed off with the prisoner and decides to kill him/her. The prisoner is dead but the jaffa and the prisoner are within the radius thus the Jaffa would stay alive.

Even though Teal'c said that Daniel would die if he killed Vala, Teal'c also said something to the effect that he wasn't exactly totally familiar with the bracelets. He might have been guessing that Daniel would die, imo.

Guess in your example of the Jaffa, that is when the Jaffa has to cut the bracelet off the prisoner and keep it with him forever.

[akimbo]

Hope tptb let a little more of that side to Vala out on her time on the show. That would maybe give more people a reason to want to see her come back at some point in the future.

Agreed. I think they have to let a little of that side out to make her a three dimensional character rather than a one dimensional spoiled brat type that we saw first. They don't have to have Vala and Daniel become mates to do that, however. I'd be perfectly satisfied with them fighting like Beatrice and Benedick for many seasons before it needs to be resolved into anything else.

That was great! I loved that part! I'm also impressed that Daniel could visualize the descriptions into their correct letters and keep it all straight while Mitchell shouted them out. By the time they got to the fifth letter, I'd be asking, "What was the second one again? Was that the chair?"

Me too: "upside down L...call that a 7". Yup I woulda got it.