Stronghold (914)

[the dancer of spaz]

Not being a new viewer, I can't say completely 100% how I would react. But, I can say that I'm almost completely 100% sure that one line was all it would take to convey that there were extenuating circumstances to Sam telling. Especially the way it was written, with being Sam mentioning Jacob, Mitchell countering with why, then Sam mentioning Pete, and Mitchell countering why. Case was given, then given again. Plus, the fact that Mitchell had already wondered if he was being a hypocrite also made it seem like he wasn't willing to accept the out in his feelings Sam was trying to give him. "Look, I told two people." "Yes, but this is why that was different from what I'm doing."

Like I said, I'm not new, and I haven't talked to anyone new who viewed it, but it didn't seem obscure enough that a new viewer couldn't grasp it.

Dude, this is such a relatively minute issue of mine that I don't think it really needs arguing. I understand where you're coming from. I really do.

But my issue with moments like this one is the fact that they're rather consistent half-assed attempts at bringing up the past, and giving new viewers - or any viewers who don't watch eps multiple times, for that matter - a self-contained version of the facts.

They have a recent habit of rewriting history on this show, or suggesting aspects of history that never really happened (yep, I'm talking about Orlin and Martouf). Or they're subtlely changing the characters to fit some new version of SG-1 (Daniel the Jaded Skeptic? Sam: The Face That Launched A Thousand Gates? What the heck's that about?).

Again, it's a relatively minute moment in time, but it's stuff like this that seems like it's more of a deliberate attempt to live in the NOW with the values of NOW, instead of staying true to what's been the show's logic for several years.

And basic logic suggests that Cameron really shouldn't have been given the OK to show his buddy that technology - let alone, ya know, loan it out to him for a day without any supervision or non-disclosure agreement. Sam's attempts at justifying it are merely their hamfisted ways of making it seem logical, when it's really, really not.

[Dani347]

Sam: The Face That Launched A Thousand Gates?

Snort.

Okay, more Daniel stuff. I liked him coming up with the idea to do the ritual I won't try to spell on the Jaffa. Also, that the last thing he said was a question.

But, I'm not sure I liked Ba'al dropping the Goa'uld voice. I guess it was a good tactic if he was going for a "let's be friends" vibe, but Ba'al just seems more Ba'al like with the whole Goa'uld voice.

And, I'm sorry, but again I can't believe Dakin Matthews as a Jaffa. It was as unbelievable to me as Wayne Brady.

eta: Sam has a pretty smile.

[the dancer of spaz]

Okay, more Daniel stuff. I liked him coming up with the idea to do the ritual I won't try to spell on the Jaffa. Also, that the last thing he said was a question.

Yep. Daniel's role was consistently good (and productive) in this ep. Like I said, I like him with Bratac. They made a great team.

But, I'm not sure I liked Ba'al dropping the Goa'uld voice. I guess it was a good tactic if he was going for a "let's be friends" vibe, but Ba'al just seems more Ba'al like with the whole Goa'uld voice.

Oh, but he's dead sexy when he's not being flanged, you gotta admit. Thank God for cloning machines...

And, I'm sorry, but again I can't believe Dakin Matthews as a Jaffa. It was as unbelievable to me as Wayne Brady.

Hey, he did semi-regular shoutouts to SG-1 without prompting. You gotta give the guy some praise for that.

[Dani347]

Oh, but he's dead sexy when he's not being flanged, you gotta admit. Thank God for cloning machines...

I might, but I don't know what flanged means.

[the dancer of spaz]

I might, but I don't know what flanged means.

Goa'uldified voice.

Check the spelling though.

[AGateFan]

I thought Sam would have been in the episode more too from the previews, but at least they were saying something about how she was involved off camera and didn't ignore her or Teal'c completely. Like I said Teal'c was more involved with this one and I enjoyed that (he rarely gets a storyline). I loved seeing Sam in charge.

Yeah I was surprised that they allowed Cam to go through the gate as well without attending the pre-mission briefing. He had no clue what he was getting into. THankfully Sam and Daniel were there to save him. (Sam and Daniel has some good moments I miss that.) Cam didn't even know how to operate the rings so not a well thought out plan on his part on many levels. The bad moments overshadowed the good.

I think that they had maybe sort of implied that the ring controls were somehow kinda damaged and thats why Mitchell couldnt work them.... I think.

Teal'c really only seemed more involved because he was the plot point that the A story revolved around. But honestly did he have any more lines in this ep then any other? Bra'tec had more lines, which is good he needs more lines but for a "teal'c" episode it was certainly quite too Teal'c light for me.

In fact, now that I think about it, it seems like they spent more time on the B story then the A story... so maybe the Mitchell thing was supposed to be the A story and the little 'Teal'c being kidnaped' thing was the B story. One thing I know for sure. This was NOT a Team story.

[Seastallion]

I liked the episode.

Great move on part of the Jaffa. Yay Democracy..!

Someone mentioned earlier about a serious security breach, with Mitchell leaving the memory device with his friend. I don't think so... For several reasons. For one thing, the guy is in a military hospital. In fact, it is the one attached to the SGC. The only reason Cam's friend was there, is because Cam got him to go there to get a second opinion. (The same place where the SGC personnel often go for long term care and treatment. Daniel went there when under the influence of Machello's anti-goa'uld device.) As the doctor in this episode said, they have access to a lot of alien medical technololgy that the rest of the world doesn't. All that alone, means that this hospital has extraordinary security in place, as the norm. Also, I highly doubt that the technology was delivered to the hospital without its very own contingent of security personnel to guard it, besides Sam and Cam. When Cam's friend is done with the device, I'm quite sure its guards will be there to take it off his hands.

As to the Ba'al character... I'm reasonably certain it was just a clone. I can't see the real Ba'al putting himself in any unneccesarily risky positions. I'll bet that Ba'al is STILL on Earth taking it easy.

All in all, I think this was very much a prepatory episode. I think it is setting up things for storylines later in the season, and possibly next season as well. Sometimes it is necessary to have prepatory episodes before you get to the really juicy ones. The really juicy ones themselves are very often based on the boring (to some obviously, not me) prepatory episodes. SG-1 still ROCKS..!!!

[shester]

Ben just gets better and better. Mitchell is not the "gung ho fan boy". He has such depth we are just starting to discover. I loved when he broke the glass on the coffee machine. He carries his guilt with him. He is impatient and rash. Yes!!! He is not perfect. Wonderful! He will make mistakes just like the rest of the team. Not a perfect one among them. I don't need perfection. I like flaws and can't wait to see how they will get out of the problems this will cause. I, mean, Daniel sent the Ori to us. That is okay. We have something to fight for.
Sybil

[Buzz Lightyear]

Ba'al + Ori = Great Ba'als of Fire!!

I'll agree - this is the best episode of the season so far. Granted the Mitch subplot was rather boring and the endless needling from his friend was irksome, but I really enjoyed the Jaffa politics and all the scenes with Ba'al. He's the GQ of the Goa'uld.

And was it just me, or did this ep seem a little Daniel-lite?

Daniel might as well have taken a day off because he certainly had no place being part of that rescue mission, especially, not at the vanguard of the force. All his time on SG-1 still doesn't make him qualified to be a commando. His inclusion on the strike force was quite laughable.

The two plots (Mitchell's friend Bryce and Teal'c/Bra'tac) seemed forced to co-exist without any good reason. That one line from Bryce that Mitchell re-used with Teal'c in NOT sufficient justification to link the two storylines.

It's too bad the writer (or writers, if you include the 3 who wrote excerpts) couldn't have expanded just one of the two storylines into the full episode. It would have been more heartfelt to spend more time fleshing out the friendship between Mitchell and Bryce. And surely a confrontation between Baal and Teal'c deserves a bit more screen time than it got.

Even Peter Deluise's direction was not enough to raise it above the mere ho-hum feeling I got.

[mindfire]

I liked this episode, and I think we might see Baal again even if they killed the real one his clones are still out their.

[nccjones]

To the people who said boring - I agree - I just woke up and watched it on tape and I really had high hopes for this one - once again disappointed.

This pretty much solidified for me that Mitchell is not up to par for this team that is SG1 - again he is shown to lack judgment (in spades this time) and is immature. All I can say is thank God he was not in charge - what a disaster. Lt. Colonel clearly disobeying/ignoring orders (Carter was clearly in charge here) and running off into a firefight and, once again, getting beaten up (that Mitchell in peril bit is reallly reallly getting boring) because he's upset clearly shows a lack of maturity IMO. If he was that upset he should have excused himself from the mission not jeopardized himself and the rest of his teammates with irresponsible behaviour (those Jaffa at the rings should have shot him.) A five year old runs off and slams his fists on the floor when he doesn't get his way - a Lt. Colonel on a rescue mission and involved in a firefight does not run off alone into a battlefield, all the while ignoring orders, over his friends situation, a five year old runs off and ignores his parents orders not a Lt. Colonel even if he is upset. Stay home if you are that upset - don't be a jerk in the field. The thing I finally figured out after asking over and over again what he brings to the team is that what he seems to bring to the team is to get beaten up or to get into trouble so the rest of the team has something to do, besides save the world, etc., they also save Mitchell.

The whole thing with Mitchell going after Teal'c seemed contrived, forced and unnatural - again - but that has become SOP for S9 just like Landry saying Teal'c is family - he's known Teal'c for 14 episodes - it's forced and unnatural. It all seems to me like TPTB trying waaay too hard to get people to like and accept Mitchell by forcing these unnatural and contrived scenes. I have nothing invested in Mitchell so I have less than nothing to care about with this dying friend of his so this whole storyline was a fast-forward situation for me. Mitchell's time would be better spent with the team and trying to show the 4 of them as a team - not that it is working when they are together - but if he spent even a little more time in situations with the team, whether it be firefights where they are a team and not with him running off in a Rambo-like snit shooting things up because he's mad, or just spending time together as a team the way the real SG1 did maybe he would be a little more credible. (That whole scene clearly shows he should not be co-leader of the team - he is not prepared and he is not ready.)

Daniel and Carter good stuff. Carter clearly is the leader of this team - she is kick-a$$ and the SGC knows it - leading the whole shootin match into battle to rescue Teal'c - we need more of that and we should have seen Teal'c, Carter and Daniel together after Teal'c's rescue there has not been enough of that - the 3 original teammates still seem like strangers. They are trying too hard to force Mitchell into a well-rounded, well-oiled machine that is Sam, Teal'c and Daniel and it's not working IMO, it's actually keeping the team apart and distant. Bra'tac - great stuff too. That guy is great - someone else said somewhere that they should have put Bra'tac on SG1 and I agree Bra'tac would have been a great addition over Mitchell.

Oh well - as the saying goes, give it time it's only the 14th episode . . . . Maybe next week will be better - can you see me turning blue?

All I can say is well said!

[nccjones]

I also love Daniel, but when did he pick up Jack’s nervous habit (throwing a tennis ball against the wall?) Since when did Daniel bring toys (other than his books/ journals) to keep him entertained off world. It was odd. I saw Jack at that moment sitting there and not Daniel.

I so agree with you on this. When I saw that scene, I felt it should have been Jack throwing the ball and Daniel telling Jack to stop because it was making him nervous. It was totally out of place. I mean, I liked it because it was a cute scene btwn Daniel and Carter, but it was just out of character. What ever happened to Daniel's journal anyway? It seems he never got it back from Jonah.

[nccjones]

all i'll say is if sam did what mitchell did (in that battlefield), she'd be roasted over the fire (fifty fires with ppl roasting marshmellows too).

You are sooooooo on the nose with that. There are other boards right now saying that it wasn't all that bad of Mitchell to do it, but if Sam had done it, the bashing would be out of hand.

[BubblingOverWithIdeas]

This was a good episode.
If I were Baal I would definitely brainwash Cameron.

[Strix varia]

So, if they can use Asgard technology to beam a symbiote out of somebody's head, couldn't they use it to beam a piece of shrapnel out?