Ethon (915)

[Seshat]

Ernie Hudson wasn't Pendergast.

Ernie Hudson is the black guy from Ghostbusters, and he played the Rand General, Pernaux.

Barlcay Hope was Pendergast.

Oh, but who can forget Ernie's stellar turn in Congo???

[golfbooy]

Oh, but who can forget Ernie's stellar turn in Congo???

Oh, sure, mock the killer apes. But, we'll see who's laughing when they take over the world one day. Their leader, undoubtedly named Cornelius, will subjegate all of mankind to servitude and slavery. Consider yourself warned. I smell new season 10 villain.

[Dani347]

I'll take killer apes over the Ori.

[betjam]

I liked the episode, but it was hard to watch failure from our heroes. They were overconfident. Didn't sound like they ran the plan before an objective person (Landry). Did they call Landry and ask if they could have the "keys to the car"? Don't they do "acting memorandum" for one person to be designated in charge? The scene on the bridge was sad...sad when nobody wanted to make the big decision. The crew looked scared. I'm glad they discussed that later, to show they knew they had made big mistakes and some people paid the ultimate price.

That's what makes this episode good. The story leaves you thinking afterwards.

[Xanderic]

I daresay that a fine beginning to this inevitably overlong and intensely boring expression of the thoughts running through my head concerning Ethon is to simply state that I found it to be the most satisfying episode of SG-1 to air in a good long while. Why you ask? (Oh, come on, I know you're all curious.)

Well, to begin, they blew up the Prometheus. Unlike many others, I can't say that I'm sorry to see her go. Blame it on the many years I spent watching this show long before she entered the story, but I'd never developed any great attachment to her. It's funny, I suppose, but I've always had a far, far greater affinity for the SGC, for Goa'uld motherships, for cargo ships, for Asgard ships, and for the Stargate itself, than I've ever felt for any of the Earth-built ships in the show. The introduction of such a massive leap in our level of technology, while good for an initial thrill (and for adding many fans, apparently), never sat right with me. I've always felt that it robbed the show of much of it's tension and drama, and that it improperly drew the focus of the show away from planetary exploration towards interstellar conflict. So, yeah, it was a thrill for me to see the Prometheus bite it. SG-1, now without a spaceship all their own, would hopefully be stuck doing things the old fashioned way, much as they did at the end of this episode. But alas, I fear it's not to last. More's the pity.

That said, another reason that the Prometheus' destruction elicited such delight from me is because it was done properly. I've never been the biggest fan of Lionel Pendergast, he always seemed to be just another ship commander to me. But Barclay Hope was outstanding in Ethon, and kudos to the writers for playing this fiddle for all it was worth. His demise with the Prometheus, while inevitable, was simple and straightforward. Manning his ship to the last, saving as many of his crew as possible, Col. Pendergast's quiet final scene is an example of how you illustrate someone's heroism and courage. It was certainly a stark contrast to last week's bizzarre Cambo routine, and an example of the satisfying understatement that has characterized SG-1's heroism over the many years and adventures.

I've always thought that one of SG-1's strengths was that it often revisited worlds and cultures that the team had encountered in previous episodes. While just a small, little thing, for me it's one of the reasons that the Stargate universe seems so rich and expansive. And more often than not, SG-1's return visit to a culture makes for a more satisfying episode than the first time around. Such is the case in Ethon with the Rand Protectorate and Caladonia. Daniel's experiences in Icon and O'neill's, Carter's, and Teal'c's previous interaction with Soren and the upheaval gave the events of Ethon a nice sense of familiarity and allowed the team to feel somewhat relaxed. I still bemoan Damien Kindler's seeming inability to create a different overall "people" than the one we're treated to here; every single Kindler created people is virtually identical (cf. Memento, Cure, Icon). For whatever reason, though, it didn't bother me too much in this one. I liked Ernie Hudson and thought he did well, and I also liked Jared Kane a lot more in this episode than I did in Icon. I suspect that the exclusion of Leda from this episode allowed Kane to be a bit, I don't know, happier? I can't be the only one who thought she was awfully cloying, can I?

Anyway, on to our guys. I have to say that I'm a bit torn on the initial scenes at the SGC. I loved that SG-1 finally acted like a team at the SGC. The briefing scene where Kane explains the situation was well done. It did feel weird not to have someone there who was actually in command of the base. I guess what I'm saying is that it felt weird not to have a General there. That said, I think that the breifing, overall, felt much more comfortable without Landry's presence. See, that make's no sense. I'm torn on it. I wanted a command presence there, but still felt that the whole thing played better without Landry there. So does that mean I dislike Landry? I didn't really think so before, but am now forced to question the character's place. Meh, now I've confused myself. O'neill should be the General. Yeah, that's it. They should just get O'neill back. Shouldn't be too much of a problem, right?

At first glance, I would have predicted that Daniel would be the central figure in Ethon, but the events in the story took precedent. I thought Daniel was good on the planet, if a little more constrained than I would have liked. His reaction to the apparent deaths of his friends was great and very much in character. No gnashing of teeth or beating of breast, just the same reserved, quiet sadness which he displayed after the deaths of both Sha're and Janet Frasier. Also, Michael Shanks' delivery of the "Not till I'm dead.........and sometimes not even then" line was spot on. It was by far Daniel's best line of the season, and it makes me all the sorrier that Michael Shanks will miss some episodes next season, good reasons notwithstanding.

I'm going to lump Teal'c and Mitchell together in this paragraph, seeing as how they were lumped together throughout this episode. Yes, I agree with others that Teal'c should have been piloting his own F302. Come on, he's Teal'c. And, no, he didn't have a whole lot to do or say in Ethon, which is quite the pity. Chris Judge, however, continues to make the most out of what little he's given each week. His reaction to seeing Carter alive and well following the Prometheus' destruction was terrific. Despite the obvious physicality of Mitchell's welcoming hug, there was still more emotion and relief conveyed in Teal'c's actions and mein. And that's not to say that Mitchell's hug was bad, wrong, or out of place. It wasn't. It was in fact a rather nice moment. It just can't hope to compete with the decade of history that the Carter and Teal'c characters share. Those are the kinds of moments that have been conspicuously absent from season 9. Mitchell was back to his original incarnation this week, a pleasant variation from Joke-Cam, Cambo, and the walking angst machine of previous weeks. His inclusion as a member of the team, and not as an outside force, makes all the difference with the character.

I'm not sure what I expected out of Carter in Ethon, but it wasn't a whole lot. Thus, I'm quite pleasantly surprised at how much she was involved in the story. Which I suppose again goes to the team nature of the episode and to how much more successful the show is when it pulls it off. She was great both on the Prometheus and in Caladonia, where her experience under fire and her innovative thinking were given equal opportunity to shine. Throw in some added significance to her time at Area 51 (which makes her earlier absences more palatable) and you've got yourself a winner.

Lastly, I would be remiss to not say something about the pointed inclusion of the command issue in this episode. Certainly the chair scene in Landry's office was a nod to all the fans clamoring for one character or the other to take outright command of SG-1. And, in typical Stargate fashion, nothing is resolved here. Points for consistency, I suppose. Add in the deliberate dialogue and direction of Col. Pendergast on board the Prometheus, and you've got yourself the most obvious illustration of co-command yet. So who's in command? Apparently they both are.

Speaking of direction, Ken Girrotti did a wonderful job on Ethon. I've felt for a while now that Martin Wood, Peter DeLuise and Andy Mikita, have been grossly overworked. While all fine directors, prepping, filming, and editing 10 hours of television a piece is truly a daunting task given the quick filming schedule of Stargate. Eventually, some things will suffer (see The Tower). If TPTB were so inclined as to hire another director to help alleviate the burden, it wouldn't bother me at all. I think a little more prep time and effort went a long way towards making Ethon a delightfully paced, well-inclusive story for all of the characters.

I've read a number of complaints about the beer, and can at least agree that it was an odd decision. But it's not enough to overcome the terrific execution this episode enjoyed. Off the Grid is next week. Not too sure how I feel about it yet. I think it has the potential to be both very good and very bad, though Skiffy's ad doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Still, trying to stay positive, which is a lot easier after Ethon than before it.

I normally hate writing and reading long posts but I agree with you there. Long, detailed, and supported. Basically everything you wrote I agree with. but I'm just too lazy to write it all out

Ok i'm sick to death all of these whining people who don't want anything bad happening on the shows, and saying we must win all the time and take no losses. If you want a tv show like that, go and watch thunderbirds or Sonic. The Occasional Losses are vital to the show, so show that it is not always happy and chirpy, and is like real life

The prommie getting destroyed has shown us that, even though we can defeat the priors, we are very badly outnumbered and outgunned, and the fact the asgard shields didn't work, shows us that we can't just call the asgard to help us, incase we are attacked. The Most powerful ally we have, can be easily defeated. It was a Great Episode, the best of the season, and now shows us some of the firepower and technology, no matter what technology it is built by, that the Ori have.

Thank you. I didn't want to rant at the whiners and get bad rep. As much as we hate to see ourselves lose, it's life. We win some and we lose some. Sg-1 was too overconfident with the prometheus. This episode seems to Parallel the prometheus in my opinion. They underestimated the power of the Ori and didn't think through the whole process before going to the planet with Prommie.

[BlackBaron]

So sad to know that the Prometheus is no more

Very, very sad

[MasySyma]

My review is short because my life is hectic this week.

Overall, a good episode. Not the season's best but not bad. The eplosions were good, the plot interesting, and the end wonderful. I wasn't a big fan of Icon, so this episode can't be a 10/10 for me. But 8.5/10 isn't too bad.

[GateByte]

Awesome episode! I think it was one of the best there has been in quite a while. I so didn't see the Prometheus being blown up.

I'd have to agree with those that say Scifi has crappy trailers, they ruin some of the best episodes with them. Luckily I didn't happen to catch the trailer for this one, I would not have been very happy with scifi.

Very sad the Prometheus is gone. I wonder if this will mean the Daedalus will be spending more time in the Milky Way, than travelling to and from Atlantis.

[entil2001]

Considering the fact that I barely remember the previous episode highlighting this particular world, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to a return visit. And perhaps that’s what the writing staff was hoping for, because I certainly wasn’t expecting this episode to have vast consequences for the defense of Earth. Yet that’s exactly what happened: the SGC got embroiled in a foreign conflict, all based on concerns for planetary security, and ultimately lost ground in the process.

Somewhere in this story, I’m sure, is a commentary on the US national security policies of the recent past. As much as the planet in question was being invaded by the Ori, so are many other planets, and they aren’t engaged in a conflict of mutually assured destruction. Almost from the beginning of the episode, the situation looked hopeless, and as the consequences for interference began to escalate out of control, I couldn’t help but wonder what was gained.

So now, with no change whatsoever in terms of the Ori incursion on the planet, Earth has lost one of its most important assets, along with dozens of highly trained and experienced personnel. Never mind the resources and weapons still on the Prometheus at the time of its destruction. In essence, without firing a shot at Earth on their own, the Ori have managed to cripple Earth’s ability to intercede. If the Tau’ri weren’t in desperate need of the Jaffa and other allies before, they certainly are now! (Unless, of course, another Daedalus is almost completed...)

The progressive destruction of the Prometheus was quite dramatic, though I could have done without the whole “did Sam survive” melodrama. Of course she was going to survive; why even pretend that it might end otherwise? I also liked the fact that Mitchell’s flight experience came back into play, since that’s a fairly substantial aspect of his character.

Considering that this episode was largely a stand-alone installment, it’s good to see this situation exactly a consequence in the larger scheme of things. I don’t mind that kind of basic arc-building. Even “Babylon 5” had episodes that were largely stand-alone with elements that played into the arc structure later down the line. I foresee that this situation will make the SG teams far more important, and that it will push the SGC towards a hunt to find a new weapon against the Ori, since current options are quickly disappearing.

However, all that said, I would rather have episodes that set the team directly against the Ori. Episodes like this are nice when they have surprising impact on the overall story, but if it hadn’t been for the destruction of the Prometheus, this episode would have been a bore. Considering how the quality of the second half of the season has been less impressive than the first half, more substantial episodes would be welcome.

[AlphaBlu]

Prometheus! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was a harrowing ep. I'm so very very sad to see the Prometheus go. Great ep though. I'll have to digest that... I cannot believe they blew it up. Poor Pendergast.

BYE

[Sue_Jackson]

Spoilers
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Wow.....what a dark and angsty ep that was. It's been a while since we've seen such a serious ep. I truly had my eyes glued to the screen. I didn't want to take my eyes away for a second. I love Jared Kane. I think he was a wonderful character.

I was shocked and saddened when President Nadal fired the weapon upon the already neutralized Prometheus with Col. Pendergast on board. I even cried, and yelled, "No!" I didn't see that coming at all. Even though they didn't show it, I knew that Sam had to have beamed off already and made it safely on the planet. (Well.....because she's in the next ep. ) How sad to lose Pendergast, though. I really liked his character. Though, I did like that last scene with Cameron and Daniel, and how Cameron wrote a letter to Pendergast's family and that he died a hero.

Daniel has such a caring, thoughtful, and loving soul. Think this is what Sam meant when she said, "One of the most caring, passionate...you're the type of person who would give his own life for someone he doesn't even know. If you had one fault, it was that you wanted to save people so badly, you wanted to help people so much, that it tore you apart when you couldn't make a difference." (Fallen, S7)

This is why I love Daniel. Daniel wanted so hard to make this right. He felt partly responsible for what has happened between the Rand and Caledonia. He wanted fix it. No matter what it took. Even after Prometheus was blown up with Pendergast still inside, even when it seemed we couldn't trust Nadal, even when Cameron had that window of opportunity to blow up the satellite weapon when they had the chance, Daniel still wanted to negotiate a peace and tried to make a deal with Nadal, giving him the benefit of the doubt. Then, Nadal, the son of a *****, broke the deal. (For some reason, though, I saw that coming) But, it looks like we won't be going back to that planet if the Gate is buried. Plus, from what Daniel said, it sounds like Rand and Caledonia both were destroyed. How sad.

Best quote:

Jared: "Don't you ever quit?"

Daniel: "No.....not till I'm dead....and sometimes not even then."

LOL! That made me giggle.


This ep......wow!

[acdj31]

After watching the ep. I hated it. Blowing up the Prometheus. Killing off Pendergast. But I watched it a second time and I think it is a okay ep.

(spoilers for Atlantis, SG-1)

But I still mad at them for killing off Pendergest. First tptb killed off Jacob then Grodin in Atlantis now Pendergest. All I got to say is tptb better not kill off Zelenka or Dr. Lee.

[majorsal]

Team leader was an issue in this episode. The captain of the Prometheus having to look to two people for orders clearly illustrated the writers/PTB are going to deal with this onscreen sooner rather than later. Esp. in the way things went down: loss of Prometheus and most of its crew, and what amounts to a failed mission should spark some not so nice investigation when Landry returns. There were at least two control room survivors (Sam's assistant and the pilot) whose testimony of events on the bridge could put the an unflattering light on this area. Just MHO.

Just sayin', it will be interesting to see the fallout from this matter both politically and military-wise. Let's hope it's addressed so that the good story here and the hard work done on it won't just fade.

you know, i'd love to think the writers would really think like that - you know, dealing with reality and all - but how much you want to bet it'll not even be a topic? i mean, just 'who' was in charge while landry was away? sam? if it's mitchell, i'll be screaming even more. walter understands the running of the base better than newbie guy.

i find it hard to believe that even sam would be left in charge. either she is in charge and *stays* on base, or she's not and goes with sg1. so who allowed sg1 to take prommie? and who's going to 'pay', so to speak, for losing it? this wasn't a little 'oh, i left behind that gun!' scenario.

but it'll be ignored, like all the other big stuff. too bad. *snort*


excuse the mood, i'm pmsing... like wanting to cry and kill at the same moment... the ladies will understand... no more caffeine for me




sally

[Seshat]

After watching the ep. I hated it. Blowing up the Prometheus. Killing off Pendergast. But I watched it a second time and I think it is a okay ep.

(spoilers for Atlantis, SG-1)

But I still mad at them for killing off Pendergest. First tptb killed off Jacob then Grodin in Atlantis now Pendergest. All I got to say is tptb better not kill off Zelenka or Dr. Lee.

If they ever kill off Dr. Lee I am gonna storm Bridge Studios and start smiting!!

I know they like to kill off an occasional well-liked character for dramatic effect, but at this rate there will be no one left at the end of the season but the core four. And maybe Walter.

[NakedJehutyV2]

should kill off mckay instead. pendergast was cool.

asgard ----designed---- not made weapons.

just like the satelite was ori designed