Originally posted by golfbooy
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.
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.
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