Well, *that* was a bad ep. Starting with the fact that it was a follow-up to one of the most boring eps in the series.
Then, half the episode was blowing up the Prometheus (no great loss, considering how many times it's been taken over by outsiders, including one one occasion by one person). That's it. Lots of things going boom, which I suppose appeals to some viewers (and, hey, I like a good explosion or two myself. But not when it overwhelms the ep). What it really means, however, from a storytelling perspective is that they didn't have enough story to actually fill out an episode.
Worse was that TPTB couldn't have made every one look more like idiots if that were their intention. Including the SGC and the AF, because the way this ep was structured, it appeared as if SG1 were solely responsible for making the decision to do this mission. I don't care if Landry *is* in Washington, there would be a 2IC on the base who would have been running the briefing with Caine [sp] and making the decision. At the very least, we should have been told--and all it would take was one sentence--that this was approved by Landry and, for that matter, the head of Homeworld Security (someone we should know about but we still haven't been officially told).
But then, the list is endless. Mitchell, a Lt. Colonel on a military base, looks to a civilian for authority to open the gate? I don't care how long Daniel has been there; it's not his call (yes, Mitchell could have looked to Daniel for confirmation that it *was* Caine, and that Caine was someone they could trust, but that was it).
Then, Daniel decides, after being Mr. Rock-'em-Sock'em all season, to suddenly be "Let's Talk it Over" Daniel--at precisely the wrong time. He's well aware that these people had religious fanatic tendencies before this and now they are in the grip of the Orii. *And* they now have a great weapon that could take out their traditional enemy. He really believes they are going to be amenable to reason? Or that the Orii would actually let them turn the Rand?
How many people didn't know that the Rand would *not* listen and that Daniel would be taken prisoner? Raise your hands--and then go back and re-take Remedial TV.
This was just a ridiculous move, and it gave them an easy hostage.
Meahwhile, back at the ranch, er, ship, they come out of hyperspace--and proceed *not* to follow their game plan. In part, of course, because Daniel went off to tilt at windmills and they hesitated--another reason why the talk session should never have been allowed. Settle on one option--talk or fight--and stick with it. So, despite the fact that they agreed before leaving for Caledonia that they would fire the instant they came out of hyperspace and it that failed, immediately jump away, they don't do either of them. Ending with the loss of a very expensive piece of equipment and 40 lives.
(And you have to explain why Prendergast waited for Mitchell's OK to fire. He *outranks* Mitchell--he's a full bird--and he was captain of the vessel. Once they were on the ship, he was in command. It should have been strictly his decision to fire. In real life, since Daniel was not his primary concern, he probably would have fired right away. *That* was his mission.)
Next, we have the dreaded "deus ex machina". The solution? Something we *never* heard about, in the 1-1/2 years since TLC. An EM pulse that occurred? And Sam was studying it? But they waited a year before asking her to study it? And I guess she was working on that in between working on the device they used in Beachead. (We also need to ask *why* they would find it that interesting at Area 51. Deathgliders have blown up before, all around motherships and alkeshes, without apparently damaging their power systems, so it isn't as if the pulse could be used against the Goa'uld. So, was Area 51 studying to use here on Earth? )
Why was Teal'c flying second seat to Mitchell? He's the most experienced deathglider pilot they have; he should have been flying his own ship. But then they would have actually had to give him a *part* in the episode.
Oh, and then we get to the "deal" Daniel "brokered". Are they kidding? Raise your hands, anyone who *didn't* know that the Rand president would *not* honor the deal and would power up the weapon after Mitchell pulled out. (You guys again? Sigh. Obviously *one* Remedial TV course isn't enough.) And everyone acts surprised! Daniel, Sam, everyone. Where have they been the last 8-1/2 years that this surprises them? Someone needs to let the "new" SG1 in on the secret that villains aren't usually honorable.
Worse still was that TPTB apparently think the viewers are fools. If they tell us it was a great move, we'll accept it as that regardless of what actually happened. So Mitchell tells Daniel that he did a great job brokering the deal that got them home. GMAB. At that point, Caine was in control of the Rand--and *he* had no intention of detaining the Tau'ri. He would have let us go home even if the gate were still in Rand. The Caledonians also had no interest in keeping us prisoners and would have let us go--probably even given us transport to Rand if needed.
So: Daniel's "deal" fell apart 40 seconds after he brokered it, and it certainly was *not* needed to get us home. But I guess the PTB think that if they say it was important loudly enough we will forget (1) that Daniel's insistence on going to try to reason with religious fanatics cost 40 people (on the Prometheus) their lives, along with the ship itself, and (2) that leaving the weapon intact resulted in the probable destruction of everyone on the planet.
IMO, the PTB should be doing handsprings to have gotten a 1.5 rating for this one.
Then, half the episode was blowing up the Prometheus (no great loss, considering how many times it's been taken over by outsiders, including one one occasion by one person). That's it. Lots of things going boom, which I suppose appeals to some viewers (and, hey, I like a good explosion or two myself. But not when it overwhelms the ep). What it really means, however, from a storytelling perspective is that they didn't have enough story to actually fill out an episode.
Worse was that TPTB couldn't have made every one look more like idiots if that were their intention. Including the SGC and the AF, because the way this ep was structured, it appeared as if SG1 were solely responsible for making the decision to do this mission. I don't care if Landry *is* in Washington, there would be a 2IC on the base who would have been running the briefing with Caine [sp] and making the decision. At the very least, we should have been told--and all it would take was one sentence--that this was approved by Landry and, for that matter, the head of Homeworld Security (someone we should know about but we still haven't been officially told).
But then, the list is endless. Mitchell, a Lt. Colonel on a military base, looks to a civilian for authority to open the gate? I don't care how long Daniel has been there; it's not his call (yes, Mitchell could have looked to Daniel for confirmation that it *was* Caine, and that Caine was someone they could trust, but that was it).
Then, Daniel decides, after being Mr. Rock-'em-Sock'em all season, to suddenly be "Let's Talk it Over" Daniel--at precisely the wrong time. He's well aware that these people had religious fanatic tendencies before this and now they are in the grip of the Orii. *And* they now have a great weapon that could take out their traditional enemy. He really believes they are going to be amenable to reason? Or that the Orii would actually let them turn the Rand?
How many people didn't know that the Rand would *not* listen and that Daniel would be taken prisoner? Raise your hands--and then go back and re-take Remedial TV.
This was just a ridiculous move, and it gave them an easy hostage.
Meahwhile, back at the ranch, er, ship, they come out of hyperspace--and proceed *not* to follow their game plan. In part, of course, because Daniel went off to tilt at windmills and they hesitated--another reason why the talk session should never have been allowed. Settle on one option--talk or fight--and stick with it. So, despite the fact that they agreed before leaving for Caledonia that they would fire the instant they came out of hyperspace and it that failed, immediately jump away, they don't do either of them. Ending with the loss of a very expensive piece of equipment and 40 lives.
(And you have to explain why Prendergast waited for Mitchell's OK to fire. He *outranks* Mitchell--he's a full bird--and he was captain of the vessel. Once they were on the ship, he was in command. It should have been strictly his decision to fire. In real life, since Daniel was not his primary concern, he probably would have fired right away. *That* was his mission.)
Next, we have the dreaded "deus ex machina". The solution? Something we *never* heard about, in the 1-1/2 years since TLC. An EM pulse that occurred? And Sam was studying it? But they waited a year before asking her to study it? And I guess she was working on that in between working on the device they used in Beachead. (We also need to ask *why* they would find it that interesting at Area 51. Deathgliders have blown up before, all around motherships and alkeshes, without apparently damaging their power systems, so it isn't as if the pulse could be used against the Goa'uld. So, was Area 51 studying to use here on Earth? )
Why was Teal'c flying second seat to Mitchell? He's the most experienced deathglider pilot they have; he should have been flying his own ship. But then they would have actually had to give him a *part* in the episode.
Oh, and then we get to the "deal" Daniel "brokered". Are they kidding? Raise your hands, anyone who *didn't* know that the Rand president would *not* honor the deal and would power up the weapon after Mitchell pulled out. (You guys again? Sigh. Obviously *one* Remedial TV course isn't enough.) And everyone acts surprised! Daniel, Sam, everyone. Where have they been the last 8-1/2 years that this surprises them? Someone needs to let the "new" SG1 in on the secret that villains aren't usually honorable.
Worse still was that TPTB apparently think the viewers are fools. If they tell us it was a great move, we'll accept it as that regardless of what actually happened. So Mitchell tells Daniel that he did a great job brokering the deal that got them home. GMAB. At that point, Caine was in control of the Rand--and *he* had no intention of detaining the Tau'ri. He would have let us go home even if the gate were still in Rand. The Caledonians also had no interest in keeping us prisoners and would have let us go--probably even given us transport to Rand if needed.
So: Daniel's "deal" fell apart 40 seconds after he brokered it, and it certainly was *not* needed to get us home. But I guess the PTB think that if they say it was important loudly enough we will forget (1) that Daniel's insistence on going to try to reason with religious fanatics cost 40 people (on the Prometheus) their lives, along with the ship itself, and (2) that leaving the weapon intact resulted in the probable destruction of everyone on the planet.
IMO, the PTB should be doing handsprings to have gotten a 1.5 rating for this one.
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