The Scourge (917)

[RealmOfX]

SNIP

I have a question. Right when Sam went outside to help with the shooting, what did the French guy say to her? All I could make out was something about the bugs.

It was "How long can they hold off the bugs" - loved the look she gave the idiot.

[JUNIOR]

I dont know if I'm alone on this one, but I thought The Scourge was lacking in every category of rating. I am trying to figure out why it was such a bad ep but have come up with nothing. Did anyone notice anything that could explain why the episode was so horrible?

You’re not alone but I think you and whoever else completely hated this episode are the minority on the GW forum at least on this particular episode. Just a quick question though did you like ep16? Or did you think that was horrible as well.

[majorsal]

It's not the sound they are attracted to, it's the vibrations the sounds create since most insects of that nature are deaf because they don't have ears. The vibrations can mean food is walking nearby or there is danger such as an earthquake/land slide or other dangerous disruptions that create vibrations.

which was why it was *so* stupid to start running when they saw the radio hut/research station in sight! the meaty bugs wouldn't have attacked if they'd just kept up their 'gentle on the ground' pace.




sally

[DEM]

plus they watched a movie afterwards- which some people seem to think it weird. but the original team with Jack did it a fair few times that we saw

They did? Please remind me. Honestly asking here.

(The only semi-relevant example I can think of is Ascension which, IMO, doesn't count: It was clear that O'Neill & Teal'c's visit to Carter's house was an unusual and unexpected event.)

[majorsal]

I'm so lethargic that I can't be bothered to be original. chocdoc's post sums up pretty much exactly how I felt about the ep.

The Teal'c/Mitchell dynamic is interesting; they seem to be going for 'realistic' bonding with all of its fits and starts. If so, that's great, but it still feels sort of awkward and forced and inauthentic. I can't pinpoint exactly why it feels that way, but I think it has something to do with the weird, paradoxical (and dare I say it, nonsensical), characterisation of Mitchell as New Guy who nevertheless Knows Everything (or, relatedly, Irritating Guy Who Everyone Likes).

For example, there was a scene in which the entire group was walking through the forest. I think Carter was explaining something, and then Mitchell jumped into the conversation and recited a somewhat obscure factoid having to do with the SGC or Gate travel, and it struck me that it would be so much better if he didn't know those sorts of things. I'll have to go back later and find the scene -- assuming I can work up the energy. They did this sort of thing with Jonas, too, but at least I liked everything else about Jonas, and -- most importantly -- Jonas was not the CO.

I guess I just don't understand why Mitchell was given a pilot's background rather than an SGC background. Oh, because then it would have been harder to explain why we'd never seen nor heard of Wonderboy before. In any case, despite the fact that I didn't feel like shooting Mitchell as often as I usually do, these sorts of moments jumped out at me and irritated me no end. I wouldn't be surprised if we learn later that Mitchell learned Chinese as part of the Mission-Gone-Bad (Collateral Damage) because, in addition to his pilot duties, he was needed for covert ground ops as well.

Getting back to that scene. Actually, it might have been more than one scene in the walking sequence. Mitchell has a tendency to jump in and take over someone else's place in a conversation, and most often (at least in The Scourge) that person is Carter. I don't like that. Tapping, as great as she was, was noticably pushed back in many scenes to make way for BB's Mitchell. Likewise, the direction, as good as it was, often became awkward when it had to work out ways to make BB front and centre at the head of the column... and then front and centre of action taking place in the middle of the column. Now, obviously I can't know if this was lousy writing, a fallout of actor's contracts, or subtle characterisation (i.e., 'Mitchell's a know-it-all'), but it bugged. There are two Lt. Colonel's on the team -- only one of whom has had significant GROUND OPERATIONS/ OFFWORLD TRAVEL experience -- and even though the EXPERIENCED LC isn't the one who gets lines in every damn scene and THE BIGGEST GUN [my god, how trite], that LC ought to be be afforded the respect of handling the minor questions raised by the ambassadors.

Now that I think about it, the shuffling around happened a lot throughout the episode.

i have the same issues.





sally

[Tenaka]

I hope Mitchell was joking when he said STARSHIP TROOPERS because that movie REALLY, REALLY SUCKED.

I just took that as an attempt on a joke, being that Starship Troopers was all about bugs that kill people. *shrugs*

[Beal]

Seems to me like alot of this episode was just an excuse to fire off the guns, and the ship beam out thing to solve everyproblem is getting a bit overused.

[DEM]

the murky chain of command. If I didn't know that Mitchell was the leader of SG1 I wouldn't have been able to see it. (NO I don't subscribe to the co-command BS that JM fed us here at Gateworld - no such thing).

Hmm, I can understand not liking the idea because it's not true to life, but it seems to me that the onscreen murkiness indicates that something unusual is going on in the writing wrt this issue, no?

There was one subtle part during the tree ferret bit [where] Sam glanced at Mitchell. Now was that a (1) do you want to handle this idiot or do I glance

I saw it as something like that. Mitchell clearly didn't want to respond to LaPierre's continued stubbornness. Carter & Mitchell shared a look of mutual exasperation and then Sam continued her prodding. When logic didn't get through to him, Mitchell appealed to his fear. Of tree ferrets.

Baubuauau ba?

BWAH! That's what I heard the first time, too!

[Quinn Mallory]

Quite an enjoyable episode for one that I didn't think would be that exciting. It rised above my expectation that it would just be a cheap bug horror movie ripoff episode.

Gamma site was interesting and the connections to the past few episodes were good. Having the Cam speaking Chinese was interesting (wonder if he really knows it or just know how to curse).

Odyssey to the rescue was a bit predictable and I would've liked Carter do something a bit more amazing than just boost the radio signal in this one. Chatter between Cam and Teal'c was good; I think they should be roommates.

I wonder if the "contraversial Daniel arc" that may be in S10 involved Daniel working for the Chinese government.

[Bobthespirit]

I don't know..everyone who's defending the episode is saying how good the character interaction was...

I found the dialogue a little forced, hackneyed, and completely incidental to anything else that was going on.

That guy who kept whining about everything was downright embarassing, the Chinese girl's interaction was Daniel felt tacked on and pointless. Woolsey's was okay, but it was also completely predictable. It's like they want us to hate him and sympathize with him at the same time -- just like in every other appearance he's made. He's the guy who's wrong, obnoxious, and annoying, but has a good heart. They need to make him more than that, since he's such an interesting character, and Robert Picardo is so good at portraying him.

I honestly think it's between this, Avenger 2.0, and Emancipation for worst episode in the series.

[majorsal]

I was getting some serious Jack vibes from Carter in her scene with Woolsey. And I mean that in a good way. Her refusal to sugarcoat the situation and her cynicism regarding the whole turn of events really reminded me of how O'niell would have dealt with both the situation and the delegates.

now that you mention it, yeah. and i like that!

they're not giving much (any!) character growth for sam this season, so to think that she's matured (and i use that word literally) into someone a bit more cynical and snarky... you go girl! but i also saw a calm demeanor when everyone else was freaking out.

i hope to see more of this side of sam. BUT, not just for the sake of it.




sally

[Ascended Times.2]

Seems to me like alot of this episode was just an excuse to fire off the guns, and the ship beam out thing to solve everyproblem is getting a bit overused.

True, but come on people, if you had a giant ship capable of beaming you out of any situation, wouldn't you use it!? I know I would! Hell, if I ever saw the a hint of trouble, i'd call the SGC and say "Get the Odyssey here, we'll need some of that beaming magic."

Oh well, I personally liked this episode, although, the fact that they didn't seem to rememebr they had locator beacons on them was a little worrying, and those bugs...*Squirms*

[tony]

They where saving the shows money for the big space battle for the final episode of season 9 duh

[Lt. Colonel Ryu Gaia]

They did? Please remind me. Honestly asking here.

(The only semi-relevant example I can think of is Ascension which, IMO, doesn't count: It was clear that O'Neill & Teal'c's visit to Carter's house was an unusual and unexpected event.)

Yeah, but we know O'Neill is a Star Trek fan. Teal'c is probably a Star Trek fan, having watched Star Wars more times than humanly possible (being a Jaffa) and being close friends with O'Neill. We can assume, therefore, that at some point in the last eight years, they have spent some time together watching movies or shows (O'Neill and Teal'c).
As for O'Neill, Teal'c, and Carter, together, it is possible that they did watch movies together occasionally - and we know Carter's a sucker for alien style sci-fi movies, "wanting to see how close they are to getting it right."

However, the group movie thing may be an affectionate nod to the fanfiction community, which frequently writes fanfics centered around a group out-of-base bonding activity.

[rarocks24]

It was okay....well not really...every time I see Carter it seems she changed, or has changed. She seemed a little hopeless in this episode (bordering on the wanting to die type).