Arthur's Mantle (918)

[ShardsofGlass]

I just wish they`d write him better. It`s not realistic to expect Sam and Daniel to want to put up with him or anyone who`s that much of a liability. I can`t help thinking of the beginning of S6 when Jack couldn`t find a competent replacement for Daniel. When the replacement candidate screwed up, he got rid of that person without a backward glance. Of course they`re not as snarky as Jack but they don`t have to be. It just would make sense for Sam, as the ranking military person, to bring it up that maybe this guy is not SG-1 material. I hate saying so, and don`t want to hate Cam, but they`ve dug him a really deep hole of idiocy and incompetence that it would really be hard to write him out of. I just can`t imagine them keeping anyone else around who displayed that much dangerous incompetence, and it`s not fair that they did this to Cam, but it just makes it that much harder to enjoy the show with him written this way. And no, he`s not always an idiot, but it`s too much to be believable that this character would still be around.

<<lightbulb goes on>>
Is he the military version of Dr. Lee?

You know people say this a lot here, and I just scratch my head. Does everyone have amnesia? Where is this massive incompetence that everyone is talking about? What about the massive amount of heroic and smart things he's done?

Let me refresh your memories. Mitchell fought the knight and figured out how to find the treasure in Avalon; he saved Daniel and Vala by throwing that transporter device into the gate swish; he had the building beamed up in EDM; he convinced the Sodan to fight the Ori; he helped nab one of the priors; he fought for justice in a horribly wrong murder; he helped rescue Teal'c from Baal; he helped rescue Daniel in Ethon and was the leader in that whole mission; he led the mission to find the gates and get them back on Baal's ship; he led the diplomats successfully away from the bugs and help keep the bugs at bay until they could be rescued; and in this ep, he got the crystal back and led the zombie to the explosives.

[Skydiver]

Euhm, the device was found on earth, so that would be logic

ok, i've been informed that they did find that stuff on earth. I stand corrected on that aspect (i could only stand to watch valagate episodes once so my details are a bit fuzzy)

i am though, not sure which gate was in operation when merlin was on earth the giza gate, with the /\ point of origin was buried 5000 years ago, so the antarctic gate would have been the one in operation, and its PoO is OI (or close to that)

[NearlyCircular]

I liked the ep for the most part, and didn’t really have problems with Mitchell’s behavior until he got to the trip wire and stopped to taunt the zombie. Logically, he should have just continued on and let the zombie “blow up real good.” I know, I know, it was a plot device to allow time so that he would phase back in and get to fight the invisible bad guy, grab the crystal, and be rescued by Teal’c, but it was a glaring error to me.

I could almost understand Mitchell going offworld to try to do anything to help. He’s someone who is apparently incapable of just standing around doing nothing. He has to do something, no matter how futile it appears to be.

In addition, he probably needed to do something about those pesky “bodily functions.” Think about it, it would explain why he was so hyper in the SGC, and he knew he could find a convenient tree if he went offworld.

NC

[Dani347]

I'm glad that the team let us know they think Cam is cocky. Daniel's "Why am I not surprised?" and Teal'c trying to hit him with the gun were great.

See, I don't think they do see him as cocky. Or, maybe I'm transfering my feelings, because I don't think he was cocky in this episode. I think the "why am I not surprised" is because they know he can be overly impulsive and doesn't think out all the ramifications of an action before doing it. Which, I suppose can be characterized as impulsive (my choice), or foolhardy. But, I personally don't see a "I'm so great" feeling behind his actions, so I don't see that with Daniel's reaction. Teal'c's is strange. Sometimes he acts like Mitchell is a gnat, and sometimes he acts like he likes Mitchell well enough.

[acdj31]

What is up with Ancients and weapons? First the weapon in Lost City on Earth, then the weapon on Dakara in "Reckoning". I mean come on I tried of the team have to go find a weapon. Can't they build their own.

[Maxum]

See, I don't think they do see him as cocky. Or, maybe I'm transfering my feelings, because I don't think he was cocky in this episode. I think the "why am I not surprised" is because they know he can be overly impulsive and doesn't think out all the ramifications of an action before doing it. Which, I suppose can be characterized as impulsive (my choice), or foolhardy. But, I personally don't see a "I'm so great" feeling behind his actions, so I don't see that with Daniel's reaction. Teal'c's is strange. Sometimes he acts like Mitchell is a gnat, and sometimes he acts like he likes Mitchell well enough.

I agree. I don't see Mitchell as being cocky at all. Cockiness implies arrogance, and Mitchell admires SG-1 too much to be arrogant where they are concerned. He is a very competent soilder, smart, heroic, and capable, but he is impulsive and he can do things "on the fly." Maybe that's what will make him fit so well with SG-1. They all do things impulsively.

[gatewonderer114]

What a great episode. I think it's a good way to go into the final two episodes of the season. The last two should be great.

Also, Merlin's weapon, it should kick ass.

[JackGyver]

No, this was the brother of the one who he befriended. Volnek, our Ori-Zombie, was the one that Mitchell shot and was taken back to the SGC in "Babylon". They never liked each other. Jolan is the one who Mitchell befriended, and apparently one of the first killed when his brother was zombified.

Okay, that makes me feel a little better about it. Still, I thought he was being a little too flippant after learning about the Sodan's destruction. Contrary to what he said in the SGC, he didn't seem to be all that bothered by it.

I hope we see more Ori zombies. They could be the Ori's own version of the Kull warriors. Also, very reminiscent of "Evolution"'s zombie revolutionary.

[Deejay435]

See, I don't think they do see him as cocky. Or, maybe I'm transfering my feelings, because I don't think he was cocky in this episode. I think the "why am I not surprised" is because they know he can be overly impulsive and doesn't think out all the ramifications of an action before doing it. Which, I suppose can be characterized as impulsive (my choice), or foolhardy. But, I personally don't see a "I'm so great" feeling behind his actions, so I don't see that with Daniel's reaction. Teal'c's is strange. Sometimes he acts like Mitchell is a gnat, and sometimes he acts like he likes Mitchell well enough.

Where I saw the "I'm so great" aspect of his character was when he stopped and taunted Volnek. There was no tactical reason for that, other than to amuse himself. The plan was to lure Volnek to the clamore, and blow him up. Volnek was following Mitchell. There was no reaon to stand around and play comic.

[Dani347]

Where I saw the "I'm so great" aspect of his character was when he stopped and taunted Volnek. There was no tactical reason for that, other than to amuse himself. The plan was to lure Volnek to the clamore, and blow him up. Volnek was following Mitchell. There was no reaon to stand around and play comic.

Okay, maybe there was an element of cockiness in that scene. I just meant that I don't think his going to the planet in the first place came out of anything but a desire to help. And, that for some reason, especially when Teal'c is in trouble, he feels the need to go and do something even more than usual. It seems like he has this thing about Teal'c.

[Dana_Jeanne]

Aren't you exagerating a little bit? It was good episode IMO.

Not at all. IN MY OPINION it was not a good episode, I wasn't happy with it and I find Mitchell increasingly difficult to watch. The poster asked me why *I* was still watching if I was so unhappy with the show.

*I* am still watching because IN MY OPINION, the show is fast turning into something that is not holding my interest, so the only reason *I* am still watching is because of Daniel.

So no, as far as *I'm* concerned, I didn't exagerate.

Dana Jeanne

[Dana_Jeanne]

Ouch! That stings a little.

I have to agree with her. New, better writers would add some ooomph to the show and wouldn't have the blinders-on attitude the writers we have now do.

The episodes that Ken whos-its directed, Ethon, and The Scourge, were two that I liked very much and the fact that he hasn't directed an SG1 episode since Solitudes and so wasn't doing it with the same 'blinders' the others use really showed. IMO, of course.

Dana Jeanne

[Andrew Joshua Talon]

Newbie here.

Rather liked this episode, myself. Mitchell's grown on me. At first I thought he was just going to be John Crichton on SG-1, but he's really evolved into a very unique character.

Mitchell just seems to sometimes be overwhelmed with the sheer wonder of being part of SG-1 sometimes. Probably why he stopped to taunt Volnak. C'mon, he didn't know his invincibility would stop RIGHT THEN, and as long as he's invulnerable and Volnak's following him, stopping to taunt the zombie didn't seem to hurt (to Mitchell, anyway).

The rest of the team now seems to be regarding Mitchell as an enthusiastic little-brother, rather than "the new guy". Teal'c seems to have genuine affection for him, while Daniel and Sam act like his guides to this new, huge world he's landed himself in. He's obviously not perfect, but while he can be very impulsive, he seems to have learned to use SG-1's strengths where he is lacking, as evidenced by his asking of the others on how and what to do, and not trying to blaze his own way and lead them all to disaster out of arrogance.

It seemed more like a team-episode, though more like a paired-off team episode. Daniel and Sam got to work together once more on a new, exciting, and bizarre technology, while Teal'c and Cam got to bond.

Not perfect, of course, because of the slightly-used plot, but overall a very nice episode.

[Aadizookaan]

***(retakes human form after lurking for about year with the ascended)***

Hello everybody, its been a long time. Well, many things to say with little time to say it. So here goes.

First, I was impressed with this episode. Great interaction with the segmented team members - lets start off with Teal'c : looks like he is large and in charge, the military defered to him while on the Sodan Homeworld. He did what was expected of him characterwize. Now on to Sam :she is back into her groove since her stint at Area 51. She may have made to boo-boo of getting herself and Mitchell into "trouble" but she also had the faith to rely on her fellow SG members to figure it all out. On to Daniel :he is the man, plain and simple. He figured it all out by getting sucked into the "trouble", translating outloud a big "thing", and reboots Merlins computer to save the day. Last but not least Mitchell (note the bold of the name, we will discuss this later):typical Mitchell, runs off trying to save the world by living up to SG1's reputation. All he was doing here was trying to prove that he could lead SG1 and did a bang up job until Daniel solved the "trouble" back home. Like I said, good interaction. The stuff I have watched the show for since day one.

Second, I am a little peturbed. All the Mitchell bashing going on in the forum. Let it go. A torch was passed at the begining of the season, lets accept it and move on. The character is a great addition to the team, unlike the Jonas fiasco of season 6 - not that I didn't like the character, he was just underdeveloped because we only knew him for one season. The same is happening here with Mitchell. He has a lot of catching up to do - Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel have evolved over eight seasons prior to Mitchell's attempt to get the band back together. We all knew by the opening two-parter of the season that none of the original SG1 wanted to be there. They were only reunited because of the Ori's badassness. However, they have come to accept that they will have to stay for the duration to finish what they had started - exploring (and kicking butt in) the galaxy. As for those who have issue with Mitchell calling Daniel - Jackson. Take a look at your own posts, you all have done the exact same thing to Cameron.

Third, let's all remember to enjoy the one hour of television that allows us to leave our worries, troubles, and at times hard lives behind. The show is meant to entertain, don't take it too, too seriously.

Thats all for now, until later...

***(ascends again to avoid the inevitable flaming to follow)***

[akimbo]

Second, I am a little peturbed. All the Mitchell bashing going on in the forum. Let it go. A torch was passed at the begining of the season, lets accept it and move on.

I'll agree with you there. I love Jack (season 4 and before especially). But I love where Mitchell is taking us. Hang on and enjoy the ride.


I enjoyed "Arthur's Mantle" for what it was: a prelude to the season finale two-parter. It re-used sets and actors and didn't spend a lot of SFX tokens. It gave us a "get out of jail free" card with the Ori that may or may not work (which is no different than other seasons) and therefore advanced the arc while having a bit of fun.

I mourn the loss of Haikon and the Sodan they could have been of more use to the mythology.

The rest is set-up for the next two weeks. Bring it on baby!