The Other Side (402)

[Willow]

I thought it was interesting that Daniel was on the other side of the table from the others during the initial negotiations. Like he was already out of step with them or something.

[fair_nymph]

This was an excellent episode in my opinion. We get a new alien race, some cool new technology, and a thought-provoking moral/ethical dilemma.

I noticed very early on that all the Cloners looked very Aryan, especially when they went through the database of those in stasis. So while I didn't suspect that they were fighting a war of genocide initially, I was always a little suspicious. Of course there was also the whole way they interacted with Teal'C.

I think that ultimately SG1 did 'the right thing', with one exception. Jack should not have let the leader hit the iris. I feel that in this case Jack was letting his emotions get the best of him, and not thinking levelly. Just think of all the technology they could have learned from him. It makes me want to cry every time they come so close to getting a bunch of new technology and it evades them like this.

[Willow]

I think that ultimately SG1 did 'the right thing', with one exception. Jack should not have let the leader hit the iris.
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Maybe so, but Alar already knew what would happen if an unauthorised person tried to come through the gate.

[fair_nymph]

But he couldn't have known for sure that he would immediately shut the iris (or that there would even be time for that). He was going to die if he remained anyway. Short and sweet is better, if he has to die.

[QuiGonJohn]

Another good episode. I liked the conflict between Jack & Daniel, and that Jack sees he was wrong. Also, as already stated, no prime directive here on Stargate.

[Perriman33]

I enjoyed this one but the way it worked out was kinda weird. I thought they were too quick at the start to jump in and help with the fighting. And once they had found out they may be on the wrong side they went out of their way to destroy them. Rene A was very good in his part and the technology was brilliant. I felt a bit uncomfortable watching some of it though, maybe it was a bit close to how things are in the real world!

[Psiberian]

I just watched this episode, and I agree that it was very thought provoking. One thing that noone here has considered, though, is the possible future ramifications of any alliance, had one been formed; What do you think would have happened to that alliance once Alar and his people discovered that the entirety of Earth were also "breeders"? How long would that alliance have lasted before Alar turned on Earth as well?

[Stricken]

Wow strange episode, Jacks dark side came out at the end when he said close the iris and thump, anyway good epsiode to the new year!

[Tezzador]

A very disturbing episode indeed, but I feel that Jack has shouldn't interfere with other races just because he can do it. He should have just left them alone instead making himself feel whether or not he had done the right thing.

[Metarock Sam]

This episode dealt with the fact that O'neill is afterall a military man and as he was slightly succumbed by the technology aswell as the way these people pretended to be helpless he didn't realise that he was on the wrong side. This also happens in Scorched Earth however with a little less shouting at Daniel. He then makes up for his mistake fro getting rid of the basicly Hitler if he was a clone. The amount of people that the man had orderd killed would probably have been thousands if not more so Jack closing the Iris to in effect kill Alar justifies itself.

[Uber]

This episode dealt with the fact that O'neill is afterall a military man and as he was slightly succumbed by the technology aswell as the way these people pretended to be helpless he didn't realise that he was on the wrong side. This also happens in Scorched Earth however with a little less shouting at Daniel. He then makes up for his mistake fro getting rid of the basicly Hitler if he was a clone. The amount of people that the man had orderd killed would probably have been thousands if not more so Jack closing the Iris to in effect kill Alar justifies itself.

What if Alar had been allowed to come to earth? What would we have done with him? Chances are, we'd wait until we were able to, then send him back to his own people to be tried and executed (assuming the rebels won, which was what was implied would happen at the end of the episode). So anyway you look at it, Alar was on borrowed time.

Truth be told, I was never bothered by what Jack did. I know some were disappointed with Jack. In fact I had always read the expression Sam gives him at the end as being that of "what a tragic waste"...but according to Amanda Tapping, she was expressing Sam's disappointment in Jack for "playing God" as it were.

I however didn't see it that way at all.

I would have been really disappointed had he not warned Alar very pointedly by specifically telling him NOT to follow them. Alar disregarded the warning and met his fate.

And you know Alar understood what Jack meant, too, because he had lost people who came through the gate to earth at the beginning of the episode and it was in fact a major point in their dealings with each other...that it was unfortunate that those men were lost...so Alar knew about the iris.

But as most despots are, he was a coward...no longer able to rely on the safety of his bunker to indiscriminately kill those he didn't approve of, apparently unable to further poison and murder the population above and knowing that he'd either be arrested or killed by those topside, he chose the "easy way out."

I also like the fact that Jack was able to admit that Daniel and Sam were right...actually it was mostly Daniel but Sam agreed with his reasoning. Perhaps he realized that to go ahead and ally with a questionable people for the benefits of getting better technology was frighteningly similar to the NID's philosophy that acquiring technology should be done by any means necessary, regardless of moral implications.

[walter_MacChevron]

I thought it was a mediocore episode

[AGateFan]

I thought it was a mediocore episode

Funny, I always thought of it as just a so-so ep myself. Then I rewatched it yesterday to put a synopsis on the Sony sight and I found I really, really enjoyed this ep. Wonder if the ep is really that good or if I am just missing team eps so much that I even like the ep where the team is standing against one another (everyone vs Daniel in this case).

Plus there were a couple of good scenes.
Jack and his "didn’t I order you to get a life"
Jack\Daniel and the teal'c "look" conversations.
Teal'c and his "he is concealing something...... I do not know he is concealing it".

Some annoying things.
Jack and Daniel both had 'tudes' in this ep and Teal'c had the little caterpillar on his chin. But still it was a nice fighting family ep with everyone doing what they do.

Jack was gung ho to complete the mission (acquire tech) at any cost (until they insulted his pal Teal'c)
Carter was good dutiful 2IC reciting standing orders when ordered to do so.
Daniel was gung-ho humanist that isn’t fond of giving people weapons even if we do get what we want.
Teal'c strong, silent, dutiful (supportive of O'neill even if he was suspicious).

[solar wind]

It's one of the great things about Jack Oneill. He made the decision, what he thought was right and did it. At first he chose to ignore the warnings and not ask the questions, but when he realized he was wrong he apologised and went full steam ahead with what was right. He didn't hum and haw. I greatly admire that. Uncompromising, doing what it takes even though I'm sure Jack wasn't happy that his command ended someones life. The guy got what was coming for him, and he was warned.

[The_Fifth]

the best episode of stargate in my opinion...