The Light (418)

[Albion]

What was this the fourth house that Daniel has lived in?

Yeah, well, you know, if you keep on dying all the time it gets hard to pay the rent.

I really like this episode. From the start, I just love the sheer pleasure Jack takes in teasing Carter about the bet and the rapid sequeway from that lighthearted moment to the high drama of Barber rushing into the gate is well done.

I thought the set in this one was awesome. Not just the light itself, but all those pillars and the opulance of the place. Beautifully done by the art department.

I loved the character beats in this one, especially between Jack and Daniel and the moments when they kept getting sidetracked by the light were cute. Liked the little spat between a withdrawn Jack and Sam on the beach - although it could have been a little more dramatic for me.

And most of all I thought the scene between Jack and Loren when he finally told him about what happened to his parents was one of the most poignant, beautifully acted in the entire show. The actor playing Loren was superb and Jack's reactions were spot on. I especially like the beat RDA puts in when he starts to automatically protest Loren's claim that he was the one who killed his parents - as any adult would do, that kind of 'yeah, yeah, not seriously killed them, killed them, you're just a kid...' which is instantly cut off as he freezes with the sudden awareness that Loren is very serious and did, somehow, kill them.

It's a good episode, which I enjoy watching often. Vastly under-rated, I think, because when you really look at it it's poignant drama at its best.

Albion

[jckfan55]

I really like this episode. From the start, I just love the sheer pleasure Jack takes in teasing Carter about the bet and the rapid sequeway from that lighthearted moment to the high drama of Barber rushing into the gate is well done....


...I loved the character beats in this one, especially between Jack and Daniel and the moments when they kept getting sidetracked by the light were cute. Liked the little spat between a withdrawn Jack and Sam on the beach - although it could have been a little more dramatic for me....

It's a good episode, which I enjoy watching often. Vastly under-rated, I think, because when you really look at it it's poignant drama at its best.

Albion

I agree with you Albion. I think it's under-rated too. Even though we don't know Barber, we can really feel the shock and pain of his loss by/through our main characters. I think of this episode when I read that TPTB in Season 7

Spoiler:

wanted to kill Janet so we'd know people from the SGC die & how horrible it is. I want to say--done that.

I also like that it is just a one shot episode and not part of a big arc. Don't get me wrong, I like arcs, but it is fun to just run into something interesting as a stand alone.

[Albion]

jckfan55 said (apparently I can't quote him/her AND put spoiler tags in ):

Spoiler:

"I wanted to kill Janet so we'd know people from the SGC die & how horrible it is. I want to say--done that."

LOL, yes. I said that too - I already knew that one from poor Elliott sacrificing himself. And a few others besides. Kawalsky, anyone? Rothman? I must admit that the deaths of all three of these affected me just as much as Janet's.

I also like that it is just a one shot episode and not part of a big arc. Don't get me wrong, I like arcs, but it is fun to just run into something interesting as a stand alone.

And I must admit that I don't understand the theory which goes 'this episode wasn't good and there was no point to it because it 'didn't advance the mythology'/'didn't have anything to do with the major arc plotlines of the season'/and so on. It baffles me why every single episode would need to. For myself, a collection of myth/arc episodes and standalones with the odd comedy episode thrown into the mix are what make a season interesting. It would be enormously boring for me if every episode was serious, heavy drama and I value the standalones as much as I do the myth-heavy arcs.

Albion

[AGateFan]

I wanted to know why the team & Hammond didn't suspect something had happened to Daniel, just as Lt. Barber, once Daniel stated acting weird, shortly after he came back.

He probably acts like that when he hasn't had enough coffee either so they probably didn notice.

[Albion]

I don't think Daniel was acting particularly out of whack enough from normal. In the briefing room he was distracted and vague - but that was easy to explain. He'd just heard shocking news about a man he'd been working with off planet and was trying to get his head around what had prompted him to kill himself. Who wouldn't be distracted?

Later, he was tense, irritable and impatient. But, heck, we've all seen Daniel exhibit these signs before when he's felt that he was on to something of vital importance and also felt that the military side of things - Hammond and Jack - weren't as enthused as he was or were dragging their heels on taking action when he wanted to be up and at 'em. So that probably didn't look odd to Jack or Hammond, either. They've both been on the receiving end before of one of Daniel's passionate 'How can you just sit there? This is urgent!' rants.

Perhaps snapping at Hammond in his office was a little more virulent and passionate than usual, but not so much, imo, that everyone would leap immediately to the conclusion that he was being strange. At this point in his life, when Daniel was on the hunt of something, he was pretty singleminded about it. I think he's gotten more thoughtful in recent seasons and more willing to cool his jets.

I had to go watch this one again after talking about it. And discovered so much more I'd forgotten, that makes this a great episode for me. The confrontation between Janet and Jack in the infirmary, for one. Janet in her wonderful 'Look, I don't care what rank you are, you mess with me in my infirmary and you're out of here, buster.' mood. I love when she asserts herself that way. And at the same time, her compassion for Jack shines through. The beats between Loran (not Loren according to the subtitles) and Teal'c are very sweet. I wonder if Teal'c was remembering a certain tyke with a water pistol when he was beeping that ray gun?

I've already mentioned that I love the friendship beats between Jack and Daniel in this one, but just have to especially mention that balcony scene. The drama and dialogue of it so understated, yet very powerful.

Albion

[Stricken]

I am going to be honet i cannot stand this episode i find it the most boring, unintersting episode EVER one of few low points of Season 4

[walter_MacChevron]

As Joe said in that one season 8 episode............

[Metarock Sam]

Ive got to say the only real highlight for thid ep was finding out that Teal'c is over 100 years old. The rest was a predictible story.

[Rune]

I love The Light. I enjoy the action and arc eps too but now and again it's good to watch one of those stand-alone, easy to digest, pulls you along eps where you can just let it carry you along, the unfolding story may seem predictable but I don't have a problem with that, suspecting how it will end is half the pleasure with this one and the interaction between Janet and Jack / Jack and Daniel / Sam and Jack / Jack and Loren is both great and touching.

That device would make a funky nightlight too

[BigGator5]

This episode reminds me of the song, "Hotel Caifornia" by the Eagles.

[skeezix]

This episode was okay. Predictable like all hell but it was still enjoyable. Loran was a decent character, does he ever comes back? Jack and Daniel's bet was the best part. I felt it ended too early because I wanted to see SG1 on vacation on the beach. Imagine Teal'c playing with a beach ball or trying to surf!

[Sheppard]

teal'c surfing that would be a great and heaps funny episode

[newbiegater]

I haven't actually seen this episode yet, but I've seen pics of it, and I think Michael Shanks did a terrific job with the balcony scene. I can sympathize with him.

[scifi_girl]

teal'c surfing that would be a great and heaps funny episode

that would have been so funny.

i enjoyed this ep, it was good

[Descent]

I loved this episode and the whole idea. Even the bad guys need to relax sometimes.