Full Alert (814)

[Major Fischer]

So... for the first time in a while I'm looking forward to the SG1 episode and dreading the Atlantis one...

Fischer's Random Ramblings About Full Alert

So I'll preface this by the fact that I'm a specialist in eastern bloc and Soviet militaries, and while slightly out of my time period, I know a fair bit about the current Russian military. So some of my comments may be on the geeky side.

1. Kinsey. You know, I just watched Ronny Cox in Taps last night and am reminded of how good the man is, the fact that we all loath him has little to do with his skill as an actor. I really enjoyed the fact that in the beginning there was a sense that he was rather desperate for Jack to actually listen to him. I was amused that Kinsey wanted his belt back when it was over. Expensive belt?

2. The Russians. Kinsey's description of the post war Russian military, while dramatic and a little over the top was reasonably consistant. But vastly oversimplified. But this is a television show. Thank god that they've learned about Russian naming conventions. They've still wearing ribbons that make no sense (everyone's got at least a dozen copies of the same service fifteen year service medals). They also have a prop weapons supplier that's giving them very old versions of the AK-74 (and I even spotted an AK-M). These are a little on the old side to be guarding the Russian defense minister. There are newer and more advanced Russian small arms. The AN-94 jumps to mind.

3. I love that Daniel's Russian isn't that good. I rather loved

4. I wonder how they're explaining the shift to DefCon 1. There are people who notice such things, that kind of alert level by the US, Russia, and China would be noticed by people outside those governments. The US had never gone to DefCon 1, not even during 1963.

5. I liked the Russian captain, I hope we see more of her.

6. Why are the promie crew using projectile weapons on a space ship. Anyone heard of hull breaches? Why aren't they using zats.

In general, I rather liked this episode, perhaps the dry horrible middle of the season is over. My only problem was that it was resolved rather quickly, but oh well, 45 minutes.

[Bobthespirit]

I must say I really enjoyed this episode. One of the first ones this season that really gripped me in any way and shook things up.

I like the idea of Kinsey-gu'ald.

[Cinephilic TV Addict]

holy crap - an episode that didn't suck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it had problems, like the too short final ending, but it is TIED for best episode this season, and there have ONLY been a few (3 or 4) good ones.

[lord-anubis]

this ep was good i don't know why people were saying it sucked but the ending could have been longer

[Osiris-RA]

I have never been so disappointed with an Sg1 epsiode in my life. I never liked Jack's character when he was with Russians. He has an ignorent, assanine temper about something that happened eons ago. What the heck is his problem?? This whole US/Russia superiority issue just sickens me to my gut, I'm sorry. The thing about Russia getting all its weapons ready for an attack on the US is completely crazy and unrealistic. In real life, it would be the other way around. I felt lost and embarrased by this episode and during a few of Jack's scenes, I was tempted to hide my face under the pillows in anguish and embarrasment.

The Russian Captain, though mildly interesting, seemed to be overdoing her accent a bit, I'm not sure of it was real ...

Teal'c ... what can I say. We know you've got muscles, big boy, so stop fluanting 'em. Flexing during missions can get you shot.

Kinsey. The ---hole as usual. I was kind of glad that he got blown up (or did he?) but that didin't save the cheesieness of the rest of the episode. I get sick of patriotic sentimentalist writing quickly. The thing I most disliked about this episode was it was unrealistic. Why would Russia attack the US just beause they think we're compromised? They could establish a quarantine or prevent foreigners from entering thier country until the threat was over. It was farfetched.

StarGate, help me out here, please, I'm begging you ....

[Major Fischer]

I have never been so disappointed with an Sg1 epsiode in my life. I never liked Jack's character when he was with Russians. He has an ignorent, assanine temper about something that happened eons ago. What the heck is his problem?? This whole US/Russia superiority issue just sickens me to my gut, I'm sorry. The thing about Russia getting all its weapons ready for an attack on the US is completely crazy and unrealistic.

Actually, sickening for another reason. It wasn't unrealistic. THough if you followed the dialogue there were equal alerts between the US, China, and Russia (and presumably the UK as well). The Russians went to a similiar alert a couple years ago when a Norwegian weather rocket was detected that they thought was an incoming SLBM. Turned out they had been informed weeks ahead of time, but it didn't reach their missile forces.

It went all the way to the football/briefcase level with the Russian president.

[Icemancmd]

HUH?!?! What are you people talking about? That was one of the WORST EPS in the past 2 seasons! So PREDICTABLE...I knew right away that that was a gou'ld when the guy turned the case around. And it was obvious the Russian Miltary was a gou'ld 3/4th through the way through the show. There was about 20 seconds of action.The base of the show was about the Trust/NID. Very boring. Last week eps was 100x better then this.

The previews for next weeks ep do not look very promising at all either. Sigh...SG1 is slipping.

[Osiris-RA]

Actually, sickening for another reason. It wasn't unrealistic. THough if you followed the dialogue there were equal alerts between the US, China, and Russia (and presumably the UK as well). The Russians went to a similiar alert a couple years ago when a Norwegian weather rocket was detected that they thought was an incoming SLBM. Turned out they had been informed weeks ahead of time, but it didn't reach their missile forces.

It went all the way to the football/briefcase level with the Russian president.

All I'm saying is, Russia wouldn't go and launch an attack on the US just because they think we might be compromised. The normal response is to stay as far away from the problem as possible. Set up a quarantine, don't let anyone in your country until the problem is figured out.

[Cinephilic TV Addict]

I have never been so disappointed with an Sg1 epsiode in my life. I never liked Jack's character when he was with Russians. He has an ignorent, assanine temper about something that happened eons ago. What the heck is his problem?? This whole US/Russia superiority issue just sickens me to my gut, I'm sorry. The thing about Russia getting all its weapons ready for an attack on the US is completely crazy and unrealistic. In real life, it would be the other way around. I felt lost and embarrased by this episode and during a few of Jack's scenes, I was tempted to hide my face under the pillows in anguish and embarrasment.

The Russian Captain, though mildly interesting, seemed to be overdoing her accent a bit, I'm not sure of it was real ...

Teal'c ... what can I say. We know you've got muscles, big boy, so stop fluanting 'em. Flexing during missions can get you shot.

Kinsey. The ---hole as usual. I was kind of glad that he got blown up (or did he?) but that didin't save the cheesieness of the rest of the episode. I get sick of patriotic sentimentalist writing quickly. The thing I most disliked about this episode was it was unrealistic. Why would Russia attack the US just beause they think we're compromised? They could establish a quarantine or prevent foreigners from entering thier country until the threat was over. It was farfetched.

StarGate, help me out here, please, I'm begging you ....

To play devil's advocate - why can't you accept unbelievability on this level - did you watch Prometheus Unbound? That was unbelievable. This episode did NOT do enough to convince me of an IMMINENT threat from the russians, but the episode was well done overall - some jokes that were actually funny, increasing tension (granted a cop-out ending), and, most importantly, a plot that was not totally unbelievable.

I agree that the episode had problems, but this was one of the ONLY episodes in the last two years that deserved to be on the air.

Jack's acting and lines where the best all season, even though it was a LITTLE unbelievable that russia would go on alert so quickly. However, it was filmed, written, and acted better then almost every episode this season, and most importantly not as unbelievable as other episodes.

Stargate team, study this episode and see what makse it tick and doesn't tick - you regained a little bit of stargate magic with it. This was a GOOD episode, do it again Stargate team.

I'll actually write more later, but right now I'm watching Atlantis while typing and then I have to go somewhere, so it'll probably be tomorrow.

[Major Fischer]

All I'm saying is, Russia wouldn't go and launch an attack on the US just because they think we might be compromised. The normal response is to stay as far away from the problem as possible. Set up a quarantine, don't let anyone in your country until the problem is figured out.

The level of command and control in the Russian stategic missile forces today leaves a lot to be desired, it's questionable if that kind of response could even be managed. Add to that that there was a goa'uld or goa'ulds driving the Russian military advise? Nah, totally believable.

[Osiris-RA]

Then how come I can believe Hathor infiltrating the base is more believeable than this one? It was totally out of it. If you're going to dip your finger in the shark ridden lake of TV politics, at least try to draw your lines around reality. People like unbelievability when they like the message. I didn't particularly like this episodes message.

The level of command and control in the Russian stategic missile forces today leaves a lot to be desired, it's questionable if that kind of response could even be managed. Add to that that there was a goa'uld or goa'ulds driving the Russian military advise? Nah, totally believable.

It seems easy enough to manage. Anybody can do it. You don't have to be some kind of military genius to pull it off. You'd want to protect the people first from exposure, not go in blasting (like some tend to do )

Of course, with a Goa'uld in charge, it probably would be believable. They're not exactly tactical masters on this world anyway.

What's starting to make me a bit sad is that in S8, i haven't laughed and meant it - except for some of Prometheus Unbound and It's Good To Be King. Otherwise ... nada.

[Cinephilic TV Addict]

Then how come I can believe Hathor infiltrating the base is more believeable than this one? It was totally out of it. If you're going to dip your finger in the shark ridden lake of TV politics, at least try to draw your lines around reality. People like unbelievability when they like the message. I didn't particularly like this episodes message.



It seems easy enough to manage. Anybody can do it. You don't have to be some kind of military genius to pull it off. You'd want to protect the people first from exposure, not go in blasting (like some tend to do )

Of course, with a Goa'uld in charge, it probably would be believable. They're not exactly tactical masters on this world anyway.

What's starting to make me a bit sad is that in S8, i haven't laughed and meant it - except for some of Prometheus Unbound and It's Good To Be King. Otherwise ... nada.

I agree with you one hundred and fifty percent that season 8 sucks - it's better than other sci-fi shows, but justs because its a mound of crap that smells good doesn't mean that it's not a mound of crap. but, from a film major's point of view, believe me - this episode was at least filmed better than the rest of the season.

Now, filmming is only part of it. You also have writing, acting, etc. I'm just asking you what was sooooo unbelievable - Russia raising its military forces because the thing Washington is overrun with bad guys? It is a little unbelievable, but the point is that it was done well enough to justify that unbelievability. And I'd like to make the point that it is much less unbelievable than other things stargate has done this season and last. It was done well enough to justify plot, which honestly wasn't that bad, and it really stands out as one of the best episodes this season.

[Osiris-RA]

I agree with you one hundred and fifty percent that season 8 sucks - it's better than other sci-fi shows, but justs because its a mound of crap that smells good doesn't mean that it's not a mound of crap. but, from a film major's point of view, believe me - this episode was at least filmed better than the rest of the season.

Now, filmming is only part of it. You also have writing, acting, etc. I'm just asking you what was sooooo unbelievable - Russia raising its military forces because the thing Washington is overrun with bad guys? It is a little unbelievable, but the point is that it was done well enough to justify that unbelievability. And I'd like to make the point that it is much less unbelievable than other things stargate has done this season and last. It was done well enough to justify plot, which honestly wasn't that bad, and it really stands out as one of the best episodes this season.

As an aspiring film major, I agree it was filmed better, the diologue was pretty good but the plot was weak to me. It ended too slanted off. So the Russians call off the attack, so what? They didn't have to attack in the first place. In tactics, national defense acts should have been taken. If the enemy can't reach you, you're fine, no need to attack.
Of course, Goa'uld might not see it that way, huh?

[Cinephilic TV Addict]

I agree - the end was too quick.

But, I'll write my specific reasons why I liked the episode later. At least I want to say this - regardless of who liked it and who didn't, this was one of the only episodes this season that deserved to be on the air, from at least a cinematic point of view. Even if you didn't like it, it deserved air time, not like (take for example) Prometheus Unbound and Icon (yes - I know they were writen by that Kindler guy and I'm not singling him out, it's just that he is not funny at all and they entrust funny episodes to him and that bugs me as a film major/screenwriting minor).

So, basically, I'll say this - you didn't like it, and that's completely, totally cool. But at least know that this one at least deserved to be on the air, because the line between liking it and disliking it was a fine one, unlike most of S8, which everyone should hate for the most part.

[NightGloom]

Meh, this wasn't an absolutely horrific episode. Finally, a (mainly) Earth-based episode that wasn't completely boring. It was slightly unbelievable that the Russians would act that quickly to attack us, and then just do a complete 180 in the end. However, it is only an hour TV show (40-45 minutes without the commercials) so I guess you can't blame them. Although, they could have probably cut some of the stuff out in the beginning and went straight to Kinsey getting Goa'uld-ed and go from there.