Stargate SG-1 S10 Meme -- Core of Science Fiction, Its Essence, Has Become Crucial to Our Salvation

[melsummers]

As stated in my previous Stargate post I've heard horror stories about the final season of the show. Once again I think I'm a minority in this case because I thoroughly enjoyed this unintended final season. It's interesting how the show could've been canceled during season five....or season six....or season seven....or season eight....or season nine. The one time the writers plan a three season arc involving the Ori mythology is the time where they were, in fact, canceled....d'oh. Now I personally would have liked another season, but I felt after the Ori arc the show should've ended as series and continued in the movie sphere. There was no adjustments I really had to go through this time as a viewer since the show adjusted and did introductions in the previous season.

I thought they did an excellent job in getting the team out of their jams from the season nine finale. I loved how they explained each team members ordeal, and how they helped each other to survive. I figure Cam would make it to the 302 fine and Teal'c could hold his own against the Lucian Alliance for a short time. Whereas, I couldn't figure out they were going to get Sam and Daniel out of their jams. I thought it was cool seeing Cam fly the Odyssey slowly to get Sam in the hanger before her oxygen went out. The payoff of the Daniel reveal was Vala's face when she saw him, and Daniel's face when he saw her pregnantless hehe. It was really neat how the writers wrote their characters out of their jams.

I just really enjoyed the final season. The Ori arc had vast amounts of progression, the SG-1 team continued to become a more cohesive unit, great individual character development, a brilliant 200th episode, and a beautiful quiet character study series finale. This season also delivered some shockers, such as the end of Dakara and the Asgard (*sniff*). This season really had a mixture of various things that makes Stargate a wonderful viewing experience. Alas, being me I was in tears as SG-1 walked through the gate one last time as a series *sniff*.

Favorite Episodes: "Flesh and Blood", "Morpheus", "Insiders", "Uninvited", "200", "Counterstrike",  "Company of Thieves", "The Quest Pt.1 & 2", "Line in the Sand", "The Road Not Taken", "The Shroud", "Bounty", "Talion", "Dominion", and "Unending"

So-So Decent Episodes: "The Pegasus Project", "Memento Mori", "Bad Guys", & "Family Ties"

Least Favorite Episodes: None, there wasn't any this season truthfully.

Favorite Storylines: There were several I really enjoyed....
*I loved all of the mythology, anthropology, and science of the worlds' case studies which made the worlds even more interesting. This season had the added bonuses of an alternate future, multiverse reality, and forgetful memory episodes. I'm going to leave "The Road Not Taken" and "Unending" in different sections this time, so not to retrend the same discussion.

Vala had two forgetful memory episodes due to "Memento Mori" and "Dominion". "Memento Mori" was a great episode because it was interesting to see Vala so vulnerable and tough along with interacting with the characters and mere strangers. I loved her interaction with Daniel and Cam the most. Plus of course there is that great scene where SG-1 finds Cam pantless once again haha. I also loved that Vala became an official member, off probation status, of SG-1. She earned her keep, and you can see the team cared about her. Claudia was really enjoyable in that episode, and showed she can still carry her own episode by herself.

Meanwhile, "Dominion" was a different kind of beast. I could be wrong, but it seemed to be a set-up to the movie The Ark of Truth. At first I didn't know it was a forget-me-not episode because it was regular Vala, but a pissed off one thinking the SG-1 team dropped her like a rock. Claudia did such a convincing job I didn't see the twist that it was a ploy to get Adria in a trap. Granted I knew something up because I just don't see SG-1 dropping her as Vala described. I just couldn't figure it out until they showed Vala's ever so funny video to herself. I loved Vala's tape to herself about not getting mad at her teammates that agreed with her plan. The facial expressions of Sam, Daniel, and Vala were oh so priceless hehe. I really loved the interaction between Adria and Vala because they have this great mother and daughter exchange. Which just makes the ending between them so heartbreaking to see *sniff*. "Dominion" was a well balanced episode that combined the mythology, drama, heart, and humor. "Dominion" was a terrific episode that had so many twists that I didn't know what was going to happen next. It may have been Vala's episode, but by the time we get to the end of the episode it developed into another great team episode against the Ori. It was quite a well done!!

*Building the New Cohesive SG-1 -- Compared to the previous season there wasn't much adjustment period as before other than making Vala part of the team. I did like it was a process in making Vala an official SG member. It didn't happen overnight, and she did have to prove herself more to the header ups rather than the team. I also liked that early on in the season the writers made sure the audience noted it was a cohesive team. There is no "leader". There are leaders of a mission, however; that even depends on what mission it is. Sometimes it will be Cam, Sam, Vala, Teal'c, or Daniel. There is an obvious rotation, but it was necessary due to each team members strengths. However, other times there is no leader, and the whole team works together to get the job done, such as "The Quest". I really loved that because logically making any member the one and only leader just wouldn't work with this unit. After having the introduction season of season nine out of the way it was great to see the bonding of the team throughout the season. I noticed the team episodes that I loved the online fandom didn't exactly like these episodes too much *shrugs*. I have three favorite episodes that focused on the team building quite a lot:

"Uninvited" is one of my favorite episodes in regards to the new cohesive team. There are some great moments between Cam and Landry where they are pretty much driving each other nuts at Jack's cabin. Sam is trying to adjust in running the SGC (to the point she won't even sit in "the" chair!) by herself while Vala is totally bored out of her mind. The whole episode was a great episode of team building by putting them in pairs or threes throughout the episode. Plus there is that great poker scene with the team where Teal'c teases Carter about not being the gambling type which gets a reaction from everyone. So, of course, being Carter she goes all in and calls Teal'c's bluff. I do wonder if Teal'c let Carter win because I'm telling ya there is something there coming from Teal'c's side. Anywho, it was a really great scene that I just loved.

"200" is one of my favorite 200th episodes I have seen!! I'm really glad the producers decided to make this milestone quite special, and it was nothing like their 100th episode (my least favorite 100th episode ever). This whole episode was full of great moments!! I got a kicked out of the tributes to Wizard of Oz, Star Trek, and Farscape. They were so spot on from the sets to the performances. You can tell the cast and crew were having fun with this episode. Ah, you think they would stop there, but nope haha. They had the characters as teenagers and puppets!! Oh, man I loved the SGC puppets!! They were so freakin' adorable!! The whole episode was full of either inside or run-on jokes on the characters, writers, network, audience, and anything they could do. I really loved how no one was above a joke. I loved how we finally, sort of, met the Furlings that were pretty much cute koala ewoks hehe. I think there was a reference to Firefly because it only lasted one season, had huge DVD sales and following, and became a movie to close the series. One of my favorite things about this episode was the constant teasing of Cam throughout the episode from being a "replacement" of a beloved character to being Jack's son....HAHA!! It was so funny to see the gang tease each other at every turn because of the movie's script. It was also quite cool to see Jack once again on the show. Plus awww we finally got a Jack and Sam wedding....sort of....but I'll take it!! "200" was the perfect team 200th episode. I love it when shows don't take themselves too seriously. Just to make fun of themselves because well we are dealing with a fictional world here that is hard not to make fun of.

"Company of Thieves" is one episode that had the angst within the team, but I felt emphasized once again the strong bonds and caring within the team. Carter is injured and stuck on the Odyssey while everyone is either trying to find the ship, or to stop the Lucian Alliance from doing further damage. There is one pivotal moment that comes from the team where they hear the short audio of Carter, Emerson, and Anateo. The team is shocked and wondering if it is Carter, Emerson, or both have been shot. You can just see it in their faces. There is also other moments between Teal'c and Cam that were great. Teal'c, is sadly once again enduring torture, and Cam has to keep his cool to save his teammate. Then, you have Carter, Vala, Daniel, and crew working together under Carter's leadership to save themselves. The episode was a perfect example how this team now works well under pressure. I really enjoyed it even though it is the last time we will see Emerson *sniff*.

Now of course there were so many episodes that were devoted to the team, but I felt those can be discussed in other sections of this review to minimize repeation. Even when the episodes weren't team centric there were some great team moments within those episodes. Whether it be teasing, banter, or just plain support for one another. I really enjoyed seeing the bonding between Carter and Vala throughout the season. I loved seeing Vala bringing this fun side out of Sam. Something we haven't seen much of since Jack's departure. In return it was nice to see Sam (along with rest of the team) have a calming affect on Vala. I really loved seeing Vala getting more and more comfortable having Sam around because I felt that Vala didn't have much girl time. So whenever Vala would interact with Sam whether it be banter, praise, small moments, or hugs it was just really sweet to see. I'm really glad the writers and actresses wanted to show this friendship between these two characters throughout the season. Overall, season ten was a great season for the team. I'm looking forward to see what happens next for them in the movies.

*Quest for Merlin's Weapon -- When you talk about team episodes and season ten you have to talk about the Quest for Merlin's Weapon. I don't care what type of genre it is, but I love quest storylines!! It makes me all giddy because that means there has to be a team effort which combines multiple storylines. The quest for Merlin's weapon has been going on since "Arthur's Mantle". So it was really cool to see how the storyline developed from knowing there is a weapon to finding out where the location might be. I have to say I really loved "The Quest" two parter episodes because to get to the weapon each member's strength even their enemies' strengths were important: prudence (Sam), charity (everyone), kindness (SG-1), wisdom (everyone), and faith (Daniel). Every test was completed by everyone's strengths, and I really loved how simple and not so simple the tests were. The dragon was really cool!! Granted the legs were kinda funny at times, but considering tv made dragons I have seen before Stargate's dragons wasn't too shabby. I wasn't expecting to see Adria as part of this quest, so her reveal left me surprised. I got a kick out of Merlin saying how SG-1 reminded him of people from Camelot and Ba'al was Mordred hehe.

When you jump to Daniel's return in "The Shroud" it involves everyone's abilities from Jack to Vala to do an offensive attack on the Ori. I heard there was some uproar because the show was pretty much wiping out a race. On one hand I can see where that viewpoint is coming from. However, on another hand the Ori has exhibited a no holds bar attitude in dealing with people who didn't worship them. Even if you did worship them they will not give you ascension because they just want your energy to become stronger. Your pretty much talking about an enemy that gave the U.S. Military and other planets no other option other than to take an offensive attack to stop the Ori. At least that is my viewpoint on this matter. I just know I really enjoyed the storyline of Merlin's Weapon throughout the final season.

*Beliefs, Ideals, & Successes: Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter -- After having a quiet season in season nine Sam went through quite an ordeal during season ten and number of successes. I was happy to see Sam finally making technological headway surrounding Ori and Ancient technology whether from shutting down (with McKay's help) the SuperGate in "The Pegasus Project" to finally making heads and tails of Arthur's Mantle in "Line in the Sand", "The Road Not Taken", and "Unending". I love the fact it wasn't easy in season nine for Sam to get the handle of this new technology, but to adjust, adapt, and learn about this techonology to have her successes in season ten. Sam had a several episodes that challenged and progressed her character in the way of science, such as "The Quest" (not relying on technology), "Uninvited" (commanding SGC), "Company of Thieves" ('nuff said), and numerous calculating technology ideas against the Ori throughout the season. There were three strong episodes that centered on Sam's character development specifically: "Line in the Sand", "The Road Not Taken", and "Unending".

"Line in the Sand" had to be one of my favorite episodes because it was a beautifully written story that focused on three teams: Vala/Tomin, Teal'c/Villagers, and Sam/Cam. It was a well balanced story, and Sam's portion was actually quite introspective in regards to Sam's character. Over the course of ten years Sam had many near death experiences ranging from nearly dying in Antarctica to floating out in space. She pretty much, along with the rest of SG-1, had nearly died every season in some fashion. Sometimes we would get a reaction about it, but it wouldn't go in detail. At least not in the way Sam goes into detail in "Line in the Sand". To see Sam crying throughout the episode was quite telling and moving *sniff*. I thought Sam in conflict between science and faith was so much in character. Sam is very much the scientist that needs to explain these in a scientific matter. We really haven't heard her discuss her faith. We don't know if she lost her faith when her mother died. So it was interesting to hear Sam talk about religion and gods. How for ten years she has been helped people not to believe in false gods who thrive in oppression, but here she is bleeding out hoping there is a god out there that is real. I really loved her whole discussion with Cam about religion, and how it went into Cam's belief of just believing period. We knew of Sam's living will in "Entity", so to hear her have personal letters to Cassie and "other people" was a great character touch. I especially loved that her password was "fishing" *fansqueels*. Jack and Sam can't be together right now, but man do those references *fansqueels*....keep them coming in the movies!!

I loved the nobility of Sam in "Line of the Sand". Landry, Cam, and Sam knew they couldn't let Arthur's Mantle fall into enemy hands. Sam also knew if she could make it work, then it could be a great resource against the Ori and/or future enemies. It was quite a jam Sam and Cam were in. The nobility really showed in what Sam was willing to do to protect the technology and the village. Sam pretty much chose the decision to bleed out to have the device phased out so the Prior and his army didn't get their hands on it. Then near the end of the episode Sam is in brutal pain, due to not taking anymore meds, to instruct Cam on how to activate the mantle and then sitting up to expand the field. It was so sad to hear Sam accepting her fate that she will not finish this mission, but awesome to see her succeed in making the mantle work despite Cam's pleas to just save her life instead. I really loved seeing Cam and Sam's friendship flourish in this episode. I know some people ship these two, and I can totally understand that. Yet, I still see them having a sibling relationship because he does play the brother aspect especially when Sam is in danger or when McKay is hitting on her. I loved their tag scene at the end of "Line in the Sand" with Cam bringing Sam some homemade cookies. Cam is finally catching Sam's tells of trying to be tactful about hating the cookies, but he is cool with it because she is okay and "to each their own". I really do love their friendship the more they show them.

Jump to "The Road Not Taken" it is a whole other ballpark for Sam's character. Sam is thrust into another reality that looks to be similar of our own, but finds out is very different than she realizes. I've always loved seeing these type of Carter episodes because boy can Amanda Tapping act her socks off. Plus these episodes are just so compelling to watch. "The Road Not Taken" is no different because it is one of the most political episodes the show has written since "Heroes", "2001", or even "Politics". I've always enjoyed Stargate's political episodes, but in this case it is in another reality. It was interesting how the episode slowly showed that the US has become a fascist society since the Battle of Antarctica. The fork in the road in this reality is how they handled the aftermath of Anubis' attack on Earth. So it looks like in this reality Alec Coulson succeeded in convincing the world about the SGC and there are worlds on other planets. This whole concept really goes back to the season one episode "Politics" where Sam states each multiverse reality demonstrates various possibilities to various decisions made. This time the concept is used in a political environment. I really loved seeing Sam stand her ground on her ideals against the decisions AU!Landry and AU!Hammond has made. Martial Law may have been the right course three years ago, but not anymore because the threat will never goes away. Plus you also see President Landry's resolve slowly diminish piece by piece. I hope AU!Landry listened to Sam because using a Goa'uld torture device on anyone, or blowing up an Irish village isn't something to take lightly.

In fact, this is the only episode where I was honestly scared of Beau Bridges. It's normally Jeff Bridges' acting I'm scared of from time to time depending on the role. So it was interesting to see Beau to play a president who believes in martial law, and pretty much stopping Sam to return to her own reality. I didn't know how Sam was going to return to our reality, but it makes sense that Landry doesn't want to hurt Sam. It's just easier to let her go and deal with McKay. Landry doesn't know who he is getting in return haha. Btw, what a great touch to have the Prometheus being intact to be Landry's Air Force One. It also made me a little sad because I just loved the Prometheus and she's only a ship *sniff*. Though the Odyssey has been growing on me these past two seasons especially after "Unending".

I loved how they brought Major Lorne and McKay back for this episode. Kavin Smith is just so yummy on the eyes, and he had great chemistry with Amanda!! I loved AU!Lorne and Sam scenes throughout the episode. I also loved Sam's interaction with AU!Lee and AU!McKay. I've always been a big fan of Dr. Lee, so it was funny to see him still the same in this reality. Normally, I'm not a big fan of McKay in general, however; I have been warming up to his interaction with Sam. Sam doesn't let McKay get an inch and challenges him back. David and Amanda also have this great comedic banter between them that I just loved in this episode! I couldn't stop giggling during their interactions. I loved Sam's reaction to Lorne's reveal that this AU!Sam was married to AU!McKay was priceless haha.

One reveal that was tough to see was AU!Cam in this episode because he turned bitter, depressed, and an alcoholic. He stood his ground against Landry and Co., and they took all of the medical resources away from him to make a complete recovery. In Cam's first episode in the series we saw how he struggled to walk again, and was heavily influenced by his father's own injury. In this reality his determination and self-confidence isn't present. So it was not only tough for Sam to see, but it was tough for me to see Cam that way *sniff*. I loved seeing Don S. Davis' return on the show!! Anytime the show gets Don makes me smile. I just loved his interaction with his flagship team. I've always loved seeing Hammond's interaction with Sam because these are two characters that knew each other since Sam was a child. I love that even in this reality Hammond cares for Sam from telling Landry to let Sam return to listen to reason on Sam's behalf. The writer did a great job with adding just enough familiar people in the mix to have Sam interact, confront, and conflict. Sam is used to her reality, so to see some of these characters act differently brings her struggle to go against the politics of the nation. This is also not unlike Sam because she has been exhibiting some cynicism surrounding the IOA and NID since the earlier seasons and Sam has grew more confidant in who she is as a person. So it is just another example of how much Sam has grew since the first season.

"Unending" is another pivotal episode for Sam even if it is an alternate future. Since I don't want to repeat myself I will talk more about that episode in the series finale section. Overall, I really enjoyed what the writers did with Sam in this season. I was happy to see Sam get some substantial screentime after her quiet season nine. It was compelling to see Sam's beliefs, ideals, and successes throughout the season. It was a great season for Sam's character. I can't wait to see what happens next for her character in the last two movies!!

*Welcome to the Ori: Dr. Daniel Jackson -- Considering Daniel has guilt for indirectly bringing the Ori to the Milky Way Galaxy I was hoping for a solid arc for his character. Despite Michael Shanks being in only 16 out of the 20 episodes I thought the writers did a great job with his arc. I heard a few people were annoyed by Michael's episode decrease but I wasn't. For one, a father has the right to take leave when their child is born. Secondly, the writing was believable on why Daniel was gone for so long. Thirdly, it allowed other characters to have their storylines and relationships to flourish. So I really don't see what the big deal was in the decreased screentime.

I really enjoyed Daniel's arc from his sacrifice in "The Quest" to finally using Merlin's weapon in "The Shroud". As I previously stated in my previous Stargate review I was looking forward to seeing how Daniel fixed his mistake. One of my favorite things about the SG-1 team is that they are willing to sacrifice themselves by showing their nobility to fix their mistakes or to solve the problem. There is a huge amount of accountability and responsibility that sometimes aren't seen in recent tv shows, books, and movies. What Daniel did in the final season was a prime example of this. He knew going into the Ancient "brain sucker" would cause damage considering he saw what happened to Jack....twice. Daniel further knew what Merlin's endgame plan was, and alas Daniel still went along to save galaxies from the Ori's oppression. Interesting enough it was far more tough to see the reactions from the team and Jack in regards to what was happening to Daniel. The team and Jack's reactions were pretty spot on, and it showed how much they cared for Daniel.

I was thrown for a loop when I saw Daniel as a Prior. I wasn't expecting that reveal whatsoever. I really loved the whole interaction between Prior!Daniel and Jack in "The Shroud". I liked seeing the bromance back for one last time *sniff*. Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Jackson, after ten years, still have great chemistry banter with one another. I also wasn't expecting to see there was a time frame to the Ancient brain sucker device. I have to admit I was kinda hoping we would see the Asgard again to help Daniel. However, the time frame limit was pretty genius and would fit Merlin's character. Overall, I really enjoyed seeing Daniel go the extra mile in understanding Camelot, Ori, and Ancient mythologies, but also continued to strengthen his bond with his teammates, Jack, and Vala. I'm curious to see how Daniel takes on Adria in The Ark of Truth, and what happens to his character in the last movie!

*Teal'c of Chulak Fulfills Full Jaffa Revenge -- The one character that did have the least amount of screentime devoted to him this season would have to belong to Teal'c. While I love me some Teal'c I do think his character needed a quieter season just like Sam did a season before. Teal'c has come a long way since what we first saw him in "Children of the Gods", so one would say there isn't much for his character to go from here. However, I don't believe so because this is a character that is over 130 years old. There is so much history with this character we didn't tap too much into it. So I thought it was interesting to finally hear about Teal'c mother. We knew of Teal'c father, and it relates to the reasoning why Teal'c later wanted to become the first prime of Apophis.

In Teal'c only solo episode of this season, "Talion", we finally discover what became of Teal'c's mother. It is revealed that his mother was killed in her sleep after a battle. I thought it was interesting to see how they intertwined the Ori storyline with Teal'c's by having Arkad also be a follower of the Ori. Arkhad has pretty much stockpiled naquadah, and was trying to bring more Jaffa worlds to support the Ori. What makes "Talion" even more interesting is that the SGC is under orders to stop Teal'c at all costs to help Arkhad. Of cource, the SGC doesn't believe Arkhad and doesn't want to harm Teal'c, but the people with the real power (IOA) want things done differently. It was tough to see SG-1 against Teal'c and Teal'c against SG-1. They didn't want to hurt each other. Yet, as we have seen so many times before when Teal'c has his Jaffa revenge on, then you better get out of the way. Thankfully, SG-1 wasn't hurt too much, but boy did Teal'c and Bra'tac get a beating in this episode. I really loved the fight between Arkhad and Teal'c because there was a lot of emotional levels to their fight. I did wish there was some closure tag scene between Teal'c and SG-1 though.

Another reason why I enjoyed this episode was because finally after ten years we hear Bra'tac call Teal'c "a son he never had" *sniff*. It took ten years and it was something that was already well known without words between these two characters, however; it was nice to finally hear it. This episode also gave Bra'tac and Teal'c an off-screen storyline of hunting down terrorist Jaffa who are out to destory the innocent. Teal'c also had a pivotal part in the series finale episode "Unending", but since I don't want to repeat I'm going to leave that discussion for the section below. So despite smaller screentime for Teal'c's character I really enjoyed what the writers did with his character. I'm curious to see what becomes of Teal'c in the next two movies considering what happened in "Unending".

*Southern Gentlemen: Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell -- I could be wrong, but I felt Cam's major storyline this season was team building. Cam has adjusted to the fact there is no default leader of SG-1: Sam (same rank), Daniel (civilian), Teal'c (alien warrior), and Vala (doesn't exactly listen to anyone). There is only a leader depending on the mission, and who is coordinating the mission. So it was really interesting to see how Cam reacted this season especially when he is out of his depths. Whether it be in disguise within the Lucian Alliance, or trying to help Sam solve the phasing problem. I thought Cam was so adorable funny trying to understand all the technology Sam was spewing out in "Line in the Sand". I also found it interesting to see Cam react to the sacrifices of Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c. All of three of his teammates pretty much risked their lives for different reasons throughout the season, and Cam had to sit on the sidelines watching. While Cam did tell Vala the hardest part of being part of a team is watching your teammates risk their lives. He understands it, but it is still just as hard for him. Cam has read all of the SGC files, especially in regards to SG-1, but he wasn't there personally for those missions. Cam never saw Daniel ascend to a greater existence ("Meridian"), Sam overcome by an alien being....twice ("In Line of Duty & "Entity"), and Teal'c lose junior ("The Changeling"). Those instances are a mere tip of the iceberg on how many times SG-1 has risked their lives. This season Cam was put in the position to see their nobility and responsibility in person as compared to reading a mission file. Each time I found Ben Browder did a great job at portraying Cam's concern and love for his teammates. Overall, I really enjoyed seeing the team progression element of Cam's character. As previously seen in season nine it was an element he definitely needed to work on because of his sometime rash decision making behavior. I'm looking forward to see what happens to Cam's character in the next two movies!!

*Thief Seeks Redemption, Friends, & a Home: Vala Mal Doran -- After a several episodes Vala finally becomes a series regular on the show. I read there was also a bit of an uproar about this. The complaints sounded a bit repeative to me, but I can understand some of them. I have stated this before, but I feel Vala gave a fresh vibe to the show. After season nine Vala really started to grow on me, and after season ten I really loved what how she interacted with the group. Vala and Cam had probably the roughest start because Vala has a hard time following instructions which is kinda interesting because Cam sometimes doesn't do it either....d'oh. However, overtime I really enjoyed seeing Vala's friendship with Cam go into this cynical witty banter between them. Whereas, Vala's relationship with Sam is something that Vala isn't exactly used to. There are times they are annoyed by each other, but most of the time Vala is very supporting and caring of Sam and visa versa. I found that quite interesting because it showed how much Vala was growing internally. I really felt Vala was concerned for Sam in "Company of Thieves" and "The Road Not Taken" just by her comments and hugging Sam. Plus it was great to see Sam give Vala support in "Family Ties" in regards to her father whether it be shopping or drinking wine. It was really nice to see another side to Vala's character that wasn't so snarky. I loved that Vala calls Teal'c "muscles" and he allows a fun physical interaction between them. Vala has a different relationship with each team member, and I really enjoyed seeing it. Thus, in turn Vala finally got the friends and home she always wanted, but didn't realize she was looking for it *sniff*.

In regards, to the Ori storyline Vala continued to impress by trying to help the fight against the Ori. In "Dominion" she pretty much risked her life and her memories to set a trap for Adria. Plus she just broke my heart whenever she saw Adria as her daughter and not a trojan horse of the Ori. Just like Daniel before her I thought Vala has proved she is willing to do anything to fix her mistake she indirectly made in the beginning of season nine. In fact, I felt Vala proved herself tenfold in her loyalty to SG-1, SGC, and the Tauri. Vala has become more compassionate, selfless, but she also still has that great snarky humor that I love about her. I think Vala was a great addition to the cast. Now, if Vala's screentime compromised the veteran characters I probably would have a different point of view. However, I didn't feel that happened when I watched the last two seasons as a whole. Overall, I really enjoyed seeing Vala's character development in her redemption, bonding with her teammates, and finding out she does have a home on Earth. I'm looking forward to see what happens to her in The Ark of Truth!!

*Free Jaffa Nation Finds Their Own Way & Dakara Destruction -- There wasn't much of the Free Jaffa Nation this season, but what we did see of them I liked. I wasn't expecting the Adria to destroy their homeworld Dakara, so when it happened my mouth was completely open. I really felt sorry for Teal'c, Bra'tac, and the free Jaffa. Other than Teal'c's storyline in "Talion" there wasn't more to the Free Jaffa Nation this season. I was expecting as such because I really don't see what more can be shown onscreen since the Goa'uld are pretty much going into hiding and/or dead. The show deals with various points of view, but it is primarly shown from the Tauri's point of view not the Jaffa (with the exception of Teal'c and Bra'tac). I do hope we get some references to the Jaffa in the movies because it's hard to forget they are around considering Teal'c is a main character and the Jaffa have been part of the Stargate universe since the original movie.

*Ba'al Continues His Threatening Interference -- Ba'al was really interesting this season because his plans were for the most part really compelling to watch. The "Insiders" was an interesting episode because I couldn't figure out what Ba'al's endgame was until the very end. Cliff Simon did a terrific job at portraying all of his clones. This episode showed how smart Ba'al was by brainwashing Agent Barrett, coercing Sam, and getting past the SGC's defenses to beam out with all of his clones. It was really creative. Which made his appearance in "The Quest" all the more amusing finding him stuck in the Charity Test haha. I'm glad Ba'al was in that two parter because his interaction with everyone was so funny! I love that both Adria and Sam challenged Ba'al at his own game. Specifically when Sam punched him and pretty much said he was worthless to be around if he can't help with the situation haha. Ba'al has such an interesting chemistry with the three female castmembers it is hard to deny. Yet, when someone notes this to the female characters they look either disgusted or about to puke about it haha. In "Dominion" once again I didn't know what was up Ba'al's sleeve, but it was definitely clever to have Adria become his host, drive the Ori army out of the galaxy, and conquer the galaxy at the same time. The whole episode was full of twists and turns that I was on the edge of my seat. In the end, I agree with Cam that we haven't seen the last of Ba'al. He has too many clones, and there is no way he would put himself in harm's way when he has all of those clones around. I hope we get to see Ba'al again one last time in the movies just to close off the Ba'al clone storyline.

*The Lucian Alliance -- The Lucian Alliance proved to be another interesting antagonist. I really enjoyed the episodes "Company of Thieves" and "Bounty" a lot. I already spoke about "Company of Thieves", so I don't want to retrend on the same discussion. Anateo was a very interesting villain that I believe would have harmed Sam in the end if it wasn't for the second part of Sam's plan to work by having Vala beam people out. This episode along with "Flesh and Blood" proved how unpredictable and unstable organization this is. Which isn't far fetch considering the company the organization keeps. "Bounty" was another great episode that showed the bounty hunters side of the universe once again. I thought the tracking radiation on SG-1 was pretty creative. I loved how all the bounty hunters had to adapt to their surroundings in trying to get their trophies: Daniel's library, Teal'c's Jaffa, Sam's science conference, and Cam's high school reunion. Not only was it cool to see the team in various places and interacting with the civilian world, but we saw how they reacted when their work comes back to haunt them. I thought this was the more creative tactic from the Lucian Alliance which also happened to be Netan's downfall....d'oh. I wonder if they will be referenced in the movies because the alliance had a pretty ambiguous ending. Unless they pop-up in one of the spin-off shows.

*The Ori War Officially Begins with Adria at the Helm -- I wasn't quite sure what to expect with the Ori War because of how powerful they have shown to be in season nine, season ten was the unintended final season, and The Ark of Truth completing the Ori arc. So I was curious to see how the writers would handle the main villain this season. In season nine it was showing how powerful the Ori were from making black holes, Supergates, and powerful spaceships that could take out three enemies in only several blows. Pretty much the Milky Way Galaxy got their bum kicked royally. Throughout the entire season nine you just feel the frustration of Daniel, Cam, Sam, and Teal'c. They were pretty much flying blind in season nine. So it was awesome to see our team to get themselves out that funk to counterstrike against the Ori. We see our team combating the Ori with all of their strengths: Daniel (Merlin's Weapon), Sam (Arthur's Mantle Phasing & Supergate technology), Vala (connection to Adria), Teal'c (determination), and Jack, Cam, and Landry (military tactics). Each member was important in the offensive against the Ori. I really loved seeing this great slow build and continuity in slowly defeating the Ori. It's awesome to see your favorite characters rise to the challenge!!

Which brings me to the new big bad Adria who I thoroughly enjoyed. Perhaps a little bit is also due to being a fan of the actress Morena Baccarin from her days on Firefly/Serenity and V. Morena and Claudia do look like they could be related due to their similar physical appearance. Great casting choice, indeed! When I first saw Vala was pregnant, and the child will be pretty much the Empress of the Ori I wasn't quite sure how I would take it. I guess I was having visions of Cordelia's child Jasmine in Angel season four. After watching season ten in complete I really liked what they did with Adria. She is a hybrid of Ori and human, but is a devote believer in the "Book of Origin". Yet, there were times where I couldn't help feel for Adria. She obviously yearns for a connection to her mother. Which I feel was a great choice because I think it is far more interesting when a viewer can connect to the villain in some fashion. It also made the relationship between Adria and Vala quite interesting. It was brutal to see Adria's reaction when Vala chose her friends' lives over Adria in "Counterstrike", "The Quest", and "Dominion". Though there was a part of me that said "YAY!" because Adria was trying to destroy the galaxy and I love that Vala could be counted on. I'm really curious to see what becomes of Adria now since the Ori died in their galaxy, the priors and followers are still around but without a leader, and I'm speculating that Adria is an ascended being similar to Anubis' ascension. My curiosity is what makes me eager to watch The Ark of Truth!!

*Romance Relationships Galore! -- While the season was full of fun, humor, drama, and angst. There was actually time for a bit of romance or references to romances. Normally, I would talk about Sam and Teal'c in this section because there was some great stuff between them this season. However, I'm going to leave their section devoted to the series finale section of this review *fansqueels*.

In season nine, after some thought, I concluded that the current state of Jack and Sam's romantic relationship would be stagnate due to Sam still being under Jack's direct chain of command. There would still be the longing looks, flirtations, and so forth, but these two just simply couldn't act on their feelings for one another. Sam and Jack may break some rules, but there are some lines they would never cross. Since they are pretty much solid resources in helping not only the world, but also the galaxy. There is too much riding on their career at this time. So this time around a part of me was just merely hoping for some references to their strong bond at least. Needless to say there was some!! I got a kick out of their interaction in "200" because there were their signature longing looks, but most importantly I got my wish fulfilled of seeing their wedding. Everyone looked great at the wedding especially Jack, Sam, Daniel, and Vala. I was surprised that Teal'c wasn't up there next to Daniel....hmmm....anywho the wedding vision was a nice treat for the shippers I must say. One of my favorite references in this season would have to be Sam's computer password of "fishing" and person letters to "some other people" from the episode "Line in the Sand". I know I already spoke about this episode in detail above, so I don't want to retrend again. It was just nice to see a reference to Sam's relationship with Jack in such a pivotal event in Sam's life. Yet, she doesn't break regulations while doing it. I was slightly disappointed we didn't get much interaction in "The Shroud", but it's understandable since that episode was devoted to Daniel's return and Merlin's weapon. I hope there are more references and interactions in the next two movies.

One of my favorite Sam relationships would have to be with Agent Barrett. I love me some Agent Barrett *drools*. During "Insiders" I thought he was going to be a goner, so I was so thankful he didn't bite the dust. I thought the interaction between Sam and Barrett was interesting because it was poor Barrett under the influence of brainwashing. I did like seeing Sam's reaction to Barrett's mini tirade. Even thought Barrett was under the influence it was still nice to see that Sam was not going to be treated in that manner by anyone. It was sad to see Barrett in denial of his brainwashing, and feeling betrayed by Sam. The only regret I have is that I wish we had some scene where Barrett made amends with Sam. Sam didn't blame him for what happened because she saw the brainwashing first hand and has been brainwashed herself. It just would give nice closure to their friendship, but alas it was nice to hear a reference from Sam that she is still in contact with Barrett after this incident. So it is only fair to speculate these two made amends. I still would've liked to see more of them together.

I still continue to enjoy seeing Vala's relationship with Daniel and Tomin. Daniel and Vala's relationship is one that is still filled with snark, wit, but now an even stronger emotional connection. I really enjoyed seeing Daniel go to bat for Vala in joining SG-1, and show concern for her in "Memento Mori". It was nice to see Daniel once again show more than snark and wit with Vala than what we normally see with him. As it was really nice to see Vala so protective and concern for Daniel in "The Quest Pt. 2" and "The Shroud". It's really nice to see this nice evolution of their relationship. I will leave their discussion of what happened in "Unending" for the section below. Meanwhile, Vala's relationship with Tomin is something that is so complicated, compelling, and mad chemistry I can't help enjoy it. I really enjoyed them in the episode "Line in the Sand" because Vala finally made some headway with Tomin and his belief of the Ori. I was surprised to see Tomin hitting Vala, but then I remember this is a character who is now mass murdering innocent people *sniff*. It's hard to see this character continue his downspiral. Yet, there is still hope for him because he is starting to realize how wrong the Priors were, but I believe his belief in the "Book of Origin" is still strong. There is still hope for him in The Ark of Truth. At least I'm hoping he is in that movie because I'm a big fan of Tim Guinee. I still believe Daniel and Vala are endgame, but I would like to see Tomin and Vala continue their road of amends. Tomin letting Vala go, and his lasting kiss gives me some hope *sigh*.

*A Satisfied Semi-Ending "Unending" Series Finale -- I was really curious to see how the final episode would connect to the Ori, movies, and just ending Stargate SG-1 series in general. I'm glad the writers went for a character study series finale rather than the cliffhanger that was originally planned. Even though I know there are two more movies to go this episode really got to me *sniff*. I thought Robert C. Cooper beautifully shot and wrote this episode. It was pretty much a quasi-sequel to the beautifully written and directed episode "Grace". Similar to "Grace" this episode felt like a play. When episodes are plays everything is pretty much devoted to the characters and their relationships.

I thoroughly enjoyed the episode because all the characters had a pivotal part to play, and showed sides to their character we normally wouldn't see. Sam we've seen feel stuck on a ship before in "Grace", but things are far more heightened this time for her because it is not only her that is stuck and Sam has to deal with this huge guilt of her idea. Sam is the go-to-gal in solving scientific problems. In this situation the scales are one of the biggest she has seen in the series. It was really hard to see Sam question her confidence, skills, and guilt. It really got to me when Sam was there seeing Landry die in front of her. You see she blamed herself for not figuring out the problem yet.

Cam on the other hand was dealing with cabin fever who exhibited honestly scary temper tendencies. It was rough to see him go into this dark period, and in some strange way paralleled AU!Cam in "The Road Not Taken". He is just as bitter and angry as the years go by. It was really rough to see Cam and Sam's friendship hit such a rough patch during it. Normally, they are so adorable with each other, but in this episode Cam is downright mean to Sam. Sam takes it because she is dealing with her own guilt. So it is only the other characters that come to her defense.

Vala also has to deal with cabin fever, but in another way. She has to really start to look at herself, and her relationship with men. Vala pretty much as to face herself because there are no distractions. I also liked that made sure to keep Vala and Sam's friendship intact. Daniel now has to face the realization that he has finally found someone after years mourning for his wife. To willing take this chance even though there is fear of being hurt again. While I really enjoyed Vala and Daniel I hated his rant towards her. I felt some pieces of dialogue was regression for their relationship. Other than that I really enjoyed seeing their relationship go to the next step. I'm assuming Vala had a miscarriage when she was crying. A part of me is glad because when Sam found the key to getting off the ship alive and reversing time the child would cease to exist. It is better off there was no child. I also enjoyed seeing Daniel giving Sam the much needed support of not giving up. It was a touching scene between them because they were the original SG-1 siblings to me.

Landry has to still be the commander of the team while knowing everyone is dealing with their own demons on the ship. Landry has to have one of the hardest jobs next to Sam because he has to keep a cool head even if he is about to lose it himself. I really loved how he was a solid foundation for Cam's sanity, and a huge supporter of Sam's abilities to get them out of this jam.

Teal'c has the least amount of screentime of all of them, but he ended up having the biggest burden of them all. I felt the scenes we did receive was that he was also another solid rock for the other characters. He was physical sounding board for Cam. He continued being a crying shoulder for Sam, and it totally seemed like they were an item!! I think it would be logical if Teal'c and Sam hooked up on the ship. Jack and Sam aren't exclusive as far as we know at this present time. Over the course of the show Teal'c has became closer to Sam with certain things he would react to involving her. There is also evidence of how Teal'c and Sam would touch each other, such as holding hands, seating next to each other, and their hug. Now I've seen many hugs between these two, but the hug was totally different this time in regards to Teal'c. The way he held Sam was more full body than what was shown in "Paradise Lost" and "Heroes Pt. 2". There is just too much full body not to think there is an relationship they are having. I also feel it something they both needed to keep their sanity on this boat for fifty years. Which makes Teal'c sacrifice all the most heartbreaking. Sam found the key, and she is willing to take the risk once again. However, since Teal'c can still be okay at his age he makes the sacrifice. Knowing full well what his friends and Sam were like for the past fifty years. He has all of these memories he could never share with them. The glassy eyes Teal'c has looking at Sam truly says it all *sniff*. It must feel weird for Teal'c when Sam talks about Jack or with Jack. I also really enjoyed seeing Teal'c being the man of the hour. To be the noble heroic guy who turned traitor to make a difference in the galaxy against the Goa'uld and other false gods. It was such a touching parallel to what was shown in the pilot episode.

The episode was such a great character study of all the characters. I love the montages!! It also felt the music was another character in the show. There is some great music throughout the episode. You have the signature space saga music, and then you have this eerie music that shows the darkness of the characters reaching as the age. I loved the classic rock song music of "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" because it fit this great interesting period for the characters not knowing how long they will be stuck on his boat from xmas to Vala rolling around in rollerskates. Then you have this beautifully eerie cello music that Sam plays in the second montage music. I really loved how the cello became such a pivotal character during the episode. I thought it was also great how Cam and Sam still kept their military tags on despite it being fifty years later. To make sure they show their loyalty to their jobs and responsibility no matter the age they were. Overall, the episode was beautifully directed, written, and acted. It's not over for SG-1, but I couldn't help ball like big baby when the team went into the gate's event horizon one last time as a series *sniff*.
Misc. Hated Aspects: There was only one thing I could've done without which was Daniel's rant against Vala in "Unending". I understood what Daniel was saying, however; I felt it was delivered in a very un-Daniel way. Normally, he is far more gentler with Sam and Vala, so to see him tear into Vala just felt wrong. I feel he would talk about his feeling to her, and that he is afraid of being hurt. He is afraid Vala is just toying with him. I totally understood what he was saying, but the presentation should've been better.

Favorite Couples & Potential Couples: Jack/Sam, Vala/Daniel, Tomin/Vala, Sam/Barrett, & Teal'c/Sam
Favorite Friendships and/or Fremies: Team SG-1 (pairs/trio/fivesome), Team SGC, Siler/SG-1, Walter/SG-1, Thor/SG-1, Thor/Sam, Dr. Lee/Sam, Bra'tac/Teal'c, Vala/Sam, Vala/Daniel, Landry/SGC, Landry/SG-1, Marks/Sam, Emerson/Sam, Emerson/Odyssey Crew, AU!Lorne/Sam, & Woosley/SG-1
Favorite Characters: Jack, Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, Vala, Cam, Landry, Walter, Siler, Major Marks, Colonel Emerson, Bra'tac, Colonel Reynolds, Thor, Agent Barrett, Dr. Lee, AU!Lorne, AU!Lee, AU!Hammon, AU!Cam, Woosley, Tomin, & AU!McKay
Mixed Characters: None
Can't Stand Characters: None
Favorite Villains: Ba'al, Lucian Alliance, Netan, the Ori, Adria, Arkad, Illac Renin, bounty hunters, Anateo, sleep parasites, & The Trust
Least Favorite Villains: None, because the other villains weren't really bad or anything. They drove the story and SG-1 journey along within an episode and season.

Most Tragic or Almost Deaths: There were a couple that really got to me this season. Considering this was the final season, unintended or not, I wasn't quite sure who was going to live or die. Unlike my previous season posts I'm not going in any particular order.

I don't want to retrend over again, but Sam's almost death got me in "Line in the Sand". I already talked about that episode in length, so I will leave it at that. Colonel Emerson's death was so sad to see in "Company of Thieves". I wasn't expecting to see his death at all considering what happened with the Prometheus, but they really did it *sniff*. I really enjoyed Emerson's matter of fact attitude, and his interaction with various characters. The next death would have to belong to the destruction of Dakara. A part of me was expecting it to happen considering what happened with Gerek in the previous season, but it didn't make it any less sad and shocking. Since the season eight finale Dakara became a symbol of freedom for the Free Jaffa Nation. So it was really sad to see them take such a blow considering all the centuries of enslavement under the Goa'uld.

The next powerful death would definitely have to be the Asgard especially Thor *sniff*. We've been seeing the Asgard since season one, and they really became a fixture in the series. They are puppets and sometimes CGI, but I love them. They can be funny, witty, badass, sweet, and caring. I thoroughly enjoyed the Asgardians interaction with our characters. I seriously started to cry when Thor told Sam that the Tauri was in fact the Fifth Race that has earned their respect. Talk about a major payoff in what the Asgardians told Jack so many seasons ago. I just loved how Thor and Sam spoke to each other for the last time. Thor consoling Sam, and Sam giving Thor one last adorable hug *sniff*. Considering Jack wasn't on the Odyssey I felt it was right that Thor's last discussion was with Sam. Next to Jack she was the one that interacted with the Asgardians the most. Oh, it totally got me down to my core. Btw, I liked how they made the Thor puppet even look sickly with the light color gray. A part of me isn't surprised that the Asgards are dead because they have been leading up to this for several seasons now. Yet, there I was blubbering like a baby during Thor's final scene.

The final death that got me was General Landry's death in "Unending". I wasn't expecting to see one of the characters "sort of" die in the series finale. Granted as the episode went along the more likely I was thinking Landry might pass away. Regardless, it didn't make his death scene with Sam any less heartbreaking. Once again I don't want to retrend what I said already above in detail....twice! I just really loved that episode.

What did you think of the season in general? As stated before I really enjoyed this season!! The writers did a great job at balancing the storylines of everyone, and making sure everyone had a shining moment throughout the season. All the characters progressed in some fashion whether it be in their team dynamic or their beliefs. It was such a compelling season to watch. Even though it was never meant to be a final season I thought the writers did a good job at it. I'm looking forward to seeing the next two movies have in store. Although a part of me is not looking forward to it because that means it is the end *gulp*.