Stargate reviews, now with more parentheses
Happy Birthday, shoemaster!
It's good to be back. Since I was at my sister's, you get the "short" version, minus the details of each squee, groan, and mocking laugh that the episodes evoked. Lucky you. ;-)
SG-1: The Quest, Part 2
Most of the time, second parts wrap up the drama of the first episode by the end of the hour. That's all well and good, and it's expected, especially from an SG-1 type show (BSG, not so much). SG-1 surprised me by not doing that this time; we're left with quite a cliffhanger even with the main plot wrapped.
Yes, you know the one I mean: BA'AL. WHAT THE HELL. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND? JESUS.
*rocks back and forth, thinking of his symbiote*
I mean, you know your principals are going to survive, but the guest characters have no such guarantee!
Anyway. I liked that despite the OMGWTFDRAGON climax the mid-season cliffie was built around, that wasn't the highest point of action. Their quest really did continue in the second part, much in the same vein. It made the two parts feel much more like a complete episode put together than these shows usually are. I waxed effusive over my love for the quest trope back in September, so of course, this part only fed the fires. The settings and mythology provided a rich playground for a story that was, in essence, about a team's devotion to one another.
Because the team love was all around tonight, in the way that they interacted with one another, as well as how they set themselves apart from the Others. That's what ultimately made the episode as suspenseful and engaging as it was. Every member of SG-1 participated in the action and in the reaction. Great stuff that I look forward to seeing more of through the rest of the run (and frak you, Sci Fi, with a dirty pitchfork).
Oh yeah, stuff that happened. The bunch of pansies turned tail and bailed on the cave, only to find that hey, dragons are big and can get through puny barriers like mountains! Sheesh. We did, however, learn that Cam is a Tolkien geek. I laughed for five minutes over his declaration that dragons have vulnerable underbellies, because for someone who denied their existence in part one (sidebar: I took issue with their skepticism on rewatching. After all the crazy shit they've encountered, how the hell could they be so sure that dragons don't exist?), he was awfully confident in that assertion. Alas, he learned the valuable lesson of not to prejudge dragons.
I loved the amazing hopping planet device, at the same time that I hated it for reasons I cannot yet reveal. :> There were a lot of callbacks in this episode to lines and devices we've seen before: bouncing bullets, for one, and frozen Ancients for another. Still, I thought they successfully built on the show's mythology by using those tidbits as support, not the driving force, and by letting the characters get down and dirty. Speaking of which...
Daniel's been wanting to stick his head in an Ancient jump drive for years, and he finally got his chance. It was especially fun to watch both Merlin and him use the CAD machine after seeing "The Torment of Tantalus" this week - ah, continuity! Speaking of Merlin, his naming of the team as people he knew was both hysterical and resonant in a mythic journey kind of way. I wanted more of it (actually, we thought he called Cam "Lancelot" at first, and boy, would that ever have been blatant ship). I'll never forget Sam's Hermione moment of punching out Ba'al (oh Ba'al!), and Teal'c's certainty of his skills and wry comments "when it is appropriate" continue to be made of awesome. Poor Cam. *g*
As for the no-longer-new kids on the block, how can anyone doubt them at this point? Okay, Cam's won pretty much everyone over, as he is adorable (and alas, retentive of pants this week). His flock may be headstrong, but he's clearly leading, just with a more fraternal style. I like it. The one thing I didn't like was his condescension towards Vala. "Memento Mori" should've broken down the last barriers for her as a full team member, and I didn't appreciate Cam's implication that they were holding back. But you guys know how I feel about our girl Vala.
On a final note, I hate hate hate that I'm spoiled for later episodes, because it definitely affected how I read things in this one. That's why I avoid spoilers as a rule. It changes everything. Mer. But it's sure not SG-1's fault that other people suck, so putting aside that annoyance as best I can, I give "The Quest" a pair of thumbs pointed up. Oh, SG-1, how I have missed you!
SGA: The Return, Part 2
Atlantis took the more traditional route to wrapping up a cliffhanger. Nothing wrong with that, of course, and I can't say it was an enormous drop-off after SG-1 - always an achievement for SGA. (Er, hi, if you're new here, I'm very critical of SGA. I'm sorry! I promise I like it! And I love Rodney!) I remain frustrated at the show in the usual ways: the plot was driven by their repeated fuck-ups, not character or action development. The rewind trick, while different, was a cheap way of manufacturing "suspense" for anyone who hadn't already cottoned on to a secret Plan [Alphabet].
So that's the negative, but the nature of said negative makes it tough for me to pick out actions outside of the structure to squee over. I did squee, no doubt, and I made fun of the Not!Replicators' codpieces (seriously, yo - my sister's comment was that their uniforms looked like the Original!BSG ones, minus capes). The Jack and Woolsey show was fabulous, if somewhat predictable in dialogue pattern. It's not quite at the level of the Jack and Harry show, but it could totally get there.
Nobody loves Carson. So sad. :-(
I liked how they made use of the full range of the city. We're so confined to the gate room area and random labs usually that we can forget how extensive it is. I didn't realize the command center was in the tippy-top tower. Seems like a stupid place to put a command center, if you ask me. That thing'll snap like a twig. Plus, wow, what a pain to get to/from anywhere else, even with the transporters Ancient elevators! I'd always imagined it being down at the base. Ancients are weird.
The Star Wars-inspired weaving around the city spires was cool, too, and effective in showing off the town. The underwater bit sure took them long enough to figure out, and it also expanded the perspective on the city. It looks like we're getting more of that next week in an episode that's even more like that one fic than "Grace Under Pressure" was. Oh dear.
Anyway, lots of action and wrap-up, as you do in a second part. It was fun to watch, and I look forward to the rest of the season.
Yay, the 'gates are back!
It's good to be back. Since I was at my sister's, you get the "short" version, minus the details of each squee, groan, and mocking laugh that the episodes evoked. Lucky you. ;-)
SG-1: The Quest, Part 2
Most of the time, second parts wrap up the drama of the first episode by the end of the hour. That's all well and good, and it's expected, especially from an SG-1 type show (BSG, not so much). SG-1 surprised me by not doing that this time; we're left with quite a cliffhanger even with the main plot wrapped.
Yes, you know the one I mean: BA'AL. WHAT THE HELL. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND? JESUS.
*rocks back and forth, thinking of his symbiote*
I mean, you know your principals are going to survive, but the guest characters have no such guarantee!
Anyway. I liked that despite the OMGWTFDRAGON climax the mid-season cliffie was built around, that wasn't the highest point of action. Their quest really did continue in the second part, much in the same vein. It made the two parts feel much more like a complete episode put together than these shows usually are. I waxed effusive over my love for the quest trope back in September, so of course, this part only fed the fires. The settings and mythology provided a rich playground for a story that was, in essence, about a team's devotion to one another.
Because the team love was all around tonight, in the way that they interacted with one another, as well as how they set themselves apart from the Others. That's what ultimately made the episode as suspenseful and engaging as it was. Every member of SG-1 participated in the action and in the reaction. Great stuff that I look forward to seeing more of through the rest of the run (and frak you, Sci Fi, with a dirty pitchfork).
Oh yeah, stuff that happened. The bunch of pansies turned tail and bailed on the cave, only to find that hey, dragons are big and can get through puny barriers like mountains! Sheesh. We did, however, learn that Cam is a Tolkien geek. I laughed for five minutes over his declaration that dragons have vulnerable underbellies, because for someone who denied their existence in part one (sidebar: I took issue with their skepticism on rewatching. After all the crazy shit they've encountered, how the hell could they be so sure that dragons don't exist?), he was awfully confident in that assertion. Alas, he learned the valuable lesson of not to prejudge dragons.
I loved the amazing hopping planet device, at the same time that I hated it for reasons I cannot yet reveal. :> There were a lot of callbacks in this episode to lines and devices we've seen before: bouncing bullets, for one, and frozen Ancients for another. Still, I thought they successfully built on the show's mythology by using those tidbits as support, not the driving force, and by letting the characters get down and dirty. Speaking of which...
Daniel's been wanting to stick his head in an Ancient jump drive for years, and he finally got his chance. It was especially fun to watch both Merlin and him use the CAD machine after seeing "The Torment of Tantalus" this week - ah, continuity! Speaking of Merlin, his naming of the team as people he knew was both hysterical and resonant in a mythic journey kind of way. I wanted more of it (actually, we thought he called Cam "Lancelot" at first, and boy, would that ever have been blatant ship). I'll never forget Sam's Hermione moment of punching out Ba'al (oh Ba'al!), and Teal'c's certainty of his skills and wry comments "when it is appropriate" continue to be made of awesome. Poor Cam. *g*
As for the no-longer-new kids on the block, how can anyone doubt them at this point? Okay, Cam's won pretty much everyone over, as he is adorable (and alas, retentive of pants this week). His flock may be headstrong, but he's clearly leading, just with a more fraternal style. I like it. The one thing I didn't like was his condescension towards Vala. "Memento Mori" should've broken down the last barriers for her as a full team member, and I didn't appreciate Cam's implication that they were holding back. But you guys know how I feel about our girl Vala.
On a final note, I hate hate hate that I'm spoiled for later episodes, because it definitely affected how I read things in this one. That's why I avoid spoilers as a rule. It changes everything. Mer. But it's sure not SG-1's fault that other people suck, so putting aside that annoyance as best I can, I give "The Quest" a pair of thumbs pointed up. Oh, SG-1, how I have missed you!
SGA: The Return, Part 2
Atlantis took the more traditional route to wrapping up a cliffhanger. Nothing wrong with that, of course, and I can't say it was an enormous drop-off after SG-1 - always an achievement for SGA. (Er, hi, if you're new here, I'm very critical of SGA. I'm sorry! I promise I like it! And I love Rodney!) I remain frustrated at the show in the usual ways: the plot was driven by their repeated fuck-ups, not character or action development. The rewind trick, while different, was a cheap way of manufacturing "suspense" for anyone who hadn't already cottoned on to a secret Plan [Alphabet].
So that's the negative, but the nature of said negative makes it tough for me to pick out actions outside of the structure to squee over. I did squee, no doubt, and I made fun of the Not!Replicators' codpieces (seriously, yo - my sister's comment was that their uniforms looked like the Original!BSG ones, minus capes). The Jack and Woolsey show was fabulous, if somewhat predictable in dialogue pattern. It's not quite at the level of the Jack and Harry show, but it could totally get there.
Nobody loves Carson. So sad. :-(
I liked how they made use of the full range of the city. We're so confined to the gate room area and random labs usually that we can forget how extensive it is. I didn't realize the command center was in the tippy-top tower. Seems like a stupid place to put a command center, if you ask me. That thing'll snap like a twig. Plus, wow, what a pain to get to/from anywhere else, even with the transporters Ancient elevators! I'd always imagined it being down at the base. Ancients are weird.
The Star Wars-inspired weaving around the city spires was cool, too, and effective in showing off the town. The underwater bit sure took them long enough to figure out, and it also expanded the perspective on the city. It looks like we're getting more of that next week in an episode that's even more like that one fic than "Grace Under Pressure" was. Oh dear.
Anyway, lots of action and wrap-up, as you do in a second part. It was fun to watch, and I look forward to the rest of the season.
Yay, the 'gates are back!