Favorite SG-1 Episodes: Disclosure

And we are back. Sorry for the delay but that audio review that is now up on Youtube and Vidme took me almost two days to cut to my liking and I am still not 100% liking it. So on with the episode. Now this particular tale is not as exciting from an explosive action jam-packed power hour that you are used to. No new civilizations to beheld buuuut... it holds the future of the Stargate program in United States Air Force in the hands of many. This is SG-1 Season 6 Episode 17: Disclosure.

Sorry, sometimes the Borsch acts up.

A summit is held and foreign political representatives of the planet have been called in. For more than 6 years Cheyenne Mountain has been sending SGC teams to other worlds, finding new technology and making weapons to defend the planet against the Goa'uld but could easily being turned on their own enemies of the planet. Now many folks watching this episode have mixed feelings. You telling our rivals about all this sweet tech the military has been building? Why did it take so long to tell this story to the rest of the world? When will the SGC teams be revealed to the public?

General Hammond is trying to give vital intelligence on the Goa'uld's war capabilities, troops, ships that travel on interstellar levels and the weapons they possess when Senator Kinsey comes in with his hypocrisy for firebrand and God fearing, stating the SGC teams are incompetent, reckless and will one day have the Goa'ulds at our throats. He is counting on the representatives of the world to rally behind a civilian over-site committee to oversee all Stargate use, what trips to be taken and what material goods can come of this travel.  Again he sees overhead and gains rather than the allies and the people. Y'know, bad politician.

Gate bomb away!!!

With the ambassadors reluctance to accept that oblivion is on the rise, the collective heads of foreign relations are outraged as Senator Kinsey lays out some of SGC's dirty laundry. The fact of the foothold situation with an alien species incorporating a shape-shifting device allowing them to take over command for a short while, connecting the Stargate to a black hole nearly swallowing the whole planet up and diverting a planet killer asteroid barely in the nick of time.

His follow-up compromise is to have the NID (National Intelligence Department), a civilian committee to head up Stargate operations. These are also the same people that stole from the Asgard, threatened Hammond's granddaughters, almost killed a world removing its weather control device and frankly are a bunch of ex-military, ex-CIA dinks. Their objective is vast new technology at any cost including pissing off SGC's already established allies.

No France, we cannot immediately surrender. This guy.

Hammond endures about the whole episode of this when he decides he won't play fair either. Time for a winning hand and calls an ally in. You folks love the little guy and you know it. Of the Asgard fleet, Supreme Commander Thor appears and explains why the SGC teams need to continue, the alliance they have forged and how they would take any change as less than wise solution.

Now I know more than a handful of people that do not like this episode because it relies on a lot of stock footage of the previous episodes to explain the severity of the threat. Personally I thought this episode is vastly important to the series as the cat is out of the bag and all that is the SGC is in jeopardy if this summit goes south. Now anyone aware of nuclear deterrent summits, you know another will follow directly after this one has been reached to the goals intended or outright failed. Peace talks will continue and agreements will be done on table and everything under the table will still be in effect. They spy on us, we spy on them and so on.

Political struggle and the possession of the gate should have happened sooner but that is really at the end of the day in the hands of the creators and writers. I still felt there should have been more outrage and disgruntlement.

Extreme Wormholin'!!!

Favorite SG Episodes: The Tok'ra Part 2

And we are back ladies and germs for Part 2 of the exciting conclusion of the Tok'ra. When we last left our SG-1 and SG-11 teams, the threat of a traitor giving away the Tok'ras' position had happened, Sam and her father (General not Colonel) Jacob had made it to the caves so he and Selmak may possibly blend. What in the nine Hells can top all of that??! This is SG-1 Season 2 The Tok'ra Part 2.

Bow down before Sarah Douglas!!!

With O' Neill and Carter back with her father Jacob in tow, the planet is being evacuated. The Tok'ra are prepping to trash their underground tunnels, ring up to their hidden ships or head for the Stargate toot sweet. Mass chaos ensuing, O'Neil, Jackson, Teal'C and SG-11 assist in evacuations and even prep for cover fire and assault on the impending Goa'uld forces on their way for their standard ground assault. Not to bash the System Lords but have they ever considered just orbital bombardment? I mean soften the planet's populations and defense and then send in the ground troops. Just a thought.

During this clusterf**k of an mission, the SG teams hold under pressure. No wonder there of course. SG-1 is Air Force Spec Ops, a warrior more than a 100 years fighting experience and a brave paramilitary trained civilian/archeologist. SG-11 is Marine Recon so again odds are bad asses will prevail.

Sorry I beefed.

Selmak and Jacob chat through the former host and find each other to be decent folk. Selmak is smart and a capable being with vast knowledge but the host warns him that all memories, good and bad will be shared. Failures, horrors but also joy and accomplishments. Ultimately it is up to the general if he wants to do this blending. Plus the chemo and Stargate jaunt didn't help him feel any better.

O' Neill recognized the long range visual communications orb that is Goa'uld tech and slightly confused why one of the Tok'ra would use it. Given it's all one network and no real way to mask the signal. Confirming with Teal'c and later Sarah Douglas er um I mean Yosuuf/Garshaw of Belote that they have a Benedict Arnold amongst them, she and a detachment of men swoop into action weapons at the ready. Guess they don't waste time. With that, the traitor's host claims his symbiote was murdered and he had to obey the Goa'uld...and then chucks himself into the disintegrating tunnel as his own punishment. Well saves on time for a trial or vengeance but still not really helping the cause there.

Your dad beefed, Sam.

With the Goa'uld hot on their heels the SG teams and the Tok'ra all seems hopeless and only a typical last minute save can bring our collective groups out of the fire.

Can the Tok'ra be trusted?? Will Jacob/Selmak be safe?? What of Chad's love for Susie?

Coming back to these episodes it is easy to forget this goes back as far as 1997 and of course all happened because of Roland Emmerich's 1994 Stargate movie. For that further notion it has been ten years later since the last Stargate episode and it really doesn't feel like it.

This was the first real introduction to showing that Earth was not alone in this fight, that allies were possible and the humans might stand a decent chance against the impeding enemies.

Guess Jacob beefed again.

Favorite SG Episodes: The Tok'ra Part 1

Well it has been a while for this subject matter so no time like the present, eh? Welcome back to the blog and I thought I would work in a few Stargate SG-1 episodes. Among this week are some of my favorites so I thought I would share them with you all, my readers. If Stargate is not your cup of tea, well you will be disappointed with the week and I won't hold it against you. This is Stargate SG-1 Season 2: The Tok'ra Part 1

So I need to tinkle.

Yup a two-parter. You don't see many of those outside of science fiction or sci-fi fantasy.

After experiencing random memories from the deceased Jolinar, Carter has insight to tunnels created by the Tok'ra (an offshoot of the Gou'ald that share a true symbiotic relationship with their host), their guerilla warfare and tactical awareness. So much so, that SG-1 has a go to visit the coordinates of the nearby desert planet (I was unaware Vancouver had desert and bedrock) and before they can even fan out and do some recon, the team is surrounded by at least 8 would-be assailants with Jaffa sticks and Zat guns. Carter recognizes Martuf as someone Jolinar held in high regards and the ambush party reveal themselves to be members of the Tok'ra. Everyone manages to unclench and lower weapons and thank God because O' Neill was in a crouched position and that couldn't have been good for the knees.

Kind of reminds me of Planet Hell Star Trek set.

Invited to inner tunnels and sanctum, The Tok'ra proceed to evaluate the SG team confused as why a Jaffa is on their side and why Carter was once blended with Jolinar. Meanwhile Carter's father Jacob, decorated Air Force Colonel is dying of cancer. Yup wouldn't be a good drama without cancer. He knows that Sam is doing important work in Cheyenne Mountain but it is red taped classified and he knows she is not simply working on a satellite telemetry. When last they spoke he had pulled some strings to get her cleared for NASA and she blushed slightly and had to turn it down because of the importance of her work. Jacob and General Hammond go back quite awhile and he wants to know what Sam is really doing.

Meanwhile the Tok'ra are hard pressing the team for information and grating on O' Neill's nerves. This of course will lead him into a complex negotiations and diplomatic maneuvering. Oh wait, this is O' Neill. Yeah he'll get grumpy and snap at them like some irritable turtle. The Tok'ra explain that the human hosts and they exist together in one body. The hosts even speak for themselves trying to assure the SG team that they enjoy their blended lives, shared knowledge and overall experiencing one another in what anyone could viewing as two beings knowing each other completely and without shame or judgement.

Selmak their elder is dying with its host, the Tok'ra asks if any of the SG team wish to blend with Selmak to save her but of course the team passes that and explain they wish to add to each others strength and form an alliance. The Tok'ra are cagey, paranoid and with good reason. Their mere existence is an affront to the Goa'uld as much as they to them and they have only stayed alive through covert attacks and tactical planning. The team is being held in the tunnels until the Tok'ra can decide whether or not they can be trusted.

Ahhh Hell Dimension!!

With Sam millions of light years away, she is unaware her father is dying. Hey how do we ratchet up that drama? How about a Tok'ra acting shifty? Maybe even possessing one of those long range Goa'uld communications orbs?

Will the alliance be over before it begins?? Can the Gou'ald find the Tok'ra before they can escape?? Will O' Neill be insufferable??

As this episode leads out on a cliff hanger I guess you will have to wait until tomorrow for the continuation. Directed by Brad Turner (Homeland, Hawaii Five-0, 24, Alacatraz, Transporter, The Vampire Diaries, Psych, Stalker, Legends, Daredevil, Falling Skies and Wayward Pines) a seasoned TV director and producer brings his "A" game to all his work and it truly speaks for itself. This episode brings not only a turning point for the SG teams but the beginning of a much larger universe and species for humans to interact with.

Sitting on this rock is gonna be hell on my roids.

SG-1 Revisited: Space Race

Day 4 is upon us so let us embrace it for SG-1 Revisited as Carter to the SGC to speak with the alien Warrick from Forsaken asks for her help to win a race with the promise of access to an ion drive reactor. Warrick explains this race is for a contract for a large corporation. With the aid of Carter and his vessel Sebrus into the race. We are at Season 7 Episode 8. This is Space Race.

Hmm I see, you too like leathers.

With the race known as the Loop of Kon Garat hosted by the Tech Con Group. The race happens once a year as multiple people entered this for the chance at this contract. Carter brings a Naquadah generator as a major power supply to help with the race. Warrick (Alex Zahara of Riverworld, Gunless, Dead Rising 2, Dead Rising 2: Case West, Earth's Final Hours, Dead Rising 2: Off the Record, The House and Inhumans) offers Carter the chance to fly with him to monitor the generator and see how the ship performs. The creator of the Sebrus and Warrick's little brother Eamon (G.Patrick Currie of Cabin by the Lake, Cold Squad, Valentine, Dark Water, Stargate SG-1 and Percy Jack & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief) is pinning all their hopes and credits on Warrick's superior piloting skills.

This race is brought to you by Sparky Cola. A zap in a can.

The commentators explain each leg of the course and it feels like the Indie 500 or the Grand Prix in Monaco. Meanwhile Daniel, Teal'c and O'Neill are at the capital of the Hebridan/Serrakin representatives. Both species joined together to throw the Goa'uld off their world and managed to prosper and develop. Both species seem to have their collective attributions to their society but there has been a bit of tension between the cultures i.e. Bigotry, slights and in general strain in the society they have both spent so many lives and blood to rebuild.

The competition is fierce as beloved and expected to win is Hebridan pilot Muirios (Benjamin Ayres of Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Good Luck Chuck, Dan for Mayor, Saving Hope and American Riot) and great outlaw Golon Jarlath (Scott MacDonald of Red Faction II, The Lyon's Den, Straight Into Darkness, Star Trek: Enterprise, The West Wing and Carnivale) and young, rising up and comer Lael Montrose (Lindsay Maxwell of Stargate SG-1, Deep Evil, Dante's Cove, The Butterfly Effects 2, Decoys 2: Alien Seduction, Lost Boys: The Tribe and Hair of the Sasquatch) as the race is on, the Sebrus gets damaged by sun's coronasphere that disrupted their shields due to sabotage. Eamon and Teal'c noticed a diagnostic showing power diverted from the ship.

Eamon and Teal'c find out that Eamon's supervisor Del Tynan had accessed their personal computer. To find more evidence he and Teal'c go to Tech Con and as they look into Tynan's computer and find almost every ship in the race has been tampered with except Muirios's ship. Captured by Tynan, he tells Teal'C and Eamon that the Serrakin are destroying the human race by mix marrying and crossbreeding so he will make sure that the winner of the race will be a pure blood human to begin the first step toppling the Serrakin.

Can SG-1 can get to the bottom of this conspiracy? Will Teal'c and Eamon be blasted to atoms??

Ah where the rubber meets the road...or not really.

SG-1 Revisited: Fair Game

Day 3 of SG-1 Revisited starts off with a large gambit, a gambit for the planet and all the lives of the Earth. Sounds dangerous? Well how about not even being a big kid to speak at the table and just being the host. Yeah that could suck but when you lack a fleet of starships to do battle with your opponents it is understandable. Back to Season Three, Episode 3 for a bizarre chain of events to unfold. This is Fair Game.

Do you mind? I am on the throne.

Back in Cheyenne Mountain via Stargate Command, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Arthur Simms. Visits and gives a speech on behalf of the work they do defending not merely the country and its way of life but putting their lives on the line to defend our very planet. Applause all around as General Hammond tells all attending to be at attention in order to honor Captain Carter's promotion to Major. Colonel O' Neill removes Carter's...Captain insignia (You pervs, behave!) and replaces them with those of a Major before Hammond and O' Neill salute her. Jack of course is required to make a speech and he is never really good at the stirring speeches that don't involve kicking ass and taking names but he musters up his courage in front of crowds and then...is beamed out of the SGC and on to Thor's ship.

I sat on a tack!

Supreme Commander Thor of the Asgardian Empire (voiced by Michael Shanks) tells Jack of an impending conference the Goa'uld System Lords will parlay into rather than destroy Earth for their meddling in their territories. So Thor has offered Earth a membership to the Asgardian Protected Planets Treaty so the System Lords do not wish to face the Asgardian Fleet. Thor ports his way to the SGC and informs Hammond of the treaty terms that as Earth is the planet in question up for strike that it is only fair that the negotiations take place here. They will set the negotiations at SGC and O'Neill will represent all of Earth, per the Asgardians' wishes. of which he feels Daniel would be better suited doing but the Asgards think otherwise as he was the leader taking his teams into dangerous situations and coming out on top in spite of being a technologically inferior race.

Doctor Jackson proceeds give the historical lowdown on what Earth knows of legends and myths of the System Lords Cronus (Ron Halder of Antitrust, Stargate SG-1, Spider-Man Unlimited, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, X-Men: Evolution, Kong: The Animated Series and Death Note) Yu-huang Shang Ti (Vince Crestejo of Level 9, Dark Angel, Cold Squad, Christmas Rush, Stargate SG-1 and Stargate: Continuum)said to have been the Dragon or one of China's greatest emperors and lastly the Indian god of death and destruction Nirrti (Jacqueline Samuda of Wolf Lake, Stargate SG-1, See Grace Fly, Wilder Days, Sub Zero and A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story). All in all, a swell bunch to be at your back door. Will Thor be able to deal with the System Lords? Can Jack not say something that will get the planet blown to bits?

A few facts of this episode now.

This was deemed an exercise in using folks that had never before appeared on camera. Jacqueline Samuda was a story editor for the show and given a major role as a Systems Lord? The same can be said of Vince Crestejo who at best was a stuntman and double for more than a few lesser characters on SG-1 and now made also a Systems Lord. And the gambit paid off well. Just goes to show you, you can never predict who will make a good actor or not.

Jack, did you float an air biscuit?

SG-1 Revisited: Prodigy

Welcome back for Day 2 of SG-1 Revisited. We are still in Season 4 of SG-1 and I always found this particular episode represented the past and the future of Stargate Command better than most of them. Imagine a lecture on wormholes being delivered by Major Carter and one of her equations was wrong. A brilliant but ill-tempered as well as ill-mannered young cadet points out this flaw and Carter sees potential in this girl if she could only play by the same rules as everyone else. This is Prodigy.

I am soooo bored.

Air Force Cadet Jennifer Hailey (Elisabeth Rosen of My Mother's Ghost, Sanctuary, Bless the Child, House of the Dead, Lucky Stars and Comforting Skin) would be a great asset to the SGC and Carter needs her to see in spite of being gifted she needs to go through the training as everyone else in order to rank up and probably not break the nose of any upper-classmates again. Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c are off-world at a research facility on a moon M4C-862 with a gathering of scientists that have deemed O' Neill and Teal'c as an unnecessary venture on Stargate Command's thinking and they will simply just get underfoot. O'Neill and Teal'c proceed to do sweeps around the base to ensure safety.

Back Earthside, Carter finds out that most of the negative attitude that stems from Hailey is due to boredom and frustration with the course she is taking. Constantly being compared to Carter regardless how her high scores in every class she attends. To sever the chip on Hailey's shoulder, Carter gets permission to give Hailey a tour of the SGC but General Hammond feels otherwise as he does not feel she is officer material. Carter goes to bat for Hailey stating if she glimpses her potential future with the SGC that she will buckle down and excel as a officer and make Hammond proud.

These titles are a bit too close to my groin.

Back at the moon, Dr. Thompson (Hrothgar Mathews of Cold Squad, The Core, Tom Stone, The Wild Guys and Cable Beach) discovers an alien life form comprised of energy phases through solid matter and discharges energy. Thompson tells the other scientists that they need to capture one for the betterment of all mankind!!! Yeah that old chestnut never comes to bite us in the ass.

Both Dr. Lee (Bill Dow of The X-Files, Cold Squad, Stargate SG-1, Pasadena, Da Vinci's Inquest, Kyle XY and Stargate: Alantis) and O'Neill think this is a bad idea as the makeshift container is breached by the lifeform zapping Thompson over and over and over again until he is a microwaved meal. Ick.

Unaware of what is happening on M4C-862, Carter and Hailey go for a visit to be right dab smack into a crisis when Carter goes into action to assist O'Neill, Teal'c and the surviving scientists. Hailey and Carter are butting heads on who hypothesized the most likely scenario while lives are in the balance. Will SG-1 be able to remove the scientists off the moon? Is M4C-862 deemed less than safe for humanity?

A few points on the episode now.

This marks the first appearance of Bill Dow of X-Files as Dr. Bill Lee. As he is barely is able to keep from being killed he ends up stay for the rest of the series, the spin-offs and even the movies. Pretty snazzy, sir.

Guest star Michael E. Ryan is the actual The Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force which Richard Dean Anderson gets to ask, "Do you really have Air Force Colonels who act the way I do? General Ryan simply replied, "Yes and worse!" General Ryan served until retirement in 2001.

No, let's not shoot it.

SG-1 Revisited: Window of Opportunity

Howdy folks and welcome to Stargate SG-1 Revisited for Day 1. Our episode revolves around a geomagnetic storm caused by solar wind shock wave or a magnetic field with the Earth's magnetic field creating a temporal loop. Can the SG-1 team get back on track? This is Window of Opportunity.

Why Fruit Loops??

On a mission on, SG-1 works with an alien archaeologist Malikai (Robin Mossley of The Sports Pages, Elf, Two for the Money, Connors' War, Painkiller Jane and R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour) and a series of ruins and a large altar device left by the Ancients and is working with Daniel Jackson to study the ruins and the device as well. Carter is measuring the solar radiation when the stargate opens up from the planet and Earth while a beam emits from the device and then... O'Neill is in the mess hall with Daniel being poignant and passionate but Jack was spacing off and eating.

They proceed to General Hammond are set to go to planet P4X-639 and both O'Neill and Teal'c claim to have previous knowledge of the mission. Dr. Fraiser does a check-up on both fellows and all is well. Before the Scooby gang can go to their mission an unscheduled off-world activation happens and... Jack is back to his breakfast and Daniel is waiting for Jack's response... Yes we looped again and again.

No, I do not want a rectal thermometer!

Daniel suggests that Jack and Teal'c loop again they need to go with him to his lab and help him translate it. After what clearly was a few weeks they are making headway but both Jack and Teal'c have lost track of the days. At some point it looks like madness is about to ensue but the guys take a few loops off. Get some games in, take a few pottery lessons, some juggling and even a few golf swings.

So with shenanigans galore plus the ongoing concern of will they ever get out of the loop, stop Malikai from activating it and God only knows how much damage this device is causing around the universe linked to an existing wormhole. What Daniel deciphers with Jack and Teal'cs help they find out the device in question is actually supposed to be a time machine... that is not a blue box or a DeLorean. Shame shame Ancients. Always go for something with a little style. According to the translation, the device was made and tested but found it could not prevent the outgoing plague it was meant to be overted so they gave up on it. Malikai insists he is close to perfecting it but there is a tiresome and exhausted expression on his face that says even he doesn't believe in his work anymore.

Will the SG-1 crew be able to stop Malikai? Are they doomed to rinse, lather and repeat? Is there no end to Jake's horrible jokes??

Some points of trivia now.

The fruit loops on Jack's spoon were glued in place to ensure continuity between time loops, hence not eating that spoonful of cereal. At almost every sci-fi and/or Stargate convention, Christopher Judge (Teal'c) claims that he hit the golf ball through the Stargate, Richard Dean Anderson could not, even after multiple takes and attempts. Finally a CGI ball was made to complete the scene.

This episode deals in good humor and dark seriousness. It is light and pithy one minute and grounded in drama the next and makes for what most SG fans as a great episode to start people on the series as it is one of the best episodes and I have to concur.

Still not sure why they keep calling me "Pretty Boy".

SG-1 Revisited

Welcome back to the week, folks. It has been a bit crazy with the whole Indiegogo campaign NOT really taking off and I am almost certain unless within the next 13 hours it will change that the funds we have earned will be refunded. Yippee... But enough grumbling about that and we focus on the week in question which consists of those planetary explorers, defenders and instigators from Stargate Command. That's right, SG-1. None have known more physical and mental pain than these folks. The Doctor hasn't seen that much torment...well okay probably he has but he'd rather not talk about it so just go peek in his diary.

A woman and a black guy???  What the Sam scratch is goin' on?

For the next few days we will find some fan favorite episodes, go through the Chappa'ai and experience more deafening explosions outside of some popular Trekkie shows. Over the years of interacting with SG-1 and Atlantis fans shows me there is no one answer to what episode is more popular then the other. For some, it is the guest star. For others it is the writing and every so often it is a body swap episode or alternative Earth Mirror Mirror effect.

With the need to scavenge the universe for advanced technology to appease the committees that fund the Stargate Command, along with gaining allies in the struggles against superior firepower, interstellar ships and older races that conquer and enslave lesser developed planets, the SG teams constantly have to weigh the pros and cons of helping others, get involved with their day-to-day events and even understand the cultures, social and political concerns. 

The safety word is "Apples"

I know, soooo wordy. Let's get to the real reason we are here. What do you deem is one of the best SG-1 episodes and why. I have compiled a handful of suggestions but feel free to write me back and let me know what episode moved you to laughter, tears or even both.

This is SG-1 Revisited Week.

SG-1 Picks of the Week: Avalon

Welcome back to SG-1 Picks of the Week.  First off I would like to apologize for not being around for the last couple of days but sinus headaches kicked in on Wednesday.  Yay me!   Moving right along I thought give the myriad of two part episodes this series loves to do we could touch base on one of my favorites.  So dial the DHD, watch for the event horizon and dive through the Chappa’ai.  This is Stargate: SG-1 Avalon.

Hey Teal'c, throw me the false idol. heh.

Vala Mal Doran: There’s nothing I hate more than a bold-faced spoiler.

After months of intense physical therapy from an F-302 crash in the Antarctic; Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder of Memphis Belle, Party of Five, Farscape, Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars, Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum) assumes his prize command, SG-1.   Only the band seems to have gone their separate ways.  Now Lt. Colonel Sam Carter is residing in Area 51 and heading up the better portions of reverse engineering alien tech for Air Force use.   Many years of the struggles of the Goa’uld, Teal’c’s people the Jaffa are finally able to create a world of peace and unity their own but what this Jaffa nation does in its infancy can affect it for generations to come.    Dr. Daniel Jackson is on his way to Atlantis to better help the SG: Atlantis expedition run smoothly.  

Well Jackson at least she isn't Willy or Short Round.

So who the hell is Mitchell leading into unknown dangers?   As Mitchell is batting 0 for 3 an unscheduled wormhole kicks in and now base commander; Major General Landry (Beau Bridges of The Iron Triangle, The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Agency, Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate: The Ark of Truth) gets a report from the Beta site monitoring station that an unknown woman has appeared asking for Dr. Jackson.  Moments delayed due to a frisking, the men bring her to the SGC to shock and dismay the SG-1 fans it is the same confidence trickster that beat the crap out of Daniel in Season 8. 

Now we slay the makers of Krull!

Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, City Life, Pitch Black, Queen of the Damned, Farscape and Farscape: The Peacekeepers War) a former host to a Goa’uld has managed to congeal her way back to the SGC and explain to Daniel she has found reference to a great treasure but she cannot read the Ancient writings.  As Teal’c is visiting the SGC, he decides to accompany Daniel, Vala and Mitchell to this dig site in Glastonbury or rather several meters under it.  Then the real adventure begins…

Part 2: As our band of explorers reveal in their extreme cleverness for discovers a tomb of an Ancient known as Meyordan or as he is known on Earth, Merlin.  So a few death defying traps later, the team is awarded with gold, jewels and various trinkets of which this viewer went, “SGC budget for the next 3 years.”  Daniel discovers a book written in Ancient speaking of the people of Atlantis and how they traveled across the galaxies, they further mention of how these people differed in their point of view.  As several of them ascended, some wished to be worshipped and feared while others chose a path of enlightenment and humility.    The recon team discovered an ample device that looks like a long range communications device…of course NO ONE knows how to turn the damn thing on or how it even works!! 

Sir, we frisked her many times over.

  Meanwhile back at the base, General Landry must balance being professional and personal when the primary physician is his daughter Dr. Carolyn Lam (Lexa Doig of TekWar, TekWar: TekLords, Traders, Jason X and Andromeda) who he is very strained from.   So there is that little bit of subplot there.  As Daniel and Vala bonded due to an alien device they proceed to examine the long range communications device as well.  Their bodies go completely limp and fall as their subconscious minds seem to inhabiting a couple of humans’ light years away. 

Well he's no Redford, ladies but have at him.

 What will happen to them?  Will they get back home?  Will the sexual tension between them ever be cut through?  Does Mitchell like fishing as much as O’Neill?  Will Teal’c be allowed more hair?  Will a group of the Asgard ever do the funky chicken?   Hey we may cover these very questions at a later date. 

SG-1 Picks of the Week: Fragile Balance

Welcome back to Day 3 of SG-1 Picks of the Week and I have one of the more humorous episodes of the seventh season.  Imagine if you will coming into SGC only to hear some disgruntlements and seeing baffled faces.  Apparently a young man broke on to the base using Colonel O’ Neill’s base ID.  As General Hammond and Major Carter interrogate the lad they discover he claims to be Jack aged 30 years in reverse.  So batten down the hatches, prepare yourselves for the teenage years and stop trying to sneak a beer.  This is Stargate: SG-1: Fragile Balance.

 

A tale of two O' Neills.

Teal’c: Are you conducting some sort of scientific experiment, O’Neill? 

Jack O‘Neill: Hey, come on, that spoiler’s still good.

Confusion and disarray happens in Stargate Command as a 15 year old boy attempts to breach security using Colonel O’ Neill’s base ID and explains to the nay sayers that he is in fact Jack O’ Neill.  Too bizarre you say? Come on, this is status quo for this base.   Carter and Dr. Fraiser each try to figure out what is to be gained by regressing Jack’s age as the team investigates Jack’s house. 

Finding a terrifying aging salsa and some leftover Thai food they come up with not a whole lot until Jack remembers subconsciously he may have been abducted…possibly by an Asgardian.   This of course raises more questions on why would the Asgard do such a thing to their allies let alone to the first human that has shown an amazing evolutionary step in our genetics.   

Yes, I am having the Coco Pebbles and what of it?

Unbeknownst to Jack, his situation is direr than he was lead to believe.  We find out that not only he was de-aged but his body is actually dying as well.   Knowing full well Earth based medicine has nothing to combat this and the Asgard is taking their sweet ass time to respond, Jack leaves the base and goes off the grid.  The SG team find out that Jack may not be Jack after all according to Jacob Carter/ Selmak (Carmen Argenziano of L.A. Law, Booker, Melrose Place, Angels with Angles and CSI: NY) it would appear that Jack is actually a clone.  So where is the original?   Will we be able to get him back and catch the Asgardian responsible for this pain in the butt?   What do they do with the clone once they have the original?

Now just some fun notions of this episode in question.  Young Jack tries to con people to buy him beer.   The pop culture jokes revolve around The Island of Dr. Moreau and Austin Powers.   The Asgardians Loki is voiced by Stargate: SGI’s director Peter DeLuise (Stargate: Atlantis, Kyle XY, SGU Stargate Universe, Sanctuary and R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour) as Loki and Michael Shanks (24, Stargate: The Ark of Truth, Stargate: Continuum, The Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon, Burn Notice and Smallville) voices Thor. 

Remember Thor, the safety word is apples.

The briefing on the reversed engineered Death Glider a.k.a. the F-302 is hilarious as a young Jack O’ Neill has to enlighten experienced fighter jocks the ends and outs of the vessel from a pilot’s perspective.  It is completely worth the view for just that scene alone. 

SG-1 Picks of the Week: 1969

How do all and welcome back to SG-1 Picks of the Week.  This is where I force you to endure my favorite SG-1 episodes, the recap as well as the points about the episode in question.  If you have mistakenly logged on here for pottery, you will be gravely disappointed.   Well we just got back from the body swap cliché of yesterday so how about a time travel story arc?  Hey, it’s Sci-fi.  Are you really that surprised?  For you fellas reading this I am saddened to report no Orion slave girls in this so check Star Trek instead.  So grab your tie dye, prep your rose colored glasses and feel that love in the air.  This is Stargate: SG-1: 1969.

Alright, which one of you is Ringo??!!!

Alright, I’ll be honest with ya, Bob. My name’s not Kirk. It’s Spoiler.

Going back in halls of time we find ourselves in Season 2, Episode 21 as the SG-1 team is waiting in the gate room; Carter is plotting a proper course of alignment for the gates in the event that time and space as well as astronomical debris could cause an issue with the gate travel.  The fellas are getting impatient but finally the trek is on its way…or is it? Dun dun DUN!!!!  

Sorry, I just can't take you seriously now.

Our team seems to bounce back from the gate signal and end right back at the gate room when suddenly the gate disappears and is replaced with…a Titan Missile??  Cheyenne Mountain seems too gone back to its original standing of being a missile silo testing facility and SAC system.  But how can this be unless…yes, without the aid of Dr. Emmet Brown the SG team has gone back in time.   No sooner does Teal’c stop them from being roasted alive by rocket fire with a zat gun, the team is taken in custody by base personnel.  

  

How can they explain their advanced technology, let alone their alien tech?  Is Area 51 even in use or will they be debriefed by the CIA??  Have they even a chance of getting back home or will they have to live out their lives in some remote portion of the planet and historical events?   What of Timmy trapped in the well? 

Okay now that has been taken care of, I would like to point out some of the interesting tidbits of this episode.  One is seeing Teal’c rocking a Jimi Hendrix wig.  That was interesting to say the least.   I did have a few timeline nitpicks that cannot be ignored.  Our team is traveling east from Colorado through Chicago and well there are shots of the Sears Tower.  For those weak on history that building was not completed until 1973.  The M-16s the guards were issued were sporting 30 round magazines instead of the standard 20 back in the day of 1969.  Again these are kind of petty but I thought they warranted mentioning.

Stop scaring the hippies!!!

Now the pop culture gags throughout the episode are completely worth the viewing.   The whole cast got in plenty of zingers with the exception of stalwart Teal’c.   Poor Christopher Judge is limited in lines but makes up for it in action.