IvanF's Uninformed Reviews of the Seventh Season of Stargate: SG-1 (2003-2004)...

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- IvanF's Archived, Cut & Paste, No-Name Reviews of
The Seventh Season of Stargate: SG-1 (2003 - 2004) -
(Jonas Quinn leaves the Team, Daniel Jackson rejoins the team, Daniel goes crazy yet again, T'Pol goes Jaffa,
Goodnight Janet Frasier Goodnight, A New President, The Crossword Puzzle, Anubis attacks Earth, The Lost City)

I had a lot of problems with the seventh season of Stargate when it started to air... I mean, first of all, I was happy just like the rest of the internet it seemed, that Michael Shanks was coming back to the show as Daniel Jackson. It was miraculous that SG-1 managed to redeem itself for its awful cop-out of over-easy-ascension in the season six finale, through the Daniel and Jack banter in Fallen and Homecoming alone. And it was great that we fans were even getting a seventh season at all, considering Richard Dean Anderson wanted to put the show to rest long ago. But then, all the problems started occurring and rearing their ugly hydra heads... Jonas Quinn was forced to leave the team, and why? He was my favourite character last year, and yet except for Fall-out in season seven, it was as if the writers pretended like he never existed in their universe whatsoever... I was disappointed that the Prometheus was barely even mentioned, let alone used, until The Lost City at least, as if the writers were scared the show might turn into Star Trek or some lovable crap like that... The first half of season seven was good compared to the competition during the summer, but considering there was no competition? While season six started out strong, I was worried at first when season seven spat out Space Race... And Richard Dean Anderson was barely in any of the episodes at all! In the end, he did show up for the two-parters, but his absence was more than just noticable far more often than it ever seemed to be in season six...

But you see, in that sense and all the rest of above, Season Seven was almost like a complete reversal of the sixth season. While the previous season had started out brilliantly with episodes like Redemption and Abyss, it screwed itself in the second half with crap episodes like Metamorphosis and Full Circle. But season seven somehow left a good taste in my mouth... a wonderful taste in the end, actually... Sure, it started out sluggish with episodes like Orpheus and Enemy Mine, but everything seemed to go perfectly for Stargate SG-1 in the second half of the season... Thanks to all the two-parters, Richard Dean Anderson rarely felt like he was missing from the team, and Adam Baldwin did a pretty damn good job of filling the void in Heroes (Part 1). I finally got to see the Prometheus get its ass kicked in Grace, and I don't care what the shippers say on the net - Chimera definitely interested me by setting up romantic arcs for two different characters. Sure, the girls on the net hated Pete with a passion, but usually passion over a plot of a show is a good thing, isn't it? Well, except when it gets the writers to boot Jonas Quinn off the show, that is... And as for the season finale? All I can say is wow... The special effects, the dialogue, the drama, the future potential - it was all there within two of the best hours that Stargate has ever produced on the small screen... I can't say that the seventh season of Stargate was perfect. I can't say it was my favourite. But goddammit, did the show ever go out with a lucky seven bang...

I was impressed, actually. Usually a show starts losing its integrity and quality after its sixth season (like DS9 did in my opinion), but Stargate just ramped it up, and exceeded its predecessor in my eyes. Of course, adding T'Pol from Enterprise was a bias plus in my eyes, considering I'm a complete T'Whore for the latest Trek show... But what season seven will forever be remembered for, is the tragic and heartfelt loss of Janet Frasier... Although in a sense, I may still be bitter at the writers for writing her off the show, I will not deny that her death has somehow lingered on my conscience in a way that television deaths never do. Her death wasn't graphic - it was startling... her memorial wasn't cheesy - it was appropriate... And although I can't say it was the best send off episode for the actress, I can definitely say it brought out the best in the rest of the characters, George Hammond included. It's just painful that he'll be leaving too...

Hell, that's probably what season seven excelled at the most - the characters... Its story arcs and dialogue may have been no match for Stargate's prime of seasons 2 to 4, but dammit, the acting was spot on throughout at least the entire second half of the season. Strong performances, giggling actress smiles, enjoyable guest characters, and just generally strong character arcs all around, led to season seven matching some of the greatest efforts of the third and fourth seasons, and maybe even the untouchable second.

Like I keep saying, season seven was hindered from ever gracing the top of the list, thanks to a less than stellar effort for the first ten or so episodes... But the crossword puzzle and the attack on earth alone in The Lost City is enough to convince me and bring about hope, that Stargate SG-1 definitely hasn't lost its touch heading into its eighth and possibly final season...

Notable Episodes: Fallen, Homecoming, Birthright, Evolution (Parts 1 & 2), Grace, Chimera, Heroes (Parts 1 & 2)
Best Episode of the Season: The Lost City (Parts 1 & 2)

"Anyhew, I sort of wish that I wrote my Finding Nemo review last week, especially considering one person out there (you know who you are) actually was "looking forward" to it... But I just had to get my Best of the Year IvanFian awards done and finished with, before the new season of Stargate SG-1 started. And quite truthfully, I was acting sort of like a little child on Christmas morning when I finally was able to watch Fallen and Homecoming this, um, morning... the two-parter season premiere for the season... But by the end of the two episodes? Maybe I was just still pissed that I had actually wasted a rental on Jason X or something (and that I had wasted my Friday watching Virus on TV, but that's besides the point), I just couldn't help but feel that the SG-1 two-parter was kind of underwhelming. I mean, action wise, the episodes just didn't amount up to much. Now, don't get me wrong - I loved the Death Star trench warfare scene or whatever you want to call it from the end of Fallen. I probably missed half a dozen lines of the show just from laughing so damn hard at the "Red Leader" comment... but besides the cool fear factor of watching two Enterprise-crappy missiles blow apart a little hole in a big ass ship, what really did the two episodes offer? The attack on Anubis' ship by Baal wasn't really new or anything. I couldn't help but jeer at the cowardice of the cliche villain, Anubis, getting away in a quaint, little Borg Sphere or something, but still, besides that... While Redemption last year set a bar for Stargate special effects, Fallen and Homecoming really couldn't do anything but limbo under last season's shadow, and limp their way to the finish line.

But the return of Daniel Jackson was truly where both episodes shined. Fallen and Homecoming wasn't even really about the script, but rather about the acting. I mean, you could just see in Jack's eye the shock and concern he had when he saw Daniel on the planet... and I just loved every single time Daniel called him, "Jim", if only because I didn't know whether he was ribbing him or not... And I gulped hard too with Teal'c (wait, does that sound good?) when Daniel asked what happened to his wife. I mean, Jackson looked so damn giddy when he remembered however-you-spell-her-name, that I don't know what I would've said if I was the one who had killed her like Teal'c... and even the talk with Jonas, how Quinn wanted to give up his SG-1 position as a return favour to Daniel? Just somehow, the show felt complete again, both from the banter, and from the fact that archaeology played a big part in both episodes... Character wise, I loved Fallen, but as soon as Daniel started remembering his Commando skills in Homecoming, things started falling downhill from there... Not only did Homecoming suffer from weird pacing (I know the two parter was meant to be two episodes, but it was just weird how one minute, Anubis was going to blow up the earth base, and the next minute, he was over Kelowna), but it suffered from being too plot driven as well. The talks about Yu's age were fascinating, but simply too slow paced to keep my interest. The background about the naquadria bomb being used was motivating, but the writers didn't dwell or devil on the moral implications enough to make it a factor. And honestly, while the crystal with all the naquadria knowledge will probably be helpful in future episodes, it really felt awkward that it would make up most of the plot of the episode, rather than allowing Daniel Jackson's return to be the focus... I would've preferred a Lord of the Rings homage, with the Kelownas doing battle with the thousand Jaffa, but alas, I can only dare to dream...

But there was one moment of Redemption for Homecoming... Now, I know many fans didn't particularly take to Jonas Quinn, but I sure as hell did. And it was sad to see him go... More than Finding Nemo sad, and Finding Out Dory's Name, so to speak... The greatest moment of the episode probably came when all Jonas did was tap Teal'c on the shoulder. The two had become such close friends, that no words were necessary... and that was truly the strength of both Fallen and Homecoming. I know reviews can't do it justice, and perhaps words can't either. But really, while the script lacked creativity, the mere looks in the actor's eyes sure as hell did not. And what can I say? The season opener for Stargate's seventh season may have Fallen in a few places, but in the end, it definitely felt warm. It definitely felt welcome. And it definitely felt like a Homecoming, for what I hope to be one great season, and one great way for a great series to end."

"Anyhew, I missed last week's Noname update for a decent reason: because I was lazy as hell... but then again, there really wasn't much to report, now was there?... I must admit that I loved last week's episode of Stargate, Fragile Balance, a hell of a lot more than I expected, even though I still don't understand what the hell the title is supposed to mean... The episode was brilliant in the sense that it gave Richard Dean Anderson the time off of work that he wanted, while leaving the episode with a Jack feel nonetheless... and how? All thanks to Michael Welch, or Welsh, or however you spell that kid's name. Although his Jack O'Neil mannerisms, or "Jackisms" as they call them, were a bit too strong and overused in his initial scenes (the interrogation by Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel, when the latter admitted that "stranger things have happened"). But in the end? I personally felt his Jack impressions were spot on, and I'll give all the credit in the world to the actor, for making this entire episode click... I loved the scene where Young Jack tried to drink a beer in his own house, only to have it stolen from his lips by a Samantha Carter who called him "cute"... I loved the chemistry between the real Jack and the duplicate, when the latter was noting that he was a lot taller than he thought he was... But most of all, one scene stands above all else in my mind. Somehow, for the longest time, I couldn't get out of my head the reverence and respect O'Neil has on the base, even in the body of a 15-year old. When Sam nodded to the F-302 pilot crowd that the young man (who could've taken out the guards outside, I'd wager) standing before them actually was the Goa'uld killer of the planet earth, they all snapped to attention, even to listen to such simple statements as the F-302 only compensating for 90% of G forces... I mean honestly, the kid really did feel like O'Neil, which led to one slight problem in the end... I mean, wasn't it a bit weird that grown-up O'Neil in the body of a 15-year kid, would actually want to get it on with 15-year old girls?... but then again, like Daniel says, stranger things have happened... although I'm not sure how many of them broke such sacred laws...

Okay, probably a ton of them. So sue me, or sue O'Neil for going forth to Cassie's high school or wherever he was... As for the rest of the cast? I can't remember any real Sam moments, except when she tried convincing Jack to have as much fun with his condition as they were... Daniel didn't have a pivotal role either, although it was weird how he can innately speak with tons of alien species, but couldn't understand regular Cantonese (by the way, while the girl spoke the language properly, the old man sounded off... unless he was using an old accent that I don't recognize, but that's besides my poor Chinese skills...). And Teal'c?... did he say anything at all?... oh well, AOL, I guess that didn't matter much, consider he got to star in this week's Orpheus, but I'll get to that in a second... And as for the plotline itself? It solved a lot of mysteries in the series, how such a friendly race like the Asgard could be the ones abducting people all over the planet (and giving cattle anal probes too, but I guess that was never explained...). Although Thor didn't say much, he had a sense of command and presence to him that much mirrored O'Neil's back in the briefing room. And Loki?... poor Loki... an "Assgard" beaten down by a damn Zat... how stupid could he be?... but overall, I loved Fragile Balance, if only because it shared a wonderful balance between seriousness, mythology, and pure impressionist comedy. It will go down as one of my favourite episodes of the past few years, if only because Jack made a reference to everyone's favourite "mini-me"..."

"As for Orpheus... well, I've never been a fan of either Klingon or Jaffa based episodes, but I was a fan of the Warrior a couple seasons back, and I did find that Orpheus tempted my taste buds as well. It was compelling right off the bat, in which Teal'c took a staff blast and actually had to work to recover for once. It was also nice to see Sam in that work-out outfit of hers, as I guess a sweaty gal talking about Signs aliens being allergic to sweat just turns me on... or maybe that's just the Young Jack in me talking? But I digress... As a Teal'c episode, I felt the show had class. He had a wide selection of great moments, from his silencing of Daniel during his meditation, to the simple admitted truths, that Daniel had watched over him without Danny ever remembering it, and that Teal'c has been letting Bra'tac win in spars for years... Both moments were touching, if only because Teal'c rarely ever slips and admits his deep-down truths. And although it was short moment, just the looks between Bra'tac and Teal'c, and the remembrance of what a warrior truly is, did convince me that Teal'c was finally on his way to finding, um, his way back... and of course, a Steven Seagal neck-snapping of an anonymously evil henchman is always helpful in the male bonding process. Or at least, that's what Seagal always says...

Orpheus was a decent episode plotwise, although I've never really been a fan of rescue episodes. I am a fan of episodes where the team gets to use artillery strikes for once, and I definitely was a fan of O'Neil gunning down half an army with a sniper scope, but I digress... If there was one problem with this episode, it was that it was too damn noticeable that Jack was missing for half the episode. He did have one great moment though, when he did what I would've done, gave up on Daniel's psychiatrical crap, and made Teal'c talk simply because Jack's the boss... too bad the episode didn't have more scenes like that... and too bad for the Goa'uld that they're to stupid to have force field irises around all their Stargates, but I digress... and, well... on the bright side, Jack's being noticeably absent gave the rest of the characters a chance to shine in his, um, absence. Now, although Sam didn't get to say much, the concern on her face when Teal'c was captured and tortured was enough for me until her big episode comes up. And as for Daniel?... well, I personally thought his ending scene with Teal'c felt rushed and forced, in which he admitted that he never felt like he belonged to the team... which really sounded weird coming from him, considering he always was close to Jack, and he always had an affinity for the greater good, but I digress... But still, little moments, like when he was obsessed with looking through the gate records, really added up in the end. It was dramatic to me at least, how guilty he felt when he realized he had been to the planet and didn't do a damn thing. Michael Shanks showed a lot of good remorse in this episode, which coincided with Teal'c's self-pity perfectly, as if both had achieved a fragile balance. Now, I may not know what the Greek hero Orpheus, looking back into hell and losing his lover, has to do with Teal'c losing his symbiote of a lover (oh wait, it suddenly clicked... no, wait, it didn't...), but the title didn't stop me from loving Fragile Balance, and quite frankly, I'm shocked that I've loved Orpheus and thus loved every single episode this season so far...

Stargate SG-1 consistently provides me with top notch writing and entertainment, which is more than I can say for that paperweight of an Xbox that I have filling my entire basement as we speak... but then again, how can I stay mad at Halo? Or as we Cantonese say (although Daniel wouldn't understand us, I guess...), a good "Hal-lo!" to you too, and a heartfelt, very hefty goodbye."

"So before leaving for a jet plane ride that'll hopefully be better than my only lingering memory of an airplane, I've decided that I might as well give you few readers out there a heads up, and review this week's episode of Stargate before I go... Now, Revisions was by no means a bad episode. But it wasn't anything special either. It lacked most of the comic factors and mascots or whatever that made Stargate the show that it is today. It had no Jack and Daniel banter. In fact, Jack really didn't get to do anything but humour a small kid who kept changing his mind on his destiny... Teal'c just stood around and made phone calls back home, pretty much. Daniel got to read a bunch of books. And Sam? Well, she got to tease a guy who can't remember that he had a wife (reverse Black Widow syndrome, I see). So pretty much, all in all, there really wasn't anything memorable about Revisions.

Though one thing still sticks out in my mind about this episode... Somehow, it managed to portray an old-school Stargate feel. I mean, the team goes to an alien planet, finds a race, learns of their culture, and returns them back to humanity... and in some ways, thanks to the nostalgic feel, I really liked the premise of this episode. I was terrified that Revisions would end up being a Matrix revision or some crap like that, in which sentient technology would be our worst enemy or, um, some crap like that... But I was pleasantly surprised that the computers were not sentient - but rather, they were simply following flawed orders from their builders to keep the community running at all costs... and I can buy that. The computers weren't evil. But they simply weren't human. And it indeed is a scary thought to think that computers could update our memories as easily as we update hard drive files... but it's also possible. And also reasonable, considering the ideal of the common good... communism at its best... But while Revisions had a great premise, I still wished that the script was revised to actually allow for some decent dialogue or something. In the end, the episode was better than I expected, but far from being the stellar Stargate show that earlier seasons so prominently had, as this episode so nostaglically reminded me about..."

"Anyhew, thanks to my popping of weasel-sized, mouth-watering morsels of Chinese women in Vancouver, I missed out on watching and reviewing last week's episode of Stargate SG-1, Lifeboat... but I did read the preview of it, and at first, it didn't exactly sound very four feet tall appealing. I mean, Stargate has done the personality switch thing or whatever before, as early as the first or second seasons actually... But after watching Lifeboat? I can honestly say that although it lacks the brilliant Jack and Daniel banter of seasons past, I will earnestly admit that it had possibly the best acting since Jack was captured by Baal in Abyss... Michael Shanks didn't get much time to play the role of Daniel Jackson, but it was obvious from his other personalities that episodes like this were the reason why he decided to come back for season seven... along with the steady paycheck, but I digress... Now, some of his earlier personalities were laughable at best. I assume he was the kid at the start, terrified of the face of Teal'c, but I'll never know, I guess... and his early acting of the Sovereign just didn't seem right, even though Daniel has done the arrogant prick thing before. But Michael Shanks really shined when he was taken over by the crewmember. He was smart, and thoughtful, yet didn't sound like Daniel one bit. And when he was possessed by the child?... his facial expressions weren't perfect, naturally. But I couldn't help but feel sorry for the kid at the time, since Michael Shanks did a wonderful job or portraying a youth who felt all alone... While the other actor, whatever his name may be, who had thirteen personalities in his mind, played them all out like a schizophrenic democracy, Shanks got to truly shine by not simply being the Borg: twelve beings with a single voice... but rather twelve personalities with twelve different voices...

As for the rest of the main cast? They didn't do much... Jack just was AWOL for most of the episode, as his contract provides. Teal'c showed that he's still the man by waking from the stun blast so easily, but really did nothing but stand around after that. And Sam got to ask the questions and attach a big ass naquada generator, but she really had no interaction with Daniel, the star of the show... none of them did, except Jack with his pissed off nature (you got to love it when he's willing to sacrifice all life to save his friends), and Janet Frasier, who had her strongest episode since maybe even the fifth or fourth seasons... Lifeboat wasn't an original idea, even in terms of the Stargate universe. But somehow, it all clicked and worked in the end, as the episode seemed rather prophetic to me, rather than pathetic. I mean, I couldn't help but feel bad for the poor child in Daniel's body... not only was he picked over his own mother to survive the end of his world, but he woke to find that he didn't even know where he was, or where his father had gone... I couldn't help but feel the fear that maybe this scenario could happen to us in the future, if only Michael Bay's Armageddon were a prophecy too... Michael Shanks portrayed the child's lost innocence with the greatest of zest and affection. And if episodes like this one will continue to be written for his character, then I'm sure he'll stick around for an eighth season, and I sure as hell am sure that I'll be sticking around as well."

"That's when I got a load of the preview for this week's Daniel episode, Enemy Mine, and instantly rolled my eyes and hoped that a Prometheus episode was coming up in a week or two... I mean, except for the first season episode, Thor's Hammer, I really haven't enjoyed any Unas episode out there... and yet somehow, if only because Michael Shanks is portraying his character with far more determination than he ever has before (well, since the second season, at least), I somehow ended up enjoying Enemy Mine more than most episodes from the past two seasons. And why?... because it had something that's been missing since season two or three... the inability to communicate with other worlds. I mean, sure I understand why the series has American speaking aliens on every single planet. But at least back in the early seasons, their English was mixed with their own terms, lingoes and phrases... but that all disappeared by the time season four rolled around, and somehow, I couldn't help but feel a bit of the old school, Stargate magic back when Daniel spent half the episode trying to just say hello to the Unas of the mining world. Probably my favourite scene from the entire episode, was the sight of Daniel trying to explain what a ship was to the alpha male. And just the little things, like the token trade of the fire lighter for a necklace, and the sight of the SG teams all kneeling in respect (and survival) made this episode truly seem alien and thoughtful... Normally, I hate episodes that are a modern day retelling of how wrong it was for colonials to wipe out the natives in North America. But somehow, Stargate made it all work out for me in the end, as I especially liked the ending... I was surprised as the colonel was when the Unas offered to mine the naquada themselves. A compromise was made to fight a common enemy, and it was a compromise that even I was too pig-headed to foresee... I guess this episode taught me something as well... I don't like to be taught, but I digress...

As for the rest of the cast? The first part of the episode had some brilliant Jack lines, with him ranting that he now had to find the rock finders... and I couldn't help but pause the episode, just to let out a laugh out loud when Daniel admitted to Jack in a sling, that quite frankly, he broke him... but not his arm. That was a Unas' doing, and once again, Richard Dean Anderson sat out for half of the episode, a little too obviously if you asked me... But what was up with Sam? She was in just one scene of the whole bloody episode! Sure, she'll probably have some nice Black Widow moments later on in the season, but honestly, wasupwidat?... and Teal'c once again got to stand around with a staff weapon, which is the most ineffective weapon I've ever seen. But still, at least he was on camera. His episodes will come soon enough... Meanwhile, Stargate has truly become the Daniel show, and I'm not one to complain. Enemy Mine was as I said, a well thought out and not-that-over-annoyingly preachy episode... and while it lacked any sort of connection to the events of Lifeboat whatsoever, I will admit that in both episodes, it was nice to see the old school Daniel back... even when he wasn't Daniel, but I digress..."

"Considering I didn't see Tomb Raider 2 or anything last week, there really isn't much to report on my noname site this week. There is of course the guaranteed arrival of a new Stargate SG-1 episode, and although it wasn't the grandest, most epic episode to ever come out of the writer's minds, I did enjoy Space Race for the most part... Colonel O'Neil was literally only in the episode for about a minute or two, although I did crack up at his comment about the "translated" work not being our language... Daniel got a few sibling-like moments in with Carter, but besides trying to get her to admit the truth to herself, he didn't really do much. And besides Teal'c's unwillingness to do on a diplomatic mission, he was pretty much invisible in the background yet again, although his bell hop outfit somehow suited his Murray persona quite well... In the end, Space Race was really only two things: a Star Wars attack of a cloned feeling, and a chance for Amanda Tapping to literally shine, as she did look quite joyful and glowful as she basked in the corona's light... I absolutely loved her line at the start of the episode, "What's a girl to do?" It was perhaps the first ever time that I found Sam to be cute, and although it would go against her military personality if she did so, I'd love it if she acted more "gung-ho"ish from this day forth (although it was already weird enough how she was pretty much ignoring Hammond in the briefing room)... But alas, the energy that Tapping portrayed in the first fifteen minutes of the show quickly subsided, even before she got caught in fiery death dangers up in space. Up in the Serebus, she seemed neither pleased nor pissed, although at least it was nice for her to finally get another episode where she was allowed to have her fun... As for the episode itself, it had a hell of a huge Star Wars feel, as the ships were seen maneuvering around asteroids and ramming each other at finishing lines and whatnot. And the commercials, while somewhat funny, were more than annoying to me, if only because they reminded me of Robocop or those god-awful Episode I announcers just a little too much... But for an episode that basically had no action, Space Race truly did catch and keep my attention, if only because of Samantha Carter's aggressive energy. Sure, I found the rich white man racism plot to be tried and cliche, but it did make sense. And the ending of the episode was quite rewarding in the, um, end, as Carter finally got back her cute little zest once more as she admitted that the race wasn't fair... it's just too bad I'm quite sure we won't be seeing this side of the dark side of her anytime else soon... she should really give into the force more often, but that's besides the point..."

"And, well... besides Shenmue II, there's only one thing left to report this week. Avenger 2.0... I've been anticipating this Stargate SG-1 episode for quite some time now, if only because it marked the return of everyone's favourite Felger... or is that an oxymoron, considering so many fans hated Felger when he made his debut last season?... but either way, I loved every single line he muttered with a stutter. And while I feel bad that Daniel, Teal'c, and O'Neil were all relegated to nowhere positions in this week of Stargate, I will admit that the combination of Felger and Sam made me forget all about the rest of the team in no time flat... Well, Carter was a pretty one dimensional character in Avenger actually, playing second fiddle to Felger. She got to shoot some Jaffa, and admit that Felger or Folger or whatever you want to call him, was quite the screw up. But besides that?... well, she was there... she didn't do much besides that... but she did get in a few damn good licks in one of every guy's favourite Stargate fantasy scenes in the end, as I'm with O'Neil: "shhh... don't talk"... As for O'Neil, besides the ending? He actually got enough good lines to satisfy me for the first time since the sixth season. And besides, he got to steal an Alkash ship as a new toy, and rescued damsel in distress Carter while he was at it. How cool was that for him?...

But the star of the show, and essentially the only character of the show, was Felger. From his talk of photon torpedoes, to his discussion with his mother on the phone, I really did connect with the poor guy, as I too know the doom and gloom of failure... and I too know what it's like to have a crush on a brilliant blonde, but I guess that's besides the point... Felger was also written some brilliant lines. He got to finally say what I've always wanted to say, that humility is simply another aspect of perfection... And I loved his line, that even Carter's mistakes are perfect, and I couldn't help but ball out while laughing when his little dialing program upload didn't make a dent in Baal's new virus... and by the way, I found Felger's idea of a Stargate virus to be quite ingenious, just like Sam did. I did find it odd however, the Baal could decypher and recode the virus in just a matter of hours... especially since I'm sure he wasn't on that planet... but still, details, details are unnecessary. Because I can't even begin to recall the number of times I laughed during this last hour of Stargate. From Felger's paper bag apprehension, to him just standing there as O'Neil called him Folger through the MALP, I loved almost every moment everyone's favourite geek was live on the air... I know some people felt the episode was not enough team based, or that it was mockery of women (since Felger was the star, while his assistant and Carter played backup). But I don't really have principles when it comes to comedy. I found this episode hilarious, and that's the bottom line. Because there's really nothing like a cup of sweet Folger in the morning... although, um, coming from a guy?... I guess that doesn't sound too good... but I would love to hear such a thing with my name replaced, when I finally get a couple trollops of my own..."

"And like I said, how could I possibly not love a show with claymores blowing up doors and crap like that?... which is probably why I normally love Stargate SG-1 so much, yet I couldn't really love this week's episode, Birthright... Now, I've already read some claims on the internet, that Jolene Blalock was far better in this episode than in any episode of Enterprise. Of course, I'd rather just say that all these Stargate fans have it in for Enterprise, which is still in my opinion the best Trek series since The Next Generation, but I digress... The thing was, Blalock as Ishtar or whatever her name was, really was no different to me than a Vulcan who's allowed to kiss. She barely showed emotion, she refused to use conjunctions, and hell - she was dressed in reasonably revealing alien clothing. How could I not consider her T'Pol then?... overall, her character was Klingon cliche. She has a duty, she is a warrior, and blah blah blah... I did love the look in her eyes when she realized all the men she had killed just may have been rebels at heart as well. Turns out her post-feminism methods may not have be as idealic as they once seemed, which to me would be a lesson to the whole world, but I digress... Overall though, Ishtar was just T'Pol with a pouch. But I must admit, she had good chemistry with Christopher Judge on screen... though I refuse to accept the fact that some lame-ass Jaffa can steal her away from everyone's favourite hick, Trip Tucker...

As for the rest of the cast? O'Neil wasn't in the episode much, but he had enough great lines to make him feel like he was part of the team again. His comments on the Amazonians capturing potential mates were some of his best in years, and I couldn't help but snicker and giggle when Teal'c was sure as hell keeping "in touch" with Ishtar before his very eyes... Carter didn't have many special moments in my opinion, though. But I know the internet will never forget her abruptness and discomfort when that other Jaffa woman talked about Sam's and Jack's "relationship" or some sort of respectful crap... Daniel Jackson had what I consider his best moments since the pilot episode of the season. Of course, it helped that I found the little sister cute, but still, even without the attraction, I will avidly and Candice candidly admit that Daniel was at his best talking to himself, so to speak... and even I had to blush when the girl's "affection" for Daniel and his glasses was exposed at the end... But the real star of the episode was of course the writer, Christopher Judge. Although I didn't agree that he had spoken more in the past day than he has in the past few years, I will admit that it was about time that someone on the show had a semi-workable relationship. And in the sparring match, he did somehow show that hint of embarrassment, that he's not the same warrior as he was before Tretonin. I don't know how I got that image in my head, but I'll attribute Teal'c's acting to that, nonetheless...

Overall, I did enjoy Birthright in its own right. But still, the plotline was just too straight-forward for my tastes, as most Jaffa episodes are... once again, it was about pride, and about being stronger than the rest, and about tradition... all of which I suffer through enough of at home... But the true strength of this episode lied in how every single character, Janet Frasier included, got a piece of the action with some very memorable moments. And although I still have too many open questions about Tretonin to fully enjoy the fact it exists (how many Goa'ulds do they have to kill to make Tretonin for one person? How do they get all the Goa'ulds? Can they ground dead ones, or must they be living? And isn't it wrong to use sentient creatures for medicine?), I will admit that the little girl at the end did look damn cute in the hospital clothing... I don't know why, but I've always been a sucker for a girl in loose hospital clothing... and for women blowing up crap with claymores, but I guess that's besides the point..."

"And, well... enough with the depressing Xbox stories. On with the depressing Stargate SG-1 news, which is simply put, Stargate is now put on hold. It's kaput... it's staying put... until December, at the very least... And while last year sauced up my lips with the cool promise of the Prometheus, I can't say that I'm feeling all rosy in anticipation for the second part of Evolution. Because simply put, Evolution didn't feel very evolutionary to me, in terms of Stargate storytelling at least... actually, I felt like the show had backtracked to the 80s. Sure, watching the new Anubis warrior take C4 to the crotch was entertaining (even though the blast should've at least knocked it over, considering it tore apart the damn ground it was walking on), but in the end, I just felt like the character was a bad rip off of the Predator, the Borg, and especially Darth Vadar as they were taking the mask off... and I also found it stupid in the end, that the team didn't bring more back-up, plan C ideas with them. They should've remembered that tranqs have barely any effect on normal Goa'ulds, let alone one in a genetically engineered body. So if they wanted to be smart, they should've either a) shot it in the head with a damn rocket launcher (which would knocked it over at least, no matter how much energy it absorbs), b) shot it with a huge damn harpoon (which would definitely send it flying... although a couple rail gun shots would do the trick even better), or c) just friggin' filled the trinium darts with poison or something, and if that didn't work, make the tips explode inside the armour as well (although that would've taken too much time to build in the labs)... or better yet, they should've tried capturing it in the ship with no oxygen in the first place. I mean, there's an oxymoron for you... or trying to use an energy shield on an energy absorbing creature? Now that's idiotic for you too...

But enough with the new threat for the season, although I will never stop complaining how the new army is even more of a cliche than everyone's favourite Anubis... On with the characters, whom I'm afraid, didn't get to do much in this episode... O'Neil was surprisingly annoying in this episode. Although I did love the look on his face when the claymores didn't work, why the hell was he so damn tactless in the minor Goa'uld's jail cell?... not to mention the fact that I guess the Goa'uld do use metal bars on occasion, but that's besides the point... Sam Carter got to try out her scientific skills again. But considering she had barely any family reaction to Jacob being there, I couldn't help but be disappointed in the end with her as well... Teal'c had one grand moment: the look on his face when he realized even he didn't kill the new Anubis warrior. But besides that? Was he even in the rest of the episode?... The only character to truly stand out in Evolution was Daniel. Although the fountain of youth idea felt a little farfetched in the end, even for Stargate somehow, I did enjoy how he got to a) finally speak another language than English, and b) spend some time with actual earth archaeology for once. The kidnapping thing was rather unexpected too, so I'll give kudos to the writer's there for making a new earth threat for once. My only problem with the Honduras scenes was that the temple getting flooded was a bit too Mummy Returns for my tastes, but I'll forgive the show for that, considering Daniel's idea of all water leading to the device was quite brilliant...

Overall, Evolution was not the pinnacle ascension of Stargate as the name would lead you to believe. It didn't leave me craving for more, except for more chances to yell at the screen at how damn stupid the SG teams were when taking on the new warrior (although if the armour is similar to Kevlar, why the hell wouldn't the Goa'uld at least get stunned after a few hundred rounds of bullets or something? I doubt the armour can absorb that much kinetic energy without getting chinked apart, piece by piece, but I digress...). But alas, I guess I won't (and can't) reserve final judgement of the show until the second part of the episode arrives. But for now, the only thing that matters... is that unlike Daniel in the temple waters, I won't be bothering to hold my breath in hope of something better..."

"But enough maniac, depressive stories for one day... because on Christmas morning, I got a sacred surprise that, thanks to the adverse advice of a certain friend of mine, I didn't think would come until the new year... Suffice to say, I was more than bewildered by the fact that SkyOne had aired Evolution Part 2 of Stargate SG-1, about an entire month before I expected Sci-fi to show the same episode. And short story short, I must say, that either because I've been starved of Stargate for too long, or either because anything on TV looks good compared to the crap Lord of the Rings series... I must admit, that I enjoyed Evolution Part 2 much more than I ever did the first half of the two-parter. The entire feel of the episode was a huge improvement, as I couldn't help but marvel at the fact that Darth Anubis was waltzing around a Goa'uld fortress that looked almost identical on the insides of the bloody hell Death Star... and even though the scenery and the villains were all cliche as hell, there's no denying that they both combined for one sure as hell, entertaining story. The sight of seeing thousands of Goa'uld super-warriors was just as impressive as any army in the Lord of the Rings series, and much more surprising as well. The idea of Anubis using memories stolen from Jonas Quinn against the universe was a haunting one, and definitely one that caught me by surprise as well. And I for one was actually left in suspense by the actions taken by Jacob and the others. While neither Teal'c, Bra'tac, nor Sam really got much to say or grow in this episode, they sure as hell made it interesting by making the Goa'uld threat seem intimidating again. Although I'll never understand why the new superwarriors don't at least stagger from an entire round of bullets, at least they don't fall over from getting hit by "nail-clippers", as it's said most Jaffa have done since the first episodes of the entire series...

The character development came in poise and prose for Jack and Daniel, as Jack was handed a very strange plotline about a Canadian friendly fire incident, and Daniel got to become desperate and almost animalistically volatile for the first time since he first ascended... Now, at first I was complaining about the Jack and Agent Burke plotline, as it completely didn't seem to match the theme or the mood of the rest of the episode. But over time, the two won me over with their animosity acting, and it did make sense in the end why Burke did what he did... I can't say that any of these war revelations felt new, considering this episode was simply a reversal of roles found for Jack in that episode with the Black Hole, but still... the banter between the two made walking through a jungle in a straight line an actually entertaining thing, something that I can't say the Lord of the Rings series has achieved in three entire, massive budget movies... And as for Daniel Jackson? I was curious as to what the Ancients device would do to Daniel and co. In term, we got a cliche undead guy, but we also got a Daniel Jackson that was desperate enough to even strike at Jack with a rock. Even though not much uttered from Daniel that was surprising considering the situation, somehow Daniel Shanks has this way of shifting his eyes that really do work wonders, no matter which way he's trying to act, no matter what lines he's given... Overall, I loved Evolution Part 2 for reasons that I probably will never understand, considering I hated Part 1. But I might as well guess that the strong acting, the cool special efforts, the Star Wars remake sets, the usage of mythology, and the threat of a real threat again in the Stargate universe, are reasons enough to claim this episode was one great episode... one episode to rule them all... until the next Prometheus episode at least..."

"... well... besides video games and the token Chinese lucky money, I got something else that I really wanted for Christmas: Stargate SG-1 DVD box-sets... and while I won't review them until the summer at least, I will admit that watching the good ol' days of Daniel being phase cloaked, and Jack and Teal'c being stuck in a time loop, really made me salivate for the next new episode of Stargate SG-1. Tuesday (or Wednesday for downloaders like me) just couldn't come fast enough... but was the long wait worth it? This week's episode was Grace, and truth be told, as a huge Star Trek fanatic, I've already watched the brief but memorable ship battle scene in the episode at least a half dozen times. But obviously, the Prometheus wasn't the focus of the episode. It was Carter. And while the strange and artsy (yet erotic?) cuts in this episode did seem to affect Amanda Tapping's acting somewhat, I will admit that Grace was probably her best episode of the year... The whole idea of the nebula somehow manifesting Sam's subconscious has been done on Trek dozens of times before, but I love it every time it happens, simply because you finally get some truths out of the characters. Each character revealed was simply a manifestation of a part of her psyche. Teal'c was overcautious, like her military presence. Daniel was over ambitious, like her scientific nature. And Jack was, well? The part of her that makes her happy, I guess... and Grace was both a manifestation of her inner child, and ironically enough the part of her mind that knew how to get out of the living nebula... And as for her father? The thing is, I personally believe that a man and woman can't be happy without finding love. But thanks to all those goddam feminism lectures I got back in high school English, it just felt weird and uncomfortable, and almost seemingly backwards, to hear Jacob so directly tell Sam that she can't be happy without finding a man to love... I loved the reference to Sam's mother though. I had forgotten all about her, and the reaction on Amanda Tapping's face to the reminder of the past was quite priceless, and definitely the highlight of the episode, more so than her big safety net revelation was... Unfortunately, the rest of the episode wasn't as endearing. Most of it was simply Captain's Starlogs (aka overvoices) with Sam doing almost nothing but collapse in the background. That did make for many boring parts, but I guess it was all worth it when she called her superior as "Jack" at the end. This element was definitely missing from both seasons 5 and 6, and definitely needed to be explored again after the woeful abandonment of the issue in season 4...

As for the rest of the cast? Teal'c had a great line about Jack being a little brother, that made me laugh out loud. Daniel didn't get to do much for his real persona, but I did like how annoying he was as a manifestation. And Jack himself didn't do much except seem concerned, though his subtlety did work better in my opinion than Sam's outright bitchiness in last year's Lost Paradise... Plot wise, I loved the Prometheus, and I'm surprised that the Tok'ra haven't offered to build a Hyperdrive engine for it yet or something, considering they could use the ship to transport their people to a safe world off of the Goa'uld map. And the alien ship, while definitely looking like a Romulan Warbird cop out, did have its moments, and did look somewhat similar to the ships that the Replicators were flying in last year's Unnatural Selection... The Nebula itself remained a nice mystery, as even I'm not sure whether Grace was an extension of Sam or simply the Nebula talking to Sam. All I know is, I liked this episode a hell of a lot from just a few seconds of the Prometheus' Asgard shields getting pounded by an unknown enemy.... I guess I like Star Trek references a little too much... if only they could've named the Prometheus as "Enterprise" as Jack wanted... if only..."

"I guess that's the only problem with season 7 of Stargate so far... while I've enjoyed each episode individually for the season, none of them (except for maybe the two parter season opener) have compelled me to watch the episodes a second time around. The same is true for this week's episode of Fall-out, even though I've been frothing over the return of Jonas Quinn for quite some time now (if that sounds good, coming from a guy...). Now, technically, the episode was a bunch of fun to watch, despite all the references to that awful movie, The Core. But despite the return of Jonas Quinn, something just didn't click for me in this episode... Once again, Jack was basically missing from the episode. Sure, his solution to the negotiations was tactful, but it was so quick, so abrupt, and so out of nowhere that it really felt like it had been tacked onto the show rather than being tactfully thought out... Teal'c didn't get to do much. But he's already had so many episodes based on him lately, that it's alright if he simply played the bodyguard in the tunneler thingy... And while it was nice to see Daniel doing the negotiating thing again, I really do miss the days that he did "real" archaeological work. Rewatching episodes like Torment of Tantalus reminded me of how damn interesting Stargate mythology used to be before the Furlings were never mentioned again and the Asgard seemed to disappear except when they needed our help... Samantha Carter was the only SG-1 member who shone out in this episode. It was kind of annoying how she seemed to know everything about muons or whatever in her Kelowna talk, but I did enjoy that smirk she gave to Jonas, when she obviously knew what was going on between Jonas and the scientist she had just met... And Jonas himself? It was one of his better episodes, that's for sure, and besides his awful Kelownan fashion sense, I kinda did connect to him on some level in Fall-out... I mean, I loved his awkward reaction to Sam's relationship talk, and he did seem like he cared about Kianna. And I also enjoyed his refusal to believe Carter at first when she was warning him about the Goa'uld design (although how the hell can Goa'uld crystal engineering be applied to goddam 40s mechanical engineering?)... I just wish the episode had given him a better entrance and send-off, that's all. There was no mention of Jack warming up to him, and besides the small Daniel moment about missing the action at the end of the episode, Jonas didn't even get a farewell... I just hope we see his character next season at least a couple more times, now that a season 8 has been announced.

And Kianna? I abhorred her Langarian fashion sense too, but she definitely got my attention when she went skimpy down the Tok'ra tunnel lane... I found her character interesting, actually. I've always wondered what a Spike-like redemptionist plot would've been like on Stargate, where perhaps a Goa'uld could become an ally of earth or something. Kianna was the first step towards that, as her own desire for the naquadria and her attraction to Jonas actually made her human enough to save her host in the end... I also liked the innocent look on her face when she was spouting all that subatomic particle crap, pretending like she's stupider than Carter at that stuff... What I did not like however, was that the Kelownans somehow had built a damn tunneling vessel that would make even the greatest engineers on earth green with envy. That thing was a massive monster of a beast, and far beyond whatever tech we had in the 40s or 50s like the Kelownans have. I know it was made with Kianna's help, but honestly - how the hell did the Kelownans build the thing? How the hell did they get the plans to titanium alloy, unless Jonas memorized them here on earth? And what the hell was up with the computers inside? Sure, the typewriter interfaces were funny, but the damn monitor screens were better than what we had in the frickin' 80s! And SHIELDS? The damn thing has shields?! How the hell did that happen?!... but unbridled jealousy aside, the tunneler thingy did look cool in the huge panning screenshot they did, especially since it reminded me so much of my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle days... and while the core plotline itself was boring (no pun intended), as the only excitement that happened was the machine raising "shields" in an invisible magma river... I must admit that the tenuous relationship between Jonas and Kianna the Goa'uld made this episode quite a decent classic in the end. I liked the idea that he fell in love with Kianna as a Goa'uld... it brings to light a lot of issues that have been avoided on Stargate, but that Buffy brought to life - that sometimes, even the most cliche of evils can light a little hope... Fall-out sort of fell out of place on my list of favourites. It just didn't have the replay value that most Stargate episodes have... but it certainly did have a nice, familiar ring of a theme to it..."

And I never truly could swallow down the cold pill of a hard turkey truth, that I had to give the best episode of the week award to Smallville last Thursday. So with the greatest of pride, I shall now bestow the Best Episode of the Week award to Chimera, this week's episode of Stargate SG-1... Now, I admit the episode certainly had its boring parts, which mainly had to do with Samantha Carter. I mean, I know as a guy, I can't really complain about all the beautiful cleavage she was showing off. I mean, for once she looked like a woman! And I don't mean that in a derogatory way or anything. It was just weird, that's all. The scenes with the geriatric ball and stuff just didn't feel like Stargate, yet the episode still felt like a whole... I personally preferred Carter in Chimera over her performance in Grace, simply because it was kind of neat to see her happy for once about something other than quarks. I wasn't exactly a fan of her high heels, but for a while there, I was as speechless as Pete when she first opened the door. I also thought the little lines in this episode were great - I still snicker every time she tells Pete not to look at the alphabetized bookshelf... In the end, though? Although I did find Pete to have a surprising amount of chemistry with Sam, it still didn't really justify how damn forgiving she was to him in the end. I mean, believe me - I know what it's like to be an obsessed stalker, so I obviously don't find it a negative trait in Pete very much... But Sam sure as hell should've, from my experiences at least. Maybe she was just being fair - she couldn't trust him with the truth, so it was only natural and understandable that he wouldn't trust her. But still... she didn't even bitch slap him at the end of the episode or something!... maybe she was just happy that one of her boyfriends didn't die for once right away, as she "joked" about at the start of the episode...

But there's a specific reason why I enjoyed Chimera so much. Just like with The Tok'ra (Part 2) and Prodigy, I just seem to have a thing for episodes where someone on the outside realizes the truth about the Stargate program. And I can't put a finger on why, but I just can't help rewatching over and over again, the reaction on Pete's face when he sees a Zat gun fired for the first time... And he just looked so constipated when his bullets couldn't penetrate Osiris' shield, that it somehow made me feel not so constipated for the rest of the damn day... And as for Osiris? Sure, in the end, she didn't put up much a fight. She got tranqed, and then she got de-Goa'ulded just a little too damn easily. But that doesn't change the fact that the dreamy Sarah brought out the absolute best lines in Daniel since season 7's season opener. I mean, I still laugh whenever he says "what a waste of time" to Sarah's flattery of reading his work. And I've got to remember the pick up line, "you must've failed", anytime some hot girl ever references some of my work on my websites (not like that'll ever happen in the lifetime of this universe, mind you)... Anna Louise Plowman was absolutely adorably sweet at Sarah, especially with her "cup of tea" comment, and yet she seemed so damn evil at the same time. You could always tell she was doing what women do best - faking it... and at the end of the episode, it almost looked like Osiris wasn't completely gone, as Sarah looked far more soap opera evilish than she was depressed... And back to Daniel? I simply loved the way Michael Shanks played a half-season-2 Daniel again in his dimwitted stutters and his noticeably modern hair. And he had possibly his best moment with Teal'c all season, when he slapped his hands for no apparent reason, just to call the Jaffa a new Dr. Freud... Teal'c didn't have much to do this episode, and I didn't like how easily he was able to guess that Osiris was messing with Daniel's mind. But how can I possibly not love an episode where the poor Teal'c seemed so rejected when Jack didn't want any donuts?... And Jack O'Neill himself? He was perhaps the best reason why this episode was the best episode of the week for me. It was painful to see him so noticeably missing in so many scenes, but for once, he truly, absolutely shined like the Jack of all trades, in every single scene he was in. I loved his banter with Daniel, asking him if he was sound asleep. I loved his chemistry with Teal'c, if only because of the donuts. And his conversation with Carter in the elevator was absolutely the best Stargate dialogue since Homecoming. The Stargate theme song humming had me balling in laughter, and the quickness of all their "quarky" dialogue brought back the fondest memories of the great script writing of the past... These scenes alone made me watch the episode already a half dozen times fold. It's the witty banter between characters that makes Stargate what it is. Why do the writers so often forget that?..."

"As for Stargate this week? Death Knell felt like a budget episode, and in that sense, it wasn't the best of times, nor the worst of times. In the end, it was a General Hammond and Jacob Carter episode, with barely any of the close friendship stuff between them that made The Tok'ra of season 2 so interesting to watch (although the plotline in Part 1 back then royally did suck). Now, ol' George did seem like the man in charge by interrogating his allies seemingly without remorse, and he certainly did portray a strong sense of trust with Jacob (unlike the Tok'ra)... but just like in Disclosure, Hammond was a one dimensional character, playing a general on screen and that's about it. Older episodes like Children of the Gods and Crystal Skill showed a general that was both in charge and a softie in the belly... in more than one teddy bearesque way... And speaking of teddy bears? Jacob Carter (the teddy bear, as he called himself long ago) did have his share of moments, especially the one where he confronts his fellow Tok'ra about being out of the loop. It was a long time coming, but the truth from the Tok'ra finally has come out. Except for ol' Marty, Anise, and Jacob it seems, the Tok'ra just don't look at humans very fondly. They still see us as "hosts", as indicated by the Tok'ra's spiteful way of talking to Jacob instead of Selmak. And they don't trust Jacob, why exactly? Because we're free? Because we're becoming powerful enough to become a threat?... the Tok'ra have continually become more and more arrogant over the years since season 4 of Stargate. And last year, I thought it was for no reason. But that was truly the strength of Death Knell - it gathered all the unnecessary evilness in the Tok'ra for the past three years, and actually gave them a purpose to be distrustful... The Tok'ra-Tau'ri-Jaffa alliance is now at least on hold. And while the meetings around the round table weren't exactly stellar television, Jacob Carter telling off both the Tok'ra and the Jaffa leader sure as hell were... While the episode itself wasn't the greatest, the future possibilities are. Personally speaking, humanity has become a little too powerful in the galaxy, more so than most System Lords, thanks to the help of the Tok'ra. But without their help (and without the help of the Asgard, who have disappeared from television yet again)? Season 8 might be quite interesting then, because perhaps it would be nice to see a return to the show's season 1 and 2 roots, when humanity seemed alone in their fight against the universe (and getting their asses kicked most of the time as well).

As for the B-plot of the story it seems (the Anubis Drone army crap), I can't really comment much because barely any lines were uttered. I feel sorry for the Supersoldier though - it's strong enough to survive grenade shrapnel without any trouble, but now it gets taken down by just a couple shots from a modified TER? And what's with the Drone stupidity? It can shoot down a UAV without any problems, but somehow misses Carter every shot when she's just sitting there like a duck by the water? Talk about double vision here or some crap like that... And as for the main cast, rounding down the list... Carter didn't get to say much. I just wish her missile made contact with the Drone. I mean, of course it could survive the following explosion since the shot never really hit. But if only the missile hit its leg? Let's see if it could hop around on one foot while chasing around Carter without any intelligence... Daniel surprisingly was in the episode quite a lot, considering Michael Shanks' prior arrangements (goddammit, bring Lexa Doig to the show next year as the Stargate's android avatar!). He didn't have many lines, but I loved his Jack like outburst at the end of the show, basically telling the Tok'ra and Jaffa just how stupid they are... Teal'c got to fire a grenade launcher, and pretty damn badly if you ask me. He should've carried around a bazooka or something - at least he would've got to raise his eyebrow before he fired, to look cool and suave or some crap like that.... And Jack? It was nice how Sam got to rest on his shoulder, reminding me of their sort of innocent friendship days before all their lovey dovy crap came out in season four. But besides that? Jack did nothing. The whole cast did nothing. Death Knell was a Hammond and Jacob episode all the way through... and although I wish Death Knell could've kept my Stargate love going as much as Grace and Chimera did for me, I will still gladly admit that it was still a good episode, if only because it definitely sounded the knell for future repercussions..."

"Stargate had a pretty damn good episode this week... Hell, every show (except for Smallville of course... some things never change...) had a pretty damn good episode this week.

But still, while this week's episode of Stargate, Heroes - Part 1, was definitely one of the highlights of the season, it simply wasn't the "best episode of all time" sort of stuff that a lot of people seem to be saying on the Stargate forums. The thing is, Heroes may have been lacking in the plotline department, but I definitely can see where all the Heroes worshippers are coming from when it comes to script writing. Literally every single character in this episode had some spectacular lines to say, no matter how useless their personalities normally are to the show... or actually, because of it... Take Gary Jones for example, who plays Sergeant Siler I believe. Although I definitely would've found the speech about his job a hell of a lot funnier if I didn't already hear him say it on the Stargate season DVDs, I still crack up every single damn time he simply shrugs his shoulders and admits, "that's about it"... This was at least the best Siler moment since he was given his fake name of "Walter" in 2010, and probably the best damn Gary Jones moment in the history of Stargate. And even his fellow gate technician guys got into the action! I forget his name, but whoever that tech guy is that got shot by Teal'c and his staff weapon, had me laughing out loud every single damn time I see him fly across the room, just mere milliseconds after he tells Teal'c "big guy" to stay clear of his face... And the rest of the underutilized cast all got brilliant moments to shine as well. Once again, Hammond played the one-dimensional general, but he truly shined in his talk downs to Bregman, as he truly did show some real concern for his soldiers in the line of duty. And Janet Frasier? Quite honestly, she had her best moment this episode since at least Frozen last year, if not the episode in fifth season where Cassie was evolving into some type of super Goa'uld host... I agree with Bregman: Frasier showed great poise in front of the camera, and if you ask me, her glowing smile definitely caught my attention as well. I loved her rounding-off of all the things that Jack O'Neill has been through over the past seven years (I loved the Hathor mention, but where was the Baal sarcophagus incident?), and to be honest, her chemistry with Mr. Saul of sitcom Frasier fame (connection?... perhaps...) was undeniably peachy. I loved Mr. Bregman's grace under pressure, and believe me - if I were him, I would've found Janet Frasier's coy mention of her daughter from another planet, as being a flirtation back of some sorts... don't ask me why, but her timing was perfect. Too bad the poor reporter cracked under pressure yet again, succumbing to his Gulf War traits more than his genetics... first impressions are always last chances, I always do say...

Anyhew, I personally loved every character this episode, as the premise of being interviewed for the sake of the president, really gave them all a chance to shine in front of the camera (in front of another camera), in terms of the comedic and acting departments. Because finally, Jack O'Neill had an episode where not only was he actually on screen most of the time, but he had a reason not to be as well! Is it me, or does Richard Dean Anderson only seem to show himself off in two-parters this season, because he was probably in Heroes, the season openers, and Evolution more than he has been in all the rest of the episodes combined. I loved his comments to Bregman, especially the one about getting shots of his ass (don't ask why...). I loved the mention of cake in reference to the 1000th mission through the Stargate... I loved the running joke about the memo thing (not only was it a running joke for the episode, but of past seasons as well, along with the cake thing). And although the joke did wear thin, it was nice how Jack finally got to tell Senator Kinsey off, though I've got a feeling that Kinsey will soon be Jack's superior in the grand scheme of things... Teal'c didn't get to say much this episode, but his interview has hilarious because of it! I loved the moment where he just walks off the set, and although he didn't get to say much with Carter later on, I somehow found everything he did say to be fascinating. About Goa'uld probes being a copy of ours and whatever... although I think that's all he said... And Daniel? Dammit, I gotta try that when reporters are chasing after me! If reporters ever do end up chasing me... His reason for running through the halls was simply fantastic, and one of his best lines since Homecoming. And I loved the fact that Daniel got to be a geek again! "It's fascinating" was purely season 1 and 2 Daniel Jackson all the way, and I also loved the look on his face when he was telling Carter what Bregman said about his video shots. When Carter couldn't argue against the "boring" comments, poor Daniel just changed the subject... And Carter herself? I loved how nervous she looked in her first interview. Her "hi" wasn't just very subtle, but one of her cutest moments in years. And I loved the expression on her face when the camera team asked to get a shot of the Stargate spinning. Her "cool" reaction was right on spot... and I agree - the steam coming out is too cool!... And in her third interview? I still laugh whenever she gulps at the end of her line of O'Neill questioning. I liked how she sang Jack's praises, yet shifted her eyes when the interview turned to more personal matters... And honestly, Heroes was a great episode in terms of writing and execution. Almost every line was golden, and literally every character had an exciting story to tell. My only complaint was that there was a real lack of action of plot development in this episode, and even then, we still got a great fight against an Goa'uld Imperial Drone (I love grenade launchers...) and some great conversations between a team that wasn't SG-1 for once (SG-13 sounded like a pure WW2 group, with the bets and the talk about children and all... big props to Adam Baldwin for being a better commander than Major Pierce or Makepeace ever were... but where's Ferreti, dammit? I miss Kawalsky...).

And yet despite all my own personal ravings and rantings, and singings of praises for Stargate this week, it still couldn't muster away the top episode of the week award from a certain other show this week... "

"Well... this sure as hell is one belated Y2kk no-name week in review... Of course, I have excuses and the usual alibis, besides the fact that my non-existent dog ate my non-existent homework. I mean, I've been puking, fooking, fucking sick for the past entire week. Plus, I had a mid-term and a test to bloody hell put myself through, but still... even though my counter at the bottom of this page absolutely proves that nobody ever reads what I goddam write on this website (unless you count five hits a day, four of them mine, as people reading what I write...), I still somehow feel so damn barren and hollow inside, as if I've let the entire damn world down when I don't update this website...

Wow... I must have quite an imagination... especially when I'm delusionally sick...

And unfortunately for me, the television last week wasn't exactly the most stellar of episodes either, at least in terms of the February ratings they were meant to produce. Probably the only episode to truly stand above the rest was Stargate's Heroes, Part 2. I mean, in a sense, the episode was a bit too morbid and far too lacking in any sort of comic relief to be considered a favourite of mine. But obviously, there were reasons for the case - Janet Frasier did die, afterall... and the last thing you'd want in an episode where a beloved character dies forever, is Jack O'Neill yuking it up with Yoko Ono in the background... But still, while Heroes Part 2 did have an impact on me, I must admit that television rarely ever really strikes a true chord in me, and the pattern held true on Stargate last week. While the episode was a great send-off for the character of Janet Frasier, it didn't really feel like a great going away present for the actress. I mean, Teryl Rothery was barely in the episode. For the scene that she was killed out of nowhere though, I will admit that I was feeling a bit of apprehension... Since I knew Jack wouldn't be the one to die since it would've been a big deal ala Michael Shank's departure, I realized that Janet's absence from the episode definitely meant that she didn't make it... So yeah, I was feeling nervous when the video went on showing her death, and I was shaken up when she died so suddenly and so randomly in the midst of war. I give huge props to the writers here, for invoking a reaction out of me... But as for the rest of the episode? I don't know. I guess I just don't really care about episodes that try to be so damn serious. I loved the acting on everyone's part, as Sam crying in the hallways was far more powerful to me than her tears after Daniel Jackson died. I felt that Teal'c's silence was more than just oddly appropriate this episode, and a nice juxtaposition to his silence in his interview just a week ago. And Daniel Jackson himself? Considering I've always thought he'd eventually get together with Dr. Frasier, it was no wonder that he was the true star of the show when it came to grieving. His scene in the room where he died was simply masterful, from its brilliant use of shadows to simply the way Daniel remembered what it was like to die, and what he owed Janet for trying...

But alas, as great as the episode definitely seemed on paper, it just didn't have the power and conviction to win over an unwinnable guy like me. I found Janet's memorial to be clever with the list of names she saved, but not really moving. The video at the end with all the soldiers was appropriate, but somehow just felt old since I've seen so many of those videos in my life. And the naming of the child as Janet at the end of the episode was once again spot on, yet once again cliche... Sad to say, probably the only parts of the episode that I really did like had to do with the journalist, Dr. Bregman, himself. I mean, his first speech in the hallway was just painful to bare, as his talk about a Stalinist regime when it comes to freedom of the press was just going too far and too over the top (he had no concern for human life or feelings whatsoever... which was sort of the point...). But he definitely redeemed himself in absolutely the best damn scene of the year perhaps, when he was discussing the Vietnam war photo with Daniel Jackson. I agreed with Bregman - he definitely made his case... A picture of a man slaughtered can also be a picture of a man saving a life. And that's what made Jackson's scene by his deathbed so damn powerful - because he realized that on the tape, was everything that Janet was. She died saving a life. She died saving a father. And yes, that was powerful, and definitely meant a lot in terms of all the war crap politics going around today in real life... A lot of forum goers seemed to think that Robert Picardo's interrogation character was useless this episode, but they have to also realize that he was there as sort of an image of us. Whenever we talk of war, we talk of numbers and dollars and politics and crap like that. If the Goa'uld were real, we'd have rallies all over damn North America to wage peace, not war with them... But in this modern age of techno-information, we've forgotten about the actual soldiers themselves in the war. We've forgotten what they go through, and rather just concentrate on whether they should be going through it or not... We always concentrate on right and wrong, good or bad, and no longer on what the actual soldier is going through. There is a difference, and in that sense, Heroes Part 2 was a brilliant social commentary... but alas, I just don't like politics enough to love this episode the way it was meant to be loved. It's sad to say, but the only scene I watched over and over again, was the sight of Jack O'Neill taking a staff blast straight to the gut. I didn't even care about his hugging with Sam near the end - I guess I still don't really care about the soldiers involved in war, just their actions... In a way, I feel guilty that I don't. Tomorrow, I'll still talk about war as if it were a game of chess. But for this past week, I've felt a bit guilty about talking about it like it was a game... So maybe Heroes, Part 2 did succeed a bit at something..."

"Moving onto Stargate... The thing is, I was expecting quite a lot from Resurrection this week, considering it was a Michael Shanks written episode. The thing is, the writing process sure is a funny one, because if memory serves me right, his initial story had to do more with his grandfather and the fountain of life device in Evolution, then it ever did with an NID cloning experiment? I mean, how does a story that sounds like it gives the viewer exactly what they want to see (character returns and neato mythology) that has nothing to do with the NID, suddenly turn into a story completely about the NID?... I don't know. All I know, is that the script for the story was adequate, but nowhere close to whatever I was hoping for. And the directing? Well, I realize that Amanda Tapping did a good job in handling all the characters. But unlike cast director jobs in Star Trek, the feel for Resurrection was exactly the same as any other episode - the new director behind the helm didn't seem to shake anything up. But I will still give credit where credit is due... Resurrection was a decent episode with some decent moments. Probably the best was the look on Sam's face when Agent Barrett asked her out. Probably the second best moment was when Teal'c was being offered a high five from defusing the bomb... But besides that? I don't know. This episode reminded me of Menace in the sense that, while I don't like this episode now, I might like it in the future. I didn't like season five's Menace the first two times I watched it, because while Daniel is definitely in his element when he's trying to help a seemingly innocent girl, it's not particularly something I want to see on screen. It just feels predictable and one dimensional in that sense... And the problem with Resurrection is, while Menace had at least Jack in it to press the other side of the story, Resurrection was left lopsided with just Daniel in the mix. But still, given what he was written, Danny did a hell of a job. He may not have had any chemistry with Anna, but I did love all the references to the Harseisis child and his own forgotten memories. He may not have connected with the girl, but he did relate to her... Carter got to just say a lot of lines and wear some cool civies clothes. I probably would've found more meaning in her character this week if Dr. Keffler wasn't such a cliche, Dr. Evil kind of guy. He made me roll my eyes at just how dumbass he was acting, the likes of which you don't expect outside of a James Bond satire. And Teal'c? Well, he got to wear a hat. But besides that, he was there as much as Jack was, pretty much... Now, I was sort of wondering how the end of the episode would work, wondering whether the Sekmet part of Anna would come out or not. But the ending left me unsatisfied, as Anna seemed to kill herself far too quickly for a proper resolution, and Sekmet really never showed up (well, sort of...). Plus, it really annoyed me how an unarmed girl with no Goa'uld strength could overpower Daniel and two red shirt, NID guards, but I digress... I wanted to like this episode. But it's hard to like NID episodes when the episode was never meant to be about the NID..."

"Anyhew, since I have two mid-terms coming this week and I've barely even studied for either of them yet, I might as well get cracking... First up on the list is the Stargate SG-1 episode of the week, Inauguration... Now, obviously a clip show wouldn't make it to be my personal favourite episode of the week, but at least I can say this: the episode was definitely (or at least close to) the best clip show I've ever seen... Politics from Stargate's first season had good acting, but Senator Kinsey was so annoyingly evil and obnoxious that I just couldn't care for the episode. And while I did enjoy last season's Disclosure, I didn't really feel the acting was on par with what it should've been... But while Inauguration was technically a clip show, it definitely didn't feel like one. The acting was superb all around, as the episode kicked off to a great start, with the new President taking a moment on the White House rug that certainly I'd imagine George Dubya Bush rubbing in as well... With strong acting performances from Robert Picardo (who redeemed himself for being the tight ass that he was in Heroes) and the guy who played General Francis-whatever, I actually felt the episode wasn't a budget show - but rather an episode from a different point of view... Senator Kinsey actually was somewhat likable this episode, as he wasn't screaming and kicking to be heard constantly (except for his painful allegations that Sam and Jack have feelings for each other... yeah, right - like that's actually the case...), and I almost felt sorry for him actually. Afterall, it makes sense - it seems he promised the rouge NID control over the Stargate in exchange for his life... General Hammond didn't do much this episode, but he definitely had that same kind of poise and conviction that made him a true star in Heroes. And I loved the return of the disk from fourth season's Chain Reaction - it'll be interesting how the president uses it to keep Kinsey in line... But the real star of the episode was definitely the new president. He was both thoughtful, and a bit nervous on his first days on the job. He did some brilliant comedy work with all the people following him near the start, and he definitely showed some character wisdom when he confirmed that he was voted to lead America, not the Galaxy. And he even brought up some genius points as well - he was right when he conjectured that we can only hope the rouge NID are only in it for the money, and not necessarily for the power... Overall, obviously as a clip show, I can't say Inauguration was one of the greatest stories ever told. But it definitely was a good story in its own right, and will hopefully inaugurate a string of great episodes that will finish off Stargate's seventh (and possibly second last) episode with a really big bang."

"Well, this sure as hell has been a crapper of a week... I mean, half of its crappiness I expected, and ranted, and rhetoricked about for weeks before on end. But the other half of it? Honestly, I thought everything was going fine for me this week. And that's the thing... I'll save the details for my download site this weekend, but it's just bugging me so goddam much to this day... that everything I thought was perfectly fine, ended up going horribly wrong for me in the end. As if I was goddam cursed by goddam watching Charmed or some horrible show like that, it just so happens that as soon as things started looking bright for me - as soon as I started gaining back my confidence? - I got bitch slapped back down to earth by some horrible misforgivings that are definitely going to take a hell of a long time to forget... if I can ever forget... lest I ever can forget... and the sad thing is, for once, I don't really believe that the new crosses I now bare are my own fault...

Luckily for me though, amidst absolutely the most horrid, atrocious week I've had in months, television was simply at its best for the first week of March. For any other week, Stargate SG-1's "The Lost City - Part 1" would've been absolutely, undeniably declared my favourite episode of the week. I mean, sure it had its slow spots, but the episode was really that damn good as a donut of a whole... The Fifth Race still stands today as my favourite Stargate episode of all time, and one of my favourite shows of all time, period (but nothing can beat "Best of Both Worlds"... but I digress...). And The Lost City is already shaping up to be an epic, direct sequel to the story, as right off the bat, the episode had me at hello... It was a bit aggravating at first at just how damn weirdly or "derentous" Jack O'Neill was acting at the start of the episode. He even showed disrespect to General Hammond after being late, which I hope a reason will be revealed as to why later on (unless Frasier's death is still rattling him up)... But either way, I still enjoyed the start of the episode, simply thanks to two great, three letter words: crossword puzzle... Well, okay, so maybe my filling-in-the-blanks is about as accurate as Jack's brilliant "fat" for the atomic weight of Boron (which is 10.8, might I add). But honestly, The Lost City truly shined in the sense that the little nuances of comedy were all there in full frontal force. I loved the "up, down, charmed, strange" quirky kind of quark joke. I loved the fact that Jack wasn't allowed to ask anyone for help on the crossword puzzle, yet he even asked the airman in the elevator for consultation... And I loved the entire scene in Jack's house, mostly thanks to some brilliant comedy. Although I sort of wish this episode had the kind of Jack and Daniel banter found in Abyss and Full Circle last year, it made up for it with Teal'c's obsession with donuts, Daniel getting drunk on Guinness, and Jack finally revealing what we've all known along: Mr. Burns is a cover up conspiracy for the Goa'uld!... but the scene wasn't just one of my favourites of the whole season for its comedy alone. I loved the look on drunk Daniel's face when Jack mentioned dying, but no-one had the guts to say anything about it... I loved the awkward chemistry going on between Jack and Sam before the other guys arrived on the scene (great timing, guys...). She finally asked about Jack's wife, Sara, and it was painfully obvious through her glowing skin that even saving the world wasn't worth losing Jack in her eyes... And goddammit, I can't believe how funny the damn 'unfunny stories' were! I've watched the Lost City three times already, and each and every time, I crack up at the team's lame excuses for showing up at Jack's door... The awkward friendliness in those few scenes truly stand today as some of the best camera work ever filmed for Stargate. And already, even before part 2 airs, I'm loving this year's season finale much more than I ever did last year's. The only finale that can match it, is probably the first season's Goa'uld invasion one (although I loved Nemesis as well...).

Because so much was happening in this episode that it really, really, ridiculously feels like a majestic series finale (which it was originally)... The new President Hayes made a comeback, and truly showed off his acting strut in his scenes with Dr. Elizabeth Weird (umm... I mean, Weir...) and General Hammond... First of all, I'll get off my chest that Kinsey was annoying this episode, especially when he changed his story over the whole Anubis invasion thing, but I guess that was the point. But probably Kinsey's strongest moment was in the car at the start with Elizabeth Weir, because he actually looked satisfied for once instead of just threatening and complaining around. I loved the "this is not a joke" signed letter from the President - the timing was perfect with Weir's reaction... And Elizabeth Weir herself? The short blonde hair did make her seem like a Carter clone at times (wasn't she offered the Carter role a long time back?), and I didn't really think Jessica acted well when she was trying to be all shocked about the Stargate problem and all. But she did show a kind of gentle kindness and poise when she first met Daniel that really showed off the potential of her character... Finally, we have a fool who thinks she can negotiate with the Goa'uld! Her naivete was a refreshing return from the Daniel Jackson of old, and the chemistry between the two characters was undeniable as soon as they started labeling each other as "people like you"... I liked the references to America's "Manifest Destiny" and all the stuff I forget about when I turn on the television. And I also liked how innocent she seemed - I mean, just the way she'd swing her head around, pretending like she knew what was going on but really didn't, was probably the best feeling since Jonas' cocky newbieness in last season's Redemption... And I liked the idea of the writers letting Don Davis bow out of his role gracefully, while raising the stakes pretty damn high by putting civilians in charge of the SGC. Although I doubt this new government branch thingy will last long after Anubis attacks and the president sees what he's up against (and maybe Kinsey change his mind as well... or on second thought, nevermind...), but just the look in Bra'tac's eyes when he wouldn't even shake Weir's hand was worth the price of admission alone... Too bad General Hammond never got a scene with Weir though. Because he's really been on a role of a roll as of late, starting with Heroes and cumulating with his brilliant "a lot of hair ago" comment to the president. It was weird seeing the ol' Homer clone calling someone a "sir" to their face for once, but he really did seem to show respect for the new president in a way that felt real. And he really did seem sad but respectful when he arrived at Jack's house to tell him he's been relieved of command... I'm going to miss Don Davis. General Hammond was probably the most lovable teddy bear of a general ever, and I just hope he goes out with a bang in The Lost City - Part 2... without actually going up in a bang, mind you...

The Lost City was great on so many levels, thanks to all the special effects and all the great performances by the actors. Jack peeved me at first with all his up, down, charmed, and strangely inappropriate comments... But when it came time to saving his team? he became the serious Jack of old, and "did it again" by taking in the Ancient's knowledge... I loved the moment where he shoved Daniel aside to save his life. Hell, I loved the entire battle sequence, especially the chill that came down my spine when Reynolds ordered a constant radio signal to keep the Stargate open (finally, a team doesn't look openly stupid while guarding the gate!). Probably the only problem with the battle scene was that a) the Goa'uld were goddam stupid, shooting the ground for no reason whatsoever a mile away from SG-1, and b) the SG teams were pretty dumb themselves, using machine guns to try to take down Alkeshs when they really should've brought a Naquada or mini-nuke missile or some crap like that... But still, the battle was amazing to see, simply because of the stunning composition of music and atmosphere. And hell, the atmosphere of the entire episode was incredible, in large part due to the acting, and also in part thanks to some great nostalgia ("Derentous? What is that?!")... I've already mentioned Carter's and Jack's contributions. I loved their chemistry with the crossword puzzle bet, and I loved their inability to admit anything to each other back at Jack's place... I loved how "deep" Teal'c was, and Daniel really showed some poise, conviction, and open mindedness when talking to Weir and introducing her to Bra'tac... If there was any flaw in this episode, it was that it didn't end on the greatest of notse. Instead of simply seeing Teal'c and Jack hug, perhaps the episode should've left off with the shot of Anubis' fleet in space?... I don't know. Either way, the dialog in the episode was what made it great, and as I said, if The Lost City - Part 1 had aired on any other week, it would've been a classic shoe in to be the classic, best IvanFian episode of the week..."

"But if there was any single light shining in my horrible past two weeks, it was the season finale of Stargate SG-1's seventh season... I admit that some of the episodes this season have been hit or miss, with most of them lacking the rewatch value of the previous seasons. But goddammit, I've already watched The Lost City Part 2 a dozen times by now, and goddammit, I still haven't gotten bored of this episode! It seriously ranks up there with Angel's Damage and Enterprise's Azati Prime as the best damn episode of any show for the entire year. And dammit, it even ranks up there with Within the Serpent's Grasp, The Serpent's Lair, and The Fifth Race as one of the best damn Stargate episodes of all time!... First of all, let me get off of my chest that the SG-1 crossword puzzle has turned into one of the best damn Stargate gags since Teal'c was driving golf balls through a wormhole in Window of Opportunity. I thought it was brilliant how Jack wrote the name of the planet in the crossword puzzle without even knowing it... and I especially thought it was brilliant how he wrote "Uma Thurman" as a celestial body... The episode didn't have much humour after that I suppose, but I still laugh out loud everytime Jack rips off Daniel's "At" symbol from his uniform, only to end up staring in disbelief along with the rest of the group at what the hell he was trying to say... First of all, I must admit that in those two scenes alone, Michael Shanks truly shined in his role as Daniel Jackson. I mean, this was the Daniel of old: both intuitive, and a history geek at the same time. I loved how he was able to understand whatever sounds Jack was making to the Stargate symbols. I loved his look of disbelief when Jack announced "Terra Atlantis" in one of the best scenes since Torment of Tantalus... I especially loved how wonderfully annoyed Daniel was when, instead of gasping in astonishment, he blasted back, "Jack! We were just there!" And oh yes, thank you, writers! Daniel was actually DECENT at translating this time! He got everything right, right off the bat (probably thanks to his ascended past), which is more than I can say for his translation crap job in The Fifth Race (goddammit Daniel, "locus" is a fucking ENGLISH word!... but, um, nevermind...). My only complaint was that this episode lacked any real Jack and Daniel banter, although I still chuckle everytime Daniel seemingly shakes his head at Jack's little goose chase to the Tayonas planet. I also can complain that Jack and Daniel didn't really have a special moment together like Jack and Sam, and Jack and Teal'c did. All Daniel did was mutter that he "would've done it"... but I guess we got enough of the two having "moments" together back in part 1 of the Lost City...

I can't say that I really enjoyed the moments between Sam and Jack though. I didn't feel that their romance was forced, but even with all the relationship stuff in the episodes leading up to this, I still felt that it was odd how Sam would finally start admitting stuff for Jack at this sort of place and time. I also thought their talk of Sam taking command of the mission to be kind of lacking in the end. Even after 12 watchings, I still pay more attention to the hum of the tweaked hyperdrive engines than I do to those two stars of the show getting close... However, I do grin everytime Sam awkwardly assumes command and actually gives Jack an order for the first time. I mean, the look on Teal'c's face was priceless... And just like with Daniel, instead of feeling reassured or any crap like that, she actually seemed annoyed at O'Neill when the Lost City was revealed to be on earth! Utterly brilliant! If only I could write like that... The only main character on the show who criminally didn't get enough meaningful air time this episode was Teal'c. As if writing Changeling last year lost him camera rights this year, Teal'c basically did nothing this episode except sit by Bra'tac's fallen side and pilot the cargo ship around Antarctica. I did find the moment between Jack and Teal'c to be rather touching though... quite literally, at least. As a guy, I sadly have inhibitions about touching other guys' faces, so the first time I watched this episode, the Teal'c and Jack scene did feel out of place. But after more and more watchings, I really started to enjoy that one scene alone. Christopher Judge can truly demonstrate a huge wealth of emotion with just a head nod and his patented "indeed"... And at least Teal'c got to kick ass against the Anubis drone soldiers. Although it still boggles me to hell how humanity actually built energy weapons within their regular firearms (I guess along with the BC-303, we're more advanced than most races out there now), it was still pretty damn cool that Teal'c could just stand there out in the open, and waste supersoldiers by the dozens...

And as for the other characters? Jessica Stein played a rather brilliant Elizabeth Weir for all the scenes that she was in, and the actress will sadly be missed when her character returns without her in Stargate Atlantis. However, two things were strange: a) she never once seemed in awe of the working Stargate in either Lost City episode like most newcomers do, and b) she was in barely any scenes in part 2... but still, for the scenes that she was there... I absolutely loved how bad her bad "kitchen sink" joke was (hell, every joke in this episode somehow seemed to hit the mark with me). And although the camera work was cheesy, I still enjoy the moment where the entire base somehow shakes from whatever Anubis sent through the Stargate (although it would've been funny if that was Thor who dialed into earth and stepped through... but nevermind...). However, I didn't feel she had any real chemistry with Senator Kinsey, animosity or not. Then again, I've never really respected Kinsey, even as a villain. It's not his cowardice that bugs me - it's his stupidity... Running away was perfectly natural for him, but completly ignoring the Goa'uld threat last episode? Or saying a bunch of idiotic crap to the president over the phone?... I don't know. His character just didn't cut it with me. But don't let the suit fool you - President Henry Hayes was truly the man this episode! Every scene he was in, he commanded with authority. I still roll around laughing every time Anubis holographs himself into the Oval Office. Not only is it ridiculously funny to see the guards empty machine gun pistol rounds into the president's family pictures, but I just love the president's new catch phrase: "Never going to happen!"... sure beats the "Axis of Evil" crap any day of the week... I mean, simply from the way he even loosened his tie when the thirty plus Goa'uld motherships appeared in orbit, the president owned the camera. From his assessment of the initial three Goa'uld situation, to his lack of panic (and thankful lack of Texan enthusiasm) at the sound of the Nimitz battle group dying a five minute death, I just wish America's real president was as damn solid and sophisticated as Henry Hayes was this episode...

Now onto the best parts of the episode... I've already mentioned that the moment where Terra Atlantis was revealed to be one of the best damn Stargate scenes ever since Torment of Tantalus. I was simply in awe at the revelations we were getting about the Stargate universe, even if I had always suspected that Stargate Atlantis would... umm... obviously have something to do with Atlantis... I also found it just as intriguing that earth wasn't The Lost City in the end. We were obviously a military outpost for the ancients, where they built one of the coolest sci-fi weapons of all time (it was like a living pillar of fire or a thinking finger of God - I loved how it dynamically twisted and tornado turned to swat Goa'uld glider bugs out of the sky...). But now the Stargate universe has truly opened up, with much better mythology than ascended being crap could ever provide. I mean, why did the Ancients die out? How could a measly virus get the best of them? Why were they building tons of weapons and a Lost City when the Goa'uld were no match for them? Why were the Ancients so much more advanced than even the Asgard of today (except for hyperdrive and transporter technology, it seems)? And if earth is not the Lost City, what was our planet's real purpose then?... I've loved the idea of earth being a colony of an ancient race of advanced humans ever since I first heard of the real Atlantis myth. So obviously, it comes at no surprise that I would fall in love with the myth finally becoming reality in the show... and obviously, as a Star Trek fan, of course I would fall in love with the epic battle scene between the Prometheus & the fleet of F-302s versus Anubis' gliders and Alkeshes... I mean, I was a bit disappointed at first, I must admit. I really felt that stuff involving that obviously evil Jaffa traitor should've been cut short, just to give a few more precious seconds to the battle of Hoth or Antarctica or whatever. But for what's there, I'm still impressed even to this day... General George Hammond truly got a great send-off from the show, even if he seemed quite out of element on the Prometheus. I loved the first barrage of ass kicking missile fire, finally taking down those Alkeshes that the Tau'ri never seem to be able to down (although if it takes three missiles to take one Alkesh out, I'd definitely think about attaching some death glider cannons to those F-302s). And even after that, with very little actually going on in the battle (planes were just flying around, barely shooting at each other, with the Prometheus only firing machine gun rounds for some odd reason), I was still greatly impressed by all the special effects. Hell, even the cargo ship flying through Antarctica had some of that "wow" feeling missing from Stargate ever since last season's Redemption, actually... And the moment where General Hammond was about to ram the BC-303 into Anubis' ship (since that one piddly missile it fired obviously did no damage)? I admit, I thought Bra'tac might die in this episode (his and Jacob Carter's times will be up soon, I know...), but I knew in my heart that Don Davis wouldn't die in his final episode. Nevertheless, I was still left wondering in anticipation whether SG-1 would save the day before General Hammond went down with his ship. And the scene where the majestic Ancient weapon tears apart the entire thirty mothership fleet? My only complaint was that poor Anubis didn't really get much room this episode to feel menacing... hell, he even looked pathetically short compared to O'Neill down in the Ancient's complex (couldn't he just enlarge his holographic self to be imposing?). But it was still satisfying to see his vessel go up in a billow of blue fire... Somehow, this episode just felt complete. Like a true full circle, which is more than I can say for last year's pathetic season finale...

My only real complaint with The Lost City Part 2 was that it felt rushed at times, with some odd pacing from here to there. The evil Jaffa thing definitely should've been cut shorter, if only to make room for more Jack moments with the rest of the team. And although I thought the cliffhanger part of the episode was done nicely (the "dormata" thing), the pacing of it still felt off compared to the slow dribble of seeing Jack walk through the Anubis hologram... but these minor quips aside, this episode absolutely kicked ass, and probably will end up as my favourite episode of the entire season of all shows. From the brash collision of the two warring fleets, to the simple smile on Bra'tac's face when he first heard Hammond's voice, to even the cheer out loud moment when the President mentioned that Canada knew about the Stargate - this episode was filled with the greatest of memories for me... It was definitely the best Stargate season finale since Nemesis, and probably the best damn action episode since The Serpent's Lair. And considering I'm counting it as more than just a worthy successor to The Fifth Race, which sits behind Best of Both Worlds as my absolute favourite television episode of all time?... well, that's saying a lot. And that means alot. I mean it. Because The Lost City did something that I didn't really think was possible during a hellboy week like this one of mine... it left me both satisfied, and craving for more... it truly brought forth the best of both worlds...