Before I start this review I’d like to take this opportunity to appeal through Grapefruit’s large readership to whomever transmits chinese CCTV at 2.4 gHz near our house. You’re interfering with our streaming of Stargate from my computer to the TV. It’s difficult to get a clear signal when so much other crap is being broadcast on the same frequency. Perhaps we could jointly pay to line a wall between us with aluminium foil. But you’re not here to hear of my troubles, so without saying without further ado in an attempt to delay you longer and pad out this review because I can’t think of enough pseudo-intellectual comments to fill this space about this week’s episode, I give you ‘Off the Grid’…

Despite last week’s horrific loss of the Prometheus, life continues on.¹ The pain is softened by the news of the near completion of a new ship, the Odyssey. The speed at which this ship was built surprised me, with less than a season since the Daedalus was built, but the Prometheus would have taken the longest to build because it was Earth’s first ship. Building the Daedalus took time because it was designed after building the Prometheus to incorporate the lessons learned building that ship and built to include Asgrad shields, hyperdrive, and transport beams. Earth also gained posession of a naquadah mine in ‘Enemy Mine’ (707). The lack of naquadah had been holding up production of the Daedalus. So now I expect two new ships per season. My biggest problem is just the coincidental timing of the new ship’s appearance. I hope Earth’s ships are able to stand up to the ships that the Ori are sending. If the Rand Protectorate were able to build a satellite that could destroy the Prometheus, then the Ori must have very powerful ships. But this doesn’t worry me much; SG-1 never win by using overwhelming force.

Another sign of life continuing is the new locator beacon implants. Having watched the seventh season of Buffy and the fifth season of Angel reiterate character development and plot threads, it makes me very happy to see the constant and constructive change in the Stargate universe during these later seasons. A locator beacon strapped to one’s arm is the easiest way to find someone to use the Asgard beam transporter but a device strapped to one’s arm will be removed when that person is held prisoner. As that was used that last week to prevent Daniel’s rescue by transporter beam,² the writers prevent themselves from reusing that plot device and show that the SG personnel learn from their mistakes. It may not seem like a big thing, but to me it’s a strong indicator of the health of the show.

Mitchell is following his instinct again this week, and despite his rash mistake of trying to negotiate with the corn-dealers, it’s a trait I like in him. His actions go far outside the scope of their mission briefing as the rest of SG-1 point out but Mitchell’s not the laying low type. This trait, combined with his inexperience and enthusiasm for his job shows that the writers and Ben Browder have a solid idea on who his character is and how he is distinct from O’Neill or Crichton.

Another odd decision this week was made by Colonel Paul Emerson, captain of the ship Odyssey, who decided to fire upon the Lucian Alliance vessels while they were attacking Baal’s ship. It draws their fire away from Baal’s ship and prevents SG-1 and the Stargates being destroyed but places the Odyssey under great risk. I would have beamed SG-1 aboard in the seconds between Baal’s shields failing and Baal’s ship being destroyed. I might even have shot at Baal’s ship to facilitate this process.

The reappearance of the Lucian Alliance and Baal, as well as the recent Jaffa plot lines give the galaxy a suitably busy feel. When all SG-1 does is visit isolated worlds, it seems unlikely that two ships could meet accidentally in space as they are wont to do. When there’s Lucian and Baal’s and Earth’s ships flying around, the milkyway has a pleasant lived in feel. Speaking of pleasant…

Watching Sam I am, as for the first time in ages she’s not wearing a military uniform or fatigues. Her off-world disguise reveals her to be more gifted than I remember. I chalk that up to her recent pregnancy. Maybe Sam is display her feminimity to get boys back on her side before Vala’s likely return. She also manages not to kill the humorous conversation about which member of SG-1 is the most likely drug dealer.

1. Not for the 39 of the 115 Prometheus crew members who didn’t make it. ↩
2. “Beam Daniel up,” we yelled at the tv screen last week as the Prometheus came out of hyperspace.
   “Beam Daniel up,” said Carter as we smiled smugly with the knowledge that we were one step ahead of SG-1.
   Up beams the locator beacon, sans Daniel. ↩

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This entry was posted by the illustrious Andy Cocker on Thursday, February 16th, 2006. It concerns such pressing issues as Stargate SG-1, tv. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.