After the disrupted start of the season, things are finally picking up: a regular SG-1 team is established; the Priors’ mid-season campaign is coming to a climax; and more time is spent in the Jaffa council chambers than the corridor.

Something the show has been lacking is a capable team that works together. It’s been odd watching SG-1 without SG-1. Changing the characters in a show is a risky business¹ but Claudia Black helped immensely. She had some great verbal sparring with Daniel but always felt like a temporary character, handed a temporary deadline extension at the start of every episode as if the writer’s were unsure when Carter would return. Carter has returned and, despite the bad taste in my mouth, things feel reassuringly familiar. I’d’ve liked to see more of O’Neill and Hammond to reduce the shock of the transistion to new characters. SG-1 have spent most of their time apart this season but now are finally doing things together as a team.

The priors have been out and about in full force, spreading the light of the Ori to the faithful and the fourth horseman to the unbelievers as in ‘The Powers That Be’. One of the people the Priors have infected is a member of SG-6. The SG-6 member gets back to the SGC and unknowingly infects everyone. The SGC is quarantined too late and the plague spreads across America. This plague is highly contageous and deadly. The military spread the flimsy cover story that it’s a flu virus from a military hospital. If a disease came from a military hospital I’d be suspicious.

Gerak and Teal’c’s debate about the future of the Jaffa is by far the best Jaffa part so far, bar none. Not only was it not boring, it also wasn’t in a corridor. There’s hope for these two yet. Maybe they’ll find somewhere else to hang out. Gerak was protrayed as evil in Teal’c and Bra’tac’s first discussion but I’ve found that although he’s opposing Teal’c I can sympathise with him. He has strong convictions and believes he has the best interests of the Jaffa at heart. He makes a strong opponent for Teal’c and I like him for this too because he gives Teal’c the opportunity to make stirring speeches.

Sam Watch: The scenes of Sam and Orlin were a decent attempt to give Sam an emotional storyline. Unfortunately I don’t like adult Orlin and replacing him with a kid exacerbates the problem so, for me, Orlin couldn’t deteriorate fast enough. Too bad while ascended he didn’t figure out how to keep all his knowedge as a human. The final scene could be moving for people who don’t hate Sam but not for me.

The race against time to develop technology lacks drama. Most of the scenes are different scientists explaining how close they are, which fortunately had the rising death count to keep the tension.

1. Unless you’re making daytime tv then go ahead and replace all of the principal cast with different actors. ↩

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This entry was posted by the illustrious Andy Cocker on Monday, February 6th, 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.