Ascension

Have I mentioned that Sam sucks at dating? Well, she does.

Maybe it’s just me, but I thought Orlin was a nightmare. He stalked Sam, jeopardized her career, committed credit card fraud, and broke small appliances. Of course, she liked him. Really liked him. Women make no sense to me.

This episode resolved around the big, honkin’ space gun SG-1 found. The pentagon was super excited to fire it. However, that would have made a lot of ascended beings grumpy. Orlin sacrificed his life to destroy the gun and was allowed to ascend back to a higher plane of existence. I’m sure at least one woman up there will file for a restraining order.

I love when Teal’c dresses to go out in public. What do you think would grab your attention more: a man with a small tattoo on his forehead or a black dude who was dressed in flaming cowboy regalia? It’s great to know that the big guy like Star Wars. The best line of the episode had to be his, “I have read of a place where humans do battle in a ring of jello.”

Hey, we also saw Sam’s house and car for the first time. I was a little envious.

My Rating: 7/10

Maternal Instinct

This was our first encounter with an ascended being. Oma Desala resided in a temple on Kheb, a planet of Jaffa legend. The team traveled there after Bra’tac arrived at the SGC with his wounded apprentice. Apophis had attacked Chulak and was searching for his son. Daniel wanted to rescue the baby before Apophis could get there.

I bet it would be awesome to get stoned with that Asian dude. It has been years since I’ve done anything that naughty, but I’m pretty sure I would be blown away by sayings like, “Because it is so clear, it takes a longer time to realize it. If you immediately know the candlelight is fire, then the meal was cooked a long time ago.” Ummm… cookie dough ice cream.

My favorite part of this episode was when Daniel started to grow skeptical, so the monk lit the candle to prove it could be done. The monk then said, “Now you blow it out.” Daniel then bent down and blew out the flame. “With your mind.” I love that little laugh.

There is no doubt this episode was an important part of Stargate history. I think you could argue the Atlantis series would not exist without it.

My Rating: 8/10

The Fifth Race

This episode is one of my perennial favorites. There was practically no action in it, but the plot was compelling, dramatic, humorous, and uplifting. I always felt like this episode defined the ultimate story arc for the series. It made the show about something grander than just blowing up evil spacemen and gave the audience hope for the future. Yes, I’m gushing. 

Jack managed to get his head stuck in an Ancient Repository of Knowledge. After he passed out and was transported back to Earth, he seemed to be his normal, grumpy self. However, he slowly started to use alien words within his normal speech. He then reprogrammed the base’s computer system to add a set of new stargate addresses and built what appeared to be a humming nightlight. 

Jack had little control over his actions, and he eventually lost the ability to communicate. As the computer automatically started to dial an eight-symbol address, Jack hooked his nightlight into the base’s electric system. The extra power allowed him to travel to a different galaxy for help. 

Jack made contact with the Asgard, who removed the overwhelming information from his head. They explained that humans had great potential and were impressed that Jack could subconsciously control the Ancient database. They even suggested that humans could one day join the Asgard, the Nox, the Ancients, and the Furlings as the fifth race. 

The little moments were great in this episode, too. Teal’c learned about boxing while Jack danced around in a codpiece. Daniel and Jack had one of their silly “No, I didn’t/ Yes, you did” moments, but you also saw how much Daniel cared for and trusted Jack. And I loved the little shoulder shrug Jack gave Sam when his plans fixed the DHD.   

My Rating: 10/10

The Torment of the Tantalus

“This is meaning of life stuff.”

Wow, everything about this episode was so good. There was a great team dynamic, the story about Ernest was intriguing, the element room was beautiful, and there were a number of touching and humorous moments woven into the story. Hell, Sam even looked a little bit cuter than she normally does. I loved this episode. 

It starts with Daniel watching experiments the government did on the gate in 1945. To his surprise, they managed to activate and send a scientist through the gate fifty years ago. He decides to ask Katherine why she didn’t tell him about this before. 

Katherine didn’t know the 1945 experiments had succeeded or that her fiancé, Ernest Littlefield, was the one who went through the gate. She was told Ernest died in an accident and the program was shut down. With the old film footage, the team is able to determine where Ernest went. Then they convinced General Hammond to let Katherine accompany them on the mission. 

The emotions were just right throughout this episode. Katherine was excited about seeing Ernest again, but her excitement was tempered by the somber reality of his disappearance. The interactions between Jack and Daniel were great examples of each character’s best attributes. Jack was a pragmatist and thought about the team’s safety, while Daniel was captivated by the possibilities of their discovery. Poor Ernest could hardly believe his visitors were real and saved Daniel from making his mistake. Sam and Teal’c were involved in some comical moments that nicely counterbalanced the poignant story. 

Yes, this was classic Stargate SG-1. 

My Rating: 10/10