Red Sky

This was a fairly typical episode. The team screwed something up, and they had to fix it before everyone died. Along the way, they had to deal with some religious villagers who were a pain in the butt. The big twist was the team ran into a problem they couldn’t solve by themselves. Or could they?

Malchus ranks highly on the list of most infuriating characters. He reminded of Debbie Downer from those old SNL skits. It was great to see Jack go after him. That man needed a beating, if only for his ridiculous hat.

I always like it when the Asgard show up. It’s funny to think that not all of them are as friendly as Thor. I thought the scene where Sam and Daniel watched Jack as he was talking to the wall was pretty funny. “Little gray butts?”

I also liked the way the show ended. Sometimes those loose ends are more satisfying than a perfect resolution.

Rating: 6/10

Small Victories

“I don’t know, Carter, you may not be dumb enough.”

How much did I like this episode? So much that I can forgive the producers for that blonde thing growing on Teal’c’s chin.

The surviving Replicator we saw at the end of “Nemesis” boarded a Russian submarine and killed the crew. Fearing an international incident, the US government picked up the abandoned sub and towed it to a harbor. Despite Jack’s advice, the military wanted to study the bugs and ordered a reconnaissance mission. The mission did not go well.

In the meantime, Thor arrived at the SGC looking for a few dumb ideas. An Asgard homeworld was about to be invaded by Replicators, and they hoped human strategy and ingenuity might be able to overcome their technological limitations. Sam was sent on the field trip.

Daniel spent most of this episode watching monitors, but he also realized the Replicators on the submarine were made out of steel. Which meant they would short circuit and corrode in the seawater. If the lone Replicator that survived the crash could be destroyed, the rest of the bugs could be eliminated with a torpedo.

Jack and Teal’c volunteered for the new mission. They managed to kill the motherbug, but the other Replicators were not happy. Trapped on the ship with no escape, Jack ordered the destruction of the sub while they was on board. The torpedoes were launched.

After learning that Thor likes the yellow ones, Sam devised a plan to save the Asgard. She convinced Thor to send his newest ship, the O’Neill, into hyperspeed and allow the Replicator controlled ships to chase it. Much to Jack’s dismay, the O’Neill was set to self-destruct. The explosion was large enough to destroy the Replicators, because they lowered their shield to follow it.

Back on Earth, Thor beamed Jack and Teal’c out of the submarine just before it went kaboom. The bugs were squashed in both galaxies, but it was just a small victory against an imposing foe. The Replicators will be back.

A couple more things:

• I liked Sam’s new haircut, but there were moments when she looked a little frumpy. However, she looks cute even when she’s frumpy.
  
• I can’t believe Sam rejected Jack’s fishing trip offer again. The thought of Thor fishing is pretty amusing, though.
  
• “They had asses?”
  

My Rating: 10/10 

Nemesis

Daniel had an appendectomy, so the rest of SG-1 was put on leave. However, Jack’s fishing trip was canceled after he was transported to Thor’s ship, which was orbiting Earth. The Beliskner was infested with mechanical, bug-like creatures, and Thor was in critical condition.

Ladies and gentleman, meet the Replicators. Aren’t they pretty? The Replicators plagued the Asgard galaxy for years and now planned to take over Earth. The only way to prevent their invasion would be to blow up the ship. Oh, and Thor didn’t think there was a way off the ship.

Sam and Teal’c ignored Jack’s order and beamed up with a load of explosives. Apparently, they didn’t want to miss the action. It’s a good thing they showed up, because Thor quickly shot down Jack’s plan.

Sam read the instruction manual, and Teal’c took a space walk. “One small step for Jaffa.” The team eventually destroyed the ship as it entered Earth’s atmosphere, and they were able to escape through the stargate.

Everything appeared to go as planned until a lone replicator was shown crawling on the wreckage in the ocean. Uh oh, “To Be Continued.”

I can’t believe Sam turned down Jack’s offer.

My Rating: 9/10 

Shades of Grey

“Come to retrieve your vastly superior stuff? You know, it’d be a lot more superior if it wasn’t so easy to steal.”

Jack was so out of character that it became obvious something was going on. However, the plot twists made this episode fun. I certainly didn’t think Colonel Makepeace was involved with Maybourne. He always came across as a loyal, by-the-book guy up to that point. I guess that shows why the NID was so powerful.

I loved the moments between Jack and Daniel. Yeah, they do have some differences of opinion, but they also have a special bond. It was great to hear Jack’s mumbled apology at the end. You know it killed him to act like the bad guy for that long. 

I thought Sam’s reactions in this episode were great, too. She seemed shocked and disappointed to see Jack like that. It was like she lost her hero.

This episode was probably best summed up by Jack’s line, “We don’t need their stuff, Makepeace. But we do need them.” The Tollan were surprisingly tolerable this time, and it’s always nice for the Asgard to make a cameo. 

Bonus point for Jack reading MAD Magazine while listening to an opera.

My Rating: 8/10

Fair Game

In the opening scene, Sam was promoted to the rank of major. Jack started to give a brief congratulatory speech, but he was beamed to Thor’s ship, which was orbiting Earth, before he could finish. Thor informed Jack that the Goa’uld System Lords would launch an attack unless an agreement could be reached to allow Earth into the Protected Planets Treaty. 

When the negotiations started, we met three new snakeheads. Cronus, who was the most influential of the System Lords, killed Teal’c’s father years ago and ordered the assassination of Jolinar. Nirrti was responsible for the genocide on Cassandra’s planet and kind of looked like a drag queen. The SGC never crossed paths with Yu before, but he was the object of several bad puns. “Thank Yu.”

I think what I liked most about this episode was how it added extra layers to Goa’uld society. We also learned more about the Asgard and how the politics of the galaxy worked. Basically, the Goa’uld could wipe us out if they ever called the Asgard’s bluff. 

Earth was eventually allowed to join the treaty after Nirrti was caught in a plot to kill Cronus. Those silly Goa’uld are always trying to stab each other in the back. When will they ever learn?

My Rating: 9/10

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

Thor’s Chariot

This episode continued the story from “Thor’s Hammer.” In typical SG-1 fashion, the team created a huge problem and had to save the day. In the process, they met a grumpy Goa’uld, picked up a few space toys, and spoke to Thor. 

Heru’ur, the son of Ra and Hathor, obviously enjoyed raiding mom’s jewelry box as much as he enjoyed conquering planets. He had already killed a number of the locals and was building a landing platform for his ships when SG-1 arrived. With Thor’s Hammer destroyed, the planet was defenseless. 

Gairwyn greeted SG-1 at the gate and led them to Kendra’s grave. Sam learned that she could operate some Goa’uld technology, but she was much better at blowing up dirt than working the healing device. 

After Jack and Teal’c went off to fight some Jaffa, Sam and Daniel tried to find The Hall of Thor’s Might. The hall contained a series of tests designed to determine if the locals were advanced enough to meet the Asgard. Daniel and Sam passed and explained the problem to Thor. He promptly showed up to beam the Goa’uld away and install a new defense system. 

Sigh, we are still too young to hang out with the Asgard, but at least they know who we are. 

My Rating: 8/10

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

Thor’s Hammer

There was a lot in this episode. We learned the Goa’uld didn’t build the stargate network. The Asgard were introduced, even though we didn’t actually meet the little, gray guys. However, the team did meet an Unas.

I’ve always liked the Asgard stories, because they offer a sense of wonderment and hope. In this episode, Daniel met a kooky hippy named Kendra, who proved Sha’uri could be separated from her symbiote. Unfortunately, he had to destroy Thor’s Hammer and his best chance to save Sha’uri in order to free Teal’c from an underground prison. 

While Teal’c and Jack were stuck in the labyrinth, they had a less than friendly encounter with an Unas. This hungry Unas was several thousand years old and voiced by James Earl Jones. The combination of his voice and extreme age made me think of the “This is CNN” commercials that air during Larry King Live. Bethesda, Maryland. Hello. 

I doubt the Unas had been married as many times as Larry King.  

The show ends with SG-1 giving the Vikings a lunchbox. Gee thanks, you blew up our planetary defense, but now we can conveniently store sandwiches on long trips. That sounds fair.

My Rating: 8/10