Pretense

I don’t like episodes that revolve around a trial. Luckily, there was enough going on outside the courtroom to keep the show interesting. The Tollan were still arrogant, Lya had twigs in her hair, and the space battles were pretty.

Lord Zipacna was a textbook Goa’uld. He was boastful, manipulative, and stunningly dressed. Check out that earring. The Goa’uld were the original metrosexuals.

I’m glad the Tollan got rid of their silver jumpsuits. They built a stargate on their new homeworld, but Jack had to point out, “Ours is bigger.” They also had a number of space guns, a nifty vest that could separate a host from a Goa’uld, and the ability to make Jack grumpy.

It wasn’t really shown, but I wonder if Sam got her cat back. I’m glad she rejected Narim this time. He just doesn’t do it for me.

Sam was right when she said Lya drew a fine line by hiding the ion cannon. I’m not sure her actions fit the Nox way. It also seemed pretty obvious that she would side for Skaara. 

My Rating: 7/10

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

Enigma

I really enjoyed this episode. The Tollan were introduced, Maybourne made his first appearance, and the Nox saved the day. Hey, Sam even kissed a dude. 

The Tollan, led by a balding jerk named Omac, were found moments before death by SG-1. The team rescued them and brought them back to Earth. The highly advanced Tollan were stranded, because their new home world was outside the stargate network. 

Colonel Maybourne then arrived at the SGC to take control of the Tollan. He planned to use them as forced intellectual labors in an effort to develop new weapons. He played a predictable bad guy in this episode, but he later becomes one of my favorite characters. Everyone loves to hate Maybourne. 

While the Tollan were stuck on Earth, Narim took an interest in Sam. He dropped a couple of cheesy lines on her, and she gave him a cat. God, somebody should buy her a book of dating advice. She’s just not very good with boys. 

Those two eventually did a little smooching but were interrupted by Daniel, who was busy trying to save the Tollan. His “whoops” in this scene was comic genius. Well played, sir. Well played. 

Lya, the female Nox, showed up at the end to save the Tollan from Maybourne. Omac finally dropped the jerk routine to thank Daniel. Then Lya did a neat trick to open the gate and disarm the soldiers trying to prevent an escape. 

This was a great episode, but who picked out the silver jumpsuits? I mean come on. Also, Omac was a little too annoying in the beginning. 

My Rating: 9/10

The Nox

The show started with a government official pressuring the team to find advanced technology. This led Teal’c to mention an animal that is capable of cloaking itself. Intrigued, the team sets off on a hunting expedition. 

Apophis happened to be on the planet when SG-1 arrived, so the team staged an ambush on the golden one. The trap failed horribly, as Jack, Sam, and Daniel were killed. Just as Teal’c was awaiting his fate, everyone vanished. 

The Nox, one of my favorite races in the stargate universe, saved the team and brought them back to life. The twig-covered pacifists were actually the ones capable of invisibility, and they had no interest in SG-1’s violent ways. Daniel spent some time with an elderly tree-licker trying to learn about the Nox and improve the relationship. However, our fighting with Apophis ultimately led the Nox to seal their gate and prevent our return. 

One of my favorite stargate moments occurred in this episode. A young Nox named Nafrayu walked up to Sam to introduce himself. You could see her heart melting while she was talking to the little guy, which caused Jack to say, “No, you can’t keep him.” 

My Rating: 9/10

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