Post by Ahryantah on Jul 21, 2005 0:01:15 GMT -5
Review for the Stargate SG-1 episode "Avalon Part I," first airing on the SciFi channel July 15, 2005.
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As you'll recall, last year saw the resolution of pretty much every single plotline from the series: The Replicators, the Goa'uld, Anubis, the Jaffa rebellion, Oma Desala, even Sam's love life (or her lack of one, as the case may be). So what more could a ninth season accomplish?
As the season opens it becomes clear that there is no longer an SG-1. Not that there was much of one last year, but now the team is truly scattered. Jack is gone from the SGC entirely, apparently having either retired or moved on to other things (the episode doesn't make that clear). Sam has gone to Area 51 to research all the alien technology they've brought back over the years. Teal'c is helping set up a Jaffa government on Dakara, and Daniel has a seat on the Daedalus, headed to Atlantis.
Enter Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell, who's under the impression that he's been offered a position on SG-1, only to be shocked to discover that he has been made leader of SG-1, and furthermore, that the position is a default one, as there are no longer any other members of SG-1.
Mitchell, who is suffering from a serious SG-1 crush, decides that just isn't going to work. So he tracks down Sam, Daniel, and Teal's (going all the way to Dakara to see Teal'c; if that's not dedication I don't know what is) and begs them to come back. He doesn't succeed. Teal'c is a little anxious to distance himself from Earth because the other Jaffa are suspicious of the Taur'i. Daniel is way too excited about going to Atlantis (makes you wonder if he actually READ the mission reports from Atlantis). Sam is deep into her research and just doesn't want to come back.
So Mitchell, resigned, interviews new potential team members in a hilarious scene, but then salvation comes in the form of Vala, who claims to be looking for (and willing to share) a great treasure rumored to be on Earth. She tricks Daniel into helping her by joining them with Goa'uld bracelets that she refuses to remove until they find the treasure.
So Daniel works out the treasure's location (based on Arthurian legend), Teal'c comes back to help, Vala stands around making Daniel's life a living hell, and Mitchell continues to fanboy everyone. They travel to Glastonbury Tor, where the treasure seems to be, and, true to form, get themselves into mortal peril about five minutes after they arrive. This SG-1 enough for you, Mitchell?
So, my initial opinions:
This episode was really good, better than I was expecting for the ninth season and with Jack gone. Mitchell, I think, is shaping up to be a good replacement. He's funny, anyhow, and an SG-1 fan. So it's like having YOU on the show. Or something. Still, Mitchell's enthusiasm was cute. He looks like he's about the cry in that scene where he realizes he doesn't get to work with the original SG-1. The one concern I had was that this episode didn't seem that exciting, though on second viewing I liked it better. I suppose I can forgive them because this is just the first part of a multi-part episode, and they had to introduce a lot of new characters.
Other new characters: I don't have much of an opinion on General Landry yet, though the writers went out of their way to introduce him as Jack's friend (apparently they learned their lesson from Jonas). He seems to be a different sort of general from both Hammond and Jack, so that's good. In the scene where Daniel was giving the briefing, though, Landry was doing some serious scenery-chewing, and that started to get irritating, especially since it was taking all of my concentration to understand what Daniel was saying (note to Michael Shanks: Slow the heck down! Last time I checked, Daniel was neither on speed, nor had he suddenly morphed into McKay). Hopefully Landry calms down a little from his background antics.
Vala is funny. I was concerned about her appearance on the show, since I thought it might be over the top, and even though in some scenes it was, I don't think it went too overboard. It's going to take more than one episode to gauge her staying power, so I'll withhold judgment for now. She did amuse me, though.
The old characters: Did Jack seem depressed? I'm sad for him. Without his team he seems all alone again. Kind of a sad note to end the character on.
Hair's looking good, Teal'c. Seriously, I do like it better this season. Also, buddy, I know your arms are more like tree trunks, but I highly doubt you can keep that ceiling from crushing you and Mitchell. That's like, tons of rock, dude. Nice to see you playing with the new guy's head, though.
Daniel. Beard. I weep.
Oh, hello, Sam's head. Maybe someday we'll get to see all of you again.
Best scenes: Mitchell interviewing new SG-1 candidates. Does anyone else think the SGC needs to screen these people better? Mitchell's flashback scenes were good for giving us some quick backstory, though I'm not sure why he was fondling the Stargate at the beginning. Just a tad weird. All of Daniel's and Vala's scenes were good, with the exception of the infirmary scene, which was just too much.
Not impressed with the chess scene between Landry and Jack. It's only point seemed to be that the producers promised a scene with Richard Dean Anderson in the season premiere. Beyond that it was extraneous and boring.
Still not sure what Mitchell did to save SG-1. I'm glad, though, that he just didn't come in and take command of SG-1 from Sam. I was worried about that; why give the new guy command? But they played it well and gave a valid reason.
I have one thing to say about the new "credits": wtf, SciFi? You might as well not even bother.
My overall opinion: Some people have said that this works better if you think of it as the series premiere of a new spin-off. I guess it could. I liked most of the scenes individually, but the whole was somehow less than the sum of its parts. Hopefully now that the exposition is out of the way, the story will pick up.
I give it 7 out of 10.
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As you'll recall, last year saw the resolution of pretty much every single plotline from the series: The Replicators, the Goa'uld, Anubis, the Jaffa rebellion, Oma Desala, even Sam's love life (or her lack of one, as the case may be). So what more could a ninth season accomplish?
As the season opens it becomes clear that there is no longer an SG-1. Not that there was much of one last year, but now the team is truly scattered. Jack is gone from the SGC entirely, apparently having either retired or moved on to other things (the episode doesn't make that clear). Sam has gone to Area 51 to research all the alien technology they've brought back over the years. Teal'c is helping set up a Jaffa government on Dakara, and Daniel has a seat on the Daedalus, headed to Atlantis.
Enter Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell, who's under the impression that he's been offered a position on SG-1, only to be shocked to discover that he has been made leader of SG-1, and furthermore, that the position is a default one, as there are no longer any other members of SG-1.
Mitchell, who is suffering from a serious SG-1 crush, decides that just isn't going to work. So he tracks down Sam, Daniel, and Teal's (going all the way to Dakara to see Teal'c; if that's not dedication I don't know what is) and begs them to come back. He doesn't succeed. Teal'c is a little anxious to distance himself from Earth because the other Jaffa are suspicious of the Taur'i. Daniel is way too excited about going to Atlantis (makes you wonder if he actually READ the mission reports from Atlantis). Sam is deep into her research and just doesn't want to come back.
So Mitchell, resigned, interviews new potential team members in a hilarious scene, but then salvation comes in the form of Vala, who claims to be looking for (and willing to share) a great treasure rumored to be on Earth. She tricks Daniel into helping her by joining them with Goa'uld bracelets that she refuses to remove until they find the treasure.
So Daniel works out the treasure's location (based on Arthurian legend), Teal'c comes back to help, Vala stands around making Daniel's life a living hell, and Mitchell continues to fanboy everyone. They travel to Glastonbury Tor, where the treasure seems to be, and, true to form, get themselves into mortal peril about five minutes after they arrive. This SG-1 enough for you, Mitchell?
So, my initial opinions:
This episode was really good, better than I was expecting for the ninth season and with Jack gone. Mitchell, I think, is shaping up to be a good replacement. He's funny, anyhow, and an SG-1 fan. So it's like having YOU on the show. Or something. Still, Mitchell's enthusiasm was cute. He looks like he's about the cry in that scene where he realizes he doesn't get to work with the original SG-1. The one concern I had was that this episode didn't seem that exciting, though on second viewing I liked it better. I suppose I can forgive them because this is just the first part of a multi-part episode, and they had to introduce a lot of new characters.
Other new characters: I don't have much of an opinion on General Landry yet, though the writers went out of their way to introduce him as Jack's friend (apparently they learned their lesson from Jonas). He seems to be a different sort of general from both Hammond and Jack, so that's good. In the scene where Daniel was giving the briefing, though, Landry was doing some serious scenery-chewing, and that started to get irritating, especially since it was taking all of my concentration to understand what Daniel was saying (note to Michael Shanks: Slow the heck down! Last time I checked, Daniel was neither on speed, nor had he suddenly morphed into McKay). Hopefully Landry calms down a little from his background antics.
Vala is funny. I was concerned about her appearance on the show, since I thought it might be over the top, and even though in some scenes it was, I don't think it went too overboard. It's going to take more than one episode to gauge her staying power, so I'll withhold judgment for now. She did amuse me, though.
The old characters: Did Jack seem depressed? I'm sad for him. Without his team he seems all alone again. Kind of a sad note to end the character on.
Hair's looking good, Teal'c. Seriously, I do like it better this season. Also, buddy, I know your arms are more like tree trunks, but I highly doubt you can keep that ceiling from crushing you and Mitchell. That's like, tons of rock, dude. Nice to see you playing with the new guy's head, though.
Daniel. Beard. I weep.
Oh, hello, Sam's head. Maybe someday we'll get to see all of you again.
Best scenes: Mitchell interviewing new SG-1 candidates. Does anyone else think the SGC needs to screen these people better? Mitchell's flashback scenes were good for giving us some quick backstory, though I'm not sure why he was fondling the Stargate at the beginning. Just a tad weird. All of Daniel's and Vala's scenes were good, with the exception of the infirmary scene, which was just too much.
Not impressed with the chess scene between Landry and Jack. It's only point seemed to be that the producers promised a scene with Richard Dean Anderson in the season premiere. Beyond that it was extraneous and boring.
Still not sure what Mitchell did to save SG-1. I'm glad, though, that he just didn't come in and take command of SG-1 from Sam. I was worried about that; why give the new guy command? But they played it well and gave a valid reason.
I have one thing to say about the new "credits": wtf, SciFi? You might as well not even bother.
My overall opinion: Some people have said that this works better if you think of it as the series premiere of a new spin-off. I guess it could. I liked most of the scenes individually, but the whole was somehow less than the sum of its parts. Hopefully now that the exposition is out of the way, the story will pick up.
I give it 7 out of 10.
