Post by Ahryantah on Jul 25, 2005 17:18:50 GMT -5
Review of the Stargate SG-1 episode "Avalon Part II," first airing on the SciFi Channel on July 22, 2005.
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Well, it's much easier now to see where the story is going.
I've heard a lot of people complain about the Arthurian storyline, simply because it's not "mythology" as Stargate tends to do it. As for me, I kind of liked the Arthurian stuff. Still, this episode makes it clear that the whole King Arthur plot was just the vehicle to get to the real storyline. This makes me want to feel cheated, because everyone made such a big deal about Stargate doing King Arthur, and then all we got was a glimpse of Merlin the Ancient and a silly swordfight.
But this was such a good episode I didn't care.
First, the swordfight. I've heard people talking about how they cringed through it, how it was so terrible, how awful it was that the writers thought fencing techniques would work for broadswords.
Newsflash: It was supposed to be like that.
Mitchell sucked at swordfighting. He also said he took a fencing class in college. That whole mention was supposed to underscore the fact that Mitchell DID suck. One fencing class does not make someone a swordfighting expert, much less for a non-fencing weapon. That was the whole point. How that translates to the Stargate writers not knowing the difference between broadsword and fencing techniques is beyond me. But I guess some people have to find something to criticize, even if it's non-existent.
Ahem. Sorry for the aside. I inserted that into the review because it irritated me as I was reading through other reviews that people seemed to be taking the swordfight seriously and complaining when it came up short. No, it was meant to be silly. So I liked the swordfight. It made me smile. And was anyone else having a serious Monty Python moment throughout?
And poor Mitchell. First he nearly gets crushed by the ceiling, then he has to fight a holographic knight, then the cave almost collapses on him. Want to take bets on how long before his first death?
How funny was it that Daniel knew that the cave was collapsing because Vala had screwed something up?
So they find the treasure, and Daniel finds a book that tells of the Ancients and they came to this galaxy from another one, and left a civilization behind. Daniel gets excited about this because they also find in the treasure something that Daniel insists is an Ancient communication device that will allow them to speak with these Ancients in the other galaxy.
Also, it turns out that the stones from last year's "Citizen Joe" are what's meant to be used with the device. Nice bit of continuity there.
Vala and Daniel decide to check it out together because they're still linked through the Goa'uld bracelets. But, because this is SG-1, it's never that simple. The device ends up transporting them into the bodies of two people in the other galaxy (Quantum Leap moment). Meanwhile, their physical bodies are still at the SGC with the rest of the team wondering why they suddenly went unconscious.
The people in this new galaxy aren't Ancients as Daniel hoped, but have a medieval-level society and worship gods called the Ori. Like, really worship (six hours of prostration?) Daniel and Vala try to play along at first, but Vala screws it up by not knowing some ritual, and she is sentenced to be burned. Daniel watches helplessly, held back by the other villagers, as this happens. Back at the SGC, Vala's body goes into cardiac arrest and is pronounced dead.
In the village, a strange man appears and brings Vala back to life, healing her burns. At the SGC, the real Vala comes back, too.
Then the man tells Daniel and Vala to follow him. To be continued.
So how many parts does this friggin' episode have?
I liked this part more than the first, which seemed goofier. This one had the funny, too, but it also had the serious and even the horrifying. I was surprised when they actually showed Vala being burnt to death. Surprised in a good way. I like it when Stargate goes a little dark. That whole scene was well done, from Vala's fear to Daniel's pleading for her life to her actual burning to Daniel holding her at the end. Good emotion. Though I had a definite "Ew" moment when Daniel hugged Vala's charred body. I was hoping pieces wouldn't start falling off her.
Vala was more subdued this week, so that's a plus for the character. Mitchell didn't seem to have a whole lot to do after the swordfight, but I continue to like his character. The fanboying has died down some, but a little is still there. I think I officially like General Landry as a character, as this week he got to show more personality. He seemed appropriately at ease with and willing to rein in SG-1. Just like Hammond, but approached in a different way. I like that. Plus, he's not stupid and he doesn't pretend to be, either, like Jack did.
The beard looks better on Daniel when he's in native clothing and not wearing his glasses. It's just at the SGC with all those clean-cut military types where he looks so scruffy. Also? I want a speed-talking contest between Daniel and McKay. Now.
Teal'c had almost nothing to do in this episode, except for some Jaffa stuff. They seem to be setting up some storyline with this as-yet-unseen new Jaffa leader, do I'll have to wait and see where that goes.
Finally, there's a new doctor on the case, Carolyn Lam. She is totally Landry's estranged daughter, people. Duh. Don't have much of an opinion on her yet, though.
Best scenes: Daniel trying to solve the Ancient puzzle at super-speed.
Daniel babbling almost incoherently at Landry while walking though the SGC. Jack put up with that, but Landry seems less inclined.
Dr. Lee's scene! And his "Absolutely...relatively certain." I love Dr. Lee, and how he went and hid in the observation room when Daniel decided to turn the Ancient device on. Dr. Lee's had enough of Adventures with Daniel, it seems.
And I've already mentioned Vala's death scene.
There really weren't any scenes I thought were bad. Teal'c's Jaffa scene was kind of slow, but it was short and I didn't mind it. Also, the music throughout was really, really good.
Overall, this episode felt more like SG-1 than the previous, and the pacing was better. It seems they're setting up a lot of storylines for the rest of the season, and I'm looking forward to finding out where they lead.
I give it 9 out of 10.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, it's much easier now to see where the story is going.
I've heard a lot of people complain about the Arthurian storyline, simply because it's not "mythology" as Stargate tends to do it. As for me, I kind of liked the Arthurian stuff. Still, this episode makes it clear that the whole King Arthur plot was just the vehicle to get to the real storyline. This makes me want to feel cheated, because everyone made such a big deal about Stargate doing King Arthur, and then all we got was a glimpse of Merlin the Ancient and a silly swordfight.
But this was such a good episode I didn't care.
First, the swordfight. I've heard people talking about how they cringed through it, how it was so terrible, how awful it was that the writers thought fencing techniques would work for broadswords.
Newsflash: It was supposed to be like that.
Mitchell sucked at swordfighting. He also said he took a fencing class in college. That whole mention was supposed to underscore the fact that Mitchell DID suck. One fencing class does not make someone a swordfighting expert, much less for a non-fencing weapon. That was the whole point. How that translates to the Stargate writers not knowing the difference between broadsword and fencing techniques is beyond me. But I guess some people have to find something to criticize, even if it's non-existent.
Ahem. Sorry for the aside. I inserted that into the review because it irritated me as I was reading through other reviews that people seemed to be taking the swordfight seriously and complaining when it came up short. No, it was meant to be silly. So I liked the swordfight. It made me smile. And was anyone else having a serious Monty Python moment throughout?
And poor Mitchell. First he nearly gets crushed by the ceiling, then he has to fight a holographic knight, then the cave almost collapses on him. Want to take bets on how long before his first death?
How funny was it that Daniel knew that the cave was collapsing because Vala had screwed something up?
So they find the treasure, and Daniel finds a book that tells of the Ancients and they came to this galaxy from another one, and left a civilization behind. Daniel gets excited about this because they also find in the treasure something that Daniel insists is an Ancient communication device that will allow them to speak with these Ancients in the other galaxy.
Also, it turns out that the stones from last year's "Citizen Joe" are what's meant to be used with the device. Nice bit of continuity there.
Vala and Daniel decide to check it out together because they're still linked through the Goa'uld bracelets. But, because this is SG-1, it's never that simple. The device ends up transporting them into the bodies of two people in the other galaxy (Quantum Leap moment). Meanwhile, their physical bodies are still at the SGC with the rest of the team wondering why they suddenly went unconscious.
The people in this new galaxy aren't Ancients as Daniel hoped, but have a medieval-level society and worship gods called the Ori. Like, really worship (six hours of prostration?) Daniel and Vala try to play along at first, but Vala screws it up by not knowing some ritual, and she is sentenced to be burned. Daniel watches helplessly, held back by the other villagers, as this happens. Back at the SGC, Vala's body goes into cardiac arrest and is pronounced dead.
In the village, a strange man appears and brings Vala back to life, healing her burns. At the SGC, the real Vala comes back, too.
Then the man tells Daniel and Vala to follow him. To be continued.
So how many parts does this friggin' episode have?
I liked this part more than the first, which seemed goofier. This one had the funny, too, but it also had the serious and even the horrifying. I was surprised when they actually showed Vala being burnt to death. Surprised in a good way. I like it when Stargate goes a little dark. That whole scene was well done, from Vala's fear to Daniel's pleading for her life to her actual burning to Daniel holding her at the end. Good emotion. Though I had a definite "Ew" moment when Daniel hugged Vala's charred body. I was hoping pieces wouldn't start falling off her.
Vala was more subdued this week, so that's a plus for the character. Mitchell didn't seem to have a whole lot to do after the swordfight, but I continue to like his character. The fanboying has died down some, but a little is still there. I think I officially like General Landry as a character, as this week he got to show more personality. He seemed appropriately at ease with and willing to rein in SG-1. Just like Hammond, but approached in a different way. I like that. Plus, he's not stupid and he doesn't pretend to be, either, like Jack did.
The beard looks better on Daniel when he's in native clothing and not wearing his glasses. It's just at the SGC with all those clean-cut military types where he looks so scruffy. Also? I want a speed-talking contest between Daniel and McKay. Now.
Teal'c had almost nothing to do in this episode, except for some Jaffa stuff. They seem to be setting up some storyline with this as-yet-unseen new Jaffa leader, do I'll have to wait and see where that goes.
Finally, there's a new doctor on the case, Carolyn Lam. She is totally Landry's estranged daughter, people. Duh. Don't have much of an opinion on her yet, though.
Best scenes: Daniel trying to solve the Ancient puzzle at super-speed.
Daniel babbling almost incoherently at Landry while walking though the SGC. Jack put up with that, but Landry seems less inclined.
Dr. Lee's scene! And his "Absolutely...relatively certain." I love Dr. Lee, and how he went and hid in the observation room when Daniel decided to turn the Ancient device on. Dr. Lee's had enough of Adventures with Daniel, it seems.
And I've already mentioned Vala's death scene.
There really weren't any scenes I thought were bad. Teal'c's Jaffa scene was kind of slow, but it was short and I didn't mind it. Also, the music throughout was really, really good.
Overall, this episode felt more like SG-1 than the previous, and the pacing was better. It seems they're setting up a lot of storylines for the rest of the season, and I'm looking forward to finding out where they lead.
I give it 9 out of 10.
