Into The Fire

Stargate SG-1 Season 3 Episode 1 - Plot: The SG-C receives intel from the Tok'ra that helps them locate Sg-1 and launch a mission to rescue them from Hathor.


SG-1 rescued, Hathor defeated

With the help of the Tok'ra, General Hammond successfully returned his flagship team home to Earth after they had spent three weeks missing in action. SG teams 3, 5, 6 and 11 had initially been committed to the rescue, but failed to report back on schedule. A presidential request for further troops was denied, leading the Texan to turn to Teal'c and Master Bra'tac for help.

A co-ordinated effort saw the SG teams off world destroying Hathor's base. Meanwhile, Teal'c and Hammond flew a Death Glider through the StarGate to defeat defences on the ground.

Colonel O'Neill reports back safe and sound, despite Hathor's attempt to turn him in to a host. Of the Goa'uld, he said, 'she's dead'.

Teal'c fails to rally Chulak resistance

Having returned to Chulak, Teal'c appeared dejected at his people's lack of desire to fight the false Gods in the wake of the death of Apophis. The people of Chulak now fear the wrath of Apophis' son, Klorel. Despite an impassioned speech given by Teal'c, few were willing to stand by his side.

Episode review

So I'm trying a new style for the start of the third season. I've been getting a bit caught up in just relaying the story and not really analysing the episode in most of my reviews. So, I thought I'd try and separate the two, with a news report style to discuss the plot, and then a review to follow.

So I've got to be honest, this episode was as much of a mess as the clip show the preceded it. Little that any of the characters did made sense and a lot of things happened that had little point. Taking Jack being taken as a host, only for him to be put in to cryogenic stasis five seconds later. Sure it served a point to allow him to walk up to another of the Goa'uld pretending to be a Goa'uld himself. Problem is, he only kept that up for about two seconds and I can't really understand why the Goa'uld didn't just shoot him on the spot.

Furthermore, Teal'c's return to Chulak could really have been given an episode of its own. I felt that there was a lot to explore there. Instead all that happens is Teal'c finds Bra'tac hurt for some reason and then gives a speech that no one listens to. The people that are willing to stand by his side aren't even seen again, except in a long shot coming through the Gate. By that time, all of the threat has been neutralised!

Anyway, I guess Teal'c is going to return to the SG-C and he, along with the rest of SG-1 can put the incident behind them. I know I will be.

5 out of 10

Out of Mind

Plot: Jack, Sam and Daniel are awoken in the SG-C 80 years in to the future. They're told that they were placed in stasis by an unknown alien race and that the rest of SG-1 are dead.


Well this was a miserably poor excuse for a clip show. Turns out that the trio were captured by Hathor, who is quietly amassing her forces for an attack on the other System Lords. She was trying to find out information about the strength of the other System Lords bytaking memories from SG-1's activities of the past couple of years. It was all pretty weak.

Teal'c did not appear to have been captured by Hathor and woke up in the SG-C in 1999. He wants to go and find SG-1 who have been missing for three weeks, but is told by Hammond that they've already exhuasted all avenues in the search. Teal'c opts to leave for Chulak. I hope that it was actually a trick by Hathor to get Teal'c out of the way, because I can't imagine that Hammond would really give up on SG-1 so easily, especially if there was even the faintest hope of finding them alive. It also seemed that Teal'c gave up on them, though maybe he wanted to leave the SG-C to resume the search on his own. Either way, I hope it does prove to be a trick, because it's pretty out of character for both Teal'c and Hammond to have acted in the way they did.

The episode ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, with Hathor presenting a mature symbiote to be placed in to either Jack, Sam or Daniel, in order to help her learn more details of the System Lords' activities.

4 out of 10

Thor's Chariot

Plot: SG-1 return to Cimmeria to help the people defend a Goa'uld invasion. While Jack and Teal'c are engaged in protecting the Cimmerians, Jack and Sam journey to Thor's Hall, where they hope the Asgard have left means for the Cimmerians to defend themselves.


We'll start with a great Teal'c quote:

DANIEL - Well I guess we’ll just have to hold up in here a while until things calm down.
TEAL’C - Things will not calm down, Daniel Jackson. They will, in fact, calm up.
O’NEILL - He means things will escalate, of course.

This episode's importance lies in the fact that it is the first appearance of an Asgard in their true form. We're introduced to Thor properly for the first time and will come to know him quite well through the next 8 and a 3/4 seasons. Thor only revealed himself after Daniel and Sam proved their worthiness. In truth, this was a method for allowing the Asgard to ensure that the Cimmerian's had reached a high enough level of sophistication for the Asgard to reveal their true selves to them. The process involved two trials, in which their bravery, selflessness and wisdom were tested. It was a fun watch and it won't be the last time that SG-1 have to go through similar trials to prove their worth to older civilisations.

Thor's Chariot is something of a sequel to Thor's Hammer and we see the consequences of the actions that were taken in that episode of season one. Specifically, the destruction of Thor's Hammer to free Teal'c from the labyrinth. Understandably, Thor is a little unhappy that the Cimmerians were put in danger in this way. Still, he rides in at the last moment in a spectacular ship to save the day from the invading Goa'uld.

That Goa'uld is Heru'ur, who has the rather dubious honour of being the son of both Ra and Hathor. Interestingly, SG-1 first suspected that the invading Goa'uld was Apophis. As I recall though, they should have been under the assumption that Apophis had been killed after they repelled the invasion of Earth at the beginning of the season. No matter though, as the audience at least knew that he'd escaped. I'm interested to see how that plays out when Apophis next returns in the show.

We also find out in this episode a little more about the after effects of Sam's blending with the Tok'ra Jolinar. It turns out that she can control Goa'uld technology, such as a hand device. It's interesting to see this develop as if it's a super power, though I think the writers lose interest with the idea after a while, because I don't remember it playing much of a part in the later seasons. It's akin to the ancient gene that is such a big part of Stargate Atlantis.

This doesn't quite reach the heights of Thor's Hammer, but it's fun and exciting and a fine conclusion to the plot that was started in season 1. SG-1 have now made a powerful ally in the Asgard, even if they still consider the Tau'ri a little too young to be allowed the keys to kingdom just yet.

8 out of 10

Hathor

Plot: A goa'uld is found in stasis within a sarcophagus on Earth by a team of archaeologists. She is Hathor, goddess of fertility, inebrity and music. Hathor finds her way to the SGC, where she bewitches the men on base. It's up to Sam, Dr Frasier and the rest of the women of the SGC to stop her evil plot, without harming the men under her control.


First of all, some top Jack O'Neill quotage:

Daniel Jackson: Hathor was the Egyptian goddess of fertility, inebriety, and music.
Jack O'Neill: Sex, drugs, and rock & roll?
Daniel Jackson: In a manner of speaking.

He's a great wit and was in danger of becoming a great Jaffa in this episode. Turns out that Hathor is a queen bee of Goa'uld's. She gets Daniel to knock her up and then births a bunch of larva. We see them on more than one occassion, writhing around in a hot bath, like a pool of hot dogs. Mega gross.

It was interesting to see how quickly Jack's health detiriorated after Hathos transformed his gut in to a pouch for a larva. It seems that the procedure removes the host's immune system at the same time, meaning that the prospective Jaffa must accept the Goa'uld, or die. Tough choice.

Hathor herself, as played Suanne Braun is wonderfully enchanting and a pleasure to watch. A fine bit of casting for sure.

This episode also sees Frasier and Carter teaming up for a bit of girl power action. Kicking ass and taking names in order to rid the men on base of Hathor's control. Seeing Sam knock General Hammond out with a rifle butt to the back of the head was a particular highlight. I'm not sure George thought so.

The SGC took delivery of the sarcophagus after it was found by the archaeologists. Frasier uses it to heal Jack after he'd been given the pouch. I was just thinking that it would be massivle convenient to have that in sick bay, when Hathor kindly blows it up and throws that plot device out of the window. We do see the detrimental effects of long term use of the sarcophagus in season 2, so the writers certainly had their bases covered.

I'm out of town for a couple of days, so this is the last post until the weekend. In the mean time, take it easy gate fans.

7 out of 10