Touchstone

Plot: SG-1 work to recover a weather controlling device (the Touchstone) that has been stolen from another planet. Witnesses claim the thieves were wearing SG-C uniforms, leading to an investigation within the SG-C and related bases.


While this isn't a terrible episode, it isn't particularly thrilling. I'd say that it's an interesting premise that doesn't quite come off right.

After learning of the Touchstone's theft, Sam investigates recent gate activity, finding evidence that the 2nd gate may have been activated. SG-1 travel to Area 51, where the 2nd gate is being kept and where all of the recovered artifacts are sent for study. It was quite an interesting revelation, showing the scale of operation that is generated by the SG teams' trips through the gate. SG-1 are met by Colonel Maybourne, who gladly shows them the Gate in order to prove that he had nothing to do with the disappearance of the device. He's left a bit red faced though, as the gate at Area 51 turns out to be plastic. Jack speculates on the punishment for losing a Stargate. Keel-hauling sounds appropriate to me. ;)

The situation grows more desperate as the planet that is missing its weather controlling device begins being destroyed by adverse weather conditions. The device is also having an effect on Earth, causing flooding across the US.

In the end, SG-1 send a MALP through to the 2nd gate in order to get a GPS reading. It leads them to an off the records base in Southern Utah. They engage in a covert mission to infiltrate the base. They find the Gate, but the men looking after it escape through it to an unknown address. Along with the 2nd Gate, they also recover the Touchstone and return it to the planet. After all these shenanigans, Hammond makes sure that a permanent iris is placed over the Gate and that it is put under his command. Smart move.

I figure there are a couple of themes to discuss here. Firstly, ethics. Hammond mentions that there were two opposing thoughts on the SG-C's mandate when it was being set up. One of those thoughts was that SG-teams should recover technology regardless of the effect that it would have on the indigenous populations. It's clear that this one lost out, but it's interesting to consider how that could ever be justified in the first place, and whether future circumstances could bring a change of opinion about it. Could Earth's 6 billion inhabitants be left to die while a settlement of a few thousand people on an alien world lives with something that could prevent the deaths on Earth?

The other theme is opposing forces within the government and military, each seeking to benefit in different ways from the Stargate. I've discussed this before, but this episode seems to add another level to it. It's not just power players like Maybourne that are causing trouble with their dubious ethics anymore. This episode suggests that civilian organisations may also be involved in attempting to exploit the Gate's resources. Civilian organisations are certainly much less culpable to the ideals of the US government and may be down right evil. I'm sure we'll see how this plays out in future episodes.

I rated this episode a couple of years ago. I think I'll stick with that initial assessment.

6 out of 10

Family

Plot: Teal'c returns with SG-1 to Chulak in order to rescue his son, Rya'c, who has been taken prisoner and brainwashed by Apophis.


I mentioned a couple of episodes ago the curious fact that SG-1 assumed that Apophis was attempting to invade Cimmeria. This episode makes their assumption all the more curious as they seem quite shocked after being told by Bra'tac that Apophis has returned to Chulak alive and well. I hate to pick bones, but it seems there was a little miscommunication in the writing there, as no way should SG-1 have even entertained the possibility that Apophis was alive, let alone able to invade a planet.

Anyway. The first twenty minutes of this episode are rather tragic for Teal'c. First of all, he finds that his wife, Drey'auc, has had their marriage cancelled and is now wed to another man, Fro'tak. He's understandably a little upset at this, though is brought round to the idea that Drey'auc should be allowed to move on in order to ensure a better life for Rya'c. Conveniently, Fro'tak betrays Teal'c and SG-1 and is killed by Jack.

More tragic is that fact that Rya'c has been brainwashed by Apophis and wants nothing to do with Teal'c, even so far as alerting the palace guards to SG-1's presence while they attempt a rescue. SG-1 eventually sneak Rya'c back to Earth, only to find that he's been implanted with a deadly virus within two false teeth. If Rya'c bites down hard enough then he'll release the virus, which Sam expects would wipe out all life on Earth within a week. Maybe Apophis should make use of that a bit more often, though I don't know where he'd get any slaves from if he made that his policy.

As you'd imagine, everything works out nicely in the end. Jack suggests electro-shocking the brainwashing out of Rya'c, but Teal'c thinks a Zat gun would be safer. Turns out he's right and Rya'c returns to normal. Rya'c and Drey'auc then go off to live in the Land of Light. It's good to see that the people of that planet are still willing to help Earth out, even if we rarely see them.

Not the most amazing of episodes and it certainly drags at the beginning, but who doesn't love a happy ending? :)

7 out of 10

Message in a Bottle

Plot: SG-1 return from a planet with a mysterious orb. Back at the SGC it activates, pinning O'Neill to a wall and infecting him and the rest of the base with what appears to be a virus.


Quite an enjoyable episode, that does surprisingly well to build a great deal excitement from what is essentially a gradually heating metal ball. Daniel and Sam had been studying the orb, believing it to be some form of time capsule left by an extinct civilisation. This is one of the first times that we've seen the pair properly engaged in some serious scientific investigation. This type of exploration, investigation and experimentation will become a very regular and much loved fixture in the show from now on.

It transpires that the orb pinned Jack to a wall within the gate room in order to try and communicate. It is not a time capsule, but in fact an dead race itself. It had waited for hundreds of thousands of years for someone to come along and take it to a live world so that it could prosper once again. Fortunately, the SGC knows of a primordial planet that would do the job jut nicely. The orb agrees and releases the SGC and Jack from its grips. Not a moment too soon as the quarantine process was within ten seconds of blowing up the mountain. It's not the first time and it probably won't be the last that that particular close shave happens.

Before the orb releases Jack, it manages to put him through something of an experience. Though it made a clean entry and exit through his shoulder, he was still put through considerable pain, as well as a mean fever caused by the infection. Teal'c, however, really showed his loyalty by never leaving Jack's side. We're able to see that a very strong bond has grown between them and it's fair to say that they probably understand each other the most out of the four, due to them both being archetypal warrior types.

8 out of 10

Special Features: Season 1, Disc 2

Just a few words to explain the feature on disc 2 of season 1. There's a promo featurette introducing the cast and crew. You've got Richard Dean Anderson talking a little about Stargate and MacGyver. There's also Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks and Christopher Judge with a few words about why it's such an awesome show and how they all have such fun shooting it, as well as many other exciting clichés.

What was interesting was that Don S. Davis explained how he'd worked with Richard Dean Anderson before. Apparently he was a photo double for Dana Elcar, who played Pete Thornton in MacGyver.


I can see the resemblance.

The featurette then shows the creators, Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner. Glassner in particular explained how he found the show exciting because it was in a contemporary setting. I've always felt that the contemporary setting of the show was one of it's strongest assets, as it gives the plot a firm basis in reality, before it goes off exploring the great unknown.

There were also a couple of trailers, which I'm guessing were either made for the DVD or for syndication. They show various clips of the show, including some of the Replicators and Hathor, which led me to believe that they weren't trailers for season one specifially. Nothing much more to say about them.

So yeah, I'm pretty pleased with that. Four paragraphs from a four minute feature and two one minute trailers. :)