The Gamekeeper

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S2 (The Gamekeeper)

Star Trek: 'Shore Leave'; The Next Generation: 'Future Imperfect'; Deep Space Nine: 'Inquisition'; Voyager: 'The Thaw' among others - this type of story has been done countless times before, and I know I've said it several times: this series keeps feeling like a rip-off of Trek. At no point was it surprising that SG-1 were still in the machine - I knew it all along! It was funny when Jack starts patting the fake General Hammond on his bald head, and there were occasional snorts of amusement to be had. Having Kowalsky back, even in fake form, was something else to make you smile, and Dr. Frasier also gets the odd scene. Except it wasn't really her.

There was something quite artistic about the veiled watchers standing in the field like ancient ghosts. In a way they had become that, basically being eternal captives to the deranged and annoying Gamekeeper. You'd think with such well-trodden story ground they'd be trying to keep away from any Trek connections, but having Dwight Schultz, one of that franchise's best known guest stars didn't help. I wondered if they were going to go post-ironic and make a final twist that surprises the jaded sci-fi viewer, but it never came and played out as usual - the people are set free and our heroes escape.

Something of a disappointment, because the individual pieces (Kowalsky and Jack on a 1982 mission; Daniel's parents; virtual reality; the mysterious watchers) were all good. I didn't buy the reason they couldn't show Teal'c and Carter's thoughts. Surely that would mean they were useless as 'software', so why were they kept around? The setting was certainly different, even if it did look like an American version of The Eden Project, and the CGI tubules (very Borg!) were okay. Teal'c with hair made for some sort of difference, but it was too easy to have a crazy keeper to interact with. The story would have benefitted from a bit more mystery and horror, like the characters returning home to see the veiled apparitions dogging their steps. But SG-1 isn't the most subtle show, it is based on the military after all. I think they should have gone one way or the other: more of the soldier raids and less of the tech speak and arguing with the idiot keeper; or more mystery. It ends up predictable and a bit of a mish-mash.

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