Touchstone

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S2 (Touchstone)

I have the distinct impression this is another of the early episodes I'd seen. Unless the second Stargate comes into it again, and gets welded up again. But even if it was a hint of a memory that might have reminded me Mayborn was involved, it was pretty likely from the moment the machinations of intervention from Earth came to light, and his name (along with Senator Kinsey) sprung to the fore of my mind. I never enjoyed all the military versus secret services shenanigans as much as the true villains of the Goa'uld as it was all so formal and regulation, much like the concrete base of Stargate Command, and arguing/intimidating Mayborn was always a fun side-effect, but that and the second gate were slender reeds to hang a story upon.

The aliens were the typical one-dimensional sort, and the only good scene was the raid on an air hangar in which the mysterious operatives in blue escape by leaping into the activated gate. SG-1 have taken to wearing blue themselves in recent episodes, and I can't get used to that. Nor Teal'c's lack of his staff weapon, which has been an absentee recently. I wondered why the team didn't all take Zat guns and stun the unknown enemy without damaging them. That way they could have interrogated them and unearthed more information. Maybe they only have one weapon?

I think this was the first to feature Major Reynolds, a role I remember vaguely, so is sure to become a familiar face. And Witlow, the friend of Hammond's who provides the necessary intel to find the gate also played a recurring role as a doctor in the Smallville Medical Centre of 'Smallville'.

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