Show And Tell

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S2 (Show And Tell)

Right off the bat there was something, I can't quite explain it (maybe it was the invisible presence of the Ritu on the base!), but I sensed this was going to be a good one. The dialogue was comfortable, the way it was shot drew me in, and the mysterious opening all pointed to a strong episode, and thankfully it was sustained and is probably one of the best of the season.

There were some really good ideas, well executed, and for once, the constraints of the spare, military base and early CGI worked to the story's advantage as the aliens were so much more thanks to the glimpses we had of them and the reliance on our imagination: The Ritu were suitably alien and scary in their non-humanoid design, a bit like Species 8472 on 'Voyager', and their genuinely devastating weapons (both the threat of bombs and the shown effect of the shooters) increasing their threat level. The only aspect that didn't ring true was their agenda for wiping out Earth just so there'd be a few less potential Goa'uld hosts, but as that was really only an excuse to mount an attack on the base it served the story rather than ruining it.

Stargate Command hasn't had the greatest track record when it comes to children, and suitably this was referenced flippantly by Jack. Though the record of initial contact is bad, both Cassandra and Riach were successfully rehabilitated and the enemy plots that used them averted. This time the lad has been created for the express purpose of being a messenger with good intentions, the best concept of the episode, alongside the Ritu and the weapons that could reveal them hiding in any corner of a room.

Jack's experiences with his own son are poignantly brought into the story. Usually buried, here they were allowed to come to the surface which always adds so much to him. Carter's past is also important as we get the always enjoyable reappearance of Jacob, her Father. The Ritu threat is left open for the future, 'Charlie' has a chance of, I wouldn't say a new life, because he hasn't really experienced one yet, so just life, and once again the Tok'ra prove a worthy ally. I hope both the Ritu and Charlie do return at some point, and I only wish we had more episodes that reached this mix of heartfelt drama, great sci-fi concepts and the visual effects to back it up. Even the action was a notch better, with a Tok'ra lackey getting punched through the gate room's 'impenetrable' window by the force from a huge bug creature's blast before Teal'c rolls out of the way and blast's it right back!

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