A Hundred Days

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S3 (A Hundred Days)

Surprisingly heartfelt and better than it seemed at first. It began as a disaster story, but turned into one about being trapped on an alien world. That, in itself, was nothing special, they'd done such episodes before, as early as Season 1, but this time it felt real as Jack begins to let go of the ties to his old life and, if not embrace his situation, at least begin to learn to accept it as the reality. The suitably placed widow helped, and again it isn't doing anything particularly new, but everything about the episode exudes quality and credibility. The gorgeous natural landscapes bring it up another level - it isn't limited to woods and mountains this time, but rippling streams and stunning sunsets, even the ugly great swathe in the earth left by a 'fire tear' or meteorite looks grand.

Unlike some episodes the character comes through as strong as the visuals, with Carter and Fraiser having a brief, but meaningful conversation about Jack to remind us of Carter's personal interest. Teal'c's loyalty comes through strongly and his brave acceptance of the mission to dig through the rock was typical of him, but all the regulars seem closer than ever and display the bond that has grown between them very well. The direction is beautiful, capturing the picturesque views perfectly. The scene which shows the transition between Jack's initial life there, and three months (or about a hundred days) later as the camera pans from him walking away from the river bank to see him arriving along the river on a canoe, his simple homemade shirt a symbol of his acceptance of his new life is particularly stylish.

I don't think they've ever made it more believable that a character has properly begun a new life after being stranded on the other side of a wormhole than in this, and the simple, rustic charms of their agrarian ways are well presented, from the men chopping wood in the village to a night time party with singing and dancing. Carter even gets a viewer sympathy moment at the end as she sees O'Neill say goodbye to his almost-wife. It has enough of all the things that make the series work, including the realistic and devastating daytime passage of the meteorites, to make this one of the best, if not the best put together episodes of the season so far! Even Sokar gets a mention, and good comes out of the attack he made on the SGC Stargate when it gives Carter the inspiration for how to reach the planet. Hooray!

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