Chain Reaction

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (Chain Reaction)

Like Colonel O'Neill I didn't buy the sudden desire of General Hammond to retire - being a soldier of many years experience he wasn't going to suddenly balk at the thought he might be sending soldiers on missions they might not return from. Knowing that Hammond eventually did leave the series, I did wonder if it could happen at this relatively early stage, but not for long. It did mean we got to see some heartfelt goodbyes from the SG-1 team to their beloved General and friend. It seems that every TV series which revolves around a team with an older leader who sends them off on their adventures has to have an episode in which that trusted leader is replaced by a completely different type of person. This person then goes about wrecking the established equilibrium, breaking up the team and making questionable decisions based on a lack of experience with the exact formula of the series, and this is the episode for 'Stargate.'

Major General Bauer looked more like a man on his way to retirement than Hammond did, and I got the impression he was merely a stooge sent to upset the status quo rather than one with any real hope of staying in command for long - his first plan almost destroys the Stargate programme, and puts Earth at extreme risk, not to mention an unethical destruction of a planet! I also had the sense that, while he regretted his actions (enough to apologise to Carter), he would also be liable to make the same mistake again if he was allowed, once the danger had passed and the situation resolved. This just made it all the more imperative to get Hammond reinstated, and showed the great latitude and understanding he has always exhibited, and which O'Neill requested more of!

The plot revolves around the NID, that nasty secret organisation which now needs our Stargate after the team shut down the Russian gate. At last we find out what the events of that episode led to, namely Mayborn accused of treason and sentenced to execution. But he wasn't going to let that happen, and so begins the more interesting era of his involvement in the series as he becomes a partial asset to O'Neill. A kind of dirty agent that can be of use against his former employees, the dark side of control. It's shocking to think Hammond's grandchildren could be abducted, but less shocking to discover Senator Kinsey's connection to it all. I love the way Mayborn retains a sneaking admiration of Jack, even while he is so serious and cliched about spy stuff, while Jack just shrugs it off and pops his pomposity and self-crafted stature as this great spymaster, although you have to give him credit for escaping captivity, and double points for not attempting it on Jack's watch so as not to break O'Neill's trust with the President!

There's also the early signs of the direction the series could go with ultimate enemy of the Stargate, Kinsey, declaring his decision to run for the presidency. Uh-oh! The most interesting part of the tale was O'Neill and Mayborn's runaround after evidence, with black ops types chasing them down: good use of handheld cameras to shoot the sequence where the operatives break into Mayborn's hideaway and he and Jack take their vehicle. There's also plenty of banter from Jack, the best being some 'Starsky & Hutch' references! "I'm Mr. Starsky and he's Hutch." Hammond's blackmailing out of his job is soon rectified and the team can get back to normal, though with the threat of Kinsey and the NID looming larger, things could get tricky. At least Mayborn's status as a rogue agent is an option they might be able to make use of.

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