Prodigy

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S4 (Prodigy)

From the first few minutes until almost halfway I thought this was a money-saving episode. Little happened, there were two separate stories seemingly to give the characters something to do, and everything was as slow and pointless as Cadet Jennifer Hayley found her training for the Airforce. Thankfully, like Hayley's future, things became a whole lot brighter, beginning with Carter taking an active interest in this prodigy, first sticking up for her so she isn't expelled for decking another Cadet (though through all the scenes in General Kerrigan's office I was too busy trying to see if the model in the background was the Enterprise-E or not!), then as she gives her a goal to aim for: the Stargate programme itself.

When she walks in and sees the Stargate for the first time, this epic gateway to the universe beyond her imaginings, it has the same kind of draw as when someone sees the Enterprise for the first time or walks into the TARDIS to discover it's bigger on the inside. It may be because we don't often see the wonder of the technology, it's taken for granted somewhat, and usually it's only peasant aliens that are cowed and impressed by it, so when a genius human student feels the magic you know it's something special. I love the shot of Carter and Hayley walking towards the 'gate seen from the other side of the event horizon in a rippling effect. Effects were very well done in the episode, the light creatures looked real and the featured moon has a planet dominating the sky and seen at different times of day sinking below the horizon with long shadows.

The other story features O'Neill and Teal'c taking over on a mundane science mission to this verdant moon. The teaser with Jack becoming tongue-tied in front of his hero General Ryan, Chief of Staff, is funny, but in the opening credits it says the General is playing himself so was that the real Chief of Staff of the Air Force at the time? I imagine they'd like to reward the programme for it's generating of interest in young people for the service and the positive way the organisation is portrayed, and I'd love to hear the story of that. After that the mission appears as dull as O'Neill's expectations, until these little light creatures start buzzing around.

It becomes a science versus military story, which makes Daniel's absence from the episode seem stranger, but gives some momentum to the story. These scientists, they're so happy to meddle with other lifeforms, then as soon as things turn ugly they come crying for O'Neill to protect them! The apparent harmlessness of the creatures made their ability to cut through any material more devastating and horrible. I saw it coming as soon as they were first spotted zipping through tree trunks, but it was still a terrible moment when one of the scientists gets attacked by a swarm slicing through his body. Reminded me of 'Jurassic Park' and those little compys. By the time it became a base under siege scenario I had forgiven the slow start, though I couldn't quite see the episode as a whole as a strong one, because of that.

I like the way they band together to come up with a last-second plan to electrify the walls, then O'Neill does the heroic thing and allows Teal'c to electrify him with a Zat gun, eventually relying on him to back him up when he tries to activate the 'gate. I wondered why they didn't all get 'Zat-ed,' but the scientist would have been stuck as he couldn't take another blast. Sensibly they didn't have Cadet Hayley be the one to solve the problem and save their skins, as experience is just as important as a high IQ (as Jack would be glad to know!), but I would have appreciated more than the throwaway comments between her and Carter in the last moments to see how she thinks she's going to cope with going back to her mundane training when she knows what's out there. I suppose that was the point, that she now had something to aim for that would test her skills to the max.

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