Double Jeopardy

DVD, Stargate SG-1 (Double Jeopardy)

Doubles have to die. It is the decree of these kinds of stories, you just can't have two versions of someone running around the universe. I don't agree with that view as I love doubles, duplicates and any other 'd' variations there might be, but at least they go out helping the real them. This was one I definitely remembered - Daniel's head being blown off to reveal circuitry was a memorable moment and one I was waiting for since it hadn't happened in the series yet. I didn't realise it was going to happen in this one until it did, however, I was expecting them to turn out to be doubles simply from the fact they'd been to the planet previously, yet clearly hadn't, and it looked very much like Daniel was going to be shot. Still, it was an impressive moment in a good episode.

The real reason Dr. Jackson was killed off so early, and that the real Daniel was conveniently off on a mission far away, was because the actor that played him, Michael Shanks, was directing the episode! I always wonder when I see an actor's name in the directing credit whether I'm in for a rough ride, finding excuses for them when the episode doesn't quite work, or whether it's a case of Jonathan Frakes - a badge of quality. Shanks falls into the Frakes category. The sets look good, both outside, the grey leaves, colour-sapped landscape; and the internal ones, the corridors of the ship or the shadowy tented dwellings of the planet's inhabitants. Cronus' grand room is gold and full of shadows, the female scientist torturer's green-beamed room contrasted well, and the lighting of these indoor scenes was excellent. Even the matte or CGI of the exterior of the ship with the campfires near the entrance looked cosy.

Directing is a tough enough job on its own to be acting in the same episode, so I don't blame them for losing Daniel for most of the story. It's a common thing. Shanks' direction wasn't showy, didn't draw attention to itself, and for an actor-director that's quite a compliment - take a look at a different style in Paul Michael Glaser's 'Starsky & Hutch' episodes, you can see he was pulling out all the stops, but was over-directing it and having fun rather than sticking to what worked for the series on a regular basis. Shanks just lets the story tell itself, and thankfully, it's a good story. Apparently SG-1 had been to the planet and helped rid them of Heru'ur, but in his place Cronus set up shop, using it as a military post. We get a handy reminder that this particular System Lord was responsible for the death of Teal'c's Father, and this comes back to haunt the long-haired baddie at the end.

There's some real sadness in the android versions taking the fatal damage at each of their tasks, performing superhuman feats the SG-1 team couldn't even attempt, but they were't going to be kept around. They were, of course, the android replicas of the team created by Harlan, who is also present and correct ("Kumtrya!"), and it's a treat to revisit an episode which was one of my favourites from Season 1, which seems so distant now. The alternate SG-1 get a suitable send off and there's the usual bickering between the O'Neill's. Robot Teal'c saves real Teal'c from Cronus, taking him out for "our Father" and giving the story some heart as well as gun-blazing action.

The Goa'uld had often taken a back seat in the series as other stories had overshadowed that arc, but the instalments pop up here and there and this was a very satisfying use of the story pieces with older links and made for a good episode. Shanks should be proud, not to mention the other cast members who had to play off of themselves. The only bit I didn't get was the final shot of a pyramid ship descending over Cronus's defeated stronghold on the planet. Was that another Goa'uld ship coming to pick up his remains or what?

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