Threshold

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S5 (Threshold)

This is just the kind of thing I was hoping for! All that was wrong or weak with the season opener is put right with this battle for the heart and mind of Teal'c. It's a credit to Christopher Judge that his performance in the teaser, a Teal'c still under the dominion of Apophis, but pretending to renounce him, is both sinister, yet only a little off of his usual character. I didn't trust him for more than a couple of seconds, but I must admit that for a moment I really believed they were going to sweep this under the carpet as a mental aberration. Then I thought maybe they were going to play it out over the course of the episode, or several episodes, with Teal'c really being what he had professed to be: a double agent. Perhaps he'd compromise a mission or something like that, but no it was resolved in the course of the episode as I had feared at the end of the preceding story, but in a good way and one worthy of an entire episode.

This could have been a disaster. When I realised it was going to be the SG-1 team sitting by their afflicted friend's bedside and trying to convince him to remember his time with them I thought they might go down the clips show route. It didn't make much sense this early in the season, but maybe they were going to save money and work out the problem in one go. I'm so glad it went a completely different way, though technically it is the episode with the most clips of previous episodes ever: a montage of Teal'c's roles that flash past in seconds near the end - I like the way they even included the hippie Teal'c from '1969'! No, this became an opportunity for some glorious retconning and a clever segue into the first episode, which always impresses me. It's something that pretty much all sci-fi series' do in some way, going back to the start, and it's always a pleasure. I suppose it's the sign of a middle-aged series, maybe even one coming to an end, though that wasn't true by a long chalk in this case.

You can almost guarantee that when Master Bre'tak shows up you're in for a good one, and this was no exception to the rule. Tony Amendola steals the scenes and I don't think we've ever seen him at the base so much (if at all, I forget), so his medieval presence, sweeping fur robes and etched armour amid our present day technology makes him stand out far more than his advanced age (137!), and Shakespearean way of talking. Only he knows for sure that Teal'c is fooling them over his true beliefs, and only he knows of a way to wrestle his former apprentice back to the truth. That's what the episode is about, it has a strong core about the fight between choosing good and evil, a choice that we all must make. It's also about the conflict certain characters find themselves in, most notably Dr. Fraiser who must stand by and allow Teal'c to suffer even to the point of death, totally against her ethical and medical code.

Even with such a serious subject the double-act of Jack and Daniel make for some funny moments: "Did he just call me a woman?" "Yes, I believe he did." But it's in the way the flashbacks or memories are segued into that really impresses, as Teal'c's mind returns to his past and the evidence that slowly changed his mind from worshipping Apophis to realising he was a false god. From his struggles with Apophis (we can seemingly never escape the guy - he supposedly died last episode and right away he's back!), right from the start when he first meets him, standing by his assertion that his Father was not at fault when he was killed, to the internal conflict over his treatment of his friend Velar, saving his life and then eventually killing him to prevent his guilt from becoming known - Apophis proves he isn't a god by not being all-knowing as Teal'c spares Velar's life after failing a battle against Ra's forces (oh, all this backstory and referencing past continuity is great!), and yet isn't punished. Even so, his own fear gets the better of him, and helped by his wife's dedication to the status quo and the approaching birth of his son, he continues to rise up the ranks.

Not only is the story well written and a fascinating insight into Teal'c, but it also answers questions about why he finally turned to the SG-1 team and what led to that decision. I don't think we knew that Bre'tak had been the First Prime of Apophis before Teal'c, but even if we did, we see it for the first time. The explanation of how two such intelligent and defiant spirits as he and his pupil could continue believing in Apophis is perfectly thought out - they didn't really believe any more, but accepted his control as the only way to have the best life for themselves and to save their fellow Jafar where possible. It's also beautifully shot, whether in the dark barracks of the soldiers, the dark bedchamber of Teal'c and his wife, or the snowy hilltops, the production value is practically filmic! All the characters have some nice little moments, but this is Teal'c story, literally, and I bet people were thrilled that the series had lasted long enough that they could do stories like this. The ending is moving, if inevitable, but if the season can produce more like this it could be the best season so far.

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