Between Two Fires

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S5 (Between Two Fires)

The Tollan prepared to share their technology? Surely it's too good to be true? They've always been quite content to stand behind their Prime Directive-type law that prohibits sharing of advanced technology with prim– sorry, 'less advanced' species, such as humans. Of course it's too good to be true and it turns out that even their superior technology can no longer protect them from the Goa'uld. They stall for time and it shows in the episode. At first it's great to be back in the super-smooth walkways of Tollana for a sad memorial service for one of the Tollan we knew, Omoc. But when nice-guy Narim, who was always especially nice to Carter, gives them a warning of Earth's danger things begin to look fishy. So they of course agree to go along and meet with Chancellor Travell anyway and it's a good job they did or Earth would have been blown up by a nasty WMD (all the rage back in the early 2000s), using the Tollan ability to shift through matter so even the iris of the Stargate would be pregnable at last.

It's not the Tollan who want to destroy Earth, but their new masters, a mysterious Goa'uld whom we don't meet, we're not allowed to hear his name and his willing servant is none other than Tanith, the Goa'uld who inhabited the body of a Tok'ra then allied himself with Apophis until the destruction of that guy's fleet. Keep up! Actually they did deign to include a recap, at least on the Tollan side of the story, to remind us who Omoc was and some of the backstory, and it made a lot more sense to me seeing it now as opposed to a decade ago since I'm now up to date with the previous episodes. The most interesting part of this episode is the reveal of a new Goa'uld threat to Earth, spearheaded by this mysterious master of Tanith. Teal'c conveniently has no idea who it could be, not even reeling off a series of names, so could it be Mr. B?

One mistake there seemed to be with the workings out of the story was that if Earth is protected by the Asgard treaty why does it need these ion cannons? It must be that they would prefer to have control of their own defence rather than having to rely on aliens, no matter how benevolent and advanced, especially with Replicator matters taking up most of the Asgard's time. Apart from this nitpick it was a pleasure to watch, but it was an episode you could fall asleep to. In a good way, I mean. It was so relaxing and nice to look at and really unthreatening, as opposed to, say, the last episode, 'The Tomb.' It was like those old 'TNG' episodes where there's a lot of talking and you just bask in the characters and enjoy their interactions without ever getting excited about anything.

There was even time for a bit of action towards the end when the Tollan civilisation is torn apart by Goa'uld blasts from the heavens. There's something so sad about that shot of Narim standing forlornly in the foreground as explosions rend the well-formed buildings behind him. Even more so when we hear the last transmission from him describing Tollan escape craft being shot down, and then silence… I would have thought the SG-1 team would feel very guilty about leaving the Tollan to fight their own battle, although there was little they could do and technically it wasn't their fault, it was simply that the Goa'uld improved their ship's defensive capabilities and now the Tollan can't protect themselves. Although there wasn't a lot of excitement to be had, there was a sinister mood rising as the team slowly discover that things on the planet aren't as harmonious as they appear. That Chancellor Travell tricks them after seeming such a nice old lady, becomes clear that she had no other choice and is forced into her planet's devastation when things don't go according to the agreed plan.

Amid the slow burning build up there are some beautiful camera moves that show off the sets and the scope of the episode very strongly: the shot looking down on Travell's office which circles down to the doorway as the team enter; the slow glide across the pool when Carter and Teal'c wait for Narim, and the best one, which was a simple pan around two sides of a stone pillar where Jack and Daniel are discussing the Tollan's surprise agreement to provide Earth with as many ion cannons as they wish. I was surprised Daniel wasn't more opposed to the big honking guns - although there was a hint that he didn't entirely approve or that he was unsurprised that Jack was glad about it, perhaps even he realises the guns would be necessary. Until they discover they are now no use against enemy ships. There were also several comedy moments, my favourites being Daniel resuming the conversation after Terell reactivates the security inside her chamber, and he speaks in such a forced way. There's also the moment where Hammond basically says nothing of any use to O'Neill, and O'Neill lets him know it! And who could forget Narim using Carter's voice on his computer. It gives a whole new meaning to the term 'personal computer'!

The actual sets of the office and surroundings look very elegant, if spare, certainly indicative of a society of advanced technology. The effects of people leaping through walls was good, though they could have made a really good action sequence if they'd wanted to, preferring to keep the pace restrained. The effects of the final battle, augmented by loads of extras haring around, looked good, as did the pop up screens. Everything just looked lovely, like if you dropped your ice cream cone you'd happily scoop it off the floor and continue eating it. There was one thing I noticed about Narim's home, however: his carpet appeared to be hastily laid as there were creases visible and a nasty point where someone could trip at the edge! No doubt Tollans would have a sensor in their boots that would warn them when they might be about to trip. So let's see, we get a return visit to a previously-explored location and people, returning characters, a twist in the tale and plenty of little character moments to enjoy. It's hardly a revolutionary story, nor does it take the series into new and exciting territory, but it's a comfortable adventure and I quite enjoyed it.

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