Meridian

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S5 (Meridian)

These things work better if you're not expecting them, and I had been expecting Daniel's death for quite a while. I was pretty sure it was this season, but it had been so long since I'd thought about it that I'd actually forgotten. When I first saw it, nine years ago, I had been anticipating Michael Shanks' departure then, as it was a known event, but it had a little more resonance for me now because, even knowing that he was to pop up a few more times, and even return to the fold, I still don't know the whys and wherefores. I don't why he left, why they wrote him out in that way, and why he felt able to return. I'd love to know. More importantly, this viewing came in sequence, when I'd seen every episode up to this point, in sequence, so when they talk about five years of adventures I know it fully now, where before I only knew vaguely, as in a mirror darkly. Okay, maybe not that vague, but it does have an impact when you've seen these characters together for all these seasons, and then one dies.

I could debate the merits of the philosophy and all that Buddhist-type stuff Oma Desala was sounding off on, but I like to tidy things up by seeing it as a special thing done for Daniel because he knew about Ascension and all that stuff which is rarely touched on in the series, about the Ancients, the builders of the Stargates, and the deeper mythology, which I hope will be further explored. I think Desala was Mother Nature in the previous episodes (like the one with the little monk boy, etc), so it was an intriguing way of taking Daniel out of the series but still with the option to bring him back, while being able to milk the beauty and sadness, the joy of fresh, new life in another form, but also the deep sadness of parting.

The mechanics of Daniel's death were just as intriguing. I loved that he did that heroic thing, saving millions of lives, prompting Corin Nemec's Jonas Quinn to defect to the SGC, bringing a case of naquadria with him, an even more powerful form of the 'gate material, naqahdah. At first I didn't really believe in a scenario where Daniel could be exposed to death-giving levels of radiation, yet could still walk around the base, and as long as no one touched his right hand, they'd be fine. Also, I was wondering how they were going to deal with his extreme physical degradation on a family TV series where you can only show so much. It wouldn't have been enough to have those flecks of blood and see Jackson fall into a coma or whatever, so it made sense that they completely bandaged him up, almost as if he was being mummified for burial, which is a suitably apt analogy for the series.

The big deal, apart from Daniel's departure, was the arrival of the eager Jonas Quinn who took over the scientist role for the following season. I'm not sure how well he went down with the viewers, but I always liked him as he brought a fresh perspective to the series. But no one could have replaced Daniel so I wasn't entirely surprised that he only lasted the one season, but I remember thinking I'd have been fine with it if they'd decided to keep him on even when Jackson returned. The Kelownans weren't the most fleshed out race, but their fascination with the incredibly powerful technology they were experimenting with made me wonder if Earth (or specifically America's government), would have the ability to use such things any better. Maybe in the 'Stargate' universe, but not in the real world. The story certainly threw up many different quandaries, both in terms of diplomatic relations at all costs if it gets something you need, and Daniel being singled out as someone super-special who deserves more than all the others that have died in the Stargate program.

In the SGC's eyes, Daniel was an important member of the team, bringing the 'gate to life, translating so many languages, but it was more realistic for Hammond to acknowledge he wasn't going to send a load of people off to capture a Sarcophagus for the sake of one man's life. That's the difficulty in a TV series: your main characters are there for the audience and are meant to be more important than the average soldier or extra, but on the other hand you need to kill off these extras to demonstrate how dangerous things are for the main characters. But it's not often that a series is placed in the position of having the chance to kill a main character and they want to do it well. I think the best deaths are the heroic ones, even though pointless ones are more realistic - I much prefer Spock's death in 'Star Trek II' than Tasha Yar's or Jadzia Dax'. You need to have time to reflect on a character and what they've meant to the audience, and this episode succeeded in that respect.

The most joyfully sad moments are when Daniel brings Jack into his 'existence' at that moment before he chooses to die, and Jack doesn't blink or say anything facetious, he just accepts it with grace making for a strong goodbye. All the characters in the SG-1 team get some kind of goodbye moment, and I liked the style of bringing them into Daniel's 'world' even though they don't know he's seeing them that way, just as the moment he walks round his bed, all his friends watching him dying, is one of the most affecting. Carter tells him how much he meant to her, and Teal'c, a man of few words, finds something to say anyway. In some ways I'm surprised it was Jack who had the strongest reaction and was the advocate for Daniel, determined to clear his name and do everything for him, as they've so often been at loggerheads, but it also makes sense because Jack was the leader of the team. And I think some of Daniel's actions have softened him slightly or given him pause for thought. Daniel was often the voice for reason, and often the one willing to make the sacrifices to achieve the right way.

I think that goes into the stuff about what his life was worth as he ponders the riddles of Desala (though it seemed clear to me that she was telling him to die), and that it comes down to whether he chose good or evil. In that account he deserved to achieve the gift of Ascension, though I didn't agree with the idea of judging oneself, even if he thought himself unworthy. Finally, I appreciated the casting back a little over his life, right down to watching a scene from the first episode on his 'iPad' with its Share desktop, and the moment early in the episode when they paid tribute to the SG-1 team as a whole by having all five line up, including Jonas, which may or may not have been done in the first episode, but even if it wasn't it was a great shot, indicating that the team would include Jonas. I think Daniel Jackson was my favourite character because he brought something other than the military viewpoint, but over the seasons he was probably underused, and I wouldn't be surprised if Shanks wished to spread his acting wings a bit.

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