The Other Guys

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S6 (The Other Guys)

I had it in mind that this was one I didn't think much of, but it must have been another 'Other Guys,' because this turned out to be one of my fondly remembered episodes. I say remembered, but I didn't really recall anything except that I knew John Billingsley played a comical character in an episode (might even have come back for another), so it was a pleasant surprise to discover that this was that. It used to be the case that the 'Stargate' universe was the place where out of work 'Star Trek' actors turned up, but with this episode, it's 'Star Trek' actors still in work on their series, so it was practically a crossover episode, or as close as the two franchises were ever going to come to it! There was actually only the one Trek actor on display, but I know Jolene Blalock (who played Vulcan T'Pol on 'Star Trek: Enterprise'), also showed up, and Connor Trinneer later appeared on 'Stargate Atlantis' - this sixth season episode was released during 'Enterprise's second, before Billingsley (alien Dr. Phlox in that series), began losing weight, adding to the weight of his comedic performance in literal terms as well as other terms.

The sad thing is that he probably had more to do and got to act more in this than he did in an average 'Enterprise' episode, but that series was the relative low point of the franchise and can take a good portion of blame for being the last series (to date - always hopeful), though that was hardly Billingsley's fault - he was able to show in various episodes what a fine actor he was, and very much so in this story, playing scientist Simon Coombs who gets dragged into a rescue mission of SG-1 by colleague Jay Felger, a rescue mission they didn't need or want. Until they did. It is rather a parody of the series, from O'Neill talking about the big bad guy coming to their cell to gloat, to Felger's artificially deepened voice when he pretends to be a Goa'uld soldier, or Carter referring to it being the first time Jonas had been captured by the Goa'uld, and I can see how it could get tiresome if this was how the series played out every week. But as a once in a while blast of creative fresh air, much in the vein of Martin Lloyd and 'Wormhole X-Treme!' this is pretty jolly with enjoyable overacting throughout, that has a tinge of believability of a scenario for two boffins to get to do SG-1 type stuff.

It succeeds in making SG-1 look cool, slightly more so by the ineptitude of the scientists, with Teal'c bursting out of a lake (looked like the same one where the Unas creatures were found in Season 4's 'The First Ones'), and the others getting plenty of opportunities for showing their weapons prowess, even if Jonas is muted for the majority of the time. It's meant to be a 'fan' episode, I think, with the main scientist guy heavily obsessed with SG-1 and their missions and thinks of them as his heroes, just as many viewers probably did. It's an exaggerated portrayal, but many people who watch these kinds of programmes do develop a pride in the characters and a warmth to them - that's this series' greatest quality, because many of the stories I've seen before, elsewhere, and better, and much of the mythology is based on Ancient Egyptian melded with modern technology, but it's the characters that draw me to it and want to keep watching, not the stories or the effects. So Jay was speaking for viewers when he was getting all excited whenever the team were around, as much as the dedicated audience would be if they met the actors.

Coming much more from the Trek point of view I was delighted with not only Billingsley's performance, but the Trek references, since generally the series aimed nods at that other 'Star' series, 'Star Wars.' Coombs is an unreserved Trekker, going to conventions (dressed as a Vulcan, not as a Klingon - really surreal to hear the actor say such Trek-definitive words in another, unrelated TV series!). He also makes mention of redshirts, though Jay doesn't get the reference, being scornful of Trek in a 'Stargate' versus 'Star Trek' face-off! My favourite connection, besides John Billingsley, was a much more subtle one, and something I didn't notice until later when I'd already been put in the Trek mindset thanks to other references: when I first saw Lord Khonsu of Amon Shek introduced in that shiny red kingly garb in front of a glowing red background featuring sharply arranged bladed weapons, I was impressed with what a striking image it all made. But it was only later when we return to that throne room that I noticed, looming out of the gloom at the top of the display, was a prominent Bat'leth, the most famous Klingon weapon! Great fun, and surprising that they could do that while 'Enterprise' and Klingons were still in production.

The idea of a Tok'ra also being a System Lord, or even if he wasn't of that rank, very high up in Anubis' organisation, was a thought-provoking one. It was difficult to accept that someone so high would have turned to the Tok'ra, but equally as hard that he could have got to that rank while always being a Tok'ra. We're not given any further information in that way, a shame, because as good an idea as it was to have Lord Khonsu as an undercover agent for one episode, to see that play out over multiple episodes would have been far juicer, ripe with possibility. When Her'ak was introduced I was immediately thinking of Heru'er until I realised my mistake, which can be a problem sometimes when all the names and places are in an alien language, but I suppose that's one of the appeals to the diehard 'Gaters, or whatever they're called. I also had trouble accepting SG-1 were captured without any injury, especially with that gun turret from the ship blasting away at their rock cover, but later we learn that they wanted to be caught so they must have given themselves up at an appropriate time. What I can't explain away is the plan to capture the 'three humans and one Jaffa of SG-1' that is set out at the beginning. Surely by now, with all their intelligence gathering, the Goa'uld would know that Daniel had died and a new guy taken his place?

You can start to pick at things like the ring transport room having no guards when Coombs and Felger sneak aboard, or that no one is alerted to the gunfire of Felger, or that they never meet any guards at all - it shows how closely, even with all their technology, the Goa'uld monitor their internal security (not a lot), but it was fun to see them bumbling about, arguing and moaning in Coombs' case, or grinning like a Cheshire cat in Felger's, loving every minute. They get a lot of screen time for a couple of guest characters, but hopefully they'll be back, and there was still time for SG-1's usual banter - apparently they've saved Earth eight times now, Teal'c had been counting! The cool desert gear makes a comeback and helps with the image, the desert planet looks sufficiently real and deserty, I've already mentioned the fun 'Stargate' versus 'Star Trek' moment, and best of all, the ending fooled me - the pair are awarded medals for their heroism in a full ceremony in the 'gate room, which is realistic enough until Carter starts face-hugging Felger and… then he wakes up. Fun, pretty much all the way through.

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